Nineteen-year-old Guilherme Bertholdo, the nephew of Anderson Silva, will put his perfect amateur Muay Thai record of 6-0 on the line this Saturday. Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Muay Thai Authority

Nineteen year-old Black House Team Nogueira member Guilherme Bertholdo wants to rep America as a member of U.S. National Muay Thai Team

By FCF Staff

Undefeated 19-year-old prospect Guilherme Bertholdo (6-0), the nephew of UFC Middleweight Champion and pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva, will look to extend his perfect run in Muay Thai’s amateur ranks and move one step closer to turning professional when he faces off with Chris Lazaro (7-2) of Las Vegas, Nev. in a welterweight (147 pounds) matchup on the undercard of the Lion Fight Muay Thai VI: Schilling vs. Marcus II full-rules Muay Thai event at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday, May 12.

“I am excited to finally test my skills against top level amateur opponents,” said Bertholdo, a member of Black House Team Nogueira, the famed training camp that is also home to Silva and is headed by MMA legends and twin brothers Antonio “Rodrigo” and Antonio “Rogerio” Nogueira in San Diego, Calif. where he trains under Kru (trainer) Alex Palma.

In Brazil, Bertholdo took up Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at an early age before relocating to San Diego with his family. While his father has schooled him Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and helped Bertholdo attain the rank of purple belt in the submission fighting discipline, Bertholdo has gravitated to the sport of Muay Thai due to his love for kicking and punching.

“Striking is my passion,” he said. “My Kru (trainer) has really taught me to use my hands and angles and, because of this, I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty of Muay Thai. MMA is a sport that I eventually will focus on in the future but, for now, I want to sharpen my striking and compete in an all-striking sport.”

Bertholdo said he is knocking on the door of gaining his United States citizenship and would like to eventually represent America as a member of the U.S. National Muay Thai Team.

“I am learning from my senior (training partners) how to conduct myself and perform like a true fighter, I am not attending college. Black House Team Nogueira is my college.”

Bertholdo’s opponent, Lazaro, is a 24-year-old member of Hard Knocks Muay Thai gym and student of Renzo Asparria, whom Lazaro has been training with for the last two years. The matchup with Bertholdo will be Lazaro’s first since he sustained a broken thumb during training last year.

“I love this sport and I’ve been eagerly waiting to get back in the ring. That time has come now that I’m healed up and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show,” said Lazaro, a technical fighter known for staying in the pocket with his opponent and throwing hard uppercuts.

Bertholdo’s fight as well as the remainder of both the five-bout preliminary card and seven-bout WBC-sanctioned professional card, will stream live on LionFightPromotions.com, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.