Justin Rubin sent along the following:
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, November 28, 2007 — The Rio Heroes steel cage
rattled with unbridled anticipation as eight middleweight warriors
squared off in the twelfth installment of the world's only true Vale
Tudo fighting league. And they did not disappoint the thousands of
fight fans who tuned into see Rio Heroes 12, an event that featured a
former champion whose quest to regain his glory fell short due to
injury and a crowd favorite who made the most of his golden
opportunity.
The night kicked off with Flavio Alvaro, the 30-year-old
Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu master, looking to reclaim the Rio Heroes
Middleweight title. He had no trouble in dispatching Luke Macarena in
the first qualifying match. One minute and thirty seconds into their
bout, Alvaro took Macarena to the ground and choked him out. Alvaro's
quick victory allowed him to rest up and save his energy for the
semi-final round where he squared off against Egidio Amaro, a former
heavyweight gladiator who easily handled Welsi Mello in the second
qualifier.
In the night's most electrifying bout, Fagner Masterdonte
and Wagner Pinho battled for more than fifteen minutes in the third
qualifier of the evening. At the five minute mark, it looked like
Masterdonte was tanking, but he recovered with an explosion of punches
and kicks that stunned Pinho. But Masterdonte couldn't keep it up as
Pinho inflicted a deep cut over Fagner's right eyebrow. After referee
Jorge Pereira briefly stopped the action so doctors could tend to
Masterdonte's injury, Pinho finished him with a flurry of blows to the
head, prompting Pereira to call the fight.
In what was supposed to be the most competitive round of the
tournament, Rio Heroes Middleweight Champion Pedro “Stone Hands”
Santos easily dominated Rafael Motta, who was hoping to beat the champ
for a possible Rio Heroes 5 finals rematch with Alvaro. However,
Santos had other plans as he easily dominated Motta by repeatedly
slammed him with head butts and take-downs. Santos practially toyed
with Motta before finishing him with a series of head blows that led
referee Jorge Pereira to call the fight. Santos showed his
championship prowess with a shot to the jaw and a huge right hook to
the cheekbone that sent Motta sprawling to the ground.
In the first semi-final, Amaro, the crowd favorite, didn't last long
against Alvaro, who was more than determined to reach the final and a
possible Rio Heroes 8 grudge match against Santos. Despite broken
fingers in his right hand, Alvaro, nicknamed “El Sobriviente” for his
uncanny ability to survive the toughest adversity, quickly subdued
Amaro by taking him to the ground and pinning him, forcing Amaro to
tap out. Alvaro's quest fell short when his injured right hand
prevented him from moving on to the final, but Amaro was more than
ready and anxious to fill the slot.
An injury also sidelined Wagner Pinho, who was replaced by Carlos
Ferreira, who quickly took Santos to the ground with a headlock. For a
while, Ferreira made it competitive as he relentlessly fought Santos
advances on his back. But the champ could not be stopped as Stone
Hands was determined to be the first back-to-back champion on Rio
Heroes.
It wasn't easy. Amaro kept Santos at bay for much of the final bout as
he avoided “Stone Hands” attempts to take the fight to the ground. At
one point, Amaro placed Santos in a reverse chokehold but the move
didn't go anywhere. Eventually Santos, who entered the final round
with his left eye swollen shut, gained the upper hand by finally
locking Amaro's arm while they were on the ground and getting him to
tap out. After reclaiming his belt, Santos praised the other fighters
for their unrelenting stamina and determination. “To be the best I had
to fight some of the toughest fighters ever to enter the Rio Heroes
ring,” Santos said. “That makes my victory even sweeter. I can't wait
to defend my belt again.”
About RioHeroes.com
Broadcasting live from a steel cage in Rio De Janeiro, Rio Heroes vale
tudo fighters compete without gloves, rounds, or time limits in
no-holds barred action. The league embraces the highest levels of
honor and integrity common among all vale tudo masters.
