One week after they faced one another at UFC 112 in arguably the most controversial bout of 2010, Anderson Silva met Demian Maia on Domingao do Faustao, the most popular Sunday television program in Brazil.
Silva’s strange behavior during the fight had the MMA community on edge over what might happen during the live program. When asked if he would change his approach after UFC President Dana White threatened to release him if he repeated the same behavior, Anderson stuck to his guns.
“He is the president of the event and can say and do whatever he wants,” he said, “but in our sport, only eye gouging, stomps on the opponent and elbows the back of the head are prohibited.”
Hosted by Fausto Silva, the show airs live on Rede Globo TV, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and averages 30 million viewers. A longtime supporter of mixed martial arts, he had previously paid homage to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Vitor Belfort. For UFC 112, he sent two journalists to the United Arab Emirates to cover the match between Maia and Anderson Silva.
Once again, Fausto proved himself a staunch supporter of the sport in Brazil, as he conducted the interview in an intelligent and respectful manner. After presenting Anderson as a legend of the sport who had found popularity in Japan and the United States, Fausto invited Maia to the stage. Anderson and Maia shook hands, but the anticipated excuses from Anderson never materialized.
“Actually, I did my job,” the UFC middleweight champion said. “Demian is a great fighter and deserves all my respect. I’m also able to fight on the ground, but my jiu-jitsu ability is not even close to his, so I played my game.”
Attention then turned to Maia, who pointed his message towards Anderson when asked to discuss his idols in the sport.
“I always admired the Gracie family -- the creators of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which I’m very proud to represent -- [Antonio] Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ [Nogueira], who is a great friend, and Wanderlei Silva. I believe an idol has to be an example for the fans, not only in the ring but all the time with his behavior and attitude.”
The 17-minute participation of two MMA fighters on one of the most popular television programs in Brazil was celebrated by Brazilian MMA fans as an important step in the sport reaching the mainstream. The entire interview can be found here.
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