A UFC champion’s life is based on glamour, fame and money, right? Yes, it is, but they have to work really hard to reach the top of the world. On an exclusive interview conceded to TATAME, Junior dos Santos told us about some of his fighting stories and revealed he has fought for least than a minimum wage (at XFC, in 2007). “I’ve fought for a R$ 300 (US$ 600) purse, but the winner would get a R$ 1000 bonus for the victory. Thank God I won two fights and earned R$ 2300â€, remembers the heavyweight fighter. Check below the quick chat with the champ:
How do you evaluate the growth of MMA in Brazil?
Thank God MMA is going through a special moment, and that’s excellent mainly for us, fighters, and for everybody who work with the sport. TUF coming to Brazil will also create many opportunities for fighters who dream about fighting in the UFC. Now the kids don’t dream about becoming soccer players, they all wanna become MMA fighters. I’m really happy it is happening with the sport. UFC releasing this game here in Sao Paulo is cool, especially being hosted at Pretorian, which is a branch that embraced the sport and has been helping many Brazilian athletes. It feels like home.
Do you believe Brazil is ready to see MMA grow even more?
I’m sure it is, people just gotta believe it more. It doesn’t matter how much we talk about it on the news, it doesn’t matter it’s getting big, there are still few managers who really believe it. It may not seem like that, but there’s still prejudice towards MMA as a violent sport. The sport needs this aggressiveness. I can guarantee you there’s no such thing because the athletes are really well prepared to be in there and they know what is going on. We have to take the leap and make the entrepreneurs really look at the sport so they believe in us. I know it’s better, but it could do a lot better.
How do you see the worship of Brazilian fighters in terms of the purses they get?
Thank God it’s better now, but it has to do a lot better. I’ve fought for a R$ 300 purse, but the winner would get a R$ 1000 bonus for the victory. Thank God I won two fights and earned R$ 2300. The conditions are still bad in Brazil. I have many friends who fight for R$ 500, which is nothing compared to what he had to invest to get prepared for that fight.
It’s outrageous for such a magnificent sport which demands much dedication. MMA is not for everyone. A fighter must have blood in his eyes, and it has to be worship. You see many times at soccer a non-expressive player winning great amount of money and they don’t bring anything good to Brazil. Many are seen as drunk and set bad examples, while a fighter raises the Brazilian image, goes through hard times and has to do other things in order to survive. It’s a shame.
But things are changing, thanks to the moment that Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo and I’m living in the sport. We gotta recognize and thank Anderson Silva for all he’s done for the sport, for all the doors he opened. Anderson is the best pound for pound fighter in the world and
