Sorki, że nie po polsku, ale znalazłem go własnie na zagranicznym forum, a sam musze wyjsc, jakby komus się chciało tłumaczyć - mile widziane
Alan Kermorvan/Ironlife.com: Hi Jérome, how are you? Ready for your next fight? How's the arm?
Jérôme Le Banner: Hi, I feel great! I'm ready to fight and my arm is perfectly healed.
What are your thoughts about your upcoming fight against Goodridge?
It's kind of special cause he's a friend, we trained together and I like him. At first I didn't want to fight him... But he had some good results lately and I had to accept. But I'll fight to win, without mercy. Even if he's a nice guy.
I don't talk too much with other K-1 guys cause I have troubles fighting them afterwards. Guys like Hoost and Aerts are friends, I have huge respect for them. I'll never fight them again.
Can you tell us more about Abidi, the fight in Paris and the disagreement between you two?
First of all I must say something, I hated the way the audience reacted in Bercy. When the whole arena boos a guy when he steps into the ring, it's disgusting. Then they cheered for him after the fight. That's hypocritical. Honestly it pissed me off, even if I'm not friend with the guy. Jeering him like that, it was really petty.
At first I knew Cyril when we both trained with Ali Sadok.We trained together. Then Cyril went with Roméas, another French promoter, but we still went along well. He did some sparring with me before one of his fights in Switzerland. Then he improved and started being successful in Japan, in some way it was normal we became rivals. Moreover his entourage wasn't really friendly with mine, things have been said in Japan... Of course I share some responsibilities too. I talked. I talk a lot and always speak my mind, without much care for the consequences. But I'm a respectful guy. In some way it's a problem: I say what I think and the day after I think the exact contrary! So it seems I'm contradicting myself. I'm kind of unstable, but apparently I get better with age. At least that's what people tell me.
Anyway back to Abidi, being the elder and the most experienced I shouldn't have left the situation worsen like that... In the fight Cyril showed he has tons of heart and for that I'll give him a rematch. But I don't like to fight a compatriot. I think Franco-french fights should only happen for a title or at the end of a tournament. As far as I'm concerned the fight completely settled things down and it's time to move on.
Do you think it's your year and that you'll finally win the K-1 Grand Prix?
I don't say anything. I'm superstitious... I can only tell you I'll do everything to win.
You're regarded as the best K-1 fighter never to have won the GP, what do you think about that?
I don't think I'm the most talented. Honestly, I don't question myself about it, I'm not egocentric at all. You'll probably have a hard time believing it but I'm actually kind of shy. I also think the GP isn't everything... You've got the GP champion and K-1 champion, it's two different things.
You often had bad luck in tournaments....
It's true, I was unfortunate during the last K-1 GPs. But you know, luck changes. Of course losing the GP a couple of minutes before the end is infuriating. I was gutted. I cried thinking about my daughter. Inside the ring I knew it was serious and I knew I would have to get surgery. Back in France, in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, I thought about my daughter. I saw her in the giant screen, she was kissing me, and I broke down. f***, I'd have preferred to get knocked out cold.
In some way I knew the bad luck wouldn't stop there. I'm not patient enough. I went back to training too soon. That's the way I am and f*** I don't think it gets any better with time, but in everyday life I'm much calmer.
What are your picks for the Osaka Eliminations?
-Sefo/Kaoklai: I have no idea...
-LeBanner/Goodridge: Me by ko.
-Sapp/Choi: Sapp is going to put Choi to sleep. Choi will try to be all over Sapp and will get countered.
-Botha/Musashi: I think Botha by ko but I'd like Musashi to win. He's a great guy. Botha is a nice guy too.
-Aerts/Mo: I'd like Aerts to take it but I don't have any predictions for that fight...
-Feitosa/Schilt: Schilt by dec.
-Bonjasky/Ignashov: Ignashov, I think he'll be back at his best, he can be top level.
-Karaev/Hoost: Hoost by ko ( the interview took place before Hoost's withdrawal was announced)
What is your opinion on MMA? Would you like to fight more under these rules?
I like it. I'll fight under mma rules in New Years Eve but I don't know yet against who. I just hope it won't be a can. MMA is less physically traumatizing than K-1, it's more natural. I'd like to fight more in mma and if one day there's no big names left in K-1 I'll make the switch.
I was with Fedor not too long ago and I'll train a few weeks with Red Devil. Dean Lister will also probably come to France in November/December to help me with my ground game. And I'll also work with Bertrand Amoussou. He currently does a lot of great things for mma in France.
Thanks Jérôme! Now if you don't mind I'll ask you a few questions from Ironlife's members.
Allright, let's go.
About K-1
What is your opinion on Sapp, Choi, Akebono? Is K-1 turning into a circus?
Yes and no, Japanese people like it... And they try to please people of their country first. If you look from an occidental point of view of course it's a different story.
Are you still hungry for a GP title? At what point?
I'm hungry that's for sure. I still want to deliver. But I'm more focused on doing spectacular fights and giving 100% of myself, I'm not obsessed with the GP.
How do you see the GP this year?
I see Mo in the semis, he has been impressive this year. But I'll be there. He wants to send old men to retirement, but that won't be me!
Will you retire soon? When?
No. I don't even think about it.
Does K-1 miss Cro Cop, Hunt and Leko?
No, I think no one is irreplaceable.
What will your strategy be against Goodridge?
Like the first time, rush into him.
Did you ever get in trouble for ko’ing Pettas after the bell?
No, now that I think about it, it was funny. It was at the heart of the action!
What do you like the most, 3 rounds or 5 rounds for the K-1 fights?
3 rounds is better, the fights are more intense, we can pound away at each other better. I'm a V12, not a diesel!
Why do you fight Goodridge and not Schilt, as it was apparently scheduled before summer?
It's K-1's choice. Schilt was Samy Kebchi's choice (famous french promotor). Kebchi put the cart befor the horse and I can tell you I'll never fight for him again. He's not an honest man.
What do you think about the current state of K-1? Do you think there's a lack of talent?
Yeah, I think so. The Japanese want fat guys. (laughs) That's their business and they don't try to bring it overseas. There's more talent in mma nowadays. I think money is killing K-1. I had a lot of fights before I could fly in business class.
What was your best fight?
Against Hunt I think, the last 2 fights we had.
Your current K-1 top 3?
1-Bonjasky, 2-Mo, 3-Sefo.
About his career, his training and his everyday life:
When did you start training?
I started when I was 6 with Judo (Victoria, his 8 year old daughter: I want to do Judo too to be in the newspaper with daddy), then Karate. I started kickboxing at 18 year old (Full Contact)
What does a day of training look like for you?
In the morning I do kickboxing or boxing during 1h30. In the evening I run. I work out twice a week, the rest of the time I walk and do cardio training.
How's your arm? Does it still bother you?
It doesn't bother me at all anymore. According to my sparring partners I hit as hard as ever. It was long and tough, it was a big injury.
Is your jab as powerful as before the injury?
Even more powerful, I don't know why.
You're right handed, yet you're a southpaw in the ring. Why's that?
I feel better like that. When I was young I bought a Jeet Kun Do book, where they said it was better to put your strong arm forward. Then during 4 years I was unable to throw a left highkick! I was really serious when I was younger, no alcohol or tabacco, I partied later...
What's your weight in life, for a fight and for a tournament?
I'm roughly 120kgs (264lbs) in everyday's life and between 115kgs (253lbs) and 117kgs ( 257lbs) for a fight and a tournament.
How much do you bench press?
Max bench was 160kgs (353lbs) but it's old and I stopped doing max a long time ago.
What do you think about your career right now?
I don't think about it. I can die tomorrow... I had a lot of fun. 2 years of bad luck excepted, I come from Le Havre and it's a miracle if I'm where I am today, I'm fortunate and I thank my lucky star.
At what age do you want to retire?
I'm only 32, McDonald is 40! It has nothing to do with age, I'll retire the day I'm not able to do the show, the day I can't make the audience's panties wet anymore.
Do you plan to do pro wrestling after you retire?
Of course. I also hope I'll have other propositions like opening a gym, not only in France but everywhere in the world.
You're the most well known fighter in France, does it give you responsabilities?
Yes, I have to be more diplomatic. Before I always said what I thought and often changed my mind. Sometimes I can't even bear myself ! (laughs) I'm sometimes surprised by that popularity, there's 60/70 year old people who know me, for them I'm kind of the symbol of the great white HW boxer. They like me for that.
It seems you're changing your team very often, why's that?
Yeah, I don't keep the same people around me for a long time. There's too many parasites. I don't like the (kickboxing/fighting sports) scene. I only have two real friends in the scene: Rani Berbachi and Jean Claude Guérot. Matthias Riccio is also a great guy, we saw each other not too long ago. One day I was in trouble, I called him at 6 in the morning, he was there in the evening, and he's located at more than 1000kms (620 miles) from my home.
Will you get your nose fixed at the end of your career?
Yeah, I was supposed to do it last January, but finally I think I'll wait.
Are you still into breeding dogs?
I was really passionate about it, but after the fight against Hunt in Bercy, I lost a dog I loved... It was painful, it's not the same thing anymore... Maybe I'll stop. Currently I have 7 puppies and 9 adult dogs.
About MMA
There was rumors about you training with Chute Boxe in 2002 and with Fedor more recently. What's the situation?
Training with Chute Boxe was postponed and then I broke my forearm... Wanderlei Silva gave me a phone call last week and we should see each other soon. I train with Fedor but not on a regular basis, I'm not always available. But I plan on training more with Red Devil, their boss Vadim is ok with it.
What mma fighters do you like? What do you think about mma in general?
I like Fedor and Silva, they're great champions. I think there are too many organizations. There's a risk to see many bogus champs, like guys who go to Brazil, learn a couple of things, call themselves champions and open their own gym. We had the same phenomenon in Thai boxing a few years ago.
What is your opinion on mma being illegal in France?
I'm all for the legalization of mma in France, but I doubt it'll change soon. French sport ethics are different. The idea of hitting a downed guy is unacceptable. They have this image in football (soccer) when you help your downed opponent to get up, it's not in the general mentality yet. We're not warriors like the Dutch for example.
What does your mma training look like?
It's not on a regular basis, depending on the fight. It's like if I switched from football to rugby.
No i zdjęcie z corcią i żoneczką zamieszczam!
Sogów nie odbijam, jak podobała Ci się moja wypowiedź, to wejdź na www.pajacyk.pl !