Post-Fights Interview at the VII Mundials - Jul/2002

• Hello Leo !!!
  Hello my friend !!! How are the things going ?

• Fine. Let me ask... how was your train ?
  To be honest, I trained for a little less then one month, what isn't enough for such a tournament . What changed in my train was the physical preparation that I started with Prof. Paulo Caruso. That helped me to come to the tournament not 100% but in a good shape.
  My technical train (jiu-jitsu) was in Saulo Ribeiro's Academy that had good partners from the whole country.

• You had good first fight, against a tough opponent. What did you think about it ?
  I think that this fight was a good demonstration of my few phase. I started wininnig the fight and my oppopent reached a draw then was ahead in points. Before this preparation, it would be away more difficult to me to what I did: continue trusting in my Jiu-Jitsu and turn the score from 4x2 to 8x4 in my favor. After this fight, I could feel how better I was in my physical part, because 5 minutes later I was ready for the next fight.

• What about your second fight ?
  I started very well, and in less then 2 minutes I sweeped and pass guard of my opponent, make 5x0. I didn't want keep stopped, and ended not using the advantage I had. When I tried to reach full mount I made a mistake and fall to bottom in a bad position, what allowed my opponent to turn the score for him.

• Although you have had a good championship, you couldn't reach your goal, which was to be champion. What missed in your opinion ?
  To be honest, what I missed was to valorize my advantage, I mean, a strategy error, because I had big chances to win that fight and I wasted it.

• When are we going to see you in action again ?
  Real soon ! I already have some competitions in mind and one of them is the Abu Dhabi Trials, which should be in october. But if something appears before that, I'll be ready.

• Thanks! Do you want to say something for our readers ?
  I would like to thank my students, training partners and sponsors Contley, Seishin e Vision of Summer) for the support they have been giving me all those years. A special thank for my TPC (Texas Punishment Crew) students fpr the respect and trust they have for me.

Interview and translation by the webmaster