Never in mixed martial arts history have so many Brazilian fighters trained as part of American MMA teams.
In addition to the growth of the sport and the increasing number of events in the U.S., one of the main reasons for that exodus is the UFC’s outfitting sponsorship contract with Reebok, which has since changed to Venum. Once that deal was implemented, many brands that supported athletes, teams and Brazilian events for decades left MMA, making it impossible for most event promoters and gym owners to keep their businesses afloat.Among those who have continued to fight against the current are teams such as Nova Uniao, Team Nogueira, CM System, Evolucao Thai, PRVT, Rizzo RVT, TFT and Chute Boxe. Diego Lima, the leader of Chute Boxe Sao Paulo and the head coach of UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, revealed that he is actually expanding his gym.
"Today Chute Boxe São Paulo has the biggest MMA structure in Brazil. We moved to a four-floor building wher…