Bare-knuckle brawls and freebie fights behind, Cristiano Marcello turning to coaching once again

At 35 years old, Brazilian submission ace Cristiano Marcello knows he can’t fight forever. But for an athlete whose career includes both bare-knuckle bouts and fights that didn’t include a paycheck, it may seem like he already has.

“I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t fight for money,” Marcello told MMAjunkie. “Of course money is good, but I have my legacy in the sport. I fought with no gloves. I fought for free.

“In my debut, I fought two fights in one night for $500, and I gave half of my purse to my cousin, Fabricio Camoes. I might have ended up with $150 for two fights. You have to like the thing you do. Even now, I keep thinking that way.”

That infamous 1997 event, Brazilian Freestyle Circuit 1, was also Camoes’ professional debut. Now a UFC and Strikeforce veteran, Camoes wound up fighting more than 25 minutes that night against another competitor new to the scene: Anderson Silva.

It’s testament to just how far Marcello’s roots extend in the sport. Best known as a Chute Boxe lead trainer during that legendary camp’s glory days, Marcello was responsible for coaching MMA standouts Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Wanderlei Silva and many more. Yet he also found the time to fight once under the PRIDE banner and more recently served as a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 15.”

“I don’t see other guys having done what I’ve done,” Marcello said. “I was in PRIDE. I was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ but I did the reality show, not just as a coach. Three months inside the house. Now I’m fighting in the UFC.”

Marcello (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to action in February, where he meets fellow “The Ultimate Fighter 15? cast member Joe Proctor (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 36 in Brazil. Marcelo recognizes his days of fighting will soon be nearing an end, but he’s still hoping to put on a few more wars before he walks away.

“Most of the guys I fought, they know I’m not the kind of guy to try and pull guard,” Marcello said. “Everyone knows I have good jiu-jitsu, but I want to have a fight. If I was just looking to put someone down like a lot of people do, it wouldn’t make sense for the fans. I know people don’t want to go to the ground with me, so I have to dance with them. A lot of people said I won my last fight, but you never want to leave it in the judges’ hands. Sometimes they’ve helped me, too.

“I just want him to come to knock me out or submit me so we can put on a great show and have fun. Sam Sicilia was that kind of fighter. Reza Madadi. Don’t just put me down and try to hold me. Come after me, because that opens opportunities for you but also things I can do myself.”

Marcello insists he’s not ready to walk away from competition just yet and sees a few more years of battle ahead. But he also admits his passion for coaching is driving him to build his gym in Curitiba, CM System, into one of Brazil’s premier training destinations. With his fight team boasting 50 wins this year and a camp that allows housing for some two dozen fighters, Marcello appears well on his way to reaching that goal.

“My gym is in every big show because I don’t have any problems with anybody,” Marcello said. “Sometimes, some guys from certain gyms won’t fight in an event because there’s a problem with the managers or the coaches or whoever. I don’t have that problem.

“In the past, I trained Wanderlei, ‘Shogun’, Anderson and all these guys. I put my fight career on hold so I could help them be champion. Now, I’m 35, and I’m starting to focus again on my gym. People travel to Thailand, Holland and the U.S. to train. People can come to Brazil, too, and train the real jiu-jitsu for MMA.”

And so Marcello wants to make the best of the time he has left to compete. For a man whose entire life has been spent watching MMA grow from rogue activity to network-television property, he knows the sport will always be a part of his daily routine. But now, like before, he’s beginning to look at a role outside of the cage, as well.

“If it was just fighting, I could fight every day,” Marcello said. “But the problem is I have to take care of my 40 guys. I want them to do well.

“A lot of guys are coming to my gym, and it’s an honor for me to work with them. If anyone wants to come to Brazil and see good jiu-jitsu, just come to my gym and have fun.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 36, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.