That was a spectacular submission. Were you aiming for that?
Ishida:
It was just there in front of me because we were there in the corner.
Pride:
Did you see the corner?
Ishida:
When we were moving around, I knew we were near the corner so I pushed him into it and choked him.
Pride:
What kind of game plan did you have?
Ishida:
I'm not the type that creates strategies, so I was just moving around and reacting to what he did.
Pride:
In the end, your opponent didn't really do anything.
Ishida:
Yes, maybe I fought too well. I'm glad my training showed, though.
Pride:
What did you think of Rodriguez?
Ishida:
His standing and his jab were strong and I knew that I would be in trouble if I got hit first. I might panic if I got hit so I was careful not to get within his reach.
Pride:
That tackle was amazing.
Ishida:
Yes, it was good.
Pride:
Were you able to show what you wanted to in this fight?
Ishida:
Yes, I wanted to show my tackles and I wanted to finish the fight.
Pride:
Will you continue to take out foreign fighters in the future?
Ishida:
I've fought tough Japanese fighters in SHOOTO, so I'd like to change my path and fight tough foreign fighters and become stronger.
Pride:
Are there any foreign fighters in particular that you want to fight?
Ishida:
I haven't thought of anyone in particular. I'd like to fight whoever is strong.
Pride:
What do you think about fighting in BUSHIDO at 73kg?
Ishida:
It's impossible for me to immediately go up to 73kg. I want to increase my weight so I can fight at 73kg.
Pride:
We talked about taking out foreign fighters but what is your final goal?
Ishida:
I want to fight Gomi and I just want to win.
Pride:
For that reason you will take out foreign fighters?
Ishida:
First, I want to become the kind of fighter that they pay attention to. After that, I will take them out.
Pride:
How did it feel to get in the PRIDE ring as a fighter this time?
Ishida:
When I was a second, thought that I would be very nervous when I entered as a fighter but I wasn't as nervous as I expected. There was a lot of cheering and it felt great.
Pride:
What do you think about fighting in PRIDE for the first time?
Ishida:
It was incredible. I was happy because it was a big win in the greatest ring in the world.
It was really my mistake this time. Get got my neck and I was too late getting started up. I don't want to make excuses. I think the reason I lost is because I made a mistake in a high-level fight and it turned into something bad.
I wanted to finish it standing. I expected him to go for a takedown. When I tried to stand up, he came out with the choke. I thought he would go for the takedown again but I got choked.
Pride:
If you expected him to try for a takedown, did you do research on Ishida beforehand?
I researched him. I knew he was a good wrestler. I studied videos of his fights. I expected him to hold me down and try to punch but I didn't think he would try to submit me. Ishida has done a better job creating his style so I think the credit goes to him.
