Issue 009
November 2005
FO: Chute Boxe is known as a team that is highly ranked in stand up action, but now the team has a lot of ground specialists. So how’s your ground game going?
ES: I got my purple belt from Nino ‘Elvis’ Schembri. I’m training a lot on the ground, I’m sharpened, my submission pace is high. We’ve several ground experts here like Daniel Acacio, Cristiano Marcelo, Jorge ‘Macaco’ Patino and Luiz Azeredo. Apart from this I’ve worked hard to keep a good stamina during the fight and I’m in my best shape ever.
FO: Do you think your ground game is your trouble?
ES: Like I mentioned before, I train a lot for the ground game. Those who know my training have already seen that I have talent on the ground. The problem is that sometimes when I go to the ground I’m already gassed out and people think I’m not good, but it’s not correct.
FO: Do you think an example of this is your fight against Anthony Rea in Cage Rage 10: Deliverance?
ES: A perfect one. I arrived in UK too close to the date of the fight and I didn’t get to acclimatise myself. It’s not an excuse, he beat me, but if we face each other again, I can maul him.
FO: Is your goal to have a re-match against Rea?
ES: I think a fight between us is inevitable and he knows it. Of course, my objective is the belt, but he has three wins at Cage Rage and I just two. So I think he deserves a title shot before me, but I want a re-match.
FO: Do you think you’ve found the perfect environment in Cage Rage for your fighting career?
ES: I think so. I’m open to fighting in any event that wants to give me opportunities. However, I’ve a good identification with the UK event and the fans.
FO: How did this identification come about?
ES: I think it’s because of my style, I’m a warrior who looks for the KO all the time. If I lose or win, it’s a fact, but the fans will never see me walking back. I’m here to show the Chute Boxe style and aggression is my tool.
?FO: Talking about your last two fights in Cage Rage, what’s your analysis?
ES: My fight at Cage Rage 11 was against Epstein, a fighter who’s never been KO’d before. He was very tough, but I put him to sleep with my punches. I didn’t know about Darren Little, but I respect him and I tried to give my best to knock him out too.
FO: You’ve conquered some minor awards in your MMA career. What are the main ones?
ES: I think that my main award is to fight. All events that I take part in have the same importance for me. I still didn’t conquer a huge MMA award, but I give value to all the events that I’ve taken part in.
FO: Your look is aggressive and you seem to be a ‘bad boy’. How would you define yourself as a person?
ES: I am trying to have a very aggressive appearance inside the ring. But, fans, it is only inside the ring. I worry about what fans think about me when I step out of the ring. I am not the same. I try to be the most aggressive fighter in the ring, but out of it I am a nice guy. Those who know me personally can tell you that. I never have problems with other fighters, so this aggressive appearance and attitude is only inside the ring.
FO: We see a lot of tattoos on your body. When did you get the first?
ES: At the age of 18 years old. I’ve always loved tattoos, but my mommy never let me have one, when I reached18 I did my first one.
FO: I realise that some of them represent your Cyborg style, with the cybernetic mechanisms, but do the other ones mean something?
ES: Just that one, where you can see the name Kauane. It’s my daughter’s name and she’s seven years old now — she is my motivation to keep myself fighting.
FO: So what’s the meaning behind the other ones?
ES: These are just designs that I saw in magazines or other places and then I added them to my body. You see that I’ve got Death’s image close to a phrase that talks about my friends, so if it meant something it’d be that I wanted my friends dead [laughs] and that is not true. It’s just an image that I liked and that’s it, no meanings.
FO: Any final message for the UK fans?
ES: Thank you a lot for the props buddies, I feel very comfortable when I travel to the UK. I met people who have more piercing and tattoos than me. My team-mates and friend joke with me that I’m hyped with my tattoos, so when I met people with the same characteristic, I felt in home. The country is wonderful and the UK fans can expect the same that they watched in my last fight. Each fighter that steps on the octagon against me I’ll declare war. Fans, I’ll never give-up.
