What do you expect of the coming fight between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez?

I think that Velasquez has proven to be a very tough guy, with great conditioning. He also has great wrestling, though the gym staff recognize that Rodrigo is different, a truly special talent. Everyone got a chance to see him back in form for his fight with Couture, which for me was the best fight of all time. I'm sure that this fight will be tough, and I can see Cain trying to exchange with him, but Rodrigo is better at that than him. I think Cain is going to lose- he is better at takedowns, but I believe Rodrigo is going to finish him.

Are you betting on someone in the interim title fight between Shane Carwin and Frank Mir?

I don't want to bet on what happens. It will be a good fight, even though I think it should be Rodrigo fighting for this interim belt. Mir just lost to Brock Lesnar, and Couture is a bigger name than Cheick Kongo, so the fight to decide the interim belt really should have been Rodrigo vs. Velasquez. But that is the UFC's decision, and I think it will be a good fight, it's going to be tough for both, but it will not go the distance. Carwin has proven quite talented, and is a good striker, but Mir is very well-rounded and I would bet on him winning.

What did you think of the debut of Rogerio Minotouro, and what do you expect of his future in the UFC?

The staff here in Brazil know how good he is. He needed an opportunity like this, and now that he has stepped up to the challenge he has demonstrated his potential. I know very well how heavy his hands are, I have taken a lot of his punches, and Banha (Luiz Cane) felt how powerful they can be. I have no doubt he will impress a lot of people, because in both striking and on the floor, Rogerio is very talented. I think these are two areas where no one else can compare with him, either striking or on the ground. Some fighters could surprise him with wrestling or something, but in those two areas he is very talented, and in the near future he may hold a belt, too.