Wallid Ismail - INTERVIEW

On the first sight, the similarity between Dana White, president of OFC, and Wallid Ismail, Jungle Fight’s promoter, it’s no hair. Butt he truth is that Wallid is building his own identity, and as the American bald, is making MMA more popular in Brazil. In the following interview, Carlson Gracie’s black belt talked about his plans to Jungle, compared the Wallid fighter and the promoter and assumed: “I have a really big problem, I want the best fighters on Jungle. I even say I’m sorry to the other promoters, but it’s better for the athletes that they fight the Jungle, because they show all over the world“. Check below.

The next event will be on Maracanãzinho. What can you already say about this event?

It’s going to be historical! We’ll make a big event on Maracanãzinho, people can wait for a MMA union. I want that all the people that supported me and follow this sport go watch it. Teachers, send me the names, because I want everyone of MMA on this event. I’m negotiating to bring Tom Erikson, Antony Rea, but we’ll have Cacareco, Sérgio Moraes, Assuério Silva, Vanessa Porto, Erik Silva. These guys are ready to come and fight. I’m very happy that’s everything going well.

You made a partnership with Apregoa.com on Jungle on São Paulo. Will this partnership continue on Rio de Janeiro?

Luis Octávio Índio da Costa, who trained Jiu-Jitsu and is president of the Bank Cruzeiro do Sul, he’ a visionary. He’s with us and we’re negotiating, but we already close four events from now until the end of the year. We’ll back to make our ecological work, and we’re doing a work of social inclusion on Sérgio Moraes’ project, and soon we’ll make it with other people that teach classes on needed areas. The sports secretary, Walter Feldman, is such an amazing guy that he makes this social inclusion work of sport, he said that he wants to see Jungle Fight producing each time more athletes. I saw Walter look alike Zé Moraes, who had that head. That what happened with me, everything that happened in my life. Now I give my mom a better life. That’s important, that’s my objective.

Do you consider yourself the Brazilian Dana White?

No, I’m a worker, a guy who wakes up at 5am and loves what he does. I like to talk with the fighters, I like to give advices, I lived all of this. Fight as a warrior and you’ll go back to Jungle. Dana White is a guy who loves the sport. I have a huge admiration and respect because he has passion. I talked with him and Lorenzo that I wanted to help to bring UFC to Brazil. Brazilian people deserve to watch a UFC, this guy makes only good stuff for the sport. I was praying for no fights or troubles on Bitetti, and thank God there was no problems, because that’s very important.

What makes you different than other promoters?

I’ve been thru it, that’s my life. I never teach classes, I was always fighter and promoter, and now I’m manager too. That’s what I do, promotion. People forget, but I was the first athlete in the world to live of sponsorship. I was the first athlete in the world who doesn’t need to give classes to live. That’s historical. But time passes by and people forget. I was the first to put sponsorship on the kimono, putt he sponsorship on the shoulder to show on the camera.

Talk about Wallid fighter and Wallid promoter.

It’s a totally different guy. The fighter is that crazy one, who wants to fight everyone and defend his great Master Carlson Gracie and the Jiu-Jitsu... That’s my life, people don’t know the war that is to be a promoter, but it’s the same war of when I was a fighter. I have this perseverance. On the event I transport chairs, fenced... I’m that general in the front, I went to the battle field. Do you think I stand sitting on the event? No, I work, I’m happy with my team... People have no idea of how much you have to work fort he sport. Today I’m calmer, I just get upset when people thinks you became a dumb ass... I’m other guy, I always want to respect and to be good with everybody. Before, I used to make a mess.

You always have been a polemic guy. As a promoter it’s not different...

I have a really big problem I want the best fighters on Jungle. I even say I’m sorry to the other promoters, but it’s better for the athletes that they fight the Jungle, because they show all over the world. I even say I’m sorry to the other promoters, but I want the best fighters on Jungle, I call the guys and say, I’m not saying behind them. You can ask to any promoter. I never say a thing from behind, I’m a man. When some misunderstand happens, I talk in the front. And people say “Wallid may have his problems, but he talks face to face“. Like it or not, but I’m a man. How many guys out there will fight for Jungle? People will say I’m pretentious, but I ask: do you know Rogério Minotauro? He’s awesome, amazing. What was his last fight before closing with UFC? Jungle Fight. Werdum, Babalu, Todd Duffee, Jacaré... If a say the list...Jungle open doors. There’s 160 fighters to choose 16. I really chose the best ones.

First Bitetti Combat, and now Jungle Fight on Maracanãzinho. Is the turn on the sport coming close?

Man, people have no idea... I can’t be right every time, but I try to be right as much as I can. I have Maracanãzinho close since last year, who remember knows that. On October, me, Minotouro, Bernard, and Marco Antônio Alencar went there with our great governor Sérgio Cabral and we close Maracanãzinho, but I had to go to USA, because my life is very crazy. Then I saw that Amaury was going to make the event on Maracanãzinho... I congratulate him and I think it was awesome. I wanted that everything works, that’s good for the sport, I don’t want that have only Jungle Fight. I support other events, but each one has to know the pocket that has. That’s the math; you have to put money on the sport.