Armand Herczeg interview

Summary

Armand Herczeg is a professional fighter who just became the FCC bantamweight champion, he speaks about his career resurgence since joining Manchester top team and it being a full circle moment having his first fight in FCC under Manchester top team,

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, once again I have. But now it's and new FCC champion, Mr. Arman Harris. We spoke about a month before the fight. The fight happened. He he laid a couple of stomps down as well. It was a fantastic victory. Um, how you feeling FCC champ? Obviously, they've got they're on fight pass. You've had such a career resurgence since obviously I seen the British MMA put it up and now those five the last is it five wins and four finishes? Six and five finishes. >> Six and five finishes. Um, yeah. How how does that feel? Not even not just about the belt, but how does it feel to go from the record you were at to this run now? How does that feel as a fighter to to to switch it around that? Well, >> um I feel like obviously moving to top team and every single thing that I achieve in my career is is obviously thanks to to Sander as well because that's where I started but it is massively thanks to Carl Prince and and Manchester top team and and and it's because as we know like I went over there one and three zero and two whatever way you want to look at it. Obviously there was the whole mix up with typology and all that but um I went over there and really really like came out of me shell as a as a person and as a fighter and because of that I'm excelling and I've reached achievements that I thought at one point when I came over I was like I wasn't well obviously in me head I always knew I wanted to get to UFC and what top team I could but also reaching these goals some it's nice to take off the box like when I first come over and fought on FCC I did want to fight for the title and and I I think I was being a bit cheeky and I was like, "Yeah, I'm going to fight for it next, but obviously it's not how it works." So, I went away free agent, fought in different places on on regional shows, on big shows and all and and then came back and fought for the title and and it was a nice little full circle moment. >> Yeah. Know, we spoke about that before that obviously that's where your first fight for top team was there and then you were going to be fighting for title and then and then to get the title then as well. And what a victory it was. It was a violent performance and a violent finish. Was the violence like because you you beat him like he owed you money basically at one step like it was it was quite emphatic. Um did his thought in the lead up to the fight is that what had you so >> like was did that play into into your emotions or into your game plan or did you just go out and do you and that's what you do? >> Nah, I think like when I'm fighting people I do want to hurt them. like it it is the heart business and if I can finish you in in a in a fashion where people go I don't want people just being like yo I was sick and that I want people being like yo that was that was ruthless that like I don't want people looking at me and like obviously if I submit Marlins or if I catch him with like a head kick and knock him out he can make excuses and that but with evidence of of two weeks ago all he can say is he got battered and and I think that's like a battered and finished as well. I wasn't like battered for three rounds and he and he or five rounds. I I punched him up for a round and a half and then I finished him. So, I think with that like you can see that like obviously there's intentions to hurt him. Maybe not give him life changing injuries, but I'm I'm in there to to actually do do damage to the guy and and hurt him and and that's just my fighting style. I think when I'm in there, I do think in positions like how what's the quickest way I can hurt you so I can finish you? I don't like want to necessarily do 25 minute rounds. I don't want to be taking damage even like out especially when I'm fighting outside the UFC. You know what I mean? So the quicker I can get through these fights and and the more violently I can finish it, the more appealing I can make it for the fans and and for obviously the UFC to see him like, "Yeah, we want him." So, I just think that way like I just think when I'm fighting people, like obviously in the gym you can't do these things, but um you can see the shots and you can memorize it and you can think about when you're in the positions, this is what I'd throw and then you just do it in the fight. I think it just comes naturally to me. >> Yeah. you know, it was a fantastic performance and obviously you won the belt as well and and one of the things about FCC is what I one of it's one of the many shows that I do like over in the UK is they're on the likes of Fight Pass and stuff within the belt there and being like you're you're you're being viewed by millions of people potentially around the world and there's more of a platform for you there for the likes of the UFC to see for their uh agents and their scouts and stuff. Um, how does it feel to become champion and and have that exposure on that platform? >> Um, right. So, I think obviously with like the UK having two shows that are fight pass shows, I think that's something that like Ireland itself is missing out on. They do need a show that has fight pass just to give some of the lads some opportunities. Whereas like because as you can see with these fight pass shows, there's people coming in from international levels. They're not fighting each other. You can build careers in that. Like I've said before, when you're doing prospect versus prospect all the time, you can end up in situations like myself where you have a negative record and you're not actually a terrible fighter or anything. It's just who you fought and and it's a game of inches, especially at the higher level with with some of these lads. But I think like being on the show, having UFC fight pass, winning the title, it's all great and and I think like even being on UFC fight pass for a main event is bigger than winning the winning the belt, I think. Um, and then fighting someone who's just come off Ultimate Fighter and someone who who's had a bit of hype around him, who Dana White has sat in a room with and and has spoke to him or heard him speak and and has obviously knows all the matchmakers know him and everything, they're always going to look back and be like, "Right, he's fighting again. Let's see what he's like. We maybe we want him on contenders if he wins a couple fights or anything." So, I know for a fact when that opportunity came, I was head first into it and it turned out how it did, which was the probably one of the best outcomes or possible on the night. But it's more the opportunity of who I was fighting and the accolades they had and the eyes on them than the title itself. Like, if I fought just some random Brazilian or some random guy from Portugal, even though it's main event, there won't be as much eyes on it. [clears throat] >> Yeah. Know, and I get that and we spoke about that. It's like when you have someone that obviously has that momentum, when you then go and beat them, especially in the fashion that you did it in as well, you then run away with that momentum and can you feel like like I said with this resurgence like you've got a white contender series as the tough and stuff like that obviously that's that's your aim. Do you think you're many more fights potentially away from that? >> Um I don't know. Obviously like I've got three losses. That's never going to look nice. obviously like seven wins, six of them in a row. Um, it's great, but it's still not I don't think it's enough fights. I think I need a few more to be 100% certain even for myself. Obviously, if the opportunity comes, I'm ready for it, but I'd rather be completely fully ready for it and and go for it, but I'm not in a rush. like um if I need to defend the belt, I'll defend it and and stuff like that and focus on getting the right opportunities and the right fights still cuz the end of the day like there's no need to rush, you know? So, we'll just um just speak with Princy mostly and see where we go from there. >> Yeah. Cuz you never know what they're looking at, who they're looking at, and when they come like you said. Although, see, that's that's one of the things I don't like about MMA. And people saying obviously like three losses isn't great, but it's not bad either, especially in MMA because there's different styles. >> Of course not. I don't think three losses is the problem. I think that it's early on my career and it's outside the UFC. That's the issue. If I have three losses in the UFC, we'll have seven wins. You're still signed to them. You're still in contract with them, especially if you're an exciting talented fighter. Whereas, I believe now I probably need a few more wins. But I think the fact that I'm on a six fight win streak is very massively in my hand of of a better position to be in. I also think like there's there's great opportunities with the UFC. Obviously Contender Series is the biggest, but that's not on for like another year. So say if I fought, I can get on to Contender Series after this fight. If I just sat around for a year, it's a bit because I have loads of momentum. So I do need to fight as well. So it's it's a bit of a weird one. And then Ultimate Fighter would be something that I might do, but also it's not going to be bantamweight again. They just did bantamweight. So, um, could be featherweight. I could easily make featherweight like six three times in six weeks. I don't know about bantamweight to be honest cuz >> that's a tough one. I say >> it's a tougher one definitely to do three times in six weeks, you know, that's like that's like a lot of cutting. But I could do it just be rough. I had to be very strict. Yeah, you you'd have to be going into there on weight and then trying to maintain it, I'd say like because in there as well. And what is it with obviously the Manchester top team? You you have Dennis who is like massive as well and at lightweight. I don't know how he makes it. Then there's you who's quite tall as well and then down to bantamweight. [snorts] What is that cut like for you? >> The cut's easy. Thankfully, I've I've got a very very good nutritionist and if it weren't for for Kelly who's helped me since I've come to the top team, I wouldn't be able to do this. Honestly, wouldn't be able to fight a bantamweight. She's an absolute genius. And like the minute I feel like something's wrong with my weight, she always like reassures me and like don't worry, next week it'll be better. And it is like she's so switched on and and like she's literally the the hidden gem that a lot of us in the gym use. And and are thankful that she works for us cuz if it weren't for Kelly, I wouldn't be making bantam weight. I made this weight cut so easily as well. Like I didn't have much weight to cut. Even though I put up a story about having 8 kilos to cut, that was more just me chatting to be honest. But I didn't have much cut much to cut. It was a big enough cut, but it weren't terrible and I made it like exactly how it was scheduled to be done. So didn't have to go over the amount of bats or wraps I've done or anything like that. So it was sweet. I weighed in 135 and then I think I was in the cage probably like 157 156. So >> yeah, I got I got back to a good weight. I was I was big. I weren't as skinny as the as the worms. >> Yeah. No, I wouldn't say so. Talk to us about cuz one of the things obviously people talk about the weight cut, but one of the most important things that if you do up it can be quite detrimental to your performance is the refueling. That's obviously you've got that spot on. Obviously the size helps as well, but if you do it poorly, it can really affect your performance. Is that something you've ever suffered with at any stage or have you always had refueling part? >> Yeah. When Well, I thought Mario Dano on a clam was was probably the worst I've ever done a refuel. I had ravioli from the hotel, a bit of pasta, but it was wild oily. Yeah. So, just my stomach up and like I was vomiting every day and everything on the night of the fight. Obviously didn't pull out. I ended up fighting, but I had a terrible performance and he was probably better than me at the time anyway. So, it probably would have been no different. But anyway, I like I was fighting at 66. I probably weighed 68 and a half when I fought him. So, I didn't refuel great. I didn't I never used to cut much weight to make the weight anyway. Probably from like 72. But, um either or I just um that was probably the worst refuel I've had. But with Kelly, like she schedules like your refuel as well, like what time to be drinking water, what time you can start eating. And like if you stick to it, usually you can't even finish all the meals or have all the meals cuz you're full. And you obviously don't go past a certain limit of being full. But with that being said, like once once you're done, like once you get to about 9:00 at night, you can kind of like really eat whatever you want cuz you're pretty refuelled and your stomach's all right. But she has everything like done out until like the fight night. Do you know what I mean? even up until like you get to the arena. Even when you're in the arena, what to eat if you want to eat something or drink, what to drink and that. So, as I said, without Kelly, these these fights wouldn't be possible. >> Yeah, it's little things like that that make a difference. What time to have, what exactly you had to cuz I've been there when people are going and they're buying their refills and they're going around the supermarket, they're like, we were in a different country as well and they're like, "Right, we need this sort of a thing, that sort of a thing." And then doing the refuel. But and especially that's interesting as well when you're at the actual show like what snacks to have or whatever to have before before you go out cuz you like you said you don't want to eat something like ravioli that's oily or something that's going to that's going to affect you and not help your performance. But >> for the rest of the year do you have any plans or or is that you done for the year and then you'll restart next year looking at getting matched again or have you anything in the works? >> I don't know. Um I honestly don't have a clue. I I would probably like to fight this year again, probably a bit later on, like December time. Um, but if something comes up sooner, then possibly I'll speak to Princey and see what what he says. But if not this year, start early next year, like January time, I just won't have Christmas dinner, I'll be all right. Like I'd rather train for a fight and and progress because if I can get a fight like around now or January time. So if I fight now, right, say if I fight in December, fight again in March. And that's what like December, March, and then there's April, May, June, July, August, September is like contenders in it. So I've got like four months so I can just chill for four months and keep getting better if I get the contenders opportunity. But just have to stay ready in it. >> Yeah. And that's the main thing is staying ready and just always cuz one of the things especially with the UFC is when those opportunities do come and knock and like usually a lot of times you've seen it is it could be like something just happens someone's pulled out is there a fighter there yeah ready to go obviously on bantamweight I'd say it would be hard to make it late no because I think Kefa Crosby got called in at late on his first on his UFC >> debut no late no is possible if I maintain my weight at the right position but um I've had a lot of issues before of getting really fat getting up to the the 78 79s to be honest and um obviously that's not accountable and that's that's me not being accountable with my own diet and that. So outside of camp I need to focus on me diet more which I've been doing this round time round. So me weight fluctuated a little bit after the fight but it's coming back down to a safe position now and then we'll just hold that and stay ready. Yeah, it's actually a question I asked someone earlier and I think Yanick McGee just put something up about it about fighters out of camp like obviously Patty Pimla is a whole another level of that that the Patty looks like he ate Patty Pimla. [laughter] Um but do you think because of the way cuts and stuff like that do you think that gives fighters a complex with foods that when you do go out of camp you just want to eat everything or is that just person specific or do you think it happens more to fighters? >> Yeah, every fighter has an eating disorder. I think everyone every one of us do. Um I think an eating disorder and even body dysmorphia. Like I can look at myself right now and be like, "Oh, I'm fat." Even though I'm not like for the average person, but because I'm always like in camp I'm super lean and that obviously with the size of me and that and and and everything. I end up like falling into this mindset of like now I'm fat and and I need to lose weight. And it's just like it's just one of them repetitive cycles. you're in camp, you feel amazing, and and your body looks sick, and then you end up not fighting, and then a week later, you're fat again, and you're like, "Fuck, I need to sort my life out." So, it's just a back and forward of that continuous, but um Kelly's helped me outside of camp now as well. So, we're going to be um making a lot of changes outside of camps that can benefit us when we get into camp. >> Yeah, cuz I I don't think fighters bring on nutritionist for camps usually, and then once the camp is over, they kind of wait and they do thing. I think it's really good and it's really responsible and accountable that you're doing it outside the camp. So basically, yeah, you can go have your food, whatever. So the couple of days after, enjoy yourself, but then kind of getting back on it because obviously like you said, if big opportunities come and knocking, you want to be in and around not far off that way. And but I want to say one thing to you, I've said it on the last one as well. Congratulations on the turnaround in your career and and how you've matured as a fighter and a person as well. It's been it's been absolutely another pleasure to talk to you again. I got to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out? And thank you for your time. >> Yeah. Um obviously shout out Manchester top team Color Prince like um Kelly as I said, George, James, my strength and conditioning coach. Um shout out to Louis Lewis, Dylan, Dane, all the boys, Alfie, everyone just for being there for me whenever like I needed. We've went through a few trials and tribulations in this camp. having the boys there and that was sick um obviously and then um yeah man I just it is what it is. We just gone through it and um that's pretty much it. And then obviously shout out to my mom and dad and my family and that they came over and supported as well. So everyone that came out and watched me um win the title got a place in my heart. So yeah, I appreciate it all. >> No problem. No problem. Now so I probably see your I see your father at the shows all the time. So I probably seen him probably in person more than you have in the last while. He's every time he sees me, he's always over. Big handshake. I absolutely love the guy. But look, thank you very much. Congratulations once again on on not just the title, the career he serves. And then like that, you can just see those the little things that you're adding to not just your game, but the stuff outside the game is then helping shape this fighter that is going to become great. You know, this whole way that is great and it's been going to become greater. So, thank you very much for your time and I will talk to you soon. No >> worries, mate. Thank you.