mma / News

Thomas Almeida Saddened by Anderson Silva’s Recent Comments About Brazilian Fighters

May 26, 2016 | Posted by Joseph Lee

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Thomas Almeida (21-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) said he wasn’t happy with Anderson Silva’s recent comments that Ronaldo Souza and Jose Aldo were the only Brazilians he saw winning a championship. Here are highlights:

On Silva’s comments: “What Anderson Silva may say doesn’t affect me. I know my own worth, where I want to get, my willpower, my objective, and why I fight. I fight for my fans, for the Brazilian people, for my team, and for my family. I’m confident I’ll reach my goals. It just makes me sad to see comments like that. Anderson represented our country very well in the UFC. I think he may still have the record for the most title defenses. As a great icon, he should give a good example. He should encourage other fighters to work harder to reach championship status in the world’s greatest organization. I know that we Brazilians are giving our best to represent and green-and-yellow flag. We will have other belts, and keep the ones we have.”

On what he would do with a performance bonus at UFC Fight Night 88: “I have to pay my teammates. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I also have to pay a lot of taxes, so I’m in good standing both in the countries I’ve fought and in Brazil. But thankfully I have my head in the right place. I don’t waste money. I invest in myself. I want to be champion. My money goes to nutritional supplements, clothes, trainers and training partners. I’m investing in myself so I can be a great champion.”

On his career so far: “I’m reaping the fruits of my labor. I’ve been putting in the work since age 13. I’m fully dedicated and I live only for fighting. I was very hopeful to get on the Curitiba card. But the UFC brought me a proposal of headlining in Las Vegas. It’s somewhere where I loved fighting. The greatest fights have taken place in Vegas. I can hardly wait for fight day. I’ll be representing my country and my team.”