Marcus Aurélio

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from American Top Team, Marcus Aurélio will do his fourth fight in UFC’s octagon needing a victory. The Brazilian fighter will face his former pupil Hermes França at UFC 90, which happens in October 25th at United States, and guarantees that knows the way to defeat his opponent. Directly from Florida, Marcus Aurelio spoke to TATAME.com, when he talk about his training, the expectation for the fight and his problems with Hermes França. “That’s no surprise, I know all his stand-up game, on the ground and his mind… My hear id focused on doing a 15 minutes fight without even breathing, but this fight can finish on the first round too”, guarantees Marcus, on the interview you check below.

How is your training to face Hermes França?

It’s perfect. I’m training well, I’m prepared and doing a lot of BJJ, Muay Thai and Wrestling. I’m doing everything I can to get there in my best shape for this fight.

Hermes was your pupil and you take him to America?

Hermes was my pupil from blue to black belt in BJJ. I bring him to America when he was a brown belt, even before American Top Team being created. We used to train at Silveira Brother’s, from Marcelo and Conan, when we, with Ricardo Libório, gave him the Jiu-Jitsu black belt. After that ATT was created and he joined it, but he did some shit and people wanted him out. We gave him another chance and he did shit again, and this time with Libório, and now he’s banned from the team. Then he went to Team Armony, but he did some shit there too…

And now your friendship is over and you have this rivalry?

Obviously he got out pissed, but we weren’t friends for a long time ago. He always was a little fishiness, and a lot of people were pissed with him. Almost the whole team doesn’t like him. The funny thing is that not only people from our team doesn’t like him. A lot of people called me wanting to help me for this fight, it was pretty funny, people calling me and saying: “Marcus, I wanna help you. You have to beat up this guy!”.

You asked for this fight?

I didn’t asked, neither him. I was going to fight Gleison Tibau, but he got an shoulder injury and had to do a surgery. I was in a bad situation inside UFC, because I came from a loss, and Dan Lambert (ATT owner) spoke to me about this fight with Hermes, and I couldn’t say no.

How do you think it’s going to be this fight?

Forgetting about his fishiness and being a problematic guy, Hermes is a great fighter, and that’s why he fought for UFC’s belt, but I’m ready for every situation. That’s no surprise, I know all his stand-up game, on the ground and his mind… My hear id focused on doing a 15 minutes fight without even breathing, but this fight can finish on the first round too.

You got to UFC as the man that submitted Takanori Gomi. What happened with you that you couldn’t continue with this victories inside the octagon?

Inside UFC is kind of get frozen. In USA is different from Japan, the guys here fight to make points, they’re not like Gomi and BJ Penn, that go forward all the time looking to finish it. Without demerits, I think UFC only has three dangerous fighters, the others play to make points, and that’s what Tyson Griffin did when he fought Tibau and then with me. They’re limited fighters, have a good Boxing, two or three takedowns and a weak ground game, and that’s why they use the cage rules, doesn’t let the fight go well, just keep doing a little punch, a kick and doing some points.

How is the team after André Benkei left?

Benkei’s left was very sad; I can say that he was the heart of the team. Now he’s a freelancer and everything is fine, hasn’t changed anything, we continue doing our preparation with him and it won’t change. He’s fundamental, he’s always with you, is more than a physical trainer, he’s your babysitter and does it for love, not for money. If you need to wake up in the morning to hydrate, he’ll wake up earlier than you and get you water, vitamins, and will help you hydrate. We’re choked with his leaving, but we’ll solve it and who knows one day he can come back, because everybody here loves him.

With all great talents on the team, do you consider ATT the best team of the world?

Yes, I do, because here’s a family, it’s like an extension of my house. I stay more here than inside my own house. The structure here is the best, and the guys are even better. You look around and see Marcelinho Garcia, Gesias Cavalcante, Thiago Silva, Antônio Silva, Thago Pitbull, Gleison Tibau… Today, we’re the best training camp of the world.