—How has your preparation been for this tournament?
The first four weeks of my training were in Phuket, Thailand, where I was working with a top team of trainers. The last four weeks I spent in my hometown working on my Jujitsu. None of my team members have changed, and my preparation for this tournament has been top notch.

—Could you please tell us the details surrounding your appearance with RIZIN?
I really sold myself hard to them, letting them know I wanted to fight. When Bellator told me that Rizin is made up partially of the old Pride team, I flew into Phuket and told Rizin that I was in Asia and that I wanted to fight. My wish came true and I am very excited to fight for RIZIN.

—When you said you sold yourself hard, was this because of your Pride aspirations?
I am from America, so a lot of people think that I grew up watching UFC, but for me, the Pride ring is a sacred place. The first Pride match I saw 16 years ago was Kazushi Sakuraba. Just knowing that I am going to be in the same tournament as him brings a tear to my eye. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career, but I’ve always believed in myself.

—Please tell us your thoughts on your opponent, Anatoly Tokov?
Of all my opponents so far, Tokov is the toughest, so I think the fight will be really exciting. I have been watching a lot of tape on him, and he is able to switch from striking to wrestling to Jujitsu very quickly. He’s at an incredibly high level, ranked number 15 in the world. I am ranked number 19, so I think this fight will start off a rivalry between us. After the fight is over however, we will trade places with each other in the rankings.

—Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
I’m very gratefully for this opportunity, it’s made me a very happy man. Of all the fighters, I know I feel this way the most. I have no doubt in my mind that I will win.