A Pride interview with Vanderlei Silva…he is one SCARY mofo…
Wanderlei, a Chute Boxe fighter from Brazil, has defeated many a fighter but none compare to his defeat over the Japanese superstar
Sakuraba. In their match he not only was able to take everything Sakuraba threw at him, but was able to dominate and destroy Saku
sending him to the hospital for an extended stay. At PRIDE 16, both men stepped into the ring to announce their second fight that would
be held at the Tokyo Dome on November 3rd. Many a Japanese fan would love to see their hero win in the re-match. Brazilians
worldwide will definitely be rooting for Silva. Either way the fight is sure to be the most exciting of the night. We spoke with Wanderlei
after his Chute Boxe team mates to victory at PRIDE 16 and here is what he had to say about his upcoming fight with Sakuraba.
PRIDE: Wanderlei, when you were in the ring with Sakuraba, you said something to him in Japanese. What was it?
W.S.: I told him “Kakatte-Koi !!” in Japanese, that means “COME ON !”.
PRIDE: When Ninja was fighting you were saying something to Sakuraba at that point as well. What were you yelling at him?
W.S.: When Ninja was fighting Matsui, I was telling Sakuraba I would do the same thing to him and he would be next.
PRIDE: So I take it you are training hard for this re-match of Saku?
W.S.: I never really stopped. I have been training for a long time and will definitely be ready. I will win again. I have been waiting for a
long time to fight him again.
PRIDE: You beat Sakuraba pretty badly last time. Do you think you will be able to do the same thing again?
W.S.: Absolutely! I will beat him even worse this time! I trained so hard and long for this fight. He won?ft be able to stop me.
PRIDE: Is there anyone you want to fight after Sakuraba?
W.S.: I?fm not thinking about that now. I just want Sakuraba. He might as well not even show up, because if he does, his wife and
children will be crying on that night! His time is over. It is now my time and he will only get in my way. If he tries that he will be seriously
hurt.
PRIDE: Do you dislike Sakuraba?
W.S.: I dislike anyone who gets in my way of being the number one fighter in the world. It gets personal for me. That way I fight better.
PRIDE: Do you hate him?
W.S.: No, but I have to dislike my opponents to hurt them as badly as I do. It?fs part of the aggressiveness of being a Chute Boxe
fighter.
PRIDE: Are you ever scared you could seriously injure someone while fighting?
W.S.: Honestly, no. I train they train. We all know the risks. This is a sport of men who want to be the best at fighting. If you are afraid,
go play something else like volleyball or tennis.
PRIDE: If you get beaten by Sakuraba in the re-match how will that affect you?
W.S.: It won?ft. Because I won?ft lose to him. I can?ft lose to him. I have trained too hard.
PRIDE: Is there anyone in the MMA world that you think you cannot beat?
W.S.: No, right now I am unstoppable.
PRIDE: What about when you lost to Tito and Vitor?
W.S.: I was a different fighter then. I would crush them now. No problem!
PRIDE: Do you feel you are maybe over confident sometimes?
W.S.: There is no such thing as over confidence. I am just convinced I am the best right now. Someday someone will be better, but not
right now.
PRIDE: Your team mates won tonight, do you think we are beginning to see a new type of fighter who is more of a striker that has
ground skills?
W.S.: That is what Chute Boxe is all about. We can fight on the ground but we prefer to knock people out.
PRIDE: Is there anything you would like to say to Sakuraba?
W.S.: Train hard and be as ready as you can. Hopefully for your family?fs sake you wont be hurt too badly this time.
“The UFC spawned a new breed of “mixed martial artists.” World-class wrestlers learned to kickbox. Champion kickboxers learned to grapple. (The karate experts learned to stay home.)”
IXIJoe KaveyIXI