Martin Holm Interview
It has been awhile since the Swedish K1-fighter Martin Holm left the ring. His last K1-fight was in 2004 against Xhavit Bajrami. The left-handed Thai boxer loaded some of the most versatile kicks and the knees in the history of K1 and his aggressive heavy shots and the combos attracted many of the K1-fans. Martin Holms awesome technique was highly rated among the K1-fighters – and Mr Perfect, Ernesto Hoost, admitted him as a rising star. It is not only in Japan; there are many fans all over the world still talking about him. They can’t forget the high IQ fighter of Sweden. So Asgard contacted Martin Holm in Stockholm and asked about what happened back in the days and about a possible comeback.

*MARTIN HOLM*
Sweden/Vallentuna Boxing Camp/Muay-Thai
COUNTRY: Sweden
DATE OF BIRTH: October27, 1976
HEIGHT: 187 cm
WEIGHT: 98.6 kg

54 Fights 51 Wins 3 Losses 39 KOs

*TITLES*
W.M.C. Pro Word Champion, Thai-boxing ‘99
I.F.M.A. Kings Cup Amateur World Champion, Thai-boxing ‘99
I.A.M.T.F. Amateur European Champion, Thai-boxing ‘98
W.K.A. Amateur World Champion, Kick-boxing ‘97

Loss Xhavit Bajrami Decision (3-0) K-1-Nagoya Grand Prix 2004 6/6/2004
Win Tibor Nagy Decision (Unanimous) K-1-Scandinavia Grand Prix 2004 2/14/2004
Win Jan Nortje KO K-1-World Grand Prix 2003 Final 12/6/2003
Loss Ernesto Hoost Decision (3-0) K-1-Paris Grand Prix 2003 6/14/2003
Win Petar Majstorovic Decision (Split) K-1-Scandinavia Grand Prix 2003 3/15/2003
Win Michael McDonald Decision (Majority) K-1-World Grand Prix Final 2002 12/7/2002
Loss Ray Sefo Decision (Majority) K-1-World Grand Prix 2002 Opening
10/5/2002
Win Glaube Feitosa KO (Punch) K-1-Fukuoka Grand Prix 2002 7/14/2002
Win Jokki Obi KO (Punch) K-1-Nagoya Grand Prix 2002 3/3/2002

ASGARD: You look really great. How much do you weigh now?
HOLM: I weigh 90 kg.
ASGARD: Tell us about your childhood?
HOLM: (smile) I have always been very active. My mother had a hard time to catch me. I always ran around in school and never sat still. So I got an extra teacher for me in the class.
ASGARD: Ha! Ha! Ha! So you where like a tornado in school.
HOLM: (smile) But I have studied hard to catch up. And the end of the school I got 4.1 [top rank in school at that time was 5], which made my parents very happy.
ASGARD: Do you have brothers and sisters?
HOLM: I have a younger brother, Christian.
ASGARD: Does he look like you? Doing any sports?
HOLM: He is a bit shorter than me. Yes, people say we look alike. He is training MMA [Mixed Martial Arts].
ASGARD: Really? Is he competing too?
HOLM: Not yet but he wants to do so in the future, he says.
ASGARD: Do you roll with him in the private? Did you try MMA?
HOLM: Yes, in Pancrase Gym with Omar Bouiche and Jörgen Kruth.

ASGARD: Tell us about your sports career.
HOLM: I have started swimming in the local swimming school since I was 7 years old. Then I became interested in Aikido, did it for 4 years. Then Shotokan Karate for 1 year. I have always been active and interested in new things. When I was 14 years old I entered Slagskeppet [translated as “The Battleship”]. At that time I’ve was still swimming. So I went to MuayThai class after swimming. Slagskeppet was known as the best club at that time and I meet Jörgen Kruth there.
ASGARD: Cool. So your physical base has been built in swimming.
HOLM: I’ve been born slim and my body fits well for marathon. Anyway I immediately got hooked on Muay Thai and started to compete in the following year. Due to the swimming I had no problem in my stamina I got over 30 fights till the title match in 1999 in Thailand.
ASGARD: And you did 54 fights in your “non-KOed” fight career starts. Which countries did you go to?
HOLM: Finland, Spain, France, Ukraine and many other countries …

ASGARD: And you also fought in Thailand. Tell us about your experiences in Thailand?
HOLM: I was 18 years old when I visited Thailand for the first time. I stayed there to train for 4 weeks and learned a lot. But at the same time I noticed that Slagskeppet was good as well. So it was not so difficult for me to catch up in Thailand. The second time I visited Thailand (I was 18 or 19 years old) I got an instant fight offer. I was not prepared for the fight at all because I was on vacation with my friends. But somehow I decided to fight. The opponent was a local Muay Thai fighter. I don’t remember his name …
ASGARD: Wow, a pale skinny amateur look European vs. a local dangerous Muay Thai fighter.
HOLM: That’s right (smile). Nobody did knew me. Everybody in the audience – except for a local taxi driver – bet the their baht [money] on the Thai guy (smile). Maybe the cabbie did have a 6th sense or saw my warm-up, I don’t know. Anyway, I started the fight with the top gear switched on! Thai boxers usually study the opponent in the early first round. But I didn’t give him time for contemplation, but attacked hard, fired many shots and my knee hits the guy’s head. It was around the 30-second mark in the first round and the fight ended in KO.
ASGARD: Wow!
HOLM: You know what has happened? The entire arena turned completely silent. I was standing in the ring and the Thai guy was carried out unconscious. Nobody talked. I still remember the moment of the silence. And the taxi driver? I think he has received a lot of money (smile).
ASGARD: That is so cool! Ha! Ha! What about the title match in Thailand?
HOLM: I was 22 years old. The fight was for the WMC belt in 81kg. The fight was held south of Phuket. The opponent was a Czechoslovakian fighter named Curka, or something … Yes, the fight was tough and I won by judge’s decision. I think I got in more kicks and also I made 1 standing count. Yes, I still keep the belt. It is my pride (smile).
ASGARD: Then K1 came to Europe. You get a call from Japan and meet Jokki Obi. You won by KO in your fight in Japan in 2002. What kind of impression do you have of Japan?
HOLM: I was concentrated on my fight so I don’t remember that much.

ASGARD: How did you like Glaube Feitosa? You gave him such an awesome shot.
HOLM: Feitosa is a good fighter and his high kick is very dangerous. I tried not to give him the distance and pressed forward to connect with my punches. The plan was perfect. I see in his recent fights that he is getting better.
ASGARD: Feitosa suffered from too much Karate training. How about Ray Sefo? I don’t understand why he got the decision in your fight, a questionable judges decision indeed.
HOLM: That fight may be the most memorable in my career. It happened so many things in that fight. I don’t understand the judges either. Let’s just say that many things can happen in the K1-ring (smile). Anyway, Sefo’s punch is crazy. I have never experienced such heavy strikes in my life. His power is enormous. Sefo is like a monster and his strike was so much stronger than Ernesto Hoost.
ASGARD: Man, I think I must be lucky not to experience the shots. 2003 Paris you meet Ernesto Hoost. You pushed him hard attacking aggressively in the versatile techniques made Hoost in much trouble. Hoost often looked confused in the fight. Mr Perfect got the judge point but you have convinced him as a highly rated fighter. Who do you like the most in K1 fighter?
HOLM: It is Ernesto Hoost (smile). His strikes are pretty tasty too.
ASGARD: How do you like European K1 fighters?
HOLM: Ernesto Hoost is still No 1. Alexey Ignashov comes next, although he´s not always winning and sometimes are out of shape, his technique is wonderful. Ruslan Karaev? If he could use more knees, the point would be higher. Stefan Leko? He looks good because he shots double much. I think Peter Aerts is very good as well. He is still one of the kings. His technique may not look good, but he is genius when it comes to reading the opponent and timing his hit. That sense could be his auto sensor program which has built in his great experiences and to stop Semmy Schilt is a great job too.

ASGARD: Do you watch K1 Max?
HOLM: Yes. It is very exciting. I like Buakaw and Masato, of course. I think Masato is a great fighter. His style is integrated. Musashi is great too, often impressed of his techniques, he has good moves and the strikes are pretty fine, a good rounded fighter.
ASGARD: But he can’t win.
HOLM: Maybe he needs a bit of power? But I like him.

ASGARD: If you would fight Semmy Schilt, what would be your strategy?
HOLM: Well, I might take the similar tactics which was taken in Nortje fight [Martin KOed Nortje in 2003]. Moving fast I would counter hit when he comes in. The strike power would be multiplied in his own weight to step in.

ASGARD: How did you like K1 Scandinavia 2006 winter?
HOLM: I couldn’t see all because of all the work back stage. I must say Buakaw is the number 1. He is a living treasure of K1. It was happy Jörgen Kruth has made the good fight in a good condition. He has turned sharp this time.
ASGARD: Wasn’t it too much Ozzy had to make 3 downs?
HOLM: Albert Kraus is nice too. Ozzy might have learned what the world class is. There are quite a distance between the Scandinavia and the world. Larry Lindvall has said that he had learned “the world” when he had met Michael MacDonald. There are so many things the Scandinavians must study.

ASGARD: What is your worst injury? You have been fighting hard in the MuayThai rules with elbows.
HOLM: I have been very lucky I have not experienced the serious injuries yet. Of course my legs and shins got hurts in the kicks – general stuff that happens to all fighters. You often wont be able to walk for a week or so after the fight. I remember in Japan I have been to the hospital a couple of times after the fight. In the injuries I usually recover fast and be able to train after 1 week or so. I have not experienced any fractures, damages nor serious cut at all.
ASGARD: I understand that. I don’t remember much of you to have eaten the effective attacks. That is why you are the un-KOed fighter.
HOLM: I have been just lucky (smile). My friend who had eaten heavy low kicks and had to operate the leg to take off the blood. He still has the big long cut on his side leg. Low kicks are nasty.

ASGARD: How do you spend your free time?
HOLM: Being with friends and my family. I like training, running and going to the gym, always keep physical works.
ASGARD: Music?
HOLM: Let’s say, Techno, Reggae. I like U2.
ASGARD: Bench?
HOLM: 130, not much, don’t know why (smile).
ASGARD: Beer or wine?
HOLM: Beer (smile).

ASGARD: This is the last question. Many fans are waiting for your comeback chatting in the forum. They are crazy about your great talent, which could be able to get the king of K1. They want to see your fight again. How do you think?
HOLM: Well, I am 30 years old now. I have 10 years more to fight. Because I have 2 years off I can´t come back to the K1 major league right now. So what I plan to do is to reconstruct my condition and the techniques within a half or a year and I want to fight in European league to warm up my engine. So it would take some time but I will be back to the major league someday. I know how to fight in K1. I have been there once and I want to get the top this time.
ASGARD: I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for such good news! It is so great to hear your comeback. You are one of the best technical fighter in K1 history and you can give the great hot scrambles for sure.
30 is young. Look at these guys Aerts 36,Leko 32, Musashi 34, Schults 33, LeBanner 34, Glaube 33, Alexey 28, Chalid 31, Slowinsky 26. Breggy 32, Sefo 35, Remy 30, Manhoef 30. Can’t wait for the day you enter the major league to beat them all.

HOLM: Thank you. If you have questions, please mail to www.fansofk1.com
ASGARD: Thank you for your time. I wish you the very best to be the king of K1.