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Former UFC Brazil General Manager Explains His Decision To Leave

October 29, 2016 | Posted by Joseph Lee
Vicente Luque Curtis Millender UFC on FOX 27 UFC Logo - UFC Shanghai - UFC Fight Night 115 Image Credit: UFC

In a post on Instagram, former UFC senior vice president and general manager of Brazil, Giovani Decker, explained why he resigned from the promotion a month ago.

He wrote: “Today, I ‘officialize’ the rumors that were ‘leaked’ in the media on Sept. 30 that I’m no longer in charge of the UFC in Brazil. The reasons are many, but I’ll cite as the main ones the lack of autonomy to perform a job well done and the latest decisions involving Brazilian fighters about to fight for belts. I really appreciate the opportunity given to me by the UFC. I had an incredible 18 months as head of the promotion in the country, where, among other accomplishments, I had the opportunity and the pleasure to lead UFC 198, the biggest MMA event in the history of Brazil, with 15,000 people at the weigh-ins and over 45,000 people at the event, the third biggest in the history of the UFC. I thank the athletes who always had a special kindness toward me, understanding I was there to help them, to guide them. Know that I’ve learned a lot from all of you! To the UFC fans, my thank you for the positive energy toward me and my work. I will cherish every one of these moments as one-of-a-kind in my life! Know that MMA has got a fan, a practitioner (though quite clumsy, it’s true) who will always be rooting for this sport, for the UFC, for the fighters in general and for the Brazilian fighters in particular.

He joined the promotion in March 2015 after previously working as the president of ASICS Brazil. He replaced Grace Tourinho, who left in October 2014 (after eleven months). Decker’s final event was UFC Fight Night 95 in September, which featured Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino defeating Lina Lansberg in the second round at theNilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brazil.

When MMA Junkie asked Thomas Almeida, one of the Brazilian fighters Decker thought would have success in the UFC, he said: “I was very sad, because I know he’s a great professional He does a great job – apart from the relationship we ended up forming. But if he wasn’t happy and it wasn’t working out, I really like him and I want him to do well. Let’s see what happens moving forward.

article topics :

Giovani Decker, UFC, Joseph Lee