After more than two and a half years away from the ring, Emil Zoraj made a return at the K-1 World Grand Prix in Zagreb. It didn't bode well for his comeback as the Greek Edmond Paltatzis, who learned about the fight only two days earlier, knocked him down twice in the first round. The former double WKA world champion found new strength later in the match and knocked out Paltatzis in the second round with a knee kick to the body.

Emil, your return into the ring didn't go fully according to plan. It was hairy against Paltatzis.

"Yeah, it was hairy. Ahead of the fight, I had some health issues. I had bronchitis and fever, so I couldn't even train normally. What matters is that I've made a successful comeback."

At FFC 4 in Zadar you will face talented Croatian fighter Zlatko Bajic. Allegedly, his team has asked for a fight with you.

"They've asked for a fight with me, well, they'll get one. I don't know what else I'm supposed to say. A fight like this one will be good for me. I don't think there'll be any problems. I get nothing with this fight, and if he manages to beat me, he gets a lot. I think he's still young and he needs to work hard, and that he doesn't have a lot of tough fights under his belt. But if they've wanted a fight with me, they'll get one."

What will be your tactic against Bajic?

"There'll be no need for tactic. I don't need to have any tactic. There'll be no trouble. For the first time, I'm as I should be. I feel great."

In the past, Zoraj had trouble finding sparring partners, but the situation has change in that department as well. Aside from fighters from Spartan Gym like Mladen Brestovac, whom he trains with on a regular basis, the sparring sessions for this fight include Luka Šimic and Zoran Majkic. The 34-year-old fighter expects to continue his series of fights already in Porec. Once again, the possible opponent in a clash that stirs interest throughout the region is Slovenian Miran Fabjan, who was previously scheduled to fight Zoraj at the Grand Prix in Arena Zagreb.

"Three fights in a row are good for me because it means continuity. When there are none, you're neither ready, nor motivated. For a while I was on a break because there were no quality fights. Now I have the will to train again and I can't wait for the upcoming fights. I'm looking forward to fight Fabjan."

At one time you considered fighting in MMA. Do you still plan to try your hand at free fight?

"I said that at the time because I didn't have any opportunities to fight. But now I already have my next fights set up, so I'm not that interested anymore. Now that an opportunity has come again and I have fights again, I don't want to miss it. Maybe later, if I feel like it."