IN DEPTH | EPISODE 06 | KEITH KEOGH

Ringkasan

David sits down with Four Nations Gold Medalist and C-Mac MMA fighter Keith keogh.

Transkrip (youtube_captions)

Okay, so I'm in C Max today with Mr. 10 and 0 Keith Keogh. Just back from the Four Nations. So I just want to go back to the start of your career though. How long ago did you start and why did you start? Yeah, so Jesus I'm I think I started I must have been about 14 starting. So I'm 21 now so a long time now and as far as a lot of people don't know that I started because I was a fat little to be honest with you when I was a young fella. And I was just going to start to lose weight. And that was really where it kicked off. It was actually I was doing a little bit of kickboxing at the start. And I was just in the local community center once a week kind of thing. And that was really kind of where I got into martial arts. And it was only you know looking every every Friday evening or whatever. And then a few lads saying oh there's a club down the road that's doing MMA. And I was saying my I think I was talking to you before and this was you know I used to look at Brock Lesnar and Anderson Silva and GSP on the 2010 UFC game. So I used to be like oh you know that'd be cool to get into. And then obviously wanting to kind of lose a little bit of weight and all I was thinking you know jeez that'd be deadly. So I remember rocking up we had a different club at the time down in Damastown. And me and one of me mates went down and yeah it just kicked off from there kind of you know the usual like cliche walk in the gym and kind of fell in love with it from there. And then I never stopped. First weight I fought then down in the lovers and then just got the ball rolling from there yeah. And how did it feel like when you came in you wanted to do to lose weight and then obviously what you got the bulk like everyone does once they actually step foot in the gym. What it was it like then having those novice fights that novice fight for the first time? Like what kind of feelings and emotions did you have going in? Was it nervous excitement or Yeah, like fighting is mad like the first time obviously you fight like the foot before you before you fight your first time you can't wait to do it. Then like before you want them and you're like oh what am I getting myself into like you know. But that's that's why we we were kind of always forced to like nearly get in there as many of them novice fights as you can cuz obviously they really prepared me for me amateur kind of career. But yeah like I never I really nervous at the same time cuz your first fight your first like few smacks you don't know what to expect. But getting in there doing them was they were great like you could do them nearly every week like you know you're like two minute rounds you know stuff like this. I think the first time I actually was at Andy Ryan's club in Rhyl and they were deadly you know they were some experience and they'll fight your first your first fight like obviously at the time. And you had like Paul Redmond and Neil Seery. And they're gone fighting now in the UFC for his team like you're being like 14. It's good experience definitely yeah. Yeah, no I can imagine that it is a good experience as a young lad. So through the novices then obviously you were getting the slaps and all but through novices no head shots there's the two minute rounds. So when you went into amateur to do your first fight knowing that you're going to be getting slapped in the face. Talk us through like the just leading up to that and like was there more nerves knowing that you were going to be getting hit in the face or did it even matter to you at that stage? Yeah, well actually novice competitions back then were a bit different. Novice competitions then the rules that was that wasn't actually really it was before kind of the governing body for MMA in in the country. So there was head shots back then. Yeah, there was actually there was I remember there was knees to the body actually I remember for a while they stopped knees to the body because they actually hurt the young fella out there. So the rules kind of changed from me first MMA fight me first novice MMA fight. But I think I ended up having like 11 Andy Ryan head shots nearly. So I was a teenager and I was fighting like adults and stuff like that. So it was always it was always good crack like you know. So it was never really anything it was just the only thing that was different was really a fight on shows. So the rules and then maybe head shots on the ground. But there it was more the fact of like it's an amateur career now and that's kind of a bit bigger than novice and that was really the only step up kind of than the actual rules itself. Okay, yeah cuz obviously now there's there is actually so many rules like there is so much difference because obviously they want to try and get it legalized and and and so that we can try and get funding for when you go over to shows like for the IMMAF and stuff like that. So um talk us then through your amateur career your first few fights like obviously you're 10 and 0 so you haven't lost. When you were going in like once you had your first amateur fight were you planning on this being a career or were you just fighting just to see how it went? Yeah, no like I yeah no this was always kind of nearly the plan. It was actually nearly the plan from the novices kind of like yeah I want to do this like you know this is this is deadly. But I had I had a few K1 fights just before also and just that was kind of like the real you get that real smack in there and smack in the cage cuz I actually had a cage a cage K1 fight on Cage Legacy and it was like that kind of being in there and getting a good smack. That was kind of where I was like yeah I wanted to do that. But me first I had a team fight then actually just before I went amateur and I was down in Rebels MMA and that was kind of really where I was like yeah like I really want to do this like I want to make a career out of this. So that was kind of where it all kicked on. It was on Rebels MMA and we did they done like a toy boxing show on one half of it and then an MMA show on the other half. So it was like split down the middle and it was killed yeah it was very good down there. That actually sounds cool. I do like the Thai fights as well cuz obviously there's so many weapons that you can you can choose from with your elbows and stuff and the striking is is so good with Thai. Um throughout obviously there was a break during COVID. Like do you think that has hindered your progress much or do you think you'd still be fighting like obviously you'd have more fights and but do you think would you've maybe been turned pro now or you still planning on staying amateur for a good while? Yeah, like I don't know. I think it it definitely kind of obviously took everybody back but everyone was in the same boat. We probably lost a bit of our hunger to be honest over the COVID it kind of made us like you know lazy nearly for the while obviously you're not allowed up to the gym you can't train you're eating and you're kind of doing whatever. So we it kind of did make us a bit lazy cuz before I think I had me first amateur fight in 2018. Um I was actually 5 and 0 then I kind of went 5 and 0 kind of fairly quick. It was me first fight was 2018 then I had I think about four amateur fights 2018. Something similar to that. So um I was kind of we were always fighting you know and then obviously COVID hit and then you're not fighting whatsoever you're not even training. Like at the at that time I was like you know during the summers off school I was trying to like two three times a day all that crack. So from going from full on intense training to not training whatsoever like really does hinder like your like your your career obviously like you know getting back fit getting back sharp all these things. And then obviously mentally mentally it's like that's that was obviously the biggest thing. Um obviously you probably don't think you're going to like go straight back into fighting as quick. But it made me a bit more hungrier at coming towards the end of it I was like what am I doing? Like what am I doing? This is a sport I love. Why am I sitting around not training as much? Just get back in and start fighting again and that's what I did. Got me first fight then back in December of last year just gone and that was it. Get the ball rolling get back in fight as much as possible and just do what I love. Yeah. Yeah. That that must have been hard like what made what did click click in you towards the end? Was it just the two years of being off not training not eating not that you were were pigging out but just not eating properly like keeping yourself to diet like it's hard to go from that to being back to being motivated. So what was it that clicked? Was it like you said just thinking this is what I want to do I need to get back to it? Yeah, it was like it was a bit of it was a bit of everything like it was a bit of like I haven't fought in two years. I haven't fought like like get I'll just get back in as soon as possible. But the first time it kind of really hit me was we were up in Clan Wars and Alex was fighting Trevor was fighting and on the way back home just kind of talking to Alex like he has a he has a way of words with people like especially what with his own fighters and all having that special bond and that kind of to be had like a conversation coming home kind of about fighting and basically you can get to wherever you want to be nearly through your hard work and just you know kind of these chats. And on the way home kind of from there that was when I was really like you know get me a fight get me a fight from then on and then I actually got offered the fight then a few weeks later for the for the cage combat thing like that and stuff like that and he was like I'll fight as well like I'll fight whenever like kind of thing. Now we just need to get back in. Once that first fight is over it's kind of getting back in and having your first fight is probably the hardest thing. You know it's oh I haven't been like I haven't fought in over two years going am I going to be ring rusty am I going to be this am I going to be that. Um so once I had the first fight then got that out of the way everything else is just easy then from then on in. Yeah. So how was it actually getting back in? Did you feel any ring obviously you won but did you feel any different than previously or cuz you were so far removed from your last fight did it feel different than the last time you fought? No like I actually felt better. I think like every time you fight you you do feel better no matter how long it is. I don't know if ring rust like is a myth. I think it depends on certain people and it depends on your situation as well. For me I would just I actually loved I loved it like I got back like from me walkout I was like yes like I'm I'm back I'm getting in there and in there I felt lethal. I felt really good I felt better than I ever had felt cuz obviously like as a fighter like the people think like I don't know what they think about experience but we've always been taught experience experience experience. So every time you get in there you do feel better. And for me the ring rust wasn't a thing it was just I was actually I was better in there I felt in me own head anyway maybe I don't know if I don't know if I was looking back at the video. But in me own head I did feel a lot better while I was in the cage yeah for sure. Yeah, experience is is especially with the coach that you have experience is going to be a big part of your career cuz obviously he's got the most amateur fights. What's what's it like training under someone like Alex who's been around such a long time? I was here speaking to him he is going pro. What what does Alex mean to you as a coach? Yeah, like everything like you know when I don't even think it's just me I think it's all of us in the gym. Like obviously when he was fighting amateur when I was only starting out MMA like before I would even have any had any novice fights. I was looking at someone that's like I remember thinking at the time I remember him saying like 4 and 0 and I'm like jeez like that's deadly. And then all these years later every time he's went to do I'm after medal to every time. So, like how can you not listen or how can you not take advice from someone who's so experienced, has had like 50 odd boxing fights, has had belts in K1, jiu-jitsu, judo, MMA. You'd have to be some sort of stupid not to take his advice on and like soak up everything he's saying and be here in the gym every night training and trying to like trying to do what he's done. And trying to do what he's done in the amateur scene. So, it's great, yeah. It's excellent. Yeah, no, he has I think with the rate that the fights the likes of the Four Nations that have gone on, the Super Cup that was it we had his inaugural inaugural inaugural has his had his first event this year. Um with that saying, I think people are going to start catching up on him pretty quickly because there wasn't those when he was around, but uh obviously him and Dev are doing fantastic job there. And he told me last time I think he thinks that the first two to both come modern Sunday in the IMAs, which is pretty cool start. Um So, throughout your amateur career, what fight so far uh have you found you've learned the most on? What was your toughest fight that you learned the most from so far? Um the toughest fight I think the Nationals was probably the toughest and it was probably over the two days just purely for the fact of like not like not I don't ever I don't ever feel like when you're in there like it's like oh, this is really really tough. Obviously, it is, but I feel like like the mental aspect of being tough as in we're in fighting on a Friday and I'm fighting on a Saturday. I think that's kind of your toughest. Yeah. I think that's for me is what was probably me toughest thing, but I think it was the best thing for me like, you know, I actually didn't really feel nervous going into it whatsoever, but it was just kind of a it it's a it was a weird feeling like, you know, now like normally you get to chill out after a first fight, you know, like going into both fights I actually wasn't nervous whatsoever. And I think that was the first time I really had no really nerves at all, but it was a it was a thing of like trying to just stay on track with it. I'm at the fight on Friday where I have to stay on track and just make sure well, I was like 3 kg on that sort of weight wasn't an issue, but it was just kind of a mental thing like it was the nearly knowing you have to get back in there and be in fight mode straight away. And that was So, that was probably one of the hardest things I I have done and obviously, I can't wait to do it again for IMAs and obviously, I only had the one at the Four Nations, but yeah, I think just the mental thing of you're at the fighting, stay in fight mode and get back in do it again was probably yeah, the toughest, but nothing really nothing overly tough so far anyway, but that's why I'm doing amateur to get all these tough fights in, you know. Yeah. No, and then especially, you've got the likes of Jordan and Alex who both have been to IMAs and stuff like that. So, were they able to give you advice on the two cuz obviously, the IMAs would be the day on and you had to weigh in both days for the Nationals as well. Obviously, weight wasn't an issue, whereas I think that becomes sort like a mental thing there for fighters who are close to weight. Um did Alex or Jordan or any of the other guys give you any advice on on how to get through the two days? Yeah, like every like everyone in the gym has nearly fought in the IMAs like, you know, so it was like well, obviously I don't think me and Ross maybe not like even Trevor and Amir and it's been loads of IMAs fighters like, so the the experience in the gym is here. Um so, yeah, like it was just there it was for that like like even Alex like he's like no nerves getting in there. So, for him it was a kind of a weight thing which really wasn't an issue. So, as I as I was going back to saying about kind of just staying fight ready and focused, he was just like kind of giving me tips like as in like obviously, you don't want to go home and just like pig out and just not be focused. It was kind of like just go home, chill out. You're you're in your own like town or like I'm isn't in Dublin like I wasn't away. Yeah. So, I get to go home, chill out with your family and just make sure you're like fight ready for tomorrow and I was like to be fair like, you know, just get back in there and do the same thing as you did yesterday like, you know, I'm  winning the fight. Yeah. No, it was you had impressive you had very impressive performance over the two fights. Uh I know Ron Reagan was one and then you got to the finals and then you and Jordan both got to the finals. And then and then you split it. Was there anything said by the officials or anything like that? Were they okay with you splitting it because obviously, you're teammates, you can't fight each other. Was there any issues brought up because of that? No, I don't think so. Not really. We had we still had to make weight on the Sunday actually as well. Um so, we still had to make weight on the Sunday, but no, everything was was all chill like, you know, it it'd be different like I think as well like the way we did that and the way we did it in the Four Nations, it's different because over here obviously like everyone's from Ireland. Over there, it was kind of like oh, well, you're going to have to face your teammates, but teammates to them is just someone from the same country, not someone from your same gym. And like how close we are. Like I had been to from the same nation as me but from a different gym where you would have you'd fight and not about it, but because we're so close, we'd never fight like there's no need. Like we're amateurs. We're not getting paid. I'm sure if there was a 100 grand on them, we'd say we are coming to jump in and do it and split 50 each. I'm sure we both would have done it like, you know, but we're amateurs, we're so close. We do everything together. Like not just me and Jordan, but the whole gym. Like we're all so close. It's it's not even an option. You're just not going to fight whatsoever. So, we didn't really care what they said. We weren't going to we weren't going to do it like, you know, you're you're ain't going to fight it like anyway. And we had the cars. Yeah, no, I like that. I want to ask a quick how did it feel for you and your teammate to both make it together to the final like that and then share the gold? That must be an amazing feeling. It's even better than doing it on your own. Like you're doing it as a team. Like a lot of people don't think of this is a team sport, but like they all but they also tell you at the same thing you're your work is done months out before the fight, weeks out before the fight. But how are you doing that work? You're doing it with your team. You're doing it with your teammates. You're doing it with your coaches. You're doing it with all these different people. If it's if the if the fight is won months out training with your teammates, then is it not a little bit of a team sport? You're only in a cage for 9 minutes. We are buzzed up on adrenaline like and you you it's all your reactions working together. So, who's helping me do this? Me teammates. So, it's even better when you have someone like Jordan and Ross and all these in the gym. And and you're winning with them. It just make it make it so much more. It makes it special that you can do it and do it with them, yeah. So, that's just my way of thinking of it anyway. Yeah, no, 100%. I'm going to move on to the Four Nations now. Obviously, you said you only had the one fight. Tell us what it was like going over there with the guys cuz this then obviously would like said the guys have been to these things before. This was the first one ever. How does it feel to be part of the first one ever and then share gold again with Jordan? Yeah, yeah. What was the experience like? Uh the experience the experience was was deadly. It was it was actually it was like it was probably one of the best things I've done to be honest like what you had in obviously as we said during the IMAs. So, this was me first international experience representing your country. I don't think there was ever a better feeling to be honest. It was just it was class and it was also great. There was such a good vibe around the team. Like all of us were getting on well. We were all like all group we were warming up together. We were doing everything together. So, just being around that environment was class and then obviously like you had like all UFC fighters like me, Paul Molly floating around and Dan Hardy like like Dan Hardy fought uh Dan Hardy one of Dan Hardy's guys fought Ross and stuff. So, you're kind of like looking at these people on telly and then you're looking across the cage and stuff from them there like what the like this is this is deadly like, you know, and then obviously you see like when a Paddy floating around and all. The experience as a whole like it was a combination of different things. Obviously, from seeing this to the whole team doing so well, which is the most important thing and like everyone being like I'm going to get Ireland in the final like Yeah, it was brilliant like I have to say. It was one of the best things I did. Yeah, no, it was Ireland was 10 and 1. Was it was it 10 and 1? 10 and 1, yeah. Seven finishes. Yeah, yeah. Like what an unbelievable what a way to put your to to for the country to team you to put your stamp on the tournament like that. And then obviously, Sinead did have loss, but she had probably arguably the fight of the tournament against Shanelle Dyer who's going to be massive. Muhammad made his debut. I've been looking forward to his debut. He was supposed to fight on Cage Warriors. But he he looks like he's going to be serious. Misco, the guy he beat is one of the best probably the best in the UK. Yeah, yeah, like we were we were we all knew kind of how good his grappling was. So, we were like well, I just heard of him like hearing of his grappling like, you know, he's a sound bloke as well obviously. And then hearing how good of his grappling was you're like right, he's going to go in and just like kind of like obviously take him down or whatever and then he hits him with a left hook and you're like holy I think he actually put up a video the other day and it's from Ross's camera and he uh he catches him on the left hook and I'm like ah like it's yeah, just like this fellow has knockout power and he has grappling and like straight away I like this fellow is going to be something special. Like it's mental. No, he definitely looks like cuz every time Gamma comes up, he seems to be winning gold and he beats everybody in those fights. Um so, with the with the Four Nations, you split it again. Next year, you're going to look towards doing the Nationals again to try and get to the IMAs. And if you and Jordan just say I don't know, I think you might be in different weight classes next year. Well, I think you you're going to bantamweight now, are you? And he's in featherweight. If I was going to ask if he actually came together in the final, would you be going to the Super Cup this time? Because last time it was him. Well, yeah, like that was a thing like a lot of people were saying like about the Super Cup and all that. That was was actually never an issue. It was nothing to do with the Super Cup like Jordan actually like people were saying oh, they split the gold and that thing whatever. Jordan was saying to me look, I had the one fight. Yeah. And you I had the two. So, you can just take the gold. And I was like like it doesn't really matter like it. It's only a medal like I couldn't give a about a medal like to be honest like, you know, and then it was the same at the Four Nations. I was like right, well, if we have to split it, I was like you had the two fights, I had the one. So, you can get the gold and I can take silver. Is that not fair? So, technically he was like to me at the Nationals, you can have the gold, but I had a fight the week after against I was on Cage Warriors defending the belt. And plus I was actually away. I was going away the week later. So, I had never actually had plan I didn't even really know what the Super Cup was. I think I touched on this the last one, but I didn't really know what it was till about a week before it cuz I heard people talking about it, but I didn't really pay attention. I didn't think if you won the Nationals, you go to this. Yeah. So, it was never in me in me head. It was like oh, if we win the Nationals, we're going to the Super Cup like, you know, and someone like Jordan deserves it as much as anybody deserves it more than anybody. So, it was a no-brainer. I was like, "I'm fighting next week, plus I'm going away." He's not fighting next week. Uh he's not uh he's not going away or whatever. He should go to the Super Cup. Um so, yeah. It was a it was a no-brainer. But uh yeah, if the opportunity came around again, look, I'll have to see if if the pro was kind of if that if that's in the in the like in the works or whatever. So, it's just kind of get these few fights out of the way and then see what happens from there. Yeah, no, 100%. Like obviously with the the Super Cup, like you said, it kind of came out of nowhere and then it was like the Nationals and then it was like 2 weeks later or something, wasn't it? And it was just kind of like that obviously next year it'll be better organized and stuff cuz I think the Nationals was rushed to do that. And I think is the Nationals is that going to be the way they pick the team for the for the like the Worlds and the Euros for the rest of the year? Or are they going to do more tournaments? I don't know. No, yeah, I think it I think what it is as far as I'm aware, it's the winners the first and second look so you have I think first and second seed get um automatic choice what they want to do. So, I think that's the Euros and the Worlds and then third and fourth get a choice as well. Um no one else wanted to do the Four Nations or whatever. I think anybody else could have actually did that as well. So, I don't think they count. So, I think it's the Euros and the Worlds. Which are said to be announced. So, obviously me and Jordan first pick because we were gold and silver. So, I think that's the way they're going to go about it. So, I think from next year on I think they'll see a lot more people doing it cuz they're like right we'll have to win to get to the IMFs. Which I think is the is the way to do it. Like you you see like some people doing it and they've like maybe going over as a and it they they do which isn't I'm not saying it's a bad thing. They could go over and do well, but I just think now earning the spot which is this the first year we did it makes it so much more but like makes it so much more special. You have to earn it. You have to go in and you have to fight in the best people in the country. You have to earn in your spot on the team. It's the way it should be done. I think they do it in boxing. You know, like you have to obviously win and then win the like the All Irelands and stuff like that. I think I'm not I'm not too sure how that works, but I think they do some sort of way that whoever wins the Nationals and stuff goes to represent the country at a national level. I think that's the that's the best way to do it in my opinion. I think that's going to be the way moving forward. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I I think it is um because like I said as amateurs you want to gain experience. You're going to fight the best in the country then to go fight the best in the world, etc. So, I think it's a fairer way as well because you could go I think they used to do it based off like a training session or something before or like a light spar or something. But like someone could have an off day. Well, I suppose you could have that on a fight as well, but like you don't really get to see someone full fight. You know the sort of way. So, I think it is better. It's more exciting for the likes of me as well cuz I have more stuff to watch. Exactly, yeah. And you can rack it up. So, moving on, you're going to be fighting Cameron Conway. You're dropping down a weight class. You've won the you won the belt and you've defended it once. I'm correct, yeah? So, you you've done that. Uh you're going to try and get another belt cuz you usually see amateurs they don't really defend Are you planning on defending defending the belts at Cage Conflict cuz a lot a few a fair few more a lot of people use them then to move on to pro, but I think you want to stay amateur for a while maybe? Yeah, like there's nothing like it's not so much as like ah it's a belt. It's I actually like Cage Conflict. There's a show like the lads are always nice, you know what I mean? Liam and Paddy and all they're always really good. The shows that they put on are excellent. They always put on great shows. Like we do have a few of the lads coming up to watch and they'd be always like that  the way they put on it's so professionally run. So, I think it's more so the show actually just kind of wanting to fight in the show is more of like is more important kind of for me like, you know, obviously the belt is good to have like, you know, and then yeah, to move down to bantamweight. Um like I don't know like if people are saying like defend this or that. It's just kind of yeah, to move to bantamweight is the was the main thing for me cuz obviously as an amateur we're doing this to obviously go pro eventually. So, it was just time for me to go I'm off to go bantam. So, it's like right, I'm going to use me little time left as an amateur to really focus on maybe me weight cuts and stuff. I don't walk around heavy. Like I'm I was already like nearly on weight there the other day. So, and I'm fighting at 61. People think I could fight a lot heavier. So, for me it's just kind of focusing on really getting the weight cuts right, getting ready for 61. And that's the main that's the most important thing for me. So, it's not about all belts and this and that. It's just kind of yeah, like focusing on the weight and the and stuff like that. So, for when I go pro I'm ready to rock straight away. You know. Yeah, no, that's that's good that you're towards the end of your amateur career you're actually tapering in to to get ready for the pro cuz sometimes a lot of people fight at let's say lightweight and then they go straight in at featherweight and they've never experienced that before. So, obviously you're doing it the right way going forward. I believe you have a good record C-Mac doing general. I I think it's 12 and 1. I think your gym actually has that Cage Conflict as well. So, Yeah, yeah, we always do. We like we were we actually always say that like Cage Conflict um and even the Devlinish before I think we fought great Cage Warriors Academy up there as well. So, the Devlinish is like a good home and force. And then the one fight we lost it was it was a very close loss as well. So, it wasn't like it was anything too uh you know, anything too malicious or whatever. So, it's always like nearly a good home and force up there. So, yeah, I would look forward to that show. Yeah, yeah. You you see C-Mac doesn't C-Mac actually does quite well in the IMMAF. I think they're the highest they have the highest percentage of medaling when they go there as well. So, obviously it's a good gym when it comes to tournaments and when it comes to the Devlinish. Cameron Conway, very experienced fighter. How much are you looking forward to fighting someone like him who's been around for so long? Yeah, it's it's great like, you know, Carl obviously he gets in and fights every  week like he's doing kind of what a lot of people say as in like get as much experience as possible and he's doing it like, you know, so we have to give him fair balls. Like he's getting in every week, he's getting in fighting. And I don't want to be fighting someone like that. Like you don't want to be fighting like constantly just like  picking a fight every so often like, you know, Carl's getting in there, he's getting experience. And obviously going back to that I'm going pro, you want to I want to be fighting people who just want to fight tough Like he's a tough bastard like and this is what I want to do. I want to be fighting people like him. I want to get in and I want to show me skills and show how good I am. But getting that experience against someone who is so active. You know, you're not you're not going to get you're going to get more active fighter in the country. Definitely not. And Carl's so like who who else is that better at the fight like, you know what I mean? And it's not like ah went down me weight to fight him. The fight was offered like yeah, take Carl definitely like. So, yeah, can't wait and buzzing now 2 weeks 2 weeks from yesterday. So, ready to rock. Yeah, no. And then there's the possibility of being a double champ then. Uh so, yeah, I'm really looking forward to that fight. I actually haven't been to Cage Conflict. So, I really want to get up there for that. You you're 10 and 0. You haven't lost yet, right? Okay? And I'm not saying I want you to. How do you think you will handle loss when if that does come along in your amateur career? Yeah, like that's as well like I want I'm putting myself in these tough situations by doing the Nationals, by doing the Four Nations, like fighting good guys, fighting going off to the Euros and the Worlds that I'm hoping for the end of the year is because I want to have the hardest fights possible. If we keep winning then it's like right, I'm  good. If we lose, it's not like oh well, if you win you shouldn't be like oh look, I'm the best ever like, you know what I mean? Obviously can happen on days. So, you can't let wins get go over your head or like you can't let it get to cocky get cocky like nearly. Can't you can't be cocky about win. But the same thing about loss, you can't let yourself get down over. So, as I'm going back to that thing is the thing of I'm doing this purely to get better. If we lose, it, it's a loss. Once I'm not injured I don't really care. Like there's been times I've came out fighting and I've won and I haven't been happy. So, I'm sure like even if I come out with a loss that I actually thought right, I've wanted to focus on this for this fight and I've done that. I'd come out happy then then like fair enough. I can just use that and use it on the next fight. But as I've said like I've there's been fights where I've won and I haven't been happy. So, if there's a fight where I can add in something that I wanted to improve on even if it's a loss, but I've done that well, I can say yeah, like right, I can improve on and use that in the next fight. So, yeah, a loss I don't think the loss will affect if we ever if we do get one which like amateur that's what you're going to do. You don't want your first loss at pro. do it at amateur and like you're going to the Euros and the Worlds and that's where I'm most likely probably get it. So, if it happens it happens. You move on. You don't sit around crying. You get back in the gym and you train harder. And I know that's going to it'll probably even make me hungry if I do. So, yeah, that's the way I'm looking at it for me. Yeah, it's a good learning tool to see maybe where other people if if there's a deficiency or someone can see something in your game because then you can identify then if there is a if someone does that that there if there is a hole somewhere or something you can work on better. It's a learning tool then to go forward. I'm not saying I hope you lose now. But I just uh I am but obviously um with all those fights so far, I want to ask you what's your favorite fight or what's your favorite finish that you've had so far cuz you have a few finishes on your record. Obviously like I think the first at the Nationals because of like it was obviously the first Nationals and getting that like the key lock platter. That was nice as well. Uh that that was obviously a a real nice one. Um the last one at Cage Conflict was nice as well. I think just cuz I had like a lot of me family and stuff there. And there pulling off a good submission against a good lad from a good gym was really nice. I think like coming out and fighting on the show was like obviously I generate so much more buzzing. So, maybe that could could have been a factor like of just getting that where like you have obviously a family there in the crowd there. It was just it was something special, you know, then celebrating and stuff after. That was so that was probably one of me favorite. That well obviously doing it this year, but that was probably me favorite definitely, yeah. So, yeah. Yeah, no, the key lock platter was good. Yeah, the key lock platter was nice as well. it was a bit it was a bit of a debate about what we were going to call what it was going to be called, wasn't it? I think wasn't Mark Goddard then clarified it and said it was No, it was something we were going with. I'm sticking with the key lock platter for that. Bringing that all the way to the UFC. Um with all those I just want to ask you what do you think you're cuz you're 10 and 0. What do you think makes you what makes you different to other fighters? Like is there something like an attribute or mindset or something? What do you think makes you different to other fighters? Yeah, probably a mindset like, you know, um and I think it's really me team. I think I honestly do like I think it's me team. Like I think C-Mac for me obviously starting here. I've never changed gyms. I've always stuck with what my coach has said. Listen, you always hear fighters preach about do what your coach says. I've always done what my coach says and it's got me so far. Like not that it's got me so far, but it's done me well. It's done me well so far. And obviously I want to keep  knocking on from that. So I think sticking with the same coach, sticking with me same gym, me same training partners, all that stuff has obviously had an ongoing effect. We've always kind of been mentally good in this gym. Like as in like oh like not thinking about this fella's a good fighter. Now it's thinking about experience and I think thinking about the experience type of of  mindset, just getting in and fighting and getting better. That's what I think has made me a better fighter. I do think I have a great mindset as in I just want to get in. I just want to fight. I just want to improve. That is me main thing. I just want to improve. So none of this oh I don't want to get in. I don't want to fight him. It's getting in there and improving myself as a fighter. Not thinking about how good of me opponent is. It's thinking how good I am. How how good of the gym I'm in. How good of me training partners are. And I think that is really like what's going to separate us. I think a lot of people preach it, but they don't actually have that mindset. But I think a lot of us here do. Like I see a lot of lads even when they lose, they're straight back into fighting and then you see them just getting better every single time. All of us getting better every single time. I think that's what separates all of us as a gym. Not even just me on me own, but all of us as a gym collectively. Yeah. Yeah, perfect. I'm going to ask you one more question before we go. Um when your career is said and done, what do you want to be remembered by? If there was a word or a phrase or something, what would you want people to Great. I think great would be nice like like I haven't thought to it like at the moment like I'm obviously kind of only starting out in me career, but who the  doesn't want to look back at that career and say that was great. That's that's me main goal. Like I'm not in this to play bingo. I'm here to go all the way. Look I am like there's like if you had a had a look back at like when I was a kid and I was a just little going down and he said I'm main saying that he's not going to do nothing. Till now like winning the nationals, they going to do well on an international stage, they kind of you know being considered like a good fighter like which I obviously consider myself a good fighter. Like what what's to stop me from being a great fighter? What's to stop me from being one of the best fighters out there? Someone that comes from down the road telling you oh yeah sure you just can't listen to them. If you if you are willing to put in the work and you want to put in the work it's it's there for you to take. It's it's there it's all for the taking. So being great and being one of the best fighters ever obviously is something that I've aimed for. So hopefully I can do that. And with the gym around me I think we will do that. Yeah. No, I can't wait to follow you the rest of your I can't wait to see your fight with Carl. I can't wait to follow the rest of your I want to thank you so much for your time today. Ah thanks for having me on. Thanks thanks very much. Thank you. Cheers.