Issue 012
April 2006
Alexandre Izidrio was one of the most active fighters in the UK during 2005. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is the CageWarriors lightweight champion and holds victories over noted fighters such as Jani Lax and Thomas Hytten. A veteran of multiple promotions in the UK, his two closely-contested battles with Abdul Mohammed were noted for their controversial decisions, one of which he was denied the Cage Rage lightweight title. Our Brazilian correspondent Denis Martins caught up with ‘Xandinho’ in his home country over the Xmas period.
You had a busy time in the UK. What can you tell us about your experience in UK?
I fought six times in ten months in England. I had a crazy attitude of fighting three times in five weeks, and I'll not do it anymore. I lost to Abdul Mohammed in Cage Rage 13 on 10th September, so I went to CageWarriors on the 1st October and beat Jani Lax and finally I tried to avenge my loss against Mohamed and I lost to him again, this time on FX3 (15th October). This last fight against Mohamed wasn't with the right attitude by me. I was so tired and my body didn't react to my demands. Anyway I think my six fights were very good for me, I had three defeats where two of them were too much controversial (weird). But I'm very happy with this belt I’ve conquered and I will defend it in March or April.
Why did you fight so much in such a short space of time? What did you want to prove?
I like to fight and the opportunities arose at that time. My manager told me about a title-match at Cage Rage 13, so when I was preparing myself for this fight, he (my manager) told me about a possible match at Cage Warriors Strike Force 3. But until then, the fight at Cage Warriors Strike Force 3 wasn't for the belt. In a day after my fight at Cage Rage 13, I was informed that my fight at Cage Rage would be for the
belt. So finally he asked me if I was able to fight in FX3-Battle of Britain after only two weeks of rest after the Cage Warriors' match, I said to him: -"I'm okay". In reality I had to take some time-off, because the MMA sport demands a lot of your body, and my all fights had been three rounds, only the fight against Lax at CageWarriors was less then 2 rounds.
When you had the chance of going to UK, was your intention only to teach BJJ or to fight MMA well ass, or both?
Both of them, but the main was to fight MMA. Here in Brazil I didn't have many opportunities, due to politics and the closed groups which control the situations. I meant, we need to know someone else who can indicate you to promoters, and then the fight-salary is so low. In England I had the enough value due to my black belt, this makes a deserved reputation for me. I could show to the fans and promoters that I was a capable fighter, and I didn't have this chance in Brazil.
You debuted in UK MMA scene by a quick submission win over Yohan Quoniam on CageWarriors in April of 2005. Is there anything to be commented by you about that match?
That was a quick fight where I sunk a guillotine choke in 51 seconds. They changed my opponent for this fight, at first they changed twice due to a lack of opponents. I only knew who I was going to fight when, on the day of the event, I visited the website of the event and I saw that they updated the name to Quoniam. This was not a problem for me because I was focused on fighting, it didn't matter whoever was in front of me.
Two months later you picked up a defeat on your resume, fighting against Dan Hardy in the UK version of KOTC. This was the first controversial result against you. I remember Hardy beat you by majority decision, right?
I don't think Hardy beat me, I’ve watched the fight more than ten times and I didn't see the reasons for his victory over me. That was a fight of two rounds with five minutes each. He didn't do much in that match; and he only had a few good moments in round two, but nothing clear to impress the judges, while I took his back and I sunk a triangle. In round one I reached several good positions to submit but I failed, anyway I was on the attack. He was fighting near his hometown and I believe he got the victory due to it.
But he slammed you in the fight, wasn't it what impressed the judges?
Yes, he did. I think it can be the reason for his victory. Hardy is a good fighter, tough. I would like to face him again, but he's not in my weight class. We fought in under 77kgs and I believe Hardy stepped into the cage weighing around 80kgs.
You lost twice to Mohammed. Do you have any personal rivalry with him? How do you analyse those fights against Mohammed?
No personal rivalry. I don't consider my fight in Cage Rage 13 a defeat. I schooled Mohammed during the three rounds and he knows it. I think that result was due to
the politics of the event, and he had a UK idol in his corner who was Ian 'The Machine' Freeman. Who watched that fight live knew that I won, and who will watch
it on the DVD will realize what I meant. In the rematch at FX3-Battle of Britain I beat him in the first round, the second was balanced and he won the third. But the fight was supposed to be 2 rounds of 5 minutes each, and the third round would only happen if the fight went to a draw. If the fight was equal in R2 and I won R1, I would win the fight, but it didn't happen. There was a judge of Cage Rage judging this event too, and I believed it influenced the result.
You talked about politics at Cage Rage- why?
In that same day, Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro and Jean Silva battled for the world title of Cage Rage, so I think they didn't want two Brazilians such as the champions of the event.
Wasn't the second fight against Mohammed premature?
You are right. I acted with my heart to prove for the judges of our first fight that they were wrong. If my master Ze Marcello was in UK in that period, I wouldn't have fought. I was there alone, with my students, and like I mentioned I like to fight, so without anyone to stop me, I would fight every weekend! (laughs)
Do you want to face Mohammed again?
Yes I do. I want to face him at Cage Rage, because I want to prove that that belt is mine. I spanked him during the three rounds and ridiculously they gave him the victory by unanimous decision.
Your MMA career in the UK seemed to be more profitable at CageWarriors, where you got important victories. Don't you think?
How can I disagree with you? I've got a belt of CageWarriors! (laughs)
You took out two tough Scandinavian guys in Lax and Thomas Hytten. How do you feel about the fight for the belt against Lax?
I was very nervous to face Lax, because he was more experienced in MMA than me. He had fought in Japan and he was undefeated in Europe for the last 4 years. I got to watch his K1 HERO'S fight where I realized, even though he lost; he is good at trading punches on his feet. I was a little worried and hesitant to stand against Lax. I couldn't jeopardize myself by eating a bomb and getting KO'd. I expected a tough fight on the ground but he made a mistake and I didn't lose my chance of choking him. I expected to fight the full five rounds of five minutes against Lax, but I got to finish it in round one.
Later you battled against Hytten for the title defence. Roudn one was hell for you- were you nearly KO'd in R1?
Hytten was toughest opponent until now. The first round of our match was the hardest one of my life. This guy nearly KO'd me in round one and it influenced my game a little in the second, because I had to recover myself during it. In the beginning of that round I was still dizzy. I think I beat Hytten because I had more stamina than him. I fought 25 minutes against a fighter who has ‘rock-hands’. I adopted a game plan of trying to hurt him with ground and pound and by using my BJJ and wrestling and avoiding him in the stand-up.
Did you know anything about Hytten?
Differently of Lax, I never had heard about him. I only knew he had a good reputation in Europe and he had conquered the European Vale Tudo GP. He had faced and beaten another Brazilian (Ronaldo Campos). I was focused on this fight, but not so nervous like in that one against Lax.
We had Brazilians such as Jose Aldo Jr. and Luciano Azevedo fighting in the UK in 2005. Did the promoters offer you a fight against another Brazilian fighter?
No, it hasn’t happened to me. In my opinion it is not a good deal for me. I am in Europe and I should fight against the fighters from there and not from Brazil. I
think it wouldn't be good for either of us. I prefer to fight against the Europeans and then in the future, who knows, maybe fight against another Brazilian.
How do you see yourself, comparing your fight in Shooto Brazil in 2003 to the one against Hytten in CageWarriors?
You saw my first fight, and when you see my fight against Hytten, you'll see an incredible change. Foremost the experience that I acquired from these 8 fights, I didn't win all of them, and I learned a lot from the defeats. In my first fight against Gustavo Careca, I displayed to all what the people shouldn’t do when going to compete MMA for the first time (laughs). I didn't have experience, stamina or boxing, my wrestling was so-so and my BJJ was what saved me of being KO'd.
My second fight was better, because I had explored my weaknesses and I got to impose good wrestling and boxing over the kickboxer Roberto Robocop at Shooto Brazil 3 in 2003. Nowadays I don't consider myself a complete fighter, mainly in the standing aspect of the MMA. However, my black belt makes me a technical fighter, but I need to improve my aggressiveness on the ground and a little my wrestling. About the on the feet, I always look to improve it, MMA demands a good game on the feet all the time.
How is your training in UK?
My boxing and Muay Thai training is very good. I train with two of my students, Danny Batten (who is featherweight champion of CageWarriors) and Chris, who's my manager. About wrestling, I coached myself based on what I learned from the Brazilian wrestling Team, Niteroi Wrestling, and for BJJ I trained with my students. Of course it's not the same thing of training MMA in Brazil, UK has several good boxers and Muay Thai fighters, but the people who we've got to train with here in Brazil are more capable of providing good training sessions due to the experience.
What are you plans for 2006 besides defending your CageWarriors' belt?
Well, for now I have intentions of fighting only in the UK, but I'm awaiting proposals from Japan or USA. I fight where I get better proposals.
When you are in UK, what do you miss more from Brazil?
I missed my family, friends, and girlfriend. I missed the beach. The climate in the UK is very different to Brazil, and I suffered a little when we have cold times in the UK
Anything else would you like to add for the Fighters Only's readers?
I will comeback in March or April to defend my belt, where I intend to keep it. I want to fight Mohammed again and I want to thank all the UK fans that rooted for me in their country. Thank you very much for the reception.
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