Renato “Babalu” SorbalOTM- Why did you decide to move from RVT to GCT?Babalu- Man, I was looking for good condition to keep my trainings and my deals, so I got a good proposal from Gracie Combat Team and I’m a member of GCT now.
OTM- Did you catch any flack from the RVT coaches for changing teams?Babalu- Man, I did change, only that. I prefer to no comment much about that. Let’s go to speak about other issues.
OTM- Ok Babalu, You won your first international 8 man tournament IFC-“Global Domination”, did that revenge your three defeats that you had in RINGS tournaments?Babalu- Each event has a different story. GOD knows when it is the moment of each one, I had come from three trials of winning RINGS and a loss to Chuck Liddell in UFC. So IFC was my redemption, IFC was my third 8-man tourney victory and I hope to not be the last.
OTM- Did your IFC performances erase your defeat to Liddell?Babalu- I didn’t compare them. In my opinion defeats and victories are things of the past. I only look to my future, not to the past.
OTM-Your side of the bracket was a very tough one at the IFC. Starting with Trevor Prangley, tell us about it.Babalu- Prangley was an unknown for us Brazilians, however Jeremy Horn and him were heavily favored to win the tourney.
OTM-Do you think Horn’s bracket was softer than yours?Babalu- Perhaps, I think they wanted Jeremy Horn in the finals. My bracket was the tougher one, with Mauricio “Shogun”, Prangley, myself and Paulo Filho (replaced by the heavyweight Jiu Jitsu champion, Eric Wanderlei) were all on the same side.
OTM-How did you feel about the opportunity to fight against Brazilians in an international event?Babalu- I’m Filho’s friend, but I don’t know “Shogun”. I faced him normally as any one else. We are both there to compete and we are both professionals. I knew I’d fight a Brazilian if I wanted to be champion. The IFC’s promoter put us in the same bracket. They didn’t want two Brazilians in the final.
OTM- What can you tell us about “Shogun”? Many people say that he’s not a very good fighter on the ground. Ever since he fought CYBORG he showed that he didn’t know anything about ground fighting.Babalu- I can’t agree. “Shogun” will surprise a lot of fighters soon. He fights well on the feet and on also on the ground game. He can win on the ground and on the feet with technique. He had a good ground fight against the Jiu Jitsu champion (Eric Wanderley) in the IFC. “Shogun” has a lot of strengths and we’ll all see that. My strong Wrestling was what made the difference against “Shogun”.
OTM- What was the controversy in your match with Jeremy Horn?Babalu- He put a triangle on me and while I was resisting the bell sounded. Horn and his teammates complained that the bell sounded some seconds before. I think that each fight is a fight, my brother. I didn’t pay any attention to if it had really happened. The result was in my victory. I also thought that I won the KOK1999, but they gave that to Dan Henderson.
OTM- After the UFC, seemed you lacked motivation? Did winning the IFC get you motivated to return?Babalu- With certainty, against Liddell I wasn’t really mentally and spiritually ready. I did respect him a lot and I think this happens with all fighters during their career.
OTM-Did you think quitting after UFC 40?Babalu- I thought about it. After the fight against Elvis Sinosic I didn`t want to fight more. I needed time off. I was confused. In the Liddell fight, I was well trained, but I wasn’t there mentally.
OTM- Liddell has a good reputation in the IFC. Do you want a rematch him in IFC?Babalu- He already beat me. I’ll wait my chance and if he shows up on my road, then I’ll try to break him!
OTM- What are your plans for next year?Babalu- No plans. I want to try and recover from my injured two fingers that forced to pull out of Heat FC 2-“Evolution”.
OTM- Thank you for your time any thing you want to add?Babalu- Thank you too and I wanna a Onthemat.com t-shirt which has women on the logo, ok? [laughs] Also, make my videos famous on the web site
OTM- Ok, enjoy the shirt!Babalu- Thank you [laughs]