The reason you have a fight in mixed martial arts is because you don’t know what’s going to happen. For example, at UFC 258 on Saturday night, five-time BJJ world championship gold medalist and former ADCC world champion Rodolfo Viera lost to purple belt Anthony Hernandez, via submission. Odds against that were +3000.
Viera wrote a statement on his social network from what appears to be gurney, with an oxygen line going into his nose, and a sort of Monster Energy logo kicked into his head.
Guys, yesterday was worst day of my life, it was the worst performance of my life,” wrote Viera, as translated by Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting. “It was my son’s first time watching me, even though he’s a baby and he doesn’t understand anything, [it] is a good thing he didn’t see the beating his dad got LOL. It was also the first time I fought after my grandmother passed away. She was one of my biggest fans and watched all of my fights. I wanted to come out victorious and dedicate it to them!
Unfortunately, not everything happens as we want. I still don’t understand why I got so tired so early in the first round. I had some mistakes that I know what [they] were and I’m sure will be fixed, but to get tired the way I got, I still can’t understand. I had a great camp, had the best weight cut so far, everything went well… but hats off to Anthony for the great win, I do hope he gets the $50,000 for the ‘Performance of the Night.’
I know I still have to get evolve a lot in everything, I never hid that, and train hard every day in search of that evolution. Anyway, it’s in the past. I just want to thank you all for the messages of support that you keep sending, you really are unbelievable. I’m thankful to God, I feel blessed for having the family and friends I have, and fans that don’t know me but still make me feel so strong and important and loved by all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you.
Hernandez did indeed with the performance bonus. At the post-fight press conference he said in going for a submission he went directly against his coaches’ advice, and that fans who won betting on him should feel free to venmo a cut his way.
