Zimmerman Embraces Tough Test Vs. Opacic: ‘Everyone Is Breakable’
Fans looking for hard-hitting heavyweight action are in luck – Errol “The Bonecrusher” Zimmerman will make his ONE Super Series debut this Friday, 11 December, at ONE: BIG BANG II.
The Dutch destroyer is set to face Rade Opacic in a previously recorded kickboxing bout from Singapore that promises fireworks for as long as it lasts.
Zimmerman’s name is well-known to longtime martial arts fans for his many exploits in the world’s biggest organizations. And those who will see him compete for the first time are sure to appreciate his approach when the bell rings.
“My fighting style is all-out power,” the Dutchman says.
“Everything is hard, everything is explosive. I go for the kill – in the ring or in the Circle. Anywhere, anytime, anyone. It’s too bad the crowd won’t be here, but I’ll give the fans at home a good show.”
Zimmerman is also plenty familiar with Opacic, but while he has a ton of respect for the man from Belgrade, he will treat him just like any other opponent.
“I know him. He’s a nice guy. Actually, he’s a friend. Serbia is like my second home,” the Breda native says.
“I’ve been many times and did my physio there [after a serious knee injury]. I also did a little bit of training with this guy, so we know each other.
“This is the fight game, so when the bell goes, I don’t know him, he doesn’t know me, and we’re going to fight. We’re going to do our thing, the thing that we love, and may the best man win – and that will be me!”
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Zimmerman’s take-on-all-comers approach to martial arts also means he has no concerns about the attributes Opacic brings to the table.
The Serbian is 200 centimeters tall, but the Dutchman is just 4 centimeters shorter. Plus, “The Bonecrusher” has the build of a true heavyweight, so he’s unfazed by the skills or stature of any man who stands across from him.
“Rade throws a lot of heavy right high kicks, but we will see what he will bring,” he says.
“For me, it’s no problem. Tall, small, I don’t care. I just wait for the bell and I go.
“I will never say no – I have never said no, never in my life. This is impossible. I will always fight and I love these challenges. I always want to fight the bigger man, the stronger man. If someone says I can’t do it, I know I can do it. Everyone is breakable.”
For die-hard kickboxing fans, it will be no surprise to hear this kind of talk from “The Bonecrusher,” a moniker bestowed upon him due to an ability to break opponents inside the ring.
At the same time, those fans may wonder about Zimmerman’s condition after more than two years out of action.
However, the 34-year-old says he’s fully recovered from a serious knee injury that plagued him since 2015, meaning his body and mind are ready for battle. In fact, he will enter the Circle in better shape than he has been in years.
Zimmerman has won 82 professional bouts, but he admits to managing that on raw ability alone. Now he’s gone the extra mile with his nutrition, strength, and conditioning – and he is feeling the benefits.
“I’m really a natural fighter. I have never lifted weights, I don’t like to run. I like to be in the gym. I do my best work kicking and those kinds of things,” he says.
“Now I have my own personal trainer. He helps me with what I must eat. I’m taking shakes and things like that, and I never did it in my life before. I get more power from this. I’m feeling that I’m getting stronger, my conditioning is getting better.”
By the time Zimmerman got to Singapore, he and his team had to adjust their schedule to obey quarantine regulations.
Regardless, he has no complaints about his preparations, and a little extra time in his hotel room has given him a break from distractions and allowed him to focus on what he does best.
“I got a lot of rest here. I’ve been in my hotel watching some movies, and that is also important for me,” Zimmerman adds.
“My mind is very good, the training here was very good, and the training in Holland was very good, so when the bell goes, it’s only gas.”
