"I'm sure he's not too excited about the fact that Vitor is in the same weight class as him and could possibly have to fight him again. He's going to favor Anderson Silva and that's fine. I respect Wanderlei Silva because of who he is and what he's done, but Vitor is my boy and I don't think there is anyone out there that can beat Vitor right now. If there is a match that everybody wants to see, it is Vitor Belfort versus Anderson Silva. Anderson just has to step up to the plate and sign the contract and we're in," stated MMA trainer Shawn Tompkins as he talked about Vitor Belfort's return to the UFC and a potential clash with Anderson Silva. Check out what else he had to say about his departure from Xtreme Couture, his move to Tapout Gym to focus on Team Tompkins, what fighters will be joining him and much more.
PC: You're out in New York conducting some seminars. How are they going?
ST: I did one in New Jersey yesterday at Real Mixed Martial Arts and today I just finished up a seminar at the Church Street Boxing gym. It's one of the most famous boxing gyms of all time and it's where Holyfield used to train.
PC: Do you like doing seminars and how does it benefit you?
ST: Yeah. I've been trying to get to the grass roots of mixed martial arts lately and work with a lot of amateur fighters and work with them on their way up and that gives me a real good chance to scout some of the newer fighters coming up as well.
PC: The big news is that you have parted ways from Xtreme Couture and will now be joining Tapout Gym. What prompted the move and were you welcomed with open arms over at Tapout?
ST: Absolutely man. They have a lot to offer me and I feel like I have a lot to offer them. It was the perfect opportunity for me to join them. I made some goals about 5 years ago and this was one of those goals. I wanted to have Team Tompkins and to carry out my goals and do what I do best and literally brand my own name.
PC: Are you still cool with the guys over at Xtreme Couture? Did you part on good terms?
ST: Absolutely! A lot of people are looking for drama with this, but really, it's just an understanding between Randy and myself. We both decided that we are going in different directions and I hope the best for them. They have a great team over there and they will continue to be successful, but it's just time for me to go on and do my thing.
PC: I'm sure you will continue to work with guys like Vitor, Horodecki and Stout. Is that the case?
ST: Absolutely! A lot of those guys are going to be coming to Tapout with me. There will be ones that stay at Xtreme Couture, but the ones that come with me will be guys that I've been working with over the past 2 years in their corner and working with them in getting gameplans together. We will continue to work together. I'm real excited about Chris Horodecki's future and Vitor is doing great. Probably about 12 or 15 other guys are going to come over from that gym.
PC: How would you access Ray Sefo's MMA debut?
ST: We expected something a little bit different, but at the same time, we worked really hard for that fight. Ray was doing all of the right things for it, but it was his first fight. He reversed a takedown and got into the guy's guard and I think he was thinking MMA so much that he tried to pass the guard and got put in a bad position. There are things in that fight that I didn't like, but there are things that I believe we walked away from that fight as better people for it; better coaches and a better fighter. I'm really excited about Ray's next fight. That's going to be a tell-all about where he stands in that division.
PC: Something that caught my eye was Wanderlei Silva stating that Anderson Silva is going to kill Vitor. I'm sure you have an opinion on that.
ST: Well, what else is he going to say? You're talking about a guy that beat him in like 45 seconds. I'm sure he's not too excited about the fact that Vitor is in the same weight class as him and could possibly have to fight him again. He's going to favor Anderson Silva and that's fine. I respect Wanderlei Silva because of who he is and what he's done, but Vitor is my boy and I don't think there is anyone out there that can beat Vitor right now. If there is a match that everybody wants to see, it is Vitor Belfort versus Anderson Silva. Anderson just has to step up to the plate and sign the contract and we're in.
PC: It's always a pleasure speaking to you. It was great seeing you a few weeks back. I'm sure you will do big things over there at Tapout. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
ST: Percy, I would just like to thank you guys for always supporting me. I'm really looking forward to my future at Tapout gym and I would like to thank Tapout for always being behind me. Skyskrape and Punkass have always been there for me and now it's my turn to be there for them. Team Tompkins is on its way brother!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]