After three years of walking around the shores of Hawaii and Niteroi, Brazil, Ricardo Arona finally put down his surf board and stepped in the ring last September at the sleeper MMA event of the year, Bitetti Combat 4.
Ninja Rua pulled off a spectacular high-kick KO, Pedro Rizzo scored a unanimous decision over Jeff Monson (which Fight! Magazine had ranked the #5 heavyweight in the world), Paulo Filho removed his cut-off flannel of might to score a W over Alex Schoenauer and we all saw Anderson Silva rock a pink shirt. Renzo Gracie also shocked everyone when he officiated along with Big John (which the Brazilian ring announcer called ‘Big John McCart’).
Above all else, we saw the return of Ricardo Arona in a very satisfying fight against Marvin Eastman. Earlier this year, Arona told Tatame magazine that he will make his UFC debut at the end of 2010 as a light heavyweight. Months went by, Greece screwed up the world’s economy, and everyone forgot about Ricardo Arona signing with UFC. Today, Ricardo Arona told Tatame magazine that he ‘hopes‘ to talk to Dana White this weekend at UFC 114 after he corners Lil Nog.
“I’m going for other reasons, to give a support to Minotouro, merchandising… Being there, I hope I can talk to Dana White, but we don’t have nothing settled or scheduled. I’m going to meet the guys… I don’t know if I’ll get there right on time, but I’ll do what I can to help him. I just came back to train now, on a calm way because of my knee, but this recovery part is almost done. I’m training so I can be at my best and can come back to business”
In another interview, Ricardo Arona admitted that he still leads a strenuous life of ‘surfing and training…and surfing‘ which is tough on any human being who lives on a beach in Brazil. [Source]
