Sherdog.com: You’ve been training boxing pretty intensively recently. Do you have any intentions of boxing in the future?
Gono: With Japanese rules, I can box. There could be a chance for me to box in the States. I’m not 100 percent sure, but there’s a possibility.
Sherdog.com. The two top fighters in your weight division are Dan Henderson (Pictures) and Rich Franklin (Pictures). What do you think about Franklin? Have you ever seen him fight?
Gono: I know the name, but I haven’t seen him fight.
Sherdog.com: As a boxing fan and former Shooto competitor, you’re used to seeing rigorous administrations and commissions regulate the sport. How do you feel about the way PRIDE and K-1 are run? Should the focus be on the sport or on entertainment?
Gono: It’s depends on how you want the event to run. Do you want the event to be a spectator sport or do you want it to be a pure sport?
Sherdog.com: Do you think that K-1 and PRIDE are borrowing too much from pro-wrestling in their focus on entertainment?
Gono: Yeah, they are emphasizing the entertainment aspect.
Sherdog.com: Do you think that these promotions belong to MMA?
Gono: I think it’s necessary. The promotions need spectators and this is the way to bring them in. The entertainment factor is absolutely necessary. Now I’ve started thinking that it’s important to put on a good show for the fans.
Sherdog.com: You were supposed to fight David Terrell (Pictures) in Pancrase, but that fight was cancelled. Terrell is fighting in the UFC now. If you have the opportunity, would you like to go to the UFC and fight Terrell, or maybe someone else?
Gono: I would love to because I was watching a UFC event on TV and I saw that Roy Jones Jr. was in the audience as a spectator, so I would love to fight in front of Roy Jones.
Sherdog.com: The UFC is getting very popular in the States right now, and they like striking style fighters, so do you think that you would be ideal for the UFC?
Gono: I can’t say anything now, but I’d surely like to try. I’m just worried because I have poor eyesight and to fight in Nevada I would have to pass a vision test.
Sherdog.com: Would you have any problems fighting in a cage?
Gono: This gym (GRABAKA) is similar to a cage because of all the walls, so sure, why not.
Sherdog.com: At Bushido 9 your shorts said “Pretty Boy” on the side. At the press conference to announce your participation in Bushido 10, you were dressed quite fashionably. On a scale of 1 to 10, how stylish would you rate yourself?
Gono: Hmm, maybe about a 4. Well, the elastic of those shorts was a bit loose, so the shorts moved to the left. I was embarrassed. When I was fighting I didn’t notice it, but later on the tailor apologized after the fight.