Source:
http://forum.portaldovt.com.br/forum...howtopic=48745 (transcribed from the Jornal of Sports, a brazilian newspaper. It will also be posted in Minotauro's official site soon)
Translation below:
In the Ring with Minotauro
The year of Anderson and Cro Cop
Since this is the last column of the year, I will make a brief retrospect about the most important facts of world-wide MMA in 2006. Excuse me if I make any injustice or forget anything important, but I will try to be as precise as possible. The biggest prominence among the brazilian fighters was Anderson Silva, which conquered the 83 KG belt of the UFC, one of the most important MMA events in the world. The last brazilian UFC champions were Vitor Belfort and Murilo Bustamante, two years ago.
Anderson showed himself as a complete fighter, mixing agressiveness and coldness rarely seen. The title crowned Anderson's persistence, who has never gave up on his dreams. In 2007, Anderson has everything he needs to keep reigning in the american octagon.
Another prminence in the 83 KG division, was Paulo Filho, who showed all the potential of the brazilian Jiu-jitsu in the Pride GP. He went to the finals without receiving a single blow in three fights, but unfortunatelly, a bruised knee stopped Paulão, and the japanese underdog, Misaki, took the title. When a upset like that happens, it is not a demerit, but an overcoming. That is why Misaki is a worthy champion of the 83 KG Pride GP category.
In Brazil, in the 83 KG division, Fabio Negão, Demian Maia, Crocotá, Toquinho and Jucão were the stars. In the 73 KG category the national prominence is Gesias Cavalcante, who is now the champion of the K-1 GP, in Japan. Gesias was not the favorite at the beggining of the GP, but showed he is one of the bests, if not the best, in his division.
Another prominence was Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, who had a perfect year winning all its adversaries in Cage Rage, MMA's main European event, keeping the entity's belt.
In Brazil, the prominence was Royler Gracie's pupil, Fabrício Morando, grandson of Quarentinha, a soccer legend in Botafogo (brazilian soccer team). Morando won the most important event of MMA carried through in Brazil in 2006, the Super Challenge.
Among the LHWs, up to 93 kilos, it is the category where Brazil is most well served, with experienced and consecrated fighters in the whole world as: Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Shogun, Ricardo Arona and Rogério Minotouro is a group capable of winning any event in the world. In Brazil, the prominence was the winner of Fury FC, another one of the great events that had appeared in 2006 in Brazil, Thiago Silva.
Among the heavy weights, the prominence had been the confirmation of Junior Pezão as one of the best heavy weights of Brazil; the good year of Fabrício Werdum and Roger Gracie's first fight, who showed, while fighting MMA, the same calm and technique of the jiu-jítsu times. The biggest prominence of the year in the category of the HWs is easy to point, the Croatian Mirco Cro Cop, champion of the Pride GP with much technique, race and determination.
Finally I would like to thank my team, Brazilian Top Team, to the professors Zé Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante and Bebeo Duarte, to the fighters who had helped me to train, to the JORNAL DOS SPORTS for valuing and divulging MMA and, as requested by my assessor, there goes a hug for the guys on Rio Comprido (a neighborhood in in a brazilian city): Júlio Cesar, Andres, Tuca, Rodolfo, Ronaldo and Mauro. A happy and prosperous 2007 to everyone.
