Rodolfo Vieira, a top grappler in MMA, is confident in his ground skills against Tresean Gore, despite acknowledging Gore’s effective guillotine choke, as they prepare to face off at UFC Vegas 108.
Rodolfo Vieira, a top-tier grappler turned MMA fighter, knows better than to underestimate anyone’s ground game. Yet, he’s not particularly wowed by Tresean Gore’s jiu-jitsu.
Vieira and Gore are set to clash at UFC Vegas 108. Before the fight, Vieira shared his thoughts on Gore’s submission skills, noting his two UFC wins via submission over Josh Fremd and Antonio Trocoli.
“His jiu-jitsu doesn’t impress me,” Vieira told MMA Fighting. “But I respect his guillotine. He’s proven dangerous with it, catching opponents with confidence. Still, I believe I’m more complete on the ground.”
A five-time jiu-jitsu world champ and ADCC gold medalist, Vieira boasts a 5-3 UFC record with five submissions. Before that, he was undefeated with a perfect finishing rate. For UFC Vegas 108, he trained at Fighting Nerds in Sao Paulo with coaches Pablo Sucupira, Flavio Alvaro, and Wagner Motta.
“The camp was amazing,” Vieira said. “I’ve never felt this good. My striking, takedowns, and jiu-jitsu are all on point. I’ve regained my hunger and desire to train.”
Motta, a jiu-jitsu coach who once trained Demian Maia, has been pivotal. “He knows the basics that work,” Vieira said. “Training here has also boosted my confidence in striking, though I still focus on my jiu-jitsu.”
Gore recently lost to Marco Tulio, and Vieira aims to bounce back from a decision loss to Andre Petroski. He plans to submit Gore at the UFC APEX, thinking Gore’s aggressive style might play into his hands.
“He’s flat-footed but tough,” Vieira noted. “He took hits from Tulio and kept coming. If he does that against me, I’ll take him down. I’m ready for anything, using my movement to find the perfect moment to dominate.”