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Rafiel
Torre Mini - Interview
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In the break at 2H2H, Carl Fisher talks to Rafiel Torre over an orange juice : Sunday 18th march 2001
How was your fight at the KOTC? Rafiel Torre : Slippery man! It was raining a lot so there wasn’t a lot of traction out there, all the fighters found it hard going. What was your opponent like? Rafiel Torre : A big man, 330lbs in all, a big boy. Talk us through the fight Rafiel Rafiel Torre : I threw a jab and a cross and on my second punch I slipped and fell on my back, due to the rain on the canvas. He jumped on and I put him in my guard and I pushed his head down to my hip after he hit me in the head a few times, then I hit him in the temple a few times. I tried to open up for an arm bar and he stood back up, as he didn’t want to go on the ground with me. When he stood up I threw a jab, then a jab cross, then I got hit in the eye as I went for an inside leg kick, so I backed up and put my foot against the side of the cage and shot in for a double leg and took him down. I passed to side mount and dropped some elbows and knees, some heavy knees to the ribs and he tried to defend with his knee, so I sunk my left leg into his hip and I put his Achilles in my armpit and sat back for a knee bar and tapped him out in 1.50 seconds. Are you enjoying the event tonight? Rafiel Torre : My god yeah — I’ve been all over the world fighting and reporting, yet the people in Holland are by far the nicest I have ever met. They treat you all very well and all want to train with you. The production is great and almost rivals Pride — it’s not as big as Pride but it’s getting there. Bas Rutten is big in the US, but over here he’s a rock star, people lose their mind when he’s in the ring. It’s going to be a really big show. Who are you looking forward to see fight? Rafiel Torre : Ramon Dekker as well as my good friend Gilbert Yvel. There’s a girl fighting tonight, Ilonka from the Golden Glory team. I was at the gym yesterday and saw her train and was really impressed by her. Abu Dhabi round the corner — looking forward to it? Rafiel Torre : Yeah, every year it just keeps getting better. Who are you training with at the moment? Rafiel Torre : With all the travelling, I get to train with so many people. I mean I was at the Golden Glory gym yesterday; they were helping me with my Muay Thai. I’m still training with Bob Karmell in Phoenix Arizona for Muay Thai and when I get the chance I train with Eddie Bravo, he’s my guard coach. People don’t realise that he’s the best guard technician in the US and when you get Jean Jacques Machado saying he has better guard than most Brazilian black belts, then that’s something man. He’s a fantastic guard coach when it comes to NHB, he really tightens up your game. How’s your own club doing Rafiel? Rafiel Torre : Real good — I’ve a bunch of new students, nearly all Marines as I am right next to a Marines base, which is good, as I don’t have to worry about their conditioning. We go into standing Muay Thai pad work, then drilling and sparring and Friday is Vale Tudo night. Who do you rate as the best instructor? Rafiel Torre : As far as BJJ goes, Jean Jacques man. He’s not my instructor although I’ve rolled with him a few times and a lot of other top guys and in my opinion with all the guys I’ve rolled with and have them show me techniques, JJ is by far the best. What sets him apart from the rest? Rafiel Torre : His phenomenal attention to detail. When you’re on the mat, he’s almost godlike, he’s never in danger, always in control, no matter how large the guy is, and they’re the one in danger man. What was it like training with mark Kerr and friends? Rafiel Torre : I’ve trained with Kerr a few times and he knows I can take a fall, so he tells Rigan and Ricco ‘ this man can take a fall’, so I was thrown in the high crotch about 60 times. It’s a good job I can take a fall otherwise my spine would have come out my rear end. So they are ready for Abu Dhabi then? Rafiel Torre : Yeah. All looking good, Rigan’s about 220 and looking solid and definitely ready — all of them man. Thanks for the interview Rafiel Rafiel Torre : A pleasure — see you in Abu Dhabi
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