Vieira is one of those guys who stands as a reminder that even amongst the elite in a particular discipline, there are still different degrees of elite, and when it comes to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he’s about as good as it gets.
The 29-year-old middleweight is a five-time world champion, having won his division four years running between 2011 and 2014 while adding a gold and two silvers in the absolute division to his tally for good measure. His grappling record is staggering, with the only person to really get the better of him in the last several years being 13-time world champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida.
Vieira made his MMA debut in February 2017 and has amassed a 5-0 record thus far, earning each of those victories by way of stoppage, four by way of submission, the last three wins coming while fighting under the ACB banner. Saturday night, he makes his UFC debut opposite Oskar Piechota, a talented Polish fighter looking to get back into the win column after suffering the first loss of his career last time out.
This is a perfect introductory matchup for Vieira — a pairing with a sturdy, more experienced competitor who has already earned a pair of victories inside the Octagon, has a little bit of pop in his hands and should be able to make the Brazilian pay for any grievous errors or glaring holes in his game.
At the same time, a victory over Piechota proves right away that Vieira is more than just a major name from the grappling world being given a chance to compete at MMA’s highest level and could position him as the potential second coming of Demian Maia as the 2019 schedule winds towards the home stretch.
