Returning Bustamante reflects on career
Murilo Bustamante has done it all in MMA, from winning UFC titles to founding one of the most successful teams…
Murilo Bustamante has done it all in MMA, from winning UFC titles to founding one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport. Yet at age 43, he is not ready to put fighting behind him. Bustamante returns to action following a nearly three-year hiatus this Saturday at Impact FC against Jesse Taylor. He took time off from his final preparations in Brazil to reflect on his career and discuss his upcoming fight with Sherdog.com.
Bustamante’s path toward MMA stardom began at the age of 10 when he began training at Carlson Gracie’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Over time, Bustamante added boxing and judo training to his jiu-jitsu and began taking vale tudo fights in Brazil. He developed enough of a reputation that he was invited to compete at the inaugural Martial Arts Reality Superfighting show in the United States.
MARS was an early attempt to compete with the Ultimate Fighting Championship on pay-per-view. In the main event, Renzo Gracie stopped Oleg Taktarov with one of the most vicious upkicks in the sport’s history. Bustamante entered an eight-man tournament and advanced to a finals showdown with feared nearly 300-pound wrestling standout Tom Erikson.
The bout between Erikson and Bustamante is one of the more notable fights from that period, presaging both an evolution in wrestlers’ MMA strategy and the development of weight classes.
Erikson outweighed Bustamante by nearly 100 pounds, but Bustamante’s jiu-jitsu was able to neutralize Erikson for the most part on the ground. Erikson eventually decided to simply stand back up and utilize his size and strength advantage in a kickboxing battle with Bustamante. The bout was declared a draw, but many considered it a win for the much smaller Brazilian.
Bustamante was soon invited to the UFC, where he went 3-1 and won the UFC middleweight title from Dave Menne. But the most memorable bout of his UFC tenure was a controversial tilt with Matt Lindland. Bustamante caught Lindland in an armbar in the first round and Lindland appeared to tap out. Referee John McCarthy stepped in and broke the hold, but then decided to restart the bout. Bustamante proceeded to submit Lindland again, the second time with a guillotine choke in the third round.
I have to mention Big John is the best referee that I saw my whole life, Bustamante says with a laugh. And I think he saved all his mistakes for my fight! I was crazy because I thought I finished the fight. I started to celebrate then he said, ‘No, go to your corner.’ That was unfair. I won the fight and didn’t stop because Lindland tapped but because Big John stopped it. I was really confused and upset, and during the break I tried to recover my mind. I had to keep fighting and keep my focus. Luckily I won the fight.
It was during his time fighting for the UFC that Bustamante helped to found the renowned Brazilian Top Team. Bustamante had a disagreement with his master, Carlson Gracie, and left to start his own gym in April 2000. It gave Bustamante the opportunity to run business and training the way he saw fit.