Todd Duffee “(Sudario’s) Going To Go In There To Live and Die That Day”
Todd Duffee tests skills with Tsuyoshi Sudario at Rizin 44 on September 23rd.
Duffee appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to touch on this redemptive return to Japan, subverting some rust in his KSW return that can pay dividends in this looming Rizin FF contest, and a whole lot more. Excerpts from the chat are below.
Todd Duffee
When you say signing this Rizin 44 bout offer was an easy decision, is it just a great opportunity being that it’s a major promotion or was it the opponent that was enticing?
Can you expound upon that a bit more and explain what you mean by that?
“Both. It’s a chance to return to Japan and to give them a chance to actually see my skill set. It’s a chance to repay, it’s an exciting opponent, it’s an exciting event. Rizin puts on amazing events. You know it’s a young, exciting, game opponent. I think that’s always fun. Japan MMA is the best because they have the best fan base. They get it (laughs), you know what I mean? Like I feel like they actually understand what’s going on to some degree (laughs).”
Todd Duffee vs Sudario
The Pride and K1 days saw the media and the fans talk about the fighters in a reverential way and really put the combatants on that pedestal which still seems strong to this day.
Can you speak to the Japanese MMA fandom and media cultures as compared to North America?
“Yeah, it was like a respect for the sport and respect for what’s going on. Like two guys are going in there, one’s gonna be a loser, one’s gonna be a winner, that is undoubted right? They can sometimes tie (laughs) you know. Then like I think taking away the tournament format and things like that also had a major effect on how fighting’s viewed. But it’s just American culture and I don’t know again that it’s the reporter’s job to help the fan base in that sense you know. I really think the fan base, to be honest, I think it’s a very short-lived cycle.”
Rizin
Todd Duffee continued, “It’s something that I’ve really kind of came into conclusion over the last like three or four years because you see this new 2020 fan base right? Which is exciting because the sport is growing, don’t misinterpret. But I just think the cycle length of fans; like I talked to guys that were fans in like 2010 to 2014 or ’15, they’re really not the same fans they were then as supposed to now.”
“Like they’re passively watching shows. They like kind of know what’s going on whereas before they were into it. So there’s like this weird dip that occurs in the MMA fan base. It’s just the whole thing’s interesting honestly. I can ramble on about it for a while probably.”
Rizin 44
You were talking a bit earlier about Sudario and it seemed like you were already acutely aware of him when the Rizin 44 bout announcement came your way.
What would you say your thoughts are on Sudario’s resume and better stylistic attributes?
“Yeah, I don’t want to give away too much, you know. As old as I am in my career I still have quite a bit of secrets and there’s quite a bit of misconceptions. So I’m down for that to occur for him hopefully or you know whoever. But yeah, I’m aware of the young, up-and-coming heavyweights. I’m definitely paying attention especially; he’s probably the one they’re pushing the most it seems like. I guess because of his sumo background. I’m not sure of the entire details but it seems like one of my training partners keeps calling him Justin Timberlake you know.”
“So, he has like a little bit of a star power presence over there and I mean I’ve been watching Rizin, so I see him. So yeah, I’m definitely aware of him. I think he’s a good athlete. He’s a straight-up good athlete and I think he has quickly adapted to martial arts. He’s a really great opponent, he’s exciting. Like he’s definitely game. His coach (Enson Inoue) has a very old-school mentality. So, you know that he’s gonna be developed probably pretty properly and he’s going to go in there to live and die that day, you know. So, it’s an exciting fight in that sense.”
