TATAME :: Anderson Silva "Wanderlei got sexy"

zé · 09-11-2009, 01:32 PM

Anderson Silva :: TATAME

With the end of the controversy, Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva have returned to the good old days of Chute Boxe, when the fighters trained together and and helped each other in fights. Reconciling with his old partner backstage at UFC 102, Anderson joked about the surgery done by Wanderlei, to correct a problem with the nose. In the exclusive interview, the Middleweight champ also talks about his next fight in the UFC, the motivation to continue fighting after dominating his last ten opponents in the UFC, the possibility of facing Randy Couture at 93kg (205 lbs) and reveals his secret to study the game of all of the opponents in the UFC.

You have showed a lot of techical superiority in your recent fights. Do you think that the level of your opponents decreased recently?

No, man, I think that the fighters of the UFC are all good. Everyone that fights there is at a high level, it's just that we train a lot, we study a lot... This is my life, I only do this, so I have to do it well. I look to do the best possible so that my job is well done. I think that the result is positive thanks to my training, to the work of the whole team, my dedication to training...

One of the things that motivated your move up in weight was the search for bigger challenges, once that the 84kg (185 lbs) didn't have as many athletes?

There's always new athletes, tough guys, and we have to always be well trained in order to not be surprised. It's difficult, because there's always going to be someone better than us, so I try to train in order to get there and perform our job well.

The big question being asked now is who will you defend the belt against. Do you think that Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt should face off in order to see who deserves the shot?

I don't think anything, man. Whoever has to fight with me, I'll fight. The two are great fighters, that do their job well also, I will fight with any one.

Do you want to do your next fight at your weight or at 93kg (205 lbs)?

I don't know, man... Wherever the guys put me to fight, I fight. My last fight was at the higher weight, so I believe that the next one must be for the belt. We'll have to wait and see what's gonna happen.

Randy couture has said that he would like to face you. How do you think a fight with him would be, once he goes down to 93kb (205 lbs)?

It's tough to say, it's a tough fight. We're there training to fight with the best. Life is challenges. It would be an honor for me to fight with the best fighters on the planet, and I hope that that I am able to keep this goal of fighting with the best until the end of my career. I don't have much to say, everyone is doing their job to reap the rewards. That's how it is... The sport is new, and still has a lot of room to grow.

In the video on TATAME TV with the last training session with Mintauro and you, to face Couture, we noticed that you imitated the way that Couture fights. If you guys met, you already know his movements well, right?

All of the fighters in the UFC, from Welterweights to Heavyweights, we have studies of all of them. We have videos of all of the fighters, even the ones that aren't very well known. We look to study their games a lot so that, if there is a fight against them, we aren't caught surprised. We are always studying what's going on, which are the possible opponents that could end up against us... From Welterweights to Heavyweights, we see everything. That's what we do and, thanks to God, we helped Rodrigo in something. Congratulations to Rodrigo, and all of his trainers, Dórea, Ramon, his JJ coach, Amaury bitetti, Álvaro Romano... thanks to all who helped.

Seeing your archive of fights, what names do you see that aren't well known to the public, but you see potential?

Too many to name, there's a lot of fighters and all of them have their qualities. We have to respect, they are all dangerous and they are training. With loss or victory, they are growing capable of being future champions and we have to train so that we aren't surprised.

One of the big news from the end of August was your reconciliation with Wanderlei, and that you would be able to train together for your next fights. Did you guys actually set up a training session?

There was no problem at all, what there was was a misunderstanding. We talked, now the plates are clean... If he needs my help, like any of my other friends that need it, I'll help. We're friends. If I can help him, I'll help him.

And what did you think of the surgery that he had done. Do you think that he's more beautiful (laughs)?

Damn, man, he got sexy... I even said to him "Wanderlei, you really got beautiful, man... You just need to have long smooth hair and a little mouth like Angelina Jolie (laughs)". But he's good, he did the surgery because he had a problem with his nose, but it's just a joke, of course, this is gonna improve his performance to fight and that's what's important... People like to talk about him, but none of that matters..