The WOW factor – Pablo Popovitch has it! Not only is he one of the best grapplers of all time but he is a total babe. Just look at that body! Can you say “Hunk-a-licious?” He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner and he is also a mixed martial artist (MMA) and a 3rd degree black belt. Pablo is the founder and head instructor at The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Voted as ”The Best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competitor of The Year” in 2010, this Sports Babe of the Day boasts more than just pecks, abs, biceps, triceps and ALL of the other muscle groups. It may be hard to believe but he truly can sweep you off your feet with more than his Hulk-like body. He also plays guitar, sings, writes and records his own original songs! You can check them out at his website www.pablopopovitch.com – trust us, you’ll be amazed. (Wake us up now, we must be dreaming!)
This 32 year old Brazilian-born babe stands at 5’10” and weighs in at 170 pounds. Women of the world, can you imagine gazing at his physique and listening to his beautiful voice (accent included) sing you a song? You would have to be sitting down, if you were ever so lucky, as we are quite sure you’d swoon!
Pablo became involved in BJJ as a 4 year old in Rio de Janeiro. He was very well rounded, though, and diversified his talent by studying music, playing guitar and modeling. As Pablo says, “Modeling was my mom’s doing. I never liked it that much but there was always work.” Pablo still models today for fitness and sports magazines.
We know your appetites are craving more info on this babe. Who wouldn’t want to find out all there is to know about Pablo, a.k.a. Hercules and Zeus wrapped up into one?! But even the menfolk and BJJ/MMA fanatics will rejoice as we get up close and personal in:
20 QUESTIONS WITH PABLO POPOVITCH
(1.) Tell us what it was like growing up in Brazil and what made you decide to get into BJJ and MMA.
I started training bjj because of my dad. When I was 4 years old I started training bjj and I never stopped ever since.
(2.) Tell me about training with the Gracies.
It was awesome to have met and trained with most of them. They created brazilian jiu-jitsu and have so much knowledge about the art. I feel very lucky!
(3.) What is your favorite submission to use in any fight?
Kimura from half or side control.
(4.) Where do you draw your greatest inspiration from?
Your greatest motivation? My greatest motivation is to try to inspire other people. Either with brazilian jiu-jitsu competition or just to enhance the quality of their lives. My family, friends and fans gives me all the motivation I need.
(5.) What does it mean to you to be a fighter?
To me it means that you never give up, you have to keep fighting to achieve your goals.
(6.) What is your mindset going into a fight?
How do you prepare and strategize? My mindset is that I am always going to win. Every match is going to be super hard, every opponent will be difficult but I will always come up with The W. That’s my mindset and what I believe. You don’t always get the W but the day I stop believing I can win, it wont make much more sense to compete.
(7.) In what way are you different from other fighters?
I don’t know, I work hard and I give my best in each and every tournament. Other people are doing that too, I guess I’ve been working hard for a while now.
(8.) If you could have one dream fight with anyone, who would it be?
I don’t think about fighting anyone specifically but winning tournaments. My dream was always to win the ADCC. I did that in 2009. Then I raised the stakes to winning the Absolute division. I was in the finals in 2011. My dream would be to win the weight and Absolute in the ADCC.
(9.) Pablo, you’ve had a very impressive career, most notably your 2009 victory in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. Tell me about defeating 3-time world champion Marcelo Garcia.
It was great, I’ve trained so hard that year. I felt it was my best years of competition 2009 and 2010. I was injury-free, focused and that year I was 100% ready for the challenge. I defeated the best that year and got a well-deserved win. It felt like mission accomplished.
(10.) Your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center has been going strong since 1995. How has teaching the art you love and are dedicated to impacted your victories on the mat?
People take an instructor who is a Champion very seriously. What is your philosophy on teaching the art? Well I believe in changing people’s life through training and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past couple years. Either competitively or through fitness and personal goal achievements.
(11.) All the ladies are waiting for this question…Are you single, dating or totally taken?
Taken
(12.) What would a perfect date be for you? Describe it. Would you serenade your lady? Do you like to dance?
I would take her to dinner, and maybe watch a movie after. I like to keep things simple. I can’t dance but I could serenade a lady for sure lol.
(13.) Do you have any special training methods you would share with us? What has worked for you, and how do you recommend a beginner get started in MMA/BJJ?
Find a place that you feel comfortable training at. Trying out the school and meeting the instructor is always a must. After you find a school that you identify yourself with, it should be fun from there.
(14.) What has been your proudest accomplishment in life so far? The birth of my 2 sons.
(15.) Do you have a special diet? If so, tell us what a day of meals consists of for you.
Most important thing is to eat every 3 hours, stay away from sweets, fried food, soda to name a few.
(16.) What is your favorite type of music? What’s playing on your ipod right now?
Rock is my favorite type of music but I like all types of music. I like to listen to different kinds of music just to keep up with new ideas and brainstorm between different music styles to help me create my own songs.
(17.) Do you have any other hobbies, special interests, pets?
I like photography and writing/reading a lot. I don’t have any pets and I would not have time for one 🙂
(18.) What is your favorite movie or t.v. program? There are many ladies with crushes on you! Do you have a star crush?
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was a great movie. Not my favorite but the best Ive watched in a while. I don’t think I have a favorite movie. I have also been watching the series Walking Dead. I like the whole zombies, end of the world type of histories. It’s just fun to watch. I would much rather read something interesting than watch a movie but sometimes I’m too tired to read so… Don’t have a star crush. 🙂 I think some of the girls are great actress/singers and that they are beautiful but it’s not a crush. I enjoy their work.
(19.) Who would you recommend for Sports Babe of the Day?
I have no idea. 🙂
(20.) How do you want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as one of the best grapplers to have existed. Not an easy feat but I’m working on it. 🙂
If you’re as fond of this babely athlete, singer, photographer and father as we are, follow @PabloPopovitch on Twitter to keep up with him. If you’re the Instagram type, you’ll love his beautiful photography under his username “pablopopovitch”. All we can say is that Pablo is doing a pretty good job of making sure he’s etched in our memories because this babe has definitely found his way into our hearts!
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