FightHype.com recently caught up with MMA veteran Marco "King of the Streets" Ruas. Check out what he had to say about his IFL team, the Condors, his own future plans and much more.
PC: It's an honor to speak with you. How is everything going?
MR: Okay, thanks! Everything is going very good. Just working.
PC: How do you feel about the way the Condors performed in the IFL this year?
MR: It's good; not bad. We put a heavyweight in the finals and one fight away from a title, you know? It's bad because I lost with my 185-pounder, but not bad for our first year.
PC: When you're searching for a fighter to be on your team, what are some of the things you are looking for in these fighters?
MR: I look for real humble guys, you know? I like education in their training. I don't like arrogance, like some fighters have. I treat everybody the same so I like guys that are nice and humble.
PC: How did you get your nickname "King of the Streets?"
MR: Because of my last name Ruas. Ruas is "the streets" in Brazil and Portuguese and a long time ago in Brazil, I would punch people in the mouth; I would fight. I did it for free one time. I fought this black guy...people think it's because I fight in the streets all of the time, but no. I have fought in the streets for free, but I really like to help people.
PC: How tough was it for you to leave Brazil?
MR: It was very hard. I have my mother, my brother and my friends down there and the 1st of the year, my phone bill will be very high. I pay a lot of money for the phone bill because I call my mom and my friends. My wife gives me permission because she let me know it was important for my career and the kids and now I love it.
PC: The last time we saw you fight was against Maurice Smith in Chicago. Do you think that's the last time we will see you fight?
MR: I'm going to fight again. I made some mistakes. I hadn't stepped inside the ring in 5 or 6 years and, I don't want to talk about it like it is an excuse, but he had more time for training. It was my decision, but I fought hard and got tired. My corner threw the towel in and that was a good decision. I wish I could've done more. I had some problems before the fight with my asthma and I could not breathe well and Maurice could see that and he did what he had to do.
PC: You've done so much for the sport. How does it make you feel to see how the sport has evolved?
MR: Unbelievable. I'm proud! This sport came from nothing, you know, like 10 years ago in Brazil. People would ask, "What's your sport?" I would tell them Vale Tudo because it's MMA down here and Vale Tudo in Brazil and they would look at me like I was a criminal. They looked at me like I was a bad guy and now they look at these guys like a superstar. It's very popular; very nice! Everybody is training real MMA now to where before, it was a different style. If you were a wrestler, you trained wrestling; Jiu Jits, you trained that and now everybody trains everything. They're putting 2 and 2 together, cross training, and it's more exciting.
PC: What fighters do you enjoy watching now in any organization?
MR: A lot of guys! I like St-Pierre from Canada, Randy Couture, he is a great guy and fighter, and Minotauro Rodrigo, he's very technical on the ground. There are a lot of good guys out there.
PC: Is there anybody out there that reminds you of yourself?
MR: It's hard to say. I think now, these guys are more...my timing, I don't know. If you had good ground, I wanted to stand and if your stand-up was good, I wanted to go to the ground and if you liked to kick, I would take you down. It's hard to say because they have so many guys that are quick and they entertain.
PC: It was an honor speaking with you Marco. Thanks for your time. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
MR: I want to thank the IFL. They help guys put on fights, I think it's a great show and a great idea. I want to thank all of the IFL, from the management and owners to the fighters. I want to thank them for giving me the chance to get back in the ring again. I have a lot of respect for the fighters and the IFL are great people.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]