How did you feel about your fight now that it's over?
Fujita:
My opponent's wrestling experience is far, far beyond my own, so I was on guard. I would like to express my respect to him for having enough pride in himself to climb into the ring.
Pride:
What is your impression of Kurtanidze?
Fujita:
His pressure was intense. I couldn't afford to make even a simple mistake.
Pride:
Who would you like to fight?
Fujita:
There are many. There are a lot of fighters that I have to beat to get to the top.
Pride:
The top?
Fujita:
Of course, since I'm fighting in PRIDE, I want to be the best.
Pride:
Did your punches feel like they were working? It looked like the short upper right was landing.
Fujita:
Yes, they did. I don't remember if it was my right or my left, though.
Pride:
Was he trying to throw you?
Fujita:
Yes. His pressure was incredible. I was doing all I could to keep from being thrown.
Pride:
Kurtanidze didn't seem to be used to punching people in the face.
Fujita:
I don't know. He may have been subconsciously aiming for my face.
Pride:
After you loss to Silva, you said that this wasn't the end. Was this fight a good re-start for you?
As I've said before, Fujita has been doing mixed martial arts for longer than I have and I believed that he's a very smart fighter. I realized that is true after actually fighting him.
I felt that mixed martial arts is definitely a fight for real men. My impression is that it's a sport for professional men. I believe this was a good experience for me.
I'm still thinking about it. As I said in my interview, if I left a strong impression on everyone, they'll probably see me again. I don't know what will happen in the future, though.
