Arona: ‘All this pressure stimulates me a lot’!text and photos by Marcelo Alonso/ Team TatameStrength, agility and endurance, are the characteristics of the man nicknamed the Brazilian Tiger’ because of his six Tiger tatooes spread throughout his body. Ricardo Arona is aware that all those characteristics of his favourite animal will be needed, but he knows he must also display great psychological control to win what he considers the most important fight of his life, with Wanderlei Silva. ‘I DID A MORE INTENSE TRAINING AND ALSO PREPARED MY MIND, BECAUSE THE MENTAL WEAR IS GOING TO BE HUGE IN THIS FIGHT. I’M DEFENDING JIU-JITSU, BTT, MY FAMILY AND MANY OTHER THINGS. ALL THIS PRESSURE STIMULATES ME A LOT. I WORKED A LOT ON MY MIND TO DEAL WITH THAT. I THINK CHUTE BOXE WILL PUT PRESSURE, THEY ARE BRINGING TWO FIGHTERS, THEY WILL ARRIVE IN JAPAN WITH A BIG TEAM TRYING TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF PRESSURE, BUT I’M TOTALLY PREPARED FOR THAT BECAUSE THE FIGHT WILL HAPPEN IN THE RING AND IN THE RING I’M READY TO ANSWER TO SITUATION’ guarantees Arona, who arrived in Japan last Wednesday, along with teammates Mario Sperry, Paulo Filho, Fabiano Capoane and Milton Vieira. Asked about what he would do if he wins, Arona says: ‘If I win the GP I’ll take my girlfriend to some calm place for a month vacation, but later, at the end of the year I would like to fight him Wanderlei again for the weight category belt’ explains Arona, who doesn’t like to talk about the possibility of a loss. ‘I would stop for one month, and see where were the mistakes. I would ask for a rematch by the end of the year for the belt anyway, but I’m not concerning myself with this possibility. This fight is really special for me. Everything that happened beween me and him I wouldn’t accept a defeat. There are just two ways for me to leave the ring against Wanderlei, celebrating the win or unconcious’, guarantees Arona.
