mdhan
8th September 2008, 04:31 PM
Q: Congratulations on your second consecutive win.
A: I'm sorry for the worst performance of my career. I learned a lot from this fight. I learned how I should train from now on.
Q: How was Matt Brown?
A: He looked very skinny at the weigh-ins, but was a completely different guy the day of the fight. His strength, heart, and balance were unbelievable.
Q: How was he technically?
A: I think he studied my game a lot. I got the impression that he and his trainer Matt Hume studied and analyzed me very thoroughly. He was a much better fighter than the footage of his previous fights showed.
Q: You had his back and went for the rear naked choke early in the first round. Were you looking to finish the fight then?
A: I thought I could finish the fight when I sank it in, but he was unbelievably strong. I was confident that I could pressure him on the ground, but whenever I took him down he just pushed his hand against the floor and got back up. That happened about three times in round 1.
Q: You looked tired midway through the fight.
A: I got tired from trying different things to end the fight from the back in the first round. I know this is nothing but a bad excuse, but I got injured before the fight and couldn't get my cardio to 100%. My opponent was so strong that going head-to-head with him drained a lot of energy. In the second round I was so tired that I even hoped for him to knock me out (laughs.)
Q: There were a lot of comments about how you threw mostly single shots instead of combinations.
A: I trained a lot of combinations but as I gassed my old habit kicked in again. I was so tired after the first round that I was looking for a 1-punch knockout to end the fight as soon as possible.
Q: Did the fact that your trainer didn't come to the US to corner you affect your performance?
A: I think things would have been a little different if he had come. For example if I had gotten advice from my corner when I went for the rear naked choke in the first round, I could have done better. But trying to figure everything out by myself affected my performance.
Q: What was running through your mind after the end of round 1?
A: All I was thinking about was how tired I was. I paced myself towards the end of round 2 so that I could possibly finish the fight in the third round. But it was still hard nonetheless.
Q: You had some success with elbows in the third round. Do you think you should have thrown more of them earlier?
A: Whenever I tried to get in his guard or half guard to throw elbows he would just stand back up. He had better muscular endurance than I did. Luckily I landed some elbows in the third round and I think they scored me some points.
Q: Did you think you would win after the fight?
A: I was so tired after the fight I didn't think about anything. I realized that I could lose because Matt Brown was American. I was just trying to catch my breath when my hand was raised. I was happy but thought to myself "this is not what I wanted, I have to train harder."
After the end of the second round, my corner told me that I was leading in the first round, but lost the second, and that if I could win the third, I could win the fight. So I regained my composure and pieced together attacks which I was able to land.
Q: There was a lot of booing after the fight.
A:The crowd in the UFC gives a lot of cheers and boos, but I really don't mind it at all. They don't boo you because they hate you. It's just part of the culture. I can be cheered here, but booed in another state. I'm not upset that I was booed. People who boo me often come up to me to say hi after fights.
Q: This was your first televised fight. What are your thoughts?
A: I was happy to hear the news at the weigh-ins. But I thought "why this time??" because I wasn't in the best shape. I'm so sorry to the fans for the lackluster performance on PPV.
Q: Was the atmosphere different from dark bouts?
A: It was a completely different world. I was so happy to be in the same building with the best fans and fighters in the world. My last fight which was a dark bout had a quiet and calm atmosphere but this time the cheers were incredible from when I entered the arena.
Q: What do you think are some things you need to improve upon?
A: I felt the need for weight training. I've never done any weight training in my life, not once. I've never felt the need, and I never liked lifting weights. I thought I should start weight training right away after returning to Korea.
That's why I think Yushin Okami is so great. Matt Brown, who's a newcomer, was so tough, but Okami beat a lot of middleweights who were top-ranked. And most of these wins were from the top position with ground-and-pound, which is all the more impressive.
Q: It looked like you were trailing in the second round but you slowly managed to dictate the pace in the third.
A: I do a lot of mental focusing. I though I could win if I could just manage to fight like I usually do. I think physical conditioning and mental focusing are really important if you're a professional fighter. You can't always fight at 100%, so you have to be able to compensate for it with focus.
Q: Isn't this the first time you went to a decision with an empty gas tank?
A: Yes. I learned a lot from fighting with an empty gas tank. You learn more from losing than winning. I beat my opponent, but I lost to myself. I think this is actually a blessing. I was able to learn a lot from this fight, and realized what I should really work on.
Q: After the fight, some people seemed to be concerned that you wouldn't do well against strong wrestlers. Do you agree?
A: I actually think I'd do very well against fighters with only wrestling. I feel confident against fighters who only go for takedowns and the clinch, but I learned from this fight that guys with good striking to complement their wrestling would pose problems. Someone like Eddie Alvarez. I'm going to have to train hard to better prepare myself.
Q: I heard something funny happened that night?
A: Just like how Western people all look the same to us, we all look the same to them. When my cornerman was at the hall after the fight, Dana White came up to him thinking he was me, offered a handshake and congratulated him for the win.
Q: Apparently a lot of Korean residents showed up.
A: I saw two big Korean flags when I entered the arena. About 50 Korean residents from Atlanta came to support me. I was deeply moved. I raised my fist to appreciate them.
There are a few Japanese fighters in the UFC, but there has never been a Korean fighter. I was told that my first win in the UFC cheered up the Korean community in the US, and I was really happy to hear that. But I'm very sorry to them for not giving them a good show in return.
Q: You shared the waiting room with Randy Couture. What advice did he offer you?
A: He complimented my straight and told me that I'd be a good fighter if I can improve my clinch game. He said that I had promise. For me, it was an honor.
The guys from the UFC congratulated me and told me that I did well for my second fight, but I thought otherwise. I thought they too might have been disappointed with my performance.
Q: How do you plan to train in the future?
A: I'm very satisfied with the training I get from my team. But the guys I have to fight are foreigners so I'll need to get used to their strength and stamina. I'd like to train in the US before fights. I felt the difference in the way American fighters use their strength and control their pace compared to Japanese fighters. It was completely different. I'd like to spar with them and get more familiar with them.
Q: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
A: I'm sorry for such a poor performance. This is just the beginning for me so I'll be back better than ever and give you a better show. I was called to make a lot of appearances after the first fight, but from now on I'm going to concentrate my focus solely on training. I will train hard and give you good fights.
http://www.mfight.co.kr/serial/viewbody_ex.php?code=mfight_board_serial2&number=356
A: I'm sorry for the worst performance of my career. I learned a lot from this fight. I learned how I should train from now on.
Q: How was Matt Brown?
A: He looked very skinny at the weigh-ins, but was a completely different guy the day of the fight. His strength, heart, and balance were unbelievable.
Q: How was he technically?
A: I think he studied my game a lot. I got the impression that he and his trainer Matt Hume studied and analyzed me very thoroughly. He was a much better fighter than the footage of his previous fights showed.
Q: You had his back and went for the rear naked choke early in the first round. Were you looking to finish the fight then?
A: I thought I could finish the fight when I sank it in, but he was unbelievably strong. I was confident that I could pressure him on the ground, but whenever I took him down he just pushed his hand against the floor and got back up. That happened about three times in round 1.
Q: You looked tired midway through the fight.
A: I got tired from trying different things to end the fight from the back in the first round. I know this is nothing but a bad excuse, but I got injured before the fight and couldn't get my cardio to 100%. My opponent was so strong that going head-to-head with him drained a lot of energy. In the second round I was so tired that I even hoped for him to knock me out (laughs.)
Q: There were a lot of comments about how you threw mostly single shots instead of combinations.
A: I trained a lot of combinations but as I gassed my old habit kicked in again. I was so tired after the first round that I was looking for a 1-punch knockout to end the fight as soon as possible.
Q: Did the fact that your trainer didn't come to the US to corner you affect your performance?
A: I think things would have been a little different if he had come. For example if I had gotten advice from my corner when I went for the rear naked choke in the first round, I could have done better. But trying to figure everything out by myself affected my performance.
Q: What was running through your mind after the end of round 1?
A: All I was thinking about was how tired I was. I paced myself towards the end of round 2 so that I could possibly finish the fight in the third round. But it was still hard nonetheless.
Q: You had some success with elbows in the third round. Do you think you should have thrown more of them earlier?
A: Whenever I tried to get in his guard or half guard to throw elbows he would just stand back up. He had better muscular endurance than I did. Luckily I landed some elbows in the third round and I think they scored me some points.
Q: Did you think you would win after the fight?
A: I was so tired after the fight I didn't think about anything. I realized that I could lose because Matt Brown was American. I was just trying to catch my breath when my hand was raised. I was happy but thought to myself "this is not what I wanted, I have to train harder."
After the end of the second round, my corner told me that I was leading in the first round, but lost the second, and that if I could win the third, I could win the fight. So I regained my composure and pieced together attacks which I was able to land.
Q: There was a lot of booing after the fight.
A:The crowd in the UFC gives a lot of cheers and boos, but I really don't mind it at all. They don't boo you because they hate you. It's just part of the culture. I can be cheered here, but booed in another state. I'm not upset that I was booed. People who boo me often come up to me to say hi after fights.
Q: This was your first televised fight. What are your thoughts?
A: I was happy to hear the news at the weigh-ins. But I thought "why this time??" because I wasn't in the best shape. I'm so sorry to the fans for the lackluster performance on PPV.
Q: Was the atmosphere different from dark bouts?
A: It was a completely different world. I was so happy to be in the same building with the best fans and fighters in the world. My last fight which was a dark bout had a quiet and calm atmosphere but this time the cheers were incredible from when I entered the arena.
Q: What do you think are some things you need to improve upon?
A: I felt the need for weight training. I've never done any weight training in my life, not once. I've never felt the need, and I never liked lifting weights. I thought I should start weight training right away after returning to Korea.
That's why I think Yushin Okami is so great. Matt Brown, who's a newcomer, was so tough, but Okami beat a lot of middleweights who were top-ranked. And most of these wins were from the top position with ground-and-pound, which is all the more impressive.
Q: It looked like you were trailing in the second round but you slowly managed to dictate the pace in the third.
A: I do a lot of mental focusing. I though I could win if I could just manage to fight like I usually do. I think physical conditioning and mental focusing are really important if you're a professional fighter. You can't always fight at 100%, so you have to be able to compensate for it with focus.
Q: Isn't this the first time you went to a decision with an empty gas tank?
A: Yes. I learned a lot from fighting with an empty gas tank. You learn more from losing than winning. I beat my opponent, but I lost to myself. I think this is actually a blessing. I was able to learn a lot from this fight, and realized what I should really work on.
Q: After the fight, some people seemed to be concerned that you wouldn't do well against strong wrestlers. Do you agree?
A: I actually think I'd do very well against fighters with only wrestling. I feel confident against fighters who only go for takedowns and the clinch, but I learned from this fight that guys with good striking to complement their wrestling would pose problems. Someone like Eddie Alvarez. I'm going to have to train hard to better prepare myself.
Q: I heard something funny happened that night?
A: Just like how Western people all look the same to us, we all look the same to them. When my cornerman was at the hall after the fight, Dana White came up to him thinking he was me, offered a handshake and congratulated him for the win.
Q: Apparently a lot of Korean residents showed up.
A: I saw two big Korean flags when I entered the arena. About 50 Korean residents from Atlanta came to support me. I was deeply moved. I raised my fist to appreciate them.
There are a few Japanese fighters in the UFC, but there has never been a Korean fighter. I was told that my first win in the UFC cheered up the Korean community in the US, and I was really happy to hear that. But I'm very sorry to them for not giving them a good show in return.
Q: You shared the waiting room with Randy Couture. What advice did he offer you?
A: He complimented my straight and told me that I'd be a good fighter if I can improve my clinch game. He said that I had promise. For me, it was an honor.
The guys from the UFC congratulated me and told me that I did well for my second fight, but I thought otherwise. I thought they too might have been disappointed with my performance.
Q: How do you plan to train in the future?
A: I'm very satisfied with the training I get from my team. But the guys I have to fight are foreigners so I'll need to get used to their strength and stamina. I'd like to train in the US before fights. I felt the difference in the way American fighters use their strength and control their pace compared to Japanese fighters. It was completely different. I'd like to spar with them and get more familiar with them.
Q: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
A: I'm sorry for such a poor performance. This is just the beginning for me so I'll be back better than ever and give you a better show. I was called to make a lot of appearances after the first fight, but from now on I'm going to concentrate my focus solely on training. I will train hard and give you good fights.
http://www.mfight.co.kr/serial/viewbody_ex.php?code=mfight_board_serial2&number=356