JZ has an impressive MMA list of victories to include Vitor Ribeiro, Nam Phan and Caol Uno to name a few. This exciting fighter can finish fights in every type of fashion. We caught up with JZ to discuss his future plans.

Mike: What’s up JZ? How have you been?
JZ: Good. I am just working on healing my leg. I tore my ACL really bad 2 weeks before I was supposed to fight in last October, so I am just doing the rehab with that, and getting that healed.

Mike: I wanted to touch quickly on your last fight with Kawajiri, what are your thoughts on this fight and do you think your knee injury or ring rust played into this fight?
JZ: No actually, I was good, it was fine. I just wasn’t pushing him like I should have been. If anything it was just being too prepared. I was supposed to fight Hansen, but that fight got pushed back when he got injured before the fight, and they said it would be next month, then they said it would be next month after that. So I had to keep training for all this time preparing for the fight. So I was just over trained you know? I didn’t let my body rest.

Mike: Any word on when you might fight next? Or where it might be?
JZ: Nothing yet. It will probably be in Japan again with Dream because I still have another fight on the contract with them, but I am not ready yet. I want to be healthy and 100%. I don’t want to rush into it, and not be fully healed.

Mike: With Dream and Strikeforce working together on occasion, would you like to fight for Strikeforce, against someone like Josh Thomson or Gilbert Melendez?
JZ: For sure man, people have been asking me this lately because of how Dream and them are putting on some fights or whatever. I would really like to fight in America, it would be awesome. I wouldn’t have to travel 17 hours on a plane, and have to eat weird food. I would have my family, friends and teammates here for support. I’d like to fight here in the USA.

Mike: What about the UFC? Would you want to fight for them?
JZ: Umm… it all depends on the negotiations. My manager takes care of that, the when, where, how much. I leave that all up to him. He knows what’s best, and I know he will do what’s best for me.

Mike: How did you get started in MMA?
JZ: I started fighting Judo when I was 4, and never stopped. I saw the UFC, and thought I’d like to do it. I started doing some sub grappling, and from the first day I knew it was for me! I was always fighting though in Judo, Grappling, everything man. It just all started from there.

Mike: How did you end up with American Top Team?
JZ: I had a couple of friends who came from Brazil to USA, and said if you wanna fight, then come here. This is going to be the place to do it. They had everything here, BJJ, Boxing, Wrestling. I talked to my family and they support me, and helped me out. So I came here.

Mike: You had back to back fights with Aoki. One ending in controversy and the other a decision loss, would you want a 3rd fight?
JZ: Yes. I would like a 3rd fight for sure. I need that fight man. I want to be 100% healthy and have another fight with him. I’d look forward to it. I am coming from 2 losses now, so I will need to win a couple first maybe. But if the opportunity to fight with him again happened, I will.

Mike: Speaking of Aoki, what are your thoughts on what happened after his last fight?
JZ: You know, in Japan you don’t sometimes know what happens before the fights here in America. You don’t get to hear all the interviews, or see that stuff. I hear that Hirota was talking a lot of shit before the fight, but it was disrespectful. Especially on New Years. If you never been to Japan at that time, it’s really different then here in the USA. It’s a celebration at the fight, you see everyone from Grand-poppas, to grandsons all sitting together watching fights. And for him to break the arm and then give the finger… that was not good. It was a big, big, big mistake for him to do that then.

Mike: Being from Brazil, I wanted to get your thoughts on the 2016 Olympics being held in Rio De Janeiro?
JZ: Yeah its nice man. A very good opportunity I think. I think the people in Brazil need this, and get to see some new sports. They mostly have Football/Soccer that they follow and that’s all. So they get to see wrestling, and boxing and stuff. It should be fun. They get an opportunity to watch new sports, and especially the fighting sports. We fight for our lives everyday there; it’s a normal thing you know? But for them to see these sports will be fun. (brief pause) I was thinking to give a try to maybe wrestling, (laughs) it would be a dream if I would make it to Olympics.

Mike: Speaking of Brazil, could you tell us a little bit about the old school vale tudo fights. Did you get to participate or be around any of these?
JZ: I was always watching them yeah. Babalu was fighting then, and I remember watching him. When we first started training that’s how we trained. Head butts and everything you know? But by the time I turned 18 and was fighting we had to wear gloves, and we had rules.

Mike: Which fight has been your favorite so far?
JZ: Each time I fight, the next one is my favorite. I don’t like to look towards the past, I just want to look forward and I always aim to do better.

Mike: Out of all your fights, and training/sparring/etc… what would you say is the hardest shot you ever landed?
JZ: I think the flying knee (Takaya @ K-1 Heros 6) was really hard, and I got a couple punches on the ground to. That or maybe the ground and pound I did to Hidetaka Monma.

Mike: What about the hardest shot you have taken?
JZ: Umm… I think the defense on the takedowns in the last fight. It was really hard on my knee, so I think that is the hardest shot.

Mike: Last one man, if you got to play matchmaker for a day, what’s one fight you would like to set up and watch as a fan?
JZ: Man, pretty much I know it would be Anderson Silva vs Melvin Mahoef. As a friend I don’t want to see it happen, as a fan I’d love to see it!

Mike: That’s all I got for you, anything you wanna add?
JZ: Just thank you for the opportunity. Thanks to all the fans, I hope they continue to follow me and I will return to fight pretty soon!

Mike: Alright man, thanks again for doing this. Can’t wait to see you fight again!
JZ: Thank you.