Interview – Page 4 – Five Rounds with Emma

SWAYZE VALENTINE: ONE TUF FEMALE AND THE FIRST FEMALE ‘CUTWOMAN’ EMPLOYED BY THE UFC

Swayze Valentine is MMA’s newest face to grace the scene. A 28 year old ‘Cut-Woman’ in the biggest promotion in combat sports, the UFC, and the first ever female in this field to be employed by them. Although you may only now just be seeing Swayze Valentine on your screens for the first time for the promotion she holds a great pedigree in her CV even before being approached by the leading promotion. Swayze has worked with promotions such as Invicta, Bellator, WSOF, MMA Explosion, King of the Cage along with amateur MMA and Muay Thai promotions including, 1 Kick Nicks, Tuff N Uff, Battle at the Bay and Rumble on the Ridge to name just a few.

A determined individual Swayze Valentine’s hard work and dedication has started to pay off, recently letting the whole world know about herself, her struggle with acceptance but more importantly, what Swayze Valentine has achieved thus far and and will keep on achieving.

I managed to catch up with Swayze just after she had finished her second UFC duties at UFC 171, with UFC 170 being Swayze’s first introduction to the UFC, soon Swayze will be off packing for her next assignment within the organization for May 10th in Cincinnati Ohio when Brown vs Silva comes to town for UFC Fight Night. However, before all of that I spoke with Swayze about her childhood, growing up in Alaska, finding love for MMA and being a female in a male dominated sports profession.

GROWING UP

You have an awesome name and I have to ask what may appear to be an obvious question to some, was your mum a Patrick Swayze fan? If not can, you tell me how your name came about.

Thank you so much! My name did not come about being a Patrick Swayze Fan, although, he would have been an awesome story of how I got my name! My mom really liked the name Swayze for a girl. As for my surname, it is my Maiden name. My full legal name is Swayze Michelle-Nicole Valentine.

Where was you born and raised?

I was born in Anchorage, Alaska.

Your Mother and Father, travelled a lot for their job – (Dunkin Donuts if I recall) How was it travelling around for you?

I loved travelling around. I never had many friends and I did not care to need any. Since my family and I moved around so much, I was naturally closest to my family and was happy just being with my Mom, Dad and Brother.

Did you get any benefits of your parent’s job like free donuts? If so, do you still love donuts or not so much now?

Oh yes! My brother and I were able to help make the donuts every morning and we also got to experiment and make our own creations. I remember spending early mornings and late nights there. I loved it. Still to this day, when I smell donuts, it brings me back memories to that time with my family. I would love to eat a donut everyday if I could!

Can you tell me about your childhood and growing up?

My childhood was great! My family and I are very close. We moved around a lot, which I actually enjoyed. I liked moving to new places and meeting new people. I would “work” with my parents and brother at the Dunkin Donuts restaurant that my parents ran. They ran Dunkin Donuts all over the US and the best part was getting to make donuts every day! Oh, I loved it! Laughs, I still do to this day, love donuts!

Were you what everyone would class as a ‘typical girl’, into ‘girl’ things or were you more of a ‘tomboy’ whilst growing up?

I definitely went through a “Girly” stage and a “Tomboy” stage. I loved all the girly things. I had a lot of Barbie’s and dolls. I never could have enough dolls. I also loved kids so much I would pretend to be a mother to everything! As for my tomboy stage, it was only my brother and I growing up and he is older, so I wanted to be cool like him, I would dress in his clothes and hang out with his friends. I thought I was cool every time I got to hang out with them. No matter how much I tried to play with him and his crew, they still left me out, so I quickly got out of that stage and went back to playing with my dolls and Barbie’s.

Moving around a lot as a child from city to city, do you think that gave you a good understanding of independence at an early age (having to make new friends/relationships) to go for what you really wanted to do in life.

I really do think it gave me independence. Even though I was around my family all the time, I was raised in customer service where I learned a lot and was exposed to all kinds of people and traits. My family has always worked hard our whole lives. I get great work ethic from my parents.

Around what age did you leave home and start to make a life for yourself?

I left home after I got married at the age of 19.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN – THE FEMALE LIFE OF A BEING A CUT WOMAN

‘On fight day, I was walking out of my dressing room to the cage and saw coaches or “People” wrapping the fighter’s hands… I knew right then, that was what I wanted to do. There is no greater honour, than to wrap the hands of these warriors!’

How did your interest in the world of combat sports begin?

My interest started when I saw my first live show. I loved the atmosphere and the sport. Once the show was over, I went to talk to the promoter about what positions there were in MMA that I could do if I did not want to fight. He looked at me and told me that if I wanted to be a part of his show I could be a ring girl. I accepted the offer so I could at least be a part of the scene and see if there was anything else in the industry that I may like better.

What was it about the sport that drew you into it? Had you seen the sport on TV? On the other hand, was it after your first live event that drew you into the sport?

I had watched UFC on TV before and liked the sport, but never knew how much I loved the sport, until I got the chance to experience it live. I was addicted immediately after my first live event.

I heard you had an ‘experience’ as a ring girl what was that like?

My experience being a ring girl was just that… An experience! It was not terrible and I do not look down on any women who are ring girls, but I knew that was not the job for me.

It was at that show you saw something amazing, something that took your breath away, something you said to yourself that you would like to do. Can you explain in more detail what this was?

I saw people wrapping the fighter’s hands. I knew at that moment, that was what I wanted to do. It just hit me like a rush… I know that can sound dramatic or silly, but honestly, I felt it chose me. I later found out that the people that were taking care of the fighter’s in the cage, were ‘Cutmen’. There is no better ‘Job’ then taking care of fighters before, during and after their fight. It takes so much trust, from the fighter’s point of view, to put their career in my hands. Literally, there is no greater honour!

How did you go about making a move into this unheard of trade for women?

I just knew I wanted to be a Cutman. I did not care what I had to do to get it done. I contacted ‘Stitch’ (Jacob Duran), who is a legendary Cutman for the UFC, and asked him how to get started. He told me to go to gyms and wrap hands… lots of them! Therefore, I did just that! I immediately found a gym and started wrapping hands. I travelled to different gyms all over the US, not only so that I can learn the craft, but also to create professional working relationships with anyone I could in the industry. I later met, who would be my future mentor, Adrian ‘Tenacity’ Rosenbusch. (UFC Cutman) He taught me the ‘Cut’ side of the industry. I trained with him for 2 years. I never stopped travelling and working events. Every show I worked, I worked free. It did not matter, I was thrilled to be doing what I loved and was able to grow with the fighters and to do what I love. I never knew for sure if it would actually “Pay” off and move from a Hobby to a career. I just had a feeling, a deep feeling, to never give up no matter what.

What year are we looking at, how long ago we talking about?

It all began in 2006

What did this long hard road consist of to get to where your journey is today?

There were of course more good times than bad, but some of the bad times consisted of low acceptance of me. There were times people did not trust my abilities to be able to take care of the fighter’s and keep them safe. A lot of the criticism came from coaches and corners; I clearly remember being denied entry into the cage by the cage door operator on one occasion.I have been sworn at in the cage by coaches and corners. Coaches did not want me to wrap their fighter’s hands or grease them. I have not been allowed to work on some promotions. The worst was when I was physically assaulted in the cage by a coach.I am thankful for all the hard times; it helped toughen me up in this industry. I am also a very understanding person. I understand the coaches ‘Protection’ over their fighter. They have a very close bond with them. I also understood many of the petty things that went on a lot more.

What kept you going through the tough times in your early days when it appeared that no-one wanted to give you a chance?

I had this ridiculous drive inside me. There were times I wanted to quit. It got bad, but there was always those gut feeling, to keep going, so I did. It is almost unexplainable, if that makes sense!

THE PRESENT

Where is home for you now?

I currently live in Washington State with my two precious little boys (4 and 6) they are my world.

Can you tell me about how the whole UFC job came about? I heard you had to have a ‘try-out’ interview of some kind and had to keep everything a secret.

I got the call for which I had been waiting for in January! I had been keeping it a secret for a few months. I was sitting in my living room playing with my son when my phone rang. I saw it was an out of state number so I let it go to Voicemail. I saw that they had left a message, so I checked it! It was the UFC! I was so excited. I kept it quiet. I wanted to tell the world, of course! Since it was my first show, I thought it was best to keep it to myself.

You had your first UFC job on UFC 170, how was this for you?

I was nervous all the way up to fight day. When I arrived in the arena, my nerves left and the excitement took over. I was in a familiar situation and it felt like home. I knew what I had to do and what my responsibilities were. I focused on taking care of business. The UFC were so supportive. Everything ran so smoothly, it was “A Dream Come True” in every meaning of the phrase!

You, clearly, impressed everyone involved, as you were back for UFC 171. How surreal did this feel on such a fast turnaround?

It felt amazing! Here I go, getting to live my dream again! There is no words that can explain how cool that was!

You are the UFC’s first female ‘Cut Woman’. How do you feel about given this title?

I feel great! I feel accomplished. Most importantly, I hope that I have inspired my children and others to follow their dreams, with hard work and dedication, you truly can achieve anything!

At the end of the day, no matter how it is all dressed up and what title you are given, to you this is what you have trained to do, it is your job and you have been dedicated for the last seven years. How excited are you to have reached the heights of the UFC in those seven years?

It is unreal. It is a privilege to work with fighters on the most famous stage in the world, and to work with a promotion, UFC, that shares the same value and importance of fighter safety, is incredible. I get to do what I love, and unfortunately, very few people get to do what they love. I feel so fortunate to have even known what it is what I wanted to do.

What is next for Swayze Valentine? What else would you like to achieve?

I am taking it one-step at a time. I will always come up with more goals. Right now, I am going to enjoy every moment, taking care of fighters. The journey is never over!

QUICK QUESTIONS

Favourite Car

Aston Martin DB9 and Aston Martin 117

Favourite song you sing in the shower.

This week, it is Dark Horse by Katy Perry

Since your trade is a ‘cut -woman’ do you by second nature or habit just pack in your bag general medical kits that you would associate with your trade at all. Along with everyday things, us girls have in our bags.

I do travel with some medical supplies now! I will have Qwick-Aid and a standard first aid kit! You never know when you are going to need it!

You can keep up-to-date on everything Swayze related and follow her on her Twitter @swayzevalentine attp s ://twitter.com/swayzecutgirl

Photo Credit: Joe Piccirillo – Joe Pic Photography.com

Photo Credit: Swayze Valentine

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 40 IS THIS SUNDAY MORNING – PRELIMS 1AM UK TIME MAIN CARD 3AM BROWN VS SILVA

HECTOR LOMBARD TALKS MICHAEL BISPING,BORING JAKE SHIELDS AND BOXER ADRIEN BRONER

One day soon, I want to go back to Middleweight division to cause some damage and prove I can do better at that weight

Last year, August to be precise when I called the phone number Hector Lombard had given me, I did not know what to expect, that’s me being sceptical of anyone, not just for the fact that it was UFC Welterweight Hector Lombard who is known for his straight talking, and honesty. He was in fact in the middle of getting his car washed and quite happy to talk about his upcoming fight on UFC 166.

This time though it was fight week, for UFC 171, Monday afternoon 3pm in Florida to be exact and 7pm here in the United Kingdom, something I don’t usually do is contact a fighter for an interview on fight week, but Hector was more than obliging so I dialled his number.

Hector was in good spirits, the only problem I was having was with technical issues my end, of all days, it had to be today which at times made our conversation a little hard, but all in all, considering it was fight week and Hector would be flying to Dallas for UFC 171 in the next day. Hector was a pleasure to interview and his honest usual self.

I would like to thank Hector for taking time out his busy schedule especially on fight week for this Interview.

EB.Now that you are at welterweight, how are you feeling having had previous long thoughts about dropping to the Welterweight Division?

HL. Now that I am at 170lb, I am feeling great. I am a lot faster, which will just add more danger in my knock out power.

EB. How has the transition gone from being a Middleweight to Welterweight?

HL. It was hard at first but you have to do what you have to do. I am finding it okay, it is a transition and it is going okay.

EB. When we last spoke, we spoke about if you were worried about losing any of your ‘explosive power, speed or cardio’ for the drop to Welterweight for the Nate Marquardt fight in which you clearly had not. What did you credit that too?

HL. I trained hard, had the right nutrition, and managed the weight cut properly. Proved I could go down to Welterweight where the UFC wants me at the minute.

EB. Have you managed to enlist the help of Mike Dolce (we spoke about trying to enlist Mike’s help in our last Interview) or have you maintained your own nutritional methods and advice of others like ‘fresh meal plan’?

HL. I have been working with Fresh meal plan since my last fight. It would have been good to work with Mike Dolce but he has been very busy with other fighters. I am happy working with Fresh Meal plan, the nutrition and diet management I get from them is working great for me.

EB. Is the Welterweight Division going to be your new home in the UFC?

HL. Yes, I suppose. I hope one day UFC let me go back to Middleweight and get some fights there, especially now that I know how to cut the weight, cut the weight properly, professionally, healthy, all the right way.

One day soon, I want to go back to Middleweight division to cause some damage and prove I can do better at that weight.

EB. You are going to be facing Jake Shields at UFC 171 on Saturday March 15th in Dallas. How did the fight come about as I do not recall either of you ‘calling one another out’ this time?

HL. No, I did not call Jake Shields out! Not many people want to face Jake Shields because he is very boring, a boring fighter and he makes fights boring. People are scared of having a bad performance in the UFC, which I did not really care about, I am quite happy beating a person like that. Jake Shields will put me on the top. I am fighting him right now that is all that matters.

EB. When we last spoke you also stated ‘you will have to go back to your old days and knock people out’. That you did to Nate Marduardt taking just 1min 48secs in Round one of your fight, do you see this happening with Jake Shields?

HL. Not many people want to fight Jake shields so I am up to the challenge. I am up for the opportunity, I am quite happy that I got the opportunity.

EB. This seems a classic ‘Grappler v Striker’ fight, what do you think Shields ‘Game plan’ will be as he is known to ‘Grind out a Decision Win’ and we know the Judges don’t tend to favour yourself when the fight ends in a decision?

I know the judges hate me. If we go to a decision, I know I have lost. Even, if Jake wins or even if he loses, the judges always give the decision to Jake, I try not to go to decision. If it goes to decision, I know I am going to lose. I will try to perform well, I will try to make it an exciting fight, because I know I have to win the fight, decision winning there is no way for me.

EB. What can the fans expect to see in this fight?

HL. I hope that it is an exciting fight this time for Jake Shields and of course, I will make it exciting as I can.

EB. Your teammate, Robbie Lawler is Headlining for the Welterweight Title on the same night against Johnny Hendricks; can I ask you for your prediction?

HL. I definitely see Robbie winning the fight especially in the later rounds. Hendricks cuts a lot of weight, for which he will not recover from and will show, he will get tired in those later rounds.

I like Robbie and hope he wins the Title for our Gym, I will be there cheering for him, supporting him, hoping to celebrate with him and hoping it is a double celebration for us both.

EB. Secondly what are your personal thoughts on teammates and friends when it comes to fighting one another, is it something you would do?

HL. I do not like to fight my Team Mates!

EB. Jake Shields is a tough opponent to finish; for this training camp is there any area that you have been working on that little bit extra to add your overall game?

HL. I have been training a lot more Jiu jitsu at the moment, as that is what Shields is known for and he uses to take all his fights to the floor! Apart from that, just sharpening up on the rest of my overall game.

EB. Is there anyone you would like to fight next?

HL. Michael Bisping. I have been asking for the fight since I have been in the UFC. He has been running away wishing me to lose so I can be out of his way and not call him out so we do not fight. I cannot wait until the day UFC gives me this opportunity to move back up to Middleweight and to fight Michael Bisping. It will be a good, exciting fight for everyone.

EB. I listened to the MMARoasted podcast. What is the story with Boxer ‘Adrien Broner’?

HL. Adrien Broner is a joke, he’s an idiot, he said ‘anyone can come to MMA and win a Title’, guess what then, why doesn’t he come to MMA and get a Title if he thinks it’s that easy, come over here to MMA, win the Title then go back to Boxing. Realistically he cannot win the belt in his own sport; he walks around as if he is a playboy, with several different women, making porno’s putting it online himself! He pisses me off!

In MMA we learn Boxing, Jiu jitsu, wrestling, we have to know so much about the sport and then do it, and then perform in front of everybody, you then get a person who only does boxing and talks all that crap!

Do not get me wrong I love boxing; I respect the sport from The Fabulous Four (Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns), Ali to Tyson. I am a big fan of the sport in general, but when you get a person that tells people, what we do is easy who does not even do the sport himself, or has trained in the sport let alone had one fight in the sport, he is talking shit, and it is embarrassing. If you are going to talk shit about my sport, back it up.

He knows where to find me, I wish one day he would grow some balls and come to my gym or I to his gym and we do a sparring session and I will show him, I will knock him out in the first round, just boxing.

EB. Is there anyone you would you like to Thank?

Fresh Meal Plan, ML Management, American Top Team, My Trainers, Coaches Hayabusa, Training Mask, Fear The Fighter, God for keeping me healthy for this fight, and The Lord Jesus Christ.

I then gave Hector my not so ‘useless’ facts about me:

When he [Hector] fought Palhares on December 15^th for which he won that was my birthday.

When he [Hector] fought Marquardt on October 19^th for which he won that was my sisters birthday.

On March 15^th when he [Hector] fights Shields that is my Sons birthday.

UFC 171takes place on Saturday March 15^{th ,} Dallas, American Airlines Center

Headlined by Johny Hendricks vs Robbie Lawler for the vacant Welterweight Title more info here

If you missed my interview last August where Hector was Open and Honest and said back then, he wanted Michael Bisping, plus much more, you can read it here

https://emmaboxinbramford.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/im-back-on-my-blog-five-rounds-with-emma-catch-up-season-one-commence-hector-lombard/

Meet Amateur Fighter Zowie-Marie Trevena – A True Pure Warrior!

Amateur Female Fighter Zowie-Marie Trevena currently works as a Personal Assistant for her niece and mother in-law to help them with everyday tasks, as they are both disabled her niece also has health problems as well as ADHD and Asperger’s she is also a self-employed beauty therapist who can work between 30-40 hours a week with both jobs. Has two children and her partner Scott lives with her, but life was not so Rosie for Zowie. Here we get to find out about whom ‘Zowie-Marie Trevena is, but first we start at the beginning.

“It just goes to show you can achieve anything you put your mind too” Zowie -Marie Trevena

EB. You are from Cornwall originally, what was it like for you growing up in what I would call a place I would go for a ‘British beach holiday’.

ZT. I was a typical tomboy. Growing up on an estate I spent most of my time playing football, building camps or riding my bike to the beach to go surfing or my favourite past time… Cliff jumping!

EB. You were also quite into your sports and very active during your teenage days. Can you tell me about what other active sports you did?

ZT. I have always participated in football, rugby, rounder’s’, gymnastics, dance just to name a few, the only thing I could not do was long distance running, but that was back then!

EB. It was not all ‘fun’ for you growing up, you went through a ‘rebellious’ stage in your life. Can you tell me a bit more about this time?

ZT. I was quite rebellious back then and always strived to be different from everyone else. Quite often, I would go home with a new piercing, tattoo, random coloured hair and some new crazy hobby!

EB. This is when you came across a love of mine as well ‘Modified Cars’, ‘Racing’, ‘Drifting’. Can you go into more detail?

ZT. I first got into modified cars when I learnt to drive in an Mk 2 Astra GTE at the age of 15, my ambition then was to get my licence and first car ASAP. Over the years I’ve had cars such as Peugeot 106 GTI’s to Nissan Skylines, Subaru Impreza’s and a few Japenese RWD cars that I used to drift or do track days in.

EB. You also came across the well-known 90’s Rave scene and went off the ‘Rails for a while’. Do you think this was due to your ‘addictive personality’ and wanting to be ‘different’ from everyone else?

ZT. When I was 16/17 I got in with a bit of a tougher crowd and started going to all night parties and raves in Plymouth and Newquay, but to be honest, some of those moments were the best days of my life. The feeling of oblivion and dancing the night away was immense… It was all about “One Love”. To be honest I do not regret any of it.

EB. In 2002, you gave birth to a gorgeous Son, then in 2004 a gorgeous Daughter. Life must have felt quiet complete for you at this moment in time, two gorgeous children?

ZT. It was after the birth of my daughter that I suffered in the hands of a physically and mentally abusive partner. I lost my confidence, my zest for life and my self-esteem. The only thing that kept me going was the children and the fact I was studying at college.

EB. Was it as this point you decided you wanted to try out kickboxing?

ZT. Yes it was. I joined WAKT (West Area Kick Thai) run by Al Oakley in Camborne Cornwall. I spent six months training at WAKT and during that time, I met and married a soldier, which meant I moved from Cornwall to Hampshire. I wanted to continue my love for kickboxing and joined Impact Martial Arts run by Wayne Timlin. I spent 3/4 years training with them and was only two belts away from black belt before yet another disaster struck.

EB. Can you elaborate about this time in your life?

ZT. My marriage crumbled and my children and I found ourselves homeless.

For some reason, I had a gut feeling to move to Devizes in Wiltshire; to this day, I cannot explain it other than it felt right. It meant moving to an area where we had no family or friends, I had to change my job, the children had to move schools. It was a very hard and depressing time. However, it also gave me time to reflect on my life choices, the way I treated others, and a chance to put my children first before anyone else, including myself.

EB. You joined a new martial arts club, how was that?

ZT. I joined a local martial arts school, made new friends, my children also joined and we trained together. I then progressed to an instructor I’d already won gold and silver medals in the national and southern championships, however, I did not believe in the ethics of the club so left and joined Revolution Gym in Trowbridge which is run by my now coach Scott Clist.

EB. What changed for you being at Revolution Gym?

ZT. It is here that I began to think about fighting, and felt that even though I was 30 I had more to give. What also spurred me on was my ex said I would never be good enough to fight! Scott Clist is my coach at Revs, I joined Revs as the atmosphere was more relaxed and I could be who I wanted to be. Scott, has actively encouraged me to push myself, and never allows any self-doubt! Being part of Revs is like having an extended family! Sometimes with the hard training he gives us, it is nice to know you are not the only one vomiting at the end of a session!

EB. Sunday February 3^rd 2013 was a huge achievement for you, can you tell me why?

ZT. I entered my first inter club, at Spartans, then in May 2013 I had my first K1 fight, and then I fought K1 again in August 2013 again.

EB. You have another fight coming up this Saturday February 22^nd at Ulitmate lmpact Cagefighting 11, GL1 Leisure Centre in Gloucester against Lea Fendt, do you know much about your opponent?

ZT. I believe Lea, is trained by David Willmot, who has a fantastic reputation, so I expect my opponent to be tough! However, I am ready I have been training hard It has not been easy between working, running a home and spending time with my kids, but my partner and kids have been very understanding and a great support!

EB. The fight also co-insides the day before your 32^nd birthday, how excited are you about this?

ZT. Pretty excited about fighting on my birthday. I Could not ask better people to spend it with. I have made many friends through fighting; these are people I admire and respect.

EB. You have a female fighter that you really look up to as your ‘Hero’ can you share this with us?

ZT. My hero is ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings, she is also a mum of two who has overcome a Domestic Violent relationship. She has fought in the Invicta championships and has now signed to UFC in the straw weight women’s division. It just goes to show you can achieve anything you put your mind too!

EB. Anyone you would like to Thank.

ZT. I’d like to thank my coach Scott Clist, the guys and gals at Spartans Gym for the additional training, Marc Smith at Pure Warrior for his support and last but not least, my partner Scott and my children. Without their support and understanding I wouldn’t be able to train so much. Oh and I’d like to thank my training partner and corner “man” Polly Beauchamp for teaching me to push past those barriers!

Quick Fun Questions

EB. Favourite Food?

Got to be a Cornish Pasty!

EB. What song are you usually singing in the shower/bath?

You will never catch me singing… I’ll leave that to my daughter!

EB. Most inspirational person?

There isn’t one person who particularly inspires me… I seem to admire many people for different reasons.

EB. Dream Car?

If I could have my dream car … It would be an Skyline R32 GTS-T , I love my old skool jap turbos!

I would like to thank Zowie for her time given to myself to do this Interview. Thank you.

FULL FIGHT CARD

Tommy Cook v Leighthan Benskin MW Title
Laura Handy v Anya Baker k1 title eliminator
Terry Doyle v Ryan Legge
Chris Astley v Toby Harman
Shane Riley v Jamie Richardson
Mark Finney v Karl Evans

Undercard:
Sammy Donnelly v Helen J. Harper k1
Aman Sakhizadeh vs Michael Jones
Matthew Kaufman v Steve Smith k1
Matt Sansom v Matt Harthill k1
Paulina Malina v Katie Elkova k1
Daryl Grant v Euan Wallace
Jay Grazier v Matt Michal Figlak
Lea Fendt v Zowie Trevena k1
Jack Shore v Jack Machete Price

VENUE GL1 Leisure Centre, Bruton Way, Gloucester, GL1 1DT

FEBRUARY 22nd 2014

Doors open at 5pm, first fight 5.30pm

Afterparty: Liquid Nightclub, Gloucester (next door)

TICKETS

Standard Seats £25.00

Ultimate Impact Cagefighting 11 VIP Table

V.I.P Table £360.00

Tickets still available click on the link below

http://www.ultimateimpactevents.com/index.php/mma/events/ultimate-impact-11

Photo credit: Zowie-Marie Trevena, Emma Bramford, Esther Lin and Steve Dyer, Ultimate Impact Events.

Revisiting Season One.. Episode Ten.. Mark ‘The Hand Of’ Godbeer

It will be one year ago to the day on October 5th that Mark Godbeer was due to make his Bellator debut against Ron Sparks, but a Career threatening injury kept his debut waiting. I spoke to Mark about his injury, training and his Debut Bellator Main Event fight against Cheick Kongo one year on.

Keeping myself involved in MMA kept me going.

EB. You have not always been a heavyweight fighter have you?

MG. Early on in my amateur career I was a heavyweight fighter. I also had a few catch weight fights then I started cutting and cutting and dropped down to light heavy then went back up to heavyweight.

EB. We saw your first Pro fight at Heavyweight for the promotion BAMMA 9 back in March 2012, when you fought Catlin Zmarandescu, where you picked up a win in the first round due to TKO (corner stoppage). How was it for you stepping up in weight and gaining the all-important win in the new weight division?

MG. It was great. After coming of a loss at my previous weight division of Light Heavyweight to Anthony Taylor, I felt that I was really cautious in that fight but I kept my cool, picked my shots and got the job done, so to get the Win was great it all paid off.

EB. Was it your intention to move up to Heavyweight for a few fights before Bellator came knocking, or was it a choice made with you and your coach to move up a weight division way before thinking anything big was coming your way?

MG. After my last weight cut at light heavyweight I felt I was skinny as a rake, you see the likes of Max Nunes, they are big and they have a lot of muscle; I also being of a certain age was finding it a bit harder to cut those last few pounds so I had decided it was time to go back to my old days to Heavyweight. I talked it over with my manager and he agreed, but I am still today walking around at 240-242llb.

EB. You train out of Trojan Free Fighters in Cheltenham which is home to a lot of great UK & European talent and it is safe to say it is firmly putting their name on the Map. What helps make Trojan Free Fighters one of the best contended gyms to be a part of today in producing top athletes such as yourself?

MG. Trainers without a doubt Paul Sutherland is one of the best coaches the UK have to offer. Team bonding, there are no egos in the gym, everyone pushes each other and all so competitive, everyone helps one another, were like a family unit.

EB. How did your fighting nickname ‘The Hand of’ come about?

MG. It’s ‘The Hand’ I just tied the rest of it into my name, but after my first professional fight against Sam Hooker a couple of my friends started to call to me ‘The Hand’ after seeing the fight that I landed a couple of monstrous right hands and it’s been that ever since.

EB. You were due to make your Bellator Debut back on October 5th 2012 against Ron Sparks, but due to a career threatening Neck and Back Injury you had to withdraw, how did this injury occur?

MG. I was driving home from wrestling training when I had real bad pains in my neck. I then lost complete feeling in my hand and was rushed in for an emergency MRI, then rushed in for an emergency operation. I cannot pin point how as such it occurred, just accumulation of training which did result in a crack in my vertebrae and herniating the disc.

EB. Going from an all-time Career high, being signed to one of the best organisations in the world Bellator, then to have to deal with something that could off quite easily been the end of everything you had worked so hard for, how was it in those months after your injury for you?

MG. Horrible, worst time of my life, I was depressed. I became reliant on painkillers for a brief time it was a real horrible part of my life. I could not do nothing for six months, for five of those months I was in a neck brace. Going from training every day to doing nothing it really got to me as everything I liked doing before I was unable to do, to make matters worse when I had my operation that went wrong so I had to end up having another one!

EB. What kept you going through the darkest days to motivate you, to give you strength and determination, when at some points you could off quite easily given up?

MG. After the initial six months I just couldn’t sit around and do nothing anymore so I started teaching at one of the local clubs, although I could not join in, I was still part of the MMA community, it then progressed from there. I decided to put all my effort and energy into opening my own club in my home town of Brigwater, Sommerset, keeping myself involved in MMA kept me going.

EB. It was announced on Sunday September 9th that you are making your long awaited Debut for Bellator on 4th October against ex UFC Heavyweight fighter Cheick Kongo, not a bad start to Bellator 102, what do you think? (I’m smiling)

MG. It’s a great fight, great main event, and exposure but Bellator know what they are doing. A lot of people have already wrote me off, he is just another man, forget about his UFC career, forget who he has fought, look at him as a fighter, I know I can truly beat him.

EB. Does it usually bother you, who your opponent is when it’s been decided on a fight for you (obviously you agree to the fight as well as your coaches and management team), or is it just a case of getting on with the job in front of you?

MG. I’m at the level now where we don’t turn down fights, we are there to be tested and that’s the good thing with Paul Sutherland we’re professional fighters and if the fight is there we will fight who is put in front of us.

EB. Being out for 18months, does that bother you mentally? Will there be any ‘cage rust’ so say when you step into the cage to face Cheick Kongo? Or will Head Coach, Paul Sutherland will have made sure you have been prepared for this fight 100%, facing the famous ‘Meat Day’ sessions full on every Sunday to make sure you are prepared?

MG. Without a doubt I am ready for this fight, I don’t believe in the term ‘Ring Rust’, the nerves are different on fight day which are good nerves. If I have prepared for every situation in the gym and had the right training for this fight (for which I have), then I am not going to be shocked. I’ve been in with some big guys over my fight career so far and I know what to expect.

EB. You bring an astonishing record of 8-1 into the cage and not only that but you have also never seen the third round in any of your 9 professional fights with 6 of them coming via TKO/KO which again is also impressive. How are you going about preparing for what I imagine is your biggest challenge to date as in Cheick Kongo?

MG. It is going to be the biggest fight of my life, but I cannot look at this fight as it’s ‘Cheick Kongo’ I am looking at it as he is another man who has hole’s in his game and I will exploit them, also being prepared for his strong points, as there will be times when he will be stronger, but also times when I will be stronger.

EB. Although a lot of people would only be looking at your opponent’s name and career record which is 18-8-2 and then looking at your name and career record 8-1, they probably won’t be looking at the bigger picture, which is when you actually break down Cheick Kongo’s win’s, his KO win is 10 and submission is 3, put that together with yours, KO wins 6, submission 2, I call this a very even fight, what can Bellator fans expect to see on October 4th?

MG. It will be an entertaining fight, we have very similar styles, take away his name, who he has fought, look at our styles and how we have fought, we are similar. The fans will get an entertaining fight.

EB. Anyone you would like to thank?

MG. Pound Out, Sci Max, Rolling Big Power, Lexani, Club Rio Brigwater, Smuggling Dudds, Paul Sutherland, all my team mates, coaches, Trojan free fighters.

5 Quick FUN Questions

EB. If you could change 1 rule in MMA what would it be?

When they purposely put their hand down to stop a knee coming

EB. Favourite International Fighter?

Dan Henderson

EB. Favourtie Food?

Anything – I’m a heavyweight now!

EB. What song do you usually sing in the shower?

A bit of Neil Diamond

Mark is fighting live in the Bellator 102 series on Friday October 4th visit http://www.spike.com for more information.

Photo courtesy of Huw Fairclough (c) Short & Round

Revisiting Season One.. Episode Nine.. Faisel Ghazghazi

In early September 2013 I spoke with Faisel Ghazghazi, you maybe thinking who but this interview will leave you wanting to know more.

‘Training has allowed me to find the real Faisel and understand who and what I am about’.

Faisel Ghazghazi admits life is not easy. Growing up on the wrong side of the Law, he finally turned to Martial Arts to keep fit and to stay out of trouble. Little did he know he would enjoy the sport as much as he has done. After turning pro on 7th September 2013 I talked to him about his past, present and future.

EB.Tell me a bit about yourself?

FG. I am 31 years old. I have only been training in MMA around 18 months. I wanted to simply find something that would keep me fit, introduce me to some new people and help me stay out of trouble.

I decided to go pro as I wanted to have a career in something I enjoy doing although it would be great if I could make a living so I could look after my son Diesel.

EB. You mentioned you wanted something to keep you out of trouble, can you just briefly explain what you mean by that?

FG.I started drinking alcohol at the age of 12, by 15 I was drinking heavily every day, which lead to me dabbling with substances, mainly speed and cannabis. Being high helped me cope with the stress I was under and I got into a lot of trouble, with the end result which was my freedom, I ended up in prison.

EB. Do you now feel, that having that time to reflect, it has taught you a lot about yourself?

FG. I know that if I pick up another drink it wouldn’t be long before my old behaviour slipped back in and I started getting into trouble again, so upon my release I knew I really wanted something to help with my confidence and I was introduced to Arthur Meek who has years of experience training fighters, he also has a unique ability to relate and gain the respect of troubled guys like myself.

I don’t go around creating victims anymore, now I’m helping young guys who have similar backgrounds to myself, helping them to stay on the right track. I believe that training has allowed me to find the real Faisel and understand who and what I am about.

EB. You do voluntary work at YMCA in Bridgwater, can you tell me a bit more about this and what it means to you?

FG. The work I do with kids is a constant reminder that prison is only around the corner if I choose to drink, take drugs or return to my old offending behaviours. I work very hard to maintain a good self-esteem by helping others and I am always thinking about them rather than myself.

I want to give back to the community and the aim of the programme I run which is called BoxFit is to help guys boost their self-esteem, reduce offending behaviour, encourage team work, discipline and channel their energy and aggression in a positive way. My classes are disciplined and the guys do work but they also feel that they are ‘someone’ and know that they can come to me with any issue as I have their best interests at heart.

EB. Tell me about where you train out of and the club and what it means to you?

FG. I train out of All or Nothing Gym in Bridgwater, my coach is Arthur Meeks, it is what it is really, All or Nothing.

MMA showed me there is another way to live, I could never have dreamed of having the support that I have from the guys at All Or Nothing Gym they genuinely want me to do well and all put themselves out to help me get to where I need to be, if it wasn’t for martial arts I would be back in prison for sure, I would not have the success that I have had and would seriously lack that discipline and drive that I now have and crave.

EB. You have a very short but impressive Amateur record, can you tell me about it?

FG. Its four Wins one NC one DQ. I am unbeaten in the cage, having only started my Amateur career back in August 2012 it feels great to have had six fights and to be fighting regularly but also to be unbeaten in the cage.

EB. You recently made your Pro Debut on September 7th which saw you win in 44 seconds of Round one, did this go as planned?

FG. Yes, I was straight in there, got the all-important Win on my Pro Debut, although the fight was stopped by the Doctor due to my opponent sustaining a cut above his eye, but props to my opponent as he was fighting a good fight.

EB. Your next fight happens to be in my hometown of Swindon on October 5th against Phil Wells, do you know much of your opponent?

FG. I’ve seen a couple of his fights on you tube but have not really watched a lot, I tend to let my team do that and I concentrate on what they tell me do and get on with the job in hand, which is fighting.

EB. How are you expecting the fight to go?

FG. I will expect the un-expected but it will be G-Man for the win.

EB. How did you get your nickname ‘G-Man’ and what does it stand for?

FG. After one of my fights one of my friends said to me “Good fight G-Man” and it has stuck ever since, so unfortunately no big story to the name or what it stands for!

EB. Anyone you would like to thank?

FG. Trainers Arthur Meek, Richard Weatherall, Tattoo man Scott Thomas, Photographers Christian Dalton and Peter Huish, my son Diesel for giving me the drive to keep going and team mates at All or Nothing in Bridgwater.

Faisel’G-Man’Ghazghazi is fighting on October 5th against Phil Wells at the CAGED Event Swindon M.E.C.A Tickets are £20 and VIP £40 full details http://www.swindontickets.co.uk

Photo (c) D J Welsh Photography

Season One.. Episode Eight.. Female UFC Fighter Rosi Sexton

Before making history as the UFC’s first ever female fight to happen in Europe and UK. I caught up with UK MMA pioneer and Cambridge graduate Dr Rosi Sexton ahead of UFC® MANCHESTER back in September 2013.

EB. You’re a pioneer for women’s UKMMA, starting your professional career back in 2002.Was it ever in your own thoughts that one day women would be in the UFC and you would be here in the UFC representing the UK now?

RS. I always thought it would happen one day. I think early on I hoped it would happen in time for me, but as the time went on I kind of gave up hope it was going to happen to me a few years ago as it wasn’t looking very likely, then the first women’s fight came around very quick, it happened very fast with the Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche fight and a lot of opportunities opened up and took me by surprise it wasn’t something I anticipated, but embraced it.

EB. Having said that if the UFC were an option back in your earlier career, would you have also taken the opportunity back then?

RS. I’m in a better position now and the division is better on a whole as it’s a lot more competitive, to be honest it happened just at the right time.

EB. How close were you to throwing in the towel and hanging up this side of your career before being signed to UFC?

RS. You have to remember no Professional athlete goes on forever and I didn’t actually say I had retired from the sport; I had reached a stage where I had done most of what I wanted too, and also it was getting difficult to justify the financial terms that go hand in hand with the sport, along with being a single parent to my son, I guess you can say I was just waiting for a bigger opportunity whatever that may have been, and for me, thankfully it was the UFC.

EB. Can you talk me through your feelings, emotions and pressures of being the UK’s sole Female representative in the UFC; fighting in the UK on October 26^th in Manchester which is also the UFC’s first ever female fight to happen in Europe and UK in your home town?

RS. Very excited as it is huge. It will be the first women’s UFC fight in Europe, and I will be fighting in my home town for the first time in my whole fighting career. There will be pressure, but I feel it will be a kind of good pressure and I will rise to the occasion.

EB. How easy has it been to get back into training on the back of your loss to Alexis Davis? Can you talk me through the fight and your own opinion of your performance?

RS. It was a good fight, very competitive, good performance. I could have done better and some things cost me the fight. A lot of people were expecting me to get beaten before I went into the fight, no one was talking about me before the fight, they were all talking about Ronda Rousey and how Alexis Davies would walk right through me, but she didn’t. I think she did win it, but it was really close, I was pleased with what I did, not satisfied, pleased. If I could do again I would.

EB. It is no secret this is not your usual fighting weight division, but when an opportunity such as the UFC comes knocking on your door (when you have been a UK MMA pioneer in the sport for just over 10 years, you’re not going to turn it down) – How are you finding the higher weight division?

RS. Good question, 125lb is my best weight class, 135lb I would say I am a bit on the small side but I will give any 135lber a good run for their money in this division , win or lose they will know they have been in a fight when faced against me. Jessica Andrade is a good fight and we have similar styles, I belong in this weight class, I am strong at this weight, I can hang with the other girls; other girls are bigger, that maybe a factor, it depends on the individual, I have upped my game slightly as I cannot rely solely to power through in this weight division.

There are some good fun fights for me in this division, having just recently fought and in my own opinion held my own against the worlds ranked #4 or #5, I belong in this weight class and of course on the flip side I am enjoying being able to eat more. (Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream).

EB. How is your training camp going for this fight? Are you implementing anything new into your training schedule or is it a case of drilling everything you know?

RS. Going real well, had a good week, feeling sharp, have great training partners in flyweights, bantamweights at Next Generation. I’m currently training with a World class Olympic Judo athlete Sophie Cox, who is very solid and has dangerous throws. I am very fortunate in that I also have Laura Howarth helping me out, who has a great striking background. Come October 26^th you will see a better version of me.

EB. Now that the sport is evolving and there are more females, how has this helped you and is helping you in your current training as I’ve seen you’ve got the likes of Laura Howarth and Sophie Cox training with you? It must be nice to mix things up and have females involved in a training camp?

RS. It is important to have men, having always trained a lot with men, women are also important, they are different in a whole other way, which is also a whole other question as they really go at you, it is great to have a mix, you can judge where you are at with the females as in size and strength; both females are great to work with as previously mentioned, Sophie is a World class Olympian and Laura comes from a great striking background with a great future ahead of her.

EB. What are your thoughts on the current season of TUF18 with it being a mixed household?

RS. It’s interesting, I’m not up to date as I’ve been training but what I’ve heard is that it is going well, people are talking about it, the women are great and are serious athletes. The women’s fights are great and this is what needs to be showcased for people who are not familiar with women in the sport.

EB. What can the fans expect to see come October 26^th at The Phones 4U Arena in Manchester?

RS. Exciting, fast paced fight, with fast paced rounds, combining powerful striking, good grappling; from what I see Jessica also has a strong background in Judo with some Jiu Jitsu skills; she is a dangerous fighter and if you’re not ready for her intensity she can catch you out, but I am ready.

EB. How did you get into MMA? I heard that you watched a TV documentary and was hooked from there?

RS. (Laughs) I was watching a TV documentary back in 1999 which had UK Pioneer Leigh Remedios in and now recently retired ex – UFC veteran Ian Freeman, I thought I wanted to do that, little did I know where it would lead to and that I would end up being the first UK female fighter in the UFC.

EB. Besides the fact that you are on the Manchester card, which fights in particular have caught your eye and you are looking forward to watching?

RS. Michael Bisping Vs Mark Munoz, Ross Pearson Vs Melvin Guillard and of course my fellow midget Phil Harris, all the fights have great UK talent on them.

EB. Anyone you would like to Thank?

RS. My team coaches Paul Williams, Danny Rimmer, Steve Campbell, Mike Leng my Nutrition coach, PhD Nutrition, Funky Gums, Ainsley Fry, Global Therapy for keeping me in one piece, Strength and Performance gym, Rev Gear and Next Generation Gym.

Rosi Sexton takes on Jessica Andrade at The Phones 4U Arena in Manchester on 26^th October. Tickets for UFC® MANCHESTER 2013: BISPING vs. MUNOZ are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.phones4uarena.co.uk.

This interview went to print before it was announced Michael Bisping had to withdraw from the event, therefore Lyoto Machida replaced him to face Mark Munoz.

Season One.. Episode seven..Jorge ‘Michelan’ Bezerra

With his BAMMA World Middleweight Title fight against Scott Askham being tomorrow night (September 14th), I managed to catch up with Jorge ‘Michelan’ Bezerra at London Fight Factory for a brief chat about it.

Everyone knows that my greatest weapon is my jiu jitsu I can now show the true value of jiu jitsu ,what I learned from the Master Leo Vieira’

EB: You’re managed by U I Management who manage a whole host of predominantly UK-based fighter’s such as Che Mills, Mark Godbeer and Matt Ewin who are a little more ‘known’ to us here, how did UI Management and yourself first become involved?

JB: A friend of mine, Mauro Chimento who is also managed by U I Management who are affiliated with Checkmat BJJ here where I train in Sao Paulo, mentioned it to me so to cut a long story short I am now managed by U I Management. It is a great pleasure and I am very happy to represent them. It is the start of a great working relationship together.

EB: Growing up in Brazil was not easy for you, yet alone trying to gain a MMA career for yourself. How does it feel for you to be fighting in Europe and gaining more recognition?

JB: Growing up in Brazil I come from a humble family and my childhood was as normal as it could be, with thanks to God as a saviour. I started Jiu jitsu and Karate at a young age then I was introduced to MMA, for which I have never looked back on. It is really good to see that I am finally making my way and name over here in Europe.

EB: You began your professional fighting career as a Welterweight fighter and went to Middleweight in April 2012. What made you decide to move up a weight division?

JB: In Brazil I have fought in almost, all of the divisions, but now I have found the correct division for me that suit’s me a lot better, to my natural height and build. I feel this is the right move for me in this division.

EB: You hold a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Leo Vieira, an impressive record of 18-9, it’s no wonder you’re fighting on BAMMA 13 against Scott Askham for the Middleweight World Title bout. How much do you know about the unbeaten Scott Askham?

JB: Scott Askham is a very dangerous athlete, he has a very strong striking power with his knees and kicks, also some Jiu Jitsu skills but he is standing out too much here in Europe at the minute and we will make this a good fight. I’m the biggest black belt of all time in jiu jitsu, thank God for all these years, I can now show the true value of jiu jitsu I learned from the Master Leo Vieira, my record speaks for itself and it’s the result of good jiu jitsu I learned.

EB: Having had 27 professional career fights to date, you have only seen the third round six times (last time was back in 2009) most of your wins have come by way of submission, 16 to be exact, is it safe to say that the ground game is second nature to you?

JB: Although predominately, yes I am a BJJ specialist, I train for every aspect in this sport but the ground game is as you would say is second nature to me.

I have trained and workout a lot to be a champion . I have my failures and limitations as do all athletes, but I ‘m trying to evolve in all areas. Everyone knows that the greatest weapon is my jiu jitsu, people avoid falling into my game, so I’m trying to evolve in everything else.

EB: Scott Askham complimented you on your BJJ skills in a recent interview he did and also hinted he would stand and trade with you, this said though, in his last fight with Jack Marshman he also stated he would stand and trade, but this did not happen, do you feel this could just be part of his “Game Plan”?

JB: I am not worried about his Game Plan, I will concentrate on what I have come here to do and that is to put on a great fight for you fans and of course to win the fight by whatever way I can.

EB: How do you feel now that your fight has been moved from the Prelims to the Main Card on BAMMA 13?
JM:I am training for everything for this fight. I am very well prepared and I will embrace the opportunity that BAMMA is giving me to be able to make the main event card, it is a great opportunity, I truly am thankful.

EB: How did you get your nickname ‘Michelan’ and what does it mean?

JB: When I started training with Leo he had some people who loved giving nicknames to people , and I was chubby, so he began to call me by the name ‘Michelan’ I looked the Toy spreading the ‘Michelan’ tyre brand so that nickname stuck with me, and now they call me ‘Michelan’ for more than 10 years.

EB: Being the “away” fighter, what impact if any does that have on you?

JB: I don’t feel it has an impact on me as such, it just makes for a more interesting fight, one person always has to come out to be the not so favourite one I guess.

EB: What can BAMMA fans expect to see on Saturday 14th September?

JB: All the fans, whether they are supporting me or Askham, can expect a very busy, full night of action, I like my fights to be fast paced and ready from the off, I will give a great show come fight night.

EB: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

JB: Yes I would like to thank my many Sponsors, Paul Sutherland and Dan Richards for they’re giving me the greatest strength.

5 Quick fun Questions

If you could change 1 rule in MMA what would it be?
I would have Pride rules back, because those rules do not favour anyone, the time of the pride days was so much better.

Favourite Food?

I love Japanese food, and Italian

Walk Out Music?

I ‘m evangelical, and like to hear praises to Christ.
Favourite UK Fighter?

Paul Daley

If you held a dinner party and could invite 3 guests past or present, who would it be and why?

You may call me crazy, Call God the Creator of the universe and our lives , Jesus Christ, who gave his own life for love , and the Holy Spirit. I would gather all 3 and be very Blessed… Jesus Christ loves you!

Season One.. Episode six.. Lew Long

Ahead of his bout on Cage Warriors 59, I caught up with Lew Long, and here is what we talked about.

EB: Your last fight for Cage Warriors was at The Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, against Mark Glover, which was great to watch, we got to see a different Lew, more focused and not getting drawn into Mark’s own game plan that night, what was your own personal highlight from that fight?

LL: Probably my head movement, I felt like something out of the Matrix!

EB: In your last fight with Mark Glover you said

“I can take a fight anywhere, but I knew he wanted to stand, so I decided to showcase what I’ve been working on.”

Was this in reference, to you working with ‘The Locket Man’ Gary Locket?

LL: I’ve always been a striker, Glover gave me the freedom of me not having to worry about defending the take down so I can use what Gary has worked on.

EB: This is will be your third outing under the Cage Warriors promotion and also your third time fighting on home soil. Do you consider yourself pretty lucky to be still having the home crowd advantage?

LL: Almost all my other fights have been fought in Wales, I love fighting in Wales, what fighter does not like having a home advantage!

EB: You will be facing Tommy Maguire on September 14^th at The Motorpoint arena, Cardiff for Cage Warriors 59. Would you say this is your hardest fight to date?

LL: Don’t know, haven’t fought him yet, but if i win it would be my biggest scalp, if that’s what you mean!

EB: Is there anything different that you are implementing into this training camp for Tommy Maguire or are you just training like you usually would?

LL: My BJJ coach Rob Tylor just got his black belt, that’s the only thing that has changed really. Congrats Rob.

EB: Coming from a Judo and Wrestling background, do you feel this puts in a good position to showcase your ground skills with Tommy Maguire?

LL: Depends if he can take me down; Judo and wrestling techniques are usually fought from standing and the clinch, so if he can’t take me down I highly doubt that you will see my ground skills.

EB: What can the fans expect to see on the night?

LL: Twelve+ fantastic fights, Featherweight Title Fight, Four man bantamweight tournament to decide the new champion and myself of course.

EB: Anyone you would like to thank?

LL: No, I always forget someone and they always complain, they can f**k off this time.

5 Quick questions

If you could change 1 rule in MMA what would it be?

I’d love to be able to head butt.

Favourite International Fighter

Chael Sonnen

Walk out music

Depends how I feel on the day

Favourite Food

Chinese

If you were to hold a dinner party and invited 3 guests past or present, who would you invite and why?

Two is company three is a crowd, I eat alone!

Photo Credit (c) Huw Fairclough

Last post for 2013 – A lot of Thank You’s and some pictures :)

It’s been a challenging year for me but I wouldn’t change it for one second, after all I got to do what so many of you still want to do and I have achieved all of it in the six months that I started this harsh challenge – which fell into my lap purely by coincidence (you will have to refer back to my very first blog read about that one)!

I will however give a big shout out to the person who got me started not only in writing my own blog but who introduced me to what I currently do, and that is Jonathan Millard, for whom I am forever grateful to.

What alot of people, more than likely do not know about me, is that I have been in the ‘combat sport industry’ for just over 20 years now, so I have legitmately worked my way up the ladder – although, it’s fine for you to believe whatever you choose to believe, I personally don’t give a shit, again those that really know me, know that also!

I got to cover local grass root shows, which to me I have always been a great fan of and will always take time out of my schedule to go cover them as much as I can, I covered Pain Pit 3 times, Ultimate Impact, Into The Cage, Neilson Promotions White Collar Boxing then I also covered Cage Warriors, BAMMA and UFC Manchester, not bad even if I do say so myself!

Then a great event happend for UKMMA – The UKMMA Expo in Manchester and I got to be part of the only Media Team that had Access All Areas and when I say that, I truly mean that; not like all the other Media people that came in, the team I was with we were set up in the ‘Green Room’ with all our equipment and at one point their was one great surreal moment that I for one will never ever forget 🙂

It was a great run event by Darren Sherlock and Paul Crossley and of course Darren’s wife Michelle, all timed perefectly for when Michael Bisping would be in the UK, Manchester as it happens (his own town) and just after being announced he would be facing Mark Munoz, here also in Manchester in October (unfortuntaly due to Michael needing eye surgery he was forced to withdraw from the bout and Lyoto Machida replaced him)!

There were UFC athletes, Guest athletes, Guest speakers, Seminars to train with some of the Guest athletes and stalls for the MMA community to come together and show there products of to the public; also there was the stall for SAFE MMA – for which I personally went over to Izzy Carnwath and spoke to her to see SAFE MMA was all about, how promotions could get involved and WHY they should. I had such a better understanding afterwards.

Here is mine and Izzy’s SAFE MMA interview we also talk BAMMA 13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBGFMXpvdHE

There was also a big NoGi BJJ competiton on, running throughout the Sunday which was awesome and six females took part amongst the hundreds of men.

At the show I managed to Video Interview (yes that was a very first for me) The Legend Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman straight after his MMA Seminar – let me tell you know this guy is 100% gentleman when talking to him, Ian made my first video interview effortless (well I thought) 🙂

Here is mine and Ian’s interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLO5WYrGcCM

I would however like to say a very big thank you to all the athlete’s I have worked with (so far) without you giving up your time I would not of had your stories/journeys to write about and some very memorable moments to say the least, so in list of when they were interviewed here they all are:

Leigh Remedios

Alexei Roberts

Mario Saeed

War Machine

‘Rowdy’ Bec Hyatt

Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman

Hector Lombard

Colin ‘Freakshow’ Fletcher

Bryony Tyrell

Aaron ‘Smackwell’ Blackwell

Jack ‘The Hammer’ Marshman

Lew Long

Jorge ‘Michelan’ Bezerra

Rosi Sexton

Faisel Ghazghazi

Mark ‘The hand of’ Godbeer

Lauren Murphy

And of course it would not be me, if I did not add in afew pictures of me with some of the athletes I had met 🙂

Have a great New Year.

Emma

PS I’ve kept all my boxing ones out of this one but look out for it next year 🙂

Season One..Episode Five.. Jack ‘The Hammer’ Marshman

On August 31st I sat down with Jack Marshman before he headed off for cornering duties at South Wales prestigious event Pain Pit.

There will be a drop to Welterweight on the cards in the future, not this year more than likely next year I will be looking at doing that.

EB: We recently got to see you fight in Doncaster, unfortunately the decision did not go your way; firstly looking back did you personally feel that was the right decision? And secondly how was it to be fighting in an outside stadium in our unpredictable British weather?

JM:The decision was definitely a right decision; he won the rounds with his wrestling. I went into the fight thinking he was coming to stand and I was coming to stand, as soon as I landed a straight right on him in the first round and put him down he went for the takedowns for the rest of the rounds, which fair enough he played the game really well I thought, he definitely took the decision, but it’s the type of loss I’d definitely like to avenge because I think my wrestling is much better than I showed. As for fighting outside, I didn’t know if the fight was going to go ahead, two hours before we was told it was going to rain and I wouldn’t of gone out there in the rain to be honest with you, because there was too much at stake as there was no cover for the cage, so you could imagine what would off happened if it had rained, there was no fighter safety with no cover for the cage so it spoilt the show a little bit for me.

I don’t think I could ever bring myself to sit there and not try and finish a fight, that’s not what I am about, that’s not why I do this game; it’s to fight and to see who is the best fighter, not who can give the best ‘cuddles’!

EB: You’re returning to BAMMA 13 on September 14^th to face Ion Pascu, a Romanian fighter who has recently fought on UCMMA 33 and UWC 23, do you know much about Ion?

JM: I know a little bit about him, I know he is from a kickboxing background, he is from Valentino Petrescu gym which is predominantly stand up fighters, I’ve seen a couple of bits of him on video, I’ve not studied him too much, I’m just going to do what I’m going to do, not what he’s going to do, I know his record, he’s got some wins against some guys that are not really rated, and some losses against some really good guys, so a guy like that is hard to judge really, because he’s lost too good guys, but been beaten too good guys, so you don’t really know where he is at level wise, but I’m confident I will be a bit too much for him.

EB: It is safe to say that you are a BAMMA fan favourite, having appeared on BAMMA since show 7 through to 11 and now back at 13, what can the fans expect from you this time around after the great performance at BAMMA 11, how do you top that?

JM: I’ve had a hard time fighting in Birmingham, the Noon fight was Birmingham, I won but I got beat up pretty bad, Watson and Professor X both were real hard fights and I did not come away with those decisions, but I have always had a good scrap there, I have been the distance there, I think you will see the same again but with me definitely coming out on top like it was against Noon.

EB: You train out of arguably one of the best MMA gyms to come out of the valleys in South Wales, Tillery Combat, owned and run by Richard ‘Shaky’ Shore, what do you think makes the gym so respected and having high calibre of fighters such as yourself come out of the gym?

JM: We come from a tough area in Abertillery, high in drugs crime, general crime and no jobs , it seems that naturally it generates tougher fighters, as you are brought up tougher; like me and Martin McDonough used to be nightmares , we always used to be in trouble with the police and if it was not for Shaky, he was the one that got us out of all of that, same as a lot of the boys, same as all the young ones coming through now, the way people are brought up where we are, are tough, so when they jump up into the gym they’ve been fighting since they were kids, so they just learn how to do it properly. I think what sells the gym is the way Shaky trains people, he gets you mentally prepared and it’s like a big family at the gym and that’s on a serious note, we all get along so well it’s such a laugh and that’s what I think makes better fighters, we got a good team behind us, it’s not just one individual fighter, it’s a full team every time we go out.

EB: Is it getting any easier for you fitting in your full time day job as a serving paratrooper in the armed forces, and the training needed for a full fight camp when a fight is upon you?

JM: Recently I have moved back to Wales due to my regiment giving me time off, 3 paras give me a lot of time off now, all I have to do is some bits and bobs at work, as long as I’m representing them and I’m heading to where they want me to be I’m keeping them happy, and I’m training full time so I’m in the best place I’ve ever really been because I’m training full time , fighting regular; I’ve had 3 fights in the last 4months, and I’m hoping to get another 2 in before the end of the year, and next year I will fight every month if I can, as far as fitting in with my job for the next 2years at least I’m on to a winner as I’m in the best place I could ever be really.

EB: How do you feel the weight management is going now? Do you feel you got the right mix of the weight cut spot on or is there still some tweaking to make things go a bit more smoothly for you? (In reference to not making weight in Dec 2012 and having a hard weight cut for Askham fight).

JM: I always make the weight cut hard for myself towards the end because I like to cut quite last minute, but I make Middleweight quite easy really, the only time I ever missed weight was the BAMMA fight, to be honest, the it was to do with logistics involved, I turned up to the pre-weigh in 5mins late, and they would not let me step on the scales, and I thought I was on weight, then I had to go to the actual weigh in, I came in 1lb over, being in Wembley they gave me a postcode of a gym to go to, so I could cut the weight, bearing in mind they only give you 1 hour and the gym was 20 mins away I would not of made it there and back in time to be honest with you, so I pulled the car over and started running round the streets to lose the weight, and that is the only time I have missed weight not through anyone’s fault other than mine, I should have been earlier to check the official scales but I thought I was on weight and I felt comfortable; so definitely there will be a drop to Welterweight on the cards in the future, not this year more than likely next year I will be looking at doing that.

EB: Is there anything new in this training camp you have been working on, or is it just improving on everything that there is to improve on?

JM: Just improving, I’ve been working on so much more wrestling, from my takedown defence, if people are going to be happy to take me down and grind out a win and not actually really truly fight me, why shouldn’t I actually do it, so if I look to put someone on their back why shouldn’t I, but to be honest I don’t think I could ever bring myself to sit there and not try and finish a fight, that’s not what I am about, that’s not why I do this game; it’s to fight and to see who is the best fighter, not who can give the best ‘cuddles’!

EB: Anyone you would like to Thank?

JM: All my sponsors, Icon Nutrition, Top Ten, British Military Martial Arts, Vibram, Impact LPA, The Railway Inn, My coaches, Richard Shore, all the boys at Tillery Combat, Martin McDonough, Kris Edwards, Owen Parry, everyone that helps me get ready for my fights.

Quick Questions

If you could change one rule in MMA what would it be?

You could Tickle

Favourite food?

Pizza

If you held a dinner party and invited 3 guests past or present, who would it be and why?

The Banker from Deal or No Deal as he seems like a Top bloke, Gordon Ramsey so he can cook and Frankie Boyle because he is awesome.

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