Is MMA still big in Brazil?

[ChoKuRei]

after watching Jacare beat Weidman last night I wondered how the fans in Brazil were celebrating the win. Then I remembered how the ufc used to have events down in Brazil all the time, seems less frequent now.

Perhaps because some of the legendary Brazilian mma fighters are past their prime (Anderson Silva, lyoto machida, vitor, wanderlei etc..)

To those who live in Brazil or travel there does it seem as popular as it was let’s say 5 Or 6 years ago or so when Anderson Silva was untouchable? Or has it kinda died down a bit?

 

[Tuf_guy]

But I'm vetty happy.​

 

[Bogeyman]

It's neck and neck with volleyball.

 

[Jaen]

BJJ anyone?

 

[Blayt7hh]

I think it’s always going to maintain at least a decent level of popularity there. It is pretty much the birthplace of mma

 

[Rdude92]

Every Brazilian is a black belt in bjj

 

[Mafanofe]

Used to be more popular on anderson silva,jose aldo and JDS era,anderson silva was referenced as the "chuck norris" of Brasil, became pretty notable on popular culture around late 2009 to 2012

these days were the peak of popularity of MMA in Brasil

Most of their fights on these years were "live"(some of them delayed by 1 hour but the conman´s sold it as live) on TV Globo(biggest TV channel on the country by far and one of the biggest of the world).

 

[Jaen]

I remember when Ruas trained Rizzo and Sobral were in the UFC.

 

[Darkgsp]

No clue

 

[executionermma]

UFC is dying in Brazil, has been for many years

But there is 1 man who can stop this:

Borrachinha has everything to become a star here, an aggressive fighting style, young, undefeated, the looks, and our recently elected president is a big fan who supports him and has been in the hypetrain even before UFC

 

[SavageAngel]

Brazilians need to be at the forefront of the sport for brazilians fans to get behind. In the past, brazilians have always dominated in MMA, together with USA and Japan. Nowadays most of the brazilian stars are older, with very few young prospects on the way in the UFC, so naturally the interests dies down a bit. But the big fights people still see around here. Like the Khabib x McGregor.

If Paulo Costa becomes champ in the next couple of years, I garantee you MMA will be "big" again. Just like Formula-' was big with Ayrton Senna, tennis with Guga Kuerten, basketball with Oscar Schmidt and gymnastics with Daiane dos Santos

 

[ThunderL1ps]

Nobody has asked what Ricxardo Arona is up to in this thread.

 

[DariusTheGreat]

UFC is dying in Brazil, has been for many years

But there is 1 man who can stop this:

Borrachinha has everything to become a star here, an aggressive fighting style, young, undefeated, the looks, and our recently elected president is a big fan who supports him and has been in the hypetrain even before UFC

that guy is built like a tank

 

[THEfightsAREfixed]

seems like the country is more interested in the growing battle royale craze if you know what I mean

 

[Loriquero]

UFC is not going to Brazil that much nowadays because their economy crumbled thanks to socialism.