Christian “Xaropinho” Uflacker, black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA fighter. Photo: Kuba Mantle / mantofight.com
Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt champion, Christian “Xaropinho” Uflacker is the newest Brazilian fighter at One FC, the biggest MMA organization in Asia. The contender is undefeated with five wins and will fight at lightweight division in which Ben Askren is the champion.
“The One FC has been growing a lot, they scheduled major events and want to advertise great fights in 2015. It is great to be part of an event of this size for my career. I don’t know when I will make my debut. I’m doing most of the training at my gym in Chicago, but maybe I will be traveling to train elsewhere before the fight,” says Xaropinho.
To keep the pace in training and his Jiu-Jitsu sharp, the student of Carlos Gracie Jr. does not abandon the kimono.
“Jiu-Jitsu is the basis of MMA. Without Jiu-Jitsu, you do not get far in the ring. But for you to have a great career in MMA, it is prime to have the willingness of a white belt to learn and improve. That’s what makes me very excited to train. Every day I know I have to get better in boxing, muay thai, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. This philosophy appeals to me as an athlete. One thing I learned from Carlos is to have Jiu-Jitsu as a lifestyle, so I always enjoy training; It doesn’t matter if I have a fight scheduled or not. I learned to have Jiu-Jitsu as an important part of my life,” he says.
Xaropinho commented about who impresses him in the world of MMA:
“Chris Weidman today is the fighter that most impresses me. He caught my attention. I saw how good was Weidman three years ago when he agreed to fight Demian Maia within only two weeks of previous notice. He lost ten pounds for the fight and defeated Demian by decision. After that, I kept an eye on his career,” he said.
