Carlos Eduardo Ozório: For your last fight (loss to Mauricio Shogun) you only trained in Belem and didn’t do any exchanges. Was that a mistake?
Lyoto Machida: Really, I was very focused while training in Belem. I’m not going to say it was a mistake, because I believe you can train anywhere, but when you have a lot of sparring partners, the technical level of people competing makes it much better to test yourself, to feel how you’ll react in determined situations. It’s important. I trained with Anderson and Mark Muñoz’s wrestling guys. I foresee a return trip there (USA) and several exchanges. I want to train at several academies, because I don’t hold myself to one in particular and I feel that’s important.
CEO: What’s your breakdown of Rampage’s qualities and defects?
LM: First of all, he’s a former champion, so Rampage is someone with differential. A fight between two former champions couldn’t be more fitting, two fighters who want their place in the sun. He’s a strong guy who has good boxing and wrestling. I feel he’s a bit limited standing, but he’s really strong and, although he may defend well on the ground, he’s not that good there, either. As I feel MMA is a sport in constant evolution, one tends to seek out all the possibilities, regardless of the facet of the fight that comes up. I’m going to exploit Rampage where he isn’t totally dominant. But I’m prepared for anything, whether it’s standing or on the ground.
CEO: Rampage has spoken of you before and will probably start up with provocations. Does that concern you?
LM: I see the professional side of it and know it’s his way of doing marketing. But nothing is worth talking about before the fact, because it really comes down to fight time. I’d rather not focus on that. Saying you’re going to make something happen is easy, but it’s when we’re locked in battle that we see what happens. I don’t fall for provocation and I’m focused.
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