Anjew
TOKYO, May 27, 2004- Bored to tears with the so-called main event of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004, we turned away from the monitor in the pressroom to see none other than the greatest fighter in K-1 history, Ernesto Hoost.
You might expect that Hoost, the four-time K-1 World Champion, winner of almost a hundred fights, would be surrounded with all the trappings of greatness; big entourage, big attitude and lots of flash. But you would be wrong - completely wrong. Never mind K-1, Ernesto Hoost is one of the classiest acts in all of professional sports. We spoke with him about the fight game and the challenges ahead.
Hoost was clearly as disappointed as the fans were that Bonjasky didn’t show up to fight him tonight, citing back troubles. He also realized that his fight against the substitute opponent, Xhavit Bajrami, was really a “no gainer" for him. “I’ve already beaten him," he said, “and he had everything to gain by beating me." But complacency is not an option with Hoost - when you’re the champ everyone guns for you. True to form, he came away with a convincing win.
We asked Hoost how he stayed motivated. “What else do you have to accomplish at this point?"
“I like to be here and I like the game," he said. “I like the attention from the crowd and I love to fight."
“Don’t the injuries pile up after this long?"
“I haven’t had that many injury problems," he said. “I can count them on one hand. I tore my eardrum, bruised some ribs and I’ve been knocked out."
He added that the recovery time from his injuries is usually pretty quick, so retirement was not even in the cards. “As long as I am still able to perform, I’ll keep going," said Hoost. “When my body tells me to stop, I will."
“Any time off between fights, or is the training basically year round?"
“Generally you are training year round," Hoost said, “with brief periods of time off after fights. For example I might not train for a week after tonight’s fight. Then I’ll start again."
We asked him how much time it took him to prepare for a fight. “At what point do you say, “No thanks?"
“If I get six or seven weeks notice of a fight, that’s enough," said Hoost. “But if it’s two weeks before, I’ll refuse."
Having won 94 fights, it’s hard to believe that Hoost has ever done that. With his sights firmly set on “one for the thumb" - a fifth World K-1 title, Hoost is at the top of his game. Let’s hope that Remy sees a chiropractor in Holland fast and we can all find out who the real K-1 champion is. One thing is for sure - never count out “Mr. Perfect."
You might expect that Hoost, the four-time K-1 World Champion, winner of almost a hundred fights, would be surrounded with all the trappings of greatness; big entourage, big attitude and lots of flash. But you would be wrong - completely wrong. Never mind K-1, Ernesto Hoost is one of the classiest acts in all of professional sports. We spoke with him about the fight game and the challenges ahead.
Hoost was clearly as disappointed as the fans were that Bonjasky didn’t show up to fight him tonight, citing back troubles. He also realized that his fight against the substitute opponent, Xhavit Bajrami, was really a “no gainer" for him. “I’ve already beaten him," he said, “and he had everything to gain by beating me." But complacency is not an option with Hoost - when you’re the champ everyone guns for you. True to form, he came away with a convincing win.
We asked Hoost how he stayed motivated. “What else do you have to accomplish at this point?"
“I like to be here and I like the game," he said. “I like the attention from the crowd and I love to fight."
“Don’t the injuries pile up after this long?"
“I haven’t had that many injury problems," he said. “I can count them on one hand. I tore my eardrum, bruised some ribs and I’ve been knocked out."
He added that the recovery time from his injuries is usually pretty quick, so retirement was not even in the cards. “As long as I am still able to perform, I’ll keep going," said Hoost. “When my body tells me to stop, I will."
“Any time off between fights, or is the training basically year round?"
“Generally you are training year round," Hoost said, “with brief periods of time off after fights. For example I might not train for a week after tonight’s fight. Then I’ll start again."
We asked him how much time it took him to prepare for a fight. “At what point do you say, “No thanks?"
“If I get six or seven weeks notice of a fight, that’s enough," said Hoost. “But if it’s two weeks before, I’ll refuse."
Having won 94 fights, it’s hard to believe that Hoost has ever done that. With his sights firmly set on “one for the thumb" - a fifth World K-1 title, Hoost is at the top of his game. Let’s hope that Remy sees a chiropractor in Holland fast and we can all find out who the real K-1 champion is. One thing is for sure - never count out “Mr. Perfect."
Ojciec Dyrektor Dzialu K-1 www.mmaniacs.pl 2003 - 2010
Krzysztof Piekarz
Marian.B.
, bo juz mi nie naliczylo chyba z 5 ostatnich... Moich ludziom tez nie nalicza... Napisze chyba note protestacyjna do... no wlasnie, do kogo..? 
Aerts
