Andy Ryan & Ryan Keogh | Team Ireland | IMMAF World Championships Countdown | Energized Show

Summary

What is up and welcome to the Energized Show! On this episode Team Ireland's Head Coach Andy Ryan (Team Ryano) & IMMAF Gold Winner Ryan Keogh (SBG Ireland) join us to discuss the Countdown to the IMMAF World Championships this January (24-29). We discuss Irish MMA & More MMA…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] [Applause] okay what's going on guys and welcome to a brand new episode of energized ross introduce the guest matt today we have imaf team ireland's head coach and head coach team rhino mr andy ryan and we also have imaf gold medalist roy kyo lads how are we doing good yeah glad to be on good great lads welcome to the show everybody people are unaware the irish mma team are going over to represent ireland at the imf world championships this january the 24th to the 29th we've done two shows already with two guys and two girls and today we have one the gold medalist ryan kyo and the head coach mr andrew ryan so lad thanks so much for joining us roscoe take it away bud uh not long now and before you make that flight over to abu dhabi and the uh obviously you've been to a few of these now what have you learned from previous events that you're bringing into this one um well what we wanted to bring in we couldn't with the lockdown but we've laid a lot from the last few events and roy roy will tell you that the level is off the charts you know it's grown all every time um most events we can get two entries in we can only get one in the odds in certain ways to get a second person in just shows you how many people are competing this one is probably going to be the biggest and toughest worlds and for me we don't have the preparation that we had for the ones before where we did a lot of squad sessions and we had the last sparring together and stuff but listen hopefully they've done that in their own gyms and yeah we can see how we go gotten there and andy with this one and obviously like you said you couldn't get the cross train you were looking to get in but in terms of other nations how many other nations are competing in this well i am going to clear the full number but i know it's packed i know it's it's probably the biggest one yeah there's like 42 people in my division i know that every way there's 22 people in them you know and some countries have two buddies here and some don't but i think it's the biggest one so far that's the way it's looking anyway and obviously this is probably the most talented team we've had on the how tall falls squad selection yeah so realistically this this is this is the team that was selected for last year's world championships so a lot of people were a bit confused or nothing but can we do the trials for the awards now this is the world's that didn't happen in december so this team had been picked over squad sessions we ran through the year and then results so um ryan had a gold medal so he wasn't going to lose his spot but he'd been out all the squads he was selected number one anyway and he's moving from junior to senior now ryan yeah this one yeah them senior now over 20 years yeah so he he was a gold medal so he was the number one selection for that and like max lally and he was assigned he's come up from cadets and we put him in we put him into the junior hero 21s but yeah listen the selection is hard and there's a lot of athletes out there that should be fighting for the response that aren't at the moment but hopefully that will change next year absolutely uh and ryan how do you feel about uh having another go at the imf stepping up an age category now do you feel like to be a bit of a target on your back you know when you get there people know you've won gold medal before probably i don't really give a [ __ ] to be honest i'm just going to go over and do the exact same thing that was going in prague so i'm going to go there focus on myself folks on my team trying just eat well watch me wait don't overdo it like the main thing is when you win your first foot like you haven't won anything you know what i mean you're gonna have four or five more fights so like you what you need to do is you fully go back get changed go back to the hotel rest for the next day for the next couple of days that was a big mistake i made the first time we ever went over in 2019 i hadn't even had a fight haven't even hadn't even fought amateur before so i went over with me first for you set up like i was like oh daddy it was buzzing with myself and i kind of like let me guard down there for the rest of the fights you know what i mean you just got to stay focused until until you get the gold medal until you get your hand raised in the final and then obviously you ruin as a competitor will that change your fight and stuff what are you trying to be more conservative in in the first fight or will you not really you know no because like at the end of the day you're only having one dream and a fee for the day you know what i mean like every day in the gym you're doing like rounds on rounds so realistically it's not that much on your body if you would once you put your head to it and you put your mind into it you're you're going to go through it on my walk like and i want in the semi-finals no one knows this boy actually i had the shit's going into that food yeah that morning i don't know it could have been the field i was in or something something was like yeah you were cutting weight every you're watching your weight yeah the catch is up yeah i think people don't realize what roy had to do to get that medal it wasn't just torn up and have you know one trick one you know three three minute rounds on the fourth day he can make weight and do a medical every morning of that event so you can't switch up and go on holiday mode and i think actually ryan's actually styled suits to the imax you know it's not he's very um you know focused on what he does and has a game plan he doesn't go in like a headless chicken or swinging for bombs and you'll see that a lot of the advanced boys they don't want to have wars they're tactical they have a plan they win round by round because you know it's a long week you go in there and have a barn born or knock the head out with each other you might you might win the fight but you might fail your medical the next morning and that that's part and parcel of this actually that's a good game plan for this fight before and and if you take it slowly and you try one round where around eventually that finish is going to come yeah yeah exactly andy you've obviously been the head coach for a while now with the ima team and like there's obviously going to be a few people tuning in now like we were going over as part of team ireland for the people who are listening on spotify uh the names are going across the bottom of the screen now on youtube so make sure to check that out but andy what you have to say for the people going over competing for team ireland maybe it's their first time like what sort of something that they really need to know in preparation for heading over to abu dhabi yeah the big thing for me is be confident in your abilities be confident in yourself because fellas come over it's a real urge cliche you know come over here and you get drawn against someone from you know russia or you get drawn against brazilian oh [ __ ] you know i'm gonna get beaten here no hang on a minute you know we we wore champions on the team you know we've we've won medals at every event we're in the top are we in the top five countries in the world top five at least yeah so so it's a big thing but you have to be part of the team you know don't be over there trying to do it all on your own if there's a team around you and make sure you're part of that team it's hard if you want to be you know superstar on their own or someone that sits you know doesn't want to be part of the team be part of the team and make things easier goes to cut weight with go weigh in with chill out after the fights and be there to support your teammates because they need your support as well so it works both ways be a team player yeah and russ ross that's exactly why we love supporting team irs mma especially yeah absolutely uh obviously andy you're bringing over quite a large coaching team you know various coaches have you know various areas of expertise well how important is it from a mindset point of view to you know find out what fighter needs what on the day of their competition yeah so so the way there's a big coastal squad going because most fighters are bringing their own coaches with them so that's how we started to allow it so what happened before was a lot of coaches didn't bother traveling and um it was a lot of work for myself liam and dana so it was a bit crazy so like the the national coaching squad for it for the seniors is myself um liam danny carr and patty hill and we're inside the national coaching squad but foreigners coming over bring their own cultures no problem but they have to be part of the team there for the week so we'll say to a coach okay you're coming over here you know say something for me nadine abbott's my business is coming over so you know andy your whole coach yeah okay but you got to be there to help out everyone for the week don't just come up your fire gets beat now when's the first day and piss off the holiday that's not how it works you're there for the week you're part of the of the team you're there to help everybody out exactly yeah and that's what you want you want that you want you want that team environment you mean and you want to help each other grow and learn and one thing that has happened time and time again uh has been two irish athletes meeting each other in the final what is that like obviously there's great pride probably for yourself but there's also that issue of you know you know where do you fall annoying the coaching on the uh when just saying neither was your own and then also what way is that sort of structure for the day of the final yeah so so there is no problems we've had that before so usually what we do is if their own club coaches are with them we'll ask them then to you know get someone to give be a second they give a hand in the corner wherever you're most comfortable with if it's me i i don't care who wins once we get that result and both foreigners are happy and so fair for you you know the best person is going to come out on top so it doesn't matter whose corn you're in and as well as that it's this is the thing that i i just say these all the time it's not like an mma fight in a certain you know you're going to cage like you see i go into cage conflict or clown wars or one of these it's an event you it's totally different than that saturday night show you're having breakfast with the guys you're fighting never mind your own country from going to another country you're on the walmart you're sitting on the bus beside them going to the venue they're in the warm-up area together there's no separate changing rooms and there's no it's a big man area everyone warms up again you know pads are stretching before they go your fight with you're standing behind and walking out in the waiting area to come out before you and the fight said there's no fancy music when the flight's over get back in the change when you're fighting another guy who was in that room the next day so it's not it's more competition it's like going through youtube event it's very it's very for me it's brilliant it's that competitive void of it there you know so it takes away that yeah it really throws you in there like yeah does it sound a bit more like a almost a u.s collegiate wrestling meet so that was probably close to it it's very good to any martial arts event so you come from a journal background or crowded that's the way events happen you know like we don't go into a separate change room you know look give these little dirty looks you know yeah around the world together you know we've been sitting on the bus with guys that we've been fighting on the way to the venue warming up beside them you know and and then you get in and you're fighting that's the end of it okay so ryan obviously you won gold last time you represented like after you won the goal the hell would i feel and like what must it feel like to win gold for a round it felt like it felt pretty normal to be honest because i in my head i had already won it you know what i mean like first since since i was like since i started mma trying since i started competing in jiu-jitsu and everything like seeing all the older lats going over and fighting in the oimfs like it wasn't as advanced as it was now but it was still like the the most prestigious thing you could do amateur so like when i was seeing like people say in school for instance like uh my mates are like i can't wait to finish school whatever go to college get a degree i was like i can't wait to finish school go to the imaps and win a world goal medal you know you know what i mean so i was building up from such a long time and when it happened i was like right there wasn't too much of a shock to me around you know what i mean the podium big milestone yeah 100 because there's not that many people that can say that they won't gold medal for ireland especially in mixed martial arts because it's so young and it's grown and i suppose it's the only actual opportunity to represent ireland in mixed martial arts you know i mean like when you go off and you fight in bellator or you see you can walk to the um ring or the cage with an irish flag but you're technically just representing yourself and maybe your gym is the only chance you get to actually represent yeah you're there with the team ireland you're there for your team um it's the next best thing to do olympics yeah i look at the olympics of yeah it basically is because there's nothing after that and ryan with this would you be the first ever person to win back-to-back gold medals i'm pretty sure yeah i don't think anyone's done that before and it's basically two world gold medals is that right well ryan's is a world cup man there wasn't a world championships yeah this is the world championships so it's the they have to have the holiday is that they're going to have like a world championships world team championships and then they'll have international events but they call them world cups they're wrapped up from like wrestling and judo's don't like that so they'll be like they said we have an irish one it'll be the irish world cup party you know it's just a competition so he it because i'm not too sure if anyone else is one two back to back i know that um alex o'sullivan i think has won the mouse medals as in they think he took your bronze and celebrate nearly every event he went to and but nadine has a couple of medals as well but not goals and then um shauna bannon has a goal in the silver but um let me you know i think i think ryan is in for a good show here this is going to be a step up now from because he's going to go into the adults plus there's going to be more countries here you know some of the big hitters right there for some of the world cups and we i'm with the carving stuff but we'll see now that's why i think um i would have really liked the whole squad to be together a little bit more and as ryan will tell you that when he go out with it like it's no longer you know 10 fellows turned off from a country you know just so many countries here the kha'zix and the the bahrain the russians you know the doctors with them physios with them i think the 65 70 people on each team and i was crazy and they're they're also funded as well by the government a lot of them as well so yeah some of the questions right yeah i know i know i was talking to the bulgarians before and all the guys that were on the team were on a wage they were an allowance to trade and they are friends for him yeah i think someone was saying that the bahrainians um and some of the russians when they when they ended up getting 25 thousand they got a gold medal something like that yeah well if you look at uh probably the most famous athlete of all time probably mohammed mccoy i mean i feel like he stayed amateur so long and was so well known the scene he was definitely making some form when he offered and i suppose he is someone who's now what six no in the ufc yeah i think he was he was backed by the prince wasn't he he was a kps i think so yeah yeah i think jerry harris would have beat him have you had a fight yeah definitely well well who knows jared i think he's making his pro debut with mark yeah would have been a tough way for him yeah definitely i wouldn't be surprised to see them meet in the future what's he calling he's never seen it did he knock you off he just followed him no no 2019 was his last voyage he never fought rio yamaguchi yeah yeah uh junior yeah it was a bit of a funny one uh sometimes at the imam after him because obviously you're around me drawn and like you'll see him and he's like 19 i wasn't as an amateur and he'll fight a fella who's making his amateur debut and you're like jesus like that's that's rough but uh at the end of the day there's very few of that now you know because most guys are are coming from you know a good background in the sport or go down with your records and um a big team that stood out for me at the world cup that we were at was a spanish team he had a small team there i think he had seven fighters they had six in in in the middle thing five in the finals but they were really good but they all had like 20 to 20 mma fights they were fighting constantly but i was watching how they were doing their voice they weren't they it was just a treat it was three treatment rounds in the cage it wasn't a big deal to them they were getting in and fighting and going cornering each other warming each other up going around their flip-flops they weren't making the big deal but they were i was talking about the two the one was a very experienced juno player and and i watched these voices he went there took people down held him on the ground for a couple of seconds trim a couple of shots got back to the seat and done the same thing for three year olds i don't think he's submitting someone or or um knocked someone out in the whole event but just stuck to that gameplan took away a gold medal you know yeah absolutely and do you think this is the most talented team we've ever had and you expect potentially the largest metal hall ireland's ever had um two things i i don't think the metal hall is going to be as big as we've had somewhat over the years because of our preparation and that's on the training and carve and [ __ ] like that so a lot of fellas have been in a secret injured i think so many experienced guys and i think the likes of uh you know somebody care i think the girls will never share with mel ryan um i think max lally uh you know taylor quinn there's a few guys that have the experience but we have not experienced so many things we had like when we had lee hammond and and and we had a um jer harrison a few other guys there before it was it was it was experienced i think this team is a bit is a bit of a mix and match be honest with you i think a lot of them haven't haven't seen this level of competition um but it depends on the draw it depends how you feel as well i think the experience goes if they can start off to a win away or laugh they need to show the newer guys on the team this is how it's done you know yeah and i suppose it all comes down to the day like you said you mean like ryan said you could be up against someone and they might be technically better than you they won't have the shits on the day and they might not feel great when they get it i push through anyway literally god i loved you before you stepped in yeah yeah just looking at the squad now there's a lot of names on it that we're really looking forward to seeing and like as as it gets closer we'll be promoting the event more and more so like that's why people tune in now make sure to follow the lads on their social medias to follow the journey hopefully straight to gold but ryan it'll be the second time picking up golf around but andy how important is it for people to actually be part of this ima team in their future development to hopefully to go out to be other superstars yeah like people i see some comments sometimes about uh silence i was picked and why isn't a b or c picked the simple reason is you didn't do the trials or your club is not involved get involved we need everybody involved we need more players like like to think that it's uh someone said that's our team ruiner it's all spg they're winning spots but they're from different gyms you know get on to the team there's some great teams out there some great fighters that should be on this they don't realize how big oil map is that's the problem they they just think it's an amateur event we need them involved the more the more top athletes and top clubs we have involved the morrow's rules the more medals we get puts oil on the picture helps you know justify and sort of uh acknowledge our sport in order so i think it's the way to go and the more clubs the more athletes sign up the better the better for everybody yeah and then ryan and then ryan you obviously won gold can you tell people what like how that spurred you on ever since you've won gold like how was your mindset in training changed oh it just shows you the levels that you're able to reach you know what i mean like for example you look at mohammed monkey if he won what two time goal he was a two-time world champion and he went straight on to breve you know what i mean it gives you the platform then for when you're out turning professional so you don't have to start from the very bottom you already have a little bit of experience behind you a little bit of like clout behind you or whatever you want to call it you know what i mean then to go and the key only had what six he's six and oh now he's gone straight to the ufc like that's because he had that following behind him when he built himself up through the imax yeah i i myself have no idea it does really help in the amateur scenes to build up a bit of a following and then when you go into pro like you already have the people following yeah yeah the organizations will watch you and you've already filled it like the level of the guys you know what i mean because one of the time we were out there there was a brave event on in between the day at the final there was like the semi-finals then there was a brave event and then the finals and like the level of the finals was actually better than the professional event that was on the day before yeah you know what i mean so it just goes to show like if you're fighting in the imaps you're finding the best all around the world yeah i suppose at certain stage especially the finals and the imaps like you know you're actually fighting for a championship and sometimes you're fighting on a show or like just a general show i mean i mean it's not as much on the line so when you do get to the very latter stages competitions it really shows that the people there really really want that and then speaking of sort of you know the finals and championships obviously in february and the um the nationals are coming up and it'll be the first time ever ireland's had uh national champions in each weight class how excited are you for that and how good is that going to be for the future voyage me yeah very excited we tried to do it last year and the year before we're covered we're knocked in the head we actually a couple of big a big venue booked and we had cages now ready to go and then it was knocked on the head we were got a voice from sports council stuff not to run it so i'm really glad and listen you know i can't be saying too much but make sure you enter make sure you get a place and make sure you try and win that gold medal because there's a few big events coming up and there's a very big one coming up very soon and if you're the number one it could be it could be a good good year for you yeah for the people who want to check out the irish nationals they're on from friday the 18th of february to the 20th of february and they're not being missed yeah we'll definitely make an appearance at them yeah and listen there's loads of good clubs there that still aren't affiliated get you get your club affiliated and get you get your students signed up we need big strong teams that's what people people don't realize the more better fighters we have the better we're going to do you know yeah exactly and if you want to call yourself the best in the country you have to be have to have your name in the half yeah of course i'm ryan will we see your name in the hat there for the nationals oh 100 percent when is registration actually is that it's still open is it it's open yeah yeah yeah very deadly you have to register for the fourth so yeah we should register as well man we might until you go until you go to the hotel there's three or four hundred athletes in the hotel and cultures and people from all over the world you're mixing together you know and then you're you're on the bus and you're in the venue and you see the different voice going on it's a totally different experience than any mma event you know it needs to be experienced it needs to be seen yeah i'd actually love to see two fights simultaneously going on like cages that are sold by soil i think it's it's sometimes there's like four or four it's going yeah it's a worldwide could be more cages yeah jesus that's crazy there's no there's no waiting about what's constantly over the day 60 70 40 today yeah yeah you're not getting israel out of honey you're doing a dance before the walk no no music can open it you know get the phone on get out next people here come back no i'm just like obviously myself and ross want to go over to him like like we're hardly just doing these shows because we just we just look like we love him we want to be like promoting it i'm going but obviously it's like abu dhabi and we're not made of money for that who knows what we've roasted yeah we can't like that's the thing is we're like we can't ask for a gofundme when the athletes are trying to get the money i mean stand first say as you're saying that like like i've done every one of these events and you know what we got one sponsor for the kids but like it costs a fortune and then all you have coaches then will come to me and say we want to be involved you're going to send me to the world no we pay yourself like this this one like people don't realize sometimes the coaches travel over to foilers and you know they're up in the morning they're going through the weigh-ins with them they're paying their own way they're paying for the hotel all this so we paid the same entries that the foilers pay it's crazy you know just crazy fee it's just because and the fact that it's the same price is mental because but it's the same in our big sports i competed around the world with you know it's the same it's it's that registration and you know someone's paying for them hotels and then venues and them cages you know what i mean so that's that's the problem yeah well hopefully more and more medals come back to ireland and then it's just that there'll be more eyes that's yeah that's the thing i think like you this is at the beginning we get no money from anybody look at look at judo wrestling and stuff that are around a long time you don't get anything you know a couple of individuals making a couple of creator an association might get a small grant you know you're going to you know finally i was going to say that there are a few people who are still on standby what would your voice be to them because it only takes one person to maybe you know get covered or something to get injured to still make the team yeah um if you're really ready and you're focused on you're coming over there to win him to win the bell you're not going to holiday yeah be ready to go be ready to go but listen you know this is this is happening at the end of january the nationals are in february so be ready anyway get get in get in and secure your spot get that number one spot in february you know and then you're gonna be you're gonna you're gonna you're not gonna be sitting on the fence then waiting uh all year to go away you're gonna have the number one choice i'm sorry andy just four nationals just just to clarify how many um spots are available in each way class as many as enter okay so it depends on entry yeah yeah but realistically like um if you're a total novice you know that's what people are gonna you know it's really who knows i'm a wild dog you don't know me when i'm angry i think as well down the road we we we should be mainly looking at the way the boxing goes you know um you know novice intermediate senior elite that type of thing you know so i think it's the way forward conference a lot of people in ireland are amateur mixed martial artists boy toilet lonely you know i mean yeah they train full time and that's that's their gig but uh yeah yeah but anything else left to add in there i was gonna say like it's funny it was only just january the new year's was coming like there's like it's already about to blow up already with the world championships going down and then the irish nationals as well so if you are going to be tuned in or you're interested in checking out make sure to check out the lads at coach underscore andy ryan underscore and ryan underscore kyo mma because like the two lads are doing amazing things and it's just it's brilliant following the sport and then seeing these two lads like either like being the head coach of yours team and winning winning golf around it's just it's it's great it's absolutely great so um if you are new to the show make sure to like subscribe and if you're on spotify make sure to hit the five star as well because we're going to be keeping you updated with the irish ima team as well uh just before we wrap things up andy is there anything you want do you want to tell any of the athletes flying over or coaches not to forget bar sun cream and their passport yeah don't forget heart now listen everyone going over on the bottom so great coaches going and to help out so you know a lot of these coaches have been there before so they know the score you know and you know to help out with all them do just just be going over there with an open mind and be part of the team but you have that you know you're not going to holidays you're going over there for competition competition competition competition you're you're spending all that money and traveling you decide the world to win a medal you know to help you and have your sport you're not going on holidays you know and some people have that and you know uh what flip-flops are bringing with me this time and what so you'd be surprised so we want you know our behaviors yourself you're representing your country you know you're representing your flag you know we're under the spotlight and especially in in abu dhabi there's you know no messing about oh i think that we have we've seen you know we've some good guys going some girls got a great coaster squad going now i'm actually looking forward to seeing how the ladies do the ladies are going to surprise people with some very very good athletes going over you know so i think that's they're the ones to watch on this event yeah um what about yourself what you have to tell the any any of the athletes going over like you do just stay focused just focus is the biggest thing over there because you're going to be walking around you'll be seeing the people you're fighting and like the main thing is like after your first voice you haven't won anything yet no you know what i mean you have to stay focused yeah yeah you get you can have a celeb celebration after you win the gold medal yeah celebrate when you get home even like you know what i mean now that's a holiday that's that's it yeah we've had you know what i mean and then failing medical the next morning i got stroke or heat stroke whatever so yeah and right fields stay on point to deal for team ireland and andy ryan thanks a million for joining us today really appreciate the time two absolute legends and again i'll re reiterate what barry said if you are watching this video make sure to like share subscribe hit the notification bells to see all irish mma content on the energizer show and as always stay energized energized up the irish insulting you guys a couple of times i've seen a couple of clips i think you're doing some interviews with dylan moore and then that i i saw so keep going keep up the good workers