The UFC and Pride legend on aggression, discipline and his son Thor.
Q: You’re known for your ‘Axe Murderer’ personality in the cage, but you wear a permanent smile outside of it. Do you ever get as angry in your personal life as you do in the cage?
Silva: “Of course, everybody gets angry and I’m no different. Sometimes I get angry a lot of times in the day. Martial arts are a great way of controlling that anger. If you’re angry and you have no way of controlling it, it can get you in a lot of trouble.”
Q:Where you always calm before you fought or were you different when you were younger?
“I was the same back then as I am now.”
Q: We saw the clip of you taking Chael Sonnen to task for his negative comments about your native Brazil. There’s been a lot of trash talk in the UFC recently. What’s your opinion of it?
“I think if you’re a fighter you should just fight but I don’t mind other guys doing it.
There are a lot of guys who talk about the fight to build it up and with me personally I don’t find a problem with it as long as they don’t trash talk too much. A little bit’s OK [laughs]. I like self promotion. I think it makes the sport more interesting and that’s what the fans enjoy.”
Q: Do you think the ‘soccer kicks’ to a downed opponent that you used so effectively in Pride should be allowed in the UFC?
“I think they’re really good to watch. If I was to take away some rules then I’d take away the elbow because people get cut and it stops the fight too early. Maybe no kicking on the ground but kneeing on the ground would be a good rule as it would make the fight more interesting.”
Q: What do you consider to be your finest moment in Pride?
“I’m thinking the second time with Rampage Jackson was the best. When I knocked him out it was the finest moment of my career. My first fight with Sakuraba was awesome as well.”
Q: You famously trained at Chute Boxe in Brazil but now your run your own Wand Fight Team in Las Vegas. Are you finding it a rewarding experience?
“I try to mentor the fighters and try to help the new guys. I try to pass on my experience to make future champs.”
Q: Would you want your son Thor to be a fighter or would you want him to follow a different career path?
“No, for sure I want him to be a fighter in the future. I try to introduce him to martial arts. I train him in jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. I really want him to be a pro in the future but otherwise he can do what he wants to do.”
Q: The UFC has recently signed deals with Japanese media partners. Would you like to fight in Japan again?
“Yes, I’d love to fight there again one day.”
Q: Do you still get nervous when you step into the cage?
A: “It’s impossible now to be nervous when I’ve traveled all the way around the world to fight so many times.”
Q: Are you scared of anything whatsoever?
“My only fear is not putting on a good fight in front of my fans. I don’t fear pain or anything like that.”
Q: When you’re in a fight and it’s approaching the final seconds, what do you tell yourself to dig down deep and pull through?
“I don’t need much motivation. It’s my job, my choice, my business; I’m a fighter. I also love to fight and wouldn’t know what I’d do without fighting. It’s my life.”
Q; Are you a believer in traditional martial arts discipline like ‘respect your opponent’ and ‘protect the weak’?
“Of course, respect is rule number one. If you don’t know respect you won’t last long. I like the ethos martial arts has given me.”
Q: Does being a spiritual person help in your fighting?
“Yes. It helps me not be afraid because God is protecting me.”
Q: Who have you learnt the most about fighting from?
“Definitely Rafael Cordeiro. He’s a great coach and he’s helped me out a lot of times in my life. I like his style, his technique and the way he conducts classes. He’s a really good guy.”
Q: Does your wife go and watch you fight, or does she stay home?
“She likes it. I meet her after fighting. She was there from my first fight in Pride. For her it’s normal.”
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