Jorge Gurgel Feels Fortunate to Have Transitioned to Interpreter Role

Former UFC fighter Jorge Gurgel spoke with MMAjunkie about his transition to being an interpreter and more. Highlights from the interview are below:

On serving as an interpreter: “For you to want to see somebody fight, it’s easier if you know their personality. So if they don’t speak the language, it’s my absolute job to make the English-speaking crowd understand and get to know the person as much as they possibly can, through my words, because they don’t speak English. I really think there’s a big responsibility.”

On being able to sell the emotion behind a fighter’s words: “The fans and everybody else need to feel what they’re feeling and feel the emotion form. Me, having been a fighter that fought in the UFC and in Strikeforce and has been employed by Zuffa for a decade, it’s a lot easier for me to understand. I know the coaches, I know a lot of the fighters, to understand, ‘What is the message? How do I make the fans feel what the fighter is feeling?’”

On transitioning to a interpreter role: “The more I did, the more I became confident. Practice makes perfect. I kept doing it, kept doing it. And they called me for the great ones.”

On working with his colleagues in the UFC: “Joe (Rogan) is there, Jon Anik is there, Daniel Cormier. I sit at the best seat in the house. I still watch the greatest fights. I just got to watch Frankie Edgar fight, man. And (Cris) Cyborg. And I was there in the first seat. It’s nothing to do with pay. It’s awesome to be still involved with the UFC and also being a positive light and voice for the Brazilian fighters. To be able to translate their message more clearly. Maybe I wasn’t the best fighter. I never was. But being an interpreter, I think I’m the best at it. And I’m very very blessed and fortunate that I took the initiative to go after the job – and the UFC having trust in me, (production company) Concom having trust in me, to keep me doing that job.”