Red Bull and GFinity are hosting a Street Fighter tournament called Kumite London in 2021, featuring 16 of the best names in competitive Street Fighter. The tournament is closed, and each of the invited players has proven themselves in the world of Street Fighter. Olivier, "Luffy" Hay, also known as 'The French Rose' and 'The French Mika,' was kind enough to do an interview about his entry into the tournament.
A former member of Team Meltdown, Luffy is one of the best Street Fighter players in the world. Luffy won the Street Fighter EVO in 2014 and came in 5th in 2018, among many other Street Fighter awards. Speculation about who he will play in this tournament surrounds him constantly due to both of his favorite characters being available to play.
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Will the French champion main Mika or Rose?
Street Fighter Kumite is a lot different from the regular competitions; how has Luffy been preparing?
This is not an open tournament where anyone can enter regardless of experience. Kumite features bigger-named fighters who are incredibly skilled. This includes opponents who constantly train to be the best, such as Tokido "The Murderface" and Takamura.
The 16 players have had the opportunity to face off against each other and learn each other's fighting styles. Strategies have been developed from these sparring sessions. As a result of these sparring matches, Luffy has analyzed his competition.
"I could analyse my opponent, we did some sets online as well… So yeah, we have been mostly playing in training rules online by… Seeing if they have a weakness or not, so oof course, the hardest thing is if they don't have a weakness."
Is there anyone Luffy looks forward to facing during the Street Fighter Kumite tournament?
There are plenty of big names in this tournament, as we have already mentioned. Luffy will have the chance to prove his mettle against the best Street Fighter champions in the world. Who does he feel to be the one he is most eager to face one on one?
"Mmmmmm, no, I don't specifically, actually."
When discussing great Street Fighter names, Luffy consistently makes the top 10 list. The French Rose does not have any hard feelings or specific rivals, as many of the pros are kind to one another. However, this could change after the tournament because rivalries can always form after a good match.
Street Fighter Kumite will feature Guilty Gear Strive, so we asked Luffy how he felt about it.
GFinity and Red Bull present the newest installment of the Guilty Gear franchise, Guilty Gear Strive. How does Luffy feel about the upcoming evolution of the Guilty Gear Franchise?
"I actually watched a bit of the Beta, the game is fabulous, it's beautiful. The characters are very stylish… I haven't had the chance to put my hands on the game, it's actually something I'm looking forward to."
Luffy was happy to talk about Guilty Gear Strive on top of Street Fighter. On a lighter note, Luffy was far more inclined to talk about his love of DOTA 2. To quote him:
"DOTA (2) is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), I actually like--I actually love the game. I've been playing it for maybe… 15 years, that's a lot but I've been playing for fun. That's the kind of game I like besides Street Fighter."
The tournament starts on May 22nd, 2021. Please watch on THIS LINK when it beings!
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