If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching Melvin Manhoef fight, then be prepared to be blown away… both you and his opponent. Just ask Kazuo Misaki who lasted 1:49 seconds, or Mark Hunt who lasted 18 seconds, or Kazushi Sakuraba who lasted 1:30 seconds, or Ian Freeman who lasted 17 seconds.

Nicknamed ‘No Mercy’, he is a total wrecking machine. With 23 knockouts from 24 wins, he truly is one of the most exciting Mixed Martial Artists today.

Elie: Thank you for taking the time out to do the interview, congratulations on your great win Kazuo Misaki at K-1 Dynamite, how did you feel about the fight?
Melvin: It was a great victory. Misaki is a very good fighter and I didn’t expect to win the fight this quick. I expected it to be more difficult and I certainly expected it to take longer to finish the fight.

Elie: You made it look easy, is that how you saw the result coming into the fight?
Melvin: Of course I always go for the knockout, but I never under estimate my opponents and I never think it’s going to be easy. I expected him to try to take me to the ground. He didn’t get the chance.

Elie: Misaki wasn’t happy about the referee stoppage, what were your thoughts?
Melvin: I can understand him, but his hands were down and he didn’t defend himself, he was out at one moment. But of course I can imagine he wanted to go on, this is a fighter’s instinct.

Elie: You recently signed a deal with Strikeforce, tell us about that?
Melvin: I just signed with Strikeforce and will fight for the first time for them on the 30th of January in Miami.

Elie: Are you excited about fighting in the U.S.?
Melvin: Yes of course, I love to fight over there and I’m looking forward to my first fight.

Elie: Your first fight in Strikeforce is against Robbie Lawler on January 30th, what are your thoughts about him as a fighter?
Melvin: I think he is a good all round fighter.

Elie: What are your predictions on the fight?
Melvin: I can’t give any predictions on the fight. All I can say is that it will be spectacular and I will give my all.

Elie: Anyone who has seen you fight, knows you are one of the most exciting fights to watch, but for those U.S. fans that haven’t seen you fight, what are they in for?
Melvin: They can expect aggressive, explosive and exciting fights from me.

Elie: How is training coming along for this fight?
Melvin: At the moment I’m training very hard and all is going well. I feel good and very strong.

Elie: Who are the trainer/s and some of the team that will help you prepare for this next fight?
Melvin: My trainer is Mike Passenier and at the moment I’m training with the guys from American Top Team in Miami to prepare for my next fight.

Elie: How do you feel about fighting only 30 days after your last fight?
Melvin: It’s not the first time I fight this quick after my last fight. Last year I fought 3 times in less than 2 months and 6 times total in around 4 months, so I’m used to it. I like to fight often to keep my rhythm, as long as I have no injuries.

Elie: What made you want to step into Mixed Martial Arts?
Melvin: After a few fights in kickboxing, I was asked to fight an MMA fight. I never trained for it, so when I stepped in to the ring I had no idea what I was doing. But I won and was hooked. From there on I started training my ground skills and the fights kept coming.

Elie: You got 24 wins, 23 by knockout, that’s incredible and a scary statistic for any opponent, is a knockout something you always look for?
Melvin: I always go for the knockout, but I don’t force it. But it’s always great to win by way of K.O.

Elie: You have a very aggressive style, is that something you always want to bring to a fight?
Melvin: Yes, this is just the way I fight. I couldn’t do it any other way. When I enter the ring, its war time.

Elie: You’ve knocked out the likes of Mark Hunt, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ian Freeman, Evangelista Cyborg, Kazuo Misaki, to name a few, what fight has been the highlight for you?
Melvin: All the fights you mentioned were highlights for me, but if I had to choose I think Sakuraba is one of the most memorable. He always was my idol. I looked up to him and dreamed that one day I would be as good as him. It was a great honor to fight him and then to win was amazing.

Elie: What goes through your mind as you stare at your opponent before the fight?
Melvin: Actually, not that much. I’m just very focused on the fight and my opponent.

Elie: Is there anyone in particular you are looking forward to fighting?
Melvin: Anyone, but no one special. That is not really on my mind at the moment. I first focus on my next fight and on training. I’m working hard to improve my ground game some more to become even stronger and more complete.

Elie: What does competing, fighting mean to you?
Melvin: Fighting = living, Living= fighting.

Elie: So what do you do for fun when you’re not fighting or training?
Melvin: I relax and do fun stuff with my kids.

Elie: What can fans expect from Melvin Manhoef in 2010?
Melvin: I will keep on giving the fans more explosive, aggressive and exciting fights.
I promise them to give my all every time.

Elie: Anyone final words?
Melvin: I would like to thank you for this interview. And I would like to thank all my fans in the USA for supporting me. They give me the strength to keep on training super hard and give my all every time!!!