By Guilherme Cruz

Photo Esther Lin

Two-time champion of Hero’s, Gesias Cavalcante debuted on Strikeforce against the former champion Josh Thomson, but the decision of the judges didn’t brought the Brazilian a good result, even he was best for most of the time of the fight. Wanting a better year in 2011, the lightweight launched to New York, to train with Marcelo Garcia and Ricardo Libório, and chatted with TATAME about his future on Strikeforce, looking forwards for a remath with Thomson. “The next guy I’d like to confront would be Josh Thomson just to make things clear (laughs). I’d like to fight on his hometown, in San Jose, just like the previous meeting we’ve had, because I think it’ll bring me much more motivation”, guarantees Gesias, who talked about the fusion between WEC and UFC, UFC’s monopoly on MMA and a lot more.

How are things on Strikeforce? Did they tell you when you’ll fight again?

They’ll make an edition of the event in January, but the card was already fulfilled, so the guys warned me I wouldn’t fight on the next edition of the event. But they’re thinking about me fighting on their next edition, which I think probably will be on February, but they haven’t told me about any opponent, they gave me nothing. They only gave me the hope of fighting in February.

Are you back on the trainings after your fight with Josh Thomson, or are you taking it slowly, waiting for their confirmation?

No, I’m training… This month I’ve traveled a lot, it was very good for me because I’ve trained in many different places, I trained with Marcelo (Garcia) in New York, I’ve trained in Canada, when I went on an Ultimate’s event, just enjoying my family (laughs).

What did you think of your last fight, that had a controversy outcome?

In my mind, I think I did my job, I did enough to deserve the win. I’ve dominated the first and the last rounds, lost the second one, but that’s it… I won’t start pointing out people to blame, if I have to point out mu finger to someone, that someone will be myself, for now doing my job completely, had done only 50%. I’ve had the chance to knock him down, I’ve had the chance to submit him and I didn’t, so my focus is to keep improving those aspects of my game and don’t stay on this “almost there” level… I want to win.

How were these trainings along with Marcelo in New York?

He’s a legend. Lucky me, (Ricardo) Libório was there, so with these trainings I’ve had there… Both Libório and Marcelo are two endless encyclopedia. It was great training with them. They are always talking, giving you tips, and then when you less expect, they come up with something new… It was very good for me, even because I was on a different place, with guys I really like. I know Marcelo for a long time now, it was great. It was a private seminar I had (laughs).

What do you think about your weight class on Strikeforce? Who do you think that might be your next opponent?

The next guy I’d like to confront would be Josh Thomson just to make things clear (laughs). I hate this doubt that people now have about that fight. I’d like to fight on his hometown, in San Jose, just like the previous meeting we’ve had for me to know the event better, its problems, even because a new event always brings you something new. A timing gap, the scheduling, and I had a problem with the Commission there and I didn’t have time to warm up and do my things, but I was prepared for it, and my mind was also prepared for it. I’d like to have this same opportunity again, at the same place, the same judges… I’d like that, even because I’d like to make it clear I went there to fight, that I’m capable of beating him, which I did last time, but they didn’t see it that way.

People started talking about it on the internet. Did anybody from the event come to talk to you about this rematch?

No one from the event came to talk to me, even because Josh will fight now at the end of the year (Dynamite) and they’ve thought about him fighting (Gilbert) Melendez, but it turned out that Melendez won’t fight now, so there’s nothing set, they don’t know whether they’ll give me this rematch and the winner might have a title shot, or if they’ll give my another opponent and let Josh fight Melendez for the title. I’m like the fans now, I’m just waiting and training, doing my part. The important is that they give me a date, that I fight soon, no matter against whom. I’m used to it wasn’t any different in Japan.

What did you think about this fusion between UFC and WEC, worshiping the lighter weight fighters?

That was great, a very good thing, mainly for the lighter ones, of 145lbs division or below. Even the guys on the lightweight division, that got mixed up… It’s good to have more competition, but it’s a bad think though because there’ll be many cuts. Everybody who was fighting on WEC will now fight on Ultimate, but I see many people getting fired. Many people will be fired because there isn’t so many events for all those fighters to fight. For the guys from WEC it was excellent, but I’d prefer if WEC had grown by itself and became as huge as Ultimate, even if both events belong to the same company, Zuffa. In my mind, as an athlete, I think that, for the sport, it’ll be better if WEC grow by itself.

And it all ends in UFC’s hands…

Yeah. Dana White himself said that now it’s a war. Who fights has to win. If you don’t win, if you don’t do a good presentation, you’ll be cut off. There’s no other way. He’s right, it’s his business, his job. He has done a lot for the sport, but on the other hand, if you see it on the human side, they’ll change many things for the athletes.

What is your expectation for the next year?

I’m very excited about 2011. I’ll make things all over again, I’ll feeling fine, I’m feeling like I’m returning to my timing. I stayed too much time off, returned, fought, and then spent another year off, so I’m regaining my rhythm back, by hard rhythm. Whatever they offer me, I’m in. they can put me against anyone. I’ll test myself. I really like something Renzo (Gracie) said: “I’ll die old and pooping my pants out, but they’ll know who I am”, I think exactly the same. I think that I have to break my barriers. Each fight I think I was a champion, even on the ones I lost, I was a champion at some point.