Nathan Fletcher & Adam Cullen | UFC 284 Preview | Energized Show

Summary

What is up and welcome to The Energized Show! On this episode Next Generation Liverpool's Nathan Fletcher & Adam Cullen join us to discuss Their Cage Warriors 2023 plan, TUF 31 Team Conor McGregor Vs Team Michael Chandler & We preview UFC 284. Like, Comment, Subscribe & Hit the…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Kind: captions Language: en foreign [Applause] okay what's going on guys and welcome to a brand new episode of energize it's an exclusive you see 284 preview with the next gen Lads Ross introduce the guest today we have two of cage Wars and Next Generation Liverpool's starlets we have the sewi Strangler it is Mr Nathan Fletcher and we have the cage Warriors King Adam Cullen two absolute gents Lads how are we doing oh God Labs how we use yeah I can't complain can't complain and Adam obviously he's doing very good yeah thank you very much oh brilliant Nathan and Adam both flying both flying obviously uh obviously you guys are booked in for this kid world Manchester card no opponents today Adam how frustrated are you with uh all these lightweights normally it's quite an active division but no one's stepping up to the play for you yeah no one's there no one's taking the bait are they I think they all know what was going to happen if he stepped in there with me but I gave them I gave cage one is a good few names of people I wanted to uh want to get around with names that make sense so and get me towards the title but uh none of them wanted wanted to fight so what can you say just stand same old damn story for me Isn't it they're all just terrified yeah I also think um you've completed France now I feel like he you need to know a complete uh the UK I feel like I feel like your next opponent should be a UK based fighter I think we already know the number one French fighter uh at lightweight as Adam Cullum I think we need the UK for your next how do you feel about that anyone anyone in Europe I'll just take over Europe you know I mean it's common isn't it eventually they're going to have to Branch out and get with someone else because yeah like like you say I think I think Francis almost me if I fight any more of them I'll be banned from the country I'll be on like a watch list they won't let me in so I'll have to turn and then batter in French cheese ball nine you need to get with someone else some other European sport do the Europeans didn't seem to want it so fair play to the French kids at least say 10 or dude we'll have to stop call them uh the king will Sarco have to call them Adam the Conqueror column taking over country boy we do absolutes yeah there we have it on there Nathan obviously you're in a similar boat none the Bantam mates really really want that smoke yeah pretty much yeah I uh I was expecting to fight maybe Rhys on this card and but he's already matched up with Dan Lewis so that fight's not happening again which is a shame um and then the other two boys have got me me eye on these uh Kalin and Martin Yoni and I've not heard anything about either of those two so looks like I'm in the same boat as Adam it's going to be waiting for somebody getting brought in a lamb brought to the closer so which one would you prefer to fight because obviously you've beaten both on and before yeah I mean I'd probably rather fight Caleb right now because I've not fought him a pro yet so when amateur win doesn't really stand up as good as my Pro win over Martin you only ever finished as well so I'd like to out of those two if he has an option I'd rather fight Caitlyn um which one do you think is actually the bigger fight as well um it's hard to say because Martin Yoni with his win over wooden I feel like that put him pretty high up there in terms of European MMA but uh Caitlyn's got the mouth honey so he's got a little bit more of that the hike I hate behind him and I feel like a fight with me and him would be very easy to Market and sell yeah that's a definite face off for us yeah yeah we'd have to come on here if that one ends up happening but like I said yeah I love it we'll have to wait and see we'll see what happens but I'm just focused on myself at the minute focused on my own path and I don't think it really matters who me and Adam fight to be honest I think we can kind of get there get to the title shot and get to the UFC off our own Merit off the back of our own names so um opponents don't really matter anyway we'll just smash anyone yeah we just hope you you get there soon because I I know and Nate's new in particular had plenty of times you were booked on for a show and then you removed and you removed and you're removed so uh it's almost been a very frustrating finished your year at the end of the year last year yeah it was but then as soon as you get in there and get that win you can forget about all that frustration and it leaves you but uh I feel like I'm very thankful for that time that I had those 15 months out of the cage it was a time what I spent growing there physically mentally in terms of my skill set I improved a lot so uh looking back obviously in the moment it was very frustrating time time period but now I'm grateful for the adversity that I faced over those 15 months I'm going to put you on the spot right now who caught the better promo after the fight was it Nathan or was it Adam after the last fight Nathan didn't happen I had the props yeah you know what I felt like I don't need the props come on I don't I don't I don't know more uh but more thought out but I felt like I felt like native from the heart you know that raw that raw emotion bro with the adrenaline coming through number one [ __ ] airport has always been yeah yeah you have to make sure to check the lads out cage Wars 152 in Manchester on uh April 15th reading of Roy from the diary Ross that's already booked in it's going to be an absolute buyer and if you can get there in person definitely do um I assume well that's just yourself Adam there'll be a massive next-gen Army heading to Manchester uh it doesn't really get much more local than unless you have it in Liverpool the course then go to Manchester it's not too much of an ask for the fans no it's about it and they're always good nights I like the layout of the Manchester Arena if it's like a big but it's still compact well like everyone's on top of the cage and it's always because we always get a good show out from life we even get all the little kids from the gym coming with the mums inside and obviously all the lights come down and they're just boss lives and the atmosphere is always Electric in there so we all like fighting on Manchester it's always a bit of a bit of a Scramble for everyone on our gym everyone trying to get on the money cards because it just goes off in there uh absolutely I'm with that with you know having your friends and family there and you know more more people from Liverpool uh tend to follow you to antioport as well and do you find that um that puts more pressure on and you Troy I'm not pressured like do you really get that Bulls off the crowd I feel like I got the buzz off the crowd yeah the the pressure of the crowd doesn't never really affect me because I think no one puts more pressure on me than myself like I am my own biggest critic so everyone else being there but not being there it doesn't bother me but I like walking out when everyone's kicking off and you know everyone's up for it and you just as you walk into the cage thinking I'm gonna absolutely smash this kid's head and it is better with the crowd there to me but all you might say clock on people that you know who've come down to watch it it just goes no absolutely what about yourself Nathan do you thrive off the crowd or is that something that makes you feel more nervous or which is a no I definitely say I thrive off the crowd as well especially in in Manchester the last time I fought there was 2020 and it was just just before the pandemic so I've not um like at that time in my career I was pretty much early on I think I was three you know and like my followings kind of increased quite a bit since then I've got a lot more people coming down to watch and support me I mean saying that then we had a good 100 people there but this time I feel like I've progressed on my career and the point I'm at now I'm gonna be able to bring a massive crowd with me to this Manchester show like I've been at the last few as a spectator watching the boys you know what I mean I've been in the mix with everyone watching Adam get his first round Knockouts and stuff there and the same with Luke and gittins in there so I've been a part of the atmosphere from the crowd's point of view but I'm excited to have my moment now to be sat on top of the cage after getting a first round I can't myself and just taking all that in and like in baseball the people that have come there to support me yeah I suppose it it is the only uh time you've got to finish with the with the fists in Manchester so uh maybe that brings something out there Nathan Fletcher the rest of the time he's taking some of the back and choking them into the next day but uh on that day in Manchester got 3-0 he decided to use the fifth so maybe Manchester United you're gonna bring a prop this time going to school maybe like take it like have someone ready for uh slice of Pete in the crowd and saying Martini you're next with the slice of pizza pay homage to uh George Hardwick he's the pizza money so yeah you have to pay a hell of a price to get us loads of pizza off you have to get in the cage yeah I don't know if any pizzas we're at that lads I'll pop them no but that's like we obviously are looking forward to seeing you back cage Wars 153 Manchester but there was other massive news over the weekend as well Conor McGregor is returning to The Ultimate Fighter he's going to take on Michael Chandler uh in the well to wait division it's been reported uh I'm gonna ask all your opinions in this but once you make this first because would you rather Conor face uh Tony Ferguson or Morgan to me it was like 1A or 1B like I think they're both good fights I think they're both good fights for Conor's return to I think they're both cool characters for him to be against in the Ultimate Warrior so for me like it didn't make too much difference I think at the time I was sort of saying I prefer Tony Ferguson but like didn't really overly matter I think uh they're both great characters and I think Connor doing the old before is not only good for The Ultimate Fighter as almost like a Rebrand to like get the oils back on her and but I also think it it's great for him that he's gonna have to be around Fighters and basically encamp himself for a solid eight or nine weeks guaranteed while he's doing his coaching Center so uh I think it's great and I think Mojo channel will bring a lot to it and I think Conor regular will bring that to it it'd be interesting to see if uh Michael Chandler because he trained that a killer Cliff would bring like Ian Gary in or something for uh for a coaching slot in there or somebody that has to bring another person against him that would be a interesting to see but uh oh no Nathan I'll pass the book to you what do you think about her yeah I mean I'm I'm done with it I like the uh I like the setup I'm a big fan of Michael Chandler myself and obviously I'm a massive fan of McGregor so it's two fighters that I've looked up to for a long time and I think the dynamic is going to be interesting because obviously what McGregor are we going to say are we going to see the [ __ ] talker or is he going to be a bit more like the respectful Conor that was you know in the lead up to the first poet fight when he was kind of on the stage with Chandler then everyone was being dead party and friendly and stuff like that so I think it's going to be interesting to see what sort of dynamic they both bring um I think if they do start talking [ __ ] to each other Conor's gonna absolutely have Chandler's number like I just don't see that going well for Chandler and then in terms of the fight I think again I'm I'm favoring Conor in that one because I think stylistically the Way Chandler fights he comes out so aggressive and he's sort of All or Nothing isn't he so I think he's gonna leave himself open to it to one of those left hands and that's how I'd see the fight going anyway but it's going to be entertaining it's good to see Conor back whenever he's in the sport obviously it brings more eyes to it so so just going to continue to grow MMA and then yeah I'm definitely I'm up for it and I can't wait to watch the only downside is my man a king of cage Warriors isn't going to be on the show because I think all the uh all the applications are done now but it is a lightweight season so I would have liked to have seen my man in there to be honest but uh that would have been the icing on top of the cake but we'll just there we'll have to wait a few more months before the big dogs in the UFC yeah because the The Ultimate Fighter season 30 airs on the 30th of May uh Adam did like this is obviously your division they're going to be competing in the lightweight did anything come across your way when this was going around someone messaged me like about the applications for that and like I didn't think anything of it to be honest the also fighters died and very recently it's not what it used to be and I think like as Steve Eastman um was on the series I couldn't even tell you the coaches went so I was off thinking I'm not interested but of course imagine me on telly eating pads with Conor McGregor but at least go for the air go for the car off kick and spin on this and I'll let them drink on Whiskey it would have been a belter wouldn't it here's the real question how many minutes into the first episode before Conor McGregor refers to Michael Chandler's height oh it's gonna be it's gonna be it's going to be a Chapman there's repeat isn't it like yeah when the Chapman that builds up but he was telling them he could rest his balls on his forehead and all that and go on it's gonna be all of that again isn't it and uh yeah I think fight were hard as well I don't really like to fight the Chandler because he is so aggressive and like he is that Chapman that frame and on the feet last time with men there's absolutely McGregor absolutely had his number didn't he just picking him up or challenge here you go there's not a chance he will shoot to take down in that fight and if he doesn't I just can't see it going well when McGregor M gets going on defeated fan shins doesn't he um foreign ER more durable who knows but uh the great thing is we'll get to find out in August I'm not assuming the stage passes I think the season ends around them it's eight weeks long so I think it could be September we could be looking at you so it'll be like late summer that would have but we're all very excited for especially over here in Ireland especially with the announcement of Katie Taylor coming back to Dublin as well it's been an absolute crazy weekend for Irish MMA yeah we'll have money over for that as well yeah let's get any chance of Molly getting on that Katie Taylor card Lots I don't know so no boxing cards yeah why not being Crow Park should love it Oh you mean like a comment what is it like there's a commentator or something [Laughter] yeah let's see if you can get money you heard it here first maybe we see her on that card boss no yeah over there right he'll be on the on the on the Guinness over there she won't be fighting she'll be relaxing the crowd yeah with glasses on no we'll be wrapping it really wrapping it awesome Jake Paul ref in the fight um but like no look we're looking forward to everything and large complex sports are kicking off as well and so are the lads in Liverpool UFC 284 Perth is on this weekend so for the people tuning in and if you've enjoyed the last 15 minutes ahead thank you very much very energized but uh we may as well kick it off with the main event Ross yes come on absolutely we have Islam market share defending his lightweight total against the featherweight Champion he was looking for charm trap status in Alexander the Great falconovsky and is one for the ages and it's quite rare you get someone to um or a fight that you get the number one and two pound per pound champ go going Head to Head uh Adam this this is division and a title that you'll look to hold in the future what do you make of this matchup if this saves a good fight in it like it is the number one power for power versus the number two it it's so crazy if I to be honest I remember speaking about it last year thinking oh well Olivia everyone vulcanovski was going to end up having it but obviously with the way the last fight's gone that was his laminate and volcanovsky and it's uh it's a huge fight it's probably one of the maybe not like um not so reality wires and pay-per-views and all that one in terms of skill matchups it's got to be the biggest fight the UFC has ever put on but um I've been saying to Nathan all week like volcanovsky is my favorite fighter but I am terrified for him because that is a big big man and you see what it's like two double and Dan hooker or big lightweight man and those people doesn't he and it's just I'm scared to volkanovsky not gonna lie I feel like every time you watch you feel like he's nearly always going to eventually get some sort of rear naked or had an arm choke that like yeah he's gonna Force the other person to give up that position and then like he's just gonna sink it in like he didn't get Charles Oliveira like you're talking about one of the greatest submission fighters in UFC history and like Islam actually just took him down and like made him look like a white belt on the map it was nothing wasn't he just absolutely breathed through especially when my hit the floor that second time and if you ever never into your key positions he loves it doesn't he yeah he gave up as soon as it's like grabbed him you could see in his face he was thinking [ __ ] like Olivia ever panicked him when um when you're in a jiu jitsu scenario means you've got some terrifying about you and skill wise obviously volcanovsky is unbelievable hello I'm sorry it's just plays too much of a factor yes absolutely what's your take on it wasn't can you hear me yeah we can hear you yeah right okay my phone's doing all Madness my take it's a very interesting fight um I think stylistically vulcanovsky's going to be the most difficult test for Islam I think that for a few reasons I think one you can push a serious pace and obviously Islam looks pretty dominant in all of his wins we haven't seen him much going into the later rounds I don't think he's ever fought a full five rounds and uh I think what I think what his most recent fight when he got into the four flowers against Thiago Moises which was about a year and a half two years ago now uh volk's been living in those five round fights for the last couple of years um I think the height I think vulcanovski being small actually plays an advantage because like he's been saying in all his interviews his hips are going to be very close to the ground so he's literally a couple of inches off standing back to his feet if he does get taken down and then I do feel like vulcanovski has a massive advantage in the Striking department so with all that being said that makes a very intriguing matchup now obviously you can't take away from the fact that Islam is looking like one of the most dominant forces we've ever seen in MMA obviously apart from his teammate khabib but I do feel like a lot of people kind of I wouldn't say over hype in Islam but a lot of people are making out like it's khabib versus Alexander vulcanov's again it's not it's a different fight and I feel like uh yeah I feel like Volk may be just as the tools to get the job done and that's what I'm hoping for because like Adam volkanovsky is probably my favorite fighter to watch at the minute as well so I'm team Volk all the way on this one yeah I feel like like anyone who does foi MMA loves dark Nazi because he can do it all so well and he like like my favorite part is Max Holloway and I was awful I was like rooting for Max and all the points and like vulcanovski actually won me over in those voice I was like this guy is just too good like he can he can do it all he he can really shut down your opponents game and also his frame is so unique because he's only 446 but he actually has the reach advantage against that yeah that's what I was wondering that's what I was wondering so like like though he has those long arms yes that's short frame so it really really works works out well for him so despite being smaller he doesn't actually give up the reach advantage that's smart I didn't even know that yeah like next time team bulk you'll see like like his knuckles like drag off the ground as you walk yeah nobody's wearing high heels man yeah but give give us a oh I suppose actually you give us a quick take and then you give us a prediction first Buzz yeah we'll do let's uh look obviously this is a huge fight um like it like looking at the rest of the card this one is set on the pay-per-view to be honest um looking at the sawiest difference like is is and obviously it's Islam's division as well vulcanovski is moving up uh I just believe that Islam just looks so much bigger and I think he's going to look even bigger on fortnite as well and I just think he's just gonna I think he's just gonna take falconowski for a ride now folk and oxy will still remain the Federal Way champion and in the comment event Jerry Rodriguez is what John for the interim so that is want to be watched as well but overall obviously Islam macachev uh winning and big turning and becoming the number one pound for pound fighter in the UFC out of what's your what's your prediction foreign event or for the actual Main Event first I reckon maybe round two Islam like being a coach or something I I just I just think he's gonna just stick him to the mat and overwhelm them and it's not the result I hope it's vulcanovsky 10 second kale but me brain's telling me that Islam I think Islam is gonna submit have Nathan I'm gonna flip the script I'm going vulcanovsky by either late TKO or decision I think you could win enough rounds to Nick it late so I'm gonna go Volk yeah you know they both have a loss in the record but uh islamacita's last was by knockout and that being said I feel like I actually feel like he's going to do the same thing that he did to Charles Oliveira to volcanovski I think he's going to get that head and arm choke and he just seems to get it so effortlessly and I think he might get it again and the only thing is it will be interesting to see if you can get them down the first round hopefully I don't want 10 seconds like uh Adam was saying I want to see at least at least 10 minutes of this fight before uh it finishes so uh maybe a late second round uh finish for Islam and and the thing that would be interesting as well is if volkanovski wins I I would say he'd stay at lightweight and try and avoid as many people he can in that division because he's basically cleared out the Federal Way division as a stands uh look speaking of the comment event yair Rodriguez has taken on Josh Hemet for the interim title uh I don't recall the UC ever doing this putting the interim title on when they're the actual champion is fighting in the main event but who are we expecting to win this for Russia Rodriguez versus Josh Emmett yeah it's a bit of funny one like Josh haven't spot 37 which like radio like featherweight uh but like he's probably probably the hardest hitter in the division and then yair Rodriguez as we saw against the Korean zombie he's in the fight of four minutes 59 seconds of the fifth round and he travels real or dark shots um if if I had to be honest I think yeah here is durable enough to withstand Emmett's early Entourage and I think he might be able to pick up uh a late stoppage but one thing I'd also be interested in on the last takers obviously later on the year Max Holloway is fighting Arnold Allen do you think there's actually more prisons that that should be for an interim title fight than this one here and we'll start with yourself Nate I think it's tough to with Holloway I know he's done a lot and he probably is one of the goats at featherweight but I don't think anyone really wants to see that fight with the with vulcanovski here again we've already had it three times now and the last one was pretty decisive uh in terms of obviously vulcanovsky's performance so I feel like that's probably the main reason why that isn't now Arnold that one on the other hand is coming through the ranks and I know that that air sort of stoppage on Kate at the other week was a little bit um I was out of his control wasn't it it wasn't a decisive stoppage but I feel like the way and again you can't say because it was a five round fight but the way that was going uh Alan was looking really good and he has been in his last few especially when he stopped hooker in London so I'd be really excited to watch Arnold Allen compete for the belt over yayir in there and Josh but that's a good fight also in its own like and these both sort of made made their own claims for getting a title shot so I'm not mad about it but I would prefer to see Alan in that title fight definitely yeah definitely what about yourself uh Adam are the Roy two men in the toilet and who do you think wins are yeah for me I'm the same as Nathan I think as soon as you make that um Holloway um honor down in fact it's automatically a bigger fight isn't it because everyone knows volkanovski wasn't there Holloway would be the champion especially thinking back to last year when um and Holloway four after the first round when Holloway sort of um got a time of that he scored them so people don't forget that Duty that like if if um if yeah goes to win the title well the interim title everyone's going to remember what Holloway did to him and um and I think that I'm happy that Josh got a title fight because he did win some big fights leading up to it but um it's just overshadowed about that announcement isn't it really um speaking of that fight though I think um I think we could go to Joshua personally I think um quite emotional I feel like where I was uh Josh I'm quite clinical and has a game plan sticks quite pretty seriously really with this this boxing and low picks and then when he was decided to wrestling wrestles hard and I think that can give them someone like yeah yeah problems because he's so emotional like a member of Elizabeth Jeremy Stevens in Mexico where it was like ended with an accident lipo we tend to scream and a bit spinny scream at the crowd it's just like a fight some pure aggression doesn't he sometimes and makes the wrong decisions and that was the same with the max Holloway fight he just end up um losing uh compose a bit just trying to take all the way his head off which is sort of played into his hands and I think of him but Josh yeah it's preparation for the fights being good which should be because he's had so long to prepare and I think he could do it five over five rounds and slowly break down yeah yeah but mixing his wrestlers boxing and getting the decision is going to win a dirty uh Ross anyone very dirty obviously uh Ross anyone else in this that the people should look out for this weekend at UC 284. yeah Jake uh madalena is following Randy Brown he's worn his last three fights by uh first round TKO the fella thinks he's Adam McCollum so uh definitely someone uh you should watch out for on the card and then Jimmy Cruz back after a long layoff so uh you know they went heavy on the on the Aussies for this card um so I definitely keep my way out on those two they seem like they're the next open Commerce on their Australian side of things and then uh toys and Pedro as well has looked there really cool as well so yeah they're taking all that taking on cage Warriors No Easy times for anyone and uh Hilo Gordon's last fight so all the best muddy and uh it's a tough one to come back to so let's let's see how it goes down that's what a show for people to know we have to arrange it so many times because of the internet doctors and just like just the normal stuff yeah and life that's what happens but we are here we're gonna try to bring you as best show as possible and that's why the series Strangler and the cage Warrior's King joins us today Lads make sure to check out the lad's Instagram pages and to build up to their fights to get tickets I'm Ross take us away yeah it goes uh Nathan Alan thanks a million for coming on um you guys are absolutely gents with a lot of respect for you guys to the best talents cage Warriors have to offer um and we appreciate your time and guys if you are watching this make sure to like it is normally able uh it means a lot to us and it means a lot to the guys make sure to give the lads follow on their social medias and as always foreign [Applause] guys