Brazilian fighters have been making a name for themselves competing in Asia since the dawn of modern MMA competition when Rickson Gracie would submit multiple opponents in a single night at Vale Tudo Japan. Today, the sport has evolved almost beyond recognition, but fighters from the same country that gave us the Gracies are still holding their own in Asia. Among them is Rodrigo Caporal, a long-term resident of Hong Kong, who recently became the 155-pound champion of China. Caporal (9-4) has won five fights out of five since signing with RUFF, a Chinese organization that is government sanctioned, giving its fighters the right to call themselves national champions of the most populated country on the planet. The 30-year-old, who holds a black belt in BJJ, won the title at RUFF 8 in February by defeating Haotian Wu in a rematch. In addition to the belt, he received one million RMB (160,000 USD) in prize money. “Winning the belt meant a lot to me, to see all my hard work and dedication pay off made me very happy. My plan is to use the money to help my family and to help build my life together with my girlfriend,” he said. Caporal’s record competing in Brazil was unremarkable, but he has won six fights out of six in Asia and believes that his skillset as a BJJ black belt gives him an edge against the predominantly Chinese opponents he has been facing.
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