Q: Do you think that fight sports are niche, polish audience and media not ready for reception/promotion this type of sport competition? (**)
Pawel Nastula: Yes, I believe that MMA is a niche sport, but it's not so small. Unfortunately it is seen as brutal, bloody, no-rule fights by most of the society. That's caused by the ignorance, strong aversion and dislike of getting into that sport, also by the media. I hope that, thanks to my participation in Pride, mixed martial arts will be seen as sport, not as a brawl, and at least some people who sling mud at me will see, that I am an athlete who achieved all in his discipline, and that was the reason to take a new challenge which mixed martial arts are for me.
Q: How do you think fight sports can gain popularity, not as show, but as sport which shapes selfdiscipline, persistence, and gives the ability to oposse weakness of the body and mind?
PN: Mixed martial arts give me motivation, I am learning new things, I am training hard. My private life is full of sacrifices. All is subordinated to trainings, all is like it used to be, just the discipline is different.
Q: Polish fans are eager for success. (...) How do you deal with such a pressure, with desires and expectations of fans? What do you excpect from yourself? I can say that our, fans', excpectations are enormous.
PN: If it comes to pressure and expectations - as a judo contestant- I have learnt how to deal with it. I demand a lot from myself. It does not matter who I fight with - I am always victory-oriented. Everything I do is focused on the win. I know fans want the same, their belief in me helps me, motivates me. I recognize real fans by their responses after fight, especially after defeat. I do not listen and do not care about opinions of those who are against what I do.
Q: Are you more recognizible now, just after getting into Pride, or it has not changed much since Judo time?
PN: I was mostly recognizable just after Olympics, also some time after playing in one advertisement. Now it's getting stronger.
Q: How do you perceive mixed martial arts now, and how it was before? What do you think about Judo?
PN: What I thought about mixed martial arts in the past was that I am able to win only with the use of my Judo. Now I know I was wrong, to gain the win I have to be versatile, know it all, and that's where I am going to. But Judo still is my base, that's the core of my fight style. That's what I can do best, besides, I believe Judo is very effective.
Q: Do you watch Pride or other fights?
PN: Of course I do watch Pride fights and others. That's also training for me.
Q: Which fighters do you respect most? Which have have fight styles you admire? Do you watch and train opponents' techniques?
PN: I like Fiodor the most, but every contestant has something I can learn.
Q: Which of your skills would you like to improve, which do you feel confident with? Can we see your high-kick some day?
PN: Ground is the place where I am most confident, my GnP has improved, I am also working constantly on my stand-up. If it comes to high-kick: you never know...
Q: Which weight is best for you?
PN: 104kg is the weight I feel best (229lb).
Q: What is your goal for this and next years?
PN: My goal is to win my next two fights to get the result 3:2. (***)
Q: How can you judge yourself within the space of all this years? Is it the peak of your shape?
PN: I just feel better and better with every training month. I hope it could have been noticed during my last fight.
Q: The beginning in Pride FC was not lucky for you. How do you judge it? Had this beginnig motivated you to work?
PN: Victory is motivating, but the defeat in my first fight motivated me even higher.
Q: Fight with Edson Drago you set on your rules. Just after resuming fight, situation turned. What did you think then, and when the referee tapped your back?
PN: Just as the judge stopped the fight I knew I had to continue the fight and calmly wait for exact moment to finish it. When judge tapped my back I felt just great happiness.
Q: What do you think has decided that you won with E.D.? Skills improvement, higher determination, better experience, better conditioning, opponent rank (****)?
PN: I think all of those factors you have pointed decided about my victory
Q: Which fights you remember most from that event?
PN: Fights I remember most from that night is mine and Silva vs. Fujita.
Q: Dream semi-finals?
PN: I think most interesting semi-finals would be Nogeira-Silva, Crocop-Barnett (*****)
Q: Who will be the winner?
PN: I think Nogueira will gain the victory.
Q: Would you have changed your training before first two fights?
PN: If I had a chance I would have changed my trainings before my first two fights.
Q: What do you think about MMA in Poland?
PN: MMA in Poland is on good level.
Q: Nastula Team?
PN: Maybe someday it will come to light...
Q: Do you consider training with well known teams? (like T. Quest, BTT, Chute, Red Devil, ...)
PN: I do consider trainings in foreign camps but that does not depend only on me.
Q: Which training components with the world class quality are hardest to get in Poland?
PN: There's a lack of trainers and sparring partners, especially HW.
Q: How your family endur youre fights, trainings?
PN: Family had got time to get used to my lifestyle: trainings and trips. Now it is getting used to my new discipline, I have their support and belief.
Q: Do you have any commercial proposals? In Japan or Poland?
PN:In Japan it will be real after wining next fights, in Poland something has moved but nothing specific yet.
I hope this few words will satisfy forum readers, lots of greetings!
Thank you for your enthusiastic support, but please, do not stop I ask for more!
Paweł Nastula
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