Sherdog.com: What do you think about the choice of Sakuraba as your opponent for this next round of the GP?
Ricardo Arona: I think it’s perfect because I wanted to fight him for many years. He won against various Brazilians, such as the Gracies and Vitor Belfort; in that time he was in the pique of his career. I wanted to fight against him a lot of times, but they didn’t put him to fight myself. So I think its great because I have this desire to fight him and I also want to defend jiu-jitsu because he won against a lot of BJJ fighters.
Sherdog.com: And how is your preparation for the fight?
Arona: The preparation is perfect, I’m working hard to go there and win because he is the great Japanese idol. Everybody will want him to go to the finals, so I will have to win clearly to not depend of the judges’ decision.
Sherdog.com: The fact that he is fighting with all the audience rooting for him worries you?
Arona: It doesn’t worry me too much because I sort of isolate myself from the exterior world. What really worries me is the judge, to not receive any kind of penalty because they will want him to go to the finals. I’m worried to finish this bout, submit or KO — don’t leave any doubt.
Sherdog.com: And are you worried at all about the good record that Sakuraba has against grapplers?
Arona: It doesn’t worry me. But he worries me in a general way: for his experience, for the fights he has under his belt. The fighter he is worries me, not the fact that he has already won against jiu-jitsu fighters, because my fight style is different from the ones he has fought.
Sherdog.com: Winning against Sakuraba, your chances to fight against Wanderlei increases a lot.
Arona: It’s a fight that I really want, from a lot of years too. I hope it happens now, in the semifinals, so I will have the chance to fight against Wanderlei.
Sherdog.com: Is this will to fight against Wanderlei something personal or is just because he is the champion in your weight class?
Arona: I want to fight him for two reasons. The first one is because he is the champion and the owner of the belt and I want the belt. So everybody who wants to be the champion will have to face him. The second reason is personal in a certain way because there is a long time that I want to face him; this is an opportunity to fight against him and it’s a thing that I have inside myself, to want to face him. So I have two motives, one which is a personal side, to want to face him and the other which is professional, to catch the belt.
Sherdog.com: What do you think about the fight between Rogério “Minotoro” and Shogun?
Arona: I think it’s an important fight for Rogério, because if he passes Shogun he can feel as the champion of the event, because he will have a very tough match. Passing through Shogun I think he will be in the final of the event, this I want to say. Shogun is very balanced, is very tough, so, if he passes through Shogun he will achieve the vision of the final.
Sherdog.com: So you are thinking about a final between you and Rogério?
Arona: It would be great, me and him in the final. It doesn’t matter who loses, because the title will be at home, between brothers.
Sherdog.com: But would you and him fight for real?
Arona: At the beginning I said that I didn’t want to face him because I was caught in surprise by the question. But I talked to him, we passed a lot of days talking about this, and we came to the conclusion that we would fight in a professional way and that’s what we do, because we would not spoil a PRIDE GP final.
Sherdog.com: This GP is full of great fighters. Maybe it’s the most difficult in history, don’t you think?
Arona: This GP is hotter, and I’m very happy to be in it because is the toughest one. So it’s an honor fight this really tough event. But this is the best thing, because the most difficult is the victory, the better it will be.
Sherdog.com: Tell us a little about your fight against Dean Lister, in the first round of the GP?
Arona: It was a fight that I felt very comfortable. Even though he had given me that leglock on the ground there is no position that I would not feel well; on the ground I’m very comfortable. So I was comfortable because I had the certain that I would win.
Sherdog.com: Did he surprise you in the fight or was it more or less what you expected?
Arona: I already knew that his good position was that, the leglock. But what confused me was the shorts, because if I was wearing a lycra one, I would have left from that leglock, but the shorts troubled me a lot.
Sherdog.com: Final comments?
Arona: I would like to say that I’m a guy who fights for all my nation, for all Brazil. I carry this inside my heart. I will fight till my death if I have to. I want everybody to root for me, for all the Brazilian athletes, but especially for me. I want to always answer my fans; I fight for me and my fans. The spectacle is for all, I want always to win and do what I do better each day. I’m very grateful and this is the emotion that moves me. Thank you all.