Curly Howard
10-10-2003, 07:53 AM
From http://www.mmaweekly.com/
Interview By Michael Afromowitz
On August 15th, Holland’s Remy Bonjasky wooed 8,000 Las Vegas, Nevada fans as he repeatedly soared through the air with his freakish agility and planted blow after blow on three unsuspecting opponents to capture the K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” tournament championship. The win, arguably his finest showing to date, earned the 27-year old a berth in Saturday’s K-1 “Final Elimination” Pay-Per-View card in Osaka, Japan where he will have a date with none other than 6 foot 3 inch, 365-pound Bob Sapp.
The highly-anticipated showdown between the young fireball, widely regarded as K-1’s most dynamic athlete, and the sport’s most physically threatening character has many pondering the possibilities that could result from such a unique clash between grace and power. It also has many wondering how Bonjasky’s airborne game will hold up against a fighter who, carrying over 100 pounds more than him, could end the Dutch kickboxer’s efforts should he land within Sapp’s clutches.
Lounging in his Osaka hotel room three days before the event that will send the winners of each of its seven fights to December’s Tokyo Dome K-1 “World Grand Prix Finals”, Bonjasky is well-composed and focused on the task before him.
Q: What have you been doing the last few days before the fight?
A: A lot of training. We’ve done a lot of moving because, as you all know, Bob is the kind of guy who will attack you in the front. He will come run up to you and start punching so we’ve done a lot of moving.
Q: How well prepared do you feel for this fight in comparison to the August “K-1 Battle At The Bellagio” event?
A: I’m well prepared. I think a bit less, but after the fight you will know why. After the fight, I will tell why I’m not as prepared as for the fight in Las Vegas.
Q: In Las Vegas, the audience was really taken in by your flying knees and kicks. How would you characterize or label your fighting style?
A: It’s unpredictable, my fighting style. A lot of fighters right now, you can predict how they will fight. Like if you see Ernesto (Hoost), you will know he will punch-kick-punch-kick every combination. A lot of fighters, you know, will punch or will start kicking, but I’ll do anything to win. I mean, I will make a jumping fly or flick-flock or whatever to win. A lot of heavyweights, they will start punching like a boxer or just kick.
Q: A lot of people are anticipating a very different matchup this time around from any of the bouts you fought in August because of Bob Sapp’s size and strength. How different from the August fights do you feel this fight will be for you in terms of your tactics in the ring?
A: It will be a lot different because, as what you say, he is not the normal fighter. He’s not a technical fighter, so basically I have to wear him out the first couple of minutes. I can’t just stand there and fight him because, if I will go start punching with him, I will lose because he’s a lot stronger than me. I have to start moving first and, because I’m not sure, but what I’ve seen in Bob’s other fights – his condition is not that good. But, he is tough in the first couple of minutes so he has to be tired first.
Q: People have repeatedly called you “The Next Ernesto Hoost.” How do you see yourself in the sport now and envision yourself in the future?
A: I think I make a good chance of becoming one of the (World Grand Prix) Finals world champions. In terms of winning, I hope I will be the next Ernesto Hoost. But in a fight style, maybe three years ago, I had the same style as Ernesto – punching, punching, and then finishing off with a kick. But, I’ve tried to not only do the same thing again – or else people will know how I fight. I can move to different styles. I can go to the ring and start doing the Ernesto thing or just do my own thing and fly around the ring.
Q: When you say you can do different things, is that because of the diverse training that you’ve done or is it because you are very athletic and very creative.
A: I think it’s the last one. I’m very athletic and feel creative because I don’t want to be the normal fighter. I don’t want to be a fighter like Bob Sapp with no techniques. I want to have techniques and control myself in my techniques and try to find a way to surprise my opponent and not just hack away.
Q: How would you compare fighting in Japan to fighting elsewhere as far as the live audience and the way the fans treat you?
A: Over here, the fans are great – and in the U.S. also. It’s different compared to Holland because over there they just don’t see you as a star. In the U.S.A, they see you as a star. And in Japan, they see you as a big star so it’s different and there is some pressure here.
Q: You come from a country that has produced the most dominant fighters in the sport of K-1. Why do you think that Holland has been so dominant in K-1 competition?
A: I think because of the tradition because, in Holland, we started kickboxing around 1975. Starting from then, we have a long tradition and we’ve produced a lot of fighters and it is popular. Not as popular for the media, but it is popular because we have a lot of great champions in Holland. We have two of the best K-1 fighters (Hoost and Peter Aerts) fighting in this (event) and we have a lot of heavyweights that are participating in the K-1 and the next generation coming. So, I think it’s because of the tradition. I think we also have a different style of fighting. If you look at Muay Thai, they don’t box a lot. They just kick a lot. In Holland, we do both. We can punch and kick as well as them.
Q: How important it is it to you to win a World Grand Prix Finals title in The Tokyo Dome during your career?
A: Oh, very important. That’s my main goal and that’s my dream – to be the best and be the K-1 champ.
Interview By Michael Afromowitz
On August 15th, Holland’s Remy Bonjasky wooed 8,000 Las Vegas, Nevada fans as he repeatedly soared through the air with his freakish agility and planted blow after blow on three unsuspecting opponents to capture the K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” tournament championship. The win, arguably his finest showing to date, earned the 27-year old a berth in Saturday’s K-1 “Final Elimination” Pay-Per-View card in Osaka, Japan where he will have a date with none other than 6 foot 3 inch, 365-pound Bob Sapp.
The highly-anticipated showdown between the young fireball, widely regarded as K-1’s most dynamic athlete, and the sport’s most physically threatening character has many pondering the possibilities that could result from such a unique clash between grace and power. It also has many wondering how Bonjasky’s airborne game will hold up against a fighter who, carrying over 100 pounds more than him, could end the Dutch kickboxer’s efforts should he land within Sapp’s clutches.
Lounging in his Osaka hotel room three days before the event that will send the winners of each of its seven fights to December’s Tokyo Dome K-1 “World Grand Prix Finals”, Bonjasky is well-composed and focused on the task before him.
Q: What have you been doing the last few days before the fight?
A: A lot of training. We’ve done a lot of moving because, as you all know, Bob is the kind of guy who will attack you in the front. He will come run up to you and start punching so we’ve done a lot of moving.
Q: How well prepared do you feel for this fight in comparison to the August “K-1 Battle At The Bellagio” event?
A: I’m well prepared. I think a bit less, but after the fight you will know why. After the fight, I will tell why I’m not as prepared as for the fight in Las Vegas.
Q: In Las Vegas, the audience was really taken in by your flying knees and kicks. How would you characterize or label your fighting style?
A: It’s unpredictable, my fighting style. A lot of fighters right now, you can predict how they will fight. Like if you see Ernesto (Hoost), you will know he will punch-kick-punch-kick every combination. A lot of fighters, you know, will punch or will start kicking, but I’ll do anything to win. I mean, I will make a jumping fly or flick-flock or whatever to win. A lot of heavyweights, they will start punching like a boxer or just kick.
Q: A lot of people are anticipating a very different matchup this time around from any of the bouts you fought in August because of Bob Sapp’s size and strength. How different from the August fights do you feel this fight will be for you in terms of your tactics in the ring?
A: It will be a lot different because, as what you say, he is not the normal fighter. He’s not a technical fighter, so basically I have to wear him out the first couple of minutes. I can’t just stand there and fight him because, if I will go start punching with him, I will lose because he’s a lot stronger than me. I have to start moving first and, because I’m not sure, but what I’ve seen in Bob’s other fights – his condition is not that good. But, he is tough in the first couple of minutes so he has to be tired first.
Q: People have repeatedly called you “The Next Ernesto Hoost.” How do you see yourself in the sport now and envision yourself in the future?
A: I think I make a good chance of becoming one of the (World Grand Prix) Finals world champions. In terms of winning, I hope I will be the next Ernesto Hoost. But in a fight style, maybe three years ago, I had the same style as Ernesto – punching, punching, and then finishing off with a kick. But, I’ve tried to not only do the same thing again – or else people will know how I fight. I can move to different styles. I can go to the ring and start doing the Ernesto thing or just do my own thing and fly around the ring.
Q: When you say you can do different things, is that because of the diverse training that you’ve done or is it because you are very athletic and very creative.
A: I think it’s the last one. I’m very athletic and feel creative because I don’t want to be the normal fighter. I don’t want to be a fighter like Bob Sapp with no techniques. I want to have techniques and control myself in my techniques and try to find a way to surprise my opponent and not just hack away.
Q: How would you compare fighting in Japan to fighting elsewhere as far as the live audience and the way the fans treat you?
A: Over here, the fans are great – and in the U.S. also. It’s different compared to Holland because over there they just don’t see you as a star. In the U.S.A, they see you as a star. And in Japan, they see you as a big star so it’s different and there is some pressure here.
Q: You come from a country that has produced the most dominant fighters in the sport of K-1. Why do you think that Holland has been so dominant in K-1 competition?
A: I think because of the tradition because, in Holland, we started kickboxing around 1975. Starting from then, we have a long tradition and we’ve produced a lot of fighters and it is popular. Not as popular for the media, but it is popular because we have a lot of great champions in Holland. We have two of the best K-1 fighters (Hoost and Peter Aerts) fighting in this (event) and we have a lot of heavyweights that are participating in the K-1 and the next generation coming. So, I think it’s because of the tradition. I think we also have a different style of fighting. If you look at Muay Thai, they don’t box a lot. They just kick a lot. In Holland, we do both. We can punch and kick as well as them.
Q: How important it is it to you to win a World Grand Prix Finals title in The Tokyo Dome during your career?
A: Oh, very important. That’s my main goal and that’s my dream – to be the best and be the K-1 champ.