How The Six Blades Elite Black Belts Aim To Take Over Fight To Win
How The Six Blades Elite Black Belts Aim To Take Over Fight To Win
Xande Ribeiro, Victor Hugo, and Rafael Lovato Jr: Three black belts, three superfights, three Fight to Win events. It's a takeover!
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Xande Ribeiro, Victor Hugo, and Rafael Lovato Jr... Three elite black belts, three main event superfights on three Fight to Win events. The Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu "6 Blades" squad is aiming for a takeover of Fight to Win in the month of June with back-to-back big matches.
Victor Hugo started things off with a bang on Fight to Win 143 by submitting Fellipe Andrew in less than 90 seconds. The 23-year-old, who weighed 258lb the day of the match, shut out Fellipe Andrew, who wasn't able to score a single offensive move in the match. Hugo launched himself into the air chasing after a flying triangle, finishing the match shortly after via armbar.
Coming up next on Friday, June 19, Rafael Lovato Jr. will take on Atos star Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa in the main event of Fight to Win 144. Fight to Win CEO Seth Daniels describes this match as the "biggest in Fight to Win history."
You've got the first-ever black belt to achieve the IBJJF "Grand Slam" versus the most recent. Lovato Jr. did it in 2007, while Barbosa did it in 2017. This is a true clash of generations – Lovato hasn't competed on the IBJJF circuit in years, and promises that he'll have the element of surprise against Barbosa, who he believes won't be familiar with his game.
Rafael Lovato Jr. Eager To Test Himself Against Lucas 'Hulk' Barbosa
Fight to Win 144 | Jun 19
Featuring Rafael Lovato Jr. vs Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa, Talita Alencar vs Nathalie Ribeiro and Edwin Najmi vs Jonatas Gracie.
The following week on Fight to Win 145 on June 26, Xande returns to competition for the first time in nearly two years (!) to face Gabriel Almeida of Checkmat. Ribeiro hasn't competed since Worlds in 2018. In that time he was busy traveling, teaching, and recovering from a complicated wrist injury that required surgery.
Almeida competed on Fight to Win just a few weeks ago, handing the young phenom Roberto Jimenez a loss. Almeida's one of the up-and-coming members of the Checkmat team, and not to be counted out although Xande says he's excited for an "aggressive, hungry" opponent in his comeback.
Xande Ribeiro Is Fired Up To Compete For The First Time In Two Years
Fight to Win 145 | Jun 26
Featuring the return of an IBJJF Hall of Famer and ADCC legend Xande Ribeiro versus Gabriel Almeida of Checkmat.
Hugo recently decamped from San Diego to Oklahoma City for an extended training camp at Lovato Junior's brand-spanking-new jiu-jitsu gym. Xande Ribeiro has joined in the fun until he finalizes his upcoming move where he'll open his new gym (details coming soon), and together they roll daily.
It's a tough task for all three of them to win against a stacked line-up of tough challengers. Hugo has managed to score the first win, now the pressure is on Lovato to keep the streak going.