Is this a new beginning? Vitor Belfort is Black House MMA team member.The Phenom, Vitor Belfort, lost his last fight at Pride 32-‘The real deal’ in Las Vegas, Nevada last November 21th. People once again started on talking he was over, because besides the defeat he was accused of using banned substances. However Vitor was caught upby us in a quick interview to explain his joining to the Black House team and his goals for next year.
Denis Martins: Hi Vitor, how are you doing lately?
Vitor Belfort: Well, I joined Black House MMA team and I will live in Rio de Janeiro again. This is the new team and I expect to have more motivation for 2007.
DM: Did not you have motivation?
VB: Those problems which strike my life were rough. That problem with my sister put me depressed, without much will to train, but in same time training hard. However the focus was tough to reach. Now I am a little better and Black House is giving me the same incentive I had in the Carlson Team’s time.
DM: Is Black House Team the re-born of Vitor Belfort?
VB: Can be. I think everyday is a re-born into our lives. We need to have motivation to wake-up from the bed everyday and have some target to do. I want to make better things now, I do not look to the past, I want the present and the future to make better than I did, because I can not change my past.
DM: Why did you join Black House?
VB: I had a few troubles in my career and Jorge Guimaraes (one of the Black House founders) saw what I had in my career. So we had a conversation and I told him we needed to join forces and make a team. So we formed Black House and we are going to see the results in next year and I am happy I am here.
DM: You are going to have a good focus on your training, but which organization will you focus? Pride or UFC?
VB: Guimaraes will manage this. I want to train and to fight. I have faith in God and I want to make a tough job to reach good results.
DM: You fought in Pride 32 in USA and the Nevada State Athletic Commission accused you of testing positive for banned substances. What can you tell us?
VB: I did not take that substances they accused me. I took normal vitamins and I guess the excess I took generated an increase of the testosterone. So I think they alleged I took banned substances. This was not a doping. They are analyzing and they will give a final verdict soon.
What do you think about the Nevada State Athletic Commission?
VB: The idea is okay, but I think they are confusing a lot of fights. I hope that they could understand about the sport because it is growing a lot. They need to understand – clearly – what is a mount position a sweep and that sometimes who is on the bottom is more active than a guy on the top. I expect a huge development on this MMA aspect in 2007 too.
DM: Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua as Pride champions and Chuck Liddell as UFC champion in your weight category. Are they your targets?
VB: Well, I do not have much to comment about that. They deserved the places they are now. I admire them and I expect to face them in the future. This will be a pleasure to fight them because their belts are my goals.
DM: What do you pick in the fight involving Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz?
VB: I do not like bets, both have chances and a fight can have several outcomes. The better trained will come in December 30th!
DM: Any final message to the fans?
VB: I want to thank all of the fans. I received e-mails and letters from them which motivated me a lot to make a nice return in 2007. I expected they understood that if I did not win some fights this was because I am a human and I was under several bad moments. God will capacitate me to give my best in the battlefields I will have in 2007.