COCONUT CREEK - Lorenzo Borgomeo and Nicolae Cury eat, sleep and breathe mixed martial arts.

It's no wonder they have become friends and share the same dream of a successful pro mixed martial arts career since moving to South Florida.

Still in its early stages, the dream started a few years ago when Borgomeo, 29, moved from Rome and settled in Miami. Cury, 28, relocated from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Deerfield Beach.

Both wanted to train with some of the best fighters and instructors at American Top Team in Coconut Creek.

They made the sacrifice of leaving family and friends to chase that dream, which takes shape this week when they fight on the CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights undercard at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

The 11-bout card is headlined by YouTube legend Kimbo Slice of Miami, Ken Shamrock, Andrei Arlovski, Gina Carano and Jake Shields.

Borgomeo won by triangle choke in front of a packed house on the last South Florida EliteXC card in February in Coral Gables and has fewer butterflies than Cury.

"I thought I walked into a candy store when I came to ATT," said Borgomeo (4-0), who will fight Mickey Gomez (7-4) at 170 pounds.

"When you feel something so powerful inside like a dream you have to do it. I am following my dream job. It helps the fight is in my hometown with all my guys watching me."

A good stand-up fighter, Borgomeo is one of only a handful of MMA fighters from Italy.

Cury, an instructor at ATT Coconut Creek, is making his pro debut. He will fight David Martinez of Miami at 160 pounds. Cury got his black belt in judo at age 16 and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 23. He left Brazil two years later.

"I am training at one of the best places in the world," Cury said. "This is what I needed. It's been a long wait for me, and I am very excited. If I say I am not nervous then I would be lying."

Cury just missed making the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in judo. He finished second at the Brazilian trials.

"I trained all my life for that and it didn't happen — it hurt," Cury said. "After that I focused on MMA."

For Cury, with no sponsors to help support his passion, it will be his first MMA paycheck.

"I think God taught me how to be calm and wait for my time," Cury said. "As soon as I stopped hurrying, things started to happen. If I win the lottery tomorrow, I will still do this because I love it and I am following my dream. My family supports me in MMA except my grandmother. Thank God she cannot read English."

Borgomeo and Cury are part of a strong contingent from South Florida, which has become one of the nation's largest hotbeds for mixed martial arts fighters.

"Any time you get to fight in front of a huge audience and expose yourself to that, it's a huge opportunity for any fighter," said Richie Guerriero, general manager at American Top Team. "If you can put on an exciting show, you will be noticed. We're always happy to get our guys on big cards."

In addition to Cury, David Martinez, David Gomez and Nicholas Cardella, all of Miami, will make their pro debuts. More-established fighters Seth Petruzelli of Fort Myers and Edson Berto of Tampa are also on the card. All locals will appear on the undercard, and the non-televised card begins at 6 p.m.

Sharon Robb can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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