Sherdog.com: Can you describe your daily routine for us?
Gono: I wake up at 10 o’clock, then start training at 12:00. I go back home at about 12:00 midnight and go to bed at about 2:00 in the morning.
Sherdog.com: Sounds like the life. How many days a week do you train?
Gono: Five days a week.
Sherdog.com: How many hours?
Gono: Usually two hours per day. But before a fight I train twice a day, so four hours.
Sherdog.com: What do you focus on more: striking or grappling?
Gono: Striking. But for grappling I’ve got all these fighters to train with here at GRABAKA such as Kikuta, Misaki and Sasaki.
Sherdog.com: You’re not particularly large for the 83-kg weight class. Would you ever consider cutting weight and competing in a lower weight class?
Gono: No, I’m not thinking about it. When I have to fight in PRIDE now I have to drop five or 10 kilos.
Sherdog.com: What weight do you usually walk around at?
Gono: About 88 kilos. I’m not interested in fighting at 76 kilograms.
Sherdog.com: It seems that PRIDE focuses on the heavyweight division in the numbered series, and in Bushido they push the lightweights such as Takanori Gomi (Pictures). Do you think that PRIDE needs to push your division more?
Gono: Definitely. Last year lightweight was the main division in Bushido. But now stronger fighters are arising in the 83-kg division, such as Murillo “Ninja” Rua. So, yeah, if PRIDE continues to bring in strong fighters, the popularity of the division is going to go up.
Sherdog.com: Yuki Kondo (Pictures) is fighting in your division now. What do you think about his upcoming match against Phil Baroni (Pictures)?
Gono: Kondo will win hands down.
Sherdog.com: Would you like to fight Kondo again?
Gono: I don’t really have any particular fighter I would like to fight, but I’m ready to fight anyone. I’m looking forward to fighting in the 83-kg division because there will be a lot of good fighters in it, including Kondo, so I’m ready to fight anyone.
Sherdog.com: You fought “Ninja” Rua in Shooto, now Ninja is dropping to 83 kilos in Bushido. Would you like to fight him again?
Gono: I don’t particularly want to, but it’s no problem to take that fight.
Sherdog.com: You’re known as a counter-striker, but some say that you lack knockout power. Given your emphasis on exciting finishes in Bushido, how do you respond to those who say you lack finishing ability?
Gono: Sure, maybe my punch lacks knockout power, but similar to what I said before about the pitcher who doesn’t have a fastball, you’ve got to experiment and find your own method to get the victory. I know that right now my division is tough, so I will find my own new weapons with which to survive.
Sherdog.com: PRIDE is going to be putting on a 16-man Grand Prix in your division, how do you feel about this?
Gono: I want to take part in it. The world’s strongest fighters are going to be there so I would love it.
Sherdog.com: Last year, of course, was the eight-man 83-kg tournament. Of those eight fighters, four were Japanese. You were an outspoken critic about the high number of Japanese fighters in a supposedly world tournament. How many Japanese fighters would be acceptable number in a 16-man tournament?
Gono: Three or four.
Sherdog.com: Do you have any names?
Gono: Yuki Kondo (Pictures). Kazu Misaki. Hmm … Akihiro Gono (Pictures) (laughs).
Sherdog.com: What advice would you offer Misaki about fighting Dan Henderson (Pictures)?
Gono: I wouldn’t be surprised if Misaki wins. Since my fight with Henderson, Misaki has become a lot stronger. After fighting with Henderson, and sparring with Misaki during training, even when he’s not using 100 percent power, I can feel how strong he is. He’s got a good chance. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he won.
Sherdog.com: What do you think about Dan Henderson (Pictures) as a fighter?
Gono: For his age, to be that strong is amazing. Henderson gives me inspiration as well. I think the older I get, the stronger I have to get as well.
Sherdog.com: In the last Bushido tournament, your first fight went the distance (15 minutes). Henderson had to go only a few seconds against Ryo Chonan (Pictures). How do you feel about that? Do you feel like fate cheated you?
Gono: Things like this happen in a tournament. It took me the full 15 minutes to win, so that was my weakness I guess. I think that the way it turned out was fair. Maybe if I hadn’t had gone the distance in the first fight I wouldn’t have taken the big punches in the second, but it was fair. It’s a tournament.
Sherdog.com: How do you feel about the PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix?
Gono: For the spectators it’s exciting, but it’s very difficult for a lightweight fighter to win. In boxing, Roy Jones Jr. was able to go up in weight and win the championship. But that’s boxing. When it comes to kickboxing or when you need more technique such as in MMA, it gets more and more harder. Kickboxing is more technical than boxing. MMA is more technical than kickboxing. So it’s the hardest for a lightweight.