'Feijao' Promises Action at 'Unfinished Business'
Gleidson Venga Jul 24, 2008
A fast-rising force in the light heavyweight division, Rafael
"Feijao" Cavalcante (Pictures) will take another step towards
vying for a championship belt when he meets Travis
Galbraith (Pictures) at EliteXC: Unfinished Business
on Saturday in Stockton, Calif. Sherdog.com recently sat down with
the talented Brazilian to discuss his upcoming bout.
Sherdog.com: Your last fight in EliteXC was one month ago in Hawaii. How did you prepare yourself for this fight in such a short period of time?
Cavalcante: I’d already been training hard for my last fight, so I didn’t need to do a lot more. My training has been great. [UFC middleweight champion] Anderson Silva (Pictures) is here with me. Fabio Maldonado (Pictures) is here, as well. They help me very much. Daniel Voihin, Josuel Distak and Rogério Camões, my trainers, also helped me a lot on my preparation. I just need to lose some weight for the fight. I’m ready, and God willing, I’ll conquer one more opponent.
Sherdog.com: Did you expect to be called to
fight again so quickly, or was this a surprise for you?
Cavalcante: No, it was really a surprise. I expected to fight again only in September, but since I was not hurt and my trainers said I could, I accepted this fight. The athlete gets worn out by the training, but I’ve talked to [my trainers], and they said, ‘Yes,’ so let’s go.
Sherdog.com: Being this active is a sign that the organizers are enjoying your work, right?
Cavalcante: It’s true. I’ve even heard some statements from [former EliteXC Live Events president] Gary Shaw [about being the best in the world], but I don’t consider myself near that. I think I have to train hard. I still have many things to learn and also a lot of things to face in the ring to get close to being one of the best fighters of the world.
Cavalcante: As I said, I don’t care much about that. I see Anderson Silva (Pictures) as my example; he is always training, always wanting to evolve. I learn from him and from [Antonio Rodrigo] “Minotauro” [Nogueira], who are the best in the world but don’t consider themselves to be in that position. It’s difficult to be named best something, not only best in the world but best striker, best grappler, or anything else, because it can become a burden on you. I go up there and do what I’ve trained for. I release my game. I guess in my last fights I’ve released my game much more.
Sherdog.com: You train with Anderson Silva (Pictures) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) every day. Are they role models for you?
Cavalcante: For sure they are. They are models for me, not only as fighters but as people; they are wonderful people. I think that, as fighters, no doubt, everybody wants to be like them one day, doing what they are able to do in the ring. They get to do the same things they do in the gym in the ring.
Sherdog.com: Tell me about Travis Galbraith (Pictures). What have you seen in his game?
Cavalcante: I saw three of his fights. He strikes well, but he’s best on the ground because he has a lot of ways to finish you. I’ve seen somebody talking about my jiu-jitsu on a Web site, saying I’m a fighter that has to fight on my feet. But they’re wrong. In reality, I’m originally a ground fighter. I’ll show that if the fight goes to the ground. I’ll finish it there. I haven’t gone to the ground because it just hasn’t been time for that.
Sherdog.com: The tendency has been to match you with tougher and tougher opponents, don’t you think?
Cavalcante: I hope so, and I think it’s great. I guess we have to be tested to the limit. I train to the limit, so I have to be tested to the limit, as well. I like to be tested, and I do this in the gym. Rogério Camões and Distak are excellent trainers. They are both really very good on the technical part and on the tactics. There are many experienced people close to me teaching me a lot of things, so there won’t be situations I face in the ring that I haven’t faced in training. We have two ways of learning: being spanked or listening. I’ve listened and was spanked a lot, too.
Sherdog.com: You trained with Anderson Silva (Pictures) prior to his last fight against James Irvin (Pictures) at UFC Fight Night 14. Did you expect such a devastating performance from him?
Cavalcante: I trust him a lot, and I expected a performance like that from him. I expected a victory in the first round or right at the beginning of the second. He was very well trained. His training is absurdly good. Many people don’t know, but Anderson usually weighs 103 kilograms; it’s his normal weight. And another thing, he just trains with heavyweights. He only trains with me, with “Minotauro,” [Antonio Rogerio] “Minotoro” [Nogueira], etcetera. I’ve heard people saying that he could be unsuccessful [fighting at light heavyweight] because the hands of a 93-kilogram guy are heavier than what he is accustomed to, but he only trains with heavyweights, with heavy-handed guys. Fabio Maldonado (Pictures), for instance, is a professional boxer. Of course, a fight is a fight and anything can happen, but he was well prepared. He has a good mind, he has a great personality, and it’s very hard to win against him.
Sherdog.com: Your most recent fights have been action-packed and have excited the audience. Is that what we can expect on Saturday?
Cavalcante: You can expect, as usual, a lot of aggressiveness. I’m in excellent shape, coming off good victories. I train constantly, and I like that because I release myself more and more. When I’m up there, I want to perform, to give a show, because I’m well prepared and ready. I have great trainers, an excellent team and a great mind. I’m concentrating on what I want, and what I want now is to get the belt.
Sherdog.com: Your last fight in EliteXC was one month ago in Hawaii. How did you prepare yourself for this fight in such a short period of time?
Cavalcante: I’d already been training hard for my last fight, so I didn’t need to do a lot more. My training has been great. [UFC middleweight champion] Anderson Silva (Pictures) is here with me. Fabio Maldonado (Pictures) is here, as well. They help me very much. Daniel Voihin, Josuel Distak and Rogério Camões, my trainers, also helped me a lot on my preparation. I just need to lose some weight for the fight. I’m ready, and God willing, I’ll conquer one more opponent.
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Cavalcante: No, it was really a surprise. I expected to fight again only in September, but since I was not hurt and my trainers said I could, I accepted this fight. The athlete gets worn out by the training, but I’ve talked to [my trainers], and they said, ‘Yes,’ so let’s go.
Sherdog.com: Being this active is a sign that the organizers are enjoying your work, right?
Cavalcante: It’s true. I’ve even heard some statements from [former EliteXC Live Events president] Gary Shaw [about being the best in the world], but I don’t consider myself near that. I think I have to train hard. I still have many things to learn and also a lot of things to face in the ring to get close to being one of the best fighters of the world.
Sherdog.com: You have made a good impression
on people with your latest performances. How do you deal with
that?
Cavalcante: As I said, I don’t care much about that. I see Anderson Silva (Pictures) as my example; he is always training, always wanting to evolve. I learn from him and from [Antonio Rodrigo] “Minotauro” [Nogueira], who are the best in the world but don’t consider themselves to be in that position. It’s difficult to be named best something, not only best in the world but best striker, best grappler, or anything else, because it can become a burden on you. I go up there and do what I’ve trained for. I release my game. I guess in my last fights I’ve released my game much more.
Sherdog.com: You train with Anderson Silva (Pictures) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) every day. Are they role models for you?
Cavalcante: For sure they are. They are models for me, not only as fighters but as people; they are wonderful people. I think that, as fighters, no doubt, everybody wants to be like them one day, doing what they are able to do in the ring. They get to do the same things they do in the gym in the ring.
Sherdog.com: Tell me about Travis Galbraith (Pictures). What have you seen in his game?
Cavalcante: I saw three of his fights. He strikes well, but he’s best on the ground because he has a lot of ways to finish you. I’ve seen somebody talking about my jiu-jitsu on a Web site, saying I’m a fighter that has to fight on my feet. But they’re wrong. In reality, I’m originally a ground fighter. I’ll show that if the fight goes to the ground. I’ll finish it there. I haven’t gone to the ground because it just hasn’t been time for that.
Sherdog.com: The tendency has been to match you with tougher and tougher opponents, don’t you think?
Cavalcante: I hope so, and I think it’s great. I guess we have to be tested to the limit. I train to the limit, so I have to be tested to the limit, as well. I like to be tested, and I do this in the gym. Rogério Camões and Distak are excellent trainers. They are both really very good on the technical part and on the tactics. There are many experienced people close to me teaching me a lot of things, so there won’t be situations I face in the ring that I haven’t faced in training. We have two ways of learning: being spanked or listening. I’ve listened and was spanked a lot, too.
Sherdog.com: You trained with Anderson Silva (Pictures) prior to his last fight against James Irvin (Pictures) at UFC Fight Night 14. Did you expect such a devastating performance from him?
Cavalcante: I trust him a lot, and I expected a performance like that from him. I expected a victory in the first round or right at the beginning of the second. He was very well trained. His training is absurdly good. Many people don’t know, but Anderson usually weighs 103 kilograms; it’s his normal weight. And another thing, he just trains with heavyweights. He only trains with me, with “Minotauro,” [Antonio Rogerio] “Minotoro” [Nogueira], etcetera. I’ve heard people saying that he could be unsuccessful [fighting at light heavyweight] because the hands of a 93-kilogram guy are heavier than what he is accustomed to, but he only trains with heavyweights, with heavy-handed guys. Fabio Maldonado (Pictures), for instance, is a professional boxer. Of course, a fight is a fight and anything can happen, but he was well prepared. He has a good mind, he has a great personality, and it’s very hard to win against him.
Sherdog.com: Your most recent fights have been action-packed and have excited the audience. Is that what we can expect on Saturday?
Cavalcante: You can expect, as usual, a lot of aggressiveness. I’m in excellent shape, coming off good victories. I train constantly, and I like that because I release myself more and more. When I’m up there, I want to perform, to give a show, because I’m well prepared and ready. I have great trainers, an excellent team and a great mind. I’m concentrating on what I want, and what I want now is to get the belt.
