Ikuhisa Minowa

Pride Fighting Championships: Third time is the charm, right? Ikuhisa Minowa : Yes.

Pride :	This is your third time in PRIDE so we expect a big win.
Minowa :	Of course, I will do that.
Pride :	So, you're 28 years old, right?
Minowa :	Yes.
Pride :	You look bigger than last time.
Minowa :	Yes, I gained a little weight.
Pride :	What have you been doing since your last fight with Silva?
Minowa :	I went to Thailand and trained in muay thai for 2 months.
Pride :	I heard that you fought in muay thai as well.
Minowa :	Yes, I did. I KO'd my opponent in the 2 nd round with a right high-kick.
Pride :	What have you learned the most from fighting two of the best fighters, Jackson and Silva? What can you use for the next time?
Minowa :	I learned how high the PRIDE standard is and I learned that I've still got things that need to be improved. Especially, working on conditioning.
Pride :	Do you feel that your biggest area to work on is striking, since you went to Thailand ?
Minowa :	Exactly. In addition to needing work, I had always wanted to train in Thailand .
Pride :	What is your game plan against Ryan?
Minowa :	It's a secret.
Pride :	Do you feel Ryan has any particular weaknesses?
Minowa :	His tackle.
Pride :	How about conditioning? What factor do you think it will play?
Minowa :	Conditioning and stamina will play a critical role in this fight.
Pride :	Can you use your conditioning to gain an advantage over Ryan?
Minowa :	I don't know his condition. My condition in the 2 nd fight was better than the first. My conditioning this time is even greater.
Pride :	What do you think you need to get to the PRIDE level?
Minowa :	Confidence.
Pride :	We noticed that you start the fight very quickly. Is that your style or do you want to learn how to calm down and let the fight play itself out?
Minowa :	It's up to how I feel when I enter the ring. I won't know how I will be until the day of the fight.
Pride :	Have you ever thought that you need to change your game plan?
Minowa :	I always think that. I always try to change every time. I only have 15-20 minutes for each fight and I want it to be very intensive. In order to fight a good fight, I always want to be aggressive from the very beginning. I want to make it a fight between hearts.
Pride :	Is it just as much about putting on a show for the fans or is about focusing on the fight?
Minowa :	Both. I want to fight and have as much fun as I can. If I enjoy the fight, I'm sure the fans will enjoy the fight, too.
Pride :	When you were in Thailand , what skills did you improve the most?
Minowa :	Stamina.
Pride :	What kind of training did you do to increase your stamina?
Minowa :	I had never really ran before but I was running all the time. Kicking, mitt work, sandbags, a lot of basic stuff like that.
Pride :	Silva and Jackson were bigger and heavier in your fights against them. Ryan is also bigger. Did you learn anything from the first 2 fights about how to fight heavy and strong opponents?
Minowa :	I want to nullify the difference in our sizes. We are both just humans and just being big doesn't make your strong.