I Fought Everybody There Was to Fight

Summary

Combat Confidential #024 - S3E9 - Ger Harris People Don't Understand How Good I Am Welcome back I sit down with with Ger Harris, pro MMA fighter from Team Ryano who shares his insights into what has shaped his career, his initial attraction to fighting, and the personal growth…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] all right everyone welcome back combat confidential uh today's guest is a pro fighter from Team Rhino uh currently signal cage Warriors the IMF World Champ BJJ purple Bel with I was actually surprised to find out um my opinion future UFC Contender the GTA selector Mr jar Harris sir welcome uh thanks for thanks for coming on the show I appreciate it um appreciate you having me on yeah no problem um look so a brief question because you were just in you're just in Thailand so what um what was it why why did you end up in Thailand how how how did it even come to be cuz you briefly said you wer only supposed to be there for two weeks and then you pushed it out for yeah so what happened was um uh the people who make me fo kits Molly and Coy yeah they uh they had planned The Retreat and I had I had planned to go to h toand a couple of times H Max L was over there and he was saying you need to get over here you need to get over here so I was like yeah I'll definitely go over but every time it was like going to Booker or something something would just come up now me um Family wise or just anything and then uh they were organizing it for April I was fighting at the start of April so it nearly just all come together perfectly yeah so then I was planning to I was only planning to do the retreat bit with them so I went over a week before them and then do two weeks of the retreat and then after that I was like no not going on hope that's awesome U where where did you train out um outo what B okay right on there's so many people um at least in the Irish scene they keep going over there it seems to be very very popular yeah there was a lot of Irish Lads when we got there um like obviously James Gallagher he's training now there fulltime um kefa was over there while I was there um n wedy he was there h a young from shim Podrick um there was a girl there of course me because I'm BR same same um there was a couple there and then there people blowing him from everywhere like for it was great like and then there's Conor the boxing coaches from dirty like so I enjoyed watching your stories while you were over there it was awesome yeah so tell okay look uh I just got a few questions here just you know just to help me get to know you bit better um just quick uh first thing that comes to mind uh coffee or tea tea tea really if we drink coffee I be riddled in anxiety I don't know what it is I just get like a sense of like D or something it's like something bad's going to happen something bad's going to happen and then your heart is go how how do you take your tea tea small B milk Tre sugars sugar sweet oh oh my goodness I think you're the first Irish person at least that takes sugar with their tea that I met really I think on this podcast Le it's it's like 90% coffee as well oh yeah yeah so I don't like that I used to drink coffee when I walked on building SS and stuff now you're getting up at 5: in the Morning Star woke at 600 just to perk you up but yeah at that stage I believe now you had to go to bed know what I mean uh what is your favorite childhood memory Jesus [ __ ] Lots um I don't know maybe just knocking about on the roads with me night blade and playing [ __ ] catch and Bash and man tip the can all them sort of things and love love spending time with all my family when I was a kid like my cousins are all similar age to me so going off to me big cousins and chilling out with them and that's cool know what I mean did you have a like a big family or yeah I do have a big every nearby as well everybody's nearby like loads of cousins and stuff like that my own house there's only me me sister and me little brother but my little sister's pregnant now so she's going to be having a baby right after I F good next month congratulations good um where where about are you from exactly H Balon okay yeah Balon grew up on Balon then lived in town for a few years in Hardwick Street um with me n well just up the road from Hardwick Street and then yeah back to Bon then right on uh favorite movie or TV show oh favorite movie probably Goodwill Hunting or sha Shank Redemption they're two of me favorites I love I love how they play sha shank on television a lot yeah it's sick yeah so you get to you get to see how good of a movie it is all the time it's really really great movie and funny when Mo was telling me when that came out the pictures nobody went to see no it didn't I don't think it did very well in the in the theaters or in the cinema um but yeah no it's it's a very good movie yeah cracker it was underrated at the time but I think people understand now yeah TV show did you ever watch that M Hunters what one is that is that the uh so it's one about the fbio but it's how they set up the psychological Department of it and stuff like that but it's all based through a book at the interview serial killers in it yeah um I I've seen it but I haven't sat down and watched it yeah there's only two seasons of it I don't know if they make it anymore but the two seasons that's a good one you recommend that one yeah definitely yeah I'm real one if we watch a series I could watch it over and over again know what I mean yeah yeah I just started watching uh Tulsa King W it's got a Sylvester Stallone in it oh ni it's like a um New York mobster moves to Tulsa Oklahoma middle Cal country oh yeah it's it's pretty good I'm only like three episodes in but ago I'm on that Fallout now and one of my mat put me on to it meant to be a PlayStation game I haven't played it though day'll be all playing it yeah I haven't played the game either but I've been wanting to watch it as well it's half decent look yeah I've been I think going need to play the game for start something to know what's going on in know what I mean right uh favorite superhero Spiderman yeah yeah what would do I think I feel like he's the most realistic almost yeah is it um I think when I was growing up all the movies we just s like as we was like getting a little bit older you could proper enjoyed him like that's what I used to me and me dad used to go not as much now wish we did a little bit more but we used to go to pictures every type of film now mean all the action films especially and you'd come out to pict just feeling like you see to watch [ __ ] do that um you're morning person or night hour little bit Bo and some days I can bounce up a bleding 6:00 in the morning and I'll be flying and other days I'll be awake till bleding I'll be awake till 6:00 in the morning yeah know I'm I'd definitely prefer to be up at night depends how the week of training is as well or what's coming up you know yeah true yeah that's kind of how I am like uh if I have something planned for the morning I'm up I'm ready for it but if if I have that choice if I'm making my own schedule for the day yeah sleeping in as much as I can yeah um who's someone who inspires you the most um don't really know um like obviously you can take the easy route and say your family and stuff but I think uh I just s of nearly motivate myself like like looking at Fighters and stuff I want to have what he has but it's like I wouldn't be like they SPO me know that sort of way yeah maybe just myself right on that's good you know it's it's good to have to be able to look at yourself and kind of you know see your progression and you know take insparation from your own hard work maybe do you know what easily cord like my friend C he's he's only had to getting injured straight off the but like just looking at him now and you're like how the [ __ ] are you getting on like you know what I mean like how are you still trooping along crazy like was up with him the weekend and he like just talking to him and then like how hard he's at to be walking in his training like we call it training because it's training but like his rehab for his injury and stuff just unbelievable like yeah know that that um uh it it what I trying to say um it's definitely a situation of like you know don't count yourself out yeah you have to be able to make a back to like to court that his mindset was always bulletproof like even from when I was a kid he was always the same it was like that's good he's always like that type of Switched on positive this is the way it's going to go and if it doesn't we [ __ ] we'll ride it till the whales fall off like yeah it's difficult to you know a normal man you know he's made a definitely know what I mean definitely From a Different Cloth for sure yeah um all right a couple would you rathers these are these are always fun uh would you you rather have a personal chef or a personal chauffeur Chef yeah say defitely you like to eat love eating yeah what's your favorite Fone or type or um favorite dinner for the house like Shepherd's po Shepherd's po makes a good dinner me mik um eat and out H probably petza there's a place out here way is slice and a um one of my mates was walking there but they actually sponsored me before they don't SP to me anymore but the pizza is unbelievable I'll go back until I'm bleeding 100 Kil I I love a good pizza pizza is probably a top three favorite foods yeah easily eat pizza all the time versatile as well you can pour on it it's hard to screw it up but when you do screw it up it's like come on like come on like yeah yeah I like like enchiladas as well you can make them at home as well that LE thank you um okay uh would you rather have your browsing history leaked or your messages be arrested for both probably um probably brows in history I'm not yeah I'm not much on Google oh man no text messages all day stay away from my internet history there a lot of questionable stuff in there don't judge me um okay um last one here would you rather have the trash talking ability of Chael sunnen or the zero filter of Sean sterland know child sort of legendary isn't he and then Sean Strickland's only getting the back end of the stick now until he's done now I mean he'll retire and he'll say oh he's one of the best ever you know what I mean yeah yeah yeah but like yeah probably CH yeah 100% man like sometimes when when he it sounds like he's rapping you know and like it's he's almost like someone's going to come out like a boom box and have a beat going for him you know he's he's so good and follows with it and that's it yeah yeah he's brilliant thank you all right um we'll jump right into it here so talked about a little bit about you know kind of who inspired you most but um you know how how like I think probably I didn't think about that well enough probably when I was for star and obviously c d was like one of my biggest Inspirations know what I mean but I felt like I've came to a point now and where I've got Pro as well and it was B in the Pro scene as well so I think it was sort of like right I think every sort of Milestone you pick up it's like your inspiration will change constantly like your favorite film it might change season you know that sort of way um and I think C that inspires me a lot more ways than just fighting like he inspires me just more as a person and things like that where like fighting ways like forc it would have been like readyy like obviously he was one of me he was me Force coach and like obviously I love training with him and he he had trained cour so like he was a big inspiration for me at the start where now it's like I don't really look up to anybody because it's like I want to P the P some people are looking up to now at this stage you get me that's good yeah kind of want to be that role model for exactly yeah for the next gener the next uh the next group in after you like it's funny like me and Lewis um when the lads out a Jim Lewis born really really good like me and him Coach the kids classes and then my little brother's like he's training since he's four as well so he's in the the kids and like the high level kids bounce between they'll try Rose a little bit and they'll do with the kids class classes and then they be over with Mike and D made as well but I find like the kids will come in and they be like I was watching on YouTube or that man be telling you that we have to be watching it or we watching on the Telly like on UFC for pass or something like that so it's funny when they come in and say things like that guess they're scratching your head say what [ __ ] um so like when it comes to you know having you know these types of people around you people who inspire you and I guess doesn't doesn't have to be one person but people who inspire you and then you know teaching kids teaching the Next Generation how how does that help kind of like shape you as a fighter um well I think it just HS your skills in know I mean you can't really teach if you don't understand exactly what you're doing and I think as soon as you start teaching like I think most people get that blue belt and then they'll probably start helping out with classes that's where they start to get the go of like oh I can really do something with this then and um Jujitsu Bo anyway and they'll start helping out with classes and then before you know it's like I heard I'm sick can you take that class and then it sort of progresses from there but I find um like that if you don't really understand what you're doing try explain something to a beginner and then it's like whether it's basic footw walk or an air or something you really have to break things down to the the ground of it and sort of build the technique up then so I think it it makes a more all round fighter all together and yeah I think it it just stands to you then I think in the long run especially I find teaching kids and teaching like beginner adults is it's the same without all the messing that sort of way um then when you start teaching like the fighters Class like like in right now like you might go up and I might be like stay in a class you might go up and grae will be teaching something like gr sh or James Sheen or Lewis might be like teaching a little bit cuz all of us have different skill sets you know um but all like different different looks on techniques might have a little small few details that you'll change in and around and then obviously you have like nails herei and reds are and Andy who will oversee the class anyway you know what I mean but sometimes he just let us run with it and see where the technique is going cuz like that we've all trained in different places like been just a Thailand I've been in Bulgaria I've trained in a different gym for nearly 14 years so all the techniques are sort of the same singles doubles but all little details might change you know what I mean that's what's the best about of sport it's nobody no one person is right do you think it's a like critical for skills development to to teach definitely yeah I definitely think so um especially for you to understand the sport cuz like I find what like I started to realize was like a lot of gyms will just do striking wrestling Jiu-Jitsu maybe Judo as well and yeah but and then you'll have your wall wrestling where it's like that's probably the most MMA sort of thing but a lot of places don't that in ground and pound or like if they're doing while wrestling it's only wrestling and there's no like breaking off throwing shots re-entering to get the a Tak down little things like that I think from coaching I was like started to realize Jesus we need to make this a lot more MMA and like bring your striking into your wrestling like box wrestle or shoe boxing whatever you like to call it and then when you're going to the floor adding in h ground and pound and stuff like that and I think that's something we I um I learned off on himself it's like all the classes were quite mixed around know what I mean like like you'd have your striking classes but then you'd have your MMA classes that are starting on the feet into wrestling not just coming in and trying to be big wrestlers because probably never going to Big realistically you know yeah yeah um so you did a bit of coaching but you you also did a bit of coaching with the the train alter program yeah yeah yeah how did you find that we found it great yeah cuz you taking like H like a lot of them are a lot older than me you know what I mean all like either like I found most of the people who done it like either had spare time or like they were running the business so they could afford to take them on and off or like to be honest it was like it was little bit like people they own it little bit of mix of everybody like me own on it and stuff oh yeah yeah he's a taxi driver so that's cool it was deadly even the fight that's H when he walked out the fight I said right before that was like change his name to that's my so and me and we have the same name so it's bit funny like that's cool um but yeah the train ala program was brilliant I found because you're taking Lads you may have played a bit of sport you're getting some people who haven't done anything but they're a lot old I know what I mean so they really just want to go in and learn and you don't show we not that much older okay but I mean like 40s stuff like that you know U 30 isn't old yeah no I know what you mean I know what you mean but like that like lot more life experience than me anyway you know what I mean they're probably looking at me saying how's this playing little nipp and is is that a bit odd do you think to have someone who's senior to you kind of looking down on you for not looking down so I didn't mean like that I mean like looking you know looking at you for inspiration and you know kind of coaching yeah it's a little bit mad cuz I think obviously the first time they come in and I'd say a lot of smaller Fighters probably get this like if you roll with like naan abber or Jamie abber like there like n played nearly 10 kilos later than me and Jamie like but like you roll were if to roll were like the same way i' roll with a lad know what I mean a level is just really really high yeah so and then if like Jamie's the same size as me I'm sure if you went into a gym and you didn't know Jamie and he wrapped you up you'd be like what the [ __ ] is going on now that sort of way yeah so I think for the lads coming in and seeing me being a lot smaller and then obviously some of them probably know you're from the gym or like the the kids D and stuff and they want to get a little bit of a taste for what the kids are doing and they'll know you but for people just to walk in and walk on to a mat and like especially if my face for sh if they look like a beding baby so they're probably looking at me saying who's this little show um I think that can be a little bit funny but then as the weeks go on and the like like you were saying you're starting like you're one of them people that inspir The Lads and they're watching your fights and they're like God that's un real and know what I mean they're coming in and talking to you about you and stuff you all forgetting about you like how does he even know this know what I mean it's co like but I found the train Al the program very good like it Lads coming in some people who don't even know how to fall and then some some people who are just like take to like a match you know what I mean like um one of the lads who actually sponsors me now um Le and S um so on the Ala program and the other sponsor Vinnie he was actually one of the first H people to sponsor me Vince and gery um they all done the Ala program so Vinnie done it first and then I think the next year Simon and Lee done it but like Lee now is at the progession he's looking for that's cool yeah I just I just about to ask that like did you see many or anyone kind of move on from the you know from alter to yeah a handful of people like another young Ro um one of me mes actually him and Lee would sort of pile together and training together a lot now um Road started doing pts with me and then I was like why don't you do the Ala program cuz you get a quick fight out of it and it's probably better than doing the um novice stuff it's a little bit more like trun straight into it and then I was like wa don't just start fight an amateur after that and then he ended up doing it and now like from what I heard he's he's like one of the more like he's one of the harder rounds in the gym around where he's and so that's cool I love I love to hear I love hearing that because uh I I didn't I think it was the last season of the wimp War before they changed the name yeah so I done the last season that was the first year I coached it and then I done I think maybe so two seasons after that because it's like the start of the year the end of the year yeah I remember seeing you there oh yeah um but uh what was I saying um there's a few folks that I you know trained with while doing it that you know they really took it seriously and you know they you know progressed into like like a small amateur career and yeah exactly um it I think I think it's amazing and I think it's very I don't it's not underrated it's what am I trying to say um I think more people should probably experience it yeah like it's something where I think like people see it and then they kind of punched in the face or this or that but unless you're mildly into it already then you're just going to be put off by it but it it's not at all like that no it's a like as well a good coach will take it from the ground up know what I mean like to be honest like H doesn't have that sort of like beginner with that like the flinching when your TR punches at them even if you're around the Shadow and fronting them and stuff like that but like a good coach will take you through and like will give you confidence in your like defensive ability and then sort of build you on from there or they'll give the Bas stri teches in terms of like that and then build up your like your defense and then you'll go into s doing live drills like you're not coming in and sparing from the start of it yeah like you know yourself you've done it it's like a couple of weeks like technique week and then probably some drills and then you'll walk into Spar and so to be honest I believe anybody can do it and it's a it's a really a unique experience you know what I mean yeah I think we're fortunate that in Ireland in general generally speaking in Ireland across the board uh all the gyms in the country are pretty good yeah there's a lot of high level gyms and a lot of high level coaches and then some of uh quite a few of them take on that program as well so you're getting you know these high level gyms that are willing to accept you know exactly someone off the street basically and you know to teach them uh uh in my opinion a very useful skill so definitely yeah there's nothing nothing more comfortable uh confident then now you're able to defend yourself like AB I mean even enough to defend and run away because that's probably what you should do but if all else comes to like if if it comes to the right way or the wrong way if you put it that way like if there's a a confrontation and you need to throw a few hands or play and snatch a body lock and dump them onto the neck not even do it doesn't even need even need to be physical but like at work even you know if maybe if you're dealing with like a I don't know you have an ass whole you know colleague or something like that it kind of gives you that that confidence to you know maybe you know stand up for yourself or for someone else mil you so yeah definitely I find like I don't argue with anybody yeah you know what I mean maybe play family and stuff like that that' be probably about it but I mean and like in like obviously my work environment is the gy now so me Jim is like me family like so but I mean like that I remember walking on building sites and especially like the lads who like farming and stuff like that like they all think they're tough guys yeah like and then like Majors having the confidence to say I'll smash a face and like what are you going to do you know what I mean um like when people are being rud to you or like the train you like [ __ ] or something like that or like like that you get some of like no it's not it's not every electrician but like some of the electricians like some of the lads that ahead of you know what I mean or like allers like like they don't really like they probably seeing aund of apprentices and that blade probably sick of seeing them now that sort of way or sick of showing them stuff and like you can get some of them who can be like probably get than any job but from my experience get some of them that are playing they probably fed up with Al with younger Lads and or they don't like the cheekiness and stuff like that which I probably will be and they get smart with you but having the confidence to turn around and say you shut your [ __ ] him out they're like what who are you who's going to dance in your that's who yeah all right so what was it about MMA that you know kind of initially you know Drew you in you know how old were you for one when you start I think I was 10 and I had to pretend I was 11 to do with the T class yeah yeah um like obviously when I was growing up I used to love like always into like action movies like superheroes and stuff like that and then like then it progresses on you start watching the WWE with you D and all your mat watching it and stuff like that um and then I used to have a trampoline at me back we used to put the boxing gloves on and me might used to punch the head off each we used to BL to do that too yeah the lads on me Road even would say to me now BL remember we used to be killing each other on the on the trampoline and now you're bluing me um but what happened was I had to meet royan Hanigan and he was like I'm about to start in kickboxing okay but we s of do like a little bit of wrestling in it as well and I was like I I had started boxing when I was eight but I was in an out gym I wasn't like fully consistent I didn't want to be a boxer know I me but it was serious it was just for fun but I really enjoyed and I I me it's more just to protect myself like I think my dad put me in a for and um I did enjoy the training but I just wasn't like I want to be a boxer and then like that me mate it started uh up and on and I remember him telling me and I was always the the young FL on the road Hood blade say if someone came around and robbed me and my friends football I'd be always the one who would step up and have a straighten there and take the ball back you know that sort of way and so was I always played knock getting lumps knocked down we knocking lumps out with somebody so um he had he had started that and he said to himself I'm not having someone else be a better fighter than me so we ended up going up with them and um that's where it all started I think fourth class went up and learned how to do an armar from bottom soy control okay and now like that's me bread and butter are probably my favorite submission like and H if you roll with me I'm just going for so I like to play around in the gym and fights I'll take anything off you but like that if I can get an AR I will you train in the G at all or no um I used to train a lot on the gay and then I stopped for a while um cuz I was only doing MMA I do want to get come back p and Jiu-Jitsu and stuff like that but I think um because Roo such a a like it's such a grappling based gym like like the level of grappling him right now is unbelievable like some night you walk onto the mats and there's that could be annoying black belts there it's like it's really unbelievable so there's loads and loads of people to learn off and and like really traditional a lot of classes would be in the suits um so when I'm not in fo Camp I do a lot more in the game now and then when I'm in fo Camp I try to keep it um I try sa like rather than me say come up and down kickboxing and G I try like in F Camp we'll probably like I'll do a session with C on a Tuesday and Thursday and then that evening I'll probably do another session and I'll probably run that morning you know so rather than staying on and doing an extra gay class we'll get more MMA grappling name with somebody were a bit more experi that that for your careerwise like it totally makes sense to but I do really enjoy the gate too I am I'm not very good at choking people with the Su but I like that it slows it down and you have to learn like obviously different techniques obviously it makes it gives you a lot more grips as well so I like if I'm in the gate I like playing SPO guarden like trying to helicopter AR people and stuff like that so that's pretty cool yeah um so like when when you when you first started was there like kind of like a or not even when you first started like maybe you know doing it for you know a few years a couple years like was there kind of a moment where you just were like things just clicked and you're like this is the for class i l it I just loved it from the four class cuz like that I was mad into the WWE and stuff as a kid so when we start on that and it was like like if you watch it and they do some of the submissions you look at them now and you're like there's a triangle there's a yoke there's a Kamar and then some of them are just played mad looking things you know what I mean but like that it was like oh we're actually be we're actually able to do this now know what I mean or we actually were actually able to do some missions and take people down and then obviously I had done a little bit of boxing so then we were learning to kick and I think I I really did just love it from the start and then I think after two months I don't we forc competition and um I competed against H it was me Ryan and two other Lads I don't know if the two other Lads are still competing I can't even remember the names it was that long ago um but I remember I had won two matches and lost one match so I had beat one of the lads who had a bit more experienced and me and I lost one of the lads that had a lot more experience to me and I was like that's unbelievable and uh I was like I love that know what I mean like I loved like I loved the competition side of it and then um we done every competition for a couple of years then and I don't think I I think I had lost one Jitsu match or something I was competing and everything and I think royan K you were saying he only lives across the road he he ankor locked me in the competition I think he was one of the first people to be and then I remember there on Jiu-Jitsu Jiu-Jitsu competition where it was more points like I had finished every match H with a sub so I had never really even understood the points and then I remember I uh was rolling with a guy he was more of a wrestler base I think he was out Phantom jam and he sort of just like just kept me in guard I'd flick up a submission he'd get over and then he'd pass so at the end of it he had more points than me and I was like [ __ ] this Jiu-Jitsu it was a and then I I kept competing right up to belt then and yeah that was that then I had started competing MMA so the j- Jitsu competition slowed down quite a bit um I think as well getting a little bit more experience and the H Bel gos like stuff like that the more leg luer and afraid of getting injured and stuff so have stuck to MMA like right on um so you decided to go pro yeah what was your first uh like hold on let me rephrase this uh you decided to go pro and I first of all what did your family think of that well I think you know what like like I was saying I loved it from the start and it was like I was like once I got into it and you started to learn what sport you were do so you started to figure out about the UFC I'm watch back and watch Ed and then like I almost fighting in the contender series then there was like the n and nail C and reds are like you'd be watching them and they were fighting on cage Warriors and loads of other shows and stuff like that and then um like so you're going back and you're like figuring out like like oh what's who Irish Fighters like after you learn what the UFC is and you start seeing all these people you're like what you can do that know what I mean I think I'm real one of them it's like if I'm doing something I want to be the best at know what I mean so like when I was watching on for I was like I want to be as good as him but then I was like I'm going to be better than him and then there's McGregor and it's like I want to be as good as him then it's like I'm going to be better than him and stuff like that and yeah and then watching like all the old ultimate fighters and stuff like that I think like my favorite fight of for years was like Forest Griffin like you know what I mean wasn't even good like well he he was good for his time but I mean you look out now and you're like what Anderson Silva was able to just do to him now what I mean but it's like he was my favorite fighter just from watching that show so I was like s to like support all this and that show was like a video game to me oh it's unbelievable it was it was so cool and then I remember when that show came out they had the um UFC video game yeah and I would watch that and then yeah try yeah exactly and used to do the same things if I was learning like if I was doing something in the gym we' be at home playing the PlayStation take him down and AR him now cuz I knew what it was no that s way or like in strike and I always had a decent level of striking but like say if you were playing it in the house which I made it' be like years and an double jab cross and they' be like you're BL pinging me with that with your [ __ ] off and know what I mean cuz you actually know what strikes go behind one or the other and the P up for it like that so but said when you tried when when you decided to go pro like you know how how did how did your mom feel about this oh s yeah um I don't know it was at I was doing since I'm 10 years of age so I think it was just a natural progression though that sort of way I think the hardest thing for me mar and that was when decided to like leave walk and just do a full time because one thing we there always said to me growing up was like he was like have a bit like have a fallback plan now that sort of way he's like if you have an apprenticeship you'll always have something to doal but I didn't way the walk like i' shovel sh for hours I don't give a b what I'm doing though that's way but I knew what I wanted to do and then I started to get to a stage where I was getting so fed up with the walk or fed up with the lads I was walking with more so and the last company I worked with like the lads the like most people I remember like a lot of the lads I for start working with they I thought it was the business that I was fighting and some of them actually came and watched me fight and stuff like that and then I was at the win in the world championships and then I came back and um then I was was at the change and companies and stuff and I was remember I was going to the World Championships again and the lads were like what are you even doing like would you not just be an electrician I was like what are you [ __ ] on about I was like I'm already like an amateur world champion in one of the hardest sports in the world I was like I know I'm going to be like I know I know how good I am and I know my personality and I know I know like I'm shooting for the stairs all that sort of way and they were just like oh yeah mad yeah mad and all they talk about was football and toils and I had interest in the nether so it was like real Clash so we actually uh stop eating lunch with them and all and I remember I sitting in the van with a fell an and he was like like why don't you just stop and give her a [ __ ] and go and I was looking at him and I was saying like this is some fell who was playing labor in our building sus and he's telling me to go give her go made the [ __ ] agj saying or I don't know and then I was like then that's s of where Vinnie came in Vinnie was like I was talking to me dad about and then I was talking to Vinnie about because not just a sponsor he's like he's a family friend now know what I mean and like we've coached his young flet and stuff I'm actually going away to I brought them away to um Bulgaria and then to ababi and stuff like that um and like Vinnie was like why don't you and he was like sure I'll support you this is like doesn't give me money but it's like if I need supplements or I needed something it was like like he was there and he helped me out and really kick started it for me so I had actually stopped uh walking before I had went and then s the natural progression was the GoPro then I was struggling to get amateur F so so I thought everybody there was the fight and then you're only waiting around for the omfs and people AR fighting in between you're only fighting every six months now that sort of way so not really ideal so yeah when I went pro I think everybody was just delighted to say I was going to start making a few quid from it and like I'm in a really good position now in terms of like I'm signed with cage Warriors the natural progression from cage Warriors is to the UFC and that's what I've always wanted so I'm in a really good position with that in terms of where I'm going and I have good people suppor me and sponsor me and stuff like that so like I could be naming up me sponsors here I late 15 minutes straight or anybody who's helped me now that sort of way so yeah I think I'm in a really really good position like that's awesome um pause for a sec forgot to start that one we're good that one the main one's still going we're good yeah um yeah know that that's that's got to be great and your your parents too have to um or family in general kind of have to have that uh that little bit of a sense of relief even that you know like okay going to iter now exact where I found like I think they even started to say like I started Co like I started coaching I think or helping out with coaching at least when I was like 14 15 know what I mean like that's when I got me blue belt so I had started helping and coaching and stuff like that like I was actually coaching the kids or coaching the teens and like these J were the same age as me know that sort of way so um then as I got older and then I had stopped walking I started to do pts and started to take on a lot more classes in the gym and then I think me doing the Ala program like I was going up and it was like something consistently every morning you know and then I think my dad on it like it was he always knew it was good and he's always being proud of me and stuff but I think for him to say like what you can actually do yeah how much I actually understand the sport inside out and obviously me level of coaching and me level of like fighting I think he was like right that sort of way um yeah I think they've always supported me and even now I think like me mar and I understand it a lot as well so it's like do they come to your fights oh yeah they've been to every they've been to every fight except for the the and Rome and but they've been to every fight but like me m does like she helps me out a lot with mail prep and stuff like that and me Dad's always helped me out with training me Dad's always being handy and stuff so like he done a bit of boxing here and there and white colors back in the day so he was always able to hold PS for me and stuff like that and like I even like even it was away with ke AR Crosby recently in toil land he was like like we've got me and keth are always knew each other but it was like that was like the first time we've actually piled around together bonding moment yeah it was really cool like cuz it was like we always knew each other but we never actually sat down and spoke and we actually turns out we had a lot in common like he was from town like he was like s of R Bo his nany as well and like his nany passed away and similar things when my nanny passed away and the heads went to a similar head space so that was a real was a mad one to talk to someone with such a similar like sort of backstory in terms of stuff like that um but the point I was getting to was uh sorry where was I going with that like Kei was saying he used to watch like me and M dad hitting the pads together he used to he he always thought that was the blade in business he was like he thought it was like it was home rail that I train with me down know I mean it was probably something I took for granted but now where I I come up to like I can like I could bring me there at any time being like here I want to go up to the gym and do want hour of pads and yeah he actually understands it now that a big lad but like I can shoot takedowns off and not be like a beding fish and just falling over know mean I can sh take down on him or he might like when he's H hit hitting the pads he might like try spoil the walk or he might drive me towards the wall or he might be at the wall like throwing the shots and then he'll like enter a little bit and he won't shoot like big doubles and singles outside now may he be a little bit too slow for me but against the wall he can put pressure on me and I have to Mo of them and stuff like that which is that's cool that that is a very unique relationship to have with someone who's more or less training you or preparing you yeah exactly it's like and I think like me me and me D have always been like best friends or remember when he used to drive me into football we'd be always having like mad chats and like talk to me out about a know what I mean cool like mean you name a topic it'll probably talk to me D about it um so like Dan for for us like to be able to train like for us be able to train together and then for to turn around then always start coaching him so like now it's like it's just even more know what I mean it's like it's a different type of respect for each other as well other than I'm just being me D or stuff like that you know you know way that's that's cool um and I'm happy that you have that you know yeah it's to be honest it's like one of them things it's like I take it for granted sometimes you know like cuz it's it's normal for me like this people are like oh it's unbelievable that you're a fighter like I've always been a fighter so like I take little things like that for granted all the time and probably shouldn't know remember you're acknowledging it so you know it so it's not yeah it could be worse you could be completely oblivious to it you at least you have the wherewith all to I think it's more when people say it to me that sort way and I'm like [ __ ] hell yeah Jesus yeah um so usfc Fight Pass yeah how um do you know beforehand that it's going to be on Fight Pass or yeah so we fought the first pro show we fought on was cage conflict and then we moved on to KH fight series and K fight series they were UFC fight Pas show so we knew we were fighting on that um had two fights with them then it was Anthony pet his show apfc so F on that then that was a UFC F pass show okay and then obviously progress on the cage Warriors now how does it feel to kind of be say loosely associated with you know the highest level of Combat Sports um it's unbelievable like but like that I don't I don't stand around these people and think like [ __ ] me that's anthy P like he actually I actually when I was changing from when I was changing James he actually ended up I had an in-house management and I was so used to having a management and then I was like when I was changing gyms and stuff I was like I need to find the management so they were sort of like just came around right place right time and H they were managing me and then I sort of realized I actually don't need a management and so we actually stepped away from them um no conflict or nothing like that just I realized that I didn't need them as much as I thought I did so I started taking a lot of responsib for myself and things like that like negotiating with people and stuff um speaking to sponsors and looking for sponsors myself and things like that um and then when I moved on into cage Warriors um I had actually asked gra boan um about management and he was actually already at the ask and Andy I think and then that was that then it was just sort of came together and it's cool to kind of maybe do that excuse me for yourself maybe in the beginning cuz then you kind of get the understanding of how these relationships know between sponsors or that's it and I think I had already like we have a lot of sponsors who are like really like they're close to home in terms of like like they're not from the area but like that Vinnie like he was his y was training in the gym I was coaching them they personal they personal know what I mean so I had like I had use of um like I had experience is probably the best way of saying it of dealing with sponsors and speaking to them and building relationships with them like um and then I've actually like gotten a huge sponsor on board recently the pr guy like Paul is like but he that's what he sort of looks for he wants to build a relationship with you and stuff like that so that was nearly like bread and butter for me know what I mean it's like messaging them when I have fights coming up and stuff like that letting them know what's going on so there's all they're all things I was used to doing with like the likes of Vinnie and stuff like and he figh know was I get VIN the force to know know that sort of way because he's been there the longest and like he has a like he has a real love and interest for the so awesome all right I got two more questions here for you uh what what is it about the community comment sports that you like the most um like obviously just your like your home gym in general like team Ro now was like it's like a home for me now know what I mean like as soon as I went around to that gym like Andy and Neil and redza sort of like straight away I was training with them um just in F camp like just going around down the odd session of T and then I Rel realized um after a fight I was like you know what I think I need to be spending more time around there day actually I'm getting more progression around there than I am where I am and then things just came to sort of came to a halt and I was like right I had to make a decision like I Was Made made a decision and um I chose to try and there and they sort of just took me under the wing straight away and I sort blending in with all the lads as well and I find when you're at someone with as a as as much experience as I have I walk into a gym and everybody knows me and you sort of have like a a baseline level of respect before you even get to know the lads and sort of like realize how much he get along and stuff like that so I think that's one of the best things about the sport it's like you walk into a gym and no matter whether you're a pro fighter or you're a beginner there's a baseline level of respect there for everybody you know what I mean any sort of issues or like conflict of interest that they're all left at the door it doesn't matter when you once you walk through the doors you're you're a team you're family you have to be there for each other and I think that's one thing that Andy makes like H like he makes it know from the start start and it's like like it's a it's a big thing in our jym it's like it's a it's a community and then like for instance like going away to bank like you're going down and they might have like they have the regulars in the gym but there's like Lads like from all over the world like lad like i' been match to fight there was a young there H I don't want to butcher his name now but uh Madan I think is that like it's how I say it um and he called me out after I won the world and I was like yeah fight you but I ended up thr out I had a holiday and stuff but then it was like funny to have someone who called you out and now we're at the training together and he I was down the line and we fight him in the UFC because that's where I know where prob both of us are probably going you know um and then like like going toward that James training with like match forel was down with ro yesterday I thought match forel for a title and H me last amate fight and it was great to have him down in the gym go in there was no animosity it was just like oh what's a story bro how are you getting on and like that even I go up to fa I Spar and obviously I fought some of their Lads and like potentially could fight some of their Lads in the future but it's like that I find where Combat Sports it comes full circle know what I mean the Baseline respect you know pretty much across the board even you know even with u like it you know like if you're match to fight someone you get that you know those kind of pre- fights all that [ __ ] talking and stuff like that the way I Walker is is like you match to F someone you better believe and come the smash a blade and face in yeah this is the F business at the end of the day you know um but like that there's a baseline respect for everybody I'm not going to go and turn around and start like trash talking someone's like religion or a like that or that a to do with like could give a b about your background like like I do respected but come here it has nothing to do with us being in the cage and I'm just going to go out and tell you how I feel and I feel confident no matter how I'm fighting no matter how dangerous the fight is so I'm going to come out and tell you I'm going to smash your face in and if you have a problem with that do something about it and if you don't shut your mountain and sit down and get your face broke you know yeah yeah um easy is that like so um I had another question but I want to ask this instead um like how how how soon do you and like you know your coach and your team like how soon do you guys talk about like CU you yourself know like you're on a path to UFC yeah you're going to be there when do you start having that conversation of this is what's happening um well you have to sort of see the projection I think at the start your pro pro career like you're not talking about UFC and playing four fights you know what I mean it's it's not unheard of nowadays like I even like I've spoke to grahe about this like I I'd ring Graeme up and ask him for like grahe Bo and he's my manager so I've like rang him up and had conversations with him and stuff about even about like that um is there anybody you think who should be going and train with like um or remember cuz like I asked him about Lads I should like is there anybody you think I should go and get experience off and stuff like that because uh I remember asking him about Sam Cy cuz I know he had a lot more fight experience than me in cage Warriors like he was at the being the champion um and I didn't know sort of where he was going obviously cuz that's all personal stuff in with you and your team and stuff like that so um I was like what about Lads like that he was like yeah definitely that would be a great buddy for you to train with and then obviously he's your management so he's going to tell you like this is what we need to do to get to this stage so he had said to me like we're looking at oh had already have a loss at this point so he was like we need four more fights and then you start of looking at Contender series or a short outs fight in the UFC um unless you're had a really big Prospect like the likes of MV it's probably not going to be like the straight in like I think they trow you a cball on purpose like as in a short not as fight or like right now you're fighting in Contender series like um like long Cav it like he is I think he's six and0 or seven and0 is it six maybe six and0 but like that really really good Prospect but you still have to go through that Contender series real you know so it doesn't really matter who you are like like I find like you're not going to get to the UFC off like the likes of a cage Legacy or cage conflict just them on their own like there you you starting shows and stuff like that and or like your Builder shows you know what I mean um until them shows get bigger and maybe one day they can be that sort of show that like bring it on like I think like sha AB banon got there but like the same for women's MMA um Floy weights bantom weights and maybe heavy weights the the route to the top is a little bit quicker because there's not as many buddies you know what I mean yeah so like Sean AB bandon's probably like like she's going to be in the one% of making it to the UFC from them type of shows but well she was in invictor before yeah she fought an invictor but like like I mean mainly all of her fights were you know she didn't need like a big CV yeah but like that like she showed a level on invictor and like she's a really high level fighter so like no wonder thec are going to want that you get me yeah absolutely but like that I think it's you see how first couple of fights go right might the win until lost one might to win until Mar like then I had a conversation with graem he was like right we want to be around that 8 and one mark because you have the loss where like L havav went six and0 and he just went straight there so I think it's like taking every fight at a time really but that's the sort of in around the mark you're looking at like it's going to be six to eight fights or nine fights yeah yeah yeah um so it's seems basically that uh you know the the pathway is pretty well it's pretty well thought out you know it's already established like the blueprints are there especially with cage Warriors it's yeah know there's a lot of fighter one of the biggest feeders to the UFC if not the biggest know what I mean um and you've seen everybody who's came from them shows do so well no obviously McGregor's the stand out but the likes of Jack Shaw and a Gary and all these type of guys it's like they're sort of the Next Generation you know and um like obviously like Neil CI and stuff like he was like he's he's probably one of like my biggest Inspirations in the gym now and probably one of the most valuable T people to me in the gym you know so like obviously looking at that's the real he done now it's sort of like because on part of his gym it's like we want that cage Warriors to I want to do what he doing and that's what I mean there like little things are like people inspiring it um but like that it's already established you know what I mean and like the the likes of people like gr boand who've been in the sport for [ __ ] donkeys years they they know exactly what's needed and they're constantly talking with these like these big promotions whether it's UFC pfl or like pfl Bellard they're all the one there weny like whatever other big shows there is out there KW Brave One like they're probably talking to these people every couple of weeks you know so that's good like if things are changing in terms of like now we want people with like for The Ultimate Fighter I think you only need five fights experience okay know what I mean so like there's another one so if the opportunity for um The Ultimate Fighter comes up you probably only need five fights to get into that you know and and it doesn't have to be five wins either it could be four wins and a loss or you know what I mean of saying Lads in with three wins and two loes you know um so they already know all this and that's what I think it's good reason to have a management and especially like people who have your best interest at Hur because at the end of the day you're making them money and they're making your money it's a it's very Co Sy symbiotic yeah Venom in it there you go Symbio away goe um I was just saying like it's the blueprints are already down and like I think it's when you have a good management and stuff or like like a like a coach who was in it a long time like Andy Ry like Andy Ryan already know they know they know the game they exactly yeah they know Inside Out people who've done it already like Paul reder in Al like they're like the best thing about fighting nobody s of um nobody beding blows smoke up your ass or like you can't yeah they can't back he won't Loy to you there's no point in saying you're going to be in the UFC and three fights bro you you the business and and then three fights go by and you're like why aren't the youc ringing me you know um so there's no room for like messing around in this sport at the end of the day getting in there and putting your life on the line every fight so yeah and even in the gym like as you're saying like a couple of people getting injuries recently like my friend caught that that young F in and like like there's always horror stories around the corner you know so yeah um and then obviously getting in and fighting yeah you're getting in there to break somebody so there's no real for messing around or like [ __ ] footing around what's going to happen like serious business exactly yeah and I think you have to treat like a career sometimes as well it's like yeah you have to understand where you're going with things yeah know like like you said before when you kind of thinking about should I quit my job go fulltime with this it's it's difficult to do something really well with one foot in foot out you know so when you kind of make that decision you know and you can kind of go all in then uh I think you really even maybe yourself you really see your true potential yeah exactly I think I heard a quote before and it was like uh what's the point in having Plan B if plan a is going to work so if you just put all your time and effort into plan a eventually it will work like obviously there's going to be ups and downs for anything but like if you just plan on that walking yeah definitely um look I really appreciate you coming in um I enjoyed this talk to I I look forward to you know your future um yeah next fight is July 20th and in London against jilan Isa um go to poundland so yeah chilling in awesome do you have a you have a link for tickets or link for tickets it's Amy boo um and then I'll make sure everything's down below as well appreciate that yeah I'll even send you the ticket link on um yeah ticket link is on me boo um and any other information coming up to the fight will all be on me Instagram and or walk mainly after that I don't have I don't have me T properly I don't even know how to use it so yeah I know me either yeah it's pry well yeah all right look um again thank you very much sir apprciate on thank you that