Wagnney Fabiano

With ten years of career dedicated to MMA, Wagney Fabiano is considered one of the biggest names of the division. Anyway, the BJJ black belt was surprised on his last fight, being submitted by Mackens Semerzier. “He got me on the triangle and I don’t know when was the last time that someone got me on that position in Jiu-Jitsu and Sumission’s career, even in trainings“, the Nova União fighter commented. In the exclusive interview, Wagnney talked about the plans for the future, the life in Canada and revealed that fight is not priority in his life anymore.

What do you think was your mistake on this fight?

My mistake was to fight... I was passing by problems, I didn’t want to say to don’t keep giving excuses, my mistake. He got me on the triangle and I don’t know when was the last time that someone got me on that position in Jiu-Jitsu and Sumission’s career, even in training. Nobody ever caught me on this position because I stand up fast. Because of a little injury, my rib cracked when I was going to stand up and I came back. My mistake was to fight, but he did his work and I congratulate him.

Even unconsciously, did you underestimate him because he has only three fights?

I never think like this, I don’t underestimate anyone. I remember when I had three fights I was a really tough, but that’s the way things are. But he had six fights, and that was his seventh.

What will you do now?

I’ve never got so much hurt like this time, it was hard. For you have an idea, I wasn’t going to fight in September because I had no conditions, I had a serious injury on the knee and ten days before the fight my rib cracked. About my next fight, I might do at bantamweight division, well see. If they want me to stay at featherweight, there’s no problem for me too. I have two more fights on the contract, now they’re taking all the athletes to Las Vegas, there’s gonna be a meeting with everybody, and suddenly, we’ll have some surprise from there. They said they’ll talk about the athletes and the event’s future, they may want to take some athletes to the UFC, I don’t know. We don’t know anything until November 1. They talked to me that, when I’m better, they want to put me to fight again, they want me back as soon as possible.

Your plan is move to bantamweight?

Nowadays, yes, because Junior (José Aldo) will fight for the belt, he’s making some noise now, so they can’t promote two guys that won’t face each other, because of that they got Junior and putted me on the under card, and this is prejudicial to me, I have no sponsorship... I think it’s better to go down, because I think Junior will win. That kid is a phenomenon.

How do you think it’s gonna be his fight with Mike Brown?

I think this fight won’t go to the fifth round, I think Junior will knock him out before that. Besides Brown’s a tough guy, very good and have the strength to knock anyone out, I think his game doesn’t match with Junior’s. If he stands up, he’ll be punched. If he tried to put down, he won’t gonna make it... It’s gonna be a big fight.

What are you doing in Canada? Relaxing?

Relaxing? (laugh). I’m living here. Life in Brazil is too much complicated, we don’t win millions (of dollars) with WEC (laugh). So, it’s hard, we have no way to make money, we have bills to pay, the training are pretty expensive. Unfortunately, I had to come to keep my life here. I’m giving private classes, seminaries, studying, making some tests to have a career here... Life goes on.

What are your plans now?

I have two things in my mind that I’m studying to be. The first one is to be a fireman, the second is to go to Police... They opened a lot of opportunities here in Canada, so I’m studying and focusing on that stuff. I won’t be a fighter for the rest of my life.

Are you thinking about retirement now?

Honestly, that’s the main thing to me now, I want to stabilize my life on that way, get a job and a career. Something that this last fight made me think a lot... I was passing thru an bad financial situation, three weeks before the fight I hurt my knee and I couldn’t fight on September 2. my manager called them warning that and I stop to think. It’s hard, I have family, wife and kids, that’s complicated. We don’t make millions on WEC, we have debts and responsibilities. I was thinking that I can’t live like this. That’s when this thought came, to get a job, some career that I can have MMA as a hobby, not as a profession. It’s less pressure, I know my family will be good, that would be an extra money, won’t be something to pay the bills, like nowadays. I’ll make some tests and, if God wants, everything is gonna be alright.