Weekend Wrapup: UFC 62, Bushido 12 and Beyond

Last weekend, after a bit of a dry spell, we had two good cards of MMA action. One, UFC 62, rose above the crapulence of its card to put on a great show, while the other, Bushido 12, made good fights out of great matchups.

As is my duty as a serious fan of the sport, I have to look at what we’ve learned from these latest tests of strength and skill. For those of you with a 4th grade reading level (I'm looking at you, Frank Trigg and Joe Rogan) I've bolded the most important part of each lesson (your english teacher would call it a thesis if you'd made it to 8th grade).

The most important lesson: HumungusMMA is awesome at picking fights. Ok, I called the biggest fight of the weekend totally wrong, but still. Most all of the fights turned out exactly as I predicted, check it out: UFC 62 Picks Bushido 12 Picks. Okay, enough tooting my own horn.

The second most important general lesson: I am a fool with nationalities. I called all sorts of different fighters Dutch when they are not, so in the future I’m going to try to avoid even mentioning that sort of thing, or at least being right more often.

UFC 62, What Have We Learned?

Gouveia is the real deal and Combs is not. Anyone with a Record consisting mostly of 1-minute KO’s in small shows is not ready for a top-tier MMA fighter who will take him DEEP into the third minute. Hopefully Gouveia can work harder and make up for his dismal showing vs. Keith “Troll that scares Children” Jardine, where he was 1 leg kick away from victory for three rounds, and still lost.

Sometimes being a seasoned veteran can work against you. Hermes Franca stayed utterly composed, never giving in to nerves, excitement, or frustration. He also nearly lost the fight because Varner came in and tried to win. However, Franca’s strategy paid off in the end, but maybe next fight he should let a little more emotion get involved.

Cheick Kongo may not be Dutch, but he might as well be. In Holland MMA is dominated by strikers, with ground fighting playing very little role. Wrestling is not a popular sport for young people, and a BJJ parlor is hard to find. Kongo came out of a good fight looking like a striking monster who was severely limited on the ground. Hopefully he can take a page out of Bas Rutten’s book, and leave off improving his already great striking to train his ground game intensively with a good camp. Keep your eye on this guy, because he’s going to be exciting to watch even if he never wears a belt.

Nick Diaz is a scrapper. Diaz brought his attitude to the ring with him and outboxed Neer brutally while seeming to hold off on the power to preserve cardio. Diaz looked somewhat gassed after the first round, but continued to throw on strength of will alone. Anyone who faces this kid better come ready.

Forrest Griffen learned to box. While the first fight was so exciting because Forrest had no choice but to wing bombs at bonnar’s head and eat blows to the face, he impressed this time with very sharp striking that frustrated Bonnar and made him retreat into his shell. Definitely not as exciting as the first, but much more impressive, as he maintained a higher workrate without any signs of fatigue.

Chuck Liddell punches hard. Okay, so this isn’t a new lesson, but his fight with Sobral was absurd. If his fight with Tito goes the same way, we’ll have to put Chuck at #1 in his weightclass worldwide. Sure Sobral opened up for the shot, but Chuck was still very impressive placing his shots and generating that kind of power while moving backwards. The Wanderlei fight needs to happen soon, while both men are healthy, a state not likely to continue long given that Crocop has a knack for hitting people really, really hard with his foot. I have next to no interest in the Tito fight, because unless something weird happens and Tito gets it down AND finishes it, it’s going to be a repeat of the first tilt.


Bushido 12

The best grappler in Japan is a pretty darn good grappler. While Black had a monster record, Aoki made him look like a fool with an extremely rarely-seen triangle from half-guard. Aoki’s banana pants might have been offensive, but he looked comfortable at the weight and adds a very exciting new dimension to pride’s already unbelievable LW division, being one of the best and most exciting grapplers in the world. He still runs forwards with his hands out like a gimp though, but he’s fast enough and long enough to get away with it. For now.

Gilbert Melendez is a gangster. From the long hair, to the ghetto-script “Melendez” tattoo across his back like an El Camino window, Melendez is a gritty scrapper. His fight with Obiya looked on the verge of ending in a brutal KO on several occasions, and Gilbert showed absolutely no hesitation in using the Pride rules to their fullest with stomps, flying stomps, knees to the head, and soccer kicks. Melendez looked good at the higher weight, and dominated just as he did at 143, but we’ll have to see him against one of the true giants in that class before we can be sure. Obiya proved to be a gamer, and landed some heavy shots that slowly Gilbert’s onslaught, but was out of the fight from the first time he was dropped.

Don’t mess with spiders. Brennan didn’t come to fight, and hopefully wasn’t hurt too badly on his way to pick up a paycheck. Kawajiri looked good.

Ishida kills grapplers. The energizer-bunny GnP continued to be effective for Ishida against yet another grappler. Ishida simply set a blistering pace that Marcello couldn’t keep up with. Ishida also showed why he has no submission losses on his record despite almost exclusively facing the best grapplers to fight in Japan. When someone tries to lock on a sub, he repositions himself and hits them, and if they still manage to put the sub on, he WILL NOT TAP. I expect Ishida to have to take some time off for healing and therapy on that arm. Tough fight.

Sakurai continues to look good at his new weight, and will hopefully avoid the slumps of his past and remain a major force in the best division in MMA.

Minowa is the hardest working man in showbiz.

Amar Suloev couldn’t deal with Kang’s power. Hopefully Suloev will take some time off and come back stronger. Kang enters the finals with incredible momentum.

Paulo Filho can submit someone if it’s handed to them. Legend has it that before every fight, Filho flips a coin to decide how he will win. Heads, armbar from mount, Tails unanimous decision. I guess the coin came up heads when sloppy bridging from Chonan left an arm vulnerable. A very very impressive fight for Filho, showing why he’s so highly respected as a grappler, and why so many are frustrated he often doesn’t try harder for a submission finish. Filho is an absolute monster in this division and everyone in the world needs to look out for him.

Mousasi might have lost, but he showed himself to be the real deal, and I should have given him more credit. Hopefully Pride will continue to use him to produce some exciting fights. I have my doubts about that though, given that he’s foreign and was brought in to lose.

Didn’t Dan Henderson used to be a wrestler who used his sloppy but powerful striking to setup takedowns from the clinch? Or was that just a dream I had?

Gomi is still a monster. While this wasn’t Gomi’s most spectacular fight of all time, he was never in danger at all. He however looked extremely uncomfortable on the ground, like he was about to vomit, even when he was in dominant position. Gomi used to have a dangerous GnP attack. What’s going on, Takanori?

The finals of the WWGP should be interesting. The best matchups would be Kang vs. Misaki in an excellent strikers matchup, and Gono vs. Filho in another intruiging fight. Filho can obviously win it on the ground, but I don’t see him subbing Gono so easily, and Gono is scrappy and experienced enough to make a real fight out of it, and maybe even win with strikes. It could be made a Final Conflict 2005 style Bushido supercard if they put Hansen vs. Gomi or Aurelio vs. Gomi on it for the title. Ishida is hot right now, but he needs time and I don’t want to see Gomi ruin him for a year or more.

Looking further into the mists of time, other fights can be seen.

• Kongo needs to fight someone whose name has been on a PPV before. Buentello would be a great matchup, but OOPS UFC let him go so he’s fighting Tank. Great work Dana, your HW division is so strong you’ll barely miss him.
• Nick Diaz needs to fight someone in that monster division he hasn’t fought before. GSP would beat him, but Diaz would make it a good fight, and it would reabilitate GSP for another title run. UFC doesn’t seem to really want Diaz anyway, so they could use that to give him the boot, and then maybe he could sign somewhere he was appreciated, like Pride or WFA.
• Forrest Griffen needs someone to fight. When Babalu is done crying, he could beat Forrest, but then what are they going to do, throw him at Chuck again? Hand Tito another loss after Chuck floors him? Sounds like a bad idea to me. This is what happens when you have thin divisions. Wilson Gouveia would be a good fight.
• Sakurai is getting his momentum up again after being floored by Gomi and needs someone to fight. He would probably prefer not to face someone else from the Ibraki top team, so Kawajiri and Ishida are out, so maybe a rematch of his bout with Shinya Aoki in shooto.
• Kawajiri needs to fight another top guy in Pride. He’s faced checkered opposition since his fighting Buscape and Gomi back-to-back. I wouldn’t mind a rematch of his “win” over Hansen in shooto, because that’s another fight that needs to happen. Shooto might want it to occur within its own ring though. Add Aoki, Melendez, and Ishida to the list of fighters that are in a great position to fight a tough opponent. Throw the names in a hat and no matter what, you’ll get good matchups.

To wrap up, I think butterbean is in good position to challenge Akebono at Wrestlemania LXIX.

DAN HENDERSON vs KAZUO MISAKI Pre-Fight Interview

All thanks and praise to Tensei for putting all these together. I won't usually hold non-opinion stuff like this, but it's not really available most other places to english-speakers.

KAZUO MISAKI
- My mind-state right now is calm, just waiting for the time. This time I cleaned my room with the determination that I may not make it back alive…well, I’m pretty clean so it wasn’t that messy anyways haha.

- Of course I want to win against Henderson in this rematch. I’m in this match with the intent to take it all. But in this fight, I want to be able to show what I’m about more so than the results. It’s not me who decides who wins or loses, that’s up to god to decide the outcome. I’m fine as long as I can do 100% of what I’m capable of. If I can give it all and lose then I have no regrets, and if I win then it’ll add to my confidence.

- When I went to the states and trained with Ricardo Almeida, it was more MMA than jiujitsu. In his dojo there were champs, big fighters, amateur fighters that were strong, and it was a fulfilling training period. I also did some training in the gi. He taught me techniques I didn’t know about, and it really brought me back to the basics. It reminded me of the time when I first started doing judo and martial arts. “Pounce the opponent in front of you, beat the opponent in front of you,” that feeling. If I can mix his techniques and my own decisiveness, and pull out all of my abilities, then it’ll be good. I need to dig deep and get back to the basics.

- Henderson said “you can’t get that much stronger in a couple months?” I think so too, haha. But the same goes for him too. What’s different is that I still have a lot more room for improvement than him. He was my goal ever since I started, and in terms of age, experience, and mentality, there’s still a large gap that I have yet to fill. Before he was simply the stronger fighter, but in a fight anything happens. Even in a rematch this soon there might be some growth. That, you just have to find out in the fight.

- This time I just want to let out 100% of my potential, so it’s not like a win-or-bust situation for me. If I give 100% of my potential and lose, then that just means it wasn’t enough. I just gotta do what I gotta do. Before I said I will win no matter what, but since my last fight my thinking changed. I will win, well every fighter thinks that.

- Saturday will surely be an exciting fight, so I want the fans to support us with their energy.


DAN HENDERSON




- The reason I’m tanned isn’t because I did something special, when I was at my home in California it just naturally became like this. I’m easily tanned, I’m not necessarily competing with the always tanned Misaki haha.

- Watching the Opening round, I think there are a bunch of tough fighters overall. With that many tough fighters it’ll be a good stage to test my skill. Filho and Kang are named as some of the favorites for the GP, but in a match anything can happen so you never know who will advance. But as a champ ready to take them on, I have nothing to fear. Right now I’m just focusing on the Misaki fight. I didn’t do anything technical for the training, I just trained myself to a good condition.

- When Misaki fought Baroni it has only been two months since my match, so I don’t know too much about where he improved. But any fighter will become better with more experience. At any rate, Misaki is a very tough fighter and should not be taken lightly.

- But I still intend to stand on top. I won’t let anyone take that away. I just took this rematch offer because Pride gave it to me, I will beat down anyone in front of me. Do I have confidence that I will win the WW GP again? If I didn’t have that confidence then I wouldn’t be here.

AKIHIRO GONO vs GERARD MOUSASI Pre-Fight Interview

Credit to Tensei

AKIHIRO GONO

- Man we’re in huge trouble…I came into Nagoya but the dancers are arriving on that day. I told everyone to practice on their own and I gave them the video, but it’ll be right before the event itself when we all rehearse. I’m okay, I’m worried that we won’t be on the same beat.

- It should be good, we increased the budget this time. Where did the budget increase come from? From my fight money last time. My own pocket, haha. I want to do something different everytime for the fans who come out to see the event. You need the appropriate investment for that. Not that I have any chance of seeing any returns on it.

- I’ll just say one thing to the fans that will come over. This performance is dependent on the audience to catch the joke. Please make sure you catch the damn joke! I hope everyone will have sharp wits and will see what I’m trying to express. “Ohhh I see,” “I can’t believe he said that!” That’s the kind of reaction I’m looking for. Well, whether you like it or not isn’t my responsibility.

- I don’t really know much about Mousasi. I mean, in the three fights he fought Japanese guys he only did one-two combinations. He’s an amateur boxing world champion right? Great. In terms of just punches, I’m above the level of Japan. I think I’m on a world-wide level. I think I’m at least around OPBF level. I even think I have a shot at becoming a champion in Japanese boxing. So I’m above the level of a Dutch amateur boxing champ. If it’s possible I’d like to put on boxing gloves and fight him in a boxing match. I want to try to see who’s better.

- When I was his age I had some amount of talent, and some people called me a prodigy. But now I have a lot of experience instead. I’ll show him what a vet is like. Afterall, I’m “Magic Man” (*OTers flame away). I gave myself that nickname haha. Some boxer had that nickname and I jacked it from there, but my entrance, fighting, everything is jacked too. That’s what learning is, jacking.

- I look weak, and as a farming civilization we’re not physically as strong. In Pride I have a pretty small frame too. So people think they can win, but they end up falling into my pace. That’s Magic Man! This fight will be like magic, and he’ll be in my world before you know it.

- Until the fight I want to wander around the city, maybe enter a book store and spend an elegant holiday. I think most people are looking forward to my entrance rather than my fight, but that’s ok. My entrance improved but my fight is okay, but I’ll try to make it for you guys so yo ro shi ku!

GERARD MOUSASI
- I got the scar beneath my right eye when I got punched during sparring. Usually my partner is very careful about these things though. It’s just an accident, haha.

- I wasn’t really satisfied with how the Opening round fight went. I really wanted to be more aggressive when I got his back but I was too cautious about his subs and couldn’t really go all out. In the Gono match I want to fight like I usually do.

- I’m a striker, but I trained a lot of ground work during this time. I worked a lot on controlling the opponent and punching in various situations. I also did some weight training and so I’m more powerful now too.

- Gono is a tough fighter and it’s hard to stop his movements. He’s undoubtedly a good fighter. I respect his boxing skills but I’m better. Gono said he’ll use plenty of time to hurt me? He’s a funny guy, he probably just says those things haha.

- I think Gono is looking for ways to tire out the opponent, but I won’t fall for that. I don’t mind standing or the ground, but standing is better for KO. It’ll be a tough fight but I’ll be the winner.

- I’m looking forward to Gono’s entrance performance too haha. If he takes time like that entering then I can spend that time focusing in the ring, and I can warm up too. The audience will be in an uproar as well. If I was good at dancing then I could dance too, but I don’t think that’s my character haha.

RYO CHONAN vs PAULO FILHO Pre-Fight Interview

Tensei did the translation, I'm just the monkey who put it up.

RYO CHONAN



- My mind is clear right now, in a state of nothingness. Last time I was on a two loss streak so I was a bit nervous, but I’m usually pretty empty with my thoughts.

- Filho is very strong. Takedown, jiujitsu on the ground. That’s where he puts his game on the line. I don’t think he’ll be the champ. I’m not saying that I’ll be the one to stop him, but the top athletes like Dan and Kang are great in takedowns, ground, stand up, basically everything. Filho doesn’t do the stand up so that’s a question mark. That’s what I want to go for two. In most cases I’d be very glad to be fighting Filho….

- Not to make any excuses, but to be honest my condition is the worst. But when I fought Suda in DEEP my condition was also bad, in that case though it actually helped me get into it even more. So it’s not all bad. I have nothing to lose, so I’m just going to go right in and give it all I got. I hope the fans will enjoy watching it.

- I don’t hate summer, but you kinda wanna party around if you can right? Haha by the time my fight is over, summer is pretty much at an end. Before, the room I lived in didn’t have A/C and we only had a fan so I’m used to the hot weather. Also my neighbor was very loud and so I would rather be outdoors than stay in the room. Well I still like training too.

- I don’t know how far I can go, but I want to entertain the fans at least. If I gas out then you can just laugh and say “that fool didn’t practice enough.”



PAULO FILHO


- Condition is extremely good. Training went well. In the Opening round I was sick and couldn’t train well, but this time I’m doing ok.

- Chonan is a very tough fighter. He’s also a dangerous opponent. I respect him but I will defeat him in a good fight. I can’t really explain his strengths, but he never gives up. With that determination, when he’s about to lose he comes back to win. That’s dangerous. When my teammate Jucao fought him, I was surprised by the way he fought. I want to be cautious this time in order not to let him turn the fight around.

- At the press conference a day after the Opening round I said “I want to fight a Japanese fighter,” and it came true so I’m happy. Not just this tournament, but there are a lot of strong Japanese fighters so I wanted to have the opportunity to face one of them. I’m glad it became a reality. Japanese fighters are tough, and they have decisive techniques. I think all the fighters are dangerous.

- I didn’t train with Rickson this time. He was busy so there was no time. But we did some talking. So this time, like always, I did a lot of sparring with my teammates. At the gym I do striking as well as the ground game, so while I don’t know how things will go in a match, I can react against both. Of course I’m a BJJ fighter so I want a sub, but I want to end the fight in a good fashion so I’m interested in a KO too.

- In the other GP matches I’m watching out for Kang VS Suloev and Misaki VS Henderson. Also, it’s not the GP but Mach VS Azevedo as well. I actually knew Azevedo for a while now, he has technique and a lot of heart. I was very happy to hear that he would be in Bushido. I’m confident that he will be able to fight a good match.

- I’m very happy about the news that Mike Tyson, who I respect, will be a part of Pride now. I think he’ll do well in Pride as well. If I get matched against him then I’ll take it any time, but I’d rather be a friend than his opponent haha.

DENIS KANG


- My condition is very good. This year I’ve been fighting a lot without rest, so I’ve been maintaining my good condition at all times. I feel I’m naturally staying in shape.

- Suloev is in the second round, so he must be a strong fighter. He’s especially strong with kicks. His kickboxing skill and footwork is good too. But I’m better at applying pressure and in terms of overall skills, so I don’t feel intimidated by him. I will be relaxed going into the fight, but it’s times like these where you can eat a counter so I want to be cautious too.

- I will first engage in stand up, and want to eventually take it to the ground. Subs are the fastest ways to finish a fight. I think the fight will go basically the way I just said. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of wrestling, boxing, and jiujitsu. For subs I like kimura, arm bars, and RNCs.

- Some fans are saying that I’m one of the strong contenders in winning the GP, after watching my fight at the Opening Round. To me that’s a great source of pride and honor. I really deeply appreciate the fans. Right now I’m maintaining a good condition, but in order to become a champ I think I would have to train even harder.

- In this event, Butterbean who joined the American Top Team 3-4 weeks ago will also be completing. He’s very famous in the states. He has a lot of experience, and he’s huge so everyone’s surprised. And he only came to ATT recently, but he absorbs techniques amazingly fast. For us this was really surprising. He basically has no neck, so he has the advantage of being hard to choke.

- I have pride in representing ATT. Compared to the other teams we are relatively young, but we have a lot of strong fighters. I want to take home the belt and give the team an additional boost. I don’t know the percentages of winning or losing, but I have 150% confidence in fighting on the ring. I want to win for the Japanese fans and dedicate the belt for you guys.


AMAR SULOEV
- My condition is very good right now. I went to a training camp in terms of special preparation for the match. We trained in a school gym type place with the Emelianenko brothers and the Red Devil team for a month. We did a lot of things so I can’t explain it all here.

- I’ve always been interested in my opponent Denis, I’ve known about him for a while now. Our weights are the same so I thought I’d face him eventually. My game plan is to just go out there and fight. It’ll be a good fight. If he goes to the ground it should be a pretty good match. I’m ready all round, including grappling.

- I’m glad people say I’m one of the favorites to win after the Opening round. I think in the 2nd Round all the fights will be great.

NOBUHIRO OBIYA VS GILBERT MELENDEZ Pre-Fight Interview

Tensei did the translation. I owe him.


NOBUHIRO OBIYA


- All that’s left to do is to do it. It’s exciting. My fatigue from training is recovered too. I went to a wrestling training camp for a week so it took a little time to get the fatigue out, but I got to relax so it turned out well.

- Did I gain anything from the training camp? Yes, I haven’t trained that much before. Aniki (big bro = Gomi) also went to tune up, so it was fun getting ready for the fight. I ran forever on the summer ski slopes so my stamina and my lower body strength are definitely better. Also it was at a high altitude, so all that running was in thinner air. My athletic capabilities are increased and my balance is better than before.

- For this fight I trained in a different training environment from before. Gomi-san built his own gym and moved away from our team, so I decided to think for myself and take advantage. That lead to me building my confidence too.

- I talked with Gomi-san, he told me “Don’t let your fight end as a tidy little victory.” “This is Bushido, it’s Pride.” Of course, I don’t intend to just go for a small non-descript win. I will always fight to the best of my abilities, and I will go buck wild. I want to fight a match where people will say “it was the most dangerous and insane.”

- Gilbert Melendez is young and aggressive. I’m pissed off. He said in an interview that he wants to fight Gomi. I’ll show him it’s a hundred years too early for Melendez to take him on.

- I’m just trying to hold back the urge to go buck wild. I’ll relax for now. For me, I wait to turn on the switch til the very last moment. Until the fight I will zone out, relax, and increase my focus. I think everyone went to all the summer festivals of Japan, but I think this fight can make people say that “Bushido was the best festival of summer.” I want this fight to be a manly fight.




GILBERT MELENDEZ

- I’ve been training all this time to fulfill the dream of being in Pride, so I’m glad that it came true. Pride has the top fighters from all over the world, its competition level and entertainment value are both wonderful.

- I trained a lot for this fight, I’m in great shape. I used to fight as 65kg but I wasn’t really feeling good. By going to 73kg I feel more healthy, and stronger as well.

- I respect Obiya, I saw a couple of his fights in DEEP and he was a really strong fighter. I feel honored to be able to fight him. His left hook has a lot of speed and is dangerous, so I want to especially look out for that. I will keep fighting with the intent to finish him, and I want to finish him as quickly as possible.

- I’ve been training a lot of grappling and wrestling, I want to show that technique in the fight. To give you a hint, I want to fight with wrestling as the backbone. But I became pretty tough now, and my jiujitsu skills have increased. In one word, you can say that I’m an all-round fighter.

- I feel that my striking skills have increased since first coming over to Japan. I’ve been training hard, haha. I think I’m stronger now than the last time I fought in Japan, so I want you guys to look forward to that. I’m a pretty chill person, but once I’m on the ring I will beat anybody who steps in front of me.

- Do I want to fight the champ Gomi? Right now I want to gain some experience inside the Pride ring. But I will definitely climb to the status of the champion. Gomi knows no fear and you can tell he has killer instinct. He’s a very tough fighter. But that’s the same for me too. I always want to win with a KO, never a decision.

SHINYA AOKI PRE-FIGHT INTERVIEW

Thanks to Tensei for translation. Jason Black was unavailable.

- My mentality is as usual. I don’t feel different about being in Pride, and just because I’m in a fight I don’t feel anything special about it too. I think I should be in my best form for the fight.

- My impression of Jason Black…he’s white, haha. That’s about it. I think he’s pretty good on the ground, but I think I’m better. His mentality of winning by submission is very good, I should take notes from him haha. He’s like me, somewhat big for this division. The cutting this time was pretty good. I was pretty small to be fighting in Shooto at 76kg, but I didn’t think the weight would drop this smoothly. I realized after cutting but I think this is my best weight at this point.

- It’s just my personal opinion, but I think my ground game’s the best, so I’m just out working hard to prove my personal opinion. I don’t have a game plan, but I have an image of how I’ll pull off the win. Regardless of the circumstance I think my body will react, and I always think going into a fight that I’ll be winning with a sub, so it’s the same as usual. In Pride, I think Big Nog and Fabricio are good grapplers. But I won’t be the “New Nogueira,” I’ll be the “New Imanari” haha. By the way Imanari told me to be careful because the Pride fight times are long. But grappling matches often have 10 minute first rounds, and it’s sometimes easier to have longer rounds for grappling.

- The number of subs I can use? I should say something like 2000 for you guys, haha. I don’t usually do those kinds of lip service, but my moves are all textbooks, I just have a lot of “transitions into techniques.” I can’t brag like I have a couple thousand……maybe as much as the stars in the sky? haha

- For the fans that see me for the first time, I want them to see….my face. Haha seriously, I really want them to see the ground techniques, the accuracy of submissions. People tend to think subs are bland, but I will show a flashy and attractive submission game. Ofcourse, if I have a chance to pull off a flying something then I definitely will go for it.

- To get here I’ve been helped and supported by a lot of people, so I want to show them a great fight. After making weight I want to eat and fight in a good condition.
*Jason Black flew in late, therefore was not present for the interview.

HATSU HIOKI vs. JEFF CURRAN Pre-Fight Interview

All praise to Jesus...err....Tensei

- I just feel that my match is approaching. I don’t especially feel any pressure. I’m usually able to turn nervousness to my advantage. My condition is great, all my techniques should be functioning well.

- I saw several of Curran’s videos, he’s also well rounded and his submissions are especially strong. I am going to be watching out for his guillotines and triangles from the guard. Other than that, he seems tough and persistent. I think he’ll be a good opponent for me.

- It’s my first time fighting in Pride, everyone around me is hyped and there will be 130 people coming to cheer me just in terms of the people related to my gym. For the fans that will see me the first time, I want them to see the Strike-Throw-Submit interaction that is unique to MMA. I’m not going to change my style because it’s Pride, instead I’ll fight the same way I usually do. I believe that if I’m able to fight at my pace, the performance will naturally be received well by the audience. I trained hard for this fight, so I will relax for the rest of the time leading up to the fight.


JEFF CURRAN

- I’m very excited to be in Pride for the first time. They gave me the opportunity to be in such a big show, I want to give it everything I got. I always wanted to be in Pride, it’s an exciting show for those that are watching too. I was getting all pumped up watching the fighter intro clips, haha.

- In this fight, I want to show the best performance of my career as a fighter. That way hopefully I can continue to participate in Pride. My strongest point as a fighter is my high level of technique. I’m also confident that I can fight intelligently. It’ll be a very tough fight for my opponent because I have a low chance of making mistakes. I think he’ll be very frustrated because the fight won’t go according to his game plan. I also have confidence in the power of my punches. On the ground I’ll go for a submission victory too.

- Hioki is an all-round fighter, and he’s proven that he’s a good fighter with his record. I think he’s talented, and he can stand as well as submit. His reach is long so he has an advantage in his boxing too. But in terms of physical strength, I can overcome him. Can he still stand after taking my punches?

- There’s danger lurking in every fight. As for me, the key point in this fight is power. If you ask what’s his most dangerous skill, you can say everything. Also, I’m not the type to formulate a deep game plan before the fight, I just go with the flow on the ring so I’m ready for whatever he brings to the table.

- I did special training for this fight. I usually do my routine training, but with each opponent I make slight adjustments. Also, I fine tuned my condition and technique. This time I want to fight smart. I’ll just say that I trained in a way where I can keep fighting in a good condition even if it becomes a long fight.

- Hioki wants to have a fight with a lot of Strike-Throw-Submit action? Same goes for me. Both of us are smooth on the ground and have good takedown technique. I’m confident in my punches too. It’ll be exactly what the fans want.

- Do I want to fight the champion Gomi? I can’t really say anything at this point, but if they will give me the match then I will love to take it. Personally, I think since Aurelio beat him, Aurelio is the rightful champion at this point. But Gomi is a super star, even if it’s a non-title match I’d like to take him on.

- A lot of fans probably think of me as a ZST fighter. I intend to step on the ring representing ZST. I appreciate what ZST has done for me, and ZST is a great event too. For ZST who gave me good experience, and for my team, I would like to fight representing them. I want a good result.

BUSHIDO 12 PICKS AND PREDICTIONS

Feel free to disagree in the comments, and to remind me how awesome I am once they all come true. Or you know, what a retard I am and how poorly I picked them.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Jeff Curran
Both guys are very impressive, and really should help form a new 143 lb division in Pride. Make it happen. Curran has fought and beat the better fighters, notably taking Kid Yamamoto to decision, but don’t be surprised if Hioki steps up his game and wins it. Should be a very close fight. Curran by submission round 2.

Shinya Aoki vs. Jason Black
Black has a ridiculously good record, but against low-level fighters. He has trouble dealing with great grapplers. Aoki is pretty much the best Japanese grappler alive right now. Uh-oh Mr. Black. Black stands a chance of winning it because Aoki isn’t incredibly durable and runs forwards with his arms out like a gimp, but Black isn’t a GnP monster. Look for Aoki to just cream him with subs. Black could survive to the end of the match to lose a decision based on sub attempts, but Aoki has made incredible grapplers look like children, so expect a sub round 1. Aoki by submission round 1.

Nobuhiro Obiya vs. Gilbert Melendez
Two undefeated former shooters are stepping up in weight to fight it out. Obiya trains with Gomi and has wins over tough opposition in DEEP. Melendez is a monster in the featherweight division, so he shouldn’t be badly outsized at 160, but the real question is how much of his ability depends on being a giant compared to his opponents, who don’t cut nearly as much weight at featherweight. That said, Melendez is a finisher and a brutal one. I’ve never seen him even in trouble in a fight, and he can smash people standing or on the ground. Look for him to finish early. Melendez TKO Round 1

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Chris Brennan
A few weeks ago, Brennan was bitten by a brown recluse spider and tried to pull out of this fight. A brown recluse’s venom dissolves and kills muscle and tissue and is very serious. Serious business. For reasons unknown (most likely involving the phrase “never fight for DSE again”) Brennan has decided he will take the fight after all, so expect him to look worse than usual and gas badly. That said, Kawajiri is still burning from his embarrassingly one-sided loss to Gomi, and wants to prove a point in every fight. He’s out for blood, so I would expect a stoppage in round 1 even if Brennan came at 100%. Kawajiri TKO Round 1.

Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Christiano Marcello
Marcello is the BJJ coach for Chute Boxe. Since Chute Boxe is the best thing to happen to Pride since Takada dojo, he gets to fight in the big show. Unfortunately, he’s being set up in a “look how awesome our ‘new’ Japanese fighter is” match. Ishida is essentially un-subbable. In addition to great grappling skill, the guy WILL NOT TAP. He’s a workhorse and is going to drive a GnP pace Marcello can’t hang with. Marcello isn’t nearly as big as Aurelio, so he’s going to get beat up worse, but will most likely make it to the closing bell, with lots of bruises and swelling. Ishida by decision.

Hayato Sakurai vs. Luciano Azevedo
Sakurai is an elder statesman of MMA at this point, but he looks to be in the best shape of his life. The guy can do it all, judo throws, wrestling, kickboxing, and submissions. These years will be regarded as the peak of his career if he can avoid going into another lazy slide of uninspired fights. Azevedo is a very talented fighter with a great submission rate for any grappler, especially one that claims luta-livre as his style, but I don’t think he’ll be able to control Sakurai’s game. “Mach” is going to take it to him standing with short punchs and heavy leg-kicks, in what should be a highlight fight.. Mach KO round 1.

Ikuhisa Minowa vs Eric “Butterbean” Esch
Who cares, how it turns out, this fight is going to be awesome. Seriously though, Minowa’s wrestling and subs will probably let him submit Butterbean without too much trouble. But the bean is taking his training seriously it seems, and is actually with a great team in ATT. He’s beaten 5 in a row with submissions under various special rules, and he can always turn someone’s face inside out with a punch, so it should be pretty exciting. Minowa Submission round 1.

Takanori Gomi vs. David Baron
David Baron has a lot going for him. He’s 10 and 1. He’s a snappy dresser and has a cool haircut. He’s also probably going to make a decent payday getting chin-checked by the best LW in the world. Gomi KO round 1 2 minutes


THAT OTHER PRIDE TOURNAMENT

Gegard Mousasi vs. Akihiro Gono
Please do not be confused by Gegard’s record. Travis Fulton would blush to have wins over some of these guys. Gegard was brought in for one purpose: to lose to Takimoto and put him over, to make DSE’s investment in him worthwhile. It seems reasonable: French kickboxer with questionable ground skills and an impressive-sounding record with nobody that great on it vs a great judo player. Has UFC 1 written all over it. Too bad Takimoto doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Gono is going to have his with with Mousasi, if he doesn’t gas out during his entrance (or blow a knee Aerts style). Gono submits Mousasi round 1.

Denis Kang vs. Amar Suloev
Kang, a former BJJ fighter, has gotten a taste of the knockout and likes it. Look for him to gun for more bombs in this fight. It’s really hard to judge where Kang is now from the Ninja fight, because in any fight that ends that fast, someone got lucky. He hasn’t lost since 2003, which, interestingly, is the last time he faced a great opponent. Still, 18 fights without a loss against even middling opponents is impressive, and Kang has fought a lot of good, if not great fighters. Meanwhile Suloev has been fighting very solid guys and impressing everyone when he comes out of his shell and tries to win. If Kang can get aggressive and score early and put Suloev on the back foot, he could take this. But I expect quality will shine through in a close fight, and Suloev will surprise people by winning this one. Suloev by Decision.

Ryo Chonan vs. Paulo Filho
I’m sorry. I want Ryo to win, but Filho is going to hold him down. Chonan’s only hope is some kind of cut or injury, which isn’t impossible as he’s won by cut before and Filho is often injured. Don’t be surprised to see the armbar, but I don’t think it’ll come, because Chonan really wants and needs this fight. Filho by Decision

Dan Henderson vs. Kazuo Misaki
This rematch should be interesting. I honestly don’t think Dan is that hungry anymore, or really ever was. The man is just naturally a competitor, but I don’t think he cares about the belt particularly, and just wants to go in there and fight. I think Misaki really feels he can prove something and be the great Japanese hope in the 183lb division. Expect Misaki to try to implement the same game of technical striking, with a little more refinement. Dan’s going to come in and do what he always does: use his power and toughness to keep it even on the feet, and use his wrestling ability to control the pace of the fight. If Misaki doesn’t screw up and eat a bomb, and Dan comes in shape and doesn’t fall apart later in the fight, Dan’s going to take a clear decision in a solid technical fight. Henderson by Decision

TAKANORI GOMI vs DAVID BARON PRE-FIGHT INTERVIEW


Thanks to Tensei for translation.

TAKANORI GOMI


- This time I'm feeling excited for my match. Unlike last time when I was feeling like I had to do this. The WWGP is going on, and there are also the LW fighters who made things pretty interesting the first half this year.

- For some reason I'm the main eventer this time haha. I learned that just now, but no one wants to see a decision in the main event. They want some sort of results. A KO loss or a sub loss. KO or sub, they must see this happen. So I feel good and relaxed. It's a great opportunity to bring out everything I did in training. Right now it's summer vacation for people, maybe alot of people will come. It feels good. I don't have to worry about the results, I'll just keep going forward. That's my mentality this time.

- I do feel that I want to show the Nagoya fans something great live. Maybe I can show them something amazing. My theme is "Explosion." In the end we can all get rowdy.

- The last time I exploded was in NYE. It feels like the first fight in 8 months since then. So I don't know what will happen. I do have some nervousness, but I'm working hard everyday so I think it's fine. I even made my own gym. I built it with the prize money I won with my own fists. That's why I can explode as I like on the ring. Going forward I want to fight a few fights where I have no regrets. I don't have to be preoccupied with the results.

- I want to be on the ring soon. I'm even a bit antsy, which is rare. That's why I want to be natural, not worried about the results, and fight with a bit of curiosity about where I will go next. It's not like last year when it was all "Gomi must win." The fans this time will get to see "What will Gomi be like when he goes all out?" I don't think they want to see a solid decision. I will be in there relaxed and free of worries. There's only several fights an year, so I want to have some fun.

- After the wrestling camp, I tuned up at the gym for a week. I didn't get anything special from training at the camp, but maybe it'll show up in the gym.

- David Baron seems like a solid opponent. He looks like the type who trains the basics alot. He's good at fighting from the top and holding opponents down, he punches well too. To win in this ring, you gotta show that you're on another level from the opponent. There are that many top fighters around, and some fighters become top fighters after going into Pride. So I want to be on the offensive against those upcoming fighters, and press the fight.

- An event is over with the main event, so I just want to go all out. I want the crowd to be heated up too. I want everyone to just burn up into flames this summer. Everyone has their festivals and fireworks to go to in the summer, but from September schools begin, so I want them to think of this event as the final festival of the summer.

- Rascal Gym opened recently, and I get to be at the starting line before any of the gym members so I feel a little destiny in that sense. I want them to see me and follow me. It's a good timing, this time alot of things are happening at the right time. I think all the students at the gym are interested in what happens, but they already get to see a peak of this world 1 month after they started. I hope they would think "some day I'll be the one" and have fun training. I want to fight in a way to signify the birth of the Rascal gym.

- My corner will be Bushin-juku's Suzuki Nobuya-san. Also my gym students. They take care of me too. I don't really want a top 3 fighter in my corner. If everyone says different opinions then it messes things up. I'd rather have support than advice. This time I'll fight blond. My color is pretty faded now. If I have time I'll try to go to a salon.

DAVID BARON




- I'm glad to be fighting in Pride. I started judo at 9, I started Savate and Kempo, I feel that I finally made it here. In judo I won the military's regionals, and I eventually became the champ for the military. The reason I was in the military tourneys was because I used to be a fireman, and firemen in France are under the military.

- Unfortunately I didn't make the Olympic team, but in the judo world tournament for firefighters I lost to a Japanese guy and was second place. The reason I started MMA was because I wanted to become a more complete fighter.

- I use my Savate skills in MMA alot. Savate is basically like Muay Thai, but as opposed to using the face of your feet like in Muay Thai, you use the whole feet in Savate.

- I saw Gomi's videos alot of times, he can punch, wrestle, and grapple. It won't be an easy fight. But in terms of ground technique I'm definitely better. I'm finally able to enter the event I wanted to. I want to give my best and have an exciting match. Gomi's called the Fireball Kid, well I'm a firefighter so I'll put out that fire haha.

Eric "Butterbean" Esch Pre-fight Interview


Again thanks to Tensei. Minowa was unavailable. Probably flagpole sitting or swalloing goldfish.


BUTTERBEAN
- I'm very excited about my first Pride fight. I always liked Pride, I feel honored to be able to fight in the best ring in the world.

- The reason I've been doing MMA lately is because MMA is fun. Because of my big body, boxing tends to get boring. By contrast there are so many factors in MMA, it goes well with my big heard. I train at ATT now, they're like family to me now.

- My best weapon is obviously punches, but my ground game improved now too. Before people used to say "he's over after he gets taken down" but now it's different. I'll shock everyone with my "Bean"JJ, haha.

- My best move I guess is the choke? I won several times with chokes and it'll be fun to beat Minowa with a choke. Well I'm like a turtle and I don't have a neck, so I don't think Minowa will be able to choke me. By the way I'll fight at around 390 pounds. There are other MMA fighters that are as big as me, but they don't have stamina. I have that stamina, and I know how to use my body effectively.

- Minowa is strong and brave, he's one of my favorite fighters. This match will be between two brave warriors, so I think it'll be really exciting, and I myself am looking forward to this fight. I have to watch out for his leg locks though. So I will try to keep him from geting to my legs. On the other hand if I'm standing then there's nothing to be afraid of. Minowa, go ahead and punch me as much as you want, I'll just stand there smiling haha.

- Minowa fought tall fighters before, but he probably never fought a big and strong guy like me. This fight will be Minowa's techniques versus Butterbean's power. Some are comparing this to Ali VS Inoki, but Inoki knows nothing about the ground game. I will show you the new style: BeanJitsu I'm learning at ATT. I'm as big as two Ali's!

- Would I rather win with a KO or a win? What does the audience want to see? I don't mind either way. If they want a KO, I'll give them a KO!

HAYATO "MACH" SAKURAI VS LUCIANO AZEVEDO Pre Fight Interviews

Thanks again to Tensei for translation.

LUCIANO AZEVEDO
- I'm excited to be fighting in Pride. Pride is the top MMA event in the world so I'm very glad. I trained well for Pride, and results aside I want to have a good match. I think it's a great chance for me to fight here. I want to have a great showing this time and keep fighting in Pride.

- I started Luta Livre when I was 12, then considering the financial factors I started MMA five years ago. When I debuted I didn't have experience and lost twice in a row, but afterwards I'm on a 9 win streak. I overcame my losses because of experience. By compiling experience I started training differently, and I think that worked out well for me.

- I want my landmark 10th victory by defeating Mach. I have alot of techniques, but I especially like RNC, guillotine, armbar, and leg lock. But for the fans who sees me for the first time, I want them to look not only at my techniques but at my big heart. It's important to win, but it's also important to not give up.

- Mach is a really wonderful fighter, he has alot of experience and he's one of Japan's top fighters. I saw his fights before in the past, I never thought I would be facing him. You never know what's gonna happen in a fight, I want to watch out for Mach's skills and fight. I want to finish him with striking or subs. In Saturday I will surprise everyone.

- To my Japanese fans, I will fight to win, and I will fight a good match. I will try my best, so god will be on my side as well.


HAYATO "MACH" SAKURAI

- My condition in the summer is never really good. Summer's not a good time for me. It's my birthday today but I'm pretty pissed off at summer. I seem to have a jinx where I lose my summer matches, so this time I want to break that trend.

- I cut weight to just 2kg to go, but when I drank water I had 4-5kg to lose again. Last summer was good because I was in Seattle and I didn't have to deal with a hot summer. From next year on I won't fight in the summer. This is the Grand Finale to my summer career. I will never fight in summer again! From this point forward I retire my summer fights. I want to give it all for my match. My opponent grew up in the hot Brazillian weather so maybe he's used to it, but I love cold places. In the summer I have to go to the beach to cool my body down. In the future when I'm an old man I'll croak during summer. That's how much I hate summer!

- I only watched my opponent fight Din Thomas, I didn't really come away with much knowledge of how he fights. He probably watched a bunch of my fights. With the heat, this is gonna be a tough match. One punch KO? Did I say that? It probably won't go down like that.

- If I lose then I'll be pissed so I might fight in the summer again just to win, but if I win then I won't fight in the summer any more. I'm burning with motivation in that sense. I fought alot of strong opponents before, so this time I'll try to win against nature! First andd foremost I'll beat summer! And I always fight before my birthdays and lose, and spend a terrible birthday. That I don't want anymore, so I will overcome summer! I fucking hate summer!

CHRISTIANO MARCELLO VS MITSUHIRO ISHIDA Pre-Fight Interview

Tensei absolutely rocks, and has done these translations of the pre-fight interviews, so I am going to post them here for easy access

MITSUHIRO ISHIDA

- I never thought about matches being easier or harder in the summer. I fought in August last year, in the arena there's the cooler, I don't think it'll matter. I do feel I need to make sure my conditioning is good though. I'm a bit worried that the Captain of Ibaragi (Mach) is suffering though. Well I think he'll probably be alright, haha.

- It's two more days til the fight, but I haven't even met my opponent, I still don't feel like I am fighting. I'm relaxed as usual.

- I saw Marcelo's video but it was from four years ago. I can't really say anything about him since I haven't seen his recent fights....My impression is that he's aggressive. His attacks and advances from the bottom are great, so I want to make sure I'm not overwhelmed. His heart and ground technique are also very strong, so it'll be a battle of who has the biggest heart too.

- Marcelo broke Shaolin's arm in a match he lost by decision? If it was a recent fight it's amazing, but I don't really know what to think of a story from the past. I would think that Marcelo would be pretty formidable if he pushed Shaolin of now that far. I don't really care for past stories so I don't know what to make of it.

- I feel that Chute Boxe is always one with the team as the fighter is in a match. On the ring it's one on one, but feeling wise it seems like one on four. Of course I never got up on the ring with him so I'm not too sure though. I always thought that if I stepped up to the Bushido ring that I will fight a Chute Boxe fighter, but I never thought it would be in my third fight, haha. It'll be a good experience for me.

- I don't have any special plans for this fight, just to go all out. Last time I was thinking alot, so this time I'm going by pure instinct from the get go. Like last time, regardless of the results I want to fight an exciting match that only me and Marcelo can do. Theme is the same as always, it's an important fight. Not much has changed since the win over Aurelio, but it was a good experience. It's my first fight in Nagoya so I hope that MMA fans will come to watch. I want to meet their expectations with a great showing.





CHRISTIANO MARCELLO


- It was a good timing for me to fight in Pride in alot of ways. I'm a coach at Chute Boxe, I got married and my life is settled. I want to show everything I got, and for the Japanese fans I want them to think of me as someone who always goes for a sub or a KO, not win on points.

- When I first joined CB, honestly the ground skills of the academy wasn't vevry high. So Rudimar asked me to focus on being a coach rather than a fighter. I tried my best as a coach to think of what's good for the academy, and started wearing a Gi during practice to seriously start working on the jiujitsu. The academy's levels improved alot since then, and starting with Wanderlei there are 7 black belts in Chute Boxe now. Of course I'll continue to be a coach at the academy, but I think now was a good time to be a fighter again in MMA.

- My base is Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. I learned it in Rio, but that was an environment where you could only grow if you're truly strong. Due to the environment my jiujitsu skills rose very rapidly, and even when I was in Gracie's school I learned Muay Thai as well. Coming to Chute Boxe I believe I became a very complete fighter. My street fighting stories? I'm basically against street fighting. But that just means I won't start a fight myself, I will accept any fight I'm offered. If that was for my academy or my family's honor, I will definitely get him back!

- I lived at Rickson's house for two years learning jiujitsu. Rickson is like a father to me. I learned alot not only about fighting but about pride and lifestyle from him (Marcello shows the "To Rockson" tattoo on his back). Rockson was like a best friend and a smaller brother to me. He passed away, but I got this tattoo because I wanted to show that I always kept him in my heart.

- I never saw Ishida's fights before. I know that he beat some strong opponent, but I don't really care. I will fight Ishida with the intent to kill, and I will fight a good fight. Ishida says "you won't be able to get away from my tackle?" It doesn't matter to me. On the other hand if I bring him to the ground, I think he will be in big trouble. I hate stalling so I want Ishida to be aggressive like he was in the Aurelio match.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Chris Brennan Pre-Fight Interview

Tensei absolute rocks, and has done these translations of the pre-fight interviews, so I am going to post them here for easy access

CHRIS BRENNAN




- I feel happy to be fighting in the Pride ring again. But I got bitten by a poisonous spider on the right leg on August 5th, I was even hospitalized. I was on anti-biotics for a few days and I thought about not fighting. But I had two good weeks to train and I'm basically fully healed. I moved to Texas recently and my training environment isn't completely set up, but I trained hard with Richard Kidrano and Pete Spratt. Kawajiri is a tough fighter so I'm looking forward to this fight.

- Kawajiri is a world class fighter, his wrestling's strong and his GnP is good. He has a great record, and regardless of the result it'll definitely be a tough fight. Both Kawajiri and I are the types to keep going forward, so I think it'll be a good match between us. I have nothing to lose so I can give it my all, but I think Kawajiri may feel a bit of pressure while fighting.

- What I'm watching out for the most from Kawajiri is the wrestling. Strong wrestlers can usually keep the fight standing, and they can also take it to the ground in they want. So wrestlers tend to take control of the match when I face them. My winning pattern is to look for chances while striking, takedown, then bring him into the ground game. I want to follow that gameplan. Even if Kawajiri takes me down, I can take his back or go for a sweep. But it's not good to be on the bottom for too long on the ground.

- But I do have confidence in my submissions, and I have confidence I can get a sub off of Kawajiri. Before in Pride I was fighting at 80kg, but this is my best weight. I won't lose in terms of power, and I think I can show my true self this time.

- My last fight I was just held down by Takase, which was the most frustrating fight in my career. I constantly move for 15 minutes and go for subs, if it was to go to a decision I would rather stand and bang and risk eating a KO loss.


TATSUYA KAWAJIRI




- Before a fight I always get a hair cut. When I get a hair cut I get into fight mode. I want to fight soon. I did everything I had to do, so I think this fight will be great. I feel more confident than ever. I want to see how strong I got.

- Til now I didn't like summer, I couldn't really finish up my training like I wanted to. But this time I was able to do some good training, and my trainer pushed me to the hardest limits ever since turning pro. I gained more confidence, and I feel during sparring that the striking I did for this one year has really improved my stand up.

- My impression of Brennan? Macho-man, haha. It's a Japan VS US Macho Match. I heard he's one of US' great grapplers, but I'm one of Japan's great MMA fighters, so as an MMA fighter I can't let myself lose to a grappler. Of course he has the strong ground technique to submit an opponent, so I'll watch out for that. But that just means I shouldn't get into the submissions game. So I just have to fight as usual.

- It's true that I polished my stand up, but I trained in a way to be able to fight in any situation I face. I think I can hold my own against anyone in grappling in MMA. I'll show that an MMA champion who can grapple well will have no problems against a pure grappler. Brennan can find a sub in a flash, so there's a possibility that he'll find that opening, but I will construct my gameplan with that in mind.

- I felt terrible after last year's match in Nagoya. I couldn't train well since I wasn't feeling well, and that carried on into the fight. I think there are alot of Nagoya fans that think that that was the true me, that's no good so I want to show my true self to the Nagoya fans.

- I will chill until the fight time comes, haha. I will become a solid block of mental distractions, I want to pass time thinking about what to do if I win, what I'll eat, and stuff like that. I feel great, but that's what I also said before the Hansen fight...then it ended as a DQ win after a shot to the groin, I hope that doesn't happen again.

- In Nagoya, I will crush everything in the past with my fists, and fight my fight.

SEIICHI IKEMOTO VS DAISUKE NAKAMURA Interview
Tensei absolute rocks, and has done these translations of the pre-fight interviews, so I am going to post them here for easy access, with his permission.


SEIICHI IKEMOTO


- I trained hard to be in Bushido once again. I thought that if I beat Matsushita convincingly at Real Rhythm (DEEP Spin-off) then I would have a chance, I feel that I'm off to a good start. I think it was for the better that this is a "challenge" match, it makes my circumstance very clear.

- I made alot of mistakes in the Yves fight. He came at me with combinations, I was only able to answered with single shots. I felt that my striking could still use alot of work. In terms of defense, I couldn't show anything I trained for at Team Yoshitaka, I didn't get receive any huge hits but I couldn't show the counters I learned at the boxing gym. Also, I never went for takedowns before, so even though I was losing the stand up battle I couldn't take him down. Therefore I kept continuing with the stand up, I felt I was incomplete in MMA.

- I'm the type of guy that wants to try many things, so I pick a theme for every fight. In the Matsushita fight I decided I will KO him in the first round with a flying knee, and I was able to do that. I need to pick a theme again, but Nakamura is someone I wanted to fight for a long time so I'm really excited about it. I think our styles will make an exciting fight, and he really does the same kind of moves that I would do in a situation. He's U-style and that's how he wins, so I'm excited for this bout.

- Also, Nakamura is good at short punches as well as counter hooks. He doesn't retreat in the stand up so I think he's a tough guy as well. Like me, his takedown isn't that strong, he is flexible and he's hard to sub. His bridge seems strong, so I think he's good at reversals as well. If it goes to the ground then I want to move around to be exciting for the audience.

- The owner at RiRoots Conan where I started MMA was also an ex-U style fighter, and the subs I learned are U style as well. I think he wants to as well, but I really want to go for armlocks and Victor-type techniques.

- Ever since the Real Rhythm match was cancelled I always wanted to fight him, and I'm glad that it happened in front of such a large audience. Ofcourse if I lose here it's over, so it's a must that I win. That's my two themes for this match. Win convincingly, and become one of the fighters on the main cards. I will move as much as I can on Saturday's match. I have the U style pride too, so I want to go for a sub with the Real U style.

DAISUKE NAKAMURA


- I slept early yesterday so I woke up early today. I changed my geta-sandals because it was all worn down, it wasn't because of a special superstition. It is my "lucky sandals" though. Did my body get bigger? I did a little weights, but I'm not doing anything special.

- This is another chance for me in Bushido, it's a challenge match but I want to get the results and make it back into the main cards. In the Aurelio match I couldn't move that well and I have some regrets. Losing in a part of it, but it also has to do with being trapped in Aurelio's pacing and style. This is a challenge match so if I do a shitty match then there won't be another. I will fight with that fact in mind.

- I do realize that it's the "U style DNA match" but Ikemoto is one of my favorite fighters. His fights have alot of movement, so I want to give him all that I got and fight. Ikemoto's aggressive submission style I think is close to the U style, and I can only fight in a way where I'm always moving around so I'll just fight as usual. I always listen to the UWF theme song before fights to pump me up, so it's nothing special this time around.

- I want the fans to see me fight my hardest til the bell rings, and I want to give everything I got for the fight. Of course, I will go for a submission win.

NAOKI MATSUSHITA and HIROYUKI ABE pre-fight interviews

Thanks to our good friend Tensei, I have access to the interviews Pride does at the pre-fight press conference. He has personally translated all of these for us.

HIROYUKI ABE




- I trained on my basic condition at my school's wrestling gym as an AACC member. I go every year so it's not something special I did for this fight, but it was before a match so it was good timing. I usually just act like a big-mouth old guy, but this time I trained pretty hard too haha.

- In terms of this being a challenge match, I lost last time so there's nothing I can say. Last Bushido I lost without being able to do anything, so I want to have more fun this time. Winning or losing is important too, but I want to think more about how I can overcome myself rather than the opponent.

- Matsushita seems like a guy who loves to bang and has alot of power. In terms of weight division he's one above me, and he does judo so his core must be solid and he must have strength as well. I hope both of us moves around alot for this match. I want to do MMA, not just striking. Taking him down and GnP is the ideal, but I have no set plans for now. Matsushita said I taught him? I knew he was in A-3 but I don't remember that haha.

- I talk to Josh Barnett alot these days, and when I sent him an email saying my opponent's decided, he sent me Matsushita's whole career stats (Fight Finder ftw!) and told me to do this and that. Some of those though, I thought to myself "man I can't do that!" haha. The loss in July's ClubDEEP, that's just the way it goes sometimes. I think there's alot I could've done, and I trained with those things in mind. I really want a strong win in my hometown.


NAOKI MATSUSHITA





- I'm really happy that my lil bro and my team and everyone around me is cheering for me for my first Pride fight. Until I made a team as brothers, I thought it would've been great if I could enter Pride as a result of doing MMA, but holding events on our own I really wanted the brand-name, the market value of Pride to myself as well.

- The knee I got in the Ikemoto match did no damage to me. But the wound opened in a Y shape and the blood wouldn't stop, a loss is a loss but I really had alot of regrets about that fight. Rather than winning, I really wanted to show what I was about in my hometwon Osaka. My wound is okay, I asked them to stitch very intricately so I can go fight right away haha.

- I always try to fight aggressively, and I'm always thinking about showing some strong point about myself in a fight. For example the striking, the throws, or in defense, be resilient enough to never get taken down, I want to show that something. I also don't want to think too much. If the fighters are having fun then it's fun for those that are watching, if the fighters are bored then I think the audience will be too. The Osaka fight is a good example, if I can fight a really dramatic fight then I don't really care about the victory or loss.

- I fought alot before, but Abe is an even longer veteran. I used to be in WK (Uno) and Abe taught me for a while. Well it doesn't matter in a fight, but he's really senior to me in a sense. People say this is a brothers match? (**they both have brothers) Maybe I might lose, but as brothers we will win haha.

- In this fight, rather than just myself, I want people to be impressed by MB3z and my supporters. In Nagoya there are people that will support me and those are the ones who helped me get into Bushido, so I want them to see me fight.