Ricardo Arona vs. Marvin Eastman Set to Headline Bitetti Combat in Brazil
A light heavyweight tussle between Ricardo Arona (13-5 MMA) and Marvin Eastman (16-9-1 MMA) will headline the upcoming Bitetti Combat 4 card on Saturday. The event takes place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil and features a handful MMA notables.
MMA FanHouse confirmed the entire scheduled fight card with Bitetti Combat.
Bitetti Combat, a promotion started by UFC veteran Amaury Bitetti, will broadcast live on Brazilian network television. The entire card will consist of ten bouts. Integrated into the card are big names such as Murilo “Ninja” Rua, Jeff Monson, Pedro Rizzo, Paulo Filho, as well as the aforementioned Arona and Eastman.
Initially scheduled to fight on the card was Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who was forced to bow out of a bout with Alex Stiebling due to an ailing foot injury.
Arona is returning after a long layoff in his MMA career. This former top light heavyweight has not fought since a knockout loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in April of 2007. Most know Arona from the PRIDE promotion where he was infamously slammed unconscious on his head by Quinton Jackson.
His opponent, Eastman, is coming off of a May TKO win over Aron Lofton in the MFC promotion. Despite the recent win, he is 1-2 in his previous three fights with losses coming at the hands of UFC vets Denis Kang and Drew McFedries.
Bitetti Combat 4 – Full fight card
Saturday, September 12, 2009 – Rio de Janiero, Brazil
- Ricardo Arona vs. Marvin Eastman
- Paulo Filho vs. Alex Schoenauer
- Pedro Rizzo vs. Jeff Monson
- Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Alex Stiebling
- Luciano Azevedo vs. Milton Vieira
- Fabio Maldonado vs. Vitor Miranda
- Luciano Izzy vs. Alexandre Pimentel
- Leonardo Lucio Nascimento vs. Glover Teixeira
- Cassiano Tytschyo vs. Leandro Silva
- Henrique Nogueira vs. Eduardo Pamplona
Pictured: Ricardo Arona
Tags: Amaury Bitetti, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Jeff Monson, Marvin Eastman, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Paulo Filho, Pedro Rizzo, Ricardo Arona
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Nice write up Dustin and welcome to the FrenZy,
Decent card its good to see the MMA return of Arona, I also believe that Eastman is a good challenge for him rightnow, Ninja Rua v The Brazilian Killa should be interesting and I also have heard that Big John is reffing the event… Nice to have you on board Dustin!
It’s the Fonz! “Ehhh!”
I’m always hearing about the UFC entering into continental Europe and Austrailia. There have always been stories about why the UFC never goes to Japan, but why not Brazil? Seems logical to me? I know they’ve been there before…anyone?
I think they don’t go back to Brazil for some of the same reasons they don’t go to Japan.
@ GarRule: Not for sure on this but it makes sense…Maybe since Brazil is one of the fighting capitals of the world now the UFC already has a large audience there, and is wanting to hold events where viewership isn’t as high to gain popularity. I know they increased their audience in Britain a whole lot by holding events there and striking deals with U.K. television networks. Might be saving a Brazil event for after they dominate some more markets in other countries…?
This is a good card imo, will especially be looking forward to the three main fights Dustin highlighted. Wonder if Pedro has still got it, know he’s been through a lot of hard battles in his career. Believe he’ll take out Monson again, as The Snowman is definitely past his prime.
Just to add my two cents worth to natural’s, I think that maybe BECAUSE Brazil is such an MMA/BJJ/Vale Tudo/combat sport/shoot-fighting hotbed, and has been for years and years, that there is probably a well-entrenched promotional hieratchy of sorts operating there. I’m sure that what THEY would see as some upstart North American promotion who arrived late to the MMA party might not be welcomed by open arms, either by them or arena operators and other ancilliary vendors.
Also, this conjectural hierarchy probably has a lot of respect for and involvement by persons with last names like Gracie and Machado, and some of those people aren’t exactly on great terms with Dana White, so, y’know.
Although ultimately money bridges all differences, as I think Lenin once said, for now I don’t see another “Ultimate Brazil” in our immediate future…
I would think a Brazil once-a-year event, sort-of a BJJ Homecoming themed event, could be spun the right wa y and make a lot of people money…
Great write up Dustin, welcome aboard. I wonder if there will be anywhere to watch these fights, maybe one of the streaming sites will have it.
Well, my first thoughts are that Arona should easily win this fight, seeing how he thinks he can beat any LHW in the world.
He also thinks he is capable of beating Lyoto. HAH! Erroneous!
Like i really cant believe he said that, especially after his last fight was a loss against Sokoudjou. I understand that Ricardo has beaten Hendo, Wandy, and Overeem. But that was years ago, and he has been on a layoff for a while.
Really though, this is a pretty decent card with some pretty good fighters, and i do indeed see Arona coming out with the victory.
Thats a pretty good card. Wish I was in Rio to see it! Hopefully within a year I can get down there for a few months, or forever!
Gotta take Arona in this one. Hope he makes it to the UFC. He did lose to Soko but I think Arona takes that fight 9 out of 10 times. Soko hasn’t shown that same power since he left Pride.
Is there an Athletic Commission in Brazil that does testing?
I remember reading once somewhere a long time ago that Vale Tudo isn’t under the auspices of the Brazilian sports authority, but that could have changed, or just been outright incorrect…
Mousasi’ comments about Filho is what made me wonder if they do/don’t test for steroids.