But now it's okay, it's really strong. I could have knocked him out really early but after my
last fight against Ray Sefo it was too long without a fight.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: What do you think about your competition in this year's tournament with fighters like Attila Karacs,
Zimmerman and Freddy Kemayo in it?
BREGY: There are a few good fighters in this year's tournament. Two or three of the six that were
in Budapest are okay so it will be a good tournament.
Karacs is a very good fighter but I don't think he is heavy enough to really go for it.
But you never know, at this weight one punch and it can be over.
On paper he is a very good fighter with good technique, but I don't think he is heavy enough.
I've knocked out Kemayo twice, once in Belgium and once at the ArenA so I'm very confident, I don't care
about Kemayo.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: What about Doug Viney, who will also be there?
BREGY: I won once and was runner-up so why did I have to qualify? With all due respect,
who is Doug Viney?
He was in the last 16 because he won the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but that is the Las Vegas Grand Prix, it's
no big deal.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: What did you think of your performance in last year's tournament. The back stage photos
showed you had a swollen right foot, which can't have helped.
BREGY: I hope I can fight Slowinski again. After Brecht Wallis in my first fight I
was already totally broken. I was over-trained I think.
My foot is always big. I had a bleed in the side because I made a front kick on the elbow of somebody more
than a year ago.
It's hard blood, so it's like walking on a stone every day, so I'm getting an operation at the end of May
to remove that. Every day I have pain but I'm getting over it.
I was totally broken after Wallis and then the Russian guy Magomedov made fun about me, but after
the first good punch he ran away. And then in the final I was broken again.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: There was a lot of whistling from the crowd last year and a lot of it was aimed
at you.
BREGY: The reaction last year was so typically Dutch. You never see that anywhere else
in the world like here. If you win, it's okay but if you lose you are a loser.
Some of the Dutch public think they can do better but not everybody can fight.
I don't think it's fair for the fighters because I live for that certain day, everything is organised to
be ready for that and then the crowd boos you. That's how I feel.
But I will show the public this year that I deserve the title and I will do that to prove it to myself as
well.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: Do you feel like you have unfinished business with Sem Schilt, who stopped you out
at the Final Eliminations a couple of years ago?
BREGY: I would like to fight Sem Schilt again. He is really strong. I always see people
saying he is big and slow but he is the best fighter at the moment.
He has an answer against everybody. Ray Sefo surprised him with a knockdown but he knocked him out with
a jab that destroyed my whole left eye.
After our fight everybody said 'Bjorn can't take anything', but I can tell you for a fact he hits hard.
I've got a metal plate around my eye and one on my cheekbone. He fractured my eye socket three times and
my cheekbone was broken from his punch.
I wasn't knocked out but the damage was too much. I still see double when I lay down
on my left side.
In the beginning I saw everything double for a month because my eye was 11 millimetres out and the iris
had big blood pressure on it.
I had to wear an eye patch like a pirate when I watched television or was reading or driving the
car.
When I look straight now it's okay but when I look to the side it starts double.
And I don't have feelings in some of my teeth on one side.
But I move on and hope that I have the opportunity of fighting him again.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: Do you think you can become the World Grand Prix champion?
BREGY: I think I can win the Grand Prix because I have everything in my house that you
need to be a champ.
I don't think anyone is as fit as me body-wise but I need some more experience.
Two years ago in 2006 I wasn't ready for Schilt in terms of experience but now I have a lot more experience
for a big fight.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: If you make it through it will be the first time you reach the final eight this year.
BREGY: It would be the first time that I get to the final eight this year. Years ago
I had a reserve fight against Carter Williams but I was as sick as a dog and lost.
He is a dirty fighter but he did what he had to do to win.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: You had a couple of hard fights in your career with the Englishman, Gary Turner.
BREGY: Gary gave me some tough fights. The first time was in Switzerland in 2003 and
the second time in the final in Scandinavia.
I like him, he is a nice guy. We are good friends and we always have a good laugh when we see each other.
He is a good fighter but he didn't get the chance that he deserved. But in K-1 they
have a concept and if you don't fit it you are left out.
He is a good fighter but he is fighting MMA now and we have the same physio, who keeps me informed about
him.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: Why did you make the move to Holland?
BREGY: In Switzerland you just don't get the chances like here.
I got a chance to train with Johan Vos so I lived with him for about two years.
It was a really interesting time and I learned a lot.
It was a shit time but also a good time, it really opened my eyes.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: Didn't you used to be a postman back in Switzerland?
BREGY: I used to be a postman in Basel but I'm originally from Wallis
in the middle of the mountains.
Holland is totally different. I've been here for seven years and in the beginning I was really homesick.
And the weather is horrible.
I'm happy though, I can do what I love and it means everything to me and I'm moving on.
A lot of people would stop if they had the same experiences as me but I know I can do it and I want to show
myself this year.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: You mentioned your injuries, don't you get concerned about them?
BREGY: I don't believe if you train as hard and fight as hard as we do you can
avoid injuries.
It's all about recovery. The older you get, the more recovery you need and the smarter and better you have
to train.
Six or seven years ago I used to train all day and didn't care. But now I train twice a day really good.
And now at the Amsterdam ArenA people will see.
FIGHTNEWZ.NET: Two of your former opponents - Slowinski and Gokhan Saki - are fighting each other on
the ArenA show. Who do you think will win?
BREGY: I think both Saki and Slowinski can win, they have a little bit of a similar
style, they are both good with low kicks.
It's hard to say because I won against Saki and I lost against Slowinski, so I really don't know.
But I want another fight against Slowinski because he has a big mouth and I don't like people that have
a big mouth.
After our fight he said he was sick and he just showed enough against me.
Yeah fuck it, I was in a bad condition. Okay I lost it and I'm okay with that but don't give me that.
We will see, I hope I can fight him again and punish him.
