"The Axe Murderer" Q&A Transcript
Liddell, MMA in the U.S.
Josh Gross Jul 12, 2006
Sherdog.com: Why are you here tonight at the UFC? (Note:
This interview was conducted before it was announced Silva would
face Chuck Liddell
(Pictures) in November.)
Silva: I came to see this event. It’s a very good event. And I came to see in person.
Sherdog.com: You know PRIDE wants to come here. In October
they’ll be coming to promote in the United States. Is it a wish of
yours that you would come fight in front of American fans?
Silva: I notice when I came here how much the American fans liked me and I was impressed. It’s my second trip to the United States and when I was on the plane and the plane was landing I was thinking to myself God, give me strength to fight here because I believe here is the place, this is the new route for me here. And if I’m able to have the same fights, the ones that I have in Japan, if I have them here then pretty soon I won’t be able to walk on the streets here. Everyone will recognize me.
Silva: I believe it’s very good and I think they should be done, those tests. This is to keep legitimacy to the sport. In Japan they also do the same tests before and after the event. And this is the way it should be anyway.
Sherdog.com: You’re a man that loves to test himself. Is there some disappointing inside you knowing that you may never get to fight Chuck Liddell (Pictures)? (Note: This interview was conducted before it was announced Silva would face Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in November.)
Silva: [English] Yeah, sure. Because he is a great fighter (inaudible). … [Translation] I wanted to fight him a lot. I think it’s the fight that everybody is waiting for. He’s a great fighter and his style matches mine, so I would think it would be a classic fight. I think this type of fight would be interesting right now when I’m still a champion and he’s a champion. The UFC said that PRIDE doesn’t give fighters to fight [in the U.S.] And I’m here to tell the that I’m here to fight here. I’m putting my name on the list.
Sherdog.com: Do you think the UFC wants you to fight Chuck Liddell (Pictures)?
Silva: Everybody wants [it]. I believe it’s a fight that should be scheduled right away. I’m in a good phase right now and he’s also in a good phase and at this moment would be the ideal moment. I would love to have to honor to fight with Randy Couture (Pictures). But unfortunately we didn’t have time for that. But I love Couture to come and if Couture wants to do it, come fight with me, I would love to.
Sherdog.com: Why won’t the promoters come together? Why do you feel that the promoters can’t agree on a fight like that?
Silva: [English] I don’t know. [Translation] I want and the fighter wants. But it doesn’t depend on us. The rest is with whoever has to take care of the problem.
Sherdog.com: You recently re-signed with PRIDE. How long are you under contract with them?
Silva: Until the end of August next year. (Note: PRIDE indicated Silva was signed beyond August 2007.)
Sherdog.com: You’re happy with the deal you received?
Silva: (laughing) [English] Very happy. [Translation] Now I’m getting well paid and it was the best contract I’ve ever done.
Sherdog.com: There was a lot of talk in the United States about American promoters offering you contracts — UFC, WFA, IFL. How serious were those negotiations?
Silva: I was very happy because I received a lot of proposals. And that was a good sign I wouldn't be on unemployment in case PRIDE didn’t want to take me. (laughs) It was very good proposals and I noticed that the market in the U.S. is growing in terms of fights. My strongest belief and why my desire to come fight here in the U.S. because in three to five years the market might be really strong and the U.S. might be number one in terms of providing fights. That’s why I want to come here.
Sherdog.com: I already sort of asked you about this, but what is your opinion of the rules. In PRIDE you can do much more in a fight. You can kick on the ground. You can knee to the head on the ground. America is much more restrictive in the rules. What’s your opinion of American rules?
Silva: [English] These are good rules because … [Translation] they’re a little different but you can still use the elbow. The only one that I noticed that I miss a lot is of course the kicks on the ground because I use that a lot. That is the one I miss the most. But I believe I can adapt to that rule easily and I think I can present myself very well in the States.
Sherdog.com: A lot American fans almost don’t want to see PRIDE come to the United States because they don’t want to see it watered down. They don’t want to see the slower rules. They like PRIDE where it is right now. Will fighting under these rules diminish what you can do as a fighter? Will you still be as ferocious a fighter?
Silva: I don’t agree with you. I think when the event of PRIDE will come here, it will be lots of people. It will be crowded. It will be a big event. I believe it’s a show well done, very well performed and everybody will come to see and want to see in person, because it has everything to do with the States. You already saw it live over there, so you know how it is.
Silva: I came to see this event. It’s a very good event. And I came to see in person.
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Silva: I notice when I came here how much the American fans liked me and I was impressed. It’s my second trip to the United States and when I was on the plane and the plane was landing I was thinking to myself God, give me strength to fight here because I believe here is the place, this is the new route for me here. And if I’m able to have the same fights, the ones that I have in Japan, if I have them here then pretty soon I won’t be able to walk on the streets here. Everyone will recognize me.
Sherdog.com: Fighting in the United States is different,
maybe, than any other place in the world. The fighters are expected
to fight under a different sent of rules and when they fight with
athletic commission [regulation] they’re also expected to take drug
tests, performance-enhancing tests. What’s your opinion of fighters
taking these tests?
Silva: I believe it’s very good and I think they should be done, those tests. This is to keep legitimacy to the sport. In Japan they also do the same tests before and after the event. And this is the way it should be anyway.
Sherdog.com: You’re a man that loves to test himself. Is there some disappointing inside you knowing that you may never get to fight Chuck Liddell (Pictures)? (Note: This interview was conducted before it was announced Silva would face Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in November.)
Silva: [English] Yeah, sure. Because he is a great fighter (inaudible). … [Translation] I wanted to fight him a lot. I think it’s the fight that everybody is waiting for. He’s a great fighter and his style matches mine, so I would think it would be a classic fight. I think this type of fight would be interesting right now when I’m still a champion and he’s a champion. The UFC said that PRIDE doesn’t give fighters to fight [in the U.S.] And I’m here to tell the that I’m here to fight here. I’m putting my name on the list.
Sherdog.com: Do you think the UFC wants you to fight Chuck Liddell (Pictures)?
Silva: Everybody wants [it]. I believe it’s a fight that should be scheduled right away. I’m in a good phase right now and he’s also in a good phase and at this moment would be the ideal moment. I would love to have to honor to fight with Randy Couture (Pictures). But unfortunately we didn’t have time for that. But I love Couture to come and if Couture wants to do it, come fight with me, I would love to.
Sherdog.com: Why won’t the promoters come together? Why do you feel that the promoters can’t agree on a fight like that?
Silva: [English] I don’t know. [Translation] I want and the fighter wants. But it doesn’t depend on us. The rest is with whoever has to take care of the problem.
Sherdog.com: You recently re-signed with PRIDE. How long are you under contract with them?
Silva: Until the end of August next year. (Note: PRIDE indicated Silva was signed beyond August 2007.)
Sherdog.com: You’re happy with the deal you received?
Silva: (laughing) [English] Very happy. [Translation] Now I’m getting well paid and it was the best contract I’ve ever done.
Sherdog.com: There was a lot of talk in the United States about American promoters offering you contracts — UFC, WFA, IFL. How serious were those negotiations?
Silva: I was very happy because I received a lot of proposals. And that was a good sign I wouldn't be on unemployment in case PRIDE didn’t want to take me. (laughs) It was very good proposals and I noticed that the market in the U.S. is growing in terms of fights. My strongest belief and why my desire to come fight here in the U.S. because in three to five years the market might be really strong and the U.S. might be number one in terms of providing fights. That’s why I want to come here.
Sherdog.com: I already sort of asked you about this, but what is your opinion of the rules. In PRIDE you can do much more in a fight. You can kick on the ground. You can knee to the head on the ground. America is much more restrictive in the rules. What’s your opinion of American rules?
Silva: [English] These are good rules because … [Translation] they’re a little different but you can still use the elbow. The only one that I noticed that I miss a lot is of course the kicks on the ground because I use that a lot. That is the one I miss the most. But I believe I can adapt to that rule easily and I think I can present myself very well in the States.
Sherdog.com: A lot American fans almost don’t want to see PRIDE come to the United States because they don’t want to see it watered down. They don’t want to see the slower rules. They like PRIDE where it is right now. Will fighting under these rules diminish what you can do as a fighter? Will you still be as ferocious a fighter?
Silva: I don’t agree with you. I think when the event of PRIDE will come here, it will be lots of people. It will be crowded. It will be a big event. I believe it’s a show well done, very well performed and everybody will come to see and want to see in person, because it has everything to do with the States. You already saw it live over there, so you know how it is.
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