Hatsu Hioki & Jeff Curran

Pride Fighting Championships: Congratulations on your first win. How did those 10 minutes feel? Hioki: Thank you very much. Those 10 minutes felt really long. Pride: Your right eye is swollen. Are you injured? Hioki: I was injured when I took a knee on the ground. Everything's still working properly, though. Pride: You landed a right low-kick early in the fight. Hioki: His front knee was bent, so I knew the low kick would connect. Pride: You also took some front kicks. Did you think you were in trouble when he kicked you? Hioki: I wanted to close the distance between us. Pride: You would stand up, even when you got a take down. Did you want to fight standing up? Hioki: Once we went to the ground, I didn't feel any pressure from him there. I tried to pass his guard and go for chokes from the bottom. He was good, though, so I changed the flow (of the fight). Pride: Was it difficult to fight with rules that allow stomps? Hioki: His defense was better than I expected and he was able to avoid the stomps. Pride: Curran was working for tackles. What did you think of his attacks? Hioki: I saw everything coming, the tackles and his attacks. Pride: This was your first PRIDE and in your hometown, no less. Were you nervous? Hioki: I wasn't too stiff. I wanted to fight more. Pride: He almost got your leg when you were stomping. Hioki: I knew that he could only go under me or go for a leg-lock, so I didn't go far enough that he could submit me. I was able to deal with it. Pride: Now that you've won, what is your next goal? Hioki: I want to fight in SHOOTO, of course.