'Cacareco' to Make UFC Debut Against Matyushenko

Decorated Brazilian grappler Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira has inked a contract with the UFC and will replace Jason Brilz in a light heavyweight bout against Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 122 on Nov. 13 in Oberhausen, Germany. The head of Chute Boxe, Rudimar Fedrigo, revealed the signing on Wednesday.

"Cacareco," who specializes in Luta Livre, has represented such teams as Ruas Vale Tudo, Gracie Barra Combat Team and Brazilian Top Team. Ferreira currently represents Chute Boxe and has recorded seven wins in a row, all by first-round submission.

Ferreira is the third Chute Boxe athlete to join the organization in recent months, following Vinicius "Spartan" de Queiroz (who faces Rob Broughton at UFC 120) and Maiquel Falcao (who meets Gerald Harris in UFC 123).

“I'm really excited about signing with the UFC,” says Ferreira. “I've been fighting for a long time and being picked up by the best MMA show in the world is truly an honor.”

Despite Ferreira entering the bout as a replacement, the matchup with Matyushenko seems hardly coincidental. In the early 2000s, the pair had been slated to fight under the World Extreme Fighting banner before the promotion folded. In 2004, Matyushenko issued an open challenge to Brazilian fighters which "Cacareco" accepted, but again the bout failed to materialize.

“I think Matyushenko will be a great opponent and an excellent opportunity for me to show why I got this contract,” Ferreira asserts. “Although I'm a submission specialist, I'm looking forward to exchanging punches with Vladimir to show that my training at Chute Boxe has been paying off. It's going to be a fun fight to watch.”