Interview with da GOAT

http://fansided.com/2015/02/25/fedor-emelianenko-anderson-silvas-failed-drug-test-slap-face/

Are you sure you’re done fighting?

Yes, 100 percent sure.

Why are you supporting Bellator and doing this Bellator Fan Fest?

The relationship with Bellator is purely because of my relationship with Scott Coker. We’ve had a relationship going back to my era in Strikeforce. A good, long relationship and I supported his beginnings in Bellator. It’s becoming popular in Russia. They show Bellator on TV. It’s good to come and show support as I’m very familiar with Bellator’s Russian fighters.

Why do you and Scott have such a good relationship?


The friendship… He’s always been good to me. I’ve always supported him and he’s supported me. We’ve had a very good relationship over the years.

Do you miss the spotlight?

Even though I’m not (fighting) professionally anymore, I still train and spar to stay in shape.

Do you train purely for fun now, or are you revitalized after taking time off?

The training of course is not as extensive as it was but, I like to stay in good shape. I still train and spar. Some of the newcomers or younger guys I train with may think because I’m not training at a pro level to get ready for fights they can show me around, but it makes me want to work harder because it feels like I want to put them in their place.

Would you say your prime combat motivator now is keeping the young guys from trying to beat you up at the gym?

A true athlete is not someone who is done, in any sport really, for any extended period of time and then quits. It is someone who stays continuously training, it’s a part of life, it becomes who you are.

Do your hands still hurt from hitting guys in the head so hard years ago?

Nyet (laughs). All healed up, thank God.

So Fabricio Werdum handed you your first definitive loss, and now he’s the UFC interim champion. How do you feel about that path he took?

I am extremely happy for him.

What are your thoughts on Anderson Silva’s positive tests for PEDs?

It’s extremely upsetting that an athlete of that level actually turned to an aid from drugs to enhance his performance. It’s a slap in the face overall. A slap in the face to the sport and all the fighters in the sport. I also feel that an athlete should depend on their skill set, experience and hard work they put in and not have to look to shorten that distance between hard training and the win by using or depending on steroids or any performance enhancing drug. Most importantly you have to stay true to yourself as well as those fans who made you who you are as an athlete. And now due to the use of steroids, he has this trademark, I feel, as someone who uses performance enhancing drugs to win.

Pride was not known to extensively drug test, and in retrospect you likely fought many people who were using at the time. Did you know that then?

Actually we did get tested for steroids but everyone just assumed that because no one tested positive that there were no steroids. Of course the thought has crossed my mind, and assumptions were made, but it gave me strength to know that my opponent may have had to use something while I put in all of the hard work and long training trying to be a better fighter which is why, with God’s help, I was able to win whether my opponent was on steroids or not.

Joe Rogan recently came out and said there was a “high possibility” you were on something during the Pride era.

(Long silence. I could feel the oxygen leaving the room from 1000 miles away.)

He likes to do PR scandals. As always, I’m ready now to test and always will and always would’ve been clean.

Do you feel like you missed the opportunity to fight Brock Lesnar? Do you regret that?

We were ready for the fight. I feel like the UFC is actually the one that missed out. There were a lot of misconceptions. We were ready. We were ready to move forward. The fact the fight didn’t happen, I feel unguilty.

Do you wish that fight would’ve happened?

Of course I regret it, but now I’m retired. When I retired, at that point the UFC was willing to compromise and meet me halfway, unfortunately I was already retired.

When was the last time you spoke to the UFC?

When I went into retirement.

You stood up to the UFC and its perceived low fighter pay quite publicly with those negotiations. Were you trailblazing for equality? What do you think about fighters coming out and saying they’re paid too low now?

I feel like it has nothing to do with me. It’s between the UFC and its fighters.

Do you have any fights that you wish you would’ve taken?

No.

Do you think Jon Jones is the best ever?

In what weight?

Ever. Period.

I really like Cain Velasquez.

If you were an up and coming fighter now, what would you have done differently?

Absolutely nothing. I’m extremely satisfied with everything that happened throughout my career. I’ve had a colorful and eventful, strong career. There is nothing I would change. I thank God for all the wins and losses.

Final question: Who hit you the hardest.

(laughs) I tried to keep my face out of the way.

misleading title is misleading