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Zimmerman: “If you like knockouts, watch me against Ghita”

  • News
  • Dec 5, 2013

Errol ‘The Bonecrusher’ Zimmerman faces Daniel Ghita at GLORY 13 TOKYO on Saturday, December 21.

He will be flying to Japan with revenge in mind: Ghita stopped him in the second round of their first fight, which took place back in 2010.

Zimmerman (101-10-1, 42 KO’s) says he was a different person back then. A self-confessed party animal, Zimmerman relied on his unbelievable one-punch KO power to get his victories.

But since signing with GLORY, he has become a new man.

The heavyweights here are a mixture of big-name veterans and elite modern athletes; Zimmerman wants to show what he is capable of doing and his training has changed to reflect that. Ghita (49-10, 38 KO’s) is in the firing line.

“This is a big match for me. I fought him in 2010 and he finished me in the second round, but this time will be very different,” Zimmerman says.

“I am a very different fighter now. In the past I didn’t train like I should. These days I am training sometimes three times a day, five days a week. It is completely different. I will get the revenge for sure.

“Ghita is a well-rounded fighter. He is complete, everything he throws is strong. We will make a nice show for the fans.

“I think he was a little bit unlucky the last time, in the [GLORY 11] tournament. I thought he was maybe too focused on a rematch with Saki, maybe he was affected mentally. But anything can happen in tournaments.

“All respect to Rico Verhoeven, he did a really good job, won the tournament and good for him. But we will see what happens in the future.”

Zimmerman is a fan favorite but has been a frustrating fighter for them to follow. If he had taken his career seriously from day one, there is no doubt he would be among the all-time greats.

As it is, his natural power won him so many fights that he preferred to spend nights in the disco and his days in bed recovering.

“People have seen a lot of me, I have over 100 fights, but I am not at my best yet. You haven’t seen the best of Errol Zimmerman, believe me,” confesses the 27-year-old. He started fighting professionally at 15, lying about his age and skipping school to travel to fights.

“In the past I had some fights where, because I wasn’t training properly, I didn’t show my best. So now what you are going to see is the real Errol Zimmerman. In 2014 I will be one of the top heavyweights and I will surely win the heavyweight tournament.”

GLORY Championship Tournaments are the toughest and most prestigious in the fight world. They also represent the biggest paydays available to professional kickboxers. This far, tournament winners have walked away with between $150,000 and $400,000.

“Winning the tournament is more important than the money. The prize money is only for my child, for school fees and everything,” says Zimmerman. “The money is nice but that’s just something for the future. Winning the tournament is the thing.”

December 21 will be Zimmerman’s second fight on SPIKE TV. He fought at GLORY 11 CHICAGO in a tournament reserve match, scoring ahuge knockout win over former It’s Showtime heavyweight champion Hesdy Gerges (42-13-1, 19 KO’s).

“If you like action, you have to watch me. I have had about 100 fights and I think over 40 knockouts? I don’t know, maybe 50 knockouts,” he laughs.

“Do you like knockouts? Well then you should watch me. I am here to show America and the rest of the world who I am. I have KO power in everything. I can knock guys out with kicks, knees, punches. I am a big problem for everybody.”

GLORY 13 TOKYO takes place Saturday December 21 at the Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan. The show airs on SPIKE TV at 9pm ET/9pm PT. It also airs in the UK on BT Sport and in more than 170 territories worldwide. Check local listings for details.

By John O’ Regan

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