Rodrigo Minotauro's exclusive interview:


1- How are you feeling at this point?

Minotauro: I’m very calm, these things are normal in a professional athlete’s life. Our trainings are just so intense plus the countless battles we go through…We’re liable to it! And I mean, it’s just another surgery…what won’t kill you, only makes you stronger!!(Laughter) The same way I concentrate during a training period, I’ll be really focused on my recovery!



2- What wounds will you be treating?

Minotauro: I’ll be going under two surgeries, one on my hips and the other one on my knee. The surgery on my hip will be an arthroscopy, on my knee I’ll have to repair my ACL and the meniscus. These are old wounds that I’d have to treat at some point. They were compromising my speed, flexibility e explosion. I consulted a specialist and he put me against the wall saying “Well, you can fight now, but we won’t be able to fix you up, do the surgery, go through the treatment, and I promise you, you’ll be kicking your opponents in the face in no time.” I’d be fighting Mir with about 60% of my capacity, no doubt I would be in disadvantage.



3- What is the estimated time for your recovery?

Minotauro: Considering both surgeries, give me six months and I’ll be standing in that octagon once again!



4- Rumors about your contusion?

Minotauro: Our professional life is public, it’s hard to control everything! What some don’t get is that some (non-official) news have great impact!



5- Have you assigned the dates for the surgeries?

Minotauro: Yes I have. One will be on the US. The other one in Brazil, with specialists also, no doubt we’ll be using the best resources available, both doctors granted me that after the recovery I will be flying!!



6- This was a much anticipated fight as much for you as for your fans, what can you say about this second match up?

Minotauro: At my first fight with Mir I was not ok, I was stubborn and had to pay for that! Mir is a fantastic athlete and deserves respect, he’s had some tough moments in his life, and he’s undoubtedly a winner! This second match up could be a “double-edged sword”, if the athlete is not able to separate heart from head, the chances of everything going to waste grow a lot! In my opinion going after a rematch has its limits. When they offered me this match, the whole plot was written in my head on a split second, “If God is putting him on my way once again, I’ll be ready!!” With that I’ve decided to fight only if I’m 100%!!



7- Mir VS Cro-Cop?

Minotauro: Big fight, they’re both champions that have been through similar moments on their career, but most importantly both wanting to be back at the top!! Cro-Cop is looking for his third consecutive victory and Mir will try to recover from his last loss.



8- What do you expect from your twin brother, Rogério (Minotouro) against the explosive Ryan Bader?

Minotauro: The good thing about this entire situation is that I’ll be able to be at his corner!!(Laughter) We know Ryan’s game quite well, he’s very fast and he’s evolved a lot since time I coached him at TUF. Rogério is living a great moment in his career and his goal is definitely to take the light-heavyweight belt home He’ll be fighting with everything he’s got! His boxing is really dangerous, that makes it possible to control the distance in the fight. Another good point is Rogério’s fighting experience, we believe that’ll make a big difference



9- At the fifth round of Silva VS Sonnen, in those last few minutes, what was going through your mind?

Minotauro: We were very worried about his wound, but he made a good choice he decided to fight! It looks crazy, I even posted in my twitter account (https://twitter.com/Minotauromma), the very last seconds before he entered the octagon, he told me “be cool Master, I´ll submit him”. Anderson is a really dangerous athlete, he looking for that triangle since the second round and at the fourth, he almost knocked Sonnen out. No doubt that all of his anti-professional bad talk made Anderson even thirstier for a victory, his technical level and his champion heart took him to finish the fight with only one minute to go!! Not everyone can do that!! Anderson definitely filled us with proud!!



10- When you come back, how do you think the heavy-weight division will be like?

Minotauro: God willing, with Junior as a champion!! We’re all working hard for that! He’s a terrific athlete and a great guy, he deserves that title more than anyone!! I’ll be back at 2011, which is just around the block, only 4 months before this year is over. One thing at a time, as always I want to fight with the best and get to that belt!