When it comes to kickboxing's biggest stars, Wu Zun is definitely among them, and his attention has grown since signing with ONE Championship. Not long ago, ONE Championship officially announced his bout with Rodtang "The Iron Man" Jitmuangnon, which will take place in Japan on 28 January next year in a flyweight kickboxing rules super-fight.
With more than a month to go until the bout, martial arts fans also conducted an exclusive interview with Wu Zun, asking some questions that fans are concerned about, and Wu Zun also answered them one by one, and the following is the content of the interview. (Interview video attached at the end of the article)
1. Why did you leave K-1 in the first place?
I've faced most of the top fighters after winning the K-1 three-division title, I have no other opponents, and ONE Championship has Rodtang and I'd love to fight him, and he's the ONE World Champion, so I decided to sign with ONE and go head-to-head with Rodtangne!
2. What was the reason for choosing ONE Championship?
The world's top fighters are all gathered in ONE Championship, and I believe this is the pinnacle of the world stage, and I want to challenge myself here.
3. Did the result of the match against Nasugawa Tenshin represent your best level?
It was my best shape at the time, and after that fight, I had surgery, I gained weight, and I've been in good shape.
4. How do you evaluate Rodtang's level and what are his shortcomings?
His charm lies in the fact that he is a fighter who can express his emotions and fight with all his heart. I think he's one of the few types in Muay Thai, and his style of fighting is similar to mine, which I find appealing. While he, like me, doesn't seem to have many weaknesses, as a fighter who puts emotion first, it means that there is risk when it comes to fighting, which is both his strength and his weakness.
5, do you think the result of the match between Luo Tang and Nasugawa Tianxin was fair?
That's what the referee decided, so I think it's accurate.
6. What do you think will be the result of your match with Rodtang?
We all have our own tactical strategy, and based on that, I think it's going to be a battle of strategies. However, in the 5-round match, it is inevitable that there will be times when you go up, so it will be very intense. If the two of us go head-to-head, a 5-round fight will most likely result in one of them being knocked out, which is definitely a life-and-death struggle.
7. What is the impression left on you by the Chinese players?
I've played against a couple of Chinese players and they're very mentally and physically good. The Chinese fighter is characterized by both skill and mental toughness, and the Japanese fighter also possesses these qualities, and I am confident that the Chinese fighter will continue to shine on the world stage in the future.
8. Which Chinese player do you remember the most?
Wang Junguang's stamina and mental strength are among the best among the opponents I have met, we fought three rounds, his stamina is also very good, I think he is a strong fighter!
9. How to evaluate Zhang Peimian?
I should have trained with him in Thailand, and I watched his training and thought he was a fighter with incredible speed and determination. He told me that he watched all my fights and that we had something in common and that I was looking forward to him being a top fighter in the future.
10. Now that you're in the ONE Ring, what is your ultimate goal?
Now, all I can think about is winning the fight against Rodtang and once I achieve that, I'm sure the next steps will become clear.
At the end of the interview, Wu Zun said: "Chinese martial arts is booming, and I'm glad to see that my juniors will be competing there, and local fans will reach out to my coach and say they know me. I am excited and excited that I also have fans in China, as a fellow Asian countryman, I regard them as my comrades-in-arms, I will do my best to win the next game and convey good news to the fans in China, thank you for your support!"
Through the interview, we can see that Wu Zun, as a top fighter, is very clear in terms of technical level, thoughts, and goals, which is what most fighters need to learn Xi.
On January 28 next year, the battle between Wu Zun and Rodtang will be staged as scheduled, and this bout will definitely be the most anticipated kickboxing fight in recent times. Let's stay tuned, and we'll see who wins this super battle in the end. With the signing of ONE Championship, let's continue to look forward to whether Wu Zun will fight Chinese fighters such as Zhang Peimian and others again in the future.