Jiu-Jitsu World openweight Champion of 2006 Xande Ribeiro liked it to be pared with American, David Avellan. Xande, who is flying to Sao Paulo tonight, confessed he has trained a lot during his visit to Japan. ‘ I presented five seminars there and I tried to reconcile the routine with the trainings for the event. ‘There was one day I really got enthusiastic and trained 40 people at the same seminar’, confessed Xande who is to fight his revenge against Avellan, who defeated Xande at ADCC 2007. I expected the event to make use of the rivalry. I find it to be cool. But it will be different from ADCC. The rules are different and the event will have to be more open. Avellan is tough and is ready for everything, but I am also ready for the war.

Regarding the fact of being chosen as the favorite in some polls, Xande prefers not to join the choir of the fans. ‘I am grateful for choosing me and I will do my best.

But favoritism does not exist. In a tournament like this one, where everyone is tough, everything is possible. Praise God I have managed to stay at the top of Jiu-Jitsu these last six years and to meet the expectations of the audience that always supported me’, declares Xande.

Super Challenge Grappling is confirmed for December 8, in a luxurious club Athletico Paulistano, in Sao Paulo. It will reunite 16 fighters from the whole world in the greatest openweight Submition event ever held. The names of some fighters are already confirmed on the card. They are  Demiam Maia, Fabrício Werdum, Robert Drysdale, as well as Jeff Monson, Delson Pe-de-Chumbo, Tarsys Humphreys and Ronaldo Jacare. The great Champion will get the main award of USD 15000 (Fifteen thousand US dollars) as well as a Katana from Rickson Gracie’s hands. There will be only 2000 tickets available and you can purchase the tickets on the following site:  www.super-challenge.com.

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