The Ultimate Fighting Championship is holding a live press conference from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil right now. You can watch the live streaming video at UFC.tv.
UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami is scheduled to take place on August 27 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Speaking today at the Presser is UFC President Dana White, UFC champion Anderson Silva, top contender Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Forrest Griffin, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and his opponent Brendan Schaub.
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Dana White:
– There will be 16,752 seats available at the HSBC Arena
– Tickets will go on sale to Brazilians starting at midnight tonight. Tickets will open to the public a day later
– Canais Globosat (Brazilian broadcaster) will be the exclusive broadcaster for UFC 134 in Brazil. White did say for the prelims, and I’m not sure if he also meant it would be free for Brazilians on television also.
– Returning to Brazil is long over due and we should have came back sooner
– White confirms that they already have Ring Girls for the event
– Ticket prices: four prices – R$1600 , R$1000, R$450, R$275 (R$ = local currency) – R$1600 = $995 US
– When judges get it wrong it effects not just the fighter but everyone associated with the sport
– After Silva vs. GSP was taken off the table, would like to see a P4P fight between Silva and Jon Jones
– Boxing has a lot of problems in the sport. In the UFC we stack the card so deep your always going to have a ton of great fights on each card.
– Chael Sonnen is nuts (on him putting down Brazilians while in Brazil)
– There are still not enough women in mma for the UFC to showcase them
– Thinks the UFC is the biggest sports franchise on Earth
Anderson Silva:
– This is like the Brazilian soccer team versus the World. It’s one more motivation to fight in front of my Brazilian fans and family.
– I train as I always have done, we’ll have to see the results to see who is the better fighter
– Intends to stay at middleweight and won’t fight his many teammates fighting at light heavyweight already
– Has high expectations for himself fighting in his home of Brazil
– Biggest motivation is to wake up everyday and do what he loves to do.
More from the other fighters after the jump
Maurico Rua
– Since I met Griffin four years ago a lot has changed, the sport has changed considerably
– I recovered from my injury but I have no excuses for losing to Jon Jones, my dream is to get the belt back but I’m focused on Forrest
– Training abroad it is easier to find better coaches outside of Brazil
– Defeats are never good but I can look back at them and evolve from my mistakes
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
– He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fight in Brazil so he worked very hard to recover from his surgeries
– On choosing Schaub over ‘Cro Cop’ – Wants to fight the best and Schaub is a rising star so he wants to stop his climb up the ladder
– He would fight Cain Velasquez but would not fight Junior dos Santos even for the UFC title
– If we have sponsors in Brazil then we can train in Brazil
– Coming from a defeat is an additional piece of motivation to make a comeback
Yushin Okami (via a translator)
– I’m used to fighting outside my country and at ease at fighting in Brazil
Forrest Griffin
– Once your in the cage you don’t notice the fans
– I’m honored to fight ‘Shogun’ again for a second time. I had advantages in the first fight since it was his first UFC fight, now he has advantages in the second fight
– When asked if he had hints for Okami, Forrest responded: “Whatever I did (against Silva), don’t do that.”
Brendan Schaub
– He expects the hostility from fans but he feels the pressure will prepare him for a title shot
– Feels he has an advantage on his feet and isn’t afraid to go to the ground with Nogueira