Issue 054
September 2009
Outside of Brazil few people know his name, but Andre Pederneiras is undoubtedly one of the leading figures in MMA to come out of Brazil.
A former fighter, respected coach and fight promoter, ‘Dede’ is generally too modest to talk about his triumphs, even though he has had a shaping influence on the sport as we know it – he was the man who awarded BJ Penn his black belt in jiu-jitsu, three weeks before the Hawaiian became the first non-Brazilian to win the Mundials (world championships). Of the days when Penn would train in his Rio de Janeiro gym, he fondly recalls watching the young Prodigy roll for over an hour non-stop with his best black belts.
Now 42, Pederneiras received his black belt at a relatively young 22 years of age after only five years training. He was a student of the late Carlson Gracie, a figure he credits as a huge inspiration in his life. “Jiu-jitsu has totally made a difference in my life, because everything comes from jiu-jitsu,” he says. Dede was a fierce competitor in his youth and a national champion in the art he holds so close to his heart, and though he entered the ring on more than one occasion he could never quite replicate the success he enjoyed on the mats. His MMA record was a less-than-stellar 1-1-2, with a win over Rumina Sato, a loss to Pat Miletich and draws against Genki Sudo and Caol Uno. “I never refused any fight in my career,” he said.
Fans looking for info on Pederneiras will find that Google reveals little past his brief professional MMA career. Although Dede operates at the highest levels of the sport and can often be seen in the corners of fighters in the USA and Japan, he gives few interviews and prefers to redirect the media spotlight onto his fighters, men such as Jose Aldo, Wagnney Fabiano, Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro and Thales Leites. Aldo is highly complimentary of his master, saying “Dede is an invaluable asset to me for the support he provides me in life every day and the confidence he gives me.”
Together, Pederneiras’s fighters comprise one of the biggest and most powerful teams in Brazil – Nova Uniao (New Union, in Portuguese). As an example of how prolific they are, his team had a combined 61 MMA fights in 2007, with his fighters winning 50 of them. “The union of our team is very great. Everybody helps everybody; this is a fact that increases the level of our team. We know the athlete needs more to win than just to be well prepared – anything can happen. But we try to give him every tool we have to make him able to fight for a title.” Pederneiras’s results as a coach are unquestionable – he has taken athletes from scratch and turned them into world-class fighters.
Busier than ever, Pederneiras’s work continues away from the gym. As the Brazilian director and representative of the worldwide organization-cum-fight promotion Shooto, he regularly hosts events where up-and-coming amateur fighters can test their skills and pro’s can raise their profile in the hope of picking up a contract with a bigger organization.
Life is good for Pederneiras and Nova Uniao. The biggest problem Dede faces is the fact he spends so much time traveling from country to country with his fighters. As Pederneiras’s work continues, the team goes from strength to strength. While other men might crumble under the pressure of running such a successful team while balancing his responsibilities as an event promoter, a very simple goal keeps him going. “What is next for Nova Uniao? To be the best team in the world,” he says.
Nova Uniao’s Top Fighters
Jose Aldo
A 15-1-0 firebrand currently tearing up the WEC’s featherweight division.
Wagnney Fabiano
At 12-1-0, 145lb BJJ and wrestling expert Fabiano is also making waves in the WEC.
Vitor Ribeiro
One of the veterans of Nova Uniao, Shaolin (20-2-0) has fought in Europe, America and Japan.
Marlon Sandro
Undefeated at 14-0-0, Sandro is a versatile striker-grappler whose last five fights have been in Japan.
Leonardo Santos
Lightweight Leonardo is 6-3-0 in MMA but his claim to fame is submitting GSP in a grappling competition.
