Ask any of Leandro Issa ’s teammates or training partners at Evolve MMA in Singapore and they will tell you that, as the 30-year-old prepares to make his UFC debut on Saturday night, he is on the brink of reaching the peak of his undeniable potential. Issa (11-3) arrived in Singapore in 2009 with a handful of MMA fights under his belt and a long list of accomplishments in the BJJ world. He held a black belt and had won numerous tournaments and competitions but was, by his own admission, a one-dimensional mixed martial artist. He has since developed into a much more well rounded fighter and has registered wins over Soo Chul Kim, Mazakazu Imanari, and Yusup Saadulaev, as well as challenging unsuccessfully for the ONE FC bantamweight title and says that moving to Singapore has helped him to develop both inside and outside of the cage. “When I joined Evolve I had no money, I couldn’t speak English, I didn’t know wrestling or boxing or Muay Thai, but Evolve pay me to be a professor and a fighter and have helped me to achieve my dreams. I wouldn’t be able to have become a UFC fighter without Evolve,” he told MMAWeekly.com. Arriving in Singapore without speaking a word of English was a challenge for Issa, who admits to spending hours on Google Translate at first, but he is now fluent and has settled into his new surroundings, where he combines his fight camps with commitments as a BJJ instructor.
Excerpt from: