In one of the featured fights at this weekend’s Glory 13 Tokyo card, Daniel Ghita and Errol Zimmerman meet in a rematch from 2010. Earlier, I shared an exclusive Bloody Elbow interview with Zimmerman. Here, we take a look at the other side of the equation – Daniel Ghita.
Where Zimmerman is confident and boastful, Ghita is reserved and quiet. Zimmerman told me nothing would be hard about fighting Ghita. Ghita, the winner of their 2010 encounter, sees it quite differently:
Zimmerman has a lot of weapons – both arms, both knees. He’s a guy who fights with heart. Really it’s going to be a very hard fight for both.
You can again see that contrast between the two opponents when we discuss another topic – Mirko Cro Cop. The Hall of Fame fighter recently signed with Glory. For Zimmerman, Cro Cop’s position as an “older fighter” meant he had little to offer as an opponent. Again, Ghita had a very different take:
He’s a big legend and it would be exciting to fight him. I really want to.
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This sense of quiet focus extends to other topics, as Ghita calmly talks about his training and also his enjoyment of fighting in front of fans from his home country of Romania.
After the tournament [at Glory 11] I have kept training. I take the fight with Errol seriously because he’s one of the top fighters. I’m in good shape from last time and I want to make every fight my best.
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I am so happy that the people from Romania come everywhere that I fight. I have to thank the people who come see me and who support me. They give me motivation, because if I see people who support me from Romania I have the motivation to give them a present.
Of course, this calm demeanor is in sharp contrast to the violence Ghita is known for inside the ring – a violence that he hints at when talking about a potential rematch with Glory 11 opponent Rico Verhoeven.
I won’t let a judge decide the fight next time.
Outside of the ring, it’s easy to look at Glory 13’s Daniel Ghita vs. Errol Zimmerman fight as a battle of contrasts: confidence bordering on arrogance vs. calm respect. But inside the ring, these opponents are much more similar, with equal degrees of bone-crushing violence behind every shot thrown. Which one will impose his will and put his opponent down this time? Find out Saturday night.
Join us this Saturday, December 21 for Glory 13 Tokyo results, discussion, and full fight coverage.
For more kickboxing coverage, follow me on Twitter at @FCoffeen.
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