The Lightweight Grand Prix opens the third season of Copa Podio next Saturday, May 10, starting at 6 pm at the Botafogo Gymnasium, in the Marvelous City, Rio de Janeiro.
Besides the lightweight title contest (up to 77kg/169.6lbs) that, once again, brings to heads champions from a number of generations and national and international backgrounds, the event will also boast two no-time-limit bouts, fought to submission, something sure please the more traditional fans of the gentle art.
The City Challenge reaches its 5th edition with a new record to be broken: Ottaviano La Maquina (Buenos Aires) and Abraham Marte (Santo Domingo) will have to try for a submission in under 9 minutes and 57 seconds in order to break the record and secure the bonus prize.
The other no-time-limit contest set to launch in the third season is exclusively for MMA fighters. The No-Gi Challenge sees two stars from the no-holds-barred modality in an electrifying ground combat that can only be won through submission or until one fighter gives up.
For this first edition, two champions have been called up. The first, American Danny Castillo, and the second, Jordanian Haider Rasheed, who has two contracts with major MMA events.
In the dispute for the maximum title of the night, Leandro Lo will have his sights set on a third title against a major adversary in Gilbert Durinho, certainly his biggest rival in the category. Gregor Gracie, Fernando Vieira, Gianni Grippo and brown belt revelation Márcio André complete the card.
The event will be broadcast in HD, with both pay-per-view access and tickets available for purchase online only, through the official event website: www.copapodio.com
Check the Lightweight Grand Prix schedule:
05/09 – Weigh-in
7 pm – Hotel Atlântico Business Centro – Rio de Janeiro
05/10 – Lightweight Grand Prix (Opening of Season Three)
Botafogo Gymnasium – Rua Venceslau Brás nº 72 – Rio de Janeiro
4:30 pm | Gates open to Botafogo gymnasium | |||
6 pm | Preliminary 1 | Alexandre Vieira (BRA) | X | Tanner Rice (USA) |
6:10 pm | Preliminary 2 | Lucas Hulk (BRA) | X | Patrick Gaudio (BRA) |
Ottaviano “La Maquina” (Buenos Aires) | Abraham Marte (Santo Domingo) | |||
6:30 pm | City Challenge | X | ||
1ST ROUND OF THE GP | ||||
7:30 pm | Green | Simone Franceschini (ITA) | X | Luca Anacoreta (ITA) |
Green | Leandro Lo (BRA) | X | Hamzeh Rasheed (JOR) | |
Yellow | Márcio André (BRA) | X | Gianni Grippo (USA) | |
Yellow | Victor Silvério (BRA) | X | Fernando Vieira (BRA) | |
2ND ROUND OF THE GP | ||||
8:10 pm | Green | Simone Franceschini (ITA) | X | Hamzeh Rasheed (JOR) |
Green | Gregor Gracie (BRA) | X | Luca Anacoreta (ITA) | |
Yellow | Márcio André (BRA) | X | Fernando Vieira (BRA) | |
Yellow | Gianni Grippo (USA) | X | Gilbert Durinho (BRA) | |
3RD ROUND OF THE GP | ||||
8:50 pm | Green | Gregor Gracie (BRA) | X | Hamzeh Rasheed (JOR) |
Green | Leandro Lo (BRA) | X | Simone Franceschini (ITA) | |
Yellow | Gilbert Durinho (BRA) | X | Fernando Vieira (BRA) | |
Yellow | Victor Silvério (BRA) | X | Márcio André (BRA) | |
4TH ROUND OF THE GP | ||||
9:30 pm | Green | Leandro Lo (BRA) | X | Gregor Gracie (BRA) |
Green | Luca Anacoreta (ITA) | X | Hamzeh Rasheed (JOR) | |
Yellow | Gilbert Durinho (BRA) | X | Victor Silvério (BRA) | |
Yellow | Fernando Vieira (BRA) | X | Gianni Grippo (USA) | |
5TH ROUND OF THE GP | ||||
10:10 pm | Green | Luca Anacoreta (ITA) | X | Leandro Lo (BRA) |
Green | Simone Franceschini (ITA) | X | Gregor Gracie (BRA) | |
Yellow | Gianni Grippo (USA) | X | Victor Silvério (BRA) | |
Yellow | Márcio André (BRA) | X | Gilbert Durinho (BRA) | |
Break (15 min) | ||||
SEMIFINALS | ||||
11:05 pm | Fight 1 | 1st place from Green Group | X | 2nd place from Yellow Group |
Fight 2 | 1st place from Yellow Group | X | 2nd place from Green Group | |
SPECIAL FIGHT | ||||
11:30 pm | No-Gi Challenge | Haider Rasheed (JOR) | X | Danny Castillo (USA) |
3RD PLACE | Runner-up from Fight 1 | X | Runner-up from Fight 2 | |
GRAND FINAL | Winner from Fight 1 | X | Winner from Fight 2 | |
