Kawajiri’s Comeback

After a year's absence, Tatsuya "The Crusher" Kawajiri will make his much-awaited return to the ring in the "Yarennoka!" New Year's Eve event produced by former PRIDE staff members.

Kawajiri called 2007 "a year of tribulation" and rightfully so. He has not fought since PRIDE Shockwave on New Year's Eve 2006. He was also unable to defend his Shooto welterweight title due to an injury and then came news that Lorenzo Fertitta, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, had purchased PRIDE. But the purchase did not lead to fights, and the PRIDE office officially closed in October.

Setback after setback, Kawajiri's opportunities seemed to have diminished.

Kawajiri never doubted himself, though. He patiently trained and stayed hungry to elevate his game to a new level.

His demeanor and work ethic will finally pay off on New Year's Eve when Kawajiri fights Luiz Azeredo (Pictures) in front of the sellout crowd at the Saitama Super Arena.

In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, the humble Kawajiri shared his thoughts on his return and the past year.

Sherdog: How was it fighting in front of 48,000 fans?
Kawajiri: It felt really good. I had the chance to exchange blows at full strength in front of such a large crowd.

Sherdog: In your fight against Gilbert Melendez (Pictures), it looked like you wanted to utilize your striking. Was that your game plan for the fight?
Kawajiri: It was planned to an extent. Until then, the only time that I experienced such slugging was when I fought against Takanori Gomi (Pictures). At that time, the PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix was scheduled for 2007. So thinking ahead, I felt that I needed more experience with hard slugging.

Sherdog: How tough was Melendez?
Kawajiri: He was tenacious.

Sherdog: As the fight wore on, it looked like your punches were single shots instead of combinations.
Kawajiri: I should have been careful and not looked to land one big punch. My punches turned out to be just right hooks and left hooks. There's room for improvement.

Sherdog: You said in the past that your performance tends to drop when you lose your temper during fights. Was that the case against Melendez?
Kawajiri: Yes. I lost my temper and completely forgot my game plan. The fight became a slugfest, and I was just thinking stuff like "I ain't hurt! Hit me again!" But my gym mates and my manager have strictly told me not to focus on striking, especially if I want to go to the top.

Sherdog: Did you think that you were able to bring out what you had worked on in preparation for the fight?
Kawajiri: To a certain degree, yes. I also felt that I could fight at a fair level weighing in at 73 kilograms (161 pounds) as well.

Sherdog: What do you think about the judges' decision?
Kawajiri: If there could have been a draw, that probably would have been the more appropriate decision. But I didn't feel that I was inferior to Melendez while I was fighting. I accept the decision by the judges, but I still don't feel that I lost the fight.

Sherdog: How was fighting at 73 kg? Was it difficult to go back and forth from 70 kg (154 pound) to 73 kg?
Kawajiri: In terms of my performance, I fight best at 70 kg. When I think about my height and my physique, 70 kg suits me better. It wasn't really difficult managing my weight. When I fought at 73 kg, I was able to cut weight easier than bringing my weight down to 70 kg. In order to cut my weight to 70 kg, I had to get rid of my water in my body, but none of that was necessary to set my weight at 73 kg.

Sherdog: You got hurt on New Year's Eve and had to relinquish your Shooto world title belt. How did you feel?
Kawajiri: I was depressed. It's an obligation for the champion to fight to defend the belt. I broke the base of my left thumb and I wanted to force myself to fight even with the injury. But as I trained, the pain got worse and my hand would hurt even with a slight touch. I couldn't spar with it and I started to think that maybe I won't be able to fight. My doctor told me that if I hurt it again, it would take more than a year to heal. So thinking ahead, I sensed that relinquishing the belt was the decision I had to make.

Sherdog: You fought only at Shooto prior to appearing in PRIDE, and even after you started to fight at PRIDE, you were particular about the Shooto champion being the best in the world. What do you think you lost by relinquishing the belt that you prized?
Kawajiri: Well, after losing to Gomi, I had a notion that it's impudent for me to say anything about the Shooto champion. I realized that I needed to demand more from myself to become a better fighter in general rather than just pertaining to the Shooto champion. I thought that if I can't appeal to the public as a fighter, it was objectionable and I would be just a damaged good in the future. Therefore, following the fight against Gomi, I didn't appear with the Shooto belt when I fought at PRIDE. Not being able to defend my belt clamps down on me. The championship fight against Joachim Hansen (Pictures) was inconclusive. But I have changed my mindset. Even though I have lost the Shooto belt, I can live with that if I can improve and continue to get stronger.

Sherdog: Do you feel responsibility to Shooto?
Kawajiri: Yes. Kazuhiro Sakamoto (Shooto promoter) has treated me well in the past, and he takes good care of me now. He provided me the opportunities to fight at PRIDE Bushido and expected a lot from me. I feel sorry that I let him down.