Few mixed martial artists can match the star power of a Chuck Liddell, so when an opportunity to work alongside the former UFC light heavyweight champion presented itself, Danillo Villefort leaped at it.
American Top Team founder Ricardo Liborio connected Villefort with Liddell.
“He’s a good friend of Chuck’s coach, John Hackleman,” Villefort said. “John needed someone to help him on the ground. Liborio invited me, and I accepted immediately. Chuck’s a legend in MMA.”
The once-unstoppable Liddell (21-6) has lost three of his past four fights and has not appeared inside the cage since his brutal knockout loss to reigning 205-pound king Rashad Evans at UFC 88 in September. Still, the 39-year-old striker owns an impeccable resume, with multiple wins against UFC hall of famer Randy Couture, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and current Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder Renato Sobral. He has also defeated Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort and reigning Strikeforce heavyweight titleholder Alistair Overeem.
Liddell’s attention to detail at and away from the gym impressed Villefort.
“One thing that really impressed me was the professional way he takes care of his diet,” he said. “Before coming here, I thought Gesias [Cavalcante] was the master in that aspect, but Chuck is the most impressive I’ve ever seen in my whole life. His diet is totally natural. He has a nutritionist who takes care of his diet for the whole week. When I told American Top Team people about it, they didn’t think I was serious. Because of Chuck’s natural belly, many people have the wrong idea about him, but this guy is a real example of how a professional should behave.”
Rua (17-3) has endured a stunning fall from grace since he won the Pride middleweight grand prix in 2005. The flashy 27-year-old Brazilian last fought in January, when he stopped UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman on third-round strikes in a sloppy performance that was universally panned. That followed his submission loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 and two subsequent knee surgeries. Still, his past accomplishments cannot be ignored. He holds a pair of knockout wins against Overeem and another against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson -- the only man to defeat Liddell twice.
Villefort sees strength in both light heavyweights.
“Shogun is more versatile and young, but Liddell looks more determined, focused and calm,” he said. “I had a totally different view of him before coming here.”
Rua’s gas tank may prove the deciding factor in who walks out of the Octagon victorious at UFC 97, according to Villefort.
“This is a very difficult fight to predict,” he said. “Both are top strikers, so anything can happen, but if the fight goes past the second round, I believe Liddell will swallow Shogun. His cardio is just unbelievable.”
As the son of Francisco Pereira da Silva -- a renowned vale tudo fighter from the 1950s -- Villefort has established his own identity in the combat sports world. The 25-year-old recently opened an ATT branch in Miami and plans to use the time he spent with Liddell as a springboard into his UFC debut later this summer.
“I’ve just signed a contract with the UFC,” Villefort said. “I must fight in August. I’ve been training really hard for that.”