Fast as a Shark

Joanderson Brito’s track to the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been a string of one surprise after another. Appearing on Dana White's Contender Series last August after nearly two years away from the sport, the Brazilian earned a UFC contract, only to come up short in a debut that took place under some of the most trying circumstances imaginable. Just when it seemed like the unheralded young prospect might be merely the latest Contender Series product to lose a couple of fights in the Octagon and then disappear, Brito came back for his second UFC appearance and knocked out one of the featherweight division’s most established names in under a minute.

Now suddenly a person of interest as he prepares for his bout with Lucas Alexander at UFC Fight Night 212 on Saturday in Las Vegas, Brito (13-3-1, 1-1 UFC) might still feel like a bit of a man of mystery to some observers, thanks to having arrived seemingly out of nowhere. Speaking to Sherdog last week even as he waited through multiple changes in opponent, “Tubarao” (Portuguese for “shark”) was happy to clear up some of those mysteries—beginning with his correct name, which North American fight databases couldn’t seem to agree on as recently as a few months ago. “My full name is Joanderson Sa Brito,” he said. “Professionally, I’m known as Joanderson Brito.”

He was also willing to expound on statements he made earlier this year that one of his early career setbacks, a December 2015 bout with Henrique Gomes that is officially recorded as a first-round TKO, was not a legitimate defeat. “I still believe it’s an error,” Brito said. “I don’t know how to change this. It’s been on my record for a very long time. We did fight. There’s a video of it. Actually, I fought more than 50 times and those bouts aren’t on my record. This particular fight was at an event run by the mayor of the town where my opponent lived. The referee interrupted the fight. This incorrect result appeared on my record sometime later.”

Brito acknowledges that fighting on the Contender Series last August and winning his contract felt like a major accomplishment, but his specific word choices in discussing it reveal the extent of his ambitions. “It was a very emotional moment. It was the beginning of a dream come true,” he said. “I finally got to the UFC, which is the dream of every fighter. I actually think it took longer than expected. I had been on an excellent winning streak for some time. Prior to my Contender bout, I hadn’t fought for about two and a half years. I fought, won, and earned my contract. Now, I have greater goals within the UFC. That was just the beginning.”

Brito’s January debut at UFC on ESPN 32 in Boston did not go well, as Bill Algeo pulled off one of his customary gutty performances, overcoming Brito’s fast start to pull ahead and win the final two rounds on all judges’ scorecards. Brito accepts the loss, acknowledging that “Senor Perfecto” got the job done, but reveals the miserable behind-the-scenes circumstances of that fight.

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“Several unexpected events took place,” Brito said. “I was positive for COVID three or four days before my fight. The fight probably wasn’t going to happen. On the final week, I was locked in a ‘bubble’ inside the hotel for two days. I couldn’t train or go out to eat. I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t even know if I was going to get to fight. At the last minute, it was decided that I could fight. I had no cornermen. They brought someone from Boston to corner me. Otherwise, I’d be on my own. There were also some first-time UFC jitters. Bill Algeo is very experienced. He’s a good fighter. He did a good job against me. His game is very passive, compared to my aggressive style.”

His sophomore performance, the aforementioned lightning-fast knockout of veteran Andre Fili, was more along the lines of what fans have to look forward to, Brito claims. “I expected [the quick finish]. All my fights go like that. Look at my result in [Legacy Fighting Alliance]. There, I knocked out Jose Mariscal in 44 seconds. In my last UFC bout, I knocked out Andre Fili even faster. I always fight the same way. I like to attack. I like to put on a show for the fans.”

At the time of the interview, Brito’s originally scheduled opponent, Melsik Baghdasaryan, had recently dropped out due to an injury and been replaced by A.J. Cunningham on short notice. Within a day of that update, Cunningham too had withdrawn, and been replaced by the debuting Alexander. The second change does nothing to invalidate Brito’s thoughts about the first one, however, and may actually underscore his point for him: “My fight is confirmed for Oct. 15. I’m now facing [Cunningham], who’s coming from the LFA. Not much changed, really. The main difference is that I was supposed to be facing a southpaw who’s had two wins in the UFC. I’m very mentally ready. My energy level is great right now. In the end, it makes no difference who I face. Once step into the Octagon, we’ll collide. And I’ll walk away with another win. I’ll give the people what they want – a war inside the cage.”