"He's a good striker, very well-rounded and he's a dangerous fighter. I can take himÂ…I'm going to be very aggressive, use my game in this fight and try to finish this fight before the end," stated Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral as he talked about his upcoming clash with Gegard Mousasi at Affliction Trilogy. Check it out!
PC: How is everything going Babalu?
RS: Everything is going well. I'm training hard and taking care of my family all the same.
PC: You had to pull out of your fight with Cavalcante because of the birth of your daughter. How is she doing?
RS: She's doing well. She's doing fine. She brings a lot of life into my family.
PC: Mousasi is a very diverse fighter. Who are you training with to prepare for him?
RS: I'm training with Josh Barnett, Bruno, and Rob KamanÂ…many guys.
PC: You have won five fights in a row now man. What have been the keys to your consistency during this streak?
RS: First of all, I'm a little bit more mature in the way that I train and the way that I fight. I don't have to go back and forth to Brazil to see my family. Now I have my family close and everything is going well. I have my team here to support me and they help me out, so everything is going good so far.
PC: I can't remember you ever having to pull out of a fight. How tough was it for you to pull out of the Cavalcante fight?
RS: It wasn't tough because I had my baby.
PC: Sokoudjou is always a dangerous guy. That was a huge win for you. How do you feel about your last performance?
RS: He's a pretty good fighter, so I'm happy I won the fight. It was good because I got to do a lot of things that I had been working on in my training.
PC: What do you think of Gegard Mousasi as a fighter?
RS: He's a good striker, very well-rounded and he's a dangerous fighter. I can take him.
PC: This will be your third appearance in as many shows for Affliction. How do you feel about the promotion thus far?
RS: I've been very happy. Tom is a fighter too, so he understands the way we feel, you know? He's not just a suit guy that wants to promote the shows. He also wants to fight and for that reason, he takes care of his fighters.
PC: Is it tough for you to have a fight lined up against a guy as tough as Mousasi for Affliction knowing that guys are lining up for a shot at your Strikeforce title?
RS: No, it's not tough. Affliction and Strikeforce are partners, so they work well together and I will be ready to do battle for either company.
PC: What can the fans expect from Babalu on August 1st at Affliction Trilogy?
RS: I'm going to be very aggressive, use my game in this fight and try to finish this fight before the end.
PC: Sounds good Babalu. I really appreciate your time. I want to wish you good luck at Trilogy and thank your manager Richard for getting me this interview. Is there anything you want to say in closing; anybody you want to thank?
RS: I want to thank Tom and everyone at Affliction for giving me the opportunity to fight for them again. I have to thank Scott Coker for allowing this fight with Affliction to happen and everyone at my gym Gracie Barra in Cerritos, California. I have to thank all of my training partners and all of the guys from Gracie Barra, my team for supporting me and also my students for understanding that I'm training and not teaching right now.
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