Fighting Nerds
 | |
| Est. | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Founded by |
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| Primary trainers |
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| Training facilities | São Paulo, Brazil |
Fighting Nerds (formally Club São Paulo) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) team and gym headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. Its fighters and cornermen are known to wear its signature glasses.
Background
[edit]Fighting nerds was founded in 2014 by Caio Borralho and his coach Pablo Sucupira. Borralho was originally a grappler and met with Sucupira to train him in striking. Sucupira noted that Borralho like him preferred to take a data driven analytical approach to fighting.[1][2] The two built the gym including painting the walls, installing the ring etc.[1]
The team slowly expanded with Demian Maia's grappling coach, Wagner Mota and Brazilian veteran fighter, Flavio Alvaro joining it. Alvaro was initially hesitant and wanted a lot of money but after going to the gym and speaking with the fighters, he said he would ask for money after they became big stars.[1][3]
The team's founders refused trying to fabricate faux street cred and did not deny their nerd background. Borralho loved school and tutored math and chemistry to peers. Sucupira worked a desk job as a copywriter in s marketing agency before quitting because his peers said his ideas were too wild. This lead to the team being called Fighting Nerds which was selected instantly. The Fighting Nerd branding is most known by its signature lens-less black plastic glasses that its fighters, cornermen and even occasionally in-cage interviewers like Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier wear. The UFC which is very restrictive against props approved the glasses after Sucupira convinced them it was just a logo of the team. The glasses are meant to show that fighters are smart since they can think in a situation when nobody can think such as cage fighting. Borralho said the best thing about the glasses is how it's shown them how much they are respected across the globe after years being ridiculed for their name and appearance on the Brazilian regional scene. Sucupira buys hundreds of pairs of them at a time.[1][2]
Sucupira's coaching methodology is that fighting is a problem needing to be solved and that one should fight smarter, not tougher. Formulating gameplans specific to individual opponents plays an important part.[1] According to Borralho, the team's goals are to change people's perceptions about fighters and give encouragement to nerds that they can do anything they put their minds to. The team offers English and public speaking classes and its members get together to study fights and moves.[3]
In 2021, Fighting Nerds made a breakthrough after Borralho received an offer to compete for a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. After two fights, Borralho won a contract.[1]
In March 2025, Maurício Ruffy revealed that Fighting Nerds would be expanding to the United States by opening a branch in New Hampshire.[4]
Notable fighters
[edit]Awards
[edit]- 2024 Gym of the Year[5]
- 2024 Gym of the Year[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k King, Nolan (23 August 2024). "Nerd World Order: The Fighting Nerds and their quest for 'bully payback time'". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ a b Hale, Andreas (23 August 2024). "Caio Borralho wants 'everybody wearing the glasses' as the 'Fighting Nerds' prepare their takeover". ESPN. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ a b Stein, Christian (27 April 2023). "Nerding Out with Caio Borralho". Sherdog. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ Cruz, Guilherme (8 March 2025). "UFC 313's Mauricio Ruffy to expand Fighting Nerds with new location in New Hampshire". MMA Fighting. Archived from the original on 9 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ Tucker, Bryan (5 December 2024). "World MMA Awards 2024 results". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ King, Nolan (3 January 2025). "MMA Junkie's 2024 Gym of the Year: The Fighting Nerds". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.