When Enson's name gets brought up, I have mixed memories. He was a great guy to be around, always cracking jokes. He always stood up for his friends. On the other end, I spent many an hour early in my Jiu-Jitsu career under him getting choked, arm locked, foot locked, slapped, punched, and worst of all, he would insult you while he beat you up. He was having his own type of fun with you, but I always knew he enjoyed every minute of putting some hurt on his opponents. People always ask me, "Why don't you fight?" I then tell them the story of the day I went to train NHB with Enson at a local boxing gym. I remember it like it was yesterday. I thought I was getting pretty good on the ground like many young punks with big mouths like myself do so I thought I would be able to hold my own, even though I saw with my own eyes, Enson destroying high ranking visiting Brazilians that stopped by our class on a regular basis. He literally beat the living crap out of me and two other friends. One of the few memories I have left was when, during a drill, he secured his mount and hit me so hard that I forgot childhood memories. I still can't remember ages 5 through 8. I took the three hardest shots of my life and truly thought that he was going to knock me out during this "training session." After it was over, I dragged myself and my friend in to my car with a huge headache (which I didn't want to go to sleep because I thought I wouldn't wake up) and with my tail between my legs and never forgot the many lessons I have learned that day. One was, STAY IN SCHOOL, STUDY HARD, GET A CUSHY DESK JOB SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET HIT LIKE THIS EVER AGAIN. Thank God, Enson moved to Japan to beat up professionals and have become quite an icon in the Japanese MMA scene. He is everywhere and has his hands in everything, fighting, merchandising, promoting, teaching, you name it. I talked with Enson after the Super Brawl in Hawaii where he came to support his brother Egan in an impressive quick victory on July 21, 2001.

FCF: I'm here with Enson Inoue. What were your views on the fight?
Enson Inoue: Egan's fight?

FCF: Yeah.
EI: I thought it was good. I thought it was just a different class. I think the opponent was in a little lower class, but I think it was good for Egan. Good win.

FCF: Do you think his opponent was just too light for him?
EI: Yeah, I think a little too small. Egan, looks like…I don't know. It looks like Egan put on some weight. He looks strong [laughs].

FCF: Let's move on to Cabbage/Marcelo. Do you feel that Cabbage was doing the things he had to do to win?
EI: Yeah, well, I think it was out of desperation, what Tigre did. It's kind of unfortunate where it was turning out to be a really good fight. It wasn't like, Cabbage maybe was dominating a little bit, but it wasn't like he had it in the bag, you know. I don't know. I think it's just a job of the promoters now to do something about it because you got to stop that kind of shit in the ring man.

FCF: Did you feel that after the head butt, with the one point deduction, do you think Cabbage's conditioning may have been a factor?
EI: Yeah see, I don't even know. I don't train at Grappling [Unlimited, Egan's gym] so I don't know, but it looks like he was doing fine. It looks like Tigre was just as tired as Cabbage so I don't think it would be much of a problem, but I think it was a good thing that Haru [Shimanishi, the referee] stopped it at the time he did to just make an example of it. Hopefully T. Jay, in the future, will be more prepared for this kind of stuff.

FCF: Do you think that if it went on a little more, there would have been another riot in there?
EI: Sheesh, I don't know. Riots happen in Hawaii all the time [both laugh].

FCF: I seen you walk up there and take off your shoes and I thought, "Uh oh. They better get as many cops in there as possible. [bust out laughing]"
EI: I just didn't want to be caught off guard [laughs]. I don't like to ride them. I retired because I don't like to fight anymore and I'm not getting paid for it. I don't want to fight for free [both laugh].

FCF: You're getting married tomorrow. Congratulations on that. Tell us something about your wife. She's a world champion wrestler right?
EI: Yes, she's a three-time world champion wrestler. Ironically, I haven't learned any wrestling from her, but definitely if there is any chance that I ever come back, my striking and my wrestling is what I want to get down real good.

FCF: Do you think that there is any chance in the future of you coming back?
EI: Definitely, yeah. Tell the promoters that.

FCF: Are you looking for the right opponent?
EI: The right offer, the right fighter.

FCF: Are you looking for anyone in particular or just wait until somebody emerges and see if you can get a shot with him?
EI: No, I would say that I would be ready in a year if the right offer comes. If the year was right now, a good opponent would be someone like say Frank Shamrock, Vanderlei Silva, or Royce Gracie, but right now I'm not ready to fight and I don't have it in me so right now, no nobody.

FCF: All the guys you named are under 200 pounds. Are you going to come back under 200 pounds?
EI: Yeah, everyone talks to me about that. It's a good idea because I've been trying to put on so much weight. I've been getting fat. I'm trying to keep the weight so bad that I'm keeping some fat just to have some weight when I get on the ground, but I think I do quite better maybe [at a lighter weight]. I think my best was at 94 kilos [206.8 lbs] with Frank Shamrock. That's an idea.

FCF: I think your best performances, like the one at the UFC and like you said, against Frank Shamrock, was about 200 pounds so I definitely think you will be dominating at that. Have people been talking to your about the new UFC?
EI: I've had offers from Pride. I've had offers from pro-wrestling associations, but I don't think I can do pro-wrestling, but I definitely have the hunger to fight again. I feel it, but I guess my main goal when I fight [again] is I want to fight smart. I want to fight like how I did in the UFC, like I did with Frank, maybe Frank I got kinda crazy, but I want to fight smart. If I feel I can, I'll be back.

FCF: Do you feel since you are such a big draw in Japan that it would be difficult to fight in the UFC because you feel obligated to Pride?
EI: No, it's actually a business decision to fight in Japan. The reason I don't fight in Hawaii, the reason I won't fight in the UFC unless I get a really good offer is because I have a business, you know, my t-shirts and when I fight, it doubles, triples the sales so Pride would probably be my first choice.

FCF: So you are focusing more on the business aspects of the fight game. You are also promoting Shooto events right?
EI: Yeah, right now. Right now, I'm working the three gyms that I have, trying to open another one up in Saipan, training fighters. A lot of promotions. I'm not really training that much.

FCF: Is promoting a good business in Japan or you just do it to accent your t-shirt merchandising?
EI: Yeah, that's probably the biggest thing, the merchandising, the gyms. I'm going to make my living there. I'm not going to work another day in my life because of that so I got to think of that.

FCF: Do you feel that Egan should give Tigre a shot at a rematch?
EI: I don't think Egan has any reason to fight Marcelo. I think Marcelo is not ready for Egan. He wasn't even ready for Cabbage. After what he did, I think he just lost the rematch with Egan. I mean, I wouldn't advise it for T. Jay because the tensions are going to be so high. You are just asking for another riot if you do that. It's a gone fight. Tigre just lost that.

FCF: Do you think his blatant breaking of the rules will hurt him getting fights in Japan?
EI: I hope so, but I don't think so. I don't think so.

FCF: Do you think he has a pretty good following in Japan?
EI: Well, Gordeau dug out Nakai's eye and he is still can get fights so…It is unfortunate that he will get more fights I think.

FCF: One question that comes to mind when you are marrying a world champion wrestler. Are you going to raise your kids to fight?
EI: He's probably going to be around it. He's probably going to want to, but he's not forced to. I'd rather him not fight. I want him to train, but not in a ring.

FCF: Stepson?
EI: I have a stepson now who's four. He wants to fight, but I don't want him to fight. I don't like to see that. I'm a non-violent guy you know [both laugh]. Seriously, I wouldn't be able to watch him fight. I'd rather him just train and keep it as a hobby, but it sounds like he wants to fight and if he does want to, I'll train him to my best.

FCF: Congratulations on your wedding! Oh yeah, what are you going to do on your honeymoon?
EI: Maybe go train at Grappling [both bust out laughing].