Joanderson Brito
Record: 11-2-1
Age: 24
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Santa Helena, Maranhao, Brazil
Next Fight: Dec. 14 vs. Steve Aimable (19-8) at ARES FC 1 in Dakar, Senegal
Background: [autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag], also known as “Tuburao” or “Shark,” earned his nickname from his first coach. Why? Fifteen days after he started training, Brito competed in his first MMA fight. That night, he showed off an aggressive, going for the “kill” the entire time. A winner of nine straight outings, Brito has defeated an impressive spread of fighters. Brito grew up in Maranhao, a state more enthusiastic about fighting than soccer – unusual in Brazil. So it only makes sense he’d be as successful as he is in sphere.
In his most recent fight in May, Brito made his North America debut. The fight served as the LFA 65 main event and saw Brito make quick work of then-surging Jose Marsical. Dodging the onslaught of strikes from Mariscal, Brito floored Masical with a brutal knockout blow.
The Skinny: Brazil is one of the toughest regional MMA scenes to gauge on planet earth. Why? Well, not all Brazilian fighters with impressive records are created equal. For Brito however, the hype is real. A true finisher, Brito can end a fight from anywhere.
His striking is terrifyingly fast and powerful. His skills are advanced way past the point of your average 24-year-old prospect. Athleticism and technique meet in a phenomenal crossroads. Simply put, Brito is legit.
It would have been totally reasonable for the UFC to ink Brito after his 44-second win in his LFA debut. In the end, the UFC didn’t extend an offer. But if Brito goes out and picks up another finish at ARES FC 1, they’d be insane not to.
In his own words: “My biggest advantage is my want. My biggest want is to make a living and live 100 percent from fighting MMA. All fighters want to live from MMA. But not all of the fighters think about it and focus on it 24 hours a day like I do. That’s all I think about. That’s all that’s on my mind. I go to sleep thinking about it. I wake up thinking about it.
“As a fan, you can expect a complete fighter. You can’t expect (my fights) to be standing up or on the ground, but you can expect a very dynamic fighter. I’m not giving my opponent any room to breathe. The minute the fight starts it’s going to be pressure and I’m going to try to finish him the whole time.
“All the major organizations have to do is see me fight. They just haven’t seen me yet. As soon as they see me, they’ll see what I’m made of. That’s it. I just need the opportunity to be seen.”