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Renato Verissimo

Training Style

"In the morning I do cardio - jogging or anything at the gym that is cardio related. At noon, I do kickboxing and around 6:30 p.m., I do ground work. After that, I swim to relax the body and stretch. I surf whenever I can get the waves and I do lots of cycling, hiking and jogging up hills."

UFC History

At UFC 46 (1/31/04), Renato made an impressive UFC debut. He dominated former champion Carlos Newton and won with a unanimous decision.

At UFC 48 (6/19/04), Renato lost a unanimous decision to Matt Hughes.

More Information

When and why did you start training for fighting?
"I've been training since 1993 when I quit playing water polo. I started Jiu-jItsu because my friends were doing it at the time. After I moved from Brazil and started my life in the United States, I started to learn different sports, kickboxing and wrestling. Everything fell together when BJ Penn started with the UFC. I became more interested in MMA to help BJ as much I could. After a while I decided to compete myself. Now, I am really hooked on this sport."

What ranks and titles do you hold?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black belt, 1996 /1997 gold medal national championship (Brazil), 1996 silver medal in the World Championships, 1998 silver medal Pan-American championships, 1998 semi-finalist ADCC (weigh-in 185 lbs and competing at 220 lbs), 1999 quarter finalist ADCC (weigh-in 175 lbs and competing at 195 lbs), and 2000 quarter finalist world championship

What is your favorite technique?
Triangle choke and sweeps

Do you have any heroes?
Andre Pederneiras, Joao Roque, Carlos Burle, Laird Hamilton, Murilo Bustamante, Minotauro and Vanderlei Silva. Mom and Dad

What are your hobbies?
Jogging and surfing."

What is your favorite movie?
Brave Heart, Pulp Fiction, Black Hawk Down, City of God.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC?
"It's a dream to be fighting in the best organization. I'm loving it. There are no words to express how stoked I am right now. Give me more time to absorb this!"

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn?
"I studied engineering for about two and a half years, but I didn't complete my studies."

What was your job before you started fighting?
“I coached Jiu-Jitsu in Hawaii."

What is your biggest weapon in a fight?
"My brains and my heart."