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!