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Gus: Tell us some of
the fighters that you are managing at the moment.
Don: Perry Ubeda, Rayen Simson (Thai boxing), Cheik kango,
Marc Emmanuel (Free-fight), and some new coming generation
Fighters...
Gus: What do you think makes a good
fighter? Surely you have managed a lot, but what is the
secret to a fighter’s success?
Don: At first he should really want to be a fighter. Second,
he should practice very very hard...
The best base for a fighter is proper conditioning and the
best way to achieve this is by running a lot, a few times a
week.....The fighter should also have a good schedule of
practice at the gym...good balance. |
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Don
and Perry Ubeda |
Don and
Bas Rutten. |
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Gus: What about his
character?
Don: Character? He should be very tough inside the ring, but
very normal and polite, outside the ring. Also it does not
matter if one fights for a title or not, he has to practice
very hard for every fight.
Gus: Why do you think that kickboxing
and mixed martial arts events are not as popular as boxing
and pro wrestling?
Don: Kick Boxing and Free-Fight are actually very popular,
but some government people are against them and try to stop
them. In France, where Kickboxing and Thai Boxing was
popular, there are now only amateur events... In Holland we have
way too many events. And here you can see in everything in
ONE event.....Thai boxing, Kick Boxing, Boxing and
free-fight events. Boxing is hard to beat because it was
there before the Thai/kick-boxing... Also when you think how
the Free-Fight became a big name, it started for sure in
Europe. |
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Don and his
Pancrase friends. |
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Gus: Holland is a
fighter’s paradise.
Don: Yes, Holland is really the best country (IN THE WORLD),
where so many great and big events are organized... The only
thing I regret a lot is that now these events are more a
money business...the sport comes in second place....and this
is regrettable. Anyway, the events in Holland are always
fully booked a few weeks before the events take place. We
sign fighting contracts sometimes one year before....
Gus: You’ve been to Thailand, what
does a fighter need to survive there?
Don: I was in Thailand a few times, but more in Japan...2
different countries, 2 different ways of life, of thinking,
and doing.
Gus: Do the Japanese have a better way
of organising events?
Don: It depends. For Thai Boxing, Thailand of course is the
number one place to be...I know also a few good gyms in
Japan for practicing Thai-kick, free-fight, and also Shoot
Boxing.
Gus: There are not a lot of managers
like you I believe. Most fighters are managed by their gym
owners, am I right?
Don: Yes, you are alright... I'm not a trainer myself...I
believe that I could do it, but I don’t because managing is
very important also...and exciting. A fighter can fight, but
a lot of them need to be managed if they really want to make
a career out of it. I can be a good manager, but still the
fighter has to make it in the ring..... |
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Don and
Ken Shamrock. |
Don and
Peter Aerts. |
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Gus: Have you trained in the martial
arts?
Don: Yes, ha, ha...I am still training 3 times a week in
Thai boxing, in the Vathorst Gym, where Simson is, and also
in the Perry Ubeda Gym... I don’t train fighters, I prefer
to train myself... and I'm always very close with my
fighters....Rob Kaman, Bas Putten, Perry, Simson. I am still
very close friends with Peter Aerts, Hoost, Peter Smit,
Gilbert Ballentine, and a lot more...
Gus: You have achieved a lot but
surely you have some dreams that you could not make happen.
Tell us about them
Don: The dreams I could not realize before, I try to do
now....I am trying to produce some films, and really hope to
produce an action film soon... as far as sports are
concerned, I still try to find a new star...Also I have a
small record company, and work with a few producers. We
produce, R&B, Rap, Hip Hop, Dance, etc.... I am also trying
to manage fighters from the USA...a young Dominican Boxing
fighter....he is great and the number1 ranked amateur
fighter by the Olympic Games and Rank list in the US.
Gus: Thank you, Don. I wish you all
the luck.
Don: Thank you, too!
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