Michael McDonald (Pictures) is currently the slight betting favorite to win this Saturday’s K-1 eight-man tournament at “Mayhem at the Mirage.” However, to McDonald, it doesn’t matter if the odds makers have him as the favorite or as the underdog — he just wants to get out there and do his thing.

While he is getting “up there” in age, the Black Sniper realizes that time is running short and he has only a few chances left to fulfill his dream of becoming the K-1 World Grand Prix champion.

He is confident as always and expects to not only prevail in the upcoming eight-man tournament this Saturday night, he anticipates on finally having his arm raised in December at the conclusion of K-1’s ultimate tournament.

Sherdog.com: You are supposed to fight Azem Maksutaj (Switzerland) in the first round of the tournament. Sometimes opponents are changed numerous times. Is it hard to focus on training knowing that sometimes the man you are training for is changed?

Michael McDonald (Pictures): No, it doesn’t really matter. For me, it’s not much of a change as far as training is concerned. It probably is a change for somebody else. Some people fight in different styles. Some guys fight more aggressive, some guys have more of a technique. So do I train for something special or in particular? No, I just train differently than other guys and I just try and dominate a lot more.

Sherdog.com: You were supposed to fight on the April 30th card but had to pull out due to a last-minute injury. How disappointing was that for you after having such a successful training camp?

McDonald: It was very disappointing but it is what it is. Maybe if I hadn’t injured myself then I wouldn’t be fighting now. It’s OK, I guess. Injuries happen and I hope they don’t happen again.

Sherdog.com: You recently just turned 40, but you are always in incredible shape and appear to be in your mid-20s. How much longer do you anticipate fighting?

McDonald: Right now, for me, I think it’s a money issue because I don’t think K-1 is paying me what I am worth. I’ll be in this until 2006, and then we’ll see what happens after that.

Sherdog.com: In your own mind, why is it that you are so successful in K-1 at such a later stage in your life as far as age is concerned? Most of the fighters who turn close to 40 tend to taper off skill-wise and usually wind up being battered, but not you.

McDonald (laughs): They retire at my age!

Sherdog.com: Yes, they do, but what is it that makes you so successful and looking so fresh day in and day out?

McDonald: I think with me it’s because I have a goal and I have very good training. I also lead a very clean life. As far as injuries, I try not to get a lot. I know where I am going, I know what I need to do and I am very focused on getting what I want [out of fighting]. It’s a dream to do what I want to do and that is to get to the Tokyo Dome and win that. It’s going to be the icing on the cake, basically.

Sherdog.com: You didn’t become such a noteworthy superstar in K-1, at least in North America, until about four or so years ago. Why did it take so long for you to reach this particular level?

McDonald: I think the reason is because — it was back in 1998 or 1999 — I was always training with Andy Hug. I don’t know if you remember him. Do you remember Andy Hug?

Sherdog.com: Of course I do. He was one of the greatest to ever compete. How can I forget him? (as always, RIP Mr. Hug)

McDonald: Of course. Well, back then I wasn’t fighting in K-1. I was kind of working for Andy because I was helping him. He was more or less, how do you say, a shining fighter or a star fighter and I was doing all of this training for him. I was putting in 100 percent of my efforts into his training and doing it all for him. But when it came down for me to fight and for my training, I wasn’t getting the same back from him or anybody else. I was getting maybe 50-60 percent and it was very aggravating because I wasn’t getting what I wanted. I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do and get to where I wanted to go. In a way, I had to go and create my own team, which I don’t have right now but have a couple of key guys that I work with, and just focus what I wanted to focus on and train the way I wanted to train. I wanted to focus on the techniques that I wanted to do and basically practice what I preached.