The popularity of mixed martial arts and its global reach has created a high demand for Brazil’s best grappling talent. The most successful training camps in the world house highly-qualified Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu masters, instilling their knowledge on teammates to help them become better fighters. From the United States to Germany to the United Kingdom, these masters of the submission are the knowledge bases needed to improve the sport no matter what corner of the world it’s being practiced.
One of Brazil’s most credentialed exports is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Zorobabel Moreira (5-1). The 28-year-old expert grappler turned mixed martial artist left Brazil in late 2009 for a better life in Singapore, training and teaching at Evolve MMA. Today, Evolve is one of the top camps in Asia, filling a gap that Asia needed desperately — a one-stop shop for quality mixed martial arts training. Moreira is one of the key assets responsible for helping Evolve reach supreme status.
Moreira isn’t just a teacher. He’s also a student, utilizing the camp’s stacked core of world-class Muay Thai teachers to improve his striking. Under the watchful eye of the legendary Sityodtong family, Moreira has unlocked his potential, unearthing a brutalizing clinch game and a versatile distance striking arsenal that gets better with every bout. Combined with a skillful grappling base, it’s difficult to think of Moreira as an unknown working his way through the regional ranks.
A penetrable defense has grounded any grandiose theories that Moreira could compete with the big boys right now. Number ten-ranked 2011 World MMA Scouting Report prospect Joe Ray found a chink in his armor in fourteen seconds last June at Martial Combat 3, and Moreira didn’t look confident defending until he fought Andy Wang at One FC: Champion vs. Champion in September.
Despite the defensive lapses, Moreira is a bright spot in the lightweight prospect pool. More seasoning is required, but the potential is there for Moreira to become one of the best lightweights in the region. While I’m skeptical that One Fighting Championships is a platform that can prepare him for the tougher competition in North America, it should provide the perfect environment for his continued progression in 2012.
Check out more video footage of Zorobabel Moreira after the jump…
| Flyweight | Bantamweight | Featherweight | Lightweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – Rony Mariano #2 – Aljamain Sterling #3 – Chris Holdsworth #4 – Josh Hill #5 – Fabiano Fernandes #6 – Claudio Ledesma #7 – Sirwan Kakai #8 – Kyoji Horiguchi #9 – Leandro Hygo #10 – Pedro Munhoz |
#1 – Hacran Dias #2 – Joey Gambino #3 – Brandon Bender #4 – Lance Palmer #5 – Jim Alers #6 – Anthony Gutierrez #7 – Max Holloway #8 – John Teixeira #9 – Cody Bollinger #10 – Bubba Jenkins |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – Zorobabel Moreira #8 – Anton Kuivanen #9 – Jordan Rinaldi #10 – J.P. Vainikainen |
| Welterweight | Middleweight | Light Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
Zorobabel Moreira Profile
Zorobabel Moreira vs. Andy Wang
Yun Seob Kwak Vs Zorobabel Moreira
Zorobabel Moreira vs. Gabriel Monkey
Zorobabel Moreira vs. Joe Ray
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