The Emperor has returned. An interview with Fedor Melianenko .

 
—Having arrived in Japan, how is your mental state and physical conditioning going into the fight?
Firstly, hello everyone. I am so happy be back here and to have the opportunity to meet you all again. Tokyo is a place where I have so many fans. I feel great. I am in pristine condition, primed for this fight. I’ve brought four younger fighters with me on this trip and I’d like people to pay attention to them as I think they will be smash hits here.
—In preparation for this match, who did you train with and where?
I was here in Japan in October, after that we had a training camp in Stary Oskol, in Russia. After that I went to Holland and trained with Ernesto Hoost and his fighters before heading back to Stary Oskol for an intense training camp again. This last camp, we multiplied the training load to the maximum we could.
—How do you feel compared to three years ago?
I think I’ll know how good my condition is after the fight but compared to three years ago, my body has recovered well and my condition is very good. I’ve recovered from all my injuries and have no injuries to talk of at the moment.
—Could you give us your thoughts on your opponent, Singh “Heart” Jaideep?
He’s quite a well rounded, very good attacking fighter. He’s been in K1 before, and has also fought my fellow Russian Sergei Kharitonov and beaten him. He’s taller than me and heavier, but I have prepared well for him.
—What kind of fight do you envision this fight to be?
I don’t envision any kind of fight. I do what I do best, to the fullest of my abilities.
—When did you arrive in Japan? Could you tell us how you spent your days here?
We arrived late on the 26th, so we just trained and then ate sushi. On the 27th I took the boys for a walk around Tokyo and some basic training before having Shabu Shabu. Both myself and the younger fighters love Japanese food. Japanese food definitely makes us stronger.
—Chute Boxe president Rudimar Fedrigo trained Jaideep for this fight, does that worry you at all?
Every fighter has their own way of training, their own style. I also trained with a famous trainer so no it doesn’t bother me at all.
—Do you have a message for Satoshi Ishii, a fighter you have fought in the past?
I pray for his success and hope that he wins. We trained together at the same camp in Holland. If he advances to the next round, I think he will face one of my boys Vadim Nemkov.
—―At the moment, Japanese MMA has lost its popularity and power, what do you think about this?
The Japanese people have the Samurai spirit. They understand what a beautiful fight is. There is nothing I would like more than to see Japanese martial arts back at its peak where it belongs, and that is why I am here fighting in Rizin.
—Do you have anything you’d like to say to the Japanese fans?
I would like to thank the Japanese fans for their warm welcome and their amazing support. I am so happy to be back here in Japan doing this again and I am counting on your support as you have in the past. I am praying that everyone has a safe, prosperous and happy new year.