By: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAMEThe top Brazilian wrestler Antoine Jaoude was again invited to fight in ADCC. With the experience of being a champion in the old Arabian league of Submission Wrestling, the Lebanses descended Jaoude knows that this time the challenge will be higher and he doesn’t expect an easy path in the premier submission wrestling tourney in the world.How is your preparation for the 2005 ADCC? The preparation is based on a strategy for the rules of the competition, we will see, I think I’m in shape, with a lot of stamina, I’m doing more specific work now and let God decides what’s going to happen.What do you think about the rules? Especially about the fact that the 5 first minutes doesn’t apply points? Actually the rules always change, so, in the 5 minutes they dont count points, but I think the disadvantages are applied. We have to stay tuned, because it always changes, when we arrive there, there will be the technical meeting and that can change some things, so I?m leaving worries with the rules near to the competition. I?m basing my training on a general experience, from the others ADCC competitions and from the submission ones.Who do you think will be your toughest opponents? All the competitors are tough, with experience in the event. There’s Roger Gracie, who is very good, he only does that, he only trains on the ground. Alexandre Cacareco, who was the runner up and is my ex training partner, Xande Ribeiro is also a great name. They are all good, but I will be there too and I hope that I will be considered another great name.Do you pretend to fight in the absolute division? I would fight the absolute division for sure, but it is the competition who chooses. If I do well in my weight division I will probably be picked.How was your experience in fighting in the Arabian league? It was great. I want to let everybody knows that it was from the help of Traven and Geraldo, they gave me a lot of strength to put me in the Arabian league, the trainings were coordinated with Beto and Traven. The experience was good, but now there is another level, so this international ADCC is very different from the Arabian league.The superfight will be between Jean Jacques Machado and Dean Lister. In which one do you bet? I bet on Jean Jacques, I think he will run trough Dean Lister. I saw Jean Jacques fighting in Abu Dhabi and his ground work is insane, it is very beautiful to see. He has a great name, a lot of abilities, so I think he will do a great fight.What are your plans for after the 2005 ADCC? At first there will be the Wrestling World Championship, I don?t know if I will receive proposals to fight MMA. I had invitations to fight in Croacia, but preferred to fight the ADCC. I wanted to thank the people from the organization, Miguel Iturrate and Guy Nievens, who had invited me in 2003, and I couldn?t come because of the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo. This time, because they invited me again, I didn?t accepted any other invitation and decided to fight for ADCC.To finish the interview, would you like to leave a message? At the first place I would like to thank my friends Pedro Rizzo, Beto Leit?o Sr. and Beto Leit?o Jr., F?bio Perisse, Marcio Pimentel, The Gama Filho University, NoGi, Academia da Praia and Rizzo Gourmet. For those who root for me, if God wants I don?t want to let you down. I would like to thank all for the attention and kindness that the fans give to me, I hope to give back to them fighting, I really love to compete, I hope that you always root for me, that you believe in God and always do good for humanity.
