From Underdog to Champion: A Moment with Feitosa
Mike Sloan May 3, 2005
LAS VEGAS — Last Saturday night will live on forever in one
particular fighter’s mind. Inside the vast event center/ballroom of
the luxurious Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, one of the
“unknown” fighters within the K-1 USA Grand Prix transformed
himself from a typical underdog into an unexpected champion.
After toppling three men in one night — three men who were chosen as favorites above him — Brazil’s Kyokushin warrior Glaube Feitosa captured the coveted tournament crown.
A career Kyokushin fighter, Feitosa recently stepped into the K-1
ring to try his skills on the world level. As it turned out,
Feitosa is a natural to the sport and wound up becoming a
tournament winner much sooner than most expected. Feitosa fought
brilliantly in each of his three battles, scoring knockouts
twice.
Carter Williams was expected to win the Las Vegas GP, and Gary Goodridge was slated as the number-two favorite while local fighter Dewey Cooper was ranked third. Feitosa was ranked just below Cooper, capping off the top four of the favorites to win it all, but still, hardly anybody predicted a Feitosa triumph.
Sherdog.com: You were ranked fourth as far as the pre-fight odds were concerned. You defeated the three men picked ahead of you in order to win the tournament. Did you realize that ahead time with each passing fight?
Glaube Feitosa: No, I didn’t. I prepared for everybody and I knew it was going to be very hard. I knew those guys are pretty famous, but I’ve been fighting in Japan and I’ve been fighting many great fighters. I knew that I could come here and take the win. I knew it.
Sherdog.com: Out of the three men you fought tonight, who was the most difficult?
Feitosa: Carter Williams and Gary Goodridge were very impressive. Gary Goodridge surprised me a lot in the final as he can get off very good shots. He is a very strong man, very powerful.
Sherdog.com: When you dropped Goodridge with that high left kick, did you expect him to get back up and still fight or did you know he was out?
Feitosa: I felt he was out, but he stepped back up! I was like, “Oh he is strong!” That’s why I’m telling you that I was surprised because it was a clean shot to his chin. But he was able to stand again. But I think the referee made a good decision to stop the fight.
Sherdog.com: You knocked out Carter and Gary but not Dewey Cooper. You hit Cooper with many of the same shots for a longer period of time, but you couldn’t take him out. Were you shocked at how many clean strikes Dewey was able to take?
Feitosa: No, actually. He’s very tough, too, and very technical. He knows how to move. But that was just the first fight of the tournament and you have to be smart. You have to control yourself and not waste too much energy in the first fight. You have to be in control of everything. So when you feel you can push more, you push like I did with Carter. If I can push myself more, I’ll push more. But with Dewey, I did not feel that. He was taking the shots very good and he was blocking beautifully. He’s very good.
Sherdog.com: Your face is banged up a little bit like it should be after three tough fights. At any point today were you hurt?
Feitosa: I think I got hurt more on my shins from kicking my opponents (laughs). I couldn’t see all the punches coming and I couldn’t block everything, but my shins are very sore from kicking.
Sherdog.com: I noticed your kicks, especially to your opponents’ heads. I love how you snap your shin downward when you attack. How long did it take you to learn that technique, one that isn’t a common sort of high kick?
Feitosa: That just comes naturally for me. I’ve been learning to box more and I have been practicing Kyokushin for 10 years, so I am representing Kyokushin in K-1. Before I started in K-1, I used to do that kick in Kyokushin. I have been practicing for many years so now it just comes natural to me.
Sherdog.com: You will now be fighting in Japan next. Is there anybody in particular that you’d like to fight next?
Feitosa: No, it does not matter. I just wait for the next event and I’ll be training very hard.
After toppling three men in one night — three men who were chosen as favorites above him — Brazil’s Kyokushin warrior Glaube Feitosa captured the coveted tournament crown.
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Carter Williams was expected to win the Las Vegas GP, and Gary Goodridge was slated as the number-two favorite while local fighter Dewey Cooper was ranked third. Feitosa was ranked just below Cooper, capping off the top four of the favorites to win it all, but still, hardly anybody predicted a Feitosa triumph.
Sherdog.com was able to track down the new champion moments after
his victory for a brief one-on-one interview and was pleasantly
treated to honest, candid answers.
Sherdog.com: You were ranked fourth as far as the pre-fight odds were concerned. You defeated the three men picked ahead of you in order to win the tournament. Did you realize that ahead time with each passing fight?
Glaube Feitosa: No, I didn’t. I prepared for everybody and I knew it was going to be very hard. I knew those guys are pretty famous, but I’ve been fighting in Japan and I’ve been fighting many great fighters. I knew that I could come here and take the win. I knew it.
Sherdog.com: Out of the three men you fought tonight, who was the most difficult?
Feitosa: Carter Williams and Gary Goodridge were very impressive. Gary Goodridge surprised me a lot in the final as he can get off very good shots. He is a very strong man, very powerful.
Sherdog.com: When you dropped Goodridge with that high left kick, did you expect him to get back up and still fight or did you know he was out?
Feitosa: I felt he was out, but he stepped back up! I was like, “Oh he is strong!” That’s why I’m telling you that I was surprised because it was a clean shot to his chin. But he was able to stand again. But I think the referee made a good decision to stop the fight.
Sherdog.com: You knocked out Carter and Gary but not Dewey Cooper. You hit Cooper with many of the same shots for a longer period of time, but you couldn’t take him out. Were you shocked at how many clean strikes Dewey was able to take?
Feitosa: No, actually. He’s very tough, too, and very technical. He knows how to move. But that was just the first fight of the tournament and you have to be smart. You have to control yourself and not waste too much energy in the first fight. You have to be in control of everything. So when you feel you can push more, you push like I did with Carter. If I can push myself more, I’ll push more. But with Dewey, I did not feel that. He was taking the shots very good and he was blocking beautifully. He’s very good.
Sherdog.com: Your face is banged up a little bit like it should be after three tough fights. At any point today were you hurt?
Feitosa: I think I got hurt more on my shins from kicking my opponents (laughs). I couldn’t see all the punches coming and I couldn’t block everything, but my shins are very sore from kicking.
Sherdog.com: I noticed your kicks, especially to your opponents’ heads. I love how you snap your shin downward when you attack. How long did it take you to learn that technique, one that isn’t a common sort of high kick?
Feitosa: That just comes naturally for me. I’ve been learning to box more and I have been practicing Kyokushin for 10 years, so I am representing Kyokushin in K-1. Before I started in K-1, I used to do that kick in Kyokushin. I have been practicing for many years so now it just comes natural to me.
Sherdog.com: You will now be fighting in Japan next. Is there anybody in particular that you’d like to fight next?
Feitosa: No, it does not matter. I just wait for the next event and I’ll be training very hard.
