Filho vs. Ishii at AFC, Gracie and UFC-vets expected to battle at Brazil

Two and a half weeks after UFC Rio, Brazil may be the center of the MMA for one more night. At Manaus, Amazonas, promoters and matchmakers and working in silence to promote Amazon Forest Combat’s first edition, on September 14th, and TATAME learned some of the fighters that could fight at the event.


Pride veteran Royler Gracie, who recently told TATAME that he’ll no longer fight Eddie Bravo at ADCC 2011, is already signed to fight at the event. The promoters tried to match him against Hideo Tokoro, who won Dream’s Bantamweight GP last weekend, but the fight probably won’t happen anymore, as they search for new opponents.


Another Pride vet, former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho is set to fight at the event, and his opponent will be Satoshi Ishii, Judo expert with a 4-1 record in MMA.


Black House manager Jorge Guimarães, who’s working as one of the matchmakers of the show, confirmed the match-up to TATAME today. “It’ll be good fights”, he promises. “Tokoro will probably fight again at Dream in September, so he won’t be able to fight here”, Guimarães added.


According to the manager and matchmaker, they’re also negotiating with UFC veterans Nate Marquardt( Who recently also signed a deal with BAMMA), Patrick Coté and Marcus Davis. “We want Marcus Davis against Ronys Torres (another UFC veteran). We’re also in talks with Jordan Smith,” he revealed. “Coté and Marquardt may give us the answers today”.