André Galvão will see action in the Strikeforce cage for the first time, on March 26, in California, when he will face Luke Stewart. As is Galvão, Stewart’s main weapon is his skills on the ground.
“He’s another up-and-comer. He’s a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and has a bit more experience than I do. But I’m pursuing my dream and I will fulfill it. Let’s fight. I’ve been waiting to fight since July of last year and I’ve been ready a long time. Now I just need to carry on training and show up in peak form. God willing, I’ll leave the ring the winner,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.
Jiu-Jitsu continues to be Galvão's main weapon. Photo: Susumo Nagao
Galvão had his first MMA fight in the United States and followed up with one in Canada, in smaller-scale events. His big-event debut came at Dream, in Japan, where he fought twice losing the first one, to Jason High, in July of 2009. Strikeforce will be his first big event in the US, now the main stage worldwide for the style. The fighter feels he is ready.
“There a big difference in terms of the crowd, the reaction is different. I debuted in the United States, but in a smaller-scale event than Strikeforce. I feel the two fights I had at Dream were good to build experience. I know fighting in the United States , at a big event, will be different, but I think it will all be fine.”
They say the American public prefers knockouts. Despite the hard work he has put into his standup, Galvão won’t change his style, which is to seeks the submission.
“I feel good and my striking is improving with every passing day. Daniel Woirin, who teaches me in muay thai, and Josuel Distak, in boxing, helped me a lot. Not to mention the gang I train with, Anderson (Silva), Rafael Feijão… But my main weapon is still my ground game. I train all the fundamentals to have no misgivings when using my Jiu-Jitsu. Thank God I have good trainers and good training partners. I’ll show up 100%,” he said in closing.