2012 World MMA Bantamweight Scouting Report: #10 - Pedro Munhoz

by Bloody Elbow on Dec 18, 2011 8:00 PM EST in World MMA Scouting Report


Name:	Pedro Munoz
Nickname:	The Young Punisher
Age:	25
Height:	5' 8"
Location:	Redondo Beach, California

This is a guest post written by Rory MacLeod (smoogy)

It could be said that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the signature art in mixed martial arts. For Brazilian fighters, it's not just a part of their identity, it's a gateway to the rest of the world and a promise of prosperity. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors with national credentials are typically the most highly sought after in North America. Well-regarded black belt Pedro Munhoz (6-0) is among the latest in a long line of such fine exports from Brazil.

Originally training with Sao Paulo's Gibi Thay and Barbosa Jiu Jitsu, Munhoz is now based out of Redondo Beach, California's Arriva-Machado MMA Academy under head instructor Ricardo Arrivabene. As a no-gi specialist with extensive tournament experience, Munhoz naturally excels at top control, submissions and ground defense, but he also compliments his grappling base with high hands, good takedown defense and a sound double forearm guard. Since his standup offense is still a work in progress, he uses his sharp defense to anticipate and deflect attacks, then counter with takedowns. Pedro has mostly relied on this strategy to wear his opponents down for submissions in later rounds.

Now 3-0 in fights on American soil, Pedro Munhoz has carved out a niche on the California circuit as the reigning Respect in the Cage bantamweight champion. He was slated to fight The Ultimate Fighter 14's Johnny Bedford (18-9-1) in May, but the fight was scratched upon Bedford being confirmed as part of the reality competition's cast.

With a strong support group including Arrivabene wrestling coach Kenny Johnson and Strikeforce veteran Eduardo Pamplona (15-3), Munhoz is in good hands. A steady climb up the ladder on the West Coast circuit would be ideal before seeking a major contract opportunity. In the meantime, Pedro should continue to take advantage of the many elite pro gyms in close proximity that he can visit to sharpen his skill-set; he's already sparred with some of the UFC's best at the Black House facility in Los Angeles. With his regular gig as a no-gi instructor at just 25, Munhoz has the means and the time to develop from a good grappler to a great mixed martial artist.

Video footage of Pedro Munhoz in action after the jump...

Flyweight	Bantamweight	Featherweight	Lightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -	#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - Pedro Munhoz	#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -	#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -

Welterweight	Middleweight	Light Heavyweight	Heavyweight
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -	#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -	#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -	#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -

Pedro Munhoz vs. Reginaldo Vieira
Full Fight 1 - March 21, 2009

Pedro Munhoz vs. Robert Matsumoto
Eagle Fighting Championship - September 26, 2009

Pedro Munhoz vs. Pablo Alfonso
Jungle Fight 18 - March 20, 2010

More video can be found here, including grappling videos of Munhoz during ADCC trials and various other competitions.

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Comments

His bio is amazing, and this kid is great.

Honestly, Jiu Jitsu is being being seen as less and less important for some reason by todays MMA standards. People keep preaching wrestling and more wrestling. Honestly a BJJ practicioner would kill(literally) a wrestler. BJJ is a self defense art meant to be used for sport AND protection.. getting a black belt in BJJ isn’t like karate, it takes YEARS, upwards of 5-10. You actually become a master. A master at breaking necks, arms and knees. And putting people to sleep. If any people reading this plan on taking up MMA, learn Jiu Jitsu first. You will have an edge over everyone if you can submit them..remember that.

My opinion>Your onion.

by Tairy Hesticles on Dec 18, 2011 8:10 PM EST reply actions

Take off your BJJ glasses and remember it's MMA we're talking about.

Snapping arms? Hell, if we’re talking a street fight, I can beat a wrestler AND a BJJ player with a .38 Special as long as I’m 10 feet away. Your hyperbole about a BJJ “practicioner” literally killing a wrestler is not just wrong, it’s irrelevant to the discussion.

We’re talking MIXED Martial Arts, TH. And of the seven current UFC champs right now, four use wrestling as their base, and it could be argued the other three use striking, not BJJ, as their main weapon.

Yes, I’m biased towards wrestling. But that doesn’t blind me to the fact BJJ is a needed component of any MMA fighter with championship aspirations. Just as you will someday recognize the need for wrestling, as well.

"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King

by duck on Dec 18, 2011 8:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

If you had asked you'd know I freestyle wrestle as well. So no I have nothing against wrestling.

The smart ass remark does little for your statement. Do you tell any martial artist you can could just shoot him with a gun? That’s probably the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard. If you want to talk about this like adults, then let’s. First start by knowing that yes I do “wrestle”.

My opinion>Your onion.

by Tairy Hesticles on Dec 18, 2011 8:43 PM EST up reply actions

yeah he is right though, look at most of the Gracies in MMA are always crushed by the up teir fighter, look how arrogant Roger Gracie was against King Mo, he got killed, his striking was rudimentary and was so full of his skills that he got caught and I doubt he wants to fight anymore. Its BJJ is an important part of MMA, realize its everything, Anderson Silva isn’t the best because he can triangle Chael Sonnen, its because he knocks fools the “F” out

by Mrh347 on Dec 18, 2011 10:04 PM EST up reply actions

Duck.

Master of gun fu.

by Brent Ducharme on Dec 18, 2011 8:56 PM EST up reply actions

brown belt in glockjutsu, purple belt in kalashnikido

by Pyrgz Krum on Dec 18, 2011 8:59 PM EST up reply actions

And if you don’t have a gun or a knife? what then?

by juanchoD on Dec 18, 2011 10:23 PM EST up reply actions

Then I run away, very, very fast.

And a knife isn’t gonna do me much good against a wrestler or BJJ player, anyway.

"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King

by duck on Dec 19, 2011 11:15 AM EST up reply actions

lol

There are SOOOOO many fighters who just make sure they are proficient at BJJ, not masters at breaking knees and necks, that are really successful at MMA.

Here’s guys ranked in the top 5 of their division that entered MMA without BJJ as their base:

HW: Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar
LHW: Jon Jones, Dan Henderson, Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans
MW: Yushin Okami, Mark Munoz, Chael Sonnen
WW: GSP (although he is a BJJ Black belt, his first base was karate), Jake Ellenberger, Jon Fitch (again, a BJJ Black belt, but started as a wrestler)
LW: Frank Edgar, Gil Melendez, Gray Maynard
BW: Chad Mendez, Pat Curran
FW: Urijah Faber, Dominic Cruz, Brian Bowles, Joe Benavidez, Scott Jorgenson

K-1 Level Predictions Team

by Fedorable on Dec 18, 2011 8:41 PM EST up reply actions

All of them know Jujitsu. The fact that you listed people who have high rank

only proves my point. Honestly, my comment was not meant to offend anyone. Obviously I was just speaking in general terms, no one had to reply to me. I wasn’t saying BJJ was the best sport on the planet.

My opinion>Your onion.

by Tairy Hesticles on Dec 18, 2011 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

Sure all of them know BJJ, but on a very basic level (Rampage, Lesnar, Velasquez Sonnen)

If you look at the top ranked guys, lots (most) of them have a wrestling base, and add jui jitsu to round out their skills.

Guys who come into the sport with just Jiu jitsu (as their grappling base) have a harder time adding something like wrestling, then vise-versa

And I’m not upset or anything, just having a friendly debate.

K-1 Level Predictions Team

by Fedorable on Dec 18, 2011 8:50 PM EST up reply actions

Velasquez is a purple belt under Dave Camarillo

aka BuckeyedBear34

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
-Napoleon Bonaparte
To have a Cannae you must have a Varo
-George Patton
"The complete man must work, study and wrestle."
-Aristotle

by T.P. Grant on Dec 18, 2011 9:05 PM EST up reply actions

So he know’s more then just the basics, but he’s still a wrestler first.

K-1 Level Predictions Team

by Fedorable on Dec 18, 2011 9:40 PM EST up reply actions

agreed

this argument is mainly pointless.

are there fighters that slack on their BJJ? yes.
are there downsides to being a BJJ specialist in MMA? yes

aka BuckeyedBear34

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
-Napoleon Bonaparte
To have a Cannae you must have a Varo
-George Patton
"The complete man must work, study and wrestle."
-Aristotle

by T.P. Grant on Dec 18, 2011 9:52 PM EST up reply actions

If we are talking about origins though

we have to list the millions of Brazilians(DAT RHYME) who knew Jiu Jitsu as a base. I wasn’t talking about origins, because if that’s the case then I agree. I’m not saying you can’t become an MMA fighter w/o a Jiu-jitsu base. I was merely stating people should not forget about it, or let it slack from the other skills. A lot of people could save their butt in many situations I’ve seen in MMA if maybe they had just spent a TAD BIT more time in class with a gi. And because of that, they lose the match. Do you not agree? Have you seen these situations EVERY card?

My opinion>Your onion.

by Tairy Hesticles on Dec 18, 2011 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

I guess

but you can also say that about anything..

Had someone practiced wrestling more, they wouldn’t have been taken down repeatedly.

Had someone practiced head movement more, they wouldn’t have been jab’d to death.

Etc…

K-1 Level Predictions Team

by Fedorable on Dec 18, 2011 9:39 PM EST up reply actions

But hey, thanks for fluffing up the post count all the same. Feel free to continue this argument tomorrow in the next profile comments section!

by smoogy2 on Dec 19, 2011 12:00 AM EST up reply actions

If you're gonna say something stupid, it's gonna get responses.

"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King

by duck on Dec 19, 2011 11:16 AM EST up reply actions

you forgot anderson silva

he started as a muay thai fighter first

The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com

by Cory Braiterman on Dec 18, 2011 9:04 PM EST up reply actions

Baller.

Somewhat unrelated question from the mention of his training at Black House: what difference is there, if any, between Black House and Team Noguiera?

by Tag01 on Dec 18, 2011 8:23 PM EST reply actions

I don't think there is a "black House" training center

I think it means training with guys from black house aka guys who are managed by Ed Soares…

Most these guys have their own teams they train with 75% of the time, but they do get together and train at times

K-1 Level Predictions Team

by Fedorable on Dec 18, 2011 8:25 PM EST up reply actions

There is a BlackHouse facility

But the guys that are managed by Blackhouse rarely train there. They mostly train either at X-Gym, Nova Uniao or Nogueira’s. At least that’s how i understand it.

by Magaca on Dec 18, 2011 8:38 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks

That’s the impression I was under, but “Black House” won the award for top camp this year, yet their website is outdated, the last Silva talked about them he sounded as if they were going to “re-brand,” etc.

by Tag01 on Dec 18, 2011 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

Team Nogueira is a pro camp with an extensive roster and their own gym facilities in Brazil and USA. Black House is a network of gyms (with a prominent facility in Los Angeles) that are considered a “home away from home” for fighters under the Tough Media umbrella, which is managed by Ed Soares. That’s the best way I can describe it.

I used the word “facility” specifically since my homie Jordan Breen apparently gets driven up the wall by people asking him questions about the “Black House team” when there isn’t a regular roster to speak of

by smoogy2 on Dec 18, 2011 8:40 PM EST up reply actions

That makes sense.

Thanks.

by Tag01 on Dec 18, 2011 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

You can read an explanation in their own words in the about section of their website

http://www.blackhousemma.com/

by smoogy2 on Dec 18, 2011 8:47 PM EST up reply actions

One day I hope thy all decide to make 1 super gym

And all train together all the time… if Iron sharpens Iron, I can’t even imagine what these guys would be like if they trained with each other all the time

K-1 Level Predictions Team

by Fedorable on Dec 18, 2011 8:51 PM EST up reply actions