Often fighters will touch gloves in the center of the Octagon to start a fight as a show of sportsmanship. Some fighters will let their opponent know they don’t want to touch gloves, and this is fine too.
On the Fox Sports preliminary undercard of UFC 196, Erick Silva motioned to his opponent Nordine Taleb to touch gloves and when his opponent reciprocated, instead threw a punch. A clear cheap shot and display of poor sportsman ship. But karma would make up for the move and Silva was knocked out in the second round.
About Nordine Taleb
TRAINING: I’m training twice a day. My week is very well scheduled and I’ve got a lot of support from my partners and coaches. I’m having a blast in the training camp for this fight – a lot of sweat and a lot of fun.
Thoughts on opponent, Erick Silva? I’ve never been this excited for a fight. I’m very happy to fight him and I’ve been looking at him since his debut. It’s like I knew I would fight him one day, and this day has come. I’m very happy and the cherry on top is that I’m fighting on the biggest card of the year, so I cannot wait.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I always trained martial arts from a very young age. My brother was my teacher, he taught me Jeet Kune Do but I never competed. At the age of 25 I moved to Montreal and I met Firas at Tristar gym and start taking MMA classes. Two years later, I was a pro.
source/more: ufc.com
About Erick Silva
TRAINING: Practice at Kings MMA with Master Rafael Cordeiro has been one of the best technical training camps I’ve ever had, and I’ve been working with many high-level athletes. I trained jiu-jitsu with Rafael Mendes, a great talent in the gentle art, and he surprised me with his technique and his system. I also had a great evolution in wrestling, where I received the guidance of coach Jacob Harman. I feel complete, but I know that the work is not over. We have a long walk and this fight will be the first step.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I turned pro in 2005. I love the competition.
What ranks and titles have you held? Jungle Fight Champion
source/more: ufc.com
