South American Shooto’s champion, Jussier Formiga defended his belt for the first time last weekend, but he might leave Brazilian’s rings. In an exclusive interview to TATAME right after he left the ring of Shooto Brazil 16, when he beat Alexandre Pantoja, the flyweight commented his win, talked about the possibility to fight in Japan again and the expectations for the creation of his division on WEC, where his teammates José Aldo, Wagnney Fabiano, Renan Barão and Diego Nunes fight.

It was your first belt defense on Shooto… Did you expect a hard fight like this one?

I knew it would be that tough. I’ve been training a lot, training my Jiu-Jitsu in Natal, shaping my boxing… That’s the goal: keep training more and more and never focus only on the ground game. For sure it was there that I had the vantage, but I have to train the standing game, the trade of punches, improve my hand power.

How are the expectations? Will you come back to Japan?

Man, I’ll go no Natal now and I’ll wait. This fight in Japan doesn’t depend on me, but on the Japanese, so I’ll keep on training and I’ll take any opportunity it’s given me, whether it’s here on Brazil or there. That’s my goal: to fight for a living.

Shooto’s current champion, which you beat, gave up on his belt because of an injury. Did you expect to be called for a belt dispute, since there’s a vacancy available?

I’m aware that the guy I fought there got hurt and gave up the belt, but it seems that there’ll be another fight between two Japanese, I don’t know if I’m in or out… But I’ll be ready, if they call me, I’ll be ready to fight for this belt and bring it to Brazil.

And about WEC? Was there any talking about opening your division on the event?

Man, I came to Rio de Janeiro last week to do an article with a guy that works with Sherdog. He said that the guys on the U.S. are thinking about creating the flyweight division on the event until the end of this year. We get very excited about it and I’ll keep on training…. If the opportunity comes, I want to fight there.

Is it your dream to fight on the United States?

I’m trying to make my name in Japan, but, if they create this division over there, for sure Dedé will try to make a space for me. If he does so, it’ll be even better, I’ll go for it, I’ll fight in America and I’ll try to make my story worldwide. I’ll try to keep myself on the top, fighting with the bests, and what’s the most important thing in a fighter’s career, I’ll be fighting against the best all the time.