With Rafael WerneckOne of the Brazilian Top Team leaders, Ze Mario Sperry spent most of the last year working really hard outside the ring. His aim was to help his friend and pupil Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira during his training for the Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix. Asked about plans for his fighting career, Sperry told us he wants to get back to action as soon as possible. ‘I was focused on Minotauro?s training and wasn?t thinking about my fighting career at all. But now everything is different. The GP is over and my intention is to make two or three fights in 2005. To achieve that I?m back to my training routine and working hard to win again?, says Ze Mario. Sperry?s last fight was almost a year ago, on February 15th at Bushido 12. He KOed Mike Bencic in less than 12 seconds. A good come back after his loss to Japanese Yuki Kondo at Pride Shockwave 2003. Humbly, Sperry refuses to chose an ideal opponent, but wants to fight a tough fight as his first fight of 2005. ?I don?t think I have the right to chose a name. The simple fact of being back to the ring can be considered a great victory. However, it would be very nice to fight someone like Quinton Jackson or Wanderlei Silva?, finishes Sperry. Last week, Mario Sperry was confirmed by DSE President Nobuyuki Sakakibara as one of the Brazilian representatives to be fighting at the Middleweight Grand Prix Trials. His BTT partners Paulao Filho and Ricardo Arona and Murilo Ninja, from Chute Boxe, will be in qualifiers as well.
