Cristiane Cyborg needed four fights and three knockouts to be on top of female MMA in the United States, and she doesn’t want to leave it so soon. In an exclusive interview to TATAME.com, the knockout artist talked about the changes that the title brought to her life and the expectation to the first title defense, against Marloes Coenen.

How are the trainings there in United States?

I’m well trained, doing physiotherapy on my shoulder, it’s much better now, and I’m waiting to to close the fight. I don’t know if it’s gonna be in December or January, but when I sign the fight I’ll press the training.

How did it happen this injury on the shoulder?

It’s an old injury, since handball. I couldn’t move the shoulder, but now I’m doing physiotherapy to keep it normal. Both shoulders were bad on handball times, I had tendonitis on both, but it’s still bad. I was training hard and they got worse. I started on handball when I was 12, so the injuries show up.

You and Cyborg must fight on the same night. What’s the expectation?

It will be cool, I think it’s gonna be the first time that we’ll fight the same event and I expect that we end up with the victory to celebrate. It will be cool to fight together, we train together and we’ll celebrate together. He lowed down to 170 pounds and he’s training a lot.

Cyborg already fought 205 pounds and now he’s going to 170 pounds...

He fought 205 pounds, but he actually weighted 205 pounds. Then he lowed to 185 pounds and now we decided to low down to 170 pounds.

Last Saturday, Marloes Coenen won and must fight for the belt with you. Did you watch the fight?

I haven’t saw the fight yet, but I know that she submitted with an arm lock. I already knew that she would be my next opponent and the thing is to work seriously and if we have to fight for the belt, we’ll fight. I’ll keep training, I think it’s gonna be a good fight. The good thing ist hat now there are more girls to fight and things get hard even to me.

What have changed since you won the belt?

More opportunities, even on the event, people see me more, and people recognize me on the streets. I got the belt and now it’s gonna be hard to take it away from me... I’ll train more and more.

We received some images from an American magazine with sensual pictures from you. How was that?

It was cool, it was on MMA Ultimate Grappling magazine, and was very nice. I also did an interview with me too and it was nice, because I don’t speak english and people don’t know me. People only know when I’m going to the ring, when I say that I’m going to knock out, but they doesn’t show who am I. I’m that way inside the ring, outside I have my life, I don’t fight only... Up there I fight to win, this magazine showed my personal side, my life outside the ring.

Are you doing the english classes?

I can handle with the guys up here, I talk with everyone. I understand a little, but I’m learning more. On the next fight I’ll risk more, the American audience likes that.

You’ll let your speech ready, right?

Yeah... When the fight ends I’ll get the paper (laugh).

Since you won the belt, are girls looking more for Chute Boxe on United States?

Actually we’re waiting a little more to open the gym here, because we’re in the end of the year and that’s a bad time to open a gym... We’ll open later, I want to teach, have students... I want to fight, but to have students training on Chute Boxe. For now we’re here in Big Bear, training with Tito Ortiz, who’s preparing to fight with Forrest Griffin. We’re supporting, with training of Jiu-Jitsu, Boxe, Muay Thai, and they’re supporting us too.

How is his preparation to come back to UFC?

He’s fine. Of course he’s coming from injuries, athletes are like this, never 100%, but he’s fine and I think he will win this fight.

What are your plans to the future?

Here is the place to stay, easier to find sponsorship... I miss my family, but I like to live here. In Brazil I don’t speak as much as when I’m here. It’s close, but actually it isn’t... I haven’t trains as I have here. I go to Brazil to take some walks, but here things are going on the way.

How was the family after Strikeforce’s conquest?

Everyone was glad, my parents, my brothers, my whole family was proud. I fought for a long time to be here where I am now, I’m a warrior, it’s good to see how proud they were, they and everyone that supported me.

When you started did your mom support you or did she had doubts about MMA?

I play handball since I was 12 and I loved sport, I used to play anything, handball championships... I went to athleticism too and she knew I liked sports, they saw I was going to live of sports. It doesn’t matter what it was, I was good in whatever I play. Then I made my first Muay Thai class and I liked. I was, from the 12 since the 19, playing handball and athleticism, but then I went to Muay Thai and there’s five years I’m on it. I’m being well-succeeded, with a belt and I’m very happy.

There was any moment that you thought it wasn’t for you?

I was in college, Physics Education, and I trained, but Master Rafael (Cordeiro) said that he thinks that was better if I stopped the fight, because the top train of Chute Boxe was in the morning, and I could only train in the afternoon or in the night. He said: “I think it’s better if you stop this college... If you graduate you’ll teach, but on Muay Thai you can teach too and you’ll dedicate more“. I stopped the college, my mom wanted to kill me, but I followed a dream and thanks God I was happy.

And did it worth it?

It worth... No mom would support a daughter with a hurt eye, but she was getting use to it and then she saw it was professional, I was winning fights... I discouraged for a while when I didn’t fight for two years, but Master always said that my time would come, and it came. Now people recognize me, know I train hard, I got sponsorship.

How were your first trains in the morning on Chute Boxe?

Chute Boxe had two divisions, the top and down. I used to train on the down part, the the thing was hot on top and I wanted to be there. I was searching for my space, interest, disposition, and I wanted to be on top. I went there and didn’t come back down again. I was a top train, I had no idea of who was Wanderlei, Shogun, and it was all new to me.

How’s the emotion to remember these times and being on top of MMA?

I’m really happy, I wanted to thank all for the support and thank to friends that support me. I’m always training, they’re always supporting me since Muay Thai, the hard moments I passed. Now I’m happy to help people, my family... I’m very happy.

What are you thinking about the growing of feminine MMA?

I think that each day there will be more women, and I’m happy with that. It may come to men level, people are enjoying to see feminine fights. Girls have to dedicate to make the difference. Have to search for the space, do more for the growing and come to a belt. It was hard, but we could. Giving shows, fighting well...

Do you dream about fight for UFC someday?

I imagine myself there... I’m happy on Strikeforce, but would be one more open door. Who knows in the future...