Felipe Arantes (Josh Hedges/UFC)
Brazilian lightweights booked for June 23 in Rio
Notable jiu-jitsu black belt Milton Vieira finally will make his UFC debut.
The Brazilian known for inventing the anaconda choke, which he purportedly taught to the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, will face Felipe Arantes in a lightweight bout at UFC 147 in June. UFC officials recently announced the signing and fight booking via the UFC Brazil Twitter account.
UFC 147 takes place June 23 at the Estadio Olimpico João Havelange soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main event will be a middleweight title rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The co-main event is a rematch between Brazilian legends Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, who currently are coaching opposite each other on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil.”
Vieira (13-7-1) has won three straight and five of his last six bouts over the last three years. Last August, he fought for just the second time in the United States, submitting Sterling Ford in the first round of a Strikeforce Challengers show in Las Vegas.
Vieira has fought for the likes of Pride, Deep, M-1 and Shooto. But his two most notable opponents, Jake Shields and Hayato Sakurai, each handed him decision losses. Of Vieira’s 13 career victories, nine have come by submission – but just one by the famous anaconda choke he’s credited with inventing.
Arantes (14-4, 2 NC, 1-1 UFC) will look to make it two straight in the UFC. After dropping his debut with the promotion at UFC 134 in Rio last August with a unanimous decision loss to Yuri Alcantara, Arantes got in the win column at UFC 142 in January, also in Rio, when he beat Antonio Carvalho on points. Arantes has 10 stoppages in his 14 career victories, including six by knockout.