Daniel Thompson interview

Summary

Okay, so we have one half of the Chaos Main event here. I'd like to welcome Mr. Daniel Thompson. Uh, thank you very much for joining me. Uh, so close to the fight. I really appreciate it. It's fight week. You've been out for a long time. You're back. How does it feel? Do do…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, so we have one half of the Chaos Main event here. I'd like to welcome Mr. Daniel Thompson. Uh, thank you very much for joining me. Uh, so close to the fight. I really appreciate it. It's fight week. You've been out for a long time. You're back. How does it feel? Do do these feelings come back? Do they feel like they did before or is it a bit more because it's a professional bout? Uh, I would say I would say like get getting the rush back into getting the know the we jitters and stuff coming up in the fight week. Like that's the sort of part that I miss. Like I've always been around the fight scene even with me. Like I was always going to watch shows. I was cornering people or like just helping out throughout the clubs and things like that. But it's it's definitely uh good to have that feeling back of knowing that you're going to be competing, you know, accurate. >> Yeah. And especially on chaos because obviously uh you come from the evolved gym. currently in Limad. Both Jason and Andy will be corny on the night. So like this is a this is a home show as well. Does that mean a lot more to you? The fact that this like your main event in Chaos like any event is a big deal but especially because of where you're from. Does it mean that bit more? >> It it definitely does. Like I had my first fight on Chaos um when I was 18. I'm only 32. Um so it definitely means that we bit more. Uh especially home show, home crowd and stuff. I'm only down the road in Lavar too. show like you bring a big big crowd of ones up with me as well. So, means a lot to get on that show. And it was it was all just sort of like it kind of just snowballed like Andy mentioned it to me one time was like, you know, you're getting on about it now. If you don't do this now, you'll never do it. And I was like, go ahead. Then the next thing you know, he had me a match and I was like going chaos and it was like, okay, there's no backing out of this now. >> Yeah. No, cuz obviously you had an opponent change. Uh, we've got a very interesting character coming in. We'll talk to him shortly as well. I I I I say that's going to be a bit of crack now with the the three of us on the thing. But uh like come up to like I think I got to just from my shortterm memory here. Your gaps you fought 2014 and then there was a bit of a gap 2017 onto until now. Was there any was there injuries or was it you just kind of fell out of love with it? And and what made you want to come back and compete? Because >> you've been in there. It's not easy. The training it's not even the fighting. The training isn't easy. The discipline, the stuff like that that people don't understand. What made you want to come back and compete after the gaps? >> Well, the first the first gap it was uh I think at that time Evolve and Lumat had closed down uh and then I wasn't really driving so it was hard to get the training back and forth and stuff like that there. Um and then I passed my test and started driving up and down to Evolve and and had a fight then on I think it was Clam Wars. Um yeah and then the next camp after that was just like it was getting too much to travel up and down. So I was working the times didn't suit work and the job that I was in back then like it just didn't match up whereas now like I'm in a good job and I work Monday to Friday 9 to5. Um so you're able to train after work sometimes before work as well. So it all just kind of panned out two ways there as well. So like you you don't you don't want to spend too much time know work and away from home all the time and things like that. Whereas the club now in Lavari it's just an hour two hours down to training and back home again to to the kids you know. Yeah, because cuz like that kids kids are with with work kids stuff like that. It's hard to try and manage all that stuff. Even for myself, I don't my my son's well grown up now, so I don't have to mind him as such if you get me. But it's even for me to do these interviews to get home from work, not be tired, like be able to put on the face. And that's just for me sitting down and having a chat. That's not me going in phys. >> I'm currently hiding in my son's bedroom. I know that's the last place that he's going to look for me. Sorry. >> No, it's it's it's good. But it's good that you're back. Obviously, you're in Lim Valley. Andy is someone I have great time for. So is Jason. Andy I talk to a lot, but there's a bit of a a movement there at the minute. And you seem to be leading it as well with the MMA. It was primarily a BJJ gym. Not not necessarily just, but movements >> movement. It was pretty much just a BJJ gym. And then at the end of classes, some of us boys would have put on a pair of gloves and messed the weights, you know, and things like that. And then it started to take up more interest like we had Leon as well. Leon was traveling up and down to evolve and then do bits of training with me and and some of our guys in the club. Um and just as the interest started to build the coaching thing like it wasn't never really like it just kind of just happened, you know, like it wasn't something I was looking to do originally, but it just it just happened. It's g me something to focus on as well. Um and then it just it's just been a snowball effect from then. Like we were just chatting about this down the gym there earlier like 2 years ago we probably had like say one person fighting and it would have been Leon so he went fighting between Evolve and our club and now we 14 fighters on chaos like it's just been a snowball effect of ever growing team they had to move to a bigger gym too because they didn't have enough space in the we guard anymore it's been a crazy crazy past two years >> it it is mad because like that I wouldn't have seen like that would have been mainly Leon I would have seen competing at novice and stuff like that and then all of a sudden I've been at And I've seen I think Caitlyn someone I've watched fight uh from your gym and there's been a couple and I was like oh and then all of a sudden like you said there's 14 on chaos and I was like where how did this actually not how did it happen but for me someone who watches the scene I didn't see this happening as it was happening it's just all of a sudden one two and then boom >> started with the alpha started with the alpha project. So, we first did the alpha project on uh the last chaos. Uh we had six fighters on it. Um and we went I think it was like what do we go four and two I think on the night as a team. So most of the last did quite well. Um and then from then like the interest in the alpha project just grew and then the ones that were doing it were staying on and they wanted more fights and more fights and next thing you know then you've got high level jiu-jitsu guys, you've got you've got world champion kickboxers, you've got high level boxers all training under the one roof. It's just helping everybody improve, keeping the interest there, you know. >> It's good. >> Yeah. And I like the different styles. Leon's someone I took notice of quite quite a long time ago. Uh he was obviously he's a whiz at JIT. He was cleaning up at novice. Uh he's had he's had a couple of learning experiences at amateur, but he will come come through it. He still looked impressive. Um he's someone that I think people should keep an eye on for the future. Leon Davis is definitely someone to keep an eye on for >> definitely. He's still he's still a work in progress. Um he's doing really really well. Uh a few mistakes I think just cost him his last fight, you know. Um but then Leon's a bantamweight fighting at featherweight, you know, that sort of way. Like he he's he should be a bantamweight and he can make bantamweight no problem. Like he walks around a featherweight but he just wants the competition. He he doesn't really care for the the because he's only amateur like he which is fair. Like some people would do that. They would bounce between banttom and and fell if they walk around a fell just to get the competition. >> Yeah. And I kind of agree with him. I think for your first five to six fights as an amateur, you should stay kind of around what you walk at. I don't think there's any need for weight cutting. >> When you know you're going pro, your last four or five fights, then start doing it because you don't want to get to pro and completely be new. But I think at the very start, I think way cutting is something that shouldn't like how do you manage it? How do you commission it? Like, but I think you should be willing your walk cuz it should be just like you said about the competition, not about cutting away. just getting out there getting the feel of it because especially events you go from like novice shows like the MMA leagues and stuff which is there's cages everywhere to chaos which is an event that's overwhelming as an amateur as well and then way cutting on top of that I think the weight should come in after but sure look who am I to to say anything but >> I think you're right I think you're right like that that's the way we'll work it we have a couple of guys who are fighting sort of at weights that are easy for them to make um but then after about five or six fights or so they'll start cutting down maybe to the weight class below and go where go from there. Like Louis was would be a prime example like he he can make middleweight easy but he could definitely cut the the welterweight like >> Yeah. No, I I think I think like that just over time you need to listen to your body, listen to your coach. I think some of the weight cut is is a bit mad at the early stages amateur bush sale if people are going to do whatever they feel is best for them and their fighters or or themselves. So, um, but coming up to this weekend, you with the change of opponent, did that change your uh preparation much? Because obviously you would be looking at you would have been looking at Jamie and what he does. It's you've had a few weeks. It's not as if it changed like two or three days ago. But have you did you let Andy and Jason look at them or do you look at it yourself or do you find you might get too entrenched in it or or what way does the preparation work? >> For me, usually like I'm just kind of doing it the same way I would have done it before. Like I I always just try to improve my own game everywhere. Um like that's all you can do. Like you're just trying to go out and be better than yourself, you know? I don't prepare for like if somebody's a good boxer. I don't just concentrate solely on boxing or or my wrestling try and get them down or anything. Yeah. Just prepare everywhere so that you're ready for anything cuz who knows like this guy could be saying he's a boxer but coming and trying to double league you know. You never know. >> Yeah. And like when fighters even especially at pro early stages of pro fighters improve so much and they add different things to the games whereas if he will obviously your your last fight is a long time ago if you watch his last fight he could have improved significantly since then I think just picking out like basic things you know that don't really change like how they stand or jab or stuff like that and obviously Jason and Andy will have had a look at that but other than that I think you're right I don't think don't get too caught up in what they do you just want to focus on you like you said be better than the last version of yourself. So >> that's that's my it'll be my game plan. Like everything like it's not necessarily a game plan. Just go out and do what I need to do. Like I know what I need to do and and that's it. >> Yeah. No, and that's the way to look at it. But it's going to be a fantastic weekend. I'm going to be commentating on it. So it's going to be an honor to kind of commentate for your first professional fight. It's going to be nice to meet you there on the day. I got to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out? Thank you so much for your time, especially so close to the show. Shout out to my coaches Jason, Andy, and Sean. Um, and all my sponsors as well, like you, I'll start name them all. SMC Plumbing, After Global Lamar, Charlie's Lamovi, Premium 7 Tires, uh, Project U coaching, Lucas Martin, he's been a huge help in this camp with strength and conditioning as well. And then JPC joinery, too. Perfect. >> Perfect. Hopefully you got everyone there cuz I actually that's what >> Hopefully I didn't miss anybody, but we'll see. We'll see. If I don't see, it'll be on my t-shirt some way. So, we'll get you out there. >> Yeah, I'll have to start saying that to fight before they come on. Write all your sponsors down because there's been times where people have gone. So, but look, you it's a pleasure to talk to you. I will see you there on Saturday. I'll see you in a few minutes where me, you and Tart all get on together and we're gonna see how that goes. So, yeah. Thank you very much and I will see you soon. >> Perfect, David. Edit.