Another action packed Art of War event is headed your way. On November 28, the Art of War Fighting Championship returns to the National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing and will feature the return of veteran Chinese mixed martial artist, Ao Hailin. Ao Hai Lin will Face off against the Japanese Pride, K-1 Veteran Ueyama.
Journalist: Hello, I noticed that you hold an undefeated MMA record and you also started your own MMA training center, from a fighter to a coach. What makes you return to challenge the Japanese Pride Veteran, and what motivated you to come back and fight?
Ao Hai Lin: I have defeated many fighters from home and abroad, including fighters from Canada and India. But I have never fought a Japanese fighter before, and I have never defeated a tough fighter of World Championship caliber. Japanese fighters are really tough, the reason I want to fight them is because I want to test my skills. I really want to know if I can beat the best.
Journalist: Does the experience of being a coach have any influences on your career.
Ao Hai Lin: For sure yes, after becoming a coach, I found that I can better understand the skills and techniques better than before, which is really good for my fights in the future.
Journalist: Do you know of Ueyama? And how did you prepare for this upcoming fight?
Ao Hai Lin: I know he is the former DEEP middle weight champion, and he has fought in the world’s best international event such as K-1, Pride, k-1 MAX. He is really an experienced fighter in both wrestling and stand-up and I noticed that he is a south-paw fighter. I have been training really hard the whole month for this fight. I am very good at judo, sanda, and muaythai, and I am planning to try to get my BJJ purple belt. Speaking from the angle of techniques, I believe Ueyama and I are at the same level.
Journalist: I heard that you chose your opponent by yourself this time? Why did you choose Ueyama Ryuki?
Ao Hai Lin: My opponent was supposed to be Claes Beverlov, but he couldn’t make the fight because of a bad fever. Then I got 2 opponents from Art of War Organization Committee, one was Ivan Ivanov from Bulgaria and the other was Ueyama Ryuki from Japn. I chose Ueyama. In my opinion, a real tough fighter is not defined by how many wins he has, but how well he performs in front of the fans. The fight itself is much more important than the result. I think this upcoming fight will be a tough battle. I believe that we Chinese fighters are tough. And the Mongolian blood flowing in my bones makes me a born fighter. I will definitely fight for glory.
Journalist: What are your advantages compared with your opponent? Can you predict the outcome of the fight?
Ao Hai Lin: This will be a harsh battle. Whoever has the most energy and who can take advantage of openings will win the fight. I don’t want to predict the outcome. I only wish that I can fight my best. Till now, I hold an undefeated record, but that only shows that I have never fight a real tough opponent. I don’t believe that I can stay undefeated forever. If I had the opportunity to challenge a real tough fighter, I will do my best to fight him and I will give a good performance to audience.
Journalist: What do you want to say to the fans?
Ao Hai Lin: First, I would love to deliver my thanks to all my fans who have been supporting me. I will keep trying my best and let’s work together to grow China’s MMA industry through our joint efforts. Everyone support Art of War!
