Examiner.com

Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (15-4-1) is a Brazilian lightweight with a rich history in the sport.  The Brazilian Luta Livre fighter out of American Top Team made his name under the K-1 Heroes banner in Japan where he won the K-1 Heroes Middleweight Grand Prix championship in 2006 and 2007.  He suffered multiple setbacks in the Dream promotion due to a debilitating knee injury, losing fights to the two best Japanese lightweights, Shinya Aoki and Kawajiri.  After a rebound victory over Katsunori Kikuno, Cavalcante was signed by Strikeforce to fight former lightweight champion Josh Thomson.  Cavalcante nearly finished the fight in the first round but lost a very close, controversial decision this past October.  

He has recently been disheartened by a lack of opportunities to fight and he spoke with the Toledo MMA Examiner about his frustrations, his time in Japan, and the mainstream growth of MMA in Brazil.

Brian Hemminger: You suffered a couple of knee injuries in your career but it looked like you finally are back and healthy with your last few fights.  How healthy do you feel right now?

JZ Cavalcante: The knee feels good.  I just need more fights so I can get over it.  Sometimes it’s still on my mind but it’s just a mind thing, the knee’s good.  I still do the rehab exercises to prevent injury and I feel good.  Thank God man.  I can’t risk another injury right now.

BH: What is it about your Luta Livre training that makes it unique?

JZ: It makes me unique because my Master (Marcos) Corval back in Brazil, he taught me how to fight.  For sure I evolved a lot over the years when I came to American Top Team.  I learned so much more with the technique and everything but we had a lot of heart.  Those guys I trained with in Brazil were never gonna give up.  We’re gonna bring it hard, we’re gonna fight for everything.  That’s the type of fighting mentality to have because of my background. 

I remember the first day I stepped in the gym, Corval my future coach and Babalu were there teaching.  I was like 13 years old.  I had a little bit of experience.  I’d been competing in Judo and I was doing a little bit of kickboxing and I said “I want to train” and they said “oh yeah, you wanna train?  Got gloves?  get ready” and they took me to spar and I sparred with another guy that was two years older than me and I was so excited.  He took me down but I was hip escaping with no technique, just being tough. 

It was a great experience for me because Luta Livre was like grappling but every weekend on the Saturdays we’d have MMA training.  Doesn’t matter if you know something in the stand up or not.  All the guys would have to practice fighting, the  training for MMA.  It was like a self defense so we learned how to defend ourselves and learn how to respond when in control and being controlled, don’t get angry, control yourselves so you can see things better.  Those were the kind of things I learned from my coach.

BH: Has Strikeforce approached you about a lightweight grand prix?  I know there were rumors about that.

JZ: No, I’ve heard people talking about it on the internet but (Strikeforce) didn’t say anything to me.  Their focus is on the heavyweight tournament.  They tell me “you’ll get a fight next month” and then a month comes and they go “the next month” and then it keeps going like that.

BH: So have you not heard at all when you’re supposed to be fighting next?

JZ: No.  I’ve been pushing to fight since December but they just tell me “no, we’ll try to get you on the next card,” and then they postpone it again.  I wish I was gonna be fighting on the February card but they said “no” because it was full because the Heavyweight tournament was starting.  Then they said March but now that’s not happening.  Always a maybe and never tell me for sure.  So now maybe I’ll be fighting April.

BH: I really hope they let you in for the April event.  I heard in April they might be trying to have a card in Japan.

JZ: I heard that also but I read something on the internet that it’s not sure yet.  They have a situation over there.  I don’t know.  I wish if they ever have a fight in Japan it would be great.  I leave everything in God’s hands.  Nothing concerns me because I have to be smart about my training.  If I know for sure when I’m fighting, it will help because I can set up my training well and I’ll be ready to fight.  If not, I need to make money some way.  Those are the kinds of things that get me frustrated about it.

BH: Speaking of Japan, what are your thoughts on all the problems that they’ve been having.  I know your ATT teammate Jorge Santiago recently got released from Sengoku and they've been having lots of financial problems over there.

JZ: It’s crazy, it’s really disappointing because Japan was one of the best places to fight and now in Sengoku with the fans losing interest, you know?  It’s just really disappointing, especially for me because I fought there, did a couple shows there.  I love the MMA fans out there.  They are awesome, they understand the fight. 

Japan, itself, is really hard to deal with.  The way they promote, the promoters, with the way they promote is really hard to sell now.  That’s why the UFC took over because they promote the fights, they have the cards way before so everybody knows who to follow and who’s gonna fight.  They make the Countdown shows sometimes and the Primtetime show and it gets more interest.  The hardcore fans already know about us but those are great for the regular fans.  They get interest, they look at it and those are the kinds of things that are doing bad in Japan.

BH: You seem like the kind of fighter that would really benefit from a Countdown-like show because you did so well overseas but the fans over here don’t know you as much.

JZ: Yes, especially with the way I train and the lifestyle I live.  If I fight in Japan it will be sad because I came back to the US because I want to fight for the US fans.  It’s close here and if I fight again in Japan, yeah that’d be ok but I wanna show a little bit more what I’m capable of here in the US.

BH: Going back to the Japan issue, I know in a couple interviews you mentioned that you hadn’t been paid for your last fight against Kikuno.  Has Dream finally stepped up and paid you?

JZ: No, I still haven’t been paid, man.  The fight was in July and now we’re in February and now I don’t even care about it, you know?  My manager keeps calling them and the guys from FEG who are supposed to say something they don’t answer the phones, they don’t reply.  It’s really disappointing.  I don’t know.  There’s not much I can do.  I hope I can get the money, they pay and I hope they get better.  I hope they get some sponsors to support their events because it’s really disrespectful to the fighters.

I invest all my money in my career.  Everything I do, I do for fights.  That’s my priority in life, that’s what I do.  That’s my work, that’s my job.  Everything I do, I invest my money, I do my stuff, I have to set up camp, I have to eat good.  All those things cost money and when you fight you need that money back, you know?  I’m not upset like “oh, f*ck them!” but it’s the kind of thing that I wish they had more respect like they could come to me and say “look, we don’t have the money now but we gonna pay this time or that time” because that is the problem.  When they don’t answer, they don’t reply, they don’t say anything.  That’s really disrespectful.  Maybe getting the news out will help.

BH: One last Japan question, the recent UFC 126 this past Saturday they had two Japanese legends Omigawa and Kid Yamamoto come in and they both lost decisions.  Why do you think Japanese fighters have so much trouble when first coming to America and fighting here?

JZ: It’s hard because they are so used to fighting in Japan.  With their own homes, no jet lag, they don’t have to travel that far.  When you come here you have to fight some tough guys and it’s really hard.  When I go to Japan, it took me some time to get used to it.  I had to learn what time to rest, what foods to eat to help me adapt to the shift.  They come over here and they lack experience in that matter.  Those kinds of things make a difference.  If they fight more consistently here, they can adjust.  Look at guys like (Yushin) Okami.  He came to the US and he fights better now because he got used to it and gained experience.   It takes time.

BH: I know the Anderson Silva / Vitor Belfort fight was huge in Brazil.  Did you get caught up in all that?

JZ: Yeah man, hell yeah.  I think all the Brazilians were really excited about it.  I was just watching the TV program in Brazil.  We have a big TV there, Global Sport.  All the media there is about soccer and they never really show MMA.  That was the first time on the TV that they showed it.  It was huge, HUGE.  They made a huge interview about the Vitor/Anderson fight and then another show, a comedy show they did a great job.  It was fun and they put the sport on another level.  They showed how they train the fighters and it was great.  You know, sometimes before they just show the fighters, like two guys just go and they fight.  Sometimes they think they are dumbass guys, things like that. 

When you get involved, when people start to understand what it takes to be a fighter, what we have to sacrifice.  How much determination it takes, how far we push and how you have to always be in control, you can’t be inbalanced.  Those kind of things people don’t understand when there’s more to the fight.  So to have them show more interviews and those kind of things makes a big difference.  That’s what they need in Brazil.  That’s why the UFC going to Brazil is going to be huge.  All the media over there are gonna be talking about it and they’ll have to put this big event and they’ll be talking about how they’re real professional fighters.

BH: What did you think of Anderson’s crazy knockout?

JZ: Man that kick, it was sick kick!  I love Anderson.  He’s a great fighter.  He’s a great person.  He has a huge heart and not just as a person but as a fighter also.  He took his time.  I think he got a little bit in Vitor’s mind but Vitor was ready.  He took it well.  At the weigh-ins, he went there to fight.  When the fight came, you know, Anderson was waiting a little bit because Vitor’s really explosive and Anderson was waiting for the opportunity.  He didn’t want to engage right at the beginning so when he saw the opportunity he took it like a lion, it was crazy.  He hits hard because it was an unconventional kick.  Vitor couldn’t expect that from that angle.  It’s hard to get somebody to train those things especially having never done that many times.  He really connected.

BH: I know you had that tough controversial decision loss to Josh Thomson.  He went over to Japan and lost to Kawajiri.  With him losing, do you still want to potentially get that rematch with Josh Thomson or are you looking at other people now?

JZ: I would say I would like the rematch just because I feel I have unfinished business.  I know things a little bit better.  I left it in the judges’ hands and whatever.  That’s all in the past and just looking forward.  After the fight people were saying you know “Josh and Gilbert (Melendez) are gonna fight” but then (Josh) went to Japan and he lost so probably that fight’s not gonna happen because it has to be for the title.  I don’t know what they gonna do now.  They don’t have anybody scheduled.  Gilbert’s not scheduled, Josh is not scheduled to fight so I don’t know what they’re gonna do.

BH: I think I read that they might do Gilbert against Kawajiri now.

JZ: Yeah they have to bring somebody over because Kawajiri beat Josh and that’s fair.  It would be a great fight, a rematch and it would be a big fight.

BH: Any last words?

JZ: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to get in touch with the fans, show a little bit more of myself.  Thank God for the opportunity to do what I love.  I think that’s the most important thing.  If you love something, just do it and you’ll achieve what you want.  I have faith that everything will work out.  I’m learning every day and just getting better not just a fighter but as a person.

(Aside) I'd like to also thank contributors Beermonster, Thapa and Bestrafer7 from the InStrength forums for helping with some of the questions for this interview.