Get ready for some slick Brazilian jiu-jistu.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) just learned that lightweight grapplers Kurt Pellegrino (10-3) and Alberto Crane (8-1) will go at it on January 23 at UFC Fight Night 12. It's a showdown that pits two of the top jiu-jitsu fighters in the division against one another.
Pellegrino dropped a unanimous decision to Joe Stevenson his last time out at UFC 74: "Respect" back in August. It was a fight that would have tagged him with contender status. Unfortuantely for Kurt, "Daddy" came away with the win and now he will fight B.J. Penn for the interim lightweight championship at UFC 80: "Rapid Fire" in Newcastle, England, on January 19.
"Batman" earned his jiu-jitsu blackbelt under the highly regarded Hermes Franca at the Armory in Jupiter, Fla. He has also trained with recent UFC middleweight acquisition and renowned jiu-jitsu competitor, Ricardo Almeida.
Crane was a veteran of "King of the Cage" and "Professional No Rules Fighting" promotions prior to making his Octagon debut against Roger Huerta at UFC 74. He threw everything at Huerta during the fight, but it just wasn't enough -- "El Matador" went on to win via technical knockout in round three.
It was the first mixed martial arts fight for Crane in about two years, which means that he's perhaps knocked off a bit of the rust. He's a three-time Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Champion, Bronze World Championship medalist at the 2002 Mundials, Grapplers Quest Champion, Pan American Champion ... you get the idea.
Should be a very technical fight to say the least. For the latest UFC Fight Night 12 fight card click here.
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