Jordan White Elite interview · Ireland news

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Okay, so I have the pleasure uh to be speaking with Mr. Jordan White. He's going to be competing at Elite Fighting Championship against Johnny Dugen for the bantamweight title this weekend. I want to thank you so much for taking the uh interview so close to the fight because it is fight. >> It's day off weighing at amateur as well. So how are you feeling? How's the wake up? How's everything going? How's fight week looking for you? >> Sportly. Thanks. Thanks very much for for having me. Normally it's only 61.7. So there is that bit more of a a cut to to happen but um we started pretty early this time earlier than normal knowing that there's an extra.5 to go. So it's gone well so far. Yeah. Nearly there. Nearly there. Drinking a lot of water like gone to the toilet left. >> I I see the boys when they're going around and that they're water loading and they're carrying the two liter bottles and you just see them drinking all day and they're gone every five minutes. So I've never done it myself. I don't want to do it myself ever because I I I've see I've seen it firsthand, but obviously it's part of the fight game. I didn't actually realize that title fights you could do the day before down south. But uh it's >> to be honest, I I don't know if I was able meant to say that, but look, it is what it is. It's it's out there now. But yeah, we we agreed to anyways and they said you can go 63 or 63 and a half or whatever a day before day of or if you want to do the proper banttom and me and Patty just said what like there's no point being a 63.5 kg champion, you know what I mean? It's like you'd rather be the bantamweight champion, you know, so let's cut the weight properly, you know? >> Yeah. No, 100% 100%. So it is fight week. Obviously you've got a wake up. How's the wake up going? >> Yeah, it's gone pretty well. H currently uh water loading at the minute. So uh I have water on deck and go toilet like every 5 minutes. But yeah um it's gone g going pretty smooth. I uh started a good few weeks uh extra than usual. Um so I probably been cutting not cutting water but couldn't wait the last like eight or so weeks. Um actually after Florida I had a few extra pounds to pounds to lose. So uh so yeah I started a bit earlier and uh but yeah it's going to smelt it's going to smelled. >> Yeah I think it's better cuz a lot of people go ah we we'll wait till we get close get closer. It's better when you go further out because like that you're not killing yourself the last week. The water loading is hard enough and then reducing your calories. I can only imagine you seem quite chirpy and pleasant at the minute, but I've been on interviews where people are quite chirpy and pleasant. And would you put that down to starting further out and having the weight kind of more manageable at this week? >> Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Defo. I know I sort of like I think it was like eight or nine weeks I had between coming home from Florida and uh and then the fight give or take. So I was like I done a little cut before Florida. So when I came back it wasn't too bad and bit damage control type of thing but h but when I came back I was still around like 70 71 I was like right I need to start now you know what I mean so but yeah it helps and to be honest half of it is mental and there is stages where throughout the day it's like I have low energy and then and then sometimes I have high energy but like yeah half of it is mental to be honest. Yeah it's going good. >> Yeah. So with um coming into fight week obviously like like in your camp you're training 100% 100% 100% and it comes to fight week and you have to shut off. Yeah. Um how hard is it to to kind of shut off because you're used to going at that pace training getting ready for fight and then you kind of have to I know you've got the weight cut and all but is it hard to kind of stop go from 100 to kind of stopping? Not stopping but slowing down. >> Yeah. Um yeah because I I generally try and like flat out to be honest. Um, but uh to be really honest, I I I still train. Like I trained yesterday and I'll train today and then I'll train tomorrow. But in terms of the intensity that has dropped significantly, like you know what I mean? And when I'm going to train, I'm literally just going to just keep the brain sharp. Um, keep it ticking and uh just so like I find if I if I stop training too soon, you nearly drain in a way like you know what I mean? The the brain slows down that tiny bit more. or I want to keep it razor sharp for Saturday like you know what I mean. Um but yeah, it's it's it's annoying not being able to go like hard during the rounds and everyone else is going hard where you just have to be a bit bit uh more smarter like you know pick pick your rounds especially yesterday today and tomorrow is only going to be a tiny bit but you have to you have to be that bit more smarter this week so you you don't get injured of course like you know I like that staying sharp a bit of pad work some technique nothing heavy cuz the last thing you need going into here is is an injury and I don't know how many times here of fighters having hard rounds the week of the fight and you're just like you're literally going to fight in two days. What what are you doing? But in terms of your opponent with uh Johnny um have you looked into him? Would you let Patty look into him because he's he's got a unique style because he comes from that taekwondo background. He kind of stands different obviously. Would you do the research? Would you let Patty do or would be a mix of both? Bit >> both to be honest. Generally I do let Patty to just just have a look and then he makes the game plan sort of thing. But at the same time, I'd rather I know probably everyone says this, but I'd like to just focus on what I can throw, like the shots that I want to throw because you can make a game plan. Yeah, I know how Johnny fights. Um, I came from Taekwondo and that like light contact point fighting style. That's where I originated from. So, it's nothing that I've fought before as such. Um, so I know what he's like. Um, but you could you can make a game plan that this person's going to come out and do X, Y, and Zed cuz they've done it in in a previous fight or two previous fights and then they come out and that it's something completely different than if you had a game plan for his last fight and he does something different this fight, your game plan goes out the window and then you're you're stressed then. You know what I mean? So, um, I'd rather just uh focus on what I'm going to throw, what I can do, and how I can dominate the fight. you know, and that's most people do answer that and I think that's potentially probably the best answer because you want to make your mark as a fighter, your style, you want to be you. If you if you're woring about Johnny all the time, where does yours Jordan style come into? What who is Jordan as a fighter? I know obviously when you get up uh for title fights like in in professional stuff, there is going to be a bit more game planning, but fighters are more complete at that stage. Whereas, >> yeah, >> like your last fight, you're going to be completely different to this fight and so is Johnny. amateurs move move quite quickly in terms of uh in terms of um progression but >> yeah we're still adapting as such like you know still evolving as fighters like you know so >> yeah so it's going to be another showdown in Cork so it's in the Republic are you happy that there's more in the Republic as well because obviously we had Cage Legacy that's kind of gone we've got Elite and Farah now I know obviously the shows up north are fantastic as well but it's nice to have them down south it's probably longer from Dublin to to Cork though than to Belfast I think. Is it? >> Yeah, slightly. Yeah, it's two and a half down to Cork. Um, yeah, it's it's great that it's h it's in Orland like you know and I'd love more to more people to run shows down here and obviously there's a there's obviously a it's obviously hard to so fair play to the to the two organizations down in Cork, you know, but it would be nice to get one closer to Dublin, but to be honest, h I is is only an hour away in New York. like that's that's dead handy like you know um and then Belfast is only 2 hours away so it's not too bad like you know what I mean um but yeah it'll be it'll be nice big cage this time so I'm looking forward to that >> yeah and the big cage that's what a lot of people like fighting obviously the shows ran really well I've been there h and the guys are really nice Barry's really good but that big cage especially when you're going to want to be going on to pro in your future career to get a feel for that how excited for you to because obviously you want to move around and it's It's I think it's UFC size. Uh if I believe it's the >> maybe one one size under maybe I think it is or the USCPI size I think. Yeah. Um yeah I'm I'm excited. Um obviously again uh haven't made like a proper game plan just say for Johnny but like I know he comes from a striking background and most of his fights he likes to stand up so so do I. But I think that suits that big cage will suit suit me and or suit him. Um because we're able to move around. We're able to strike. Um if it goes up against the fence or the cage, that's all good. If it goes down to the ground, that's all good as well. Um but I feel like big cages are suited for for strikers, like you know, and the smaller cages like suits grapplers. You're nearly able to just drive them to the cage, take them down or something like that. You know what I mean? Whereas like if there's there's more room to to move and I'd imagine less on the less up on the cage and less on the ground or unless you're a grappler or whatever. But yeah, I think a big cage suit striker. So um I'm thinking it's going to suit me. Yeah, >> I think it's going to suit both of you as well and I think it's going to make it a more exciting fight because you do have that space. You can move around, cut your angles, try to cut people off. Whereas, like I said, smaller cage, two steps backwards and all of a sudden >> you're against the cage and then and then like that once you get off if you get off the cage, one step and you're back on the cage. So, I like the cage. I'm looking forward to this fight as well because I I think it's going to be really really exciting one. >> You're in obviously hulahan martial arts. You've got Paddyy Shauna Georgie Grov who I think is criminally overlooked in my opinion. He doesn't get as much credit or coverage as he deserves. There's more obviously Yousef is is away at the minute. Um I'm not gonna start listing them all because I'm gonna miss someone and they're gonna >> Sarah. But what's it like being in that gym right now with that? There's a huge rise of tan. There's a lot of lads kind of coming up from novice to amateur like Ucha Abdu um Yuzan who I had on. What's it like being in there the atmosphere at the minute? >> Yeah, it's good. Um and as you said, more and more people are looking for fights. Uh which is which is really good. Um because when more people have fights confirmed, the intensity in the training just rises or the intensity in the rounds. Now Patty has a has a good has a good ship if you want to say good community. Um he doesn't let anyone like knock the head off each other. But you can you can tell when when people have fights they they show up every time then. You know what I mean? You're nearly guaranteed good rounds every single time. So, it's it's good for the gym that uh more and more people are are are getting fights and uh yeah, we're obviously the club's doing well. Like UJ Abdu got a win or two, I can't remember. Abdu got a win, got a knockout. Yas just just won. And there's also Kino and then obviously Sier Kum. There's like loads of good scrappers. Um sorry if I missed out a few. Just trying to think real quick. Um, but yeah, there's loads and then there's there's still more that haven't even like that like tapping into the novice scene now and hopefully then go into to the amateur and then a few other people in amateur looking to go into pro then as well. So, it's a the gym's going well. Yeah. >> Yeah. And like I mean you were just talking before we started. It was like four years ago there about when you kind of fought uh Byron and you came in and like when you look at now the amount of kids coming through and the levels of some of these kids that 15 16 17 18 can have you seen the evolution in just a few years of the skill level of the the novices and stuff coming through because the novice levels are quite high and I've noticed that from the likes of your gym and others. Have you noticed that increase in skill level at a younger age for what's coming through in your gym specifically? Yeah, big time. Yeah. And that's obviously just just down to to Patty and the coaches and HMA and for our gym anyways. Um seeing like uh teens come up into into the other class now and uh uh they're running them, you know. Um but that's obviously credit to to Patty and the coaches and HMA. But yeah, the standard is going high. Um, I think uh the kids these days are really taking it serious, you know, or the teens if you want to say that they're taking taking it a bit more serious than like teens a few years ago like you know which is good to see. >> Yeah, know it is is I I like there's so many novice fights and you look and go these are noviceses like the level of them is is quite high. But talk to us about Patty Patty Hoola. I love meeting Patty Hoola shows he always comes out of his way to say hi. He obviously you see all the political stuff he does and all the MMA stuff he does. He's he's really a people person and about the people. What does Patty Hulahan mean to you personally? >> H yeah, everything really. Um he's me first MMA coach anyway. So um and hopefully the only one, you know what I mean? H but yeah, he's great. Like what I love about him is like what you what you see is what you get sort of sort of vibe like um and like you can you can tell he truly loves the sport. Um, it doesn't matter as you're saying if it's a if it's a 10 fighting a novice or if there's a novice fighting on a card like uh up the north or doesn't matter how far away it is, Patty will be there in your corner like you know what I mean? So, h that's what I love about him. Like he he always has your back, you know what I mean? You could be anywhere you ring Patty saying, "Patty, I'm in trouble." And he'll be there in two minutes. He'll nearly drop anything for you. Like, you know what I mean? So, that's what I love about Patty. Yeah. >> Yeah. And like that that's what I like about him as well cuz there's a lot of coaches that just do the technical thing but he's got that personal kind of mentor kind of like you know he sees the ups and downs. He knows when you need the arms thrown around you and like say look Joe keep going and that's what I like about him. He can he can merge them all into one and he's done a fantastic job with yourself and the likes of Sean as Georgie and everyone we've seen. But um I got to let you go. I want to thank you so much for coming on. Is there anything you want to say before you go and anyone you want to shout out? And best of luck this weekend. I won't be there, but I will be watching on pay-per-view. >> Uh, no, just thanks very much for having me. Um, as as we said before, it's the first one and tried to get talk uh together the last four years, but obviously uh your schedule, my schedule hasn't uh hasn't been able to match, but uh but thanks very much for having me and uh yeah, just uh can't wait to get going and I appreciate all me training partners and uh me coaches and hahan martial arts. >> Actually, before we do go, you do have the BUA fight. Do you want to speak about that actually? >> Yeah. how that originated. What what made you come up with the idea for that? Obviously being a fighter and I've seen the stuff is lovely. Paul Brown post it a lot. I've seen loads of fighters post it. So, it's really starting to take off. Where did the idea originate from? And to be honest, me dad has been selling like martial arts gear, but in like the kickboxing scene and the the boxing scene more so. And uh I just like seeing that there was an avenue that like I could exploit if you want to say in the MMA scene and and even in the boxing scene as well that like companies are just overpricing their products. And I know that like they like I know how much they're made for or I have a ballpark idea like rough idea on like what they're made for like you know what I mean and they're just charging a ridiculous price. So I wanted to try bridge that gap where I make a good quality product at a reasonable price where I can make a nice amount or a nice amount um that I can nearly live off eventually. That's that would be a goal like you know what I mean? Make that a full-time job if you want to say. Um, and then people are getting at a reasonable price, you know what I mean? So, it's a win-win for both for both parties or both sides like, you know what I mean? So, that was the whole point. And then just [clears throat] the rise in Irish in in Irish language at the minute and obviously fighting Irish type of link. I just wanted to link the two of them together. So, be it stands for victory. Um, which is what I will get this Saturday. Praise God. Um, and uh, I I seen the three colors, the three letters, and I was like, I can make a tririccolor out of that as well. B, gray, hu, white, and a, orange. So, I was like, I'll be able to like link everything together. So, um, so yeah, that's where that's where I got the ideas from. >> Good. >> And fair to you for going through with it. A lot of people have these ideas, they go don't go through with it. A lot of people are scared of failing as well. And but that's part of life. Like, obviously, it's part of fighting h your life. So, you know, like when you lose, you get back up and you go again. And a lot of people are scared, like at a such a young age to go and take on something like that, I think is fantastic. So, all credit to you. Uh I will give it a lot more plugs on on uh on my page. Um and I, like I said, I've seen it everywhere. Um so, hopefully, like I said, it's building and building. So, best of su success with that. Hopefully, you will get the victory this weekend. I really really like that. I might clip that now as well, actually. But um yeah, no I am going to let you go this time. Thank you so much and I will I won't see you on Saturday, but I will talk to you after the fight. All right, thanks very much for having me. Perfect. Have a good day.