K-1: You are named as one of the champion hopefuls. What do you think about this?

Banner: Nothing especially. That’s proof that everyone wants to watch my fighting.

K-1: You chose the C slot ( red corner ) of the second match in the draw.

Banner: I just like C and red..

K-1: I don’t think that’s the only reason.

Banner: I have to finish the match soon to prepare for the next one as a fighter.

K-1: Are you geared up for the first win you have been longing for?

Banner: Of course. I am definitely 100% ready for it. I wake up at 5 in the morning to go running, and start boxing training 10 followed by Muay Thai practice and weight training, the same as always. I have assigned 3 or 3 and a half hours to training. It’s natural as a professional. You will see that if you see the match on the day. Don’t ask me such trivial things.

K-1: I heard that you also practice Judo.

Banner: I can train muscles other than those I normally use by throwing and groundwork. I simply adopt it to make use of the skill in K-1. It’s not bad as a fighter to look at every possibility.

K-1: What do you think of Mark Hunt choosing you as his opponent?

Banner: I think it’s good. I am looking forward to fighting against him. He apparently has a big thing (balls). I was convinced of this in his fight against Ray.

K-1: Hunt told me he has never fallen down apart from when he was run over by a car since his debut as a professional fighter.

Banner: I heard Matt (Skelton) say something like that (laughs). But you saw the result (Banner won by a knockout in one round). He doesn’t know what will happen when he fights me.

K-1: You mean your punch is as powerful as the shock caused by a car crash?

Banner: Ask someone who has been knocked down.

K-1: What will you do if he challenges you with no guard like when he fought Ray Sefo?

Banner: Do you really think he would challenge me like that?

K-1: No, just in case.

Banner: I don’t think he will. I don’t really know, as im not Mark, but I don’t think he can do that in a match. I can kick as well as punch.

K-1: As you have never been a Grand Prix champion, people say you are not good in tournaments, even though you deserve it.

Banner: Who said that?

K-1: Sadaharunba Tanikawa editor for a start (laughs) and some of the media.

Banner: Tell them that’s an old story. I had many chances of single matches, so I simply got that image. In that case, I will astonish everyone this time.

K-1: You mean you will shift to a fighting method for tournaments?

Banner: I have to use my brain to win the tournament. So I will build up a strategy to win the tournament thinking of three matches while putting on intense pressure.

K-1: You mean you wont stick to knockouts?

Banner: I don’t go looking for knockouts, they come to me. If I am too eager to punch the opponent down, my punches will end up clawing and useless. If I fight as usual, i`ll eventually knock out the opponent.

K-1: You may have to fight last years champion, Hoost, in the semi-final.

Banner: I don’t want to give him any publicity, so I’m not saying anything.

K-1: You regard him as your rival?

Banner: Hmmm. He said I talked big, so beat me to shut me up. That’s all.

K-1: Talking of rivals, Bernado was defeated in the consolation match and lost the right to enter the final. Do you have anything that you want to say about him?

Banner: Let’s write a letter to that poor guy.

K-1: What message shall we write?

Banner: From Tokyo, with love (laughs).

K-1: Second generation fighters such as Nicholas, Leko, Ignashov and Hunt will fight in this tournament. Do you feel a sense of crisis as part of the first generation?

Banner: No, not at all. What I am afraid of is the current war. The world is in disorder and no one can say what will happen in the future.

K-1: What do you think the chances are that you will win the tournament?

Banner: I can’t say. I’m not in a position to say. I will do my best. It all depends on my effort to win the tournament. That’s a silly question. There is always a chance.

K-1: That’s true.

Banner: However, we cannot be successful unless we put in the effort. Someone asked my why I was strong. That’s also a silly question. Of course it is because I wanted to be strong. I kept on training while others were having fun. That made me what I am.

K-1: I am convinced. The topic of the world Grand Prix this year will be whether you, the winner prospective, will be able to reach the summit or not.

Banner: That’s beyond question. I know everybody is looking to beat me, and many guys don’t like me. I will act like a beast to make the K-1 Grand Prix more fascinating. The reason why the match between Fujita and Mirko was so fascinating was because they were K-1 fighters from a professional punching group. I will prove again how our punches are. I will show you fight between real mean