Gesias Cavalcante Interview
One of the best lightweight fighters of the world, Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante is ready for his return to the rings. Thirst for fight, the American Top Team representative is scheduled to fight Tatsuya Kawajiri in the Dream 9, on May 26, Japan. Without stopping the trainings, Gesias talked with TATAME.com and guaranteed: is ready to return with victory. Check below the exclusive interview with the fighter, who also commented about Shynia Aoki’s loss to Hayato Sakurai at Dream welterweight tournament, Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro’s return at Dream, the title fight between his team mate Thiago Alves and Georges St. Pierre and much more.
How are the trainings to your return to the rings?
I'm crazy to fight. Actually, I'm not considering my return at the trainings, because I’m like I would be if I’d fight at the end of the year. I trained to fight, but the opponent was injured and the fight didn’t happen. Then, I was supposed to fight in April and, two weeks before, they told me that it would be better for me to fight at the end of May. So, I'm training hard, in a good rhythm. It just needs to put me up at the ring.
What do you know about Tatsuya Kawajiri?
He’s a very complete guy, has a good game standing, good wrestling, does a good ground game. He’s a guy that I respect a long time, since the time of Shotoo, then in Pride, is a career that I follow for a long time, I always liked his style. Even before he was fighting professionally, I already liked his style. For me, it will be an honor to fight with this guy that I follow since I was a kid, and today I'm doing front with them, so that he challenged me. He has a good cross from the right on top, strikes well, has a good Boxing and Wrestling. I can't say that I’m going to do this or that, I’ll go there and do my own, training the maximum tools as possible so that when I get to the ring I don’t get surprised with anything.
How is the preparation? Will you keep the fight standing or take him to the ground?
At first I’ll fell standing and, as the fight goes, I’ll take to the ground. Is like I said, it’s a difficult fight to predict and difficult to guess, because of the game of the two. There are fights that he just strikes, others that he wants to do ground, so he’s a little unpredictable. But I'm going with the full game, to make everything a little.
How do you face this return and, winning, being possible to have a chance for the Dream belt?
For me is great, the expectation I have is this: the time that I was stopped was the time I had to evolve. Definitely, I want to show everything that I’m training here at the academy, all that I came through with ATT, which, for me, is the best team in the world. Has other teams, but we have done a good job, even for the amount of top athletes and belt disputes we have had. I can only thank the strength that the guys give me, the Parrumpinha, who is my teacher of Jiu-Jitsu, always accompanies me and is always with me at the fights, my coaches of Muay Thai, Libório, Conan and Darrel. This are only the top coaches, just to give that confidence that I'm improving and I have how to evolve, not being stopped, or stalled. The expectation to return now is the best, then go for the belt, with whoever.
Do you want to face Aoki again?
I will be quite honest, my desire is to fight with anyone with the belt. I have a history with Aoki, but I also have a bad resolved history with Hansen, that was a fight that we had long ago, at the beginning of my career, which I lost in a dubious decision. So, I never stayed running after Hansen, wanting to fight with him again, nothing. I just want to fight with who is doing well there, I want to fight with who is in focus, which is the possibility that I have to always be with the belt, always showing myself and beating myself, expanding my limits. Would be the case to be fighting against both. Thank God the two guys who I’ve lost are the two which today are at the top, disputing the belt, and whoever it is, is good for me, I’m well settled with these things.
What did you think of his fight in the Dream’s welterweight GP? Were you surprised with the result?
I wasn’t surprised, because Sakurai is an athlete who is on the road too long, already went through good and bad phases. Sometimes he fights very well, others not so good, but he’s a very tough athlete, further in weight 77kg. He is a strong guy, I’m not surprised at all. Aoki had his chance, of course, formerly he fought in the Shooto’s category, he fought well, was champion. It isn’t a surprise, even because the physical quality of Aoki isn’t the strength, but is flexibility, the game, being able to do many positions that the opponent isn’t used to see. I saw possibilities for him to win too, but it isn’t a surprise that Sakurai have won the way he won.
What’s your bet to the final phase of the welterweight GP?
I'm betting on Galvão’s new blood, who arrived showing service. I had also seen his other fight, before that in the Dream, and I had liked. He had taken a knockdown, recovered in the fight, was well. He is showing that he’s doing the right job.
What did you think of Shaolin’s return?
Thanks God, he is a guy who was also stopped for a long time, wasn’t well physically, went through injury, so I know the anxiety he was. As a fighter, I can say, I don’t want anyone to be stopped a long time because of injury. For those who love the sport, it is very complicated. I’m glad that he is back and winning, is good because the category is always moving. He is an top athlete too, so I’m happy for him to be back in the tops.
Many fans want you to go to UFC. Why didn’t this happen yet?
First, I always had the contract with K-1, which joined with the Dream, and the guys are treating me well. I always have fights, so I couldn’t try to negotiate with anyone else, with any other event. Some times people commented about it, but no one came to an agreement, then I didn’t get involved. I leave these things in Dan Lambert’s hand, my manager, he takes care of this bureaucracy things. I have a job and he has another. If one day appear an opportunity and everything is beneficial... But, today still has much top athlete in Japan, so I think I still have much to do there. If one day appears the opportunity to come here, if is natural, it will happen, I leave in the hands of God.
What are your bets to Thiago Pitbull’s fight against GSP?
He takes the belt, I have no doubt. The team, anyone who sees the guy training, his dedication and desire, already gives as almost certain. He just needs to follow the line that he’s going, making it simple. It will be simple. Of course that Saint Pierre is a top fighter, certainly he’s in the top 10 pound for pound, he’s an excellent athlete. But, because of the game, also in the physical quality, Pitbull has much to complicate GSP, and we’re exploring this. It will have a Camp for the training, will be almost all guys. At that time, he will be the only one fighting, so everyone will be together for him. So it won’t be only Pitbull against St. Pierre, it will be the American Top Team against St. Pierre... The team here is a family, we all work together and helping each other. Everyone here has its value. Pitbull is damn strong, has a heavy hand, a heavy kick. Saint Pierre wasn’t always very strong in striking, as we saw in the fight against Matt Serra. Pitbull is a guy who always takes the opportunity.
