Worlds 2013: Caio Terra explains move to light feather, hopes Malfacine will follow

Caio Terra against Bruno Malfacine at Pan 2013. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

Caio Terra is again taking part on the World Championship which begins in Long Beach on May 29, but this time he comes with a few extra pounds.

All because of a high turnover of seminars, which led him to have less time to train and lose weight for the greatest championship of the year.

Despite declaring that he is not 100% certain of competing in light featherweight, Caio hopes to have another memorable performance to thrill the crowd. In order to do so, he planned his camp in San Jose, California with the presence of Augusto “Tanquinho” and over 30 black belts.

Check out the chat with Caio, the current worlds silver medalist of the rooster weight division:

GRACIEMAG: You enrolled as a light featherweight. What was the main reason for this change in weight for the Worlds?

CAIO TERRA: I just got back from Asia, where I had a tour of seminars since March. On Sunday of the Pan, I ran out of the venue so I wouldn’t miss my flight (laughs). In fact, I’ll only really know how I’m feeling for the Worlds in a week. The time zone is still complicated, and I didn’t train a lot because I was traveling almost every day and teaching seminars; that’s the reason why I put on weight. I still don’t know if I’m fighting as a light feather, what I know is that I won’t get on a diet. If I lose weight naturally, which is not as likely, I’ll go to rooster weight. But we are less than 20 days from the Worlds, I don’t know if I can make it. Anyway, I am very motivated to fight as a light feather again.

This is a category with a monster, Guilherme Mendes, triple world champion (2009/11/12). How would you stop him?

Guilherme is good on top and bottom, a very complete athlete that has to be respected. But before fighting him, I need to fight several other very good guys. I just hope I have a good performance because if that happens I’m sure I’ll get a good result.

If you lose weight and really go to the rooster category, have you thought of something special for a possible reunion with Bruno Malfacine, the current champion of the division?

I will count on the help of Augusto Tanquinho in training. I’m glad to have Tanquinho because he may be the guy with a game more like Malfacine’s. I’m hoping Bruno also comes to the heavier category, because it will make it the toughest light feather division of all time and the winner would be a great champion. The owner of the gold would be seen as a living legend (laughs)!

Who else may go to your camp in San Jose?

Let’s see, Leandro Lo I think has some problems and I don’t think he’s coming. It’s a shame. But we are expecting a really good group; our team has Samir Chantre, Oswaldo Queixinho, Flavio Meier, Jeff Galiotto and others. We will count on the whole crew of Soul Fighter and from Claudio Franca’s school, and several other black belts from various teams.

Among the youth, who do you think will draw attention at the Worlds 2013?

I have some very tough blue belts: Edwin Barone, Joshua Vasquez, Ryan Walsh, Kaniela and Dominic Knuz. All with the chance of being world champions. Besides them, I see a great future for Márcio André, purple belt at Nova União, who is a super talented kid. There are also Edwin Najmi, Dante Leon and Michael Liera, all on the right track.

To check who is already confirmed for the World, visit the IBJJF website.

If you would like to register for the 2013 World Championship, click here.