He was really stubborn. My knees hurt now. I think it was a good fight, though.
Pride:
Was fighting at a lower weight good after such a long time?
Sakurai:
There was a time when I was shining...well, I'm still shining now (laughing) but when I was really shining, around the time I made my debut, I weighed 74~76 kg. When it was decided that I would fight in PRIDE, I knew there was no lightweight class so I worked hard to get up to the lightest weight class of 83kg. I'm happy now that I have finally lost weight and will be able to show myself in my best condition.
Pride:
Was it tough losing that weight?
Sakurai:
It was really easy. I was training in Seattle and they have a lot of diet food there. It was good because I was able to train normally, eat normally and lose weight without losing muscle.
Pride:
How much did you lose and in how long?
Sakurai:
I was 93 kg and I lost 10 kg. If I could lose 10 kg in a month, I'd put it write a book and sell it. (laughing) Until now, I've always had to put on weight, then drop 10 kg but it's better now that they have a lightweight division and I can fight at my own weight. I went from 93 kg to 75 kg in four months.
Pride:
What kind of strategy did Matt (Hume) tell you today?
Sakurai:
I was planning on not using my techniques and only using what Matt Hume taught me. I think Matt could have finished him.
Pride:
What did your corner tell you during the interval?
Sakurai:
To low kick, and that's what I did.
Pride:
You were aggressive in the end. How was you conditioning?
Sakurai:
Just like it looked, I thing. He was completely exhausted. I was pressuring him from start to finish. Honestly, I don't think there's anyone dangerous in this weight class except Matt and me. (laughing)
Pride:
What is your goal from now?
Sakurai:
I just want to keep going like this and do my best. I've got two more kilograms until I'm 73 kg so I think I will lose that at a slower pace.
Pride:
Will you continue to train at Seattle?
Sakurai:
Yes, I think so.
Pride Fighting Championships:
What do you think of Mach?
Milton Vieira:
He's an excellent fighter and I think he's dangerous, but I'm also a dangerous fighter. I came to Japan to give the Japanese fans a great show. If they liked my fight, that's good enough for me. I think I was able to show that in my fight with Mach. I will continue to do my best from now on.
Pride:
You went after his arm several times. Did you think you could get it?
I was always trying to grab his arms but he would escape. I think he was calmer and defended well. He was probably able to escape because he knows I'm a ground specialist. I could also feel the difference in our weights. I hadn't imagined fighting someone heavier than me. I've been fighting vale tudo for a long time though, so I will fight anyone and try to give a great fight.
Pride:
Did you have any opportunities to use the spinning choke?
There were two chances while we were moving around but he had a cool head and when I tried to put on the choke, he would stand up right away and I couldn't do it. I will show some techniques next time.
