Rodolfo Vieira Issues Statement After Suffering His First Career Loss
BJJ black belt Rodolfo Vieira has spoken out for the first time since he was submitted by Anthony Hernandez in a shocking upset at UFC 258.
Vieira started well in the fight he was a big favoruite to win. The Brazilian quickly got his opponent to the mat and appeared on his way to yet another quick submission win.
The tables turned as round one progressed. Hernandez was able to work his way back up and begin putting strikes together. Viera looked physically exhausted by the end of the opening round.
In round two it was more of the same. Hernandez was beating up an exhausted fighter who eventually fell to his first-ever professional MMA loss via submission (guillotine choke). Prior to the fight bookmakers had Hernandez priced at 30/1 to finish Vieira by submission.
“Guys yesterday was the worst day of my life,” he wrote. “It was the worst performance of my life, it was my son’s first time watching me, despite being a baby and not understanding anything. That, on the one hand, was even good to not see the beating that his father took and still be finished !! LOL. It was also the first time I fight after my Grandmother passed away, she who was one of my biggest fans and watched all my fights, I really wanted to be victorious and dedicate it to them!”
“Unfortunately, not everything goes as we want,” he continued. “I’m still not understanding why I got so tired in the first round, I had some mistakes that I already know which ones, that will certainly be fixed, but really getting tired of the way I got tired I still haven’t I managed to understand! I had a great camp, I had the best weight cut to date, everything was fine … But I have to congratulate Anthony on his big win and I really hope he won the 50 thousand dollars of performance of the night.”
“I know I need to improve a lot, in everything, I never hid this and every day I train in search of this evolution!” he continued. “Anyway, it’s in the past. I just want to thank you all for the messages of encouragement and support that keep sending me, you really are unbelievable! I am very grateful to God, and I feel super blessed to have the family I have, the friends and of course the fans who even without knowing me personally can make me feel so strong, so important and so dear to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you.” (Transcribed and translated by MMA Mania)
Do you think Rodolfo Vieira will bounce back from this defeat?
