MMA Sports caught up with Hermes Franca as a reply to Marcus Aurelio's MMA Sports interview (click here to read) to discuss his upcoming fight at UFC 90 with Marcus Aurelio and talk about the tension and dislike between the two fighters.

MMA Sports Mag - It's obvious you and Marcus Aurélio have some unfinished business to deal. What are you expecting of this fight?
Hermes França - I think Aurélio talks too much, but if he is ready as he was against Clay Guida and Tyson Griffin…I think UFC will see the same movie.

MMA Sports Mag - How did you receive the news you would fight Aurélio?
Hermes França - I was very surprised! I also thought about calling UFC's matchmaker Joe Silva trying to find another opponent. I am fighting an unknown fighter in the US and who did horrible fights in the event. I say all my fights in the UFC were exciting and for several times I received prizes for the best KO or submission of the night. Even when I got defeated my fights were exciting. So I think I should have a chance to fight a better phase athlete. But I thought: What the hell? I will fight him and I don't respect him as a person and I will be well paid to kick his ass. Let's do it!

MMA Sports Mag - And he said he was the one who brought you to train in the US, how did that happen?
Hermes França - It's not true. I came to the United States own my own. Marcus has never brought me to the US. I came through UFC's Wilson Gouveia, who is such a friend and I owe him big time. I came to the US to work. I washed cars for several months, until someday Wilson introduced me to Marcelo Silveira and Conan and I started training. Marcus Aurélio reached ATT through me and Wilson. I even waited for him in the airport and placed him in my house. From there we went to Silveira's Brother’s gym and he started training. I feel very upset with the stuff he made it up.

MMA Sports Mag - So, you and Marcus Aurélio have serious personal issues…
Hermes França - He accuses me of a lot of things, but he forgets he left behind his first teacher Sazinho and left his first team Nova União. He abandoned his gym and pupils in Fortaleza... it's a shame.

MMA Sports Mag - So, you join ATT and then you ended up leaving the team. What is your version of the facts?
Hermes França - Differently of what he said. I've never did bullshit at ATT. I've always did good things for the team. I left because I had a little disagreement with Marcelo Silveira, but then we talked privately after that and it's alright.

MMA Sports Mag - So, after this talk you decided to join the team again?
Hermes França - No. I've never asked for a second chance. In fact I received a call from Ricardo Libório and he told me he would like to have me back and to put behind my disagreement with Silveira. I said yes. I moved on.

MMA Sports Mag - But then something new happened, right?
Hermes França - Yes, in the second time I left because I graduated Kurt Pelegrino to black belt… by that time he was my pupil at Team Armory. I thought he deserved it...not only because of the fights, but because he was a good instructor. He is a great fighter and during a submission event, with his blue belt, defeated Marcus Aurélio. So Libório got upset because I gave Pelegrino the black belt. I didn't understand the reason he got upset. I was a black belt for four years and Kurt was training with me over one year. I considered it fair to graduate him and this created a lot of noise. I warned Libório I wasn't able to take it back because it would create an awkward situation. And it was the beginning of the end. Then Kurt and I left to Team, Team Armory and after a while we decided to create our team. That's it.

MMA Sports Mag - I imagine you are hurt with your old team…
Hermes França - I've never left motivated by anger. At Armory, when I only trained with Kurt and my pupils, I did eight fights and won them all by submission and had a title shot. About my character, I've always been loyal to Silveira's Brothers and they were my family. I shared several unforgettable moments until the arrival of the "spoilt oranges".

MMA Sports Mag - Talking about ATT, how is your relationship with the team?
Hermes França - I got really surprised when Aurélio said nobody liked me anymore. Every time I meet somebody from there we talk normally. I ran into Gleison Tibau, who was my opponent and I didn't realize this indifference. I feel very upset with his words.

MMA Sports Mag - Aurélio also said he received phone calls supporting him to fight you. Did you receive calls also?
Hermes França - I bet he received two or three calls. On the other hand I was very supported by several fighters. I also received an invitation from BJ Penn to help him in his training and accepted. I also received invitations from Spencer Fisher, Joe Stevenson and Billy Rush, who trains Jeremy Horn. But I knew Jeremy would fight Wilson Gouveia and I had to refuse. This is my character man!!!

Just to have an idea…Meanwhile Marcus Aurélio is not welcome in any gym of Fortaleza, I have open doors in many teams and fighters in the US. As Pat Miletich, Dan Henderson, Xtreme Couture, Greg Jackson, Chuck Liddell and others. I also talked to Saulo Ribeiro during a submission tournament and he invited me to train at Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu (Jiu-Jitsu's University). This is like going Disneyland for the first time!

MMA Sports Mag - What do you mean?
Hermes França - I mean... can you imagine training with Diego Sanchez, Jeremy Stephens, Ronaldo Jacaré, Xande Ribeiro, Fabrício Morango, André Galvão, Pablo Popovitch, Brandon Vera and Barret Yoshida? It's just awesome!