zatoicchi
17.07.08, 05:09
LOS ANGELES – This time around, Renato Sobral is going to be on his best behavior.
The popular light heavyweight known to fans as “Babalu” kicked off a controversy the last time he was in the national spotlight. At August’s UFC 74, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt held a guillotine choke against opponent David Heath after his opponent tapped out, not letting go until after Heath was rendered unconscious.
But when Sobral returns to action Saturday and faces veteran Mike Whitehead at the Affliction: Banned card in Anaheim, Calif., Sobral promises there will be no unsportsmanlike antics. After all, his wife and his dad will both be in attendance.
“This is the first time either of them have been to any of my fights.” said Sobral, who is from Rio de Janeiro and lives in Costa Mesa, Calif. “My wife doesn’t like to see me get hurt, so she doesn’t go to the fights, and my dad, this is the first time he’s come up from Brazil. He got me started when I was a kid, got me my first punching bag.”
"Babalu" ready for return (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AllVerJRDPzd7tFH51TNfKg9Eo14?slug=dd-affliction-071608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
The popular light heavyweight known to fans as “Babalu” kicked off a controversy the last time he was in the national spotlight. At August’s UFC 74, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt held a guillotine choke against opponent David Heath after his opponent tapped out, not letting go until after Heath was rendered unconscious.
But when Sobral returns to action Saturday and faces veteran Mike Whitehead at the Affliction: Banned card in Anaheim, Calif., Sobral promises there will be no unsportsmanlike antics. After all, his wife and his dad will both be in attendance.
“This is the first time either of them have been to any of my fights.” said Sobral, who is from Rio de Janeiro and lives in Costa Mesa, Calif. “My wife doesn’t like to see me get hurt, so she doesn’t go to the fights, and my dad, this is the first time he’s come up from Brazil. He got me started when I was a kid, got me my first punching bag.”
"Babalu" ready for return (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AllVerJRDPzd7tFH51TNfKg9Eo14?slug=dd-affliction-071608&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)