Siblings pushing each other to new levels in mixed martial arts

By Jared Harmon

Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008 | 12:05 a.m.

The family that plays together stays together and in the case of the Scolari brothers — bleeds together.

Palo Verde graduates Marco and Danny Scolari will both be competing on their second fight card when they head into the Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Fighting Championships event at The Orleans on Jan. 9.

Marco Scolari, 26, trained in jujitsu for seven years before moving into mixed martial arts in August with his first fight, a win by decision.

Danny Scolari, 24, who had no formal combat sports training, watched his brother's victory and was drawn into the sport as well, picking up a win by technical knockout in his first fight in November.

Both are ready to get back in the ring. Danny Scolari said having a brother to practice with has been an advantage in their training.

"It absolutely makes everything easier when you have someone coming with you, forcing you to go when you're tired and pushing you to work harder," Danny Scolari said.

At 205 pounds, Danny Scolari has the weight and power advantage, but he said Marco's years of jujitsu training gives him the edge in experience.

"Marco's jujitsu is top notch," Danny Scolari said. "There aren't many guys who can stick with him when they go to the ground. He can go with anyone. "

Marco Scolari said his brother's strength has already begun to manifest itself in the ring —even in his first fight.

"Danny's inexperience is really his only weakness," Marco Scolari said. "In a year or so, when he's had some more fights, he's going to be scary. In his first fight, he busted his opponent's nose — busted his face up. He really came at him hard."

Blas Avena, a fighter with World Extreme Cagefighting and training partner with the Scolaris, said the brothers share a strong work ethic.

"They're pretty compatible as partners even though Danny is bigger," Avena said. "They're always at the gym and always together. If you see one, you know the other one is close by. They're training etiquette is great."

Marco Scolari said that while his parents are still coming around to the idea of both their sons putting themselves in harm's way in the ring, the sport has kept the family close.

"It's pretty cool that Danny and I get to spend so much time together," Marco Scolari said. "It's not so nice for our parents — they still get pretty nervous. But sports were always big for us. Everything I played, Danny played. After high school you figure that's over but then we found this."

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].