Pedro Rizzo about Fedor, his fight with him and the UFC

-How's your expectations on fighting Fedor?

I'm training in a normal way, and motivated. Training for a fight is always motivating, specially for fighting Fedor, who is a guy i always wanted to fight. For numerous reasons we haven't faced each other all those years. Or i lost the fight before getting to him, or we were on different events. The times i've been in the same event as him was during Affliction, i lost to Josh Barnett, and i lost in Pride. When i was doing well, i was in the UFC and he was in Pride, so we never had the chance to fight. I always wanted to make this fight. Now I'll be fighting with a guy i was always watching, i always imagined fighting with him and the day finally came.

-You always wanted that fight, but it came in a time where Fedor's not well ranked as he used to. He's coming from 2 victories, but he got marked by that three losses on Strikeforce. You're upset it took that long?

No. The fighting world is like that. I had better moments and he had better moments. To me, he's the same fighter from Pride. People say he's decadent, but i disagree. I think in a high level fight that's how it goes. He's been fighting for so long. Sometimes you end up losing. I think the only thing that might have changed is his mind, your head helps alot. When you're a champion, you're winning, beating everybody, you think you'll always win. That's 60 to 70% of a fight. It's confidence. When he had his first loss to Fabrício Werdum, his confidence broke. After that he lost to Pezão and Dan Henderson. Anyway he's a very hard guy, it is a very tough fight and i think it will be a great combat, because the same way he doesn't want to disappoint, i don't want either.

-You had to cancel your last fight because of an elbow problem. How was the recovery?

I operated in November. So the expectation was that it'd be 100% now, and that's what happened. Now i'm training 100%. i'm using the training with Glover Teixeira to train hard. After Glover, i'll go to Marco Ruas, then Glover will join me again. I'll make the three last weeks on my training camp in Holland, which is close. Two to three hours from St Petersburg.

-What lessons you took from his three losses?

Nowadays everyone knows each other. There's no secret between fighters anymore. Fedor was undefeated for 10 years, everybody saw how he fights. I think of making my game, but nowadays everyone's good all around. Fedor's a guy with good takedowns and Judo, that got better on his striking, and now's training in Holland all the time. I'll make a camp there too. You know it's hard to talk about such a complete fighter like Fedor, pointing his flaws. You have to fight and see what happens. I have my strategy and i want to keep it a secret. I have my way of fighting, and things that worked against him before i'll train on top of it and i think i'll be victorious. He's going to train on what he thinks are my flaws too.

-A while ago, you talked about a possible return to the UFC. In case you win, you think you'll be closer of that possibility?

Honestly, i'm happy to be fighting Fedor, because it's a challenge to fight him, specially in Russia. It will be crazy, but i think that crazyness splits into pressure. Inside the ring it's me and him. I think the UFC just got little to me. My dream now is to win this fight, that has a tremendous importance to my career and to my competitive will. Really, i'm not thinking about that now. I don't think if i beat him i'll go to the UFC. I have two fights now, so after him i still have another, but, i have to go through him. I'm so happy to be fighting Fedor that i don't even think about the UFC, only about this fight.

http://www.tatame.com.br/2012/04/28/Empolgado-com-Fedor-Rizzo-esquece-UFC

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There it is. Hope you guys can understand everything. Because of the way of talking in Brazil somethings might sound strange, but that's how it is. I kept it as faithful as possible.

Rizzo has great attitude and talks like a humble, pro athlete. I´m happy for him, that he got this opportunity to fight in a high profile fight.

Thanks for the translation Wolfman

Awesome, thanks for translating.

Yo' the man Wolfman!

I've always like Pedro. He KTFO'd a lot top quality guys that stood in font of him. He always move forward bringing the fight. One of the greatest strikers in MMA history. I don't know why but he doesn't get the attention he deserves when it comes to his place in MMA history. I was around to watch a lot of his fights back in the day. They were pretty damn exciting. He should definitely be in the UFC hall of fame.

As far as his fight with Fedor goes, I don't think it will go well for Rizzo. At this point everywhere every place is in Fedor's favor. Maybe even low leg kicks.

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/pedro-rizzo-fight-against-fedor-interview-2080139/

I noticed someone translated this differently on sherdog and made it seem like Rizzo wants to beat Fedor to get into the ufc. Someone might want to set them straight (I was banned from sherdog for posting an article from Teamtaker a long time ago).

^

That was some shitty translation. Pedro said nothing like that. He said exactly like i posted. I translated word by word. Apparently the guy that posted translated from a russian translation, that's probably the cause. Or someone in the process probably got butthurt because Pedro said UFC got little since he got the opportunity to face the GOAT.

Since i speak portuguese i took directly from Pedro words, so i can guarantee that he said what i posted. Try to check the words and even try translating it on google that you'll see. If you know someone that speaks portuguese just ask them, even someone that knows spanish might understand it a little and confirm it.

^I believe you, I just thought someone should go set those guys straight since they all think it's the way that one guy translated it.

Kinosis wrote:^I believe you, I just thought someone should go set those guys straight since they all think it's the way that one guy translated it.

I don't have a Sherdog acc otherwise i'd post that. If someone from here or just lurking can post there it would be nice.

Johan Lofgren wrote:Rizzo has great attitude and talks like a humble, pro athlete.

Yeah I appreciate how Rizzo is approaching this opportunity, makes me imagine it should be a solid contest between two veterans.

Kinosis wrote:http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/pedro-rizzo-fight-against-fedor-interview-2080139/

I noticed someone translated this differently on sherdog and made it seem like Rizzo wants to beat Fedor to get into the ufc. Someone might want to set them straight (I was banned from sherdog for posting an article from Teamtaker a long time ago).

send me the sherdog link I'll set those trolls straight.

PRIDE NEVER DIE wrote:

Kinosis wrote:http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/pedro-rizzo-fight-against-fedor-interview-2080139/

I noticed someone translated this differently on sherdog and made it seem like Rizzo wants to beat Fedor to get into the ufc. Someone might want to set them straight (I was banned from sherdog for posting an article from Teamtaker a long time ago).

send me the sherdog link I'll set those trolls straight.

Hey PND!! where have you been, man? Anyway, the link is that one on the beginning of his post, but take it easy, it's probably not the guy's fault.