http://sportv.globo.com/site/combate...i-chocado.html
JJ said he'd be the 1st guy to dominate you. What do you think about that? People already know that's something hard to do during my fights or trainning. I've fought rampage e took him down 6 times quite easily, didnt even had to put a lot of effort into them. I've fought Bader and also took him down. And none of them took me down. I train with top guys, like chuck lidell, Lyoto, i've trained with JDS and Cain and none of them dominated me. If JJ dominates me, i'll be very surprised. Some people think he'll dominate me and if he actually does it, i'll be shocked. I dont think i'll be able to dominate him, but i think my hand is gonna connect and i'll get the KO.
Are you going into this fight thinking about domination [like JJ], or do you just wanna win the fight anyway you can? I dont think about dominating him, but i prepare for the worst scenarios. I train for that, to be ready for all scenarios. If he takes me down, passes my guard, mounts me or takes my back, i've prepared for that. I'm fighting JJ in the UFC, one of the best in history. I expect blows coming from every side, he is almost like anderson silva, only he's more predictable. Anderson is more surprising. But my technique will surpass his and i'll get to the top. I'm taking the belt.
A few days away from the fight, does everything you've been thorught go through your head? That has already happened during the camp. Sometimes, during the last sparring of the day, when i couldnt take it anymore and people were screaming at me to continue, i though i didnt need to train more. But then i thought about the belt, taking it to my hometown, celebrate drinking beer with my friends and that gave me motivation. But not now. Now i try not to think about it, because i know your popularity incresases, midia is bigger, people put more pressure on you and treat you differently. For me, and i dont mean any disrespect towards JJ, who is one of the best in history, its over. He's just one more guy in my path. I seen him the same way i saw the guys i beat in Brazil or abroad. Just one more opponent that's going to war with me.
What's the biggest feeling right now? Are you nervous, anxious, feeling like this is the biggest chance of your life? I've had those feelings already. I've been nervous during camp, with my friends, with the guys i train everyday. I was nervous because i was pushing myself, because i wanted my technique to flow, i wanted my blocks to be just right. During trainning i felt nervous. Now i dont. You guys have been following me here and know that im relaxed. I'm blocking the excitement. I'm here to fight just like i used to fight in Brazil, against any opponent. I've been nervous to fight before, like during my UFC debut - In Brazil i used to fight happy, excited but there was more preassure in me. If i lose to JJ, even being undefeated for 8 years, i'll just climb the ladder again. But in Brazil, with visa problems keeping me from fighting in the UFC, imagine if i had lost. During my last fight in Brazil, the UFC had already called me, but i didnt have my green card yet, which only arrived December 23rd. I still fought Ricco Rodriguez. My friends called me crazy, asked why i was fighting. I fought because i had to fight. It's like chuck told me: If i lost to those guys, i didnt deserve to be in the UFC.
Did you like that the fight was originally postponned? Yes, because i had an intense career in Brazil. I fought a lot in 2011 and came to the UFC and fought 5 times in 13 months. The year before, i spent x-mas trainning because of my fight with rampage. I decided to take last year's x-mas and new year's off to relax. But had JJ hurt himself again, the UFC would have asked me if i wanted to fight or wait for the title shot. I would have fought again. What was i gonna do? I would only wait in case i was also injured. But if i am healthy, i will always fight. Let's thrown down. Its more money i make and more experience. If i lose, than i didnt deserve to fight for the belt anyway. That's when the manager steps in. For example: Shogun didnt wanna fight me before. And today i wonder if the does. Things change, right? He's coming off a loss and i'm fightintg for the belt. My manager might think this fght is not worth it anymore, but i dont care. If they say i'm fighting a newcomer, i'll do it. But the manager might now want it, right?
Is it true that you plan our camp? More or less. I have my coaches, that will make me ready and correct my mistakes. But im always talking to them, they dont need to tell me o has to be done. I just do it. Sometimes my coaches have to tell me tell be its time to relax. They keep me from over trainning. I always over trained in the beginning of this camp, but sometimes i just cant slow down. In the beginning of the camp, i always feel like the fight is the next week. At the end, with my body more used to the trainning, things get better. In the beginning i almost feel sad, because i fell like i'm not performing the way i could. For example: with 220 pounds and well trained i'll run 5k in 20m. But in the beginning i cant do it and it drives me nuts, because i wanna be able to do in the begginning what i can do at the end of my camp. I almost kill myself trying to do it and its dangerous.
As the years go by, do you feel better? Yes. i get to know my body better. I think im at my best today. If today, at 34, i fought 26 year old Glover, i'd kick his ass (laughs). I'm in my top, specially my technique and trainning experience. Fisically its hard to say, but there are guys in the gym who are 34, 36 years old that fight like they are 20.
Why did you decide to go to ATT? Dan Kramer made the transisiton for me, he took me to get to know the gym. I met Ricardo Liborio and i had already met Katel Kubis before. But what made me stay there wasnt the trainning, which is great, but the atmosphere, that makes the difference. Bad energy causes injuries. At ATT i train with heavy guys, more than 250 pounds, and had no injuries during my last 3 fights. Negativity attracts bad things. It has happened with me in Brazil, i wont say where, and i hurt my ankle. That;s why i bring my friends to train here with me.
JJ said he'd be the 1st guy to dominate you. What do you think about that? People already know that's something hard to do during my fights or trainning. I've fought rampage e took him down 6 times quite easily, didnt even had to put a lot of effort into them. I've fought Bader and also took him down. And none of them took me down. I train with top guys, like chuck lidell, Lyoto, i've trained with JDS and Cain and none of them dominated me. If JJ dominates me, i'll be very surprised. Some people think he'll dominate me and if he actually does it, i'll be shocked. I dont think i'll be able to dominate him, but i think my hand is gonna connect and i'll get the KO.
Are you going into this fight thinking about domination [like JJ], or do you just wanna win the fight anyway you can? I dont think about dominating him, but i prepare for the worst scenarios. I train for that, to be ready for all scenarios. If he takes me down, passes my guard, mounts me or takes my back, i've prepared for that. I'm fighting JJ in the UFC, one of the best in history. I expect blows coming from every side, he is almost like anderson silva, only he's more predictable. Anderson is more surprising. But my technique will surpass his and i'll get to the top. I'm taking the belt.
A few days away from the fight, does everything you've been thorught go through your head? That has already happened during the camp. Sometimes, during the last sparring of the day, when i couldnt take it anymore and people were screaming at me to continue, i though i didnt need to train more. But then i thought about the belt, taking it to my hometown, celebrate drinking beer with my friends and that gave me motivation. But not now. Now i try not to think about it, because i know your popularity incresases, midia is bigger, people put more pressure on you and treat you differently. For me, and i dont mean any disrespect towards JJ, who is one of the best in history, its over. He's just one more guy in my path. I seen him the same way i saw the guys i beat in Brazil or abroad. Just one more opponent that's going to war with me.
What's the biggest feeling right now? Are you nervous, anxious, feeling like this is the biggest chance of your life? I've had those feelings already. I've been nervous during camp, with my friends, with the guys i train everyday. I was nervous because i was pushing myself, because i wanted my technique to flow, i wanted my blocks to be just right. During trainning i felt nervous. Now i dont. You guys have been following me here and know that im relaxed. I'm blocking the excitement. I'm here to fight just like i used to fight in Brazil, against any opponent. I've been nervous to fight before, like during my UFC debut - In Brazil i used to fight happy, excited but there was more preassure in me. If i lose to JJ, even being undefeated for 8 years, i'll just climb the ladder again. But in Brazil, with visa problems keeping me from fighting in the UFC, imagine if i had lost. During my last fight in Brazil, the UFC had already called me, but i didnt have my green card yet, which only arrived December 23rd. I still fought Ricco Rodriguez. My friends called me crazy, asked why i was fighting. I fought because i had to fight. It's like chuck told me: If i lost to those guys, i didnt deserve to be in the UFC.
Did you like that the fight was originally postponned? Yes, because i had an intense career in Brazil. I fought a lot in 2011 and came to the UFC and fought 5 times in 13 months. The year before, i spent x-mas trainning because of my fight with rampage. I decided to take last year's x-mas and new year's off to relax. But had JJ hurt himself again, the UFC would have asked me if i wanted to fight or wait for the title shot. I would have fought again. What was i gonna do? I would only wait in case i was also injured. But if i am healthy, i will always fight. Let's thrown down. Its more money i make and more experience. If i lose, than i didnt deserve to fight for the belt anyway. That's when the manager steps in. For example: Shogun didnt wanna fight me before. And today i wonder if the does. Things change, right? He's coming off a loss and i'm fightintg for the belt. My manager might think this fght is not worth it anymore, but i dont care. If they say i'm fighting a newcomer, i'll do it. But the manager might now want it, right?
Is it true that you plan our camp? More or less. I have my coaches, that will make me ready and correct my mistakes. But im always talking to them, they dont need to tell me o has to be done. I just do it. Sometimes my coaches have to tell me tell be its time to relax. They keep me from over trainning. I always over trained in the beginning of this camp, but sometimes i just cant slow down. In the beginning of the camp, i always feel like the fight is the next week. At the end, with my body more used to the trainning, things get better. In the beginning i almost feel sad, because i fell like i'm not performing the way i could. For example: with 220 pounds and well trained i'll run 5k in 20m. But in the beginning i cant do it and it drives me nuts, because i wanna be able to do in the begginning what i can do at the end of my camp. I almost kill myself trying to do it and its dangerous.
As the years go by, do you feel better? Yes. i get to know my body better. I think im at my best today. If today, at 34, i fought 26 year old Glover, i'd kick his ass (laughs). I'm in my top, specially my technique and trainning experience. Fisically its hard to say, but there are guys in the gym who are 34, 36 years old that fight like they are 20.
Why did you decide to go to ATT? Dan Kramer made the transisiton for me, he took me to get to know the gym. I met Ricardo Liborio and i had already met Katel Kubis before. But what made me stay there wasnt the trainning, which is great, but the atmosphere, that makes the difference. Bad energy causes injuries. At ATT i train with heavy guys, more than 250 pounds, and had no injuries during my last 3 fights. Negativity attracts bad things. It has happened with me in Brazil, i wont say where, and i hurt my ankle. That;s why i bring my friends to train here with me.