Married to Pride Fighting Championships veteran Evangelista Santos (Pictures), Cristiane Santos has long been one of the most feared female fighters in Brazil. Based out of the Chute Boxe Academy, she has trained alongside many of the gym’s most accomplished stars, including former members Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and current exports Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) and Luiz Azeredo (Pictures).

Santos will make her international debut against Shayna Baszler (Pictures) in EliteXC this Saturday in Stockton, Calif. The Brazilian recently spoke to Sherdog.com’s Gleidson Venga about the opportunity to fight live on CBS.

Sherdog.com: Cris, how do you feel on the last leg of training for this fight?
Santos: I’m well trained. I’m taking care of the aerobics part in order to lose weight. I’m prepared. I arrived here on July 4. I’ve gone two years without fighting, but I’ve taken part in some wrestling championships during this period to keep the adrenaline high, so I feel good.

Sherdog.com: Your fight will be the first on the CBS telecast, and a lot of people will be watching you. Are you anxious about your international debut?
Santos: I can hardly wait to see my opponent’s face at the weigh-in. When I am in the ring, I don’t think about people who are watching the fight; I just think about the fight. So if there will be a lot of people watching, it doesn’t bother me. I can hardly wait to get to the weigh-in and then fight.

Sherdog.com: You decided to travel to the United States early in order to adapt and feel like you were in the right place. How was training in America?
Santos: I’ve arrived here, [and I’m] already training, doing about four trainings a day. I’ve trained with the whole Chute Boxe team in Brazil, and I’ve arrived here to polish everything I have done. I’ve enjoyed my time training with master Rafael Cordeiro (Pictures).

Sherdog.com: How important is master Rafael Cordeiro (Pictures) to you heading into your fight with Shayna Baszler (Pictures)?
Santos: I started training muay Thai and MMA with him. He has always been my teacher, always by my side giving me support. So, at this time, when I’m about to show the world who I am, I should be by his side, as well. I miss [my husband], but I’m in a good company.

Sherdog.com: What have you found out about your opponent’s game? What do you expect out of this fight?
Santos: She knows how to fight on the ground. She does wrestling, but she doesn’t know a lot about muay Thai; she feels afraid when striking. I think she is going to try to take me down, but my knees are in very good shape. She will have to be alert. I train a lot in all the fields, but she probably thinks I don’t know anything about the ground. If I have to finish her, I will. If I have to knock her out, I will. Let’s go to war. I’m ready.

Sherdog.com: You’ve stayed away from fighting for two years. What was behind your absence from MMA?
Santos: It was really because of lacking opponents. Nobody wanted to fight against me. We had the fights arranged, but the girls wouldn’t show up. There was nobody for me to fight in Brazil. I would have fought in Canada, but the girl didn’t want to face me at all. So, I’ve started to participate on wrestling championships, because there were girls with the same weight as me, and I had to keep on fighting. I did four wrestling championship tournaments last year, but I kept on training and striking a lot, everyday in the Chute Boxe Academy.

Sherdog.com: Just a few Americans watched your previous fights. For those who have never seen you in action, what can you tell about your style and your characteristics?
Santos: I always look for fighting. I’m not afraid to take a punch because I take punches all day long in the gym. Fighting for me is happiness. It’s glorious to have this fight arranged, because I’m going to have the opportunity to show my work. I like muay Thai; this is my style. It’s also the Chute Boxe’s style. We have always been like that. I know jiu-jitsu, as well. I can finish anyone. I have an excellent wrestling. Of course, I always have a lot to learn from the gym, but I’m getting better and better.

Sherdog.com: About 10 days ago, your husband told me that you would shock the public with your style. Is that really what will happen?
Santos: They can be sure I’m going to strike all the time. I’m accustomed to fighting five-minute rounds. Now, with these three-minute rounds, the fight won’t be different. I’ve trained very hard. The American public can expect my show. They will like me a lot and enjoy my kind of work as well as everybody in Brazil does.