Chris Kwiatkowski will be fighting Jose Palacios this upcoming weekend at the Friday Night Fights season finale. The bout was originally schedule for November 2nd, but the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy postponed the event. Chris took some time from his preparation for the upcoming bout with Jose to answer a few question for Muay Thai Authority.
MTA: You are fighting Jose Palacios on December 7th, how familiar are you with Jose?
Chris: I know a little about Jose. I know he has heavy hands, & that he has a San Shou background. He does a lot of spin kicks & side kicks. There are a few videos of him on the internet, so I saw those. I know he is a good fighter & has been in the game for awhile.
MTA: Jose is a west coast fighter; do you look at this fight as east vs. west at all?
Chris: With all the talk going around about the East Coast/West Coast rivalry, it’s hard not to acknowledge it. The promoters, the media, everyone is fueling the fire. It’s a good way to sell tickets & create controversy. I like the fight because it mixes the two talent pools, & therefore makes USA Muay Thai stronger, which has always been my motivation. I think we need to see more fights between east & west coast fighters. But I understand why it hasn’t really happened in the past, due to the cost of travel for the fighters & coaches.
MTA: Palacios has a solid reputation out west; do you see this fight as a way for you to cement your reputation out west?
Chris: I always want to challenge myself & fight better opponents as I progress. I think Palacios is a great opponent at this time in my career. He is an excellent North American fighter with a great resume. Being able to fight him will only bring up my game. I guess it may solidify my reputation on the west coast, when I put in a good performance. But I learned a long time ago, not to be too concerned on how others view me, especially in the fight game. As long as I know that I’m doing the right things & that I’m on the right path.
MTA: With the disruption of the original event date due to Hurricane Sandy, did it make anything more difficult preparing for the new rescheduled date of the fight?
Chris: I think when there is any last minute cancellation of an event it affects you mentally. You train to peak mentally & physically on a given date & when that date doesn’t come, there needs to be a release. There is no release similar to a fight, so I just had to deal with it. Starting camp again on the Monday after the cancelled fight date was a bit tough. But like any day that I am not particularly motivated to hit the gym, I just hit it. I had to push myself a bit for the first few days back. After that it was business as usual. I look at myself as more of an optimist, so I welcomed the added training time.
MTA: You went and got blessed for this fight. Is that something you do for every fight and do you feel it helps your in ring performance?
Chris: I get blessed before almost every fight. I also get my gear that I will be fighting in the ring with blessed. I have a few Sak Yant tattoos that were done by monks that are blessed. I think these things help me when I fight. They help me relax, give me confidence, & help me when I need to dig deep.
MTA: Is this going to be your last fight of the year or are you hoping to squeeze one in before the year is over?
Chris: I tend to take it one fight at a time. I will make that decision after the fight. My goal after my surgery was to be a little more active at the end of the year. It’s easier to train when you’re coming into a fight in shape & I like to go back to back with fights, so it’s definitely in the cards.
MTA: Now we heard that regardless if you win or lose you don't do re-matches, is that true and if so why?
Chris: Yeah, that is true that I do not do rematches. When I first started fighting I was just doing it for the experience of the fight. I still do it for the experience. I like the challenge that the fight brings & the way different fighters have different styles. I feel when it is “go” time, that’s the time to fight. If I can’t get it done, or if my opponent can’t get it done that night, so be it, on to the next one. No reason to do the same dance.
MTA: Any words for your supporters?
Chris: I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support. Without the support of those who buy the tickets or the PPV’s or pay tuition at a gym to learn the art that I’ve grown to love, there wouldn’t be a developed Muay Thai scene in the United States. And without that, USA Muay Thai would not be competing on the international level. It all starts from the ground up.
MTA: You are fighting Jose Palacios on December 7th, how familiar are you with Jose?
Chris: I know a little about Jose. I know he has heavy hands, & that he has a San Shou background. He does a lot of spin kicks & side kicks. There are a few videos of him on the internet, so I saw those. I know he is a good fighter & has been in the game for awhile.
MTA: Jose is a west coast fighter; do you look at this fight as east vs. west at all?
Chris: With all the talk going around about the East Coast/West Coast rivalry, it’s hard not to acknowledge it. The promoters, the media, everyone is fueling the fire. It’s a good way to sell tickets & create controversy. I like the fight because it mixes the two talent pools, & therefore makes USA Muay Thai stronger, which has always been my motivation. I think we need to see more fights between east & west coast fighters. But I understand why it hasn’t really happened in the past, due to the cost of travel for the fighters & coaches.
MTA: Palacios has a solid reputation out west; do you see this fight as a way for you to cement your reputation out west?
Chris: I always want to challenge myself & fight better opponents as I progress. I think Palacios is a great opponent at this time in my career. He is an excellent North American fighter with a great resume. Being able to fight him will only bring up my game. I guess it may solidify my reputation on the west coast, when I put in a good performance. But I learned a long time ago, not to be too concerned on how others view me, especially in the fight game. As long as I know that I’m doing the right things & that I’m on the right path.
MTA: With the disruption of the original event date due to Hurricane Sandy, did it make anything more difficult preparing for the new rescheduled date of the fight?
Chris: I think when there is any last minute cancellation of an event it affects you mentally. You train to peak mentally & physically on a given date & when that date doesn’t come, there needs to be a release. There is no release similar to a fight, so I just had to deal with it. Starting camp again on the Monday after the cancelled fight date was a bit tough. But like any day that I am not particularly motivated to hit the gym, I just hit it. I had to push myself a bit for the first few days back. After that it was business as usual. I look at myself as more of an optimist, so I welcomed the added training time.
MTA: You went and got blessed for this fight. Is that something you do for every fight and do you feel it helps your in ring performance?
Chris: I get blessed before almost every fight. I also get my gear that I will be fighting in the ring with blessed. I have a few Sak Yant tattoos that were done by monks that are blessed. I think these things help me when I fight. They help me relax, give me confidence, & help me when I need to dig deep.
MTA: Is this going to be your last fight of the year or are you hoping to squeeze one in before the year is over?
Chris: I tend to take it one fight at a time. I will make that decision after the fight. My goal after my surgery was to be a little more active at the end of the year. It’s easier to train when you’re coming into a fight in shape & I like to go back to back with fights, so it’s definitely in the cards.
MTA: Now we heard that regardless if you win or lose you don't do re-matches, is that true and if so why?
Chris: Yeah, that is true that I do not do rematches. When I first started fighting I was just doing it for the experience of the fight. I still do it for the experience. I like the challenge that the fight brings & the way different fighters have different styles. I feel when it is “go” time, that’s the time to fight. If I can’t get it done, or if my opponent can’t get it done that night, so be it, on to the next one. No reason to do the same dance.
MTA: Any words for your supporters?
Chris: I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support. Without the support of those who buy the tickets or the PPV’s or pay tuition at a gym to learn the art that I’ve grown to love, there wouldn’t be a developed Muay Thai scene in the United States. And without that, USA Muay Thai would not be competing on the international level. It all starts from the ground up.
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