2012 World MMA Featherweight Scouting Report: #8 - John 'Macapa' Teixeira

Name:	John Teixeira
Nickname:	Macapa
Age:	25
Height:	5'7"
Location:	Macapa, Amapa, Brazil

This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy)

From Lyoto Machida and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza to Jose Aldo and Diego Brandao, the Amazon region of Brazil is known for producing elite MMA stars with some of the best technique in the game. Though mostly unknown outside of the region, undefeated Muay Thai specialist John "Macapa" Teixeira (12-0-1) aspires to continue that legacy in earnest.

Incidentally, Macapa could easily pass himself off as Jacare's little brother at a glance. A lifelong athlete who abstains from smoking and drinking, Teixeira fits the familiar mold of a freewheeling, yet technical Brazilian Muay Thai fighter who prefers attacking at a distance or in the clinch, but can also grapple out of takedowns and attack with his own submissions.

Training under Master Orlando Junior, Teixeira's namesake is his home city of Macapa, where he has established himself as a force to be reckoned with for his fellow lightweights. But at just 5'7", he would be wise to consider making the cut to featherweight as the strength of his competition increases. At that weight, his ability to put together combinations punctuated by kicks at a distance would be even more effective, and with conditioning being an area that could use improvement, he can afford to drop the weight.

Macapa fought most recently in October and picked up the strongest win of his career to date, a first round submission over Fortaleza journeyman Jamil Silveira (32-14). Despite his eye-catching record, he needs more wins at this level or better to really entice a major promotion to bid for his services. He's made no secret of his ambition to challenge top Brazilian lightweights like Fransisco Drinaldo and Adriano Martins, but surgeries for a knee injury and an intestinal disorder in 2009 briefly put his journey up the ranks on hiatus. Now fully recovered, Teixeira has some catching up to do, but as a main event level attraction in his home town, he is well positioned to get the matchups he needs to assert himself as a top Brazilian who warrants at shot on the world stage.

Video footage of 'Macapa' after the jump...

John Teixeira vs. Paulo Diniz
Amazon Fight 10 - December 7, 2011

John Teixeira vs. Jamil Silveira
Golden Fight 2 - October 8, 2011

John Teixeira vs. Michel Addario Bastos
Iron Man Championships 2 - March 19, 2009