Who Is GRABAKA’s Takeshi Yamazaki And Why Is he Fighting In D.O.G.?

Fukui: Good luck. So do you analyze your opponent Takahito Iida? He looks tough. Maybe looks 10 times tougher than you.

Yamazaki: (Laughs) Well, I don’t really research my opponent. I don’t want to have single image of my opponent, because anything can be happen in the fight. And if I have only one-sided image of him, it can be a hole for me. So I always want to [be] aware of every aspect of the fight. About this fight, people say and my opponent himself says, he’s not good at striking. But I don’t believe that. With that body, he has to be very strong. So, I am aware of his striking too. And I heard he likes to attack from the bottom position. But I like get on top. So if he get on his back, that’s gonna be my game.

Fukui: That’s’ right. Especially in the cage, be on your back is very big disadvantage. OK, now I gotta tell you one thing. Maybe a little bit bitter.

Yamazaki: what?

Fukui: My partner, that tall photographer name Stephen Martinez. You’ve seen him at the show right?

Yamazaki: Yes.

Fukui: That man predicted your fight that you’re gonna lose this fight by KO.

Yamazaki: (Laughs)

Fukui: Are there any words to him?

Yamazaki: No. (Laughs) I just bring up “A” game and try not to get knocked out. That’s all. I’ll be fine because my teammates are all bigger and stronger than Takehito Iida. So I’ll be fine. I’ll take any punishment from him.

Fukui: Yeah, I wanted ask you about it. You’re smaller side person in GRABAKA. How do you feel about it? Do you take it positive?

Yamazaki: Yes, most definitely. Let’s say when I have a fight, people says my opponent hits really had. But I always think, “C’mon. Kazuo Misaki or Akihiro Gono hit me harder and they’re much heavier than me.” So mentally I’m always prepared to take punishment.

Fukui: Do you go some other gym to train with same size fighter as you?

Yamazaki: Yes, I go other gym to train. But mostly for jiu-jitsu, not for MMA.

Fukui: If you train jiu-jitsu with a gi, doesn’t it bother you when you fight MMA, ‘cause you can’t grab opponent’s gi?

Yamazaki: No, it’s not. In GRABAKA, we always train without gi. I mean nobody wears gi in pro-training. So it’s no big deal.

Fukui: Then why you go train at jiu-jitsu gym?

Yamazaki: Because in GRABAKA gym, everybody is heavier than me. So there’s some move I want to try, but I can’t. So I go to the other gym to train with same size fighter. Then I can probably practice some specific move I wanted to. So I go there to cover the part which I can’t train in GRABAKA. Off course, I want to study more jiu-jitsu moves, too.

Fukui: OK, night class has already started. So we gotta wrap this thing up. Is there anything you want to say to the world?

Yamazaki: To the world? Really? This interview you’re doing now? People really read this?

Fukui: Yeah, to the world. Seriously I sometimes get mail from Sweden or other part of Europe. So lots of people in the world read this interview. So if you want to say some to the world, spit it out.

Yamazaki: Well, I’ll go for any fight show all over the world if I’m invited. So contact me, and thank you very much for all the fight fan from all over the world. Also thank you my student. Fans, always supporting me, thank you, thank you, thank you.