Kiyoshi Tamura will be participating in the highly anticipated Double Grappling match on the “Top presents RIZIN.1” event held on April 17th at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya. This time, he will be participating
with his former foes and rivals. What makes this man continue to compete…

—You participated in a pro wrestling event held this February in Myanmar,please tell us how that went.
It was definitely a third world country like Japan used to be, but smartphones were everywhere, and that was a very strange scene to see.
The event was great, except my fight (with a grin), but the fans were energetic and well educated in how to enjoy pro wrestling.

—It seems like you have been quite active between last year up until the”Ganryujima” event held last week. Is there a specific reason why you choose to stay busy?
There is no particular reason. It just happens that all the offers are timed right and everything comes through, I’m sure it has something to do with the fight industry these days.

—What made you decide in stepping into the RIZIN ring?
ere is no particular reason, but if I had to pick one, it would be because Mr. Sakakibara.

—Is it safe to say that you took the fight because Mr.Sakakibara approachedyou?
Yes. There is only so much I can do, and I’m not sure what I can do for
him, but strongly feel that I want to pay my dues for what he has done for me.

—You will be participating in a Double Grappling match with your team mate being Wander Silva, taking on Kazushi Sakuraba and Hideo Tokoro. You have fought all of them during your career, and what are your thoughts about them?
Wanderlei is a fighter who comes rushing in with his explosiveness, and doesn’t seem to show his technical side. He carries completely foreign core strength so my impression is that he’s just so strong and explosive.
Kind of like a wild boar. He comes straight in towards you. Sakuraba is the type of fighter who gives thoughts before he rushes in. His nickname “IQ wrestler”explains it all, he digests all the information given to him at the time,
and comes up with the best strategy at each time during the fight. He has the technique, ring control and mental strength to keep calm. And for Tokoro……. When did I fight him? Like 7 or 8 years ago??

—That was the New Year’s Eve of 2007
Back then he was still fighting with his instinct. In order for him to take it to the next level, he needs to utilize his experience and become a cleaver fighter like Sakuraba.

—You mentioned during the press conference that you will go for the submission but that’s not what your goal is. Can you please explain that comment?
I’m just saying this fight is not about winning or losing. Just watch the fight and you’ll have your answer.

—You want us to decide after we see the fight.
I’m not good at making predictions and saying things that I don’t mean.
I’m sure the audience will have a better idea what I really mean when they see my fight. I don’t want MMA fans to decide the fight based off of what I say, and I feel that there are better ways of describing a fight than just talking. It’s like we are the ingredients for a gourmet recipe, but
depending on how you cook it, it may turn out as a bad dish. I’m more focused on how to cook well, and during that process if I end up with the submission, that’s great. But just simply going for the submission isn’t a gourmet dish in my book. You totally lose words when you come across a good glass of beer. I want to deliver a glass where everybody gets the money’s worth. So I want everybody to decide after tasting what I deliver.

“Now that I’m 46, I feel like I feel obligated to show a 46 year old’s lifestyle”

—If I remember clearly, the last time you met RIZIN GM Takada in public was when you fought as his opponent for his retirement fight?
My memory isn’t so clear, but probably so.

—How do you look at Nobuhiko Takada, who was your mentor?
I’m not even in a position on commenting about Mr. Takada, but he looked after me for several years, and taught me a lot in this business, but I came to realize his greatness even more after he left the business. But now,looking back during the time we spent together, I think it was an extremely precious time in my career, and that is all I can say.

—What are your thoughts about the Sakauraba Aoki fight from last year?
My emotions are quite different now than the time I watched it live, but I was rooting for Sakuraba. But Aoki dragged him into his game and that’s that, the results speak for itself. But watching former team members being punished like that does build up some emotion. If Sakuraba thinks my comments are none of my business, then I guess he deserved the beating
(Laughing).

—I see. Lastly, please give a message to the fans.
I feel that my duty as a Mixed Martial Artist is done. But now that I’m 46 years old, I feel obligated to show a “46 year old’s lifestyle”. I hope to show my legacy to as many people as possible, so please come watch me fight,and I will show you something that you will never forget.