The MMA team concept seems to have found its way over to Brazil, and by the looks of things, it seems to be off to a great start.The MTL (MO Team League) has found coaches in Wanderlei Silva, Murilo Bustamante, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Pedro Rizzo. Last week at a restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, the coaches picked their fighters and were reportedly satisfied with even their last picks.
MTL teams consist of Wanderlei Silva’s Hurricane, Bustamante’s Wild Fire, Rizzo’s Tsunami, and Nogueira’s Avalanche. Brazilian team MMA action is set to kick off on August 11, 2007, as the Avalanche battle the Tsunami. I dig the natural disaster theme.
I also dig the team MMA concept, as manifested here in the States via the IFL. Ultimately, it's one guy against another guy, but the team stuff doesn't seem to get in the way at all. What got me into the IFL initially were not only the regularly televised fights (for free), but the quality of the coaches - Bas Rutten, Don Frye, the Shamrock's, Renzo Gracie, etc. In this connection, Brazil's MTL seems to have the right idea with their coaches. Plus, MMA is huge in Brazil, so I look for big things from this new team format.
For more details about team MMA in Brazil, including the full team rosters, check out MMAWeekly’s coverage.
