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Managing, Fighting & The Top Team By Eduardo Alonso Zé Mario Sperry is considered one of the top submission fighters in the world, both with and without the gi. Bringing home top honors in all type of events, from the BJJ Worlds to the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling Championships to NHB fights around the globe, Mario has accomplished a lot during his career in the ring. But now he is not only successful inside the ring, but outside as well! Zé Mario has now taken on the additional task of fighter manager. FCF got the chance to talk recently with the "Zen Machine" about his new role as manager, his future inside the ring, and the recent events concerning the Brazilian Top Team. 
FCF: Everybody knows Mario Sperry as a fighter, winning several BJJ championships, fighting in Abu Dhabi and in NHB events all over the world. Now, apart from your career as fighter you're also helping some young fighters, working as their manager. How has this latest experience been for you?
Mario Sperry: This experience, as fun as it may sound, happened in a very natural way. At first I always helped my teammates, like to get to Abu Dhabi back in the days when there were no trials and stuff...And even today I recommend some friends to fight there, and I was always a very spoken person, very happy, and since I speak English very well, I was always able to close some good deals and contracts for myself! The younger fighters were always watching me, paying attention to the decisions that I made and stuff like that. So, at a certain point in Ricardo Arona's career he asked me if I could help him to get a deal with RINGS, because I got a call from RINGS and I mentioned it to him. So I said, "Of course Arona, I'll help you! No problem!" So I went there with him [a couple of times] to Japan, and on the third time I told him that I couldn't do it anymore, because I have my own things to take care of. So he said, "Zé Mario, let's make it official then!" But I told him that it was tough, because we're friends and it involves money and stuff, but he said, "But Zé Mario, if it won't be you, it'll be someone else! And I would like to have you as a manager, because I like you a lot, we're friends, and we know each other from a long time, etc." So I accepted it, and started to work as his manager. Minotauro, who was a bit lost and stuff at that time, saw that and asked me to be his manager too. I thought it was funny, because people were approaching me to be their manager, because of my honesty I think. So I started to work as Minotauro's manager, and today I manage Minotauro, Arona, Minotauro's brother, Dustin Dennis, and I help a lot of people without any compromise! That's how it all started! FCF: Is it tough for you to handle everything in your career? From the training, competitions, travel and now the additional work and responsibilities of a manager? MS: Well, the academy for me is one of the things that gives me a lot of pleasure! Training is a thing that give me a lot of pleasure! So, the only thing that gets me a bit tired and stuff is when I have to close a deal. To deal with the purses, values, etc. Because we try to make the athlete happy, and negotiate and stuff, and this makes me tired sometimes, but apart from that, all is [easy]. I like the trips, the backstages, I like to see my kids fighting, I like to be able to close a good deal and make them happy, like I did with Minotauro. Minotauro is going to fight in the biggest NHB event in the world now, in the main event! And there's a reason for it to happen! This is a result of work well done...done for more than 4 months. So, for me it was always like this, training and teaching at the same time! So I just added this new work, of a manager! And for me it's [not hard], because I graduated in economics, I worked at Exxon, so for me this is all [easy]! FCF: Are there problems maintaining a friendship with a fighter while being his manager? MS: I believe this is something that can happen in the future. The funniest thing is that I never asked to be the manager of anyone! I want to make this clear, 'cause everybody that I managed today asked me to be their manager. So the first thing that I say to a fighter when they ask me to be their manager is that money is something very tricky, and it can change our friendship. So I know that this can happen someday, but it hasn't happened yet. FCF: Besides being the manager of those fighters, do you also work as their coach? Or do all the guys from the Top Team train the fighters? MS: Well, the whole team trains the guys! But this is something a bit tough, because you tend to get more attached to your fighters, and the others notice that, and even told me that. So that's why it's always good to have a lot of coaches on the team--like we have on the Top Team--because then we can avoid these problems. FCF: One of your fighters, Rodrigo Minotauro, is now going to debut in Pride, fighting in the most important fight of his life. Minotauro was very successful in RINGS, winning the King Of Kings tournament. Do you think he will have any difficulties fighting under Pride's rules? MS: Of course he will have some difficulties, because he is not used to fighting under those rules. But he is an athlete that learns very quickly, and we have been working on that with him and he has improved a lot! I believe that if the fight is today he's ready to fight against anyone in the world, under any sort of rules, no matter if it's RINGS or Pride rules. FCF: After this fight at Pride 15, what will be next for Minotauro? MS: Well, I'm not sure if you know, but we signed a two-fight deal for Minotauro with Pride. So, after his fight at Pride 15, if he wins, we are trying to get him a rematch against Dan Henderson. We have lots of respect for Dan Henderson, and Randy Couture! But we would like to have the opportunity to fight a rematch under Pride rules, because we believe it would be a great fight! Because Dan Henderson has also improved a lot since that fight! FCF: And what about you Zé Mario? We know about the interest that Pride has in you. What can we expect for your future? MS: It's very close now! I almost closed a deal with them! But it was good, because I believe that in September we will be closing the deal. We will talk in Japan during this next trip. FCF: You'll not be fighting in the BJJ Worlds this year, despite your love for BJJ, because of other priorities. Are you going to be in Minotauro's corner for this fight? MS: For sure! I'll be there next to him, in his corner. Luis Alves will be there too, because he will bring Ebenezer Braga, and we're all friends, so he will be there helping too. FCF: Is there any chance that you will be fighting for the UFC in the future, or do you only think about Pride now? MS: Well, I don't have the intention to fight in the UFC, because the UFC has one "problem"--the belt. I'm good friends with Pedro Rizzo, so, if one day I achieve any success there, I would have to fight him! This is even something that they're demanding on the contracts now. And despite Pedro not being my teammate, I know him for more than 20 years and I like him very much. So I don't intend to fight there now. FCF: Was it tough for you to step away from this year's BJJ Worlds? MS: It was very tough! I train every day with the guys at the academy, and I see the guys preparing for the Worlds and stuff...But it's tough, it hurts a lot. This is the second time that I'll miss the Worlds, and this time I will not even be able to see it! But I have been able to compete a lot, I did a lot for Jiu-Jitsu, and there'll be other opportunities later. FCF: Do you think that the absence of some great BJJ fighters in this year Worlds, like yourself, Royler [Gracie], Nino [Schembri] and Murilo [Bustamante] will take away some of the interest in the competition? MS: Well, if you have a lot of top guys it's better, but there are a lot of other great athletes from the new generation, like Pé de Pano, Comprido...Fabio Gurgel is going to fight! Arona, Murilo and Liborio won't be fighting, but there are a lot of new people fighting, and it'll be a great tournament! FCF: Who do you think will stand out in this year's competition? MS: Every time that someone asks me this, I think about the guy fighting against me [laughs]. I think that one guy that is tough to beat is Pé de Pano! If I could bet some money, I would bet on him! There's also Comprido, who is well trained...and there's also Margarida, from our side. FCF: Talking about Margarida, does he intend to compete in NHB in the future? MS: Well, he's already shown interest to fight in some NHB events, but he needs to be a bit more polished for NHB, he needs to train more for it. But he is very healthy, has good cardio, and he learns very quickly! So, in a short amount of time he will want to debut in NHB! But as of now he is much better with the gi on! FCF: There has been a lot of talk lately about the Brazilian Top Team, with Vitor Belfort leaving the team, and others about to do so. What can you comment on that? What really happened? MS: Well, what will happen for sure is that Vitor Belfort, Allan Goes, Ricardo Arona, Carlão Barreto and Paulo Filho will not be part of the Brazilian Top Team anymore. There are some things about our organization, some rules and stuff that they didn't agree with...on our team, Murilo, Bebeo, myself and Liborio make the decisions; we had a voting, and the majority decided that there would be some rules to be followed, and the younger guys, [along with] Carlão and Allan--who aren't from the new generation--didn't agree with it. So we talked for two weeks, [looking] to achieve an agreement, but we couldn't come to terms, and today it was decided that it's official, and those guys that I mentioned aren't on the team anymore. I'm still the manager of Ricardo Arona and I'm still a friend to all those guys that I mentioned! We're friends since childhood, but the professional relationship doesn't exist anymore. It's a shame, because it's a great team! And I really believe that most of those guys will come back to our team, and I'm sure that others won't come back! But I cheer for all of them, despite if they'll come back or not, I'm still friends to all of them, and I'll have all of them in my heart like if they were by my side! But everyone has to be happy [and do what they believe is best]. I wish the best of luck for them! FCF: What can we expect from the Top Team from now on? MS: The Top Team will continue to be the same academy that it always was. The policy will be the same; we will train BJJ, NHB, etc. And we will work on new values, and new fighters. It'll take a while for us to get back to that level again of course, but we will get there again. FCF: Zé Mario, the best of luck for you, Minotauro and the Top Team in the future! MS: Thanks a lot! |
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