Hermes França :: TATAME

Scheduled to fight Joe Lauzon on UFC Fight Night 17 main event, Hermes França was very happy with being back to victories at the event. However, a few days from the fight, a knee injury forced the fighter to stop for a while for the recovery. In an exclusive interview to TATAME.com, Hermes spoke about the injury, the recovery time, the training in the United States and the dream of a rematch against Sean Sherk, who defeated him 2007 in the title fight.

You would fight in the UFC Fight Night 17, but suffered an injury and was cut. Talk about the injury. How did it happen?

In fact, I was already feeling my knee when I trained for the fight against Marcus Aurélio, but I was training normally. Last week, I was taken down and I felt the knee, couldn’t train anymore and went to the doctor the next day, but the result was an ACL in my knee…

Will you need to do a surgery?

Many people doesn’t go to surgery, but I’ll do it to come back 100%. I’ll take this chance and deal with other injuries as well.

How long do you think you’ll be out of training training?

I don’t know, but I will return only when I’m 100%. There are cases, like "Shogun" (Rua), in which the athlete returns quickly to the trainings and ended up getting injured again. I’ll take care of this injury and get back hungry (laughs)...

When do you expect to return to the UFC? Do you have some projection?

Not yet... I received a call from Mr. Dana White giving me a very strong support, and I hope to return soon, but, as I said, I want to return 100%.

After two defeats, you won again in the UFC. How was the emotion to defeat Marcus Aurelio?

It was great, I needed that! Thanks God this lesion hasn’t happen before my fight against Marcus Aurelio. Of course losses happen, but I was in a situation that I had to win, and this victory was very good!

What are you waiting for you at the Ultimate?

I hope to return soon and confront anyone in front of me, it's just a matter of time now, but I will be in the next Ultimate (UFC 17). Jeremy (Stephens) was scheduled to fight in my place, I’m helping him in training and on the ground, we're doing a lot of position and I think Jeremy submits Joe Lauzon...

With how many victory do you believe you will have a new chance for the belt?

The belt will be there, with BJ (Penn) or with someone else. I just think about victories, I know that the belt will come, sooner or later... I believe in that a lot.

Is there anyone in the UFC that you would like to face?

I would like to face Sean Sherk again, I think we have a work to finish...

Talk about your trainings in the U.S.: in which academy are you training? Who are your training partners?

I was a little upset, because I were 100% focused on training, I was traveling and training in different academies and with many fighters, as Pablo Popovitch, Saulo Ribeiro, Dean Lister, Brandon Vera, Leonard Garcia, Urijah Faber, and others, so I’m with a black belt my giving lessons in my place, so like this I could be 100% focused on training.

Want to send a message for someone?

I would you like to thank everyone and send a special thanks to my manager, Reed Wallace, and Mr. Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta.