Jiu-jitsu ace Rodolfo Vieira is set to make his UFC debut in Uruguay.
The black belt and four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion will take on Oskar Piechota at UFC on ESPN+ 14, set to take place in Montevideo, Uruguay.
The undefeated Brazilian Vieira (5-0 MMA) has finished all five of his pro wins, with four of them coming by the way of submission. It’s no secret where the accomplished grappler wants to take the fight, when he takes on Poland’s Piechota (11-1-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a middleweight contest.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 14, get to know more about Brazil’s Vieira below:
Full name:
Rodolfo Vieira Srour
DOB:
September 25, 1989.
Height:
1.80 cm (5’11”)
City of birth:
I was born in the Campo Grande neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Team:
Fusion X-Cel
You’re a multiple-time world jiu-jitsu champ, and you’re undefeated in MMA. How did you start out in martial arts?
My first contact with fighting was via capoeira. I think I was 10 or 11 years old. I trained for about six months. I really enjoyed it but I had to stop since the group I’d joined had to move to a different location. From there, I moved to jiu-jitsu. I had put on some weight, so I needed to join a sport. I haven’t stopped since. I’ve always had the support of my parents. I’m thankful for that. They just weren’t as supportive when I decided to go into MMA. But they’re OK with it now.
Not only are you undefeated, you’ve also never gone to decision. Can you talk about that?
Of all the MMA bouts I’ve had, and even going back to jiu-jitsu, I never enjoyed reaching the final buzzer. I’ve always aimed to get a submission. It’s what I train to do. MMA is no different. I have no plans to leave it to the judges. If you train to finish, you’ll fight to finish. That’s why I always move forward.
All your wins are by submission, except for one TKO. How did that play out?
The one fight I won by TKO, that came from the fact that I secured a very strong position. I had my opponent’s back. I controlled him and he couldn’t escape. That’s when I started landing punches. The referee stopped it because the other fighter wasn’t defending. It was very cool to win like that, although I still prefer to win my fights by using my art – by submission. Of course, I have nothing against winning by knockout.
How’d you get to train with the Nogueira brothers in Rio de Janeiro?
I’ve always been a big fan of the Nogueira brothers. Even though their academy was near my home, I wasted a certain amount of time by not getting to know them sooner. I got to know Rodrigo about five years ago. I started training at the Team Nogueira academy and made many friends there. It’s great to have guys you saw as idols turn into your friends, give you help and advice. It’s gratifying. I feel lucky to have friends like that.
What can you say about your next opponent, Oskar Piechota?
Regardless of whether my opponent’s last loss was by KO or submission, it doesn’t make much of a difference to me. Every fight is unique. I know I have a difficult opponent ahead of me. I’m training hard so I can impose my game. I always look to finish as quickly as possible. I know that he represents some risks. He’s a complete fighter, with five KOs and five submissions. I’m in the biggest promotion in the world now, so I’ll be facing the best in the world. There’s no way around that.
Talk about your training camp?
Since January I’ve been training at Fusion X-Cel. Training has been great here. I’ve evolved as a grappler and boxer. I’m training every day in every facet of the sport, so I can be a complete MMA fighter.
Uruguay isn’t far from your home, so maybe you’ll have a lot of Brazilian support. How do you feel about that?
It’s nice to fight near home. But I try not to think about it. I just want to give my best. I’m simply focused on winning.
Plans for the future?
After this fight, I plan to spend time with my family. I haven’t seen them for some time. Then I plan to go on a trip with my wife. We’re heading to Europe and Australia. I had some seminars scheduled, even before I signed with the UFC. I’ll be traveling while still training for about two months.
Anything else?
My goal is to always represent jiu-jitsu in the best way possible.
