As he prepares Wanderlei Silva for one of the biggest fights of his career at UFC 132, head coach Rafael Cordeiro knows how motivated the Brazilian is to return to the Octagon.
While training Silva at Kings MMA, Cordeiro told TATAME.com he is impressed with Silva’s final preparations ahead of his bout.
“Wanderlei is ready and really strong since he hasn’t fought for a long time since he was injured. It’ll be a great bout because he’s coming back to his best shape and with no injuries on this final phase of the trainings,” Cordeiro said.
Silva has not competed in the UFC since last year, when he defeated Michael Bisping at UFC 110. Following the bout, Silva suffered an injury that forced him to undergo surgery and remain inactive for the remainder of the year.
Despite the long layoff, Cordeiro is confident in Silva’s training and preparations for Chris Leben, and he believes he will knockout his opponent.
“We can never doubt when it comes to Wanderlei,” he said regarding Silva’s knockout ability.
“We know he can punch really hard, he’s fast and using his speed against Leben will give him a great advantage.”
UFC 132 will be live this Saturday night, from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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