Thiago Goncalves
January 14, 2010 by rftmma
Filed under Featured Fighter
Does any highly touted fighter ever live up to his hype? It’s a difficult question, but there are safer bets than others.
One of those safe bets is the MFC’s newest welterweight acquisition, Thiago “Jambo” Goncalves. Goncalves has got the credentials and martial arts pedigree to live up to his hype.
“I don’t know about all these people talking about me!” said Goncalves. “I don’t understand, really and it’s not something I think about. I just try to train hard and be the best I can.”
Goncalves, a native of Maceio, Brazil, not only sports a record of 12-2, but also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under UFC veteran and former world heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Goncalves has also spent significant time training muay thai with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
“It’s been an honour to train with Nogueira and Silva because those guys are my heroes. It’s an honour to be their teammate and to have that belt under Nogueira.”
However, despite his impressive record and excellent camp association, Goncalves still has his fair share of critics to silence, namely those that claim he’s yet to face top-notch talent on a consistent basis. That’s why he’s come to the MFC.
“I want to fight on the big show,” said Goncalves. “I hope that it helps me to get some sponsors, and maybe some people will see me fight and it will create more opportunities for me.”
But before he’ll have the opportunity to fight in the MFC, Goncalves must first prove his mettle in the MFC’s developmental league, HeatXC.
“I try and do my best to put on a good fight – I really hope the fans like it. I’ve come all this way from Brazil and I want to make sure I put on a good fight and live up to what some of these people are saying about me.”
If he’s successful, it will go a long way towards answering his critics. It also opens up the possibility of a very intriguing rematch between Goncalves and MFC veteran Nick Thompson – the man who defeated Goncalves in the Brazilian’s very first professional MMA bout.
