Hayato Sakurai

Pride: It was a quick fight. How did it feel? Sakurai: Thankfully, one punch hit solidly and there wasn't as much striking as I expected, so it was good.

Pride:	Did you want to win with a punch?
Sakurai:	I wasn't aiming for it. I was planning on grappling but luckily, the punch landed.
Pride:	Your opponent came at your aggressively, didn't he?
Sakurai:	I was able to handle it normally. I think he was a powerful opponent.
Pride:	Did you want to avoid a striking battle?
Sakurai:	Getting hit was a little scary.
Pride:	Even so, you removed your face guard in the beginning.
Sakurai:	They wouldn't let me wear it because it would protect my face, so I had to take it off.
Pride:	Were you affected by being in the news so much before the fight?
Sakurai:	There were a lot of reporters and well-wishers that came to visit me, so I was busy.
Pride:	Did that disrupt your training pace?
Sakurai:	I always push my training right before the right so it was a good opportunity for me to rest.
Pride:	Was the fear enough to make your wear a face guard?
Sakurai:	I was nervous. I'm injured so it wasn't possible to be in my best condition when I entered the ring. It was an adversity but the pressure to not get him in the face was good for me.
Pride:	With your win, everyone from the Ibaraki Top Team won their fights.
Sakurai:	I'm glad we were able to close it out like that. Kawajiri was just a boy when he came (to my dojo), so it's great that he's become a world-class fighter.
Pride:	I think this is probably the first time that children have gotten into the ring and made an appeal like they did after your fight.
Sakurai:	I want to do things, not just martial arts, which inspire children to think about their future. I always tell them not to fight at school.
Pride:	Everyone around you just must have been going crazy over the incident. Did it bother you?
Sakurai:	They caught my attacker and it happened a while ago. It was misunderstood and everyone worried about me. There wasn't any particular effect (on the fight) from it, though.
Pride:	What is your next goal?
Sakurai:	Consecutive KO wins like today.
Pride:	When are you thinking to have your next fight?
Sakurai:	I'd like to fight in August, in BUSHIDO.