Interview: "I can beat him" Sato is confident against Petrosyan

"I can beat him" Sato is confident against Petrosyan
Wednesday, 10. Mar. 2010

In the first match of the year 2010, Yoshihiro Sato has unexpectedly become a threat to current MAX champion Petrosyan, and it's causing quite a stir. What kind of show is Sato going to give us at the FieLDS K-1 WORLD MAX 2010 -70kg Japan Tournament? (March 27th, Saitama Super Arena Community Arena)

I'll be myself without any of the frills

-- Before getting to the main questions, I want to say congratulations. I heard you became a daddy.
Sato: Thank you! On January 9th, I had a son. His name is Sousuke.
-- Sounds like he'll grow up to be smart.
Sato: Well, to be honest, my wife and I were against the name at first. I wanted to name him Seiichi because I thought it would be a good name for raising a good, honest kid. But both of our parents were against choosing an old-fashioned name.
-- Ah, so it was a bit of a battle? But isn't Sousuke good too? This is your long-awaited baby so you have a lot to look forward to, right?
Sato: I have to make enough money to pay for all of the milk. I want to make double what I made last year.
-- You're going to have to train pretty hard for that, right?
Sato: Yeah. I'm working hard every day so I'm exhausted. Today I'm taking a break for these interviews and stuff so I feel pretty tense.
-- Is this what you do on your days off? You can't really take a rest then. Is this because Petrosyan is your new rival?
Sato: These days I'm training like this no matter who my opponent is.
-- Why is that?
Sato: Because I lost to Drago at the world championships last year. Now I'm working twice as hard as I did back then. I'm never ever going to forget how miserable I felt.
-- With that kind of training schedule, do you think Chairman Omori will be pleased?
Sato: The harder I train, the nicer he gets.
-- Since you lost to Drago, do you feel like you're starting over?
Sato: This year I just want to be myself without any of the frills.

The Turning Point: Defeated by Drago

-- Yourself with no frills...
Sato: Ever since I lost to Drago, I've had a lot to think about. That was really a turning point.
-- Like you felt like you hadn't fought like your true self?
Sato: Like I wasn't training hard enough, was just kind of worked up...more like that.
-- Kind of worked up. But back then Masato had a huge presence, right? Now that he's gone, you must have big expectations for yourself.
Sato: This time around, I don't think I'm asking myself to fight a good fight, but to win. I plan to win.
-- Beating the grand champion Petrosyan is going to be tough. Now that Masato isn't there to fight him, there's this question of who is going to take him down.
Sato: I think the new MAX starts today. Up until now, there was just one super star who carried the whole tournament. But now that he's retired, it's more even. I think the simple people should be simple, and the flashy people should be flashy.
-- So everyone should be themselves.
Sato: Yes. Put your mind to it, and be yourself. And if everyone clashes, I think that's okay. If the arena isn't very big it feels like MAX isn't as popular anymore, but if everyone just acts like themselves, you know that it will be just as popular as it ever was if not more.

Find Your Own Thing

-- I agree. That way you can really get how you feel across to your fans too. Is that a lot of pressure?
Sato: Well, I like the pressure. It's like, if I don't do it now, when will I do it? I were to quit in a year, it might be like some chemical reaction that creates a bigger wave. Either way, right now martial arts is the big thing but I figure it won't always be as popular.
-- I didn't expect to hear you say that.
Sato: Well, it's just that for all fads there is an end. But, that's okay because something new will just come up.
-- That's probably true. Do you want to be the next big fad?
Sato: Hmm maybe. If it meets my needs, then sure.
-- Now you think things are pretty even, but still you have really big expectations for yourself. How confident are you?
Sato: I have willpower. I pride myself in wanting to fight anyone - especially if they are strong - more than anyone else anywhere. More than other guys, I have to show good results along with good content.
-- Do you think you're the next fighting ace?
Sato: That's to figure out later. Now I really feel like I have a lot of responsibilities. Anyway, I'll have to fight well enough to make the promoters happy they didn't put me in the tournament.

Petrosyan is a Master

-- So what do you think of Petrosyan?
Sato: I think he's a master. I knew who he was before he got into MAX and knew he'd go move up when he joined. When he shut out Albert Kraus, I knew he'd make it to the top.
-- Are you happy you'll fight him?
Sato: It's fifty-fifty. Either way, with how MAX is now, it doesn't do me any good to fight weak guys. I need to have a challenge too.
-- So it's your destiny to fight.
Sato: If I were to win, I think I'd have to do it real quick. That's what I'd be aiming for of course. It's also not good to charge up a big rocky mountain. But either way, you have no choice but to climb.
-- What would you have to watch out for when you fight him?
Sato: Speed and the space between us. He's more dangerous than your average fighter.

Ten Victories in a Row to Become the Champion

-- There's a chance you could win, right?
Sato: Yes there is.
-- Is there?
Sato: There is. Most people have the odds at 8:2 against, but the odds aren't that bad. I'm getting to a good place. I just need to work on strategy, physical condition, and stamina.
-- How have you figured out how to win?
Sato: I'll leave that to my boss.
-- How about a hint?
Sato: Distance.
-- Since you think that's why he's such a master, you're going to take that on and fight from there.
Sato: I also have a good sense of distance, so I feel pretty confident.
-- Sounds good. Any last words?
Sato: This year, I'm aiming to get ten consecutive victories. It's starting from last year so I've already gotten three. When I get to number ten, I'll be the champion. That's the plan.

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