Gabriel Gonzaga
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| Gabriel Gonzaga | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname | Napão ("big nose") |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Born | May 18, 1979 |
| Fighting out of | Ludlow, Massachusetts |
| Town of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Team/Association | Team Link[1] |
| Fighting style | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 5 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 0 |
Gabriel "Napão" Gonzaga (born May 18, 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), is a professional mixed martial arts fighter currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Wander Braga, is a former member of the famous Chute Boxe Academy, and now fights out of Ludlow, Massachusetts as a part of Team Link. Gonzaga won by knockout over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović on April 21, 2007, which earned him a UFC Heavyweight title shot with Randy Couture. He won the Mundials (2004), which is considered to be the top BJJ competition in the world.
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[edit] Mixed martial arts career
Gabriel "Napão" Gonzaga is a part of Team Link in Ludlow, Massachusetts. His coaches include Marco Alvan (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and Elcio Machado (Muay Thai).[1]
Gonzaga's MMA record is currently 9-3-0. He made his MMA Debut on April 4th, 2003 in Santos, Brazil against Cicero Cicero. He won via submission from strikes in the first round. He has gone on to compete over the next two years winning three more bouts, losing only once to Fabricio Werdum.
He made his UFC debut at UFC 56 knocking out Kevin Jordan at 4:39 of the third round. Although the knockout was considered an excellent finish[citation needed], the fight was considered uneventful by the fans, who booed the fight, and the announcers, who criticized it. Gonzaga's poor performance may have been partly due to complications during his wife's pregnancy that resulted in her near death and the death of one of the twin girls she was carrying.[2] This occurred a few weeks before the match was scheduled to take place, Gonzaga was unable to properly train for the fight, since he was caring for his wife.[3]
Gabriel would later return at UFC 60 and win against Fabiano Scherner via TKO at the second round. At UFC 66 he would defeat Carmelo Marrero's in the first round by armbar.
At UFC 70, in a shocking upset Gonzaga knocked out PRIDE FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix Champion Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović in the first round with a head kick. With the win, Gonzaga became the next contender for UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy "The Natural" Couture.
At UFC 74, Gonzaga lost to Randy Couture
Gonzaga returned to the octagon to face Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80, losing via TKO in the second round.[2]
[edit] Personal life
Gabriel and his wife have two children, a daughter and a son.[3] They were expecting twin girls, but their daughter Leticia passed away at birth.[4]
[edit] Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 12 matches | 9 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 3 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | Fabricio Werdum |
TKO (Strikes) | UFC 80: Rapid Fire | 1/19/2008 | 2 | 4:34 | |
| Loss |  Randy Couture |
TKO (punches) | UFC 74: Respect | 8/25/2007 | 3 | 1:37 | For the UFC heavyweight title.
Won Fight of the Night Honors |
| Win |  Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović |
KO (Head Kick) | UFC 70: Nations Collide | 4/21/2007 | 1 | 4:51 | Became the #1 contender for the heavyweight title
Won Knock Out of the Night Honors |
| Win | Carmelo Marrero |
Submission (Armbar) | UFC 66: Liddell vs Ortiz II | 12/30/2006 | 1 | 3:22 | |
| Win | Fabiano Scherner |
TKO (Strikes) | UFC 60: Hughes vs Gracie | 05/27/2006 | 2 | 0:24 | |
| Win | Kevin Jordan |
KO (Punch) | UFC 56: Full Force | 11/19/2005 | 3 | 4:39 | |
| Win | Walter Farias |
Submission | Shooto Brazil: Never Shake | 10/23/2004 | 2 | N/A | |
| Win | Charlie Brown | Submission (Exhaustion) | JF 2: Jungle Fight 2 | 05/15/2004 | 3 | N/A | |
| Loss | Fabricio Werdum |
TKO (Punches) | JF 1: Jungle Fight 1 | 09/13/2003 | 3 | 2:11 | |
| Win | Branden Lee Hinkle |
Submission (Triangle Choke) | Meca 9: Meca World Vale Tudo 9 | 08/01/2003 | 1 | 3:54 | |
| Win | Cicero Cicero |
Submission (Strikes) | BG 2: Brazilian Gladiators 2 | 04/02/2003 | 1 | N/A | |
| Win | Mark Potvin | TKO (Punches) | K1: International Arena | 01/01/2003 | 1 | 2:19 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Team Link Website. Team Link (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Leidecker, Tim (October 30, 2007). Top Brazilian Heavyweights Battle in Newcastle. Sherdog. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Remillard, Jason (January 18, 2008). Ultimate Time for Gonzaga. Mass Live.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ Gonzaga, Gabriel (November 26, 2005). A statement from Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga. PuroresuPower.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
