One day following the announcement of Wanderlei Silva’s opponent for the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix semifinals, we spoke with the PRIDE 205-pound champion. What are his thoughts about facing Ricardo Arona and how does he intend to fight his rival in August?
Wanderlei Silva: I became very happy. It’s been a while that I wanted to fight against him and the good thing is that I’m going to face him in my first bout; I’m going to be 100 percent. I will be rested and I will really go straight at him and try to knock him out. I already know how his game is, know what his only option is, which is to put me down. [It] will be in this moment that I knock him out.
Sherdog.com: This is one of the most anticipated matches by Brazilian fans.
Silva: Everybody was really expecting it and me too. I had said that I wished to fight against (Alistair) Overeem because I thought it would be a more plastic bout. But a fight is a fight, and my life is fighting and I really like to fight against the best. He achieved the chance to face me, so come on!
Sherdog.com: What can you tell us about your last fight against Kazuhiro Nakamura?
Silva: It was a good fight. He is a tough guy. He accepted the exchange on the feet with me and he has a good punch, a heavy one. Sometimes people say, “Ah, you faced another little Japanese guy,” but this little Japanese already won against a lot of good opponents. He won against Daniel Gracie, Bustamante, Randleman. He is a guy with a good record and he was well trained. It was an excellent fight.
Sherdog.com: After PRIDE you went to Europe to give some seminars and fight for the liberation of the sport in France. How was this trip?
Silva: I’m in contact with important people in France, in Paris, to try to liberate MMA there. And we’re achieving this desire with the help of some artists and sportsmen, who are embracing the cause, who are also fans and follow the sport. There they can’t show MMA even in the TV, it is absurd. I made two very good seminars, one in Marseille, in France and another one in Belgium, which was good. One had 130 and the other one 120 people.
Sherdog.com: So you are very popular there …
Silva: Sure. And there were a lot of people, I finally discovered one thing that I really like to do, I had never done seminars like those ones. It had been a long time that I didn’t give classes. I was even worried, “Man, what I’m going to pass to this guys?” But if there is one thing that I know is fighting, and it was super cool. The guys were very respectful, really fans. MMA is growing worldwide. Because of that I say to the guys who are training and starting to fight, that it is really a very good profession. To those of you who are passing trough difficulties, don’t discourage yourself because if the guy is good and persists, and if he dedicates himself with the minimum that is possible, he can became a professional fighter and can live being one. Today, thank God, things are becoming good for the fighters.
Sherdog.com: What do you expect in the fight between Shogun and Alistair Overeem?
Silva: It is going to be a very good fight. This Alistair is a tough guy; he fought 20 minutes with Minotouro, so it is going to be a good bout. But I think that Shogun is going to make the same game he did against Minotouro, will put him down and stay in the top position beating the guy. I think he will not create a lot of difficulties for Shogun.
Sherdog.com: And you expect to face him in the final?
Silva: Sure. And this is even a dangerous thing, because if he (Shogun) won the first fight and my fight with Arona went back-and-forth, it is dangerous they give the victory to the guy. So I already know that against Arona I will enter the ring to knock him out; I will enter to decide the fight. I will train more, become stronger and won’t let this fight go to the judges. I’m preparing to knock him out. Ulisses, Acelino “Popó” boxing trainer, is coming to Curitiba. He will stay one month here training me for this fight. I invited him and he accepted; he will stay one month in Curitiba, training me and Shogun. Beto Leitão and Pedro Rizzo are also coming, I think they will stay one or two weeks training wrestling and Muay Thai with us. The team is very well structured and now it only depends of my efforts.
Sherdog.com: And how is the training going?
Silva: We train, between ourselves, tough everyday. I have really good sparring here. There is Ninja, Shogun, and I can’t go well everyday against them; they really make things difficult for me. There are Jamanta and Monstro who just came from victories in Europe. The academy is revealing new names each day and they are the ones that make us become good.
Sherdog.com: What did you think about PRIDE Bushido 8 results?
Silva: When Daniel Acácio fights we already stay calm. He is a very disciplined guy. Nowadays I don’t see anyone who can beat them in the 83-kg weight class. If this 83-kg GP happens I bet all my fish on him because I’m pretty sure he will win. Jean Silva was put in the show at the last minute. He had to put on weight to fight against Gomi and by the comments that I heard, the guy was much stronger than him. Jean Silva is a warrior, he has a very good spirit and in the sequence we will polish him even more and he will become a powerhouse.
Sherdog.com: What are your next plans? Only train for PRIDE or are there any other projects?
Silva: Actually, now I’m not doing any other thing — I’m only training and staying with my son. I’m really focused. The guy that I will face is really good, but he talks very much. I’m going to stop his mouth with blows, because I’m not one of these weak guys he faced until today, with the exception of Ninja, and some others. For me, he lost that fight with Ninja, I would not give the fight to him. So I’m very motivated and when I fight against these types of guys, I train even more motivated, train harder. I even like it more to fight than when I face those more respectful athletes. And I have one advantage: Everybody fights against me with fear and with him it is not going to be different. He knows that, so I will capitalize on that and knock him out.