krs
29th October 2004, 12:01 PM
Interview of Alexey Ignashov from the French magazine PunchMag n°111 -
October 2004. The interview was made before the Eliminations, September
25th.
I post this interview now so people have already had the chance to buy the magazine so it's not plain piracy. Buy it if you are in France, there is a good Tyson article inside too ;)
------
Punch Mag: Alexey, you are a part of a very select circle of heavyweight's evolving in K-1. How does it make you feel?
Ignashov: Well, it became my job, so the first feeling is the responsibility
towards my "entourage" (trade note :< --- entourage can be team or also
family, it's the people around him)
PM: For you, where do you feel you are in the world's top 10 kick boxers?
Ig: I'd like to think I am a part of it.
(The man is modest and prefers not to classify himself)
PM: Who are the 9 other best kick boxers in this top 10?
Ig: Right now I would say: Hoost, Aerts, Sefo, Lebanner, Bonjasky, Holm, McDonald, Filipovic, Leko. (Here again Alexey chose not to classify himself)
PM: If you could choose an opponent, who would it be?
Ig: Ernesto Hoost. He's the biggest kick boxer of all times. He is still the man to beat today, whatever some say.
PM: Who is, for you, the most complete opponent in k-1?
Ig: The only one king is the Dutch Ernesto Hoost.
PM: How do you explain the passion of Japanese for k-1?
Ig: It is spectacular, there is a show business side, the style and psychology of some fighters are appreciated, the Japanese love the warrior style, the honor code and the ethic proper to K-1.
PM: You practice kick boxing for a long time, is it more by passion or just a way to earn your living?
Ig: I practice kick boxing for more than 10 years.
Obviously at the origin it's a passion and it still is today. But the professional part is here and that's good.
There is nothing bad earning your life through a passion.
Few people have this luxury.
PM: You don't look like you feel any stress before your fights. How do you do it?
Ig: Saying I have no stress before a fight would be wrong. Maybe I manage it better than some others.
The day I don't feel any stress at all, I will have to ask myself some real questions, because this is when the danger is the biggest. Due to the fact that we may lose our survival instincts.
PM: Which opponent gave you the most difficulties?
Ig: A few years ago, during a match for a title in Bangkok: Jurgen Kruth, Swedish.
The other one was in Japan for k-1, and he also happened to be very tough, it was the English man, Matt Skelton.
PM: How long more do you think you will be kick boxing?
Ig: As long as I have the health and the mental to do it.
PM: Alexey, you fight in MMA too, how do you prepare yourself, but even more: do you like this style of fighting?
Ig: Indeed, I have some fights in MMA.
I train, well, taking care of the specialties of this sport; however I can't say I'm in love with it. Maybe some more fights will change mi point of view.
The main feeling is that I don't control all the parts of this sport,
and it creates a frustration and, the least I could say is that I don't like to feel this kind of feeling.
While when I am standing, like for kick boxing, I am completely content, with a feeling that anything is possible, witch allows me to have control and I prefer that.
PM: What do you think of the French fighters evolving in k-1?
Ig: In one word: they are dangerous.
Each one has his own way. Jerome by his power; Cyril by his unpredictable style.
PM: Of all, what is the fighting technique you prefer?
Ig: Knees and elbows. I have to say Muay Thai is really my favorite discipline. Being able to use these techniques is really what I love to do.
PM: In a time where steroids and drugs have infiltrated all the sports, do you think it is present in the fighting world?
Ig: I think it is dangerous to play with your health. Kick boxing is a demanding sport but still; I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there is some cases of abuse.
Anyway, the controls for now do still not exist.
-------------
end of the interview
-------------
Here is a small text that was with the interview:
"My preferences"
As soon as I get the chance, I love to read and rest, to recover well between fights.
I like a Russian poet named Essenine. I usually prefer older films than recent ones, and for my favorite dish, it is a Russian specialty: it's
without a doubt the potatoes pancakes with sour cream. I talk about it and it makes me hungry immediately.
Finally, the country that impressed me the most was undoubtedly Japan.
October 2004. The interview was made before the Eliminations, September
25th.
I post this interview now so people have already had the chance to buy the magazine so it's not plain piracy. Buy it if you are in France, there is a good Tyson article inside too ;)
------
Punch Mag: Alexey, you are a part of a very select circle of heavyweight's evolving in K-1. How does it make you feel?
Ignashov: Well, it became my job, so the first feeling is the responsibility
towards my "entourage" (trade note :< --- entourage can be team or also
family, it's the people around him)
PM: For you, where do you feel you are in the world's top 10 kick boxers?
Ig: I'd like to think I am a part of it.
(The man is modest and prefers not to classify himself)
PM: Who are the 9 other best kick boxers in this top 10?
Ig: Right now I would say: Hoost, Aerts, Sefo, Lebanner, Bonjasky, Holm, McDonald, Filipovic, Leko. (Here again Alexey chose not to classify himself)
PM: If you could choose an opponent, who would it be?
Ig: Ernesto Hoost. He's the biggest kick boxer of all times. He is still the man to beat today, whatever some say.
PM: Who is, for you, the most complete opponent in k-1?
Ig: The only one king is the Dutch Ernesto Hoost.
PM: How do you explain the passion of Japanese for k-1?
Ig: It is spectacular, there is a show business side, the style and psychology of some fighters are appreciated, the Japanese love the warrior style, the honor code and the ethic proper to K-1.
PM: You practice kick boxing for a long time, is it more by passion or just a way to earn your living?
Ig: I practice kick boxing for more than 10 years.
Obviously at the origin it's a passion and it still is today. But the professional part is here and that's good.
There is nothing bad earning your life through a passion.
Few people have this luxury.
PM: You don't look like you feel any stress before your fights. How do you do it?
Ig: Saying I have no stress before a fight would be wrong. Maybe I manage it better than some others.
The day I don't feel any stress at all, I will have to ask myself some real questions, because this is when the danger is the biggest. Due to the fact that we may lose our survival instincts.
PM: Which opponent gave you the most difficulties?
Ig: A few years ago, during a match for a title in Bangkok: Jurgen Kruth, Swedish.
The other one was in Japan for k-1, and he also happened to be very tough, it was the English man, Matt Skelton.
PM: How long more do you think you will be kick boxing?
Ig: As long as I have the health and the mental to do it.
PM: Alexey, you fight in MMA too, how do you prepare yourself, but even more: do you like this style of fighting?
Ig: Indeed, I have some fights in MMA.
I train, well, taking care of the specialties of this sport; however I can't say I'm in love with it. Maybe some more fights will change mi point of view.
The main feeling is that I don't control all the parts of this sport,
and it creates a frustration and, the least I could say is that I don't like to feel this kind of feeling.
While when I am standing, like for kick boxing, I am completely content, with a feeling that anything is possible, witch allows me to have control and I prefer that.
PM: What do you think of the French fighters evolving in k-1?
Ig: In one word: they are dangerous.
Each one has his own way. Jerome by his power; Cyril by his unpredictable style.
PM: Of all, what is the fighting technique you prefer?
Ig: Knees and elbows. I have to say Muay Thai is really my favorite discipline. Being able to use these techniques is really what I love to do.
PM: In a time where steroids and drugs have infiltrated all the sports, do you think it is present in the fighting world?
Ig: I think it is dangerous to play with your health. Kick boxing is a demanding sport but still; I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there is some cases of abuse.
Anyway, the controls for now do still not exist.
-------------
end of the interview
-------------
Here is a small text that was with the interview:
"My preferences"
As soon as I get the chance, I love to read and rest, to recover well between fights.
I like a Russian poet named Essenine. I usually prefer older films than recent ones, and for my favorite dish, it is a Russian specialty: it's
without a doubt the potatoes pancakes with sour cream. I talk about it and it makes me hungry immediately.
Finally, the country that impressed me the most was undoubtedly Japan.