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[Cat--Smasher]

One FC’ s Zorobabel Moreira Explains Soccer Kick Finish of Roger Huerta

Damon Martin: Congratulations on a great win first of all…let me start by asking if the fight went down how you and your coaches had prepared for it to happen?

Zorbabel Moreira: The game plan was to use my Muay Thai by keeping my distance and use a lot of footwork. But after the 1st round, my coach Chatri Sityodtong changed the plan and told me to apply forward pressure and attack to force Roger to move backwards. We got the KO from there and I am lucky to have someone like Chatri in my corner, he help me a lot tonight.

DM: We know that you are a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter by heart but lately you’ve been showing off some really solid stand-up. How confident were you in your hands going into that fight?

ZM: I believe in my Muay Thai. I train under the best world champions every day at Evolve MMA like Lamanamoon (Sor Sumalee) and Namsaknoi (Yudthagarngamtorn). I believe in my coaches and I feel like if I am trained by the best fighters I can fight with the best fighters no problem.

DM: Both you and Roger took this fight at welterweight but are both truly lightweights so how was the extra weight for you in the fight? Did it affect you at all?

ZM: No, I can fight both weights, it was nice not having to cut the weight but I feel I am a lightweight and in future I prefer to fight at lightweight. If One FC want me to fight at welterweight then I can do that but I feel like 155 is better for me because I can make that weight no problem and I feel good at a 155.

DM: In the 2nd round you started to find a home for you kicks, and you blasted Roger with a straight right I believe that pretty much changed the fight. Can you walk us through that sequence and did you feel that you had broken him at that point in the fight?

ZM: Yes my coaches told me that he was breaking. He’s tough and everyone thought that he was going to knock me out. I just listened to my coaches Chatri Sityodtong and Heath Sims, I trust them and they told me what I have to do and it worked. Chatri changed the plan after the first round and told me what to do and because of that I was able to win the fight in round two.

DM: As far as the stoppage goes, obviously the soccer kick is allowed but you didn’t look like you really wanted to throw it. What was running through your mind at that moment and seeing the result would you say that you’re a fan of the soccer kick in MMA?

ZM: Before I threw it, I looked at referee and he gave me signal and I threw it. Against Andy Wang I did not throw it as I was adapting to the rules but now I love the Pride rules, this is Asian MMA. Roger is a very tough fighter so I had to do everything to win this fight and when I had a chance to knock him out I had to take it.

DM: It appeared like the referee said something or motioned something when Huerta went down. What happened there?

ZM: For ONE FC rules, the fighter must wait for the open attack signal that allows soccer kicks. The referee gave the signal and I took the kick. Roger is very dangerous opponent and if you fight against very good fighter like this and you have opportunity to finish the fight you must take it, otherwise maybe you lose. He has fought UFC and is strong and tough, if you have a chance to finish a fight against an opponent like this you must take or who knows what may happen after? Maybe if you wait you lose.

DM: On a very positive note, this is another huge win for you and over a very big star from America in Roger Huerta. How would you rank this achievement in your career?

ZM: It is just one more win. I train hard every day and I learn from the best trainers in the world and I have the best training partners in the world at Evolve MMA. This is what I love, this is my dream and I am so happy because I get to train with the best and I fight I feel like now I can fight with the best. Roger Huerta is a very tough fighter, very strong but I train with world champions every day at Evolve MMA and I am prepared for everything. I do not think any opponent can be harder for me than what I have to go through with the training when I wrestle with Heath Sims and do Muay Thai with Lamnamoon Sor Sumalee and BJJ with Gordinho and boxing with Yodsaenklai. Nothing can be harder than that. I am ready for anyone, I do not care. I will fight anyone.

DM: What can we expect to see next from Zorobabel Moreira in One FC? Back at lightweight? What fights interest you?

ZM: Yes I want to fight at lightweight. I will fight against anyone in the world, I am ready to fight anyone but it is up to One FC. When they want me to fight I will fight.

One FC' s Zorobabel Moreira Explains Soccer Kick Finish of Roger Huerta | MMAWeekly.com

[disposableassassin]

For ONE FC rules, the fighter must wait for the open attack signal that allows soccer kicks. The referee gave the signal and I took the kick.

well i didnt know this. i guess this is to prevent a guy that is finished from getting soccer kicked?

[rabidsponge]

so the ref has to give the "finish him" nod before you can throw the soccer kick??

[Leucoethiops]

Before being hired, referees must also prove that they can sound somewhat similar to Shao Khan.

Coming soon, new ringside doctor: Goro.

[rob_bills]

Originally Posted by Leucoethiops

Before being hired, referees must also prove that they can sound somewhat similar to Shao Khan.

Coming soon, new ringside doctor: Goro.

He'd be the best doc ever with his four arms and what not.

Motaro as the ring card girl

[_DCdoctr_]

Originally Posted by rob_bills

He'd be the best doc ever with his four arms and what not.

Motaro as the ring card girl

I'd much rather see Sindel or Kitana take the card girl job.


BP

[LefthookStcrook]

Originally Posted by rabidsponge

so the ref has to give the "finish him" nod before you can throw the soccer kick??

This is what stood out to me. Pretty fucked up if you ask me.

You rock a fighter in the championship fight and he goes down, you look at the ref for the "nod"....and you get rolling knee-bar'd. Awsome.

[Xtremo]

I think this is fucking disgraceful... If Roger was clearly not even gonna try to defend himself from anything and just be on all fours and the ref still gives the ok for further punishment??? What the fuck is that??? A referres job is to protect a fighter from punishment and these rules basically say, "ok, potentially break this guys neck and paralyze him"... Fuck this stupid ass organization... Fuck soccer kicks..

[rabidsponge]

Originally Posted by Xtremo

I think this is fucking disgraceful... If Roger was clearly not even gonna try to defend himself from anything and just be on all fours and the ref still gives the ok for further punishment??? What the fuck is that??? A referres job is to protect a fighter from punishment and these rules basically say, "ok, potentially break this guys neck and paralyze him"... Fuck this stupid ass organization... Fuck soccer kicks..

i agree man, i dont need to see soccer kicks for me to enjoy a fight

[Sakara=Excitement]

http://www.mmafighting.com/news/2012...ot-want-to-mma

Jun 26, 2012 - After a two-day span that featured back-to-back UFC shows, few could've expected one of last weekend's most enduring images to have come from halfway across the world. But then again, few could have foreseen an image as primal as Zorobabel Moreira's soccer kick knockout of Roger Huerta at ONE FC 4.

Moreira, a decorated jiu-jitsu champion, was well on his way to a second-round victory over the fading American, who was badly battered and surprisingly outclassed in the stand-up game. Huerta valiantly fought back, but was soon out on his feet after eating another unanswered salvo of strikes, in a scene eerily reminiscent of Joe Warren's loss to Pat Curran.

His opponent crumpled on the mat on all fours, Moreira, along with ringside announcer Renzo Gracie, believed the fight was over, as Huerta was clearly no longer capable of defending himself. Yet referee Yuji Shimada gave no signal of a stoppage.

"I stopped to look at the referee," Moreira explained to MMAFighting.com.

"He was yelling ‘low kick' to me. After he yelled it, I kicked."

What ensued was a moment ripped straight from Pride Fighting Championships. Moreira reluctantly threw the soccer kick, it connected on Huerta's skull with a sickening thwack, and "El Matador" collapsed in a heap. The fight was over.

ONE FC's rule set combines the North American unified rules with the soccer kicks and stomps of Pride, however fighters must wait for a referee's open attack signal before using the more violent maneuvers on downed opponents. Though in Huerta's case, the potential for soccer kicks should have never come into play, if not for sloppy refereeing.

"I did not want to throw the kick," Moreira confessed. "I thought the referee was going to stop the fight. But when he yelled ‘low kick' to me, I kicked. It was reflex.

"I was hoping the referee was going to stop the fight. But my coaches train us to finish the fight and they tell all of us don't stop until the referee stops the fight."

Several fighters, Moreira included, have expressed their love of ONE FC's mishmash rule set, which harkens back to glory days of Asian MMA, and "Zoro" affectionately calls, "the best rules." Yet while the visceral nature of the knockout has essentially overshadowed what was the best performance of the Brazilian's career, Moreira tries not to concern himself with headlines.

"I don't know how to read English very well," he said. "Some people have told me about the news of the KO. I read most the Brazilian websites. I don't spend much time on the Internet. I stay in the academy at Evolve MMA all day."

As for Huerta, Moreira has yet to speak to the 29-year-old since their co-main event clash, however ONE FC founder Victor Cui confirmed he is fully recovered from the knockout blow.

"Victor Cui told me that Roger was 100-percent fine the next day already," a relieved Moreira revealed. "Roger is a tough guy. I wish him the best in everything."