Video: Anderson Silva Talks UFC 126 Win Over Vitor Belfort

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Anderson Silva talks UFC 126 and Vitor Belfort with UFC Sem Limites, don't forget to turn on captions:

"No, no problems. Vitor trained a long time in our team; Team Nogueira. And we have a code of honor in our team in which we will not fight one another. We spend much more time together than with our own families. We try to... In reality Team Nogueira is the product of what Rodrigo has always taught. Which is to always be united, and one helps the other, we are a family. Vitor spent a lot of time with us... a long time training with us, we opened the door of our home to him. And he broke this code, and it's something that... of course, he went his way but I have nothing against Vitor and he went his way."

"A lot, I trained a lot so that it would be efficient. That kick, a lot of people were saying it was luck, "oh, he'll never connect with that kick again". But like you said, I did that against Dan Henderson, against Demian too. Of course, after training with Steven Seagal it improved to the point in which I was able to execute it more effectively. After each of my training sessions I used to do 200 kicks in each leg. In total I must have done that kick around three to four thousand times."

Full transcript after the jump. Part 2 is coming next week.

I will post part 2 during the weekend some time, Anderson will take on the following topics:
- GSP
- shogun vs Anderson Silva
- Shogun vs Jon Jones
- Jon Jones vs Anderson Silva
- Ronaldo and 9ine
- UFC Rio

TRANSCRIPT:

Reporter: Welcome Anderson, congratulations on the victory
You last came to our show exactly on the 22nd of September of 2010
On that date, it was made official that you'd be facing Vitor Belfort
And we also talked about the popularity of MMA, you were someone who was very popular outside of Brazil but not well known inside, but after this fight it seems like everything changed
Today you are someone extremely well known because of this fight
I'd like to know how you are dealing with this moment, you are giving a lot of interviews and it seems like MMA has finally "arrived" in the homes of Brazilians

Anderson: I think it's a magical moment that the sport is going through
We have arrived where we'd have liked to
There is a lot more work to be done, but I'm happy to be able to keep this title here in Brazil

Reporter: Regarding this fight with Vitor Belfort
I'd like to talk a little bit about that kick
That kick that in the end of the fight you said Steven Seagal was the one who taught you
But we know that you're someone who came from Capoeira, came from Muay Thai
That these are traditional strikes from those styles
And we have seen you applying this kick to Dan Henderson
I'd like to know who in reality taught you this kick, did Steven Seagal only improve this technique or did you already know it?

Anderson: Well... let's put it this way, it's as if you were a race car driver, and you have the mechanics team and they improve the car
He made a few adjustments on how to improve the kick
It wasn't anything like; "ah, Anderson didn't know how to do that kick"
It's something that you learn when you learn any style of martial arts that focuses on standing strikes
In Karate, Judo, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira, so it's a traditional strike for a style that focuses on standing strikes

Reporter: Anderson, when you heard the name Belfort, for you as an athlete...
As champion, everyone wanting to take the belt away from you
Is there a unique preparation for someone like Belfort, or do you train the same regardless of who you're facing?
What did you train differently specifically for this fight if in fact you trained something different

Anderson:  No, I train normal... I'm training right now... we don't change much, we keep the focus on the training, very little changes once we find out who we'll be fighting
It wasn't any different, it's normal just like any other fight
The only thing that was different is that I wasn't hurt [going in the fight]

Reporter: And for him being Belfort, there wasn't anything that you needed to focus on as he is a good boxer? If there were any strategies created, there was nothing like that?

Anderson: no, we kept the same training routine we always have, and... that's it.

Reporter: Let's talk a little bit about the weigh-ins, we saw what was one of the most tense staredowns in the UFC history

Anderson: you thought it was tense?

Reporter: A little man, you could tell that the environment was a bit different
Were there any problems between you two or was that just part of the show?

Anderson: No, no problems. Vitor trained a long time in our team; Team Nogueira
And we have a code of honor in our team in which we will not fight one another
We spend much more time together than with our own families
We try to...
In reality Team Nogueira is the product of what Rodrigo has always taught
Which is to always be united, and one helps the other, we are a family
Vitor spent a lot of time with us... a long time training with us, we opened the door of our home to him
And he broke this code, and it's something that... of course, he went his way but I have nothing against Vitor and he went his way

Reporter: but during the weigh-in, I always like your weigh-ins because there is always something new in each of them
And this time around you wore that mask
And I heard rumors that the idea for that came from your son, is that true?

Anderson: Yes, that's true, it was his idea
In the previous night we went to watch a show from our friends Jabbawockeez in Las Vegas
And they wear this mask during their shows

Reporter: And since [Vitor] said you were two-faced...

Anderson: Yeah, they gave a mask to Kalyl and other gifts from the guys
So once there, in a room Kalyl came up to me and said: "Dad, why don't you go with the mask?"
And I said "look, go to sleep ‘cause you need it dude"
And he said "No I'm serious, go with the mask, he called you two-face"
And I replied "yeah, ok, let's go to sleep"
And on the following day he was going around with the mask on hand
And he came to the weigh-ins with the mask
"What are you doing with the mask?"
-"nothing..." very cynical "nothing..."
And he poked me during the weigh-in and gave me the maks
So I was left with no reactions, "do I take it or not? " and I ended up taking it
And the rest is history
But I respect Vitor a lot, he's a great athlete
Unfortunately he chose his path which was to not train with us anymore
I have nothing against him nor any other athlete
We are there to do our jobs, and that's it

Reporter: A lot of people asked me, because during the weigh-ins there was so much drama, but is that part of the show?

Anderson: Of course it's part, as long as you do everything with respect there are no problems
I think it was cool, it was worth it, a lot of people wanted to see what was going to happen since I wore the mask
It was cool, it was nice, I respect Vitor a lot, before I even thought about fighting in the UFC he was already champion
That's why he's the "Phenom" because he was champion at the age of 19 and he has to be respected

Reporter: were you surprised to have knocked him out right in the first round?

Anderson: No

Reporter: Why not? You trained a lot for that

Anderson: A lot, I trained a lot so that it would be efficient
That kick, a lot of people were saying it was luck, "oh, he'll never connect with that kick again"
But like you said, I did that against Dan Henderson, against Demian too
Of course, after training with Steven Seagal it improved to the point in which I was able to execute it more effectively
After each of my training sessions I used to do 200 kicks in each leg
In total I must have done that kick around three to four thousand times

Reporter: When he went after you in the beginning, you guys ended up on the floor and you went back up really quick, was that part of your strategy to stay away from the ground?

Anderson: Yeah, it was when I kicked him and I got unbalanced and the kick passed over him and he was able to put me on the ground

Reporter: The strategy was to keep the fight on the feet

Anderson: We trained for all types of situations that could occur during the fight, and we train how to get back up too, and I was able to do that fast

Reporter: You said you expected to KO Vitor in the first round

Anderson: No, I did not say I expected to KO him in the first round! Relax...
No, I said it wasn't a surprise for the KO, because we trained a lot

Reporter: Sure, but was it a surprise for you that so many people were cheering for Vitor and not you? You are the big champion, you defended your belt a lot of times, and everyone was rooting for the challenger, What went through your head? Did you think "I did so much to get here, I'm an idol here too", since you're bigger out there than in here

Anderson: No, I look at that with ease, Vitor is the Phenom, we can't forget that
For me it's natural, I look at that with no malice, I go in, do my job, that's it