Grace Tourinho announced as managing director of UFC Brazil

GOIANIA, Brazil – As the UFC continues to expand its presence in Brazil, it now has made official a new boss for the region.

UFC President Dana White on Saturday officially announced Grace Tourinho as the promotion’s managing director for UFC Brazil.

White’s announcement came following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 32 card at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Goias, Brazil.

“As we’ve been traveling all over (Brazil) and all over the world, we’ve been hiring people to come in and run different parts of the world for us,” White said. “And we always go after the sharpest, the strongest people in all of these countries. She has worked with tons of big companies, from Tickets for Fun, AmBev, PricewaterhouseCoopers. She’s a stud.”

Saturday’s event was the UFC’s seventh in Brazil in 2013, and both White and UFC executive Marshall Zelaznik have said the company plans just as many in 2014. The first already is slated for Feb. 8 in Jaragua do Sul, which will be headlined by a middleweight fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi.

On Saturday, more than 10,000 people packed Goiania Arena and in terms of cheering for their Brazilian favorites against fighters from other countries, it was a rough night. Six of the first eight fights on the card were won by non-Brazilians.

But Rafael Cavalcante turned things around when he forced Igor Pokrajac to tap out from strikes. Then Cezar Ferreira beat Daniel Sarafian in a long-awaited bout that was supposed to be the middleweight finale of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.”

And in the main event, Vitor Belfort became the first fighter to knock out Dan Henderson when he leveled him, rained down punches, then drilled him in the face with a kick as Henderson got back to his feet. The win, his third straight stemming from a head kick, all in Brazil, sent the crowd into a frenzy.

“We’re really very pleased at being able to have another UFC event in Brazil,” Tourinho said at the post-event news conference. “The fans in Goiania were fantastic.”

The executive also said fans in Brazil can expect the UFC to continue to come to markets both big and small in the country.

“Brazil is nursery of the idols in our sport, and it’s a very important market for the UFC,” she said. “Since 2011, we’ve already held 11 events (in Brazil) and seven of them in 2013. Our purpose is to take the UFC closer to our fans.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, including the event in Jaragua do Sul, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Grace Tourinho)

John Morgan contributed to this report from Brazil