Babalu: I'll return as a newcomer

With over forty professional bouts, Renata 'Babalu' Sobral is a veteran in a sport that doesn't have many. The light heavyweight from California via Brazil has fought a who's who of MMA stars, including a UFC title bout with Chuck Liddell in 2006.

After losing that bout he would eventually leave the UFC and join start up promotion Affliction, which has since closed it's doors, before joining the ranks of Strikeforce. Starting 1-2 wasn't exactly the resurgence he was hoping for. Sobral hasn't fought in almost two years, but recently signed with the Asian promotion OneFC, and as he told Tatame's Marcelo Barone, he is ready to make another run at it:


“It’s a good opportunity. The Asian market will rise on this first semester. The event is hosted in Singapore, but it has a partnership with Dream, in Japan. I hope they pay me good money and that it gets bigger again. I’ll return as a newcomer after over a year off”.

After suffering an accident while snowboarding and going through a left shoulder surgery, right after his last bout, Renato once again had to face his worst enemy: his own body. In the end of 2011, while training Wrestling with Rafael Cordeiro, he injured his left knee and had to do an arthroscopy.

“I decided to go though surgery and get to 2012 at my best. I’m 100 percent, no pains and I really want to fight. I was training in case something came up, I just need to cut weight and focus on my cardio”.

via:Tatame