HDNet airs Shooto Brazil's BOPE fundraiser on Friday

http://mmajunkie.com/news/24898/hdnet-airs-shooto-brazils-bope-fundraiser-on-friday-teixeira-vs-eastman-headlines.mma
A solid four-fight lineup will be part of Friday's HDNet broadcast of "Shooto Brazil: Fight for BOPE" event.

The event airs via one-day delay (at 10 p.m. ET) and serves as a fundraiser for Batalhao de Operacoes Policiais Especiais (Special Police Operations Battalion), Rio de Janeiro's military special forces.

Light heavyweights Glover Teixeira and Marvin Eastman headline the event.

The show, which is modeled after the UFC's "Fight for the Troops" fundraisers, is a private event taking place in Rio two days before UFC 134. HDNet airs four of eight planned bouts, and the televised lineup features a Nova Uniao vs. North America theme.

In the headliner, Teixeira (14-2), a former WEC fighter and veteran of the Brazilian fight circuit, puts his 12-fight win streak on the line against Eastman (17-13-1), a UFC and MFC vet who's stuck in a 2-6 skid.

Also on the card are former UFC lightweight Ronys Torres (19-4), who's already 5-0 in 2011, vs. Mexican veteran Akbarh Arreola (19-5-1). Additionally, the televised lineup includes surging bantamweight Rodolfo Marques Diniz (12-1) vs. Jesse Brock (13-5) and lightweights Hacran Dias (18-1-1) vs. Eddie Hoch (7-2).

HDNet airs replays of the event on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday at 3 a.m. ET.

Sweet

I can live with a 1 day delay, free in HD!

http://mmajunkie.com/news/24916/mmajunkie-coms-john-morgan-royce-gracie-named-hdnets-shoot-brazil-broadcasters.mma
HDNet Fights has selected its broadcasting team for Thursday's "Shooto Brazil: Fight for BOPE" event, which HDNet airs via one-day delay on Friday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT).

UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie is the show's color commentator, and MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan serves as the play-by-play man.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/24957/with-shooto-brazil-win-and-green-card-glover-teixeira-hoping-for-ufc-contract.mma
For the past three years, though, he's had to give up his life in the states. Despite a promising career in MMA, he lacks the papers to legally live in the U.S. Three years ago, he was forced to move back to Rio de Janeiro.

Now on the verge of fighting UFC vet Marvin Eastman (17-13-1) at tonight's "Shooto Brazil: Fight for B.O.P.E." event, Teixeira (14-2) hopes it's his last fight in the country.

"I am currently awaiting green-card approval," Teixeira told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "The original estimate was this August. I expect it will be soon."

Tonight's event benefits the Brazilian special police force Batalhao de Operacoes Policiais Especiais, or B.O.P.E., and is held at a private facility in Rio de Janeiro. It airs Friday (via one-day delay) on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET, and MMAjunkie.com's John Morgan and UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie call the action.

A longtime member of famed MMA team The Pit in his former life, Teixeira brings an impressive resume into tonight's fight. In fact, he hasn't lost since 2006. He holds wins over UFC vets Rameau Thierry Sokodjou and Matt Horwich, and with a 12-fight win streak, it would seem a no-brainer that he'd be headed to the UFC.

Yet he continues to hover on the Brazilian circuit. Two years ago, he hinted there was movement in the opposite direction. In an interview with Brazilian website Tatame, he said the promotion was interested in signing him. But nothing came of it.

"It was mostly a rumor," he said. "Though I think with my extensive win record, plus (The Pit head trainer) John Hackleman's involvement, we'll look into it when I get back.

"Ultimately I would like to move back to California where I learned to fight. I love it there."

In the meantime, Teixeira trains at the Delfim Escola de Boxe in Rio, where he counts longtime veteran Pedro Rizzo among his training partners. He dreams of breaking big in the states. Anywhere but Brazil.

"My goal is to reach the top 10," Teixeira said. "I have no injuries. God willing, this is my last fight in Brazil.

"I'll fight anywhere, for any promotion, against anyone. I want to keep my rhythm going. The UFC has the best talent in the world. I want to be the best in the world. Because of that, the UFC is my first choice, my dream."

Is Marvin Eastman the final hurdle to that dream? It's hard to say, but one hopes that Teixeira's legacy isn't wrapped in red tape.

"Thanks to the fans who follow me and never gave up on me, (and) hopefully the green-card approval process goes through this year, slowly but surely," Teixeira said.

Great. I sign him.

REMINDER, you can see this tonight on HDNet.

There was some good young talent on this card, guys we'll be seeing in the years to come. Brazil 2-0 vs Argentina, 4-0 vs USA. Dominant.

With Teixeira winning his last 12 in a row against a variety of guys with all but once being a stoppage and news of his green card being bueno and Reed Harris in the ring to congratulate him after last nights putting to sleep of the beastman, I hope that means we see him working in the octagon very very soon.

really need to get HDNET lol

killerofchicken wrote:

really need to get HDNET lol

That event looked crazy. It was at a tiny venue way up on a mountain looking down on Rio. Was a fight for Rio's special ghetto commando police squad or shit and they were getting prtty rowdy it looked like. Two guys from that police force were fighting. A lot of real good young Nova União fighters.

I bet, Brazils got a LOT of talent... did you guys see Ronaldo at the UFC event? me and my buddies went crazy when we saw that fat ass lol