Jun 12, 2009 - Touted Goncalves Looking to Prove Himself Signs with MFC

Touted Goncalves Looking to Prove Himself

By Kelsey Philpott, MFC Staff

Does any touted fighter ever truly live up to his hype? It’s a difficult question to answer because the issue of hype is quite subjective and relative from one person to another.

There are safer bets than others, of course, and when you look at the MFC’s newest welterweight acquisition, Thiago “Jambo” Goncalves, you can’t help but think that he’s got the credentials to live up to some of his hype.

“I don’t know about all these people talking about me!” said Goncalves. “I don’t understand, really and it’s not something I think about. I just try to train hard and be the best I can.”

Goncalves, a native of Maceio, Brazil, not only sports a record of 12-2, but also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and has spent significant time training muay thai with Anderson Silva.

“It’s been an honour to train with Nogueira and Silva because those guys are my heroes. It’s an honour to be their teammate and to have that belt under Nogueira.”

However, despite his seemingly impressive record and excellent camp association, Goncalves still has his fair share of critics to silence; namely those that claim he’s yet to face top-notch talent on a consistent basis. That’s why he’s come to the MFC.

“I want to fight on the big show,” said Goncalves. “I hope that it helps me to get some sponsors, and maybe some people will see me fight and it will create more opportunities for me.”

But before he’ll have the opportunity to fight in the MFC, Goncalves must first prove his mettle in the MFC’s developmental league, HeatXC. He’ll soon clash with highly touted Kingston, Ontario native Cory MacDonald in a battle of the welterweight prospects at HeatXC III on July 17th.

“I’ve been watching some videos of [MacDonald],” said Goncalves. “He seems like a good opponent and I respect him. I think he’s 9-2 and so he’s got some good experience and I’m not going to take him lightly.

“I’m going to try and do my best to put on a good fight - I really hope the fans like it. I’ve come all this way from Brazil and I want to make sure I put on a good fight and live up to what some of these people are saying about me.”

If he’s successful, it will go a long way towards answering his critics. It also opens up the possibility of a very intriguing rematch between Goncalves and MFC veteran Nick Thompson – the man who defeated Goncalves in his very first professional MMA bout.

Tickets are now available for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s next event, MFC 22: Payoff, at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 1-780-451-8000. The event will once again be held from the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta on Friday, September 25^th