First woman who become a champion on Strikeforce, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, who is preparing herself to defend the belt once again, accepted the invitation from TATAME and answered the questions from our subscribers. On the exclusive chat, which you can check by clicking here, the tough girl talked about the prize she won on the end of last year, when she was elected the best fight of the year of 2009, her long and full of difficulties way until she got on the top of the world, her physical preparation and the confidence on her fights and a lot more. Check below the interview made by TATAME’s subscribers.

How did you feel being elected the best fighter of 2009? (Pablo Alves de Araujo Santos Rosa)

I was really happy, I realized it was a consequence of my hard work, a lot of thing I’ve been through and never gave up. I kept on going even without fighting. Everybody said my turn would come, and it did.

What do you think of the growth of female MMA? Do you think it will be equal to the male level? (Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira e Diego Hallysson Alves de Oliveira)

They’ve tried before me, but now that people are paying more attention to female MMA it’ll keep on growing.  They can count on me. I’ll always try to help it to come true.

In your opinion, why UFC didn’t opened space for the female MMA? Whould you think it can happen someday? (Pablo Alves de Araujo Santos Rosa)

I think it still lacks fighters. There are good fights, but there are some that are not and I think it has to please more people, draw more attention. It depends on people to create an opportunity.

What went through your head when you beat Gina Carano? (Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira)

We both were pretty tense, but I think I was more prepared. It was my opportunity; I trained so much to have the belt. When I started fighting, I could never imagine I’d have a belt on my hands, but when I saw Gina, I said I would train so that I could face the best that was out there and she was the one. It was a dream coming true, now I have to keep my focus and keep on practicing. Every athlete dreams about the belt.

During the fight how did you managed the techniques, strategy and adrenalin? (Álvaro Constâncio)

I’m always on my nerves before the fight, but when I get there it’s only me and her, so I just have to keep me calm. Before I’m anxious, but I get calm inside the ring. Someone will go down… I try to make her go down and it’s been working for me.

How do you feel being the reference on the female MMA on Brazil? (Fabio Lopes Badine)

I’m pretty glad. When I see the young girls coming talk to me, there’re some that even cry, I get really emotional. I hadn’t realized I make a difference for them, they use me as an example and it’s really rewarding. That gives me the strength to work harder and harder so I make it look like a good show and a technical. I’m not there just by me, I’m also because of my fans. The fans make the athlete.

How was your routine so you could become the MMA’s champion? (Fabio Lopes Badine)

I’ve spend two years without any fights on Brazil, I didn’t have an opponent, but I kept on training all day long without knowing when I would fight, but I was there every day. Since I didn’t have any opponents, I started competing on the Wrestling and did pretty good. Every athlete goes through some difficulties and uses it as a motivation. Fighting is difficult, but then you remember everything you’ve been through and it’s rewarding. When I got here I didn’t even know how to speak English…

How was your training with Rafael Cordeiro, former Chute Boxe, knowing he was the one who trained you? (Luís André Boher)

From the moment he left Chute Boxe I stopped training with him. In fact, what really happened was that we no longer trained together and it was a Chute Boxe’s philosophy, which he preached. I started looking for another trainings, but our friendship continued. We are not together only on the training part.

How much time do you spend training on a day, near and far from fight? (Leonardo Martins)

When there’s no fight coming, we practice more the technical part, maintenance and bodybuilding. Near the fight, we turn it down on the trainings, since we’ll be too excited, but we work on the technical part, trying to predict what can happen on the fight. On the middle, with about 30 days for the fight, the training is about explosion and actual fight.

Do you think we can reach an hegemony on the female MMA as we did on the male? (Egidia de Andrade Morais)

I believe it’s going to take a while, but the women have the potential to do this, they just have to be willing to. The MMA’s been growing with patronage, support, but life is hard.

There’s some difficulty in finding sparring women like you, what occasionally makes you train with men. For that reason, do you fell more prepared than the other women fighters? Would this be a differential of yours for the winning against Gina Carano? (Benedicto Nogueira de Holanda Lima Neto)

I like to train along men, I’ve always done it and got used to it. I’m not very comfortable when practicing with women, I think I got used to train with men. That was really important for me and I’ll keep it that way. I prefer it that way.

Even being a tough girl, have you ever feared an opponent? (Leonardo Lopes Salviano)

Everyone gets anxious and tense before the fight, but I wouldn’t call it fear. Everytime I enter the ring I believe I can win. If I go in there afraid, I’m caring a defeat with me. I always go there believing that I can make it a good fight and the victory will be just a consequence. I can’t be afraid, that would only brings the defeats closer.