From his longtime home of California, mixed martial arts legend Marco Ruas (Pictures) tells Sherdog.com about his upcoming plans, which includes leading a team in the International Fight League and a promised return to the ring in 2007.

Sherdog.com: How has your life been in the USA?

Marco Ruas (Pictures): I’m in a gym where I only give private classes. It’s not that big. I had a larger gym before, but I stopped giving open classes because I wasn’t making a lot of money. And students started to come looking for private classes, so I’m only working on it right now. Now I give seven classes in a day.

Sherdog.com: And when were you invited to lead an IFL team?

Ruas: It was three months ago. They were talking to me about it for a while, even Bas Rutten (Pictures) told me they would call me. Bas helped me with these guys, so they call me and I went to watch that Renzo versus Pat Miletich (Pictures) fight, when they announced me as a new team leader. I made my last contacts, signed the papers and everything else. I formed the team already. I have five fighters and two alternates; the team is ready.

Sherdog.com: Who will be part of your team?

Ruas: There are three American guys here from my neighborhood, and two Brazilians: my nephew Rodrigo Ruas and Antoine Jaoude (Pictures). Rodrigo will be in the welterweight division and Antoine will be in the heavyweight division. Three of my American students will be in the other weight classes. I would invite Danilo Índio, from Brazilian Top Team, because I’m a friend of his father, but it was hard to do. The guys here pressured me and I couldn’t send his record. I had to present the team. I still have two alternates to invite.

Sherdog.com: Is your team capable of facing everyone else?

Ruas: Absolutely. We are in perfect condition to face anyone at any time at all. Beside this, me as a coach, I can change the team if someone is performing under expectations. I can replace him. Every fighter on my team, except for Rodrigo, has at least 10 fights on their record. The guys from here fight more. Even though the events are not as big as the UFC or PRIDE, there are several events and the guys gain experience.

The IFL is more competitive. It is a bloodsport, but it’s not as violent as the other events. They have three rounds with four minutes each, elbows are not allowed, and they see the fighters as real athletes. It’s like in football, the Super Bowl, the guys fight all season and in the end they earn a ring. It’s very cool.

Sherdog.com: Some fights among the veterans have been very successful in the IFL, just like Gracie-Miletich. Will you plan to fight in this league?

Ruas: Yes, I will. They invited me and I must fight. My wife is managing me and she agreed with them. They are scheduling coach-versus-coach fights, all guys in the same age. They want me to face Maurice Smith (Pictures); this would be a good fight for me.

Sherdog.com: When will this fight happen?

Ruas: There is not a date yet. The promoters told us this fight will happen, but they didn’t tell us when. It will maybe be during my team’s debut. Maurice has to get in shape. He seems to cut some weight, but he want to fight too.

Sherdog.com: But how much time do you need to get in shape to fight?

Ruas: I’ve been training already. I’m not saying that I’m ready to fight with a PRIDE fighter, but to face a guy with the same age as mine I’m ready. I won’t fight the younger guys — I’ll face a guy with the same age as me, who is also experienced, who is living in the same phase of life that I am. I’m training already. I don’t need to cut weight. I’m the weight limit already. Maurice Smith (Pictures) has two problems: he needs to cut weight and he needs to train. Of course I will need one month to be in perfect shape, but are just three four-minutes rounds. I’m ready.

Sherdog.com: I remember, when you fought in UFC 7, you didn’t reveal your age. How old are you actually?

Ruas: I’m 45 years old. I don’t have any problems with this (laughs). That was a marketing strategy. At that time, I didn’t speak English, so the UFC guys where asking me my age, and I wasn’t understanding them, so I took a very long time to answer. My manager told me to say nothing about it, so they said my age was unknown. But I don’t have any problems with this. I feel pretty comfortable with my age. Actually, I think I’m better than a lot of kids around there.

Sherdog.com: You are planning to face Maurice Smith (Pictures) and then you will retire?

Ruas: That depends. If the event grows up, I can fight more. Renzo said once, “Marco, we are not kids anymore, let’s face guys our same age.” If we have the opportunity to be part of this show, make some money, why not? I know I’m not a kid anymore, but the veterans who are still fighting, the guys who were the pioneers of this sport, why can’t I face them? There is Ken Shamrock (Pictures), Don Frye (Pictures), all of these guys. Renzo is going to make his second fight in IFL. It’s like I said, I won’t face the younger fighters in PRIDE or UFC. For me to do this, I would need a lot more time to train, and live just for this. Nowadays the sport became more professional, the guys live just for training, like Pedro Rizzo (Pictures), who only trains all day long. The sport changed, everybody now is cross training.

Sherdog.com: And you are the first one to bring cross training to this sport, right?

Ruas: I fought for this. In the beginning, I was talking to everybody, and everybody was telling me that only BJJ was enough. … Actually, BJJ won several bouts, but it was the only style they were practicing. I think that MMA is a very difficult sport, because you need time, you have to train several styles. It is easy for you to train only one style. This business didn’t reach yet the place it should be, but it’s growing in terms of money. The promoters are making a lot of money — one chair close to the UFC Octagon in the Tito Ortiz (Pictures)-Chuck Liddell (Pictures) event is costing $5,000. Can you believe this? I didn’t saw this in the Internet. One of my students call there to buy. Try to figure how much they are gaining with this. They are doing this because there is a lot of Hollywood people, a lot of artists, so the prices are high. With this, they are getting more attention than boxing.

Sherdog.com: What do you think about this team-versus-team concept?

Ruas: Since it is a civilized business, I think it’s very good. I don’t know how it works in BJJ, but I’ve competed in this team’s quest in Judo, and it was very nice, one supporting the other. Everybody there tense. When one man walks into fight, the rest of his team is cheering for him. It is good energy. I thought this idea was very cool. It’s a good Idea, and the sport tends to grows up.

Sherdog.com: And what are your thoughts about the IFL’s fighting level?

Ruas: To tell you the truth, I was not watching it. I told this to them. But what I saw, among Renzo’s and Pat Miletich (Pictures)’s teams, I liked. Matt Lindland (Pictures)’s team I didn’t watch, but I think they are good. They will be in the finals. Telling you frankly, I didn’t like Carlos Newton (Pictures) or Frank Shamrock (Pictures)’s teams. I don’t think they are in a good level.