Even with Anderson Silva’s declaration, criticizing Vitor Belfort, the “Phenom” will be back to the UFC octagon focusing only in Rich Franklin. But the former UFC light heavyweight champion guarantees he doesn’t have any problem with the UFC champion. In the exclusive interview, Belfort said he’d fight anyone, leaving an open way to the UFC make a rematch between him and Wanderlei Silva, besides commenting his training with Gegard Mousasi, the Armenian’s knockout victory over Renato Sobral, the possibility of moving to the US and Rodrigo Nogueira’s fight against Randy Couture, next weekend.

How were the training with Kely Slater?

Man, we did a MMA training… He loves fights. We knew each other ten years ago and have so friends, some guys from fight, then he spoke with me and said he’d like to train with me.

I heard some rumors that you had trained with Mousasi. Is that true?

We trained once, yes. It was cool, we did a very great training. He’s a good and cool guy. He’s young, has a huge future in this sport. I thought (his last fight) was great, very good… He surprised everybody. He’s very fast, a dangerous guy.

And your training to go back to the UFC? Where are you training?

Where I always trained for my fights, at Xtreme Couture with Shawn Thompinks and some sparrings from here. I’m not training with Randy, even because he’s gonna fight a guy who I love (Rodrigo Minotauro), and here everybody has his own training. From Brazil, I bring Jaime, Vinícius, my karate coaches, and some guys who train with me.

How is the life in the US?

If you want the gold, you have to buy the field. Nothing comes in life without sacrifice. It’s hard for the kids to understand that… I try to explain to them, but it happens again and again. If I need to come here more, I’m gonna buy a house here, so they’re gonna come with me.

Do you plan moving to the US?

I don’t say move, but have a base here.

Talking about Couture, you fought him and trained with him, besides training with Rodrigo. What do you think Minotauro should be careful in the fight?

He (Randy) will do the same game, try to control Rodrigo and do his game. I think Rodrigo will try to go for a submission and impose his rhythm, and Couture will try to annul his game. It’s gonna be a very studied fight, they can’t do any mistake, but I think Rodrigo has more weapons. Now, it’s wait and see what’s gonna happen.

Will you go there to watch it live?

No, because I’m training hard here and won’t be able to go there.

You’re coming back to the UFC to face Rich Franklin in a catchweight. After this fight, will you go to 185 or 205 divisions?

I’ll go down, even because my normal weight is this, 195, 190…I don’t need to cut a lot anymore, so it doesn’t make sense go to 205.

How do you see your weight in the UFC now, with big names as Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Demian Maia, Wanderlei Silva, Nate Marquardt…

There’s a lot of good guys, which is great. The level is high and that’s good, makes the sport more entertainment. It’s good to face guys like that, good, great champions.

When UFC announced your return, you and Anderson Silva were involved in some polemical, when he criticized you. Were you surprised with that?

The problem is that Anderson has too much people around him. I like him, I still like him after everything he said. I still cheer for him, but I think he has a lot of people around him. A great champion, everybody clapping hands, tipping, a lot of gossipy… I can’t take it to the personal area, because I know we’re gonna stop fighting one day and what we’re gonna take home is our character, our values. The guys were thinking about this fight and maybe he were upset about it, too, but we can’t pick up fights. That’s a fight I wouldn’t like to do, for sure. I like him a lot, no matter what he says.

Do you think this situation started when you went to the UFC in his division, like when Wanderlei Silva decided to move down to middleweight?

Maybe yes… I think Anderson’s identity, today, is related to his belt. As a champion, he shouldn’t take it to the personal side. His identity is not in his belt, it’s in his values. If he’s threatened, he takes it to the personal side. Nobody has nothing against him… I cheer for him a lot, admire him, I know nothing he has were easy to get, I saw him conquering everything. I can’t let the champion syndrome be over him… He has to remain the same person he is, simple.

Coming back to the UFC in Wanderlei’s division, the fans are already thinking about a rematch. How do you face that?

Look, now I can’t think anything else besides Rich Franklin, but, for sure, this possibility exists. Wanderlei is professional, I’m too, we’re here to work.