Exclusive "Shaolin" Interview

Underground
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There's an exclusive interview with Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, one of the world's top fighters under 155lbs, in which he speaks about the politics behind the scenes in PRIDE, his arch nemesis Tatsuya Kawajiri and his plans for 2006 at http://www.groundandpound.de/interviews/interview_291005_shaolin_en.html. Enjoy!

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link doesnt work?

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Should work basically. If not, try this one: http://tinyurl.com/a6qat. Cheers!

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http://www.groundandpound.de/interviews/interview_291005_shaolin_de.html works for me but can someone translate it?

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ttt

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TTT

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In a nutshell:

  • he thinks that he didn't get to fight in the Pride LW-tourney because they wanted to use 8 guys who had already fought in Pride and were familiar to their fans. He hopes to be included the next time.

  • he'd take a fight with Gomi or Sakurai immediately if one was offered to him, and might get his chance soon because they could run out of opponents for Gomi.

  • got caught with a punch by Kawajiri that eventually caused his loss. Makes no excuses, but would love to fight him again.

  • gives credit to Andre Pederneiras for everything he ever learned about combat sports.

  • hopes teammate Thales Leites gets a shot at Lindland soon.

  • has no plans for pure grappling tournaments right now.

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cont.

  • gives credit to Japanese fighters, feels that they often endure submission holds that would have forced others to tap.

  • worst moment: loss to Kawajiri, best moment: his very first win, and then the one over Hansen for the title.

  • his strongest opponent was Kawajiri, but he feels he can beat him in a rematch if he does his homework.

  • he beat Jean Silva in Cage Rage by running him out of gas and then submitting him.

  • wants to defend his title in February in London.

  • got his nickname because he was meditating a lot at the academy in his early days in JJ.

  • says that he won't be able to beat everyone all the time, but will always do his best. Thanks the fans for giving him the strength to be what he is in MMA.

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Thank you, JensK

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Thanks for the translation, looking forward to seeing who Cage Rage have to challenge for his title. Plus it means he'll be taking classes as usual, Nova Uniao!

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You're welcome guys.

Based on that interview, Shaolin seems like a really pleasant individual. Made me a fan for sure, looking forward to his next fight.

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ttt

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3t for one the most humble people in the MMA world.

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I've met Shaolin on several occassions and he's among one of the nicest people I know. He trains very hard and deserves all the praise he receives.