Here’s a interview with Brazilian mma stars, the Rua brothers, Murilo and Mauricio. Ninja and Shogun talk about life since their recent losses to Robbie Lawlor and Forrest Griffin. Interview comes courtesy of PunchDrunkGamer.com:

Murilo “NINJA” Rua

PDG:  Since your loss to Robbie Lawler; what have you been doing?  Do you have any lingering injuries from that fight? 
Ninja:  I changed some things in my training, now I have a new guy from Cuba helping me in the wrestling and physical preparation.  Aleho Morales, he has an excellent background with the Cuban Olympic Team.  Beside that I’m training hard with the Chute Boxe Team and I’m in shape again.  Thank God that I didn’t have any serious injury in the fight against Rob.
 
PDG: Have you begun your training for the December 1st fight against Xavier Foupa-Pokam?  Are you training differently for this fight than you did for the Lawler fight? 
Ninja:  As I told you I am giving more attention to the wrestling and two weeks after the fight against Rob I was training again, it is my job.  I love to fight and I have plans to have at least 4 fights in 2008, with one of them being for the Cage Rage belt. 
 
PDG:  What do you know about your next opponent? 
Ninja:  That we won his last fight in Cage Rage, he’s dangerous and aggressive, like me. 
 
PDG:  Your Last fight was in Hawaii.  You live in Curitiba.  Your next fight is in Europe.  Does the constant change in locations/time zones affect your preparation and performance in your fights? 
Ninja:  The trips are a little boring, for example: there are no flights from Brazil to Hawaii with no stops.  It was a 16 hour flight to Honolulu and it was difficult but never an excuse for the loss.  I like living in Curitiba but maybe in 2008 I will move to the USA, I am talking about this with the Team and my family.  The other thing that is important to take care of is the food.  It is totally different than my routine here in Curitiba and during the travels, but that’s ok.  We must learn to deal with this.
 
PDG:  There was some action in the ring after your fight with Lawler ended.  What happened between your corner and the referee Mario Yamasaki?
Ninja:  I’m not sure about that.  Someone told me that he took to much time to finish the fight.  I think that he was right, as a fight for the belt involves a lot of things that the referee must know about. The event and that the fans want to see the fight until the referee is sure that it is the moment to finish it.

PDG:  What was your opinion/evaluation of your brother Shogun‘s fight with Forrest Griffin? 
Ninja:  Shogun had some problems in his preparation.  He had an injury to his knee (he had already passed on a surgery), the wedding and his new home but any of those would just be an excuse.  He knows about that and we must respect Forrest and his win.  I’m sure that if Shogun was well trained the fight would be totally different but it is just time to review the mistakes and move on.  I’m sure that we will see Shogun with the UFC belt very soon as he will be back better than ever!!!
 
PDG:  Ninja, is there anything else that you would like to tell your fans?
Ninja:  Thanks to all the fans that sent me messages after the fight in Hawaii.  No one likes to lose but my fans understand that I gave my best in the fight.  Now my goal is the Cage Rage belt and I’m working for that and I’m very happy because EliteXC recognized my efforts and I already have renewed my contract with the them.  I’m able to fight in the Cage Rage events in 2008 and in the USA with Elite XC.  When you lose a fight and the organization calls you to talk about a new contract (I had one more fight in EliteXC in my old contract) because they are happy with your performance.  It makes me very happy to be with them too.

Mauricio ‘SHOGUN’ RuaPDG:  Since your successful knee surgery.  How does the knee feel and what will be your recovery time-frame until you can start training again?
Shogun:  The knee is great, the surgery was a success and the doctor told me that everything is running better than the original schedule.  I’m already doing physiotherapy and I think that I will be fight training in December.  I will be back fighting in February or March, I hope so!!!!
 
PDG:  Can you give fans your breakdown of your fight with Forrest.  What went right and what went wrong? 
Shogun:  I don’t like to give excuses, I lost and that’s it, period.  Nothing went right; I assume this and the injury interfered in my training.  Specifically in regards to training kicks and running.  I also had a lot of new things in my life, a wedding and a new home, but it is no problem, let’s move ahead.  I don’t want to talk about the past, let’s see what is coming next.  I’m still very young and I know that I can get the UFC belt in the future; I will be back better than ever.
 
PDG:  Can you describe the difference between fighting in the PRIDE ring and the UFC cage? 
Shogun:  In the cage the fight is more aggressive and there are no corners to get a break. I already fought in the Cage before with no problem; my defeat doesn’t have anything to do with the Cage or Ring.
 
PDG:  What adjustments will you have to make before your next fight? 
Shogun:  It’s too early to say, for now I want to be ok with my knee but for sure more focus in the training and more hours inside the Chute Boxe Academy.  I will work more on my physical training too. 
 
PDG:  You are not the first PRIDE veteran to lose in the octagon this year.  Examples include Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Dan Henderson, Heath Herring and Yushin Okami.  What are your thoughts? 
Shogun:  It is just coincidence as I have read some things on some websites talking about this subject.  That UFC fighters were always better than PRIDE fighters but those people forgot Quinton Jackson.  I think that the guy came to the UFC after 3 terrible defeats in PRIDE (to me and Wanderlei Silva twice), now though he has the UFC belt, so…….
 
PDG:  Do you want a rematch with Forrest or a new opponent? 
Shogun:  I don’t like to choose my opponents, I want the UFC belt and I’m sure that Forrest will be in my way to accomplish this.  So a rematch is just a matter of time.
 
PDG:  Dan Henderson has reportedly rejected a fight with Tito Ortiz.  Would you fight Ortiz? 
Shogun:  As I told you, I don’t choose my opponents but I can fight Ortiz, no problem.  Now that I have a recent defeat I will need to prove that I can have the UFC belt and Ortiz is probably living with the same situation.  There is good chance for this fight to happen. 
 
PDG:  Now that you have been in the UFC for a little while.  What are the differences between PRIDE and the UFC?  In regards to business outside and inside of the cage/ring?
Shogun:  Both events are very professional, I can’t complain about the way that they have treated me.  I got a lot respect and a lot of attention.  The American fans make more noise then the Japanese and the noise inside the gymnasium is incredible. You know that the Japanese culture is very different with regards to the language and the way that they face the business.  For us, the Brazilians we have more in common with the American culture, it is easier to understand and USA is the land of the promotion and marketing.  
 
PDG:  How many more fights are on your UFC contract? 
Shogun:  3 fights and I want to make all of them happen in 2008, I hope so!!! 

PDG:  Fedor Emelianenko signed with M-1 and Randy Couture quit the UFC.  Can you give me your thoughts on both events and do you think they will eventually fight in the new M-1 organization? 
Shogun:  I like the idea to have more Events like the UFC and PRIDE.  It is good for the sport, the fighters and for the fans.  Someone told me about the money offers for both (Fedor and Randy), if the numbers are true I’m sure that it is great news for all of the fighters, the sport is going for a new level.  M-1 for now is a good promise, UFC is a reality and I think that Fedor is trying to get the best for his career.  Randy is the UFC image and maybe there is something that they will fix and we will see him in the UFC again.
 
PDG:  Your brother Ninja also suffered a loss the same week as yours.  He will be fighting in Cage Rage 24 on December 1st.  Has he recovered from his fight with Lawler and has he made any changes to his training?
Shogun:  He’s ok; Ninja is a tuff guy and is very professional.  Two weeks after the fight he was training again.  Now he’s training with a guy from Cuba, a wrestling coach that works with physical training too.  He has told me that he is very happy with this and that the MMA training in Chute Boxe is very heavy.
 
PDG:  Is there anything else that you would like to tell your fans?
Shogun:  Thanks again for the many emails that I had after my surgery, supporting me and giving me a lot of motivation to come back as soon as possible.  I will prove to all my fans that I can have the UFC belt and that is a compromise that I assume with all my fans.

Here’s Global’s picks. As usual don’t trust us:

185 lbs.: Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin
Hvywt.: Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera
205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar vs. Eric Schafer
185 lbs.: Kalib Starnes vs. Alan Belcher
155 lbs.: Jorge Gurgel vs. Alvin Robinson
185 lbs.: Jason MacDonald vs. Yushin Okami
185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen vs. Demian Maia
170 lbs.: Josh Burkman vs. Forrest Petz
155 lbs.: Jason Black vs. Matt Grice

Anderson Silva via 3rd Rd TKO

Vera via UD (I’ve changed my mind on this one so many times)

Bonnar via UD

Belcher via UD (I suppose Starnes should be the favourite but he looked horrible against Leben.)

Okami via 3rd Rd Sub (1week ago I’d have said G’n'P stoppage, but this isn’t a lock, J-Mac looked huge at weigh-ins.)

Gurgel via SD

Jensen, Burkman and Black. How? No idea. Guesses really. Although I think Burkman will win just because.

Here’s the official weigh-in results for Saturday night’s UFC77: Hostile Territory 

185 lbs.: Anderson Silva (184.5) vs. Rich Franklin (184)
Hvywt.: Tim Sylvia (260.5) vs. Brandon Vera (225.5)
205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar (204) vs. Eric Schafer (203)
185 lbs.: Kalib Starnes (186) vs. Alan Belcher (186)
155 lbs.: Jorge Gurgel (155) vs. Alvin Robinson (155.5)
185 lbs.: Jason MacDonald (184.5) vs. Yushin Okami (186)
185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen (185.5) vs. Demian Maia (185)
170 lbs.: Josh Burkman (171) vs. Forrest Petz (170)
155 lbs.: Jason Black (156) vs. Matt Grice (155)

Notably the middleweight clash between Okami and MacDonald will not be broadcast and here’s a quote from J-Mac to explain exactly why:

“As far as the decision to not be on the main card, the UFC has told me that it has nothing to do with me. It has to do with the fact that Okami is a boring fighter. They know I’ll try to put on an exciting fight. In fact, as I felt the hotel on Thursday, I ran into Joe Silva, the matchmaker for the UFC, and he asked to talk to me to express that again and apologized in advance to me.”

Also worth mentioning was both MacDonald’s and Franklin’s physical appearance. MacDonald looked very dehydrated, looks like a huge cut. Global was surprised to see that MacDonald was perhaps bigger than Okami. J-Mac is going to come into this bigger than usual we suspect. As for ‘Ace’ he looked in the best shape ever. It appears he’s done some extensive cardio as he looks to take this one into the 4th and 5th rounds.

TheFightNetwork.com is reporting that the lightweight matchup between BJ Penn and Sean Sherk or Joe Stevenson has been moved from December 29th’s UFC79: Nemesis to a rumoured event during Superbowl weekend. Not neccesssarily bad news as 79 is already shaping up to be fully loaded (Have the UFC come up with UFCxx: Fully loaded yet?) and the potential lightweight matchup should add to that weekend’s sporting festivities.

Here’s the article:

By Loretta Hunt (loretta@thefightnetwork.com)

Former UFC welterweight champion BJ Penn might not grace the Octagon at Dec. 29’s UFC 79 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The popular Hawaiian lightweight, who once tangled with current UFC light heavyweight fighter Lyoto Machida at heavyweight in Japan’s K-1 HERO’S, might be moved to fight a month later during UFC’s Super Bowl weekend festivities.

Penn (11-4-1) will face either UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (31-2-1) or contender Joe Stevenson (28-7-1). On Oct. 31, Sherk appeals a yearlong suspension handed down by the California State Athletic Commission for steroid use following his successful July 7 title defense over Hermes Franca (18-6) at UFC 73 in Sacramento, Calif. If Sherk is unable to get a reduced suspension, Stevenson confirmed to The Fight Network last month that he he will step into the role if need be. Xtreme Couture’s Stevenson has lit a fire in the cage since his turn on “The Ultimate Fighter 2,” clocking in four straight victories. In August, Stevenson earned a decisive unanimous decision win over Kurt Pellegrino (10-3) at UFC 74 “Respect.”

Even with the loss of Penn, UFC 79 doesn’t seem devoid of star power. The culmination of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter 6″ will see coaches Matt Hughes and Matt Serra collide that night, while it is all but announced that former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell will get his long-awaited match with former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva.

Current UFC middleweight champion Anderson ‘the Spider’ Silva has not yet arrived in Cincinnati where he intends to defend his title against the man he took the belt from in devastating fashion, Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin. Supposedly the Brazilian has encountered VISA problems but the latest word is he is set to arrive sometime on Thursday. Hopefully for this fight he’s coming in light as the stress and lack of time could be draining if he has to drop weight upon arrival for weigh-ins Friday afternoon.

Here’s a snip from MMAWeekly.com:

“According to sources close to the Silva, he had planned to be in town by now along with the other UFC 77 fighters, but there were delays in the issuance of his work visa.

Apparently, due to a recent holiday, government offices in Brazil were closed this past Friday and Monday thus delaying his visa being issued. He evidently did receive the visa on Wednesday and hopes to arrive in Cincinnati on Thursday.

Most UFC fighters typically arrive four to five days prior to an event to fulfill the necessary media and production requirements, as well as getting acclimated to their surroundings and finish any last minute weight cutting.

With Silva arriving just two days prior to his fight, as long as there are no further delays, questions are sure to abound as to whether or not it will affect his performance come Saturday night.”

The UFC look set to throw the winner of Saturday’s heavyweight bout between Brandon Vera and Tim Sylvia in with the former Pride FC heavyweight champion, Antonion Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira for the title recently vacated by Randy Couture. Here’s a quick take from Yahoo!Sports.com:

“The winner of the Brandon Vera-Tim Sylvia fight on Saturday at UFC 77 in Cincinnati will meet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the vacant heavyweight title sometime early next year.”

It is widely anticipated that this will go down the weekend of February 2nd, Superbowl weekend. Global can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Firstly it looks like Cheick Kongo has been harshly brushed outside, especially considering his recent win over Mirko Filipopvic at UFC75 last month. Same could be said for Gabriel Gonzaga. It appears ‘Napao’ will have to put together a run of wins to get back in the picture, perhaps a tad unfair given the fact Sylvia only has to fight once before potentially getting another shot at the title. As for Arlovski who has been inactive now for sometime as his contract issues have yet to be cleared up, he also looks to be out of the picture even after putting together back to back wins over two ground phenoms in Brazilians Marcio Cruz and Fabricio Werdum. Perhaos ‘the Pitbull’ will be lured back to M-1 for a potential big payday and superfight. Arlovski Fedor anyone?…It should fill the time that Randy Couture must remain inactive to sit out his contract.

One thing is for sure though, the landscape of the heavyweight division of the UFC has changed big time. We could still see Arlovski, Barnett and Hunt signing on with M-1 sometime in the coming months; a serious blow for the UFC undoubtedly. As for Crocop, if he’s serious and has his head in the right place he could yet make a run at the UFC heavyweight title. That would of course be some way down the line, as many as three wins away possibly. But nothing is a dead cert in the division at the moment, the whole thing is still up in the air.

K-1 Heros have decided to put together the rumoured superfight that all K-1 fans had hoped for. They have decided to pit their two biggest drawing cards in tournament champion Yoshihiro Akiyama against middleweight stalwart Denis Kang who shunned American promotions in favour of the Japanese outfit. This Heros card will be take place on October 28th at the Jang Chung Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. We’re predicting a Kang victory.

Hermes Franca is keeping busy during his mma suspension handed down to him by the CSAC back in July following his positive test. Franca looks to get over the suspension and the unanimous decision loss in a LW title bout with Sean Sherk (who also tested positive) by starting his own academy in West Palm Beach, Fla. called Team Hermes Franca set to open in November.

This comes hot on the heels of his exit from the Armory, a team in which he served as trainer. Franca has remained in fighting nick by preparing for an upcoming grappling match with Enrique Coco. Looks like he’s trying to further his ground game after Sherk exposed some weaknesses, seemingly passing his guard at will. Pop over to MMAWeekly for more on this story. 

As for the lastest on the ‘Muscle Shark’, his appeal is set to go to trial on the spooky date of October 31st.

* That’s Franca beating the snot out of Gabe ‘Put me back in’ Ruediger.