Some fighters rest on their laurels and pad their records, while others take their chances and fight all comers. Ronald Jhun Jr. is a risk taker and welcomes any challenge big or small with open arms. Very few fighters in recent memory have faced increasingly higher level of fighters with every battle. Ron has held his own among some very credible opponents. He will face his biggest test yet this coming Saturday, April 15 when he faces the Light Heavyweight Champion Erik Paulson in Future Brawl. I caught up with Ron by phone on April 13, 2000.

FCF: It seems that you are taking huge leaps in competition with every fight. Is this a plan of yours or is it just you're in the right place at the right time?
Ron Jhun: Yeah, I think that's what it is…at the right place at the right time.

FCF: You are fighting the Light Heavyweight Shooto Champion Erik Paulson on Saturday. Do you feel any pressure fighting a guy who basically opened the doors for Americans to fight in Shooto?
RJ: Not really. Right now, I'm just trying to not look at it as he's a champion. I'm trying to look at it as he's just another competitor and just try to go out there and try my best.

FCF: Is this a fight for the title?
RJ: I have no idea. I don't think so. I think it's just a regular bout.

FCF: You have always said that your goal was to obtain a title in Shooto. You are now one fight or one step away, what do you feel about being so close to accomplishing your goal?
RJ: I feel pretty good. I'm on the right track and I guess that night will show where I'm at so far, as far as my fighting skills wise and see where I need to work.

FCF: This is the biggest fight of your short career. Will the outcome of this fight affect your future in NHB in anyway?
RJ: No. I think I'm going to be here to stay in NHB as long as I can and just keep trying and training hard and going at it.

FCF: In the last Future Brawl, we saw a more relaxed Ron Jhun in the first round against Kim Mason. Kim seemed to be taking the fight to you. In the second round, the normal, aggressive style, of Ron Jhun came out and plowed through Mason. Are you planning on fighting the same way or immediately being aggressive since you seem to have so much success with that "Machine Gun" style?
RJ: [Laughs] Yeah, I think with the fight with Kim Mason, I kind of came out a little bit too cautious and I got caught with some shots so I've been watching some tapes on Erik Paulson and the guys that came at him kind of aggressively, he kind of balled up…fought them defensively so I think I'm going to come out with that same approach.

FCF: Was your initial relaxed style due to the last fight against Sasaki?
RJ: Yeah, I think the same thing with Sasaki. I was kind of laid back. I fought his fight. He came out with a different style of fighting than I anticipated. I thought that he would come out throwing [punches], but he came out relaxed and just took me down so…I think I have to fight my fight instead of my opponent's fight.

FCF: I know you accepted this fight on relatively short notice once Lance Gibson pulled out. Did you have sufficient time to train for this fight and are you 100%?
RJ: It was kind of short notice, but for the past three years, I have been just training real hard and just hearing about the fight, it took me to another level as far as training. Physically and mentally, I'm at a different level so I'm ready to go 100%.

FCF: You are a very popular attraction to Hawaii NHB fans. Do the fans help you to perform better or do you feel more pressure fighting in front of your family and friends?
RJ: I think sometimes it works for and against you. If you let the crowd get to you then it could be pressure, I kind of feel blessed that the crowd is for me and it's in my hometown so I guess that I'm going to have a little more boast coming into this fight. I just have to control my emotions and stay focused and relaxed.

FCF: Do you have anything planned or booked after this fight?
RJ: Basically, just keep going, whatever the outcome of this fight, just keep training hard and where ever this sport takes me, I'm just going along for the ride, as far as I can go with it.

FCF: Thank you, good luck, and see you at the weigh-ins.
RJ: Thanks, Mike. God Bless.