Vitor in Las Vegas / Photo: publicity
Besides the article on Anderson Silva in the Sunday issue of Brazil’s O Globo newspaper, Veja magazine also addressed the bout between under-185-lb champion of the UFC and also-Brazilian Vitor Belfort.
In an article on the magazine’s website, Davi Correia did a telephone interview with the black belt from Rio de Janeiro training in Las Vegas for his fight at UFC 126 on the coming 5th.
The article reminds us that Vitor, now thirty-three years old, won his first UFC title at just nineteen years of age, as a heavyweight. Check out some snippets from the interview:
How is your training going?
My preparation is going great, I’ve been training hard for some time now with Randy Couture. I’m ready, in tip-top shape. I train full time every day twice a day. I have a coach just from punches, another for strategy, another just for Jiu-Jitsu, and two for karate. You have to stay focused the whole time for this job.
What are Anderson Silva’s strengths?
He’s a well-rounded athlete, a champion. He’s a fighter who has all the skills a champion needs, but he’s a human being. I define him as a winner. His life wasn’t easy, but now MMA has provided a very good life for him. It’s a tremendous pleasure to be able to fight an athlete like him, one so highly prized. I respect him a lot.
What’s your strategy for facing the current champion?
My strategy is to fight. I’m a complete fighter who seeks the knockout during standup exchanges and the submission or immobilization on the ground. But when the time comes, that’s when we’ll know the path the fight will take.
So there’s nothing left to do between now and the fight?
I just need to focus, every day, on what I have to do.
Have you already planned what you’re going to do after the 5th?
If the world were to end tomorrow, nothing would change in my life; it doesn’t come down to just one result. If my life were to change just because of one thing happening, it would mean I’m not living my life properly. I’m not perfect, I can’t manage to please everybody, that was never my objective. I want to improve as a person with every passing day. My job is to fight regardless of the result. What happens afterward is in destiny’s hands, it’s beyond my control.
Does fighting teach you anything in particular?
MMA is a sport about overcoming limits. There’s intense physical contact, but we have a lot of respect for our opponents. A lot of people see it as a job, but to me it’s a school. You learn to win, lose, and respect. It has taught me a lot of important things: values, knowledge, overcoming adversity.
Do your kids talk about fighting?
Davi, who is 5 (Vitória is 3 and Kayra, 18 months), told my wife, Joana Prado, the other day that he wants to be an actor. I told him that everyone should pursue their own dreams, do their best. The important thing to do is to study, be a good citizen, be respectful.
Have you ever thought of pursuing any other profession?
I’d love to work in human resources or sports marketing. I have a desire to study marketing after I finish fighting.
To read the complete interview (in Portuguese), click here.