with Pablo Lima and Rafael WerneckWith the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix second round approaching, all kinds of bets have been made by MMA fans! However, We got in touch with none other than the current Pride middleweight champion: Wanderlei Silva. We asked him to tell us his favorites to win the fights next Sunday, June 26th, at Saitama Super Arena. Wand did not take much time thinking. ‘It is going to be me (obviously), Ricardo Arona, Mauricio Shogun and Alistair Overeem‘ predicts Wand. The Chute Boxe star arrived in Japan with his Chute Boxe partner Mauricio Shogun, who is about to face BTT black belt Rogerio Minotouro in a Brazil vs. Brazil challenge. Confident in his friend Shogun’s performance, Wand is aware of the danger that Minotauro’s twin brother represents. ‘It is going to be a very tough fight. But Shogun is very strong and fast. If he goes forward like he did against Quinton Jackson, I believe he is going to win’ says Wanderlei, who assure us that he followed Shogun’s every step during his training for the fight against Nogueira. Asked about his expectations regarding the next round, scheduled for August 28th, Wanderlei confesses his preferences for a double challenge against his countrymen. ‘I want to face Ricardo Arona in the semifinal and after that a grand battle against Mauricio Shogun would be great!’ ends Wand. Before the flight to Japan, Wanderlei Silva was part of a special participation on the Government’s TV Channel for a campaign to donate organs, that has the main slogan: ‘GRANT LIFE! THE BEST GIFT THAT YOU CAN LEAVE IS LIFE.’
