Mario Sperry AMA

I got Mario lined up to record this week

Here are my notes

Murilo Bustamonte Learned judo under George Mehdi (Mario Sperry learned there as well)

  • GM studied under Kimura for 5 years and is credited for solid basics of Jiu Jitsu
  • Gracie’s forbade anyone from training there
  • Was he told to leave?

Rickson Vs Ruas

  • in Ruas UFC debut it was mentioned by the announcers that MR fought Rickson to a draw
  • Rickson referred to MR as a purple belt on ground after Taktarov

Amaury Bitteri & Marco Ruas had a fued - MR tried to get the fight, but Carlson insisted he fought a blue belt name Vitor Belfort instead for $100k

  • VB at the age of 18 states that he would KO MR - Ruas confronted VB at a grappling tournament - VB backed down

March 11 1994
UFC 2
When Jason Delucia fought Royce Gracie

  • it was reported that JD was a blue belt under MS

Received BB at 1995 world championships after winning the heavyweight tournament

  • Carlson Gracie

Sep 1 1995
Duelo de Titas
Jose Balduino W KO

  • Robson Gracie handed MS trophy after fight

Nov 18 1995
Extreme Fighting 1
Tournament
1 Rudyard Moncayo W KO 2:42
2 Igor Zinoviev L KO
MS looks like he tapped at 16:28 but fakes like he was wiping blood away

  • there was a rule of the event that if a cut above the eye flowed into it that the fight would be stopped
  • MS also did this in his Baulduino fight
  • IZ had left knee bandages going into fight (injury?)
    Mario Sperry didn’t protest the stoppage nor seemed to complain after - a lost on social media MS claimed that he lost because “he got his ass kicked”
  • Carlson Gracie in MS corner
    MS would later state “there are two Mario Sperry’s 1 before IZ and 1 after IZ
  • Gokor was referee, did this bother him?

“There are two Mario Sperry’s 1 before Igor Zinoviev and 1 after”

Royce Gracie wrote in Black Belt magazine that Extrene fighting was a cheap UFC ripoff and that being from Brazil doesn’t make you a good fighter

  • referring to Mario Sperry losing to Zinoviev

Nov 22 1996
MARS - Reality Super fighting

  • Alabama
    Andry Dudko W Kimura

Murilo Bustamonte vs Tom Erickson - MS Corner

  • Rico Chiaperelli was kicked out of Renzo school for cornering TE

MAIN EVENT
Oleg Taktarov vs Renzo

  • OT claimed to have been drugged

Mar 22 1997 - Australia 1st event

  • originally advertised as UFC Australia included a giant check and belt with UFC logo on it

  • Promoter Randy Bable promoter (USA) con artist
    World Combat League
    8 Man Tournament

  • 5000 attendance $25k take all
    1 Vernon White W Dec

  • hardest draw of tournament
    2 Neil Bodycote W KO :47
    Finals
    3 Chris Haseman W KO

  • CH beat Elvis Sinosic by digging his chin into ES eye

  • MS sent word through the locker room that he would personally gouge his eye out if he tried that shit on him

  • Zane Frazier pulled out of the event day of

March 20 1998
ADCC 1

  • inaugural
    1 Mohammed Saleh W
    2 Larry Parker W Armbar 1:19
    3 Renato Verissimo W choke 7:25

Ricardo Alves W Dec
Oleg Taktarov W Dec
Simon Siasi W foot lock 1:05
Ricardo Morias W Dec

1998 Black Belt Magazine
MS stated that the BJJ being taught in the USA was not “street lethal form of the art” but rather a “sport” Jiu Jitsu style that might not work in the street

Feb 24 1999
ADCC 2
Superfight
Enson Inoue W Dec

  • During match EI was yelling at Carlson Gracie because MS was holding him down and pinning him - CG would publicly complain about this style of grappling
  • They almost fist fought after match - the administration begged them not to 3 months mandatory jail time

ON WAY TO ADCC KICKED OUT OF CARLSON GRACIE

  • Todd Medina said that MS was the person responsible for the split

March 1 2000
ADCC 3
Roberto Traven W Dec

May 26 2000
???
Hiromitsu Kanehara W
HK 15-6

April 11 2001
ADCC 4
Mark Kerr L

Nov 3 2001
Pride 17
Igor Vovchancyn W arm triangle 2:52
IV 47-4
Beat Igor Vovchancyn when I. Was destroying grapplers and wrestlers

April 28 2002
Pride 20
Maurilo Rua L Dec

Aug 8 2002
UFO
Wataru Sakata W Dec
WS 23-27-1

Sep 29 2002
Pride 22
Andrey Kopylov W cut 6:02
AK 14-21

May 17 2003
ADCC

  • Rio / Gracie Homecoming
    Roger Gracie L

Dec 31 2003
Pride Shockwave
Yuki Kondo L Dr Stoppage
YK 39-13-5

Feb 15 2004
Pride Bushido 2
Mike Bencic W KO :11

Feb 20 2005
Pride 29
Hirotaka Yokoi
HY 10-2

Feb 26 2006
Pride 31
TK Kosaka L KO
TK 39-29-2

  • MS almost KO’ed TK

Jan 20 2007

  • CANCELLED
    Gracie Challenge
    Wes Sims

July 14 2007
Cage Rage
Lee Hasdale W

Sep 24 2011
ADCC
Renzo Gracie W

Oct 19 2013
ADCC
Fabio Gurgel W

Aug 29 2015
ADCC
Ricardo Liborio L

Was he the inspiration for Renato Laranja character

Vale Tudo 2 street instructional
Bustamonte

  • There is a video with clips of MS saying - it’s very funny
  • Thoughts on video

1998 submitted Royler Gracie with clock choke

  • Brazilian Nationals
  • Walid and Bustamonte there w/MS

Jun 2020
Gordon Ryan was looking for an opponent to grapple with in a charity match

  • MS publicly asked for the opportunity
  • “I am old, but not dead and I would do better than any of todays sissy’s”

1993 opened his first gym

Roan Carneiro Jucau

  • 3 years with Carlson before he split to train at BTT

ADCC MS always approached BJJ with a vale Tudo mind, this may have thrown his competitors off

Igor Vovchancyn was #2 in the world at the time

  • Pride had him fighting often CHECK FREQUENCY
  • Pride confirmed and cancelled 2 fights prior to IV
  • Took fight on 1 week notice

Left BTT before Lee Hasdale fight

The fall of Pride, when did he know it was over

Blackzillians

  • working with Mario Sperry as a head coach (lasted 7 months)
  • Danillo Vilefort was quoted as saying that “we don’t need a head coach anymore”

Trained Rashad Evans against Jon Jones

  • Barboza also was in that camp

Vale Tudo instructional

  • with Paul Viele

2007 Why did Minetuaro split from BTT

Trained
Rashad Evans

  • for Jon Jones fight
    Lloyd Irvin
    Gordo
    Anderson Silva
  • trained with him but wasn’t in corner often
    Walter Mattos
  • president of the BJJ Federation in Brazil
    Allister Overeem - Blackzillian
    Eddie Alvarez - Blackzillian
    Anthony Johnson - Blackzillian

Brazil to Japan is 30 hour flight

  • how many x has he gone

Was Bas Rutten ever offered as an opponent

Is Todd Medina a BB under Carlson

Went to school in England?
Used to tell people that he was an airline pilot

2008 May opened school in Las Vegas

Brazilian Top Team
Nogueira brothers - manager
Arona - manager
Filho
Bustamonte
Alan Goes
Carlos Barreto

Atlantic BJJ Match
Francisco Bueno - W wrist lock

Luta Livre rivalry

4 Likes

What is your favorite Fanta?

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can i get one of them old zen machine t-shirts anywhere?

image

“I’d rather give him two,three good punches…then you know…10 faggot punches”

“If he’s a stupid guy,he is gonna be with the guard closed,I’ve seen professional fighters,very,supposed to be professional,they close the guard and they stay here,no you can’t do it.Otherwise you see,I am gonna break your face”

3 Likes

You can’t have a Sperry AMA & not ask him if he was tapping or wiping blood.

My God that debate has probably going on two decades.

4 Likes

Of course!

I will plug your name there brother

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In

He is not. Doubt he ever said that he was. But he did train a lot with Carlson’s A-Team in the 90s. I’ve seen and talked to him a couple times in recent years. Very nice, very humble guy.

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This is a great AMA. Can’t wait.

Ask him if he rolled with John Peretti.

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Sub.

I’m going to go on record with my opinion that he tapped, but it was after seeing blood on his hand and knowing the fight would be stopped. Not a real tap. More of a damn, I’m out.

Taps are more than a single tap (up & down)

Sperry slapped the mat a single time and slid his hand in a sliding motion.

I have one in mint condition ( not for sale) just commenting as this was on my mind as came to the thread.

@shen
Todd Medina is 1000% a BB under Carlson

We addressed it in our interview with him

Ask him his favourite Wallid story or memory please

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His dvd series was the very first instructional I ever bought.

My biggest takeaway was to never throw faggot punches.

That alone was worth the price of the DVDs!

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Sperry,Bitteti,Goes

Belfort,?

Looking forward to this one! So much drama has followed this man.

1 Like