One of the best Brazilian revelations in MMA, Edson Draggo has impressed the international fighting community with his KOs. From the eight fights performed by the Brazilian Top Team athlete, all ended by KO! His last victim was Tengiz Tedoradze, who only lasted four seconds on last April 22’s Cage Rage 16. "I swung and he tried to protect himself lowing his right hand. It was the key to throw a strong crossed punch, which hit him straight in the chin and he collapsed. I am not American and I am not black, but I am the new Mike Tyson of Vale-Tudo," he teased. Now Drago wonders about fighting in Pride, the UFC or returning to the British cage. He sends a message to all event promoters: "If you want a man standing and another on the ground, you just need to make a call!", Drago guaranteed during this exclusive to MMA Ring Report. 

MMA Ring Report - In your next fight, you are going to fight Valdas Pocevicius. Do you know your opponent at WFC?
 

Edson Draggo - No, to be honest with you, I just know he is from Lithuania, but I don’t even know his records. I call tell you I will kick his ass and I’ll [get a] KO again and bring this title to Brazil. My fighting style is not going to change. I also send a message to [the] event’s promoter: "If you want a man standing and another on the ground, you just need to make a call!" (laughs).

MMA Ring Report - Talking about your performance at Cage Rage…your last fight ended in only four seconds… tell me how you did it!?

Edson Draggo - Yes, it was very quick. I had seen a tape of his fight against American Top team’s Jeff Monson and Tengiz Tedoradze put him down and punished him from the guard, performing an excellent ground and pound. So I had in mind I couldn’t let myself underneath… it was his game and not mine. So the better way I’ve found was taking control of the middle of the octagon… then I swung and he tried to protect himself lowing his right hand. It was the key to throw a strong crossed punch, which hit him straight in the chin and he collapsed. I am not American and I am not black, but I am the new Mike Tyson of Vale-Tudo.

MMA Ring Report - And what happened after the fastest KO of the night?

Edson Draggo - I climbed the cage and challenged James Thompson. He is a local idol in England and it would be a very interesting fight for me. But I am not sure if this fight will happen... because he has signed a deal with Pride, and it’s very hard to meet him inside the cage… well, there is always a hope and who knows someday I might fight at Pride?

MMA Ring Report - Have you thought about that? A lot of people wonder to see you fighting at Pride…

Edson Draggo - The leader of Brazilian Top Team José Mário Sperry said I might have a chance to fight in Japan in July, But I am not sure because also in July there is a new edition of Cage Rage and the organization wants to close a deal with me for four more fights. But I can tell you for sure if I get a deal with Pride, I’ll try to do my best to go to Japan.

MMA Ring Report - In other hand, there are people that say your ground skills are not good… once you didn’t have a chance to prove it…

Edson Draggo - I have been training a lot of Wrestling and sharpening my guard with my teammates at Brazilian Top Team. But my specialty is on the feet and I trained a lot of Boxing for this fight and Boxing didn’t let me down so far. But I am aware only Boxing will not keep me winning in a Vale-Tudo ring, so I also have been training on the ground and also a great repertory of takedowns. I also send a message to my future opponents… Don’t think it will be easy to put me down to test my ground skill! You will have to waste a lot of energy to put me down and if I fall with my back on the ground, I will be also fine, because my ground is sharpened.

MMA Ring Report - You were scheduled to fight at Jungle Fight 6, only a week after Cage Rage. Lots of people thought you were nuts because of the proximity of dates… however it didn’t last five seconds (literally). Why didn’t you travel to Manaus to fight BJJ black belt Márcio Corleta?

Edson Draggo - Well... the truth is Wallid Ismail – Jungle Fight’s event promoter – promised before I travel to England I would fight Lyoto Machida. When I returned, I knew at the gym they switched my opponent and I would fight BJJ black belt Márcio Corleta. I didn’t approve it and I called Wallid asking him for the fight he promised me. He warned Lyoto would fight another opponent and I decided not to fight. Corleta was debuting in Vale-Tudo and he could not refuse to fight... to get worst, if I had beaten him, nobody would remember in the next day! It was not an interesting fight for me. Differently from Lyoto Machida, who is a tough fighter and would add a lot in my resume. Unfortunately I have to say Corleta needs to win five or six guys before fighting me. Well, I also have to say I came back from England with my purse and didn’t need the money… if I need it, I would had fight, but I was fine.

MMA Ring Report - Is it true your Boxing technician didn’t approve the fight between you and Corleta?

Edson Draggo - Yes. Paulo Cafuringa trains Boxing with me and also teaches Marcio Corleta. He didn’t like this fight at all! (laughs).

MMA Ring Report - And about the first Jungle Fight incident, when you KO’d Hélio Dipp and kept beating him even when he was already KO’d?

Edson Draggo - It was not because I’m a bad guy. It’s just the heat of the fight. He had beaten a pupil of mine in my birthplace city of Porto Alegre and we always had this rivalry between our academies. However, I regret that moment and I won’t happen again. Now we are fine and finally in peace. My sponsor will also promote a meeting between us to celebrate peace and take a picture for a local peace campaign.

MMA Ring Report - What are you going to do now? When are we gonna see you in action again? Would you like to fight at UFC?

Edson Draggo - Now I fight at World Freefighting Championship, scheduled to May 20, in Slovenia. I will fight local Valdas Pocevicius and then I will solve my life… if I’ll go to Pride or sign with Cage Rage for more four fights. So far fighting at UFC isn’t in my plans. I’d like to fight in there, but I do not have any contact in there. Who knows when Anderson Silva is at UFC there isn’t a chance for me, but I’d like a lot to fight at American Octagon.

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