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By Eduardo Alonso Originally published in the May 2001 issue of Full Contact Fighter PART 1 
March 25th, at the Saitama Super Arena. That night in Japan, Vanderlei Silva stunned the world with an impressive quick win over the Japanese sensation and Pride poster boy Kazushi Sakuraba. With merciless knees and punches, Vanderlei gave Sakuraba all he could handle for the first time in the Japanese hero's career.That wild and unforgettable fight will surely leave a mark on the mixed martial arts world forever, but more than that, it will give birth a new era for the fighting game-mainly a new style of fighting. At least that's what Vanderlei Silva expects. After his impressive win over Sakuraba, Vanderlei is now right at the top of the middleweight division, next to some great fighters like UFC champion Tito Ortiz. Things didn't come easily for Vanderlei; he has trained long and hard to get to this point in his career. Vanderlei started his career very early, and fought in all sorts of events, starting with his Muay Thai background, and continuing in small NHB events in Brazil. Knockouts was always part of Vanderlei's fighting style, since he was 13 years of age, when he got his first knockout in a local Muay Thai competition. From his NHB debut, at the Brazilian Vale Tudo Championships, going on through his IVC fights and culminating with his win at the last Pride, Vanderlei has come a long way in his career, and is now ready to go even further. With an already great fighting record that includes wins all over the world in events such as the UFC, Pride and the old Brazilian IVC events, Vanderlei doesn't pick opponents and he truly fears no one. In this long conversation, the "Axe murderer", as he is known in the USA, talks about all kinds of subjects, from his childhood to his fighting days at Pride, and of course his amazing win over Sakuraba. Learn now a bit more about this amazing fighter, who is not only aggressive and fearless, but also very soft-spoken and very kind to his fans. Ladies and Gentleman, FCF presents to you, Vanderlei Silva! 
FCF: You have been winning an ever-increasing number of fans in the USA. Do you believe that this is happening because of your aggressive style of fighting?VS: I think that this is what the people want to see, an action-packed fight, not just the usual ground fight, people want to see aggression on the ground too! And people enjoy the fights especially when there's a lot of trading, so I believe that the USA is a very big market, the American fans are very loyal, and I'm very happy that people are liking my work there too. FCF: People who know you well know that you are a family man, fans who have seen you at work in the ring might not have any indication this. Who do you live with nowadays? Are you single? Tell us a bit about yourself so the American public can get to know you a bit better. VS: I lived with a woman for a while, I have a 4-year-old daughter, Rafaela. I have some girlfriends here in Curitiba...It goes that way, because you know that fighters like woman a lot! I was married and I have one daughter. Nowadays I live with my Mom and Dad here, and even yesterday someone told me that I'm one person inside the ring, and a completely different person outside of it! I have lots of friends, and I'm a very friendly person. So if anybody that likes my work comes to talk to me, it'll be a pleasure for me to talk to him. I get very happy when somebody comes to talk to me, recognizes me. FCF: Everybody already knows you from your NHB fights, but in fact you started in Muay Thai. How did your interest in martial arts start? VS: I started training Muay Thai here in Curitiba. For a long time the Chute Boxe academy has a very strong academy here in Curitiba. It's been running for more than 25 years! So I'm the continuity of the work, the academy already had a lot of fighters. I'm standing out now because now there are better fights, better events. The martial arts evolved, and that's why I have been standing out more. One day I was just walking by the front of the academy, and I liked the academy's style, did a class, I liked it and since then I never practiced another sport, just Muay Thai. FCF: Were you an active kid in your childhood? Did you use to fight a lot? VS: No, not really. I always played with my friends, I had lots of friends, and I was always hanging out with my friends. Well, I was a bit chubby, I wasn't the main guy in our group of friends you know, [Laughs] but I was always with the group. I played soccer, sometimes I took some beatings [Laughs], but I learned how to deal with things alone; I was raised on my own, making my own decisions, I always decided the path that I should follow. FCF: Muay Thai is considered one of the most sacrificing martial arts in terms of training. Was it difficult to keep on training in the beginning? When did you really start to take Muay Thai seriously? VS: I never cared about taking punches and kicks you know, because this really happens. Sometimes I got a little scared, when I fought the more advanced people. That's normal isn't it? But I started to prepare, I started to fight inside the academy, I always prepared myself, I ran, I started to lift weights...it was a bit gradual, and suddenly I was already fighting in the Brazilian Championships, I was already fighting in the Inter-State championships, and I was obligated to train even more! Then I really started to take it seriously. Now is total dedication! FCF: Few people know that way before your NHB success, you were having an impressive and promising career in Muay Thai. How many Muay Thai fights did you fight in? And what were your most important tournaments? VS: I did 15 Muay Thai fights. I fought in the Brazilian and States championships, and I won a number of times, I'm undefeated in Muay Thai. I was Inter-State champion, Paranaense champion, Brazilian champion, I was two-time Brazilian Muay Thai champion...I was Brazilian Kickboxing champion, in an event that I fought 3 times in one night and I got 3 knockouts, it was a very good event for me. Because it was an event that in fact the only different rule from Muay Thai, was that elbows and knees to the face weren't legal, but I did a good fight, the people there loved it! I got a knockout in 19 seconds! I was still a kid, I was 16 or 17 years old back then. Even today I saw a picture from those days, hitting the guy with a right hand cross, I was skinny, I wasn't packed and stuff, but I already went after my opponents! This was always my style, but nowadays there's much more people watching it. 
FCF: The transition from Muay Thai to NHB must not have been easy, what was the biggest difficulties that you had, and when did this decision to fight NHB appear?VS: It went like this, a guy called Nico came to our academy, and way before Jiu-Jitsu had been practiced here in Curitiba, he appeared here with the technique, showing how it was and stuff. One day he walked by the academy and saw that we already tried to do grappling, people would grab each other, grab the neck and stuff, but we didn't have a notion of how it was. Then the more advanced guys started to train with him and learn it, to put the guy in the guard, the side mount and stuff. Then some people came to Curitiba to teach Jiu-Jitsu here, and I started to catch the techniques with Master Rudimar [Fedrigo] and with Rafael...at first the basics and stuff. Then after some time I started to really train Jiu-Jitsu, and my ground game started to improve and improve, and nowadays the training is all mixed, Muay Thai as well as Jiu-Jitsu, and even the takedowns. I'm already able to do everything by reflex, you know? When a guy put a submission on me, sometimes a guy is trying to get a submission on you, and you already know the next one that he will try. So nowadays we have evolved a lot, we even already have members of the team that are Jiu-Jitsu brown belts. Nowadays Anderson is a brown belt, Rafael is too, Pelé is a purple belt, and we train and get along with the Jiu-Jitsu guys here too. So the transition was like that, we started to train Jiu-Jitsu together with our regular training, in fact it's all about striking on the ground and stuff. FCF: Is it true that you abandoned a promising Military career when you decided to become a professional NHB fighter? VS: I don't know how it is in the USA, but here in Brazil we have to do an Officials school, which I did, and I really stood out in the military. I stayed a year and a month as an aspiring Lieutenant, then I was promoted to Lieutenant, Second-Lieutenant. I stayed one month as Second-Lieutenant, but then I couldn't keep my military career and still train for NHB, you know? And that was a good income back then, I was 18 and I was going to make good money as a Lieutenant. But I realized that fighting was my business, that what I really wanted was to fight, and I really believed in my dream, which was to become a fighter and win championships and stuff. I believed and I thank God I'm doing well on my career. FCF: Before your knockout win in your professional debut in NHB competition, at the "Campeonato Brasileiro the Vale Tudo", did you have any closed-door matches at the academy? VS: In fact, just like we say here...we do NHB every single day. Just now in our last trip to Japan, after I fought Sakuraba, our master bought some training helmets for protection. Because till now we did NHB training, with NHB gloves and stuff...10-minute rounds, without any protection at all, only with shin guard and the mouthpiece, and if you had forgotten your mouthpiece you would go without it anyway. To do NHB everyday in the morning with Rafael, do NHB with Pelé, it's really tough! So I fight with some really very good guys. In fact everyday I do NHB, everyday I do some 3 or 4 fights, and I'm not talking about some friendly training, I'm talking about punching each other's faces! Knees to the face...Even today we did some boxing here, which was really violent boxing! FCF: Your fights in the IVC introduced you to the whole world. In your first appearance at the IVC, you competed in a tournament, fighting 3 times in one night losing in the final to Artur Mariano, due to a cut on your eyebrow. Do you like to fight in the tournament format, having to fight several times in one night? VS: In fact the fighter that tells you that he likes it has to be lying, because it is very sacrificing. And I was lucky, well not only lucky, because I got two fast knockouts. One in a little more than a minute, and another a little over two minutes. Then I went to the third fight, that was 17 minutes, and it was really a tough fight, I got very hurt. I hurt all of my body. After the fight, all of my body was sore! From head to toe...I had my eye closed; it was really a very violent fight. Nowadays for me to fight in a tournament is a bit difficult, because of the way I approach my fights, I come in to blast! I mean it! And when you come in with that goal, you usually get hurt. I only step out unharmed if I knock out the other guy quickly, otherwise I will inevitably get hurt. But I really don't care about it, I'm there to brawl, to give a spectacle for the public, and if a tournament comes out I'll participate too! Anything that comes out, I'll fight. FCF: From all your IVC fights, maybe the one that comes first to mind was the one against the wrestler Mike Van Arsdale. Before the fight, did you have the notion of what that fight could represent in your career? VS: In fact I had seen a tournament that he fought in...I have to confess that when the master told me at the academy that I had to fight him and he told me his name...I don't watch too many fights, in fact I only watch my fights...then when he told me I thought, "Gee, is it really that guy? The guy is a lot bigger than me!" I was young at that time; I was twenty-years-old I believe. Then I got cool, "Well, if that has to happen, then let it happen!" Then when I saw that it was him, I thought, "Well, he's a good fighter", but I didn't know what that could represent, because at that time he was considered a top fighter, and a great fighter, a real warrior. And I have to tell you he is a very nice guy, we talked after the fight and he is a very professional guy, and as a spectator I liked to watch him fight, and as a person I also became his fan, 'cause he is a very nice guy! He came to talk to me afterwards, and I'm sure that we two could provide a very good spectacle for the fans that night. A lot of people still watch the fight today and like it. FCF: After a series of victories on the IVC, there came your appearance at UFC Brazil, facing Vitor Belfort. You didn't seem knocked out when the fight was stopped. Do you believe the fight stoppage was correct or did you get surprised when the referee stopped the fight? VS: No, I think that he got a very good punch there, it was really my mistake, I was moving and I stopped in front of him. I should have really sunk my hand on him, like I'm going to do now. The next time I fight him I'm going to really come after him, the public can expect this 'cause it's going to happen. I'm fighting for Pride and he is too, so it's a collision course! I believe that suddenly he was continuing to punch. If they didn't stop it there they would have to stop it a bit later, so I really think that the referee did a good job. I believe I made a mistake, and I paid a high price because of it, but thank God I didn't let this happen again. A fighter must go through all sorts of situations, I was knocked out, and I admit that I was knocked out, but I was knocked out in the beginning of my career. This fight was on a Saturday, and on Monday I was already training again, lifting weights and stuff to get ready for the next one. I'm professional, and nothing or nobody will make me quit fighting. I can win, and if I win I'm sure it'll be a show, and if I lose I want to lose giving a show too. I hope that people like the fight, but nothing will make me quit training, as long as there are events for me to fight in, I'll go till the very end! FCF: A number of times you said that you would like to fight Vitor Belfort again in a rematch. What is still missing for this fight to finally happen? VS: He accepts it! But nowadays, I don't really know, I think that he has to challenge me, because I'm on top now! But since I, thank God, was never scared of anyone, I'm a man above all, and I think every man has to act like a man, and since I choose this fighter career I can't be a pussy, I'll really face it. And the public can e-mail the events and magazines telling whom they would like me to fight, 'cause if some tough opponents come, I'll fight them anyway, no problem. Whoever is in my weight division I'll face no matter what! No matter what. 
FCF: At the IVC events you fought under the basic NHB rules. Most events modified their rules over the time, and now Pride is getting closer to the old NHB rules of the IVC. In your opinion, what is the future of the NHB rules?VS: I believe it is to get as closest of a real fight as possible. I think that this is what the hardcore NHB fan want to see. People say, "oh, but It's too violent" and stuff, but this is what the public wants to see! People wants to see trading, knees to the face; they want to see blood and that's why I don't care when I bleed, I believe that you have to take some bombs too, it's part of the show, It makes the fight exciting. I don't mind taking punches, I don't mind cutting my face, I believe the tendency is to become more real, to win an even bigger public. Whoever can't take it this way, just leave it. I'm here! I train everything! If I have to headbutt, I'll do it. If I have to kick the guy on the ground, I'll do it. I don't have mercy, I only stop when the referee tells me to do it or when the guy sleeps, then I stop! Otherwise not. FCF: After your fight in UFC Brazil, you fought again twice in the UFC, winning against Tony Petarra, and fighting for the title against Tito Ortiz in Japan. Is this fight still on your mind? Do you intend to fight Tito again in a rematch in the near future? VS: Of course. I believe that nowadays I'm another fighter; I'm training a lot more. I believe that what happened in that fight won't happen again. It was an ugly fight, a stalled fight. If all of a sudden he learned how to punch, how to kick, he would become an even better fighter. He is a good fighter, but people don't want to see that style of fighting anymore, because to take a guy down and keep pounding…we have to agree that the people have invested millions in an event, and for the guy to do that in the main event is really a shame. And with all that size that he has, he managed to hold me down, and he did a safe fight to win, you know? He didn't do a fight that the public wants to see. I think that if he accepted to trade punches with me, then I would respect him, I would think that he is man enough to trade punches with me. A guy who trades punches with me must be a real man, 'cause most of the guys don't have the guts to trade punches with me. And for a guy bigger than me, who has all that size, good at wrestling, to do that style of fighting…it's easy, you know? And anyway I took the fight till the end. I knocked him down, I was knocked down, and those were the highlights of the fight. I believe that if he really accepted to trade with me and didn't just keep holding me, we would have everything that it takes to make a great spectacle next time. FCF: Pride was really the event that made you famous. Your first fights in Pride attracted everybody's attention, with wins over Carl Malenko, Daijiro Matsui and Bob Schrijber. Was there any difficulty adapting to Pride in the beginning? VS: I think the only thing was that stuff of the guy being on all fours and you couldn't knee or kick him. But the rest was cool, I'm a clean fighter, I fight under the rules, and I try not to break the rules, 'cause the rules are there to be respected. I'm a professional athlete. I adapt myself to every type of rules, it doesn't matter the type. FCF: After your initial victories in Pride, your fights earned more attention from everybody, facing very famous names such as Guy Mezger and Gilbert Yvel. Do you consider your knockout over Guy Mezger as one of the most notable moments of your career? VS: Yeah, it was really a very nice knockout! I liked because it was on a trading, the guy really surprised me because he was a real man. He had the guts to trade with me. 'Cause my master told me, "Well, he will try to take you to the ground"...Because I train wrestling too, now it's much more difficult to take me down. But he is really an athlete, I take my hat off to him, he's a guy that I respect a lot. He really deserves a lot of credit; he got two knockouts after he fought me. And he had the guts to trade with me, he had the guts to accept the trading, and the result was that he could knock me out as well as be knocked out. The same way that I knocked him out, if he connected a good punch on me, he would have knocked me out too. So I think that this is what the public wants to see, if more athletes accepted this type of game-not only against me, but between them-if more guys accepted to do what he did with me, I think everybody would benefit from that, all the NHB fighters would benefit from that, I guess that NHB could easily reach the purses of boxing this way. FCF: Recently Mezger gave some interviews saying that he would like to face you again, now more prepared to your style of fighting and prepared for a war. Some people say that you headbutted him in the fight, which hindered him. What do you think about those statements, and do you intend to face him again in the future? VS: For sure! I'll fight him anytime that he wants, there's no problem. I'll fight with Sakuraba and with whoever they want me to fight again, I'll fight. I'll fight him, I'll fight with Tito, against Vitor, I'll fight anyone, there's no problem. I accept to fight without a problem, and if he thinks that it'll be a war, it'll really be a war! Every fight for me is a war; I get in there to kill! That's the way with me! If the guy makes a mistake, I kick his face; I kick his mouth! And as he made some mistakes the last time and I knocked him out, the next time if he does that again, I'll knock him out again. Hey Guy Mezger, if you make any mistakes I'll knock you out again! Did you get it? Did I headbutt him? I did because I'm a brawler, 'cause I'm a fighter and I was brawling. Now the guy comes to say that the headbutt hindered him! It did? I don't know, I only know that I'm a brawler! It wasn't on purpose, it's instinct! In the same way that if I hit him with a solid punch now and he falls in front of me, I'll stick my foot in his mouth on the ground! I don't care! If he was hurt that time, the next time he will come out a lot worst! FCF: Against Gilbert Yvel, there's a big controversy about a new fight between you two. How do you rate Yvel as a Muay Thai fighter, and does Pride still have interest in promoting this fight in the future? VS: It's his problem! It's like I said; I'll fight anyone. Back then he was 105kg and I was only 89kg. And even then I was going right at him, I was very confident, I was looking to trade with him. But now I think that it is he who has to climb his way to the top. Thank God, I'm on top now, and I think it'll be difficult for him to fight me; he will have to fight a lot. FCF: At Pride 12, you put on the best fight of the event, facing the (then) undefeated fighter, Dan Henderson. You showed an impressive will to win during the whole fight, fighting through most of the fight with an eye almost closed! How was your vision during the fight, due to the cut above your eye? VS: To tell you the truth I wasn't seeing anything with that eye! I was with my eye completely closed. When the first round was over my eye was completely closed, but I was willing to fight, I was willing to fight him. Because he wouldn't stop! I hit the guy with a big punch, I got a knockdown on him and he wouldn't stop. Gee, I took a yellow card, and it was getting really hard for me there…at the times that he shot on my legs, I couldn't see properly and I would just throw some punches. Thankfully the punches were hitting him, I got some knockdowns on him, and he really surprised me. He has the skin of a lizard, he doesn't bleed, and he stays clean! I threw everything with lots of power, with all I got and the guy...he really deserved to be undefeated till then! So much that he came back and knocked out Renzo, he's a tough guy. There's a guy that I don't know if I want to fight again, he is really a tough guy. Now I want to see if I can put in my contracts that the referee can't stop the fights because of bleeding, cuts and stuff. I don't know if I'll be able to, but for me it's cool, let it continue, let it continue cause I can take the punishment! 
FCF: In the fight against Dan Henderson you showed an amazing recovery process, getting back with everything you got after almost being knocked down. This has been one of your most notable characteristics. Do you believe that this comes from your Muay Thai experience?VS: Really, we train for a long time, taking knockdowns all the time. Our training is really tough; it's really one guy dropping the other all the time. Pelé has already knocked me down a lot of times during practice, he already knocked me out one time. He hit me with a straight punch that I fell with my face right on the ground, and the guys say that I fell and while I was falling I was saying "Okay, cool, it's cool, no problem, no problem!" and "Bang!" I sunk my face in the ground! Another time he hit me, I wasn't sure if it was a straight or a cross that was coming, but it wasn't any of them, it was a kick! And "Pooow!" Gee, I got dazed, do you know when your whole body gets limp? So this is what really makes the guy hang on at fighting time you know, we take the knockdown, and the only thing that comes to my mind is to recover and take it back to the other guy. FCF: One of your trademarks is the stare that you give your opponent before the fight begins. Do you think that the psychological factor is really important before a fight? VS: Of course! The guy has to show that he is ready! If the guy shows that he is chickening out he is in trouble with me...well, if the guys stare back at me he is in trouble anyway! If the guy gives me a mean stare, then I get even madder at him, then I really want to break the guy in two! "Gee, why is this guy looking at me?!", and I'll go right at him with all I've got! I stare at the guy and show that I'm willing to fight, if the guy isn't willing to trade with me, then he'll just take a beating! [Laughs] FCF: After an impressive series of victories in Pride, finally your opportunity came to face Sakuraba. Were you surprised when you got the invitation to fight him? VS: Yes. The last time we left Japan thinking that this fight wouldn't happen now, and I was going to prepare to fight another guy, I don't even know who it would be. But then, he is a real good fighter, and he accepted to fight me. This only came to give even more credibility to the event, since he is the top guy for Pride, Pride's poster boy, and they gave him to me even knowing that I could win. This only came to show that is a serious event, and in my opinion the biggest event nowadays. FCF: You've just won the most important fight in your career, beating the fighter many considered the best in the world, Kazushi Sakuraba! How do you feel after this win? VS: I'm feeling very well, people are treating me very well, and I'm living a real special moment. God has been helping me a lot. Now I'm beginning to stand out, people are starting to respect me. For me to be recognized in the MMA world, to be recognized by the other fighters...Fighters that I only saw on TV in the past now come to congratulate me, come to talk with me, to tell me that it was a good fight and stuff, this is really sensational for me. FCF: You won a motorbike for your victory in Pride, and even took Sakuraba's belt back home! Did your bags come back full of things from Japan? [Laughs] VS: Thankfully they did! [Laughs] We won a bike as a gift from Pride; I would even like to thank [them]…thanks for the bike! And in May I want to win another one, you know? [Laughs] I think that he gave me his belt, it was really a very good trip for me, it couldn't have been better! FCF: There is even a talk that a contract for the rematch is already signed. Is it true? Even if you lost the fight, would you have your rematch secured? VS: No, there would only be a rematch if I win, if I lost I would only be one more on the list. But I wasn't there to be just one more on the list, I was there to really take that belt, so I didn't feel intimidated by him, or by the crowd, because the Japanese fans are really faithful, and they were supporting him. And they were supporting me too, because my public is growing a lot there! And I'm sure that now the party that they did for him when he came in to the ring, they will do for me. FCF: Did you expect the win the fight against Sakuraba so quickly? VS: In fact, every time that I fight there's always the possibility of being quick. I've had a lot of fights during my career with quick knockouts, I come in really to decide, and if the guy makes a mistake the result is this! It can be him, like it can be anyone; if the guys come in against me and make a mistake, the result is that. Quick or late in the fight, it doesn't matter; I come in to win. FCF: You came to this fight very well prepared. Are you more used to fighting in Japan these days? VS: Yeah, I'm getting used to the time zone, I got used to the food, and I'm even getting a Japanese girlfriend, so I can be all right there! [Laughs] Modesty aside, I'm a fighter who is considered very pretty, very requested by women, so I'm already getting a Japanese girlfriend over there and let's see how it goes! It's getting a lot better to go to Japan. [Laughs] FCF: Right at the start of the fight Sakuraba came right at you, trading punches with you. Did this surprise you? Did you expect a more conservative strategy from him? VS: No, I always prepare myself for this. At some point of the fight there will be trading; at some point, the guy is always obligated to accept that…except if he throws himself to the ground, that would be too humiliating for the guy. So when he came in like that I found it normal, I closed my guard, but when I came back, I came back throwing bombs! So I think the guy is very courageous! And it's how I said; I think that for a guy to trade with me, he has to be a real man. FCF: Obviously you were very confident, and most of the MMA press was counting on your victory. During the fight, when did you think that you had the win? VS: Well, I guess at the time...for people that saw the fight, at the time that I hit him with a knee and he fell, and I hit him with a huge kick, I did the kick and already turned raising my hand a little bit-cause I love to do that you know, every time that I get a knockout on a guy, I already turn celebrating-so when I did the kick, the first one got a bit on the side, I already raised my hand a bit and started to turn, but then he tried to catch my foot…Gee, then I started to throw some real huge kicks! I did that big kick, held his head on the ground and did some knees, but I only saw that it was over when the referee stopped it, and then it was all celebration. FCF: The new rules of Pride certainly favor the more aggressive fighters, bringing more exciting fights to the public. What do you think about the new rules of the event, and how much do you think they contributed in your victory? VS: For sure, I think that if it was under the old rules I wouldn't have won so quickly, and the fights are really getting more aggressive, there are much more KOs now. I think that the public pays to see a knockout, to see somebody falling, it doesn't matter whom. I enter the ring disposed to KO or to be KO'ed. If I fall, and I fall in a good fight, I believe I would be giving a spectacle even when I'm falling! So I really go to punch, and I hope that many more people will accept to trade so the spectacle will be better for everybody, for us and for the public. FCF: Do you believe that with the new rules, and much more complete fighters nowadays, those fighters that don't know how to fight standing have their days numbered in NHB? VS: Of course! You can see who is not trading punches; who is not taking and giving punches, has been knocked out, has been humiliated; Sakuraba took a beating. So I think that those who don't know how to trade, had better to start taking boxing, something like that. To start things, I already traded punches for 11 years! I traded punches since I was 13 years of age! My first knockout was at the age of 13! I was still a kid, and I did a knockout in 40 seconds. So I just want to tell people that I have been doing this for a long time, and I can say that isn't easy, because to take a punch in the face and keep looking forward, is for someone who is really a fighter, for someone who is really a man. FCF: Without a doubt the NHB game has been evolving a lot. How do you see the future of NHB? VS: NHB now is the sport of the new millennium, the guy that comes in and goes straight for the opponent legs...this is not what people want to see anymore. People want to see the guy staring, punching, kicking the other guy's face, and kneeing the face. Because in order for an NHB event to be special, someone who watches it at home can't watch it lying on the bed, he has to watch it on the edge of his seat not wanting to blink! A guy here in Curitiba told me this about a Pride event that I fought in, "Hey, I saw all of the event laying on my bed, when you came to fight I stayed seated looking at the screen, focused to not miss a single hit!" I believe that if every fight has this kind of action, NHB will pay much better purses, will have many more athletes, and then I think it'll really become professional and a real show. I believe that the best thing is that I'm already starting something, and there'll appear a lot of athletes that fight in my style, and I want to establish a style of fighting! And a violent style of fighting, an NHB style of fighting, and I hope that soon there'll be more people with this impetus, that want to knockout people, and who want to give a spectacle, and that will stand out. I hope that in the future, a lot of years ahead-I'm still very young-I want to be known as someone that did something good for the sport, and that made the athletes open their eyes to turn NHB in an even better sport, always more realistic, always more millionaires. An NHB fighter shouldn't have to look for a sponsor, struggle to find a sponsorship! An NHB fighter should win purses that make him have a nice car, two, three, five and even ten houses! The guy must be on top! He has to be seen not like a starving guy that has to keep asking for sponsors! Very soon this won't happen anymore, and I hope that I'm contributing to that, and I hope that in the future people will see Vanderlei Silva as someone that created a style of fighting that is followed by a lot of people. FCF: After facing Sakuraba, how do you analyze him as a fighter? VS: I analyze him by the way he fought me, 'cause I want to say that he really has guts and he fights like a man! Because he is a lighter guy than myself, everybody knows that what he does best is to kick the legs, kick the face, but he doesn't have the posture of a Muay Thai fighter, with his guard up...he doesn't know how to really punch, and anyway he accepted to trade and came right at me, he knocked me down! So I really see him as a great guy, he is really a top fighter! Analyzing his fight against me, I think that he was a real man to come after me and accept the trading. And seeing his other fights, the guy is really a monster you know! FCF: What do you think about the supposed Sakuraba comments after the fight, saying that the fight was stopped a bit too early, and despite the fact that you were dominating him, you weren't hurting him? VS: I don't know...he stayed on the hospital for two weeks! I think that if the fight would have lasted two minutes more I could have killed him! [Laughs] Because he suffered major damage on his facial bones, he broke his nose, opened the mouth…I think that if they had given the fight two minutes more, gee! I don't know if I wouldn't be in jail in Japan now. [Laughs] FCF: After your historical victory over Sakuraba, everybody will train to beat you, and you are now at the center of attentions on the NHB scene. Are you already back to your training? Can your opponents expect even harder training from the Chute Boxe team now? VS: Much harder! We are training Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling! I'm training boxing, I'm doing lots of weight training, and I'm swimming, running. I think that whoever is going to fight me better come well prepared, because in this next fight I'll be unrecognizable! I'll be in great shape, whoever wants to fight me better be well prepared, otherwise he will take a real beating! The next guy that I face I'll spank! I'll spank him till I can't hit anymore. FCF: Everybody is very curious to know who is your next opponent in Pride. Any name decided yet? VS: No, I'm also curious! I'm waiting and I'm preparing to fight anyone right now. FCF: Tito Ortiz was in the audience at the latest Pride, watching your fight against Sakuraba. A lot of people still consider him the best middleweight fighter nowadays. What do you think about facing him again, under the new rules of Pride? VS: I think that I'll fight him again at anytime he wants, no problem! I accept to fight him with no problem, against him or anybody to that matter. I want to legalize elbows to the face! FCF: Recently Frank Shamrock said in a interview that he has no desire in fighting you, because he don't consider you a challenge, but Sakuraba he does. What do you think about those statements? VS: He is not a fool by any means! Every fighter knows that I'm not a challenge to him...the guy never fought me!? He is not willing to trade punches with me; he is already retired! He better keep receiving his lodging and stay quiet in his corner, because if he crosses my path I'll knock him out too! FCF: Your victory over Sakuraba will open a lot of doors for the Chute Boxe people all over the world. Recently Anderson Silva won a very important fight in Shooto. Soon two more Chute Boxe fighters, Ninja and Osmar, will be fighting in Shooto too. Does the team still have the same unity as always? What can we expect from the Chute Boxe team from now on? VS: The team is always united, led by the respect for our master, Rudimar Fedrigo. We really have a lot of promising fighters, we have Assuério Silva, who joined our team recently, and he's representing us among the heavyweights, he is 110kg, around 107 and 110kg and only 7% body fat! A lot of aggressiveness, he's trading punches all the time with us. We have Pelé who is really the show of the academy, he's the number 1 from the academy, and in fact he's going to be fighting for the UFC title. And also, I would like to leave a message for Dave Menne, as I did for Matt Hughes back in Japan… Pelé is very strong! I'm training all the time with him, I'm with 94kg and the guy is giving me all sorts of trouble! So he better prepare himself, 'cause Pelé will spank him now! Pelé is willing to win a lot! And he is training a lot, he trains, he runs in the dawn, Pelé is crazy! Pelé told me that now he doesn't want to finish him, he will hit him till the end! He said that he is going to break him in two, he will make Dave Menne come out deformed now, and he wants to see for whom they'll give the win now. And there's Ninja, who's also going to fight in Japan now. People need to watch this kid closely 'cause he is promising. I think that Ninja is still a very young athlete, 20 years of age, he's at the beginning of his career, and he will stand out. Anderson is also a great fighter, he's a very technical fighter both standing and on the ground, and he's going to bother some guys in his weight class. And we have the old guys from the academy, like Rafael for instance, who is coming back now, he's training with us, we have Osmar who will fight in Japan now and is an old friend too. Our team is growing a lot, and the people from the other teams better train hard, because we have it all here, and we have it for all the weight divisions! We have several Vanderleis here. FCF: Your master Rudimar has been doing a great work, developing a lot of excellent fighters in all weight divisions. What do you think that makes the difference between the Chute Boxe team and all the other teams in both Brazil and abroad? VS: It's that here we're all treated the same way. We train; even the older guys in the academy are treated the same way! If you come in late, you're going to have to listen no matter who it is, it can be me that is on top, as well as another guy that isn't even fighting. Everybody is treated in the same way, and we respect our master a lot. We don't have any kind of intrigue here, we don't have traitors, here everybody is like brothers, nobody has a signed contract, and everybody knows that it's all in the blood here! We are all a family, and we're all growing together, and here the union makes the strength! Nobody is nothing alone, and I think that everything that I have, and everything that I do I owe to my master Rudimar. FCF: Your style of fighting is becoming more complete over time, with great takedown defenses, and consistent ground defense, and obviously a great stand-up game. What are the next goals for Vanderlei as a fighter in the near future? VS: I want to make some even better knockouts; I want to knock people out kicking their faces! I want to be seen as a violent fighter, I want people to see that I'm a different fighter, that I'm aggressive! I want that when I'm going to fight, people will be waiting for it, "Great! He is going to fight, the guy is going to fight!" The only thing that I want is to be recognized in fact. FCF: Your fighting career is reaching the peak, and you still have a lot of years ahead of you. What are your plans for the distant future, after you stop fighting? VS: I intend, if God helps me to make money; I want to be able to help! In fact I'm a good guy; I want to help everybody. I want to give opportunities for the people that aren't professionals, people that want to practice the sport and don't have money to train. I want to have an academy, where of course, I'll teach classes also make money, but there'll be lots of classes, for lots of people that I want to train for free. I want to make the young guys want to practice the sport, and if I succeed to develop a fighter out of the blue, I think that this is going to reward me. If I manage to help someone, this will make me very happy. FCF: And what about the Muay Thai, or K-1 competitions? Are they totally out of question from now on? VS: Yeah, right now I fight for Pride, so nowadays there's no possibility for me to fight in another event. FCF: Who are the sponsors that support Vanderlei today so he can keep on winning all over the world? VS: Doctor Feel Good, which is a restaurant that provides me the food here, which is a very nice place I might add! We have HDB Sports, which is a top store here in Curitiba that makes some very good products. Also the people that want to buy my products, we're selling Chute Boxe products, caps, sweatshirts, T-shirts, all of them made by HDB, from Miss Maria José, who helps us a lot! And we also have Madison who is my physical coach, and my nutritionist, from Madison Nutrition Center, who gets me supplements, and who makes me get strong you know! [Laughs] So anyone who is interested in buying some Chute Boxe/Vanderlei Silva products can reach us by e-mail: chute_boxe@hotmail.com FCF: There's an enormous interest all over the world about your training routine. The Chute Boxe team has been characterized by an extremely complete game. Give us a small sample of your training, and how do you divide your time, between the physical and the technical part of training. VS: Mornings I train Muay Thai and NHB, from 10:00 to 11:30/12:00, then I swim from noon to one o'clock in the afternoon! I do Jiu-Jitsu from 13:00 to14:00. Then I go home, eat, teach classes from 15:00 to 16:00, then I train from 16:00 to 17:00 hitting the punching bag, I run from 5 pm to 6 pm, then I go home again, eat and rest, and I lift weights at night. Usually it is like this, but something always changes. FCF: Before a fight, when do you start to intensify your training? VS: All the time! I start to train in a gradual way, and I increase the pace as the time of the fight starts to approach, I get to train 5 times per day when I'm about to fight. We don't have an exact date, but like some 3 or 4 weeks before the fight I'm already at full speed. FCF: You really have a very tight agenda, with training, classes and a number of professional responsibilities. What do you do in your free time? VS: I make love! [Laughs] I like to read a lot. I read a lot. Mostly I like to read, and to date girls. [Laughs] FCF: Any final message for your fans in the USA? VS: I want to thank everybody for the support, everybody that supported me, not only against Sakuraba, but also to everybody that follows my work. I want to thank everybody that likes the Chute Boxe team, and everybody that likes my work. And I want to say that nowadays it's very difficult to make a decent living in sports, and it's very good to know that there are people that support and like my work so far away from here! I want to say that the American people are a people that are on top all over the world, also I'm a fan of the American way of life, the way of behaving; it's really a great country, and they really have a lot to teach to the rest of the world, and I'm very grateful! If only America supported me I would already be very happy, imagine having a lot of fans. I hope that everybody keeps taking the Chute Boxe team flag not only through the USA, but all over the world as well! And I hope to keep always giving spectacles and keep pleasing the fans with always entertaining fights, winning or losing. FCF: Vanderlei, thank you very much for your time. It was a huge pleasure as always! VS: Thank you very much! It was a pleasure to talk with FCF! |
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