TOKYO, Japan -- MMA Fighting was on hand for Wednesday's media interviews at East 21 Hotel in Toyocho, Tokyo ahead of FEG's end of year Dynamite!! 2010 event to be held on December 31st at the Saitama Super Arena.DREAM light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi and K-1 heavyweight champion Kyotaro will meet in the ring on New Year's Eve and the supremely confident Mousasi spoke about how he feels that K-1 is easier for him than MMA while Kyotaro seemed to be more focused on his K-1 World Grand Prix Finals performance against Semmy Schilt. Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa spoke about the theme for his upcoming fight: "Heart" and the judo vs. pro wrestling rivalry that he will carry into his bout with Hiroshi Izumi, who admitted that he is not playing this strengths with his current striking-centric game plans.
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Gegard Mousasi on Fighting Kyotaro Under K-1 Rules
"For me it doesn't matter: K-1 or MMA. I can kickbox. That's why I took the fight. I feel very confident, I'm not very nervous at all. I know that people think... I don't know, maybe they underestimate me but I know that I train with K-1 fighters and I know what I can do. I know I can fight K-1 if I want to. I'm very excited, I can fight aggressively without worrying about takedowns. I'm very excited actually. I wouldn't take this fight if I wasn't thinking that I could win this fight."
"[Kyotaro] is very tough. I've never seen him go down or get knocked out. He has a certain style that makes you chase him and that's when he is the most dangerous. We have a good game plan though ... so it should work. I feel I'm explosive and fast and have good punching power. Usually I'm more nervous for a MMA fight but I feel like I can easily fight kickboxing. I believe in myself and have a good team around me, I'll show the people that I can do it. I feel like he cannot hurt me in three, three minute rounds. Of course he could hurt me but I don't know how he can knock me out, I have a good chin and have never been knocked out. He is a good fighter but he is only dangerous with his right hand."
Kyotaro"Thankfully I was born strong. I've got no injuries and I feel great."
"People congratulated me on a good job [after my fight with Semmy Schilt at the K-1 Finals], but it was a fight against myself and I wasn't able to defeat my biggest opponent on the night. Myself."
"Honestly, [that Mousasi beat my fellow K-1 fighter Musashi] has nothing to do with me. As a K-1 title holder though, I cannot lose this fight. I have to win. I have to fight hard to get my fight in television. I'm not afraid of losing at all, but I have to put on a great performance."
"Nagashima and I are fighting [on the same card], but under different rules. It is important we both win our fights, but also I want to have a more exciting fight than his. I hate to lose."Hiroshi Izumi on Fighting Ikuhisa Minowa
"For a judo fighter to become one of the top MMA fighters you have to make sure that you learn good striking techniques. Power, strength, takedown techniques and ground techniques [are my strengths]. I consider [my continued use of striking] a step in me becoming a good MMA fighter from my judo background."
Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa"I feel [Izumi] is growing after each fight and improving well. But yes, I have multiple ways to [finish him]. I have yet to explode [in 2010]. I hope [to exlode against Izumi].
[This fight] is Minowaman's 20th story, and this theme is "heart." I often have themes, but they tend to revolve around "heart." I want to expose my own in this fight."
"I learned my weaknesses in the last fight [against another judoka in Satoshi Ishii], so won't allow it to happen again. There were several technical things I needed to change, and it made me aware that I need to change my overall lifestyle too.
"It isn't just about pro wrestling against judo. He spent his life training judo, as I spent mine as a pro wrestler. I am proud of that and want to show it."
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