Check out this great Article on MMAJunkie.com "Marlon Moraes the next version of UFC's Edson Barboza?"

During this holiday season, The Armory will be closed:

December 24th
December 25th
December 31st
January 1st

Have a Safe & Happy Holiday Season

Fresh off his UFC 123 win this weekend , our lead Muay Thai instructor Edson Barboza Jr will be visiting the Wellington location on Tuesday (Nov 23) at 5:30. He will be at the facility from 5:30 to 6:30 to meet all the students and talk about the exciting results of his UFC debut.

He competed this past weekend at the Worlds NoGi and took first place in his black belt super heavy division and also closed out the black belt absolute division with Pablo popovich and cyborg. Fantastic job xexa!

Marcelo just won the NAGA Champion belt at the most recent NAGA games!
Another Armory Champion made!!!

Buchecha: “I hope the keep the good flow”
Sunday 24th of October 2010

Outstanding fighter on the gentle art, after a year with a brown belt on his waist and the title of all championships he disputed, the super heavy Marcus “Buchecha” got the black belt by the hands of his Master Rodrigo Cavaca on the podium of World, after becoming a Jiu-Jitsu champion on the categories absolute and super heavy. And now, with only five months of black belt, the young guy of 20 years old has been conquering many important titles and making his name a huge one on the sport.

Still on the brown belt, the tough guy has a large résumé with titles of Pan Am, World Cup of WLPJJ, World No Gi in 2009, on the weight and absolute disputes, among others. As a black-belt, his greatest achievement so far is the Pan Am No GI in NYC, winning the weight and closing the absolute’s finale with Pablo Popovitch. Current living in Florida for almost five months, along with his training partner Thiago Baiano and his Master Rodrigo Cavaca, Buchecha refines his trainings to reach his professional goals.

“I’ve always trained with Cavaca and we are from Checkmat, and now we’re doing a work together with team Armony. I’m living on the United States, and I came to Florida, where I have nothing to complain about. I was nicely welcome in my new home, Armony Checkmat, and by the owner of the team, Joe Mullings, besides the fighters they have here, Edson Junior and Eduardo Guedes, apart from the ones I live with and are my friends like Raphael Chaves, Thiago Baiano and my Master Rodrigo Cavaca. Here on the United States we’re like family”, said, explaining why he moved to America. “I’ve changed because it was something I’ve always wanted, I wanted to teach here in America and live for Jiu-Jitsu, because in Brazil only the athletes themselves know how hard it is to live that way there. It was an opportunity that Cavaca and Joe have given me, and I can only thank them and make it worth”, tells the athlete.

Crawling as a black-belt, the fighter tells what his main goals are from now on. “Actually I’ve reached a few, the first was to get the black belt and the second was to teach here on the United States, now I hope I can keep the good flow I’m having on the competitions and repeat on the black belt the same conquest of the previous belts. We already are training hard here on Armony for Miami Open, in October 23. Our main goal is, for sure, World No Gi, in November 7. We’re training very hard. Cavaca is leading the trainings and pushing us a lot, and we’re doing the conditioning training with Jow, and now on this final phase we’ll intensify the trainings even more”, explains.

But the tough guy won’t stop that easily, and reveals he intends to join MMA world. “I have a wish to fight MMA, I already am training boxing with Ouali, but there’s no hush, because it’s something for the future. First of all I want to reach my goals as a black-belt and later I think it’d be a good time to make my debut”, reveals, sending his message:

“I’d like to thank to God in first place, and all who’ve helped me all the way, always giving me support to fight on the leagues, signing raffles or helping me on the trainings; to Joe Mullings, Thiago Baiano and Rafael Chaves, who’ve always been there for me, and my Master Cavaca, who has believed me on the very beginning and gave me this opportunity. I couldn’t forget Sr. Clayton and Lady Bete. If it wasn’t because of my parents supporting me on the sport, I wouldn’t be here today”, concluded Buchecha.

Check out the full article online:
http://www.tatame.com/2010/10/24/Buchecha--I-hope-the-keep-the-good-flow

Check out the gallery for some great shots of Guedes training 10 Days out from Guedes fighting on the Bellator Card in Philly!!! Go Team Armory!

GracieMag.com - In The News

Last weekend Copa America 2010 in Lakeland, Florida (USA) students of world champion Rodrigo Cavaca did well.

Present at the competition Marcus Almeida, "Buchecha" and Thiago Abreu "Baiano". Athletes from Team Checkmate Amory won both absolute and non kimono, worth $ 1,000 each, having closed with Vagner Rocha and Pablo Popovitch.

Many athletes competed primarily in search of prizes and there were big name fights. Among them, "Buchechas" victory over Daniel Moraes, with a Mata Leon when the score was already 11-0 in the semis of the absolute no-gi.

Now students from Team Armory / Cavaca, without rest, train hard for the Miami Open, which takes place on October 23, and then the World No-Gi, on November 7, Long Beach.

Claude came down to The Armory to prep for his fight in UFC this weekend in England.. check out the gallery for more pics of our professional fighters training for their upcoming bouts!

Buchecha and Thiago won the Absolute Blackbelt Division in the Copa America Cup. Buchecha submitted 5X World Champion Daniel Moraes

Marcelo took first place in the Copa America Cup!

Bethany Ann Eash came in Second in her divisions and came in Second in the Absolute!

Choyse in our Wellington facility won advanced Gi in his division and came in 2nd in No-Gi advanced.

GracieMag.com

Among No-Gi Worlds favorites, Bochecha comments on Pan campaign
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório — October 5, 2010.

Winner of his weight and the open weight groups as a brown belt at this year’s Worlds, Marcus “Bochecha” Almeida has begun taking his first steps as a black belt, and successfully. The competitor was one of the standouts at last weekend’s No-Gi Pan in New York. After winning at superheavyweight, Bochecha shut out the absolute with friend Pablo Popovitch. Now, the Rodrigo Cavaca student hopes to put in a good performance at the No-Gi Worlds and the 2011 World Championship, where he may butt heads with Roger Gracie.

Tell us about your campaign at the Pan…

First I won at superheavyweight. The first match I won by WO and went straight through to the final against Bruno Bastos. That was an extremely tough final, which I won by two advantage points. In the absolute I won my first match by triangle submission and in the semifinal, again against Bruno Bastos, I defended a single-leg and managed to sink a triangle for the finish.

Why didn’t you and Pablo face off in the absolute final?

Ever since I arrived here in the United States, we’ve been training together. We trained hard for this Pan, and that’s why we opted not to do the final.

What are your hopes for next year? Do you think you’ll manage good results at the Worlds as a black belt, is that your aim?

I always expect the best. I hope to maintain my rhythm in competition and keep getting good results, since that’s what I’m training to do. Training here is really tough, and soon the gang from Brazil will be here to help out. Next year I’ll be in all the main competitions on the IBJJF calendar. For sure I’m going to fight for the title in my weight division and the absolute.


Bochecha did well as against the black belts at the World Pro qualifiers. Photo: Carlos Ozório

What would it be like to face Roger Gracie or the other top guys?

I feel it would a great challenge to face the world number-1. But beyond him, as you yourself say, there are a lot of other top guys. What’s for certain, though, is that in all my matches I go in with the same objective: to be champion.

This Pan was like my debut black belt”, Bochecha

Will you compete at the No-Gi Worlds or any other competitions in 2010?

Yes, for sure I’ll compete. Indeed, this Pan was like my debut at black belt. I competed at some smaller competitions in Florida, but this was my first big event. Thank God I debuted on the right foot! Now my focus is on the Miami Open and No-Gi Worlds. We’re already hard at training for those competitions.

What’s life in the USA like? Have you already gotten used to the pace there?

Life here is great; I’m really enjoying it. The weather here (Florida) is really similar to in Santos, and I live in a city with a beach, which is even better (laughs)! I’m teaching here and I was really well received at my new home, The Armory CheckMat. The owner of the team Joe Mullings and the other fighters, like Eduardo Guedes and Edson Junior, treat me well. I’m living with my friends Raphael Chaves and Thiago Baiano and my master Rodrigo Cavaca. Or in other words, there’s no way for the level of training to drop!

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Well, I’d like to thank Cavaca and Joe for the opportunity to be here, making my dream come true; and my father Mr. Clayton and my mother Mrs. Bete (laughs)! If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today. And to thank Bulldog kimonos and, of course, GRACIEMAG.com for the opportunity.

Thanks!

This past weekend, Team Armory / Cavaca BJJ went to New York City to compete in the Pan Ams No Gi World Championships. Thiago Abreu took Second Place in his weight class and Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida took 1st place in his weight class and also closed out The Absolute Division with Pablo Popovich, both taking First Place in the Absolutes!! Fantastic job guys!!