Talking Balls Jr.:“No head-butting. No hair-pulling. No biting, no spitting, no eye-gouging.”
As these graphic images echo through the room of the Hilton’s press conference for their debut Black Tie Charity Brawl, the last thing one would expect from the fighters is civility. Meeting with the fighters to hear their thoughts before the big showdown, though, one finds herself pleasantly surprised in learning that the stereotype that MMA brawlers are aggressive hotheads always looking for a fight may just be an unfounded myth. Turns out, being a professional fighter requires a number of elements that would serve you well both in and out of the ring, such as an unwavering sense of composure, the discerning ability to leave it all in the ring, and the drive to give your absolute 100 percent to come out on top. (In this case, probably physically.) We spoke with 20-year-old Qi Bing Hao from Shandong.
How are you feeling before your fight tomorrow?
Tomorrow I’ll fight with a Russian guy. The Russian guy, for me, is an angry bird. You know Angry Birds? For me, it’s okay. It’s my first fight in mixed martial arts. Of course, it’s normal. If I win? OK, good. Lose? Also OK. It’s normal for me. It’s the same. But, I think the first fight for me is also training – and if I do my best, it’s okay.
How did you get involved in a mixed martial arts career?
Maybe in 2006, I was doing judo. At that time, I just always watched the matches on the Internet. One day I found a kind of sport, called jiu-jitsu. It’s a sexy sport.
Sexy? Why do you say that?
Sexy. You know, the Gracie family, is powerful, stronger, [has] very good skill … Just like, poised grace, always do his best and win in the fight.
So have you ever engaged in any amateur fights before this?
I played Chinese judo … I trained for the championship. I came third in the match.
Wow, congratulations.
[Smiles] You know, I’m a judo guy.
Can you tell me what your training regime usually entails?
Training for this match? I’ve just been in Beijing for a few days, I’m just [doing] a little boxing, and wrestling – kick down – and grunt fighting. You know the Russian guy, the Angry Bird? He’s a good wrestler.
Have you made friends with your opponent?
Um … no. I know him just as the Angry Bird. [Laughs] But I don’t hate the Angry Bird. I don’t hate him.
How do you feel just before entering the ring?
Ah, normal, normal. Ordinary. Yeah, just another day.
How do you feel about fighting at a black tie event?
I think … black tie? OK. Street fight? OK. For me, it’s normal. It doesn’t matter to me.
What do you think about when you’re fighting?
It’s not a movie. It’s not acting – [there’s] no plan.
But what goes through your mind?
[Pause] Angry bird.
What is something about fighters that you think would surprise us?
I think, [with fighters,] anything is possible. Really – anything.
Bringing together a combination of professional, semi-professional and amateur mixed martial arts fighters from the world over, the Hilton hopes to create an annual international platform to bring awareness to both local and foreign martial talent, as well as to their charity. If you aren’t lucky enough to witness the action live, catch it on the hottest new MMA television channel, My Combat Channel.
Tickets for tonight are available at RMB 888.
Image: Crobike
