MMAWeekly.com’s Brazilian correspondent, Ivan Canello, recently sat down with Gazze Academy head coach.
 
MMAWeekly.com: What is your name and where are you from?
 
Junior Gazze: My name is Paulo Sergio Gazze, Jr., but they all call me Junior Gazze.
I am originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, currently living in Huntington Beach.

MMAWeekly.com: Tell us about your experience as an athlete, some of competitions you have won and your most important fights.
 
Gazze: I started with Judo when I was four, then I started to practice Muay Thai when I was 13 and jiu-jitsu when I was 16. The wrestling I started with Tito Ortiz, and I’ve been training Muay Thai since 2005.
 
I fought Dean Lister in jiu jitsu and Chris Leben in MMA defeating them both. I also have fought many dojo challenges against some of America’s top names and came out victorious, but that’s another story. I had some good results in jiu-jitsu competitions in Brazil and U.S.A.
 
MMAWeekly.com: Who is your jiu-jitsu master?
 
Gazze: I started to train with Fepa Lopes and Roberto Godoi; but after they left the school I continued to train with my team under Milton Maximiniano Trombini, who gave me the black belt in 2001.
 
MMAWeekly.com: How did you get into MMA coaching?
 
Gazze: Shortly after coming to America, working for Joe Moreira, he opened a new gym with Fabiano Iha in Huntington Beach. There were many fighters in that location, and I started training on a consistent basses with them. In my past training with Tito, before his fight with Yuki Kondo, I picked up fast on the MMA strategy. I began sharing my knowledge with other fighters, while getting them, as well as my self, ready for up coming fights.
 
Having trained with Tito Ortiz, Ricco Rodriguez, Jason Miller, “Razor” Rob, Quinton Jackson and more I felt I could produce some champions of my own. I made the decision and opened my school here in HB.

MMAWeekly.com: Tell us some names you worked with.
 
Gazze: As I mentioned before, I was one of Tito’s coaches before his fight against Yuki Kondo and Ken Shamrock. I have worked with names like Ricco Rodriguez, former UFC champ; Evan Tanner, also a former UFC champ; Quinton Jackson, the current UFC light heavyweight champ; Josh Barnett, another former UFC champ; and No. 2 light heavyweight fighter in the world, Shogun, Pride Grand Prix’s 2005 champ; Michael Bisping, the Ultimate Fighter winner in 2007; and Razor Rob, a former WEC champ. These are just some names I have worked with, and together they equals more than a lifetime of MMA knowledge.

MMAWeekly.com: Do you plan to compete or only to coach?
 
Gazze: I feel its important not only to train others but also to compete. Like breathing fighting comes naturally, I just took Silver in the Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American this year and am planning on an MMA fight in the summer. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago one of my students, RJ Clifford, a blue belt, won an MMA match against one of Rorion Gracie’s brown belts. Also Michael Bisping he was here training MMA and jiu-jitsu with me, before his last victory in UFC 83 against Charles McCarthy.

MMAWeekly.com: Any last words?

Gazze: Yes, first and foremost, I give thanks to God. In Brazil I would like to thank my Jiu jitsu Master, Milton Maximiniano Trombini and my teammates in Brazil. I would also like to say as much as I love Brazil, I have become an American citizen and am honored to be part of this greatest country. For more info please stop by our web site: www.hbbjj.com

TITLES

2008
2nd Silver Medalist Panamerican jiujitsu championship Blackbelt- light heavy Carson, CA

2007
1st Champion Best of the West 185- Long Beach,CA
1st Champion Corona Challenge Super Fight 185 -Corona ,CA 

2006
1st Champion Panamerican Blackbelt -Long Beach,CA
MMA record for coaching 15x1x0  mma fighters,Antony Mcdavitt,Rj,Erin toughil,C.bevans,,Evan Tanner

2005
1st Champion Best of the West BlackBelt "fastest submisson on the mat 15 sec",Los Angeles, CA
2nd Silver Medalist US OPEN blackbelt-Santa Cruz, CA
1st Champion PAN AN NOGI advanced-LA
1st Champion No Limits tournament.-Irvine,CA

2004
1st Champion US OPEN BLACKBELT.-Santa Cruz,CA
1st BEST Coach USA
1st Champion North American Jiujitsu and submission grappling
1st Champion WEST COAST submisson wrestling championship
WORLD jiujitsu championship semifinalist  Rio de Janeiro-Brasil
1st Champion 2nd Annual Joe Moreira Jiujitsu and Submission Championship
1st Champion No limits tournament.-Irvine,CA

2003
1st Champion Extreme Cage Champion MMA-.San Pedro,CA
1st Champion  HIT MAN 2  MMA defeated Chris Leben.-Santa Ana ,CA
1st Champion Cage Combat championship MMA ,-Los Angeles,CA

2002
1st Champion California State jiujitsu Championship .Newport Beach,CA
1st Champion Xtreme Fighting MMA-.Studio City ,CA

2001
1st Champion National jiujitsu Championship
1st Champion American Machado Jiujitsu Championship
1st Champion California State Jiujitsu Championship

2000
1st California State Championship -Browbelt (light heavy)Irvine.CA
1st California State Championship -Browbelt(open division)defeated DEAN LISTER. Irvine CA
2nd Pan American jiujitsu Championship-Browbelt (light heavy)  Florida USA

1999
1st Champion Sao Paulo State Championship Browbelt  -light heavy
1st Champion Sao Paulo State Championship Browbelt  -open division
1st Champion World jiujitsu championship
1st Champion Sao Paulo State Championship Browbelt  open division
1st Champion International ( L.A) purple -light heavy 
2nd  International (L.A) purple - open division
3rd California State championship  -purple -light heavy-.Newport Beach,CA

1998
1st Champion Sao Paulo Open (Brasil) -purple- light heavy
1st Champion Sao Paulo Open (Brasil)-purple-open division 
1st Champion da Taca Sao Paulo RED NOSE  -purple-light heavy
1st Champion da Taca Braganca Paulista -purple-Absolut
1st Champion  State of Sao Paulo -purple-light heavy
1st Champion State of Sao Paulo for TEAM equipes-purple-light heavy
1st Champion Copa Guarulhos -purple-light heavy
2nd  Copa Jaguariuna  -purple-light heavy Brasil
1st Champion Copa Guarulhos-purple-Open Divison
2nd Championship of PEACE -purple-light heavy (Brasil)
2nd US OPEN -purple-light heavy-Santa Cruz,CA
3rd Panamericano-purple-Open Divison -Honolulu,Hawaii
1st Copa RED NOSE-purple-light heavy Sao Paulo,Brasil

1997
1st Champion IV Cia Athletica  -purple-light heavy Sao Paulo/Brasil
Consider Best athlete for 1997 Team Cia Paulista
1st   I Etapa Paulista -bluebelt-light heavy
2nd I Etapa Paulista-bluebelt-open class
1st II Etapa Paulista-bluebelt-light heavy
1st II Etapa Paulista-bluebelt -open divison
1st III Etapa Paulista-bluebelt-light heavy
2nd III Etapa Paulista -bluebelt -ABSOLUTO
IV Mundial -bluebelt-light heavy Rio de Janeiro,Brasil
1st Copa Equilibrio -bluebelt-light Heavy
1st Campeao do Circuito Paulista-bluebelt-light heavy ,Sao Paulo/Brasil

1996
1st Champion II Etapa Paulista -bluebelt-light heavy
1st Champion Cia Paulista-Lotus Club  -bluebelt -light heavy
2nd Champion Cia Paulista-Lotus Club-bluebelt-open division
1st Champion  II Cia Paulista-Lotus Club-bluebelt-light heavy
IV Panamericano with 40 competitors,Loas Angeles,CA
1st Circuito Paulista -bluebelt-light-heavy
Atleta destaque Cia Paulista 1996

1995
3rd  Circuito Paulista-bluebelt-light heavy
3rd III Etapa Paulista-bluebelt-middle
1st III Etapa Lotus-Cia Paulista-Bluebelt-middle
2nd II Etapa Paulista-bluebelt-middle
2nd I Etapa Paulista-bluebelt-middle
2nd I Etapa Lotus-Cia -bluebelt-middle
1st Etapa Paulista-blubelt-open divison

1994
1st Champion I Etapa Campeonato Paulista-white belt-light /Sao Paulo.Brasil
1st Champion I Etapa Interno Cia Athletica -white belt-light weight/Sao Paulo.Brasil
3rd III Etapa Paulista-white belt Light/Sao Paulo.Brasil
3rd Sao Paulo State championship-white belt-lightweight  /Sao Paulo.Brasil