Even at 40, Well-Traveled Salaverry Desires Fights Abroad

During his 12-year professional mixed martial arts career, Ivan Salaverry has fought all over the world in organizations ranging from Shooto in Japan and the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts in the United Kingdom to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States. If the 40-year-old has his way, his passport will get a few more stamps before he hangs up his gloves for good.

“I am looking for more fights,” Salaverry told Sherdog.com. “It’s hard since there’s not a lot of big promotions in the U.S., but I’ve seen some of the bigger promotions overseas in Poland [with KSW], Singapore [with One Fighting Championship] and places like that and that’s definitely something I can see myself doing. I’m just putting it out there for people.”

Salaverry (13-8) last appeared at BAMMA 6 in May, as he lost a unanimous decision to Matt Ewin. The fight was his first since May 2008, when he submitted to a Rousimar Palhares armbar in the first round of their matchup at UFC 84. Salaverry has lost three straight and four of his last five fights reaching back to August 2005, but those losses have come to Ewin, Palhares, Terry Martin and Nate Marquardt, men with their own MMA merits. Salaverry claims the three-year gap between the losses to Palhares and Ewin -- which included surgery and commitments to his gym, Ivan Salaverry MMA, in Seattle -- was a busy time, but he never lost his desire to fight.

“I had hip and shoulder surgery and those take a while to recover from, and you never come out of them completely normal,” said Salaverry. “Plus, I was running my gym [which opened in October 2005] and had two young children, both of which needed a lot of attention. Life happened to me, but it’s hard to take it out of your system. When you’re there and see your guys fighting, you want that, too.”

The entire fight experience, from the preparation to the matchup itself keeps the fire to compete stoked within Salaverry.

“It’s so hard to relate to people why a 40-year-old man wants to get in a cage and throw down,” he said with a laugh. “The excitement, brutality and beauty of it all appeal to me. I enjoy it. The pre-fight camp, the nerves and putting your whole self into something is what I love. Plus, getting to travel to another country and getting paid to fight is pretty cool, too.”

Salaverry has 10 finishes -- five submissions and five knockouts -- among his 13 professional MMA victories, and his resume includes wins over Andrei Semenov, Joe Riggs and Tony Fryklund. He has also tested his skills against 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Akihiro Gono. With that broad scope of opposition and having fought for so many organizations over the course of his career, Salaverry has great experiences upon which to draw.

“Honestly, I’ve done a lot and I’ve enjoyed the heck out of it,” said Salaverry, who plans to continue fighting as a middleweight. “I’ve had a great time and made a lot of great friends because of this sport.

“Goals aren’t important to me anymore, except for having some epic fights,” he added. “When I say epic fights, I’m not talking about a first-round knockout. I’m talking about the fights that test you physically, test your soul and are wars of attrition, the kind of fight where both guys have had great camps and come in and leave everything out there. I just want to experience fights that satisfy my soul.”

Props: Sherdog.com

Want to Train MMA? UFC Vet Ivan Salaverry has an App for That

It used to be that if you wanted to learn a technique from a well-known MMA fighter, you either had to train at their gym or buy a DVD, limiting your access to the information on the go. With the advent of smartphones, that’s about to change.
Among the latest fighters to get in on the ever-expanding line of MMA dedicated apps is former UFC middleweight Ivan Salaverry.
Known for his charisma and innovative skill, Salaverry was the perfect choice for Matt Fields and Jesse Newman’s idea of making high-quality instructional videos that you can take anywhere.
“Now everybody’s got these smartphones that have access to the internet, and the ability to do that in your living room in your home is a plus,” Salaverry told MMAWeekly.com. “It’s going to be really beneficial for kids out there who want to get a little more access to techniques.
“For me it was really nice to see people to have the ability to download any kind of MMA technique and the possibilities of that. You don’t need to go to your computer; you can just get your smartphone and download it right then and there.”
In order to make the best product possible, Owen Kindig of Ztoryteller was brought in with three high definition cameras to catch all the action from every possible angle in detail unrivaled by most instructional products.

Ivan Salaverry UFC 84 weigh-ins

“It’s shot in HD and everything is done very professionally, and hopefully that will make a difference to other ones out there,” said Salaverry.
“You get to see me show techniques like the crucifix that you might not normally get from other people. You also get a lot of different angles with the camera; top side, bottom side, and the detail work of a lot of other stuff we put in there.”
In the end you get a seamless experience that is free to download and includes intros by Ivan, techniques and drills, with additional content purchasable in-app for $2.99.
“This can go so many places, especially with MMA,” said Salaverry. “The striking, the grappling, the different styles; it can go very far. I’m excited for and we’ll see what happens.”
Not only is Salaverry excited for the future of his app, he also returned to MMA for the first time in three years this past May at BAMMA 6 stepping in for an injured Phil Baroni.
And while he lost a unanimous decision to Matt Ewin, Salaverry couldn’t be happier with his choice to return to the sport he loves.
“It was great to get back in the cage,” he said. “It gives you that energy, and I want to go back. I missed it. That’s the one thing I can definitely tell you. I missed the crowd, the preparation, the training camp, it’s all good.
“Do I want to commit myself to a three, five fight contract? No. But I do miss it, I do enjoy it, and I love the fact that I have the capability of jumping in whenever I can. And if anybody wants me out there, please call me and let me know.”
While he may have stepped away from the spotlight for a bit, Salaverry is back with a new app, a renewed love for the sport, and other projects that he hopes will not only further his own career, but enrich the experience of others looking to develop MMA.
“Please check out my MMA app and enjoy it,” he concluded. “Hopefully we get a lot of downloads.
“Also, we’re going to be starting a new submission tournament in the Northwest, Seattle-area called G Sub X. We’re going to be starting that in September. So for all guys who want to come compete in the area, please come do.”