Title Bouts Added to Shooto Brazil 20

After a year of solid events, Shooto Brazil has saved the best for last.

Shooto Brazil 20 will take place Dec. 11 at the Hebrew Social and Sports Club in Rio de Janeiro. Thursday, Shooto South America president Andre Pederneiras confirmed three championship bouts for the card.

Shooto South America 132-pound champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas will defend his title against Luiz Alberto “Betao” Nogueira in a rematch of Brazil’s top bantamweights, while Carlos Alexandre “Indio” Pereira stakes his South American 183-pound belt against Leandro “Batata” Silva. Also, the first 115-pound South American champion will be crowned when Michael Willian Costa and Lincon de Sa square off for the vacant title.

Elsewhere, top lightweight prospects Hacran Dias and Ricardo Tirloni will square off with each hoping to secure a deal with a major promotion.

“This is the last show of the year, and I put three South American titles on the show,” Pederneiras told Sherdog.com. “I’m looking forward to a great show. Probably next year, I’ll hold eight shows, with a minimum of three Shooto world title fights in Shooto Brazil.”

Dantas won his first meeting with Nogueira in November 2008 via second-round armbar. The fighters were scheduled to rematch in November 2009 before “Betao” was forced from the fight due to injury. Nogueira has recorded six straight wins since the loss -- the only blemish on his ledger -- while Dantas has gone 3-1, most recently submitting Hiromasa Ogikubo in a May bout in Japan.

“Eduardo Dantas and ‘Betao’ will probably make for the best fight this year,” Pedeneiras enthused.

Shooto Brazil’s 115-pound tournament is the first significant action in the young weight class outside of Japan. Both Costa and de Sa had to win two bouts on Oct. 17 in order to reach the title fight. The winner of is expected to challenge for Rambaa Somdet’s Shooto world title.

Both Pereira and Silva have challenged for Siyar Bahadurzada’s Shooto world title in the last 18 months, with both being knocked out inside the first round. However, “Batata” has rebounded with a pair of wins under the Bitetti Combat banner, while Pereira notched a first-round TKO over Andre Mikito on Oct. 14.

Hacran Dias and Ricardo Tirloni have each only been defeated once, with Dias falling to South Korea’s Ui Cheol Nam by decision in July 2009, while Tirloni was submitted by WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson in July 2008. Since their losses, they have combined for 11 straight victories.

“Ricardo is a great test for Hacran,” said Pederneiras, who is also Dias’ trainer. “Hacran has been waiting for his chance in the WEC or UFC for one year, and I know that one day he has a chance to be in the UFC.”