Sovereign at the middleweight category, Anderson Silva answered Dana White request and will make the main event of the evening at the UFC Fight Night 14, which will be take place on July 19,
Las Vegas
. Facing James Irvin at the light weight category,
Anderson
talked with TATAME about his trains to this fight and about possible opponents to the middleweight belt defense. The Black Belt also talked about the team at , next Nogueira’s brothers bouts and about Affliction that is working hard to beat UFC. Check out the conversation below:
You are in Las Vegas or
?
I am in
Rio
. There is a month that I am doing my train.
What do you expect to this fight against James Irvin in the lightweight?
The train is very good. It is a new experience. I just train with people above my weight, I always train like that. Let’s see what is going to happen. Getting out unhurt like it always happens it’s good, going to my family is the main thing. We make the technical train and the physical train schedule and we are going there to prove if the things we have done are going to be successful.
He said you were the best among middleweights, but that he doesn’t fear your game and is going to show how there is weight categories…what do you think about that?
I believe in that, that there are weight categories, but when I fought for Pride, there wasn’t 83kg category, there was the 93kg and I always fought in it. But I didn’t have the same physical and technical that I have now. It is an experience, we are making for many reasons, and one of them is that Dana White requests me to make this fight and I , together with all my friends that help me, came to the conclusion that this is possible. Let’s see, I am going to make my job as I always try to do, independent from the result, I am going there to test me, to see if I can. If the result become positive is because our experience got right. Who has mouth can say what wants, he is right and that’s why each one has his weight. I don’t intended to fight in this category and I am making that because they request me and I think I can be successful. I don’t intend to dispute the lightweight belt. This is Lyoto’s belt and he already proved that. I am going to make this fight because I like to fight, I like challenges.
There are rumors that say that your next middleweight bout is against Yushin Okami… Is that truth? What do you expect for this fight?
I am going to confirm that, but I believe this is possible. He won all the fights he made and this selects him to fight. I are going to see what is going to happen. I don’t know how the fight should be, it is difficult to say. It’s a tough fight, he is a versatile fighter, has many technical qualities, I think this could be a good fight, I would like it.
Another fighter that was highly rated to fight for the belt was Ricardo Cachorrão that lost to Patrick Cote. What do you think about the fight?
All high level athletes has there bad and good days, he can win or loose, defeat and win walk together side by side. Unfortunately he lost and will have to make his way again, he has to improve. If we are going to face each other is a matter of time, everybody is looking for a place in the sun. I hope it keep to have many fighters so I will be never unemployed.
Do you believe
Cote
can entry in the line to the belt?
I think this is cool. As many athletes they put to prove my technique, if I really deserve to be the champion, better. I will be not champion for ever, there will be someone to defeat me, this is obvious, and this makes me strong to get the positive result. I already loose, I already win, I already stayed without fighting… For me will be not unusual if I loose. I train to make a good fight. The result is a consequence from the work I am doing…More people will want to fight for the belt and I have to be prepared.
Toquinho Palhares debuted very well at your category and now is going to face Dan Henderson… How do you think is going to be the fight?
I can not say who is going to win, obviously I am rooting for Toquinho. He is young, has many things to learn yet, experience is something that you earn inside the octagon. This fight is very good, he is going to be appointed, in a near future, to dispute the belt, and I hope he succeed. I root for him.
UFC made the Fight Night 14 to face Affliction. What do you think about that?
I don’t believe this is a event dispute, I think is a way to show how the sport is growing there. UFC doesn’t dispute against the others events, UFC is the biggest event in the world. The others events, unfortunately are going to hold on the same date.
What are your expectations for Rogério Minotouro at Afflicition?
We expect his win, as always. He is a person that always helped me, I have him as my brother and he is very well, training hard at
Miami
. Unfortunately we are not going to be together, he is preparing himself and me too, but I am rooting a lot for him. We believe in his victory.
How is the academy at
North America
?
It’s nice, a lot of students, many things happening. The work is been doing with a lot of seriousness, Rodrigo (Minotauro), (Daniel) Valverde are all working together. Everybody loves it, it is very nice. The tendency is that in three or four months, open another one.
What is the name of the academy there?
It’s Team Nogueira. I defend my team, Team Nogueira. I thing this is the name and doesn’t have to change. We have always been together and this is not going to change.
What do expect from the fight between Frank Mir and Minotauro?
It is going to be a good fight, it is going to be a good challenge for him. Frank Mir came from a victory, he is a good fighter, a tough athlete, but to fight against Rodrigo is complicated. We that train with him know that he always have things cards on his sleeves.
