Please tell us how many people were in attendance.
12214.

Could you give us a recap of the tournament?
There were no problems during medicals, so all fighters were cleared to fight. Everyone was much more aggressive than I imagined, and they all fought so hard for their countries and federations. I was always aware Ishii’s opponent was going to be dangerous, but seeing just how good he was surprised me.

What are your thoughts on the production today?
Rather than being the day of the demise of MMA, it is actually the turning point, a new chapter in the history of MMA. In the opening video, we made an omnibus of all the music we have used in the past and it is my hope that the fans understand the relevance of the show through the music we used.

Aoki mentioned it, but do you think the referee stop during his fight with Sakuraba was late?
Whether or not it was too late or not is totally up to the referee and the judges. Sakuraba’s corner threw in the towel and I don’t think anyone watching thinks the referee was wrong.As far as the fight itself goes, actions speak louder than words in Aoki’s case and I think that might be lost on some people. It was a fantastic fight, showing the true charm of MMA.

Aoki now wants to fight Gomi?
We don’t wait until Aoki tells us what to do. It’s our job to listen to the fans and what they want. Gomi is certainly one fighter I’d like to have fight for us. That’s also the case for our guest commentator tonight, Kawagiri. He’s another fighter I’d like to have fight in Rizin. In order to make this a realization, we need to make sure we are providing the product that people will want to keep watching. I want to keep improving on everything we do.

What are your thoughts on Ishii tonight?
I was watching on TV and I thought he looked in good shape. His strikes looked good but Prochazka was too much for him to handle.

And what about James Thompson being over the contracted weight?
Under 120kgs was the contracted weight. To come here not in contract weight is bad, and when we did a second weigh-in and he was still over, he gave up. So after that I talked to Kohsaka and we made the fight happen somehow. Even though it ended in a TKO, I think he showed that he did come here to fight and prepared hard for it.

Are you satisfied overall?
I am very satisfied. The fighters all gave it their best and I think that resonated with the fans. The fighters gave the fans what they wanted. It was perfect and if we can now build on this for the 31st, I will be very happy.

Could you tell us more about Peter Aerts replacing Jérôme Le Banner?
I know a lot of people were looking forward to the Jérôme/Baruto fight and we had Jérôme under contract. I am now thinking how to legally go forward from here but I am still trying to work things out with Jérôme. We really tried hard, right until the end, to get him to fight for us but we just couldn’t get a yes out of them. We are so lucky that Peter came in at the last minute and accepted our offer. He is such a passionate guy and he knows how to treat the fans right.

And could you tell us your thoughts on Fedor’s group?
No good, they are just too strong (LOL!). Scott Coker had a lot of confidence in AJ Matthews and sent him to us, yet even he couldn’t win. The guys Fedor brought over are some of the best around. We are looking at the next Fedor here with these guys, and they have the support of their entire country behind them. That`s why they are such a big threat. The way they train their fighters and the way they promote them, is the right way. It shouldn’t be left to the fighters themselves.

And could you tell us your thoughts on all the foreign fighters who fought tonight?
What I want to show the American fans is that apart from King Mo, every fighter here is an unknown. There are so many amazing fighters all over the world, all sleeping giants. Look at the likes of Russia, Lithuania, Poland, and the Czech Republic. UFC doesn`t have all the top fighters in the world fighting for them and I think we showed that. Our aim is to be where the number one fighter in the world is determined. It doesn`t matter where you belong to, we want all fighters from all over the world to fight for us and to become world champion. I also want the UFC champions to fight for us. The fighters that fought tonight are the real deal. Their spirit and their technique was amazing.

And what do you think about Felipe Efrain, who didn’t make weight?
It is a pro fighter’s responsibility to come in at the agreed contracted weight. But in other organizations, fighters have died of dehydration before so I don`t want to put lives in danger. It`s not a competition to see who can lose the most weight, and as long as it doesn`t take away from the performance its fine to have catch weight. I want each fighter to be at their best, creating the best matchups. For example, tonight`s matchup, Sakuraba vs Aoki. Aoiki fought two weight classes above his usual, but showed the technique and spirit needed to win.

Are you thinking about giving Motoya another chance?
I’d like to. At the first weigh-in, he was 1kg over, and at the second weigh-in, he was 2kg over which is a joke. The no-contest ruling was the correct call. If they were the same weight, he may not have been knocked down. I’d like to see them fight again.

Could you give us your thoughts on doping and the tests carried out?
RIZIN’s stance is that, we clearly want to divide the competition management side of things and the promotional side of things. As far as doping is concerned, to keep fairness in the competition, compared to the past we have made a lot of progress. We also only want the doctors and ringside staff to only be allowed to enter the ring when the match is officially stopped. For information on the doping test, on the 31st, Director Shimada will explain further.

What is your image of how the show on 31st will be?
On the 31st, we will not only change the color of the gloves, but the mat too. When comparing to the old Pride, I think people will be surprised. Even the music we play at the venue will change. To get closer to the younger generation, it’ll be more high tempo so I’d like everyone to look forward to that. The mood and atmosphere is so important, it’s how to keep everything at a max that I’m thinking about.
I think the 31st will be a sellout. I’d like the atmosphere in the arena to be 2-3 times more than it was tonight (29th). It’s my dream to make Saitama Super Arena a sacred place where MMA fans from all over the world can come at the end of the year. I want the 31st of December to be a special day for everyone.