Authentic Sports Management

Yuri Villefort

January 23rd, 2012 01:06 AM MST

Deerfield Beach, Fla. – Authentic Sports Management® (ASM) today announced that one of the top brother combinations in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has signed to compete in Strikeforce, as Danillo Villefort (13-3) and Yuri Villefort (6-0) will make their promotional debuts on June 24 at “Strikeforce: Challengers 16” in Kent, Washington. Danillo will lock horns with noted knockout artist Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt (11-5) in a middleweight bout, while the undefeated Yuri will put his unbeaten record on the line as he faces off with Travis Bush (5-2-1) at 170 pounds. Danillo’s bout will be featured on Showtime® as part of the televised main card, and this will mark the first time the brothers have competed on the same card on American soil.

 “This will be our first fight together in America, but the second time when we both fight on the same night,” said Danillo and Yuri Villefort. “We bring luck to each other because we both won the first time, and June 24 will be the same result. We are not here in America to play around. We moved our families here from Brazil for this profession and to work with Glenn and ASM, and we are going to show everyone a new breed of MMA and take over these two weight classes.”

 “Every member of the Authentic Sports Management team is like family and Danillo and Yuri are no exception. I respect and admire them greatly and am so proud to represent them...they are like sons to me,” said Glenn Robinson, President, Authentic Sports Management. “I have no doubt that Danillo and Yuri are going to dominate their weight classes in Strikeforce, starting with their fights June 24.”

 These are exciting times for the Villefort brothers, who, along with fellow ASM fighters Jorge Santiago and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante have joined the newly-formed Imperial Athletics fight team. Danillo is a UFC® and WEC® veteran who has won nine of his past ten bouts. His only loss during that time came in August 2009 at UFC 101: Declaration, in an accidental head-butt that resulted in a doctor stoppage. Since that fight, Danillo, the godson of the legendary UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, has reeled off four straight victories while bouncing between welterweight and middleweight. His past two victories have come against high-profile fighters Joey Villasenor and Matt Horwich. Now, he’ll look to create an explosion in his Strikeforce debut against Britt.

 “I’ve seen Britt’s fights, and he’s a tough guy for sure,” said Danillo. “I see his mistakes in his game, though, and so I’m gonna keep this fight on my feet and knock him out, either in the first or the second round. Watch.”

 Also an Imperial Athletics team member, the undefeated Yuri has finished five of his six opponents. A pro since 2009, the 20-year old Brazilian prodigy is already a force to be reckoned with. A truly well-rounded competitor, he began training judo at the age of five years. As a teen, he competed in both amateur Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing. The sky is the limit for Yuri, and the MMA world knows that he is a hot prospect in the sport.

 “I’ve been training my whole life and this will be my first fight on a big stage,” said Yuri Villefort.  “On June 24, I will be 100 percent ready and, one way or another, I will end this fight and give fans what they came to see.”

 Danillo will have his hands full at “Challengers,” as he takes on “The Juggernaut.” Britt has lost three of his last four bouts, so his back is against the wall, which can often make a fighter more dangerous than usual. In addition, he’s knocked out his opponent in nine of his eleven victories, making him that much more of a threat. Yuri will also have a tough fight on his hands, as he takes on Fancy Pants Fight Team member Travis Bush. A well-rounded combatant who can compete wherever the fight goes, Bush will present a solid test for the burgeoning young Villefort.

 “Strikeforce: Challengers 16” will take place on June 24th at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington. The card will feature a lightweight bout between Caros “The Future” Fodor and James Terry, as well as a 205-pound matchup between up-and-comers Lorenz Larkin and Gian Villante. In addition, Ryan Couture will compete against Matt Ricehouse, while Germaine de Randamie and Julia Budd will clash in a women’s 145-pound tilt.

 Danillo and Yuri Villefort are part of the premier roster of fighters with ASM, including former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Suga” Rashad Evans, Kenny “Ken-Flo” Florian, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, Melvin “Young Assasin” Guillard, and Michael Johnson, as well as Gesias “JZ Cavalcante and Cosmo Alexandre.  Companies interested in sponsorship information for the Villeforts or other ASM athletes should email contact@authenticsportsmgmt.com.