Grapplers Quest recently announced that it has added the final "super fight" to the UFC’s first-ever grappling tournament, a contest between Vinicius Magalhaes and Daniel Valverde. The tournament is slated to be a part of the UFC Fan Expo from July 10 to 11 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Magalhaes — The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 light heavyweight finalist — is a former Mundials and Pan-American grappling champion, boasting one of the slickest ground games in the world.
His opponent, Valverde, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach at Team Nogueira which should add some intrigue into the bout and a compelling storyline to boot.
That’s because in the time Magalhaes spent on The Ultimate Fighter, he managed to infuriate Coach Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by talking down his jiu-jitsu and saying it wasn’t of a high standard which led to a verbal altercation between the two.
So lots of bragging rights on the line here when Valverde squares off with Magalhaes.
Grapplers Quest at UFC Fan Expo will feature talents such as Shooto legend and Japanese mainstay, Rumina "Moon Wolf" Sato, Ulysses "Useless" Gomez, Fredson Paixao and Joe Stevenson, among other notables.
Sato is known for his unorthodox submissions in mixed martial arts with victories coming by way of flying armbar, calf slicer and flying reverse triangle lock. His opponent, Gomez, is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a highly accomplished grappler, winning many accolades during his time in competition.
In other action, Paixao — a current WEC featherweight standout — is slated to do battle with 22-time Grapplers Quest winner Jeff Glover. And the UFC’s Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is set to take on young jiu-jitsu ace Bill "The Grill" Cooper, which should present an interesting match-up.
Stevenson recently out-grappled Nate Diaz in a mixed martial arts contest at TUF 9 Finale last month to earn a decision win from the judges. Cooper should present another tough test for Stevenson on the ground -- especially in a pure grappling contest.
UFC Fan Expo is a two-day fan exposition of mixed martial arts activities that starts on Friday, July 10.
In addition to the meet and greets with legendary UFC and WEC fighters, MMA demonstrations, fan-inspired special events, training and development sessions, and other exciting opportunities and entertainment, UFC officials plan to enshrine two more of its greatest stars in the Hall of Fame, coinciding with the colossal pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for Saturday, July 11.
For more on UFC 100 and everything else that’s going on next weekend click here.
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