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PRIDE FC "Critical Countdown" Post-Fight Interview Recaps
June 20, 2004 Saitama Super Arena Japan
For all those who don't have the capability to download the post-fight interviews conducted by PRIDE and the media on their website (http://www.pridefc.com/index_j.html), the following are short recaps of the interviews (they do contain results). Please note that the questions and answers were translated from English to Japanese, Russian, Portuguese and vice versa depending on the fighter so not all questions and answers were translated. Also, if your on dial-up and are only downloading at 3kb per second, you still may want to try and download Rampage's interview because the ending is funny. Language may not be suitable for all. Viewer discretion is advised. Also, they streamed the video interviews with windows media player rather than real player so for all who couldn't download before because they didn't have or want real player, now's your chance. (Hunt, Silva, Schilt, Yoshida, and Herring interviews are not posted on PRIDE's website as of this posting).
- PRIDE Critical Countdown Results
Kevin Randleman (greets the media) When asked how he felt about fighting one of the best fighters in the world and how his bicep felt - Randleman said Fedor was the best as of right now. He said his bicep was no problem and that his arm had nothing to do with his loss. Randleman said that his loss was because he fought one of the best fighters in the world but that he was prepared because he trains with one of the best fighters in the world. He said he was ready and that he was prepared. Randleman said he's scared of nobody but that he is scared of the Lord and the wrath of him but other than that, he feels good - no pains, no nothing.
When asked if he was surprised how quickly Fedor recovered from his pile driver - Randleman said he didn't even know he was out. He said honestly, he's been in that position so many times, he's fought so many fighters that he's had stunned or knocked out on their feet but like with him, when you fight him and you think that he is knocked out or stunned, that's when he'll comeback like a spider. He didn't realize Fedor was out because he didn't see his face. When he fought Mirko, he knew Mirko was out because he could see his face. He tried to get into position to drop his skyscraper knees on Fedor and when he went to go throw his right knee, that's when Fedor reversed him. He didn't know he was stunned.
When asked if Fedor was out - Randleman said he hasn't seen it (the fight). He said everyone in his corner and everyone he has talked to said Fedor was out. Whether it be three or four seconds like with "Cro Cop," "Cro Cop" was out and he knew it. Randleman said we're fighters, we're suppose to be able to take a punch, be dazed and come back. That's what Fedor did and that's why he is ranked number one in the world but yes, when I receive the tape again, I'm going to know he was out and I'll kick myself in the ass because of that but Randleman said his head is held up high. He fought, he went in thinking he could beat Fedor, and he lost to a better fighter today. Randleman said the next time he comes, he'll come with the same attitude, the same persona that he always had, cocky, he doesn't think he can be beat. He said until he is beat, he doesn't think he can be beat. He doesn't think that he or Coleman are first on Fedor's list to fight. Randleman said that he doesn't think that anyone who has fought himself or Coleman ever wants to step in the ring with them again.
When asked what his plans are for the future since he fought in the middleweight championship and the heavyweight Grand Prix? Randleman said he didn't fight in the middleweight GP. He said that when he lost to Quenton Jackson, he lost his place in the middleweight GP, so PRIDE had the best guys in the middleweight GP. Randleman said that if someone gets hurt, or they needed one more guy for the heavyweight GP..."you know me," he doesn't turn down any fights. Randleman said he'll fight anyone, anywhere. He said he is a heavyweight, middleweight, whichever one, wherever he can fight. He just wants to get better. Until he can be great, he'll fight anyone, anywhere. Randleman also said just for everyone, that this is what he preaches - there's a lot of wars, a lot of turmoil in the world right now - if everybody could just give somebody next to you a hug, or give somebody some good advise or just give somebody a compliment, maybe the world would be a better place. Just show love to the person next to you. Randleman said "I love all of you guys, Happy Fathers Day and God Bless you."
When asked what two strategies Coleman give him (directed to Coleman who was sitting right next to Randleman) - Rsndleman answered Coleman wanted him to go out and fake a shot because they are great wrestlers and when Fedor drops his hands to block him, throw an overhand punch...Coleman takes the mic and says he wanted Randleman go out and go act like he is going to wrestle, act like a wrestler, get Fedor to think he's going to try and take him down, and then rock him with his right or left hand, either hand could knock Fedor out. Pretend he wanted to wrestle, but then punch but Coleman thinks Randleman's wrestling instincts took over so he ended up taking Fedor to the ground.
When asked if anyone had a chance to win against Fedor , who would it be? Randleman said any of the last three. I can't give anyone disrespect. All the guys that are in this tournament can win. We all know that. Randleman said we can lose at any chance (fighters). He said Fedor was out for a couple of seconds today - He could be out against Nogueira, Sergei is a very tough fighter and we all know that Ogawa is not a chicken. Randleman said Ogawa is a very tough fighter, he's an Olympian. It's up in the air. But as far as he's concerned, when he gets beat by somebody, he thinks they are the best. He gives respect to all four of those fighters. Randleman said he can't wait to see who wins this.
Randleman then made a statement - He said first and foremost, he would be nothing without his teammates. They are the best friends he has ever had in his entire life. They walk side by side with him. They lose together, they win together. That's how Hammerhouse works. He's part Native American, part African-American, and part Japanese dag-nab-it. Randleman said "you guys, the Japanese people, this culture they've been in" has changed them so much that they (Japanese people) will never know and never understand how much they helped them grow and mature as men for their families and their friends.
Randleman Thanks everyone
When asked about his fight and if he's looking forward to the next round - Fedor said he felt very good before the fight and his conditioning was really good. He said for the next round, he doesn't know how the fight will be but he'll watch videos and will train very hard
When asked how he recovered so quickly from Randleman's Pile driver - He said it didn't have much influence on him. He said It wasn't a big impact but because of his small mistake, he ended up taking the pile driver
When asked what his strategy was for the fight - He said he didn't have any particular strategy but looking at Kevin's fight with Mirko, he knew Kevin is a strong striker so he trained hard to address Kevin's strong striking and other than that, he just trained as usual.
When asked about the traffic accident he was in - He said luckily he didn't get injured but unfortunately, his car got crashed
When asked if you could choose his opponent for the final round, who would it be? He said he has no intention to choose, whoever his opponent is, he will do his best.
When asked if he was afraid or nervous when he was dropped on the ground and if he was scared when he got in the traffic accident - Fedor said he wasn't scared, he was just fighting, holding the situation and as for the car accident, he wasn't afraid, however, he did think about the possibility that if he got injured, he wouldn't be able to fight in PRIDE.
When asked how he looked so calm yet explodes during his bouts - Fedor said since he is always calm and more like a really gentle guy, that's why he looks like that before the fight. He said many fighters do various things before a fight, maybe a trainer supports a fighter and you try to remember the good times but in his case, he tries not to think of anything so he can forget about fear.
When asked about his impression of Ogawa and his momentum - He said unfortunately, he didn't have time to see Ogawa's fight so he doesn't know how his fight went but that he knew about Ogawa from his Judo Fighting
Fedor Thanks everyone
When asked if his confidence increased after defeating Saku the first time - Nino said he joined Chute Boxe and trained Muay Thai a lot so he though he would either knockout Saku or Saku would knock him out so he took the initiative in today's fight.
Question not stated, only answer Nino said he will continue to train at Chute Boxe, that he actually lived in the gym so everybody welcomed him and accepted him. And he enjoyed training in that gym everyday. He said he lost this time so it's one win, one loss. He said he would like to have a rematch with Saku again. He said he weighed 78kg and it is difficult to gain weight but he will make efforts and try to gain weight so he can fight Saku again soon.
A Team member for Nino made a small correction about the translation and said Nino worked on his meals and made a big effort to make weight - and that Nino weighed in at 86kg.
When asked if Saku's style changed from last time - Nino said Saku's fighting style didn't change but he thinks he changed himself. Nino said he thinks his striking skills evolved. He said fighter sometimes win, sometimes lose. He said he won by knockout last time and lost by decision so he will continue working hard. Since he is Elvis, he will never lose his smile.
When asked about the decision - He said he didn't think the decision was wrong. He said he thought he did a good fight. He threw some good punches at Saku and was close to knocking him out at one time but according to PRIDE rules, the position that he was in, on the bottom, and Saku is on top, the advantage is not to him so he thought the decision wasn't wrong, the decision was right.
Nino then made a statement - He said he wanted to show the Japanese fans a good fight and he thought he did that today. So regardless of winning or losing, he thinks he showed a good fight in the ring.
When asked if he was going to participate in Abu Dhabi and focus on grappling or MMA - He said of course focus on MMA.
Nino said he will go back to Brazil and he will train hard again so he can come back to PRIDE as soon as possible and he hopes that Elvis Presley will shed light to the path that you walk.
Nino Thanks everyone.
When asked why he preferred to fight standing-up - Saku said because he got annoyed at Nino
When asked why he didn't win by Ippon (submission) - He said he just woke up so his moves were slow
When asked if he felt he got revenge in this fight - Saku said he doesn't consider winning a decision a decision (maybe meant victory), he actually wanted to win by Ippon.
When asked if he knew Nino was asking for a rematch - He said if there is an opportunity, it's okay for a rematch
When asked if he was expecting Nino to strike a lot - Saku said regardless of his opponents fighting style, he expects his opponents to to do whatever they can in a fight so it doesn't matter.
When asked how is knees, body were holding up - He said he thinks his condition would be fair after he takes some alcohol.
When asked about him stating he wanted to fight in August and if there was someone he would like to fight - Saku said that the next event is August 15th which is Obon week (festival to honor the dead) in Japan so he needs to visit his grand parents grave.
When he asked about him always fighting bigger opponents - He said it's pretty tough, he wants to fight a smaller guy next time...a grade school kid.. so he can hold his opponents ahead with his hand so he can't do anything to him, that would be good.
Sakuraba Thanks everyone
When asked about today's fight - He said it was a very good fight. He did everything he wanted to do. He said he is 100% prepared for the next fight.
When asked if it was his strategy to fight on the ground today - Sergei said yes
When asked if he felt Semmy's size played a part in the fight (i.e. him getting into the mount position) He said yes, he did a lot of training to get into the mount position and he was able to but he struggled a little, however, like he said earlier, he did everything he wanted to do. So he's happy with the results. He said he's an MMA fighter which is the reason he thinks he was able to win today.
When asked about when he was in the mount position, if he was using his right knee to kick the left arm of Semmy - was that his tactic to get to the triangle or was he just punching his opponent to get a knockout - Sergei said he wanted to get a submission but while he was punching, the ref stopped the fight. So he wasn't able to win by submission but that's okay.
When asked about how he felt about being the first to win a quarter-finals match and if he could pick a fighter to face in the semi-final and final, who would it be? He said he doesn't have any pick. He will fight anybody presented to him.
When asked who is his strongest competitor is - Sergei said he didn't know.
When asked what he thought of Mr. Ogawa - He said he thinks Mr. Ogawa is a great fighter with a very strong spirit. If he fights against Mr. Ogawa, the fight will be an excellent one.
When asked about Fedor being the favorite to win the GP and he being one of the underdogs to possibly win and what he thought about Fedor's fight - Sergei said Fedor's fight was a very good fight...but not only Fedor's fight but all the fights were excellent fights and as for he being Fedor's next opponent, no comment.
When asked if he could say anything he believes he is better than the other three fighters - He said you can see that on the reel, I don't have to explain.
Sergei Thanks everyone
Naoya Ogawa (only questions in English) When asked about his preparation for the next round - He said fighting is always tough and since he is a pro-wrestler, he's always considers what he can do to make the fight fun. So, so far, he has been very successful but he hasn't thought about what he's going to do in the next round.
When asked what he thought about the fans being most excited after his fight - Ogawa said "but the main card isn't finished yet so do you think it is okay to say that now." He said he thinks the fans give him adrenaline. He said "for the next round, if the fans support me, I think I can exert more power than I have so I want to ask the fans for their support for the next round."
Ogawa Thanks everyone
Quenton "Rampage" Jackson (As he sat down he stated he would fuck his ass up tonight) When asked if his finishing move was something he trained for He said no
When asked how he felt about the crowd and the win? Rampage said "shit, he was happy to get the fuck out of there." Arona is a tough motherfucker. He said he was happy to get the fuck out of there. He said his head was bleeding and shit, he looked ugly and shit. Just happy to get out of there and win so he can hurry up and get ready for Silva. He said it's pay back time Silva. It's pay back time. Rampage said every dog has his day - Today was this dogs day.
Rampage said this is the second time he's had to fight somebody just so he can fight Silva. The second time, man. The first time he didn't get a chance to fight him...he had to fight the Russian guy...this time it won't be wasted.
When asked about his strategy to defeat Silva - He said his strategy is called "Whip that ass." That's what he's planning on doing.
When asked if he could do the same move on Silva (slam) - Rampage said he hopes he doesn't do the same move - some 40 something fucking stitches (above his right eye, next to the eyebrow)...fuck that shit, he'd rather do to Silva what Silva did to him.
Rampage then said he is going to have somebody jump Silva about an hour before he fights him so it will be just like when he fought him. Have Silva have two fights in a night within an hour...Have someone real tough to jump his ass. Hurt him up a little bit, then he is going to fight him. Even up the odds, so he knows how it feels. He said he's going to send Chuck Liddell to ATTACK HIS ASS.
Thanks everyone and gets a congratulations and a handshake from a reporter and slaps him on the way out and offers to rap for money (funny stuff).
Ricardo Arona (together with Nogueira) When asked about suffering any damage from the slam - He said he didn't feel anything. He went unconscious and when he regained consciousness, he saw the referee in front of him.
When asked if he expected Rampage to reverse the arm bar - Arona said that he trained so that he can address any types of techniques but at that time, His (inaudable) was really not that good and Rampage held his legs and he couldn't move out of that.
When asked about kicking Rampage from the bottom, he appealed something to the ref, what was it? He said he thought Jackson had already gone unconscious. He thought his kick hit his face and there was no reaction from Rampage so he appealed that Jackson went unconscious.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (together with Arona) When asked what he does to prepare himself before a fight - He said he thought he stayed really cool and fought with clam. He thinks it's thanks to all his coaches. He said he was able to control most of the time in today's fight.
When asked about winning by spinning choke two times in a row, was he aiming to do the spinning choke today? Nog said "yes I was aiming to do that." He said he thought it was more natural this time. He said he practices this technique 20 to 30 times per day and that's why he was so calm and applied this technique. He said that if he continues to do oma platas (arm locks), then opponents start to expect that. Nog said he thought opponents can't expect the spinning choke yet. He said he practices this technique with his brother everyday, that's why he was so good at it.
When asked if he expected Herring to be so strong and such a tough opponent - He said he expected him to be very strong because he fought him three years ago. He knows how tough Heath is - Heath could escape many, many things he tried today like oma platas, triangles, and arm bars. But Nog felt from that position, Heath was very surprised because he didn't expect it. Nog said he did it very fast and he could get him before he escaped. Even standing up, he said he put some pressure on Heath. During the fight, Nog said he could put Heath in the corner all the time, close to the ropes so that's why Heath went to his legs and he could do the choke. Heath is one of those top five guys in PRIDE, you know, the heavyweights, and everyone respects him a lot and that he could get him, he's very happy about that.
When asked if Heath was better than three years ago - Nog said he is more technical than last time. And he felt Heath had fast hands. Nog said everybody improves, He improved too. And Heath improves, he knows that. He expected a tough opponent and Heath was.
When asked who he would like to fight in the final round - Nog said It doesn't matter, he can fight with anybody. He said there are four left in the final round and four strong fighters. Nog said If he had a chance, he'd like to fight Ogawa. he said he guessed many read in the various articles in the media that Ogawa mentioned that there are only amateur fighters in PRIDE but Nog said "we are all professional fighters so I would like to prove that to him." And if I can fight with Ogawa, then the fight would be Jiu-Jitsu vs. Judo.
Both Arona and Nog Thank everyone
(6/20/04)
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