The victory over the former champion Tito Ortiz was what Lyoto Machida expected to accredit him to a belt dispute, but the Brazilian will have to make another effort to win that right. With thirteen wins and no defeat in his career, Lyoto faces the compatriot Thiago Silva, who maintains a cartel identical and the same determination to reach the belt. In an exclusive interview to TATAME, Lyoto examined the fight against the ATT athlete, spoke about facing another Brazilian and examined the category to the dispute for the belt. Check out below the full interview.
What do you expect from the fight against Thiago Silva?
I know that this fight will show who is going to lose. The event will sell it this way, two unbeaten guys. I wanna do a great fight, a great show for me, for the event, for the audience. This is the most important thing.
How is to face a Brazilian at the Ultimate?
I didn’t want to, but we are all professionals and the things are like that, it’s a inevitable thing… There will be only one champion among the Brazilians, and it’s part of our work to face others Brazilians. We have to face it as a professional thing. Among the North-American they already has this culture, they understand that, they are friends, but at the fight… At the K-1 it happens many times, they fight but they have a good relationship. For sure I don’t like to face a Brazilian, we are together defending a nation, but everybody is defending their own flag too. I know that he is unbeaten too, he had some good victories at the UFC, but I am training hard to win this fight.
Did you study his game already?
I watch some of his fights, but it’s early to train specifically to him. What I am doing now is my normal train, the physical train, the stand up game, and after that, in August, I will start a train specifically. He is tough, like the others, I need a good strategy, I need to study him.
You were highly rated to dispute the belt, but the fight didn’t come… Do you expect this chance in case of victory?
I am always waiting for that, but the truth is that I don’t have it in my mind. I am doing everything as a part of my life. I try not to think about that all the time. It’s like walk. Every day I make a part, I keep train… I like what I do and I value my job. The belt is my biggest goal, but it’s not everything, the day by day it’s more important.
Do you believe the next to fight for the belt will be the winner from your bout, from Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans or Wanderlei can appear too?
Well, I believe everything can happen, but I believe Liddell, as former champion, has great chances to, if he wins, dispute the belt. Wanderlei, for sure, can dispute also, but he was Pride champion, it’s a distant thing. I believe Wanderlei has certainly game to fight for the belt, for all the things he had done and do, but it’s a matter of the event.
Did the UFC mentioned a belt dispute if you win?
No, they didn’t tell nothing. That’s why I try to do my work, but it’s what I want, this is my focus, without forgetting the day by day. The belt is a consequence.
Are you going to train with
Anderson
for this fight?
Yeah…In August I must go train with Anderson at
Rio de Janeiro
.
