Gerard Ryan interview

Ringkasan

Gerard Ryan is an amateur fighter training out of MMA cork, he competes for another title this weekend against Michael Shields for the cage conflict featherweight title we talk about the buzz in MMA cork at the minute, his improvements since going there, the Streak he's on and…

Transkrip (youtube_captions)

Okay, so we have Mr. Joe Ryan with one of my favorite promos that I've seen in a while in the car with the belts. I must say it was very, very good. Um, but it's fight week once again. It's a pleasure to have you on cage conflict. Michael Shields this weekend. How you feeling fight week? >> Ah, buzzing like know it's a it's a fight that's was supposed to happen last year and we're we're here now. So happy days. And with Michael, he's like yourself, he's had a lot of experience and a lot of big nights as well. Uh you're going to be in the Devon, which is his home home show. Uh but as a fighter from from down in the Republic of Ireland, that's always the case. So does that phase you going into it, do you enjoy it to use the energy or does it even bother you when you go in? Obviously, they're not booing you, but that he gets the loud cheers, you know, the sort of way. Yeah, I I can't imagine I'm getting any cheers anyway. But uh like once you're in there, you zone out. You don't hear anyone. You you hear your corner and you maybe hear their corner, but you really don't you don't pay attention to any of that stuff like Yeah. And what you think? Because I talked to Michael and he said he he respects you your style and kind of what you've done because and I hope you don't hate me for this. When I'm talking to amateurs and they and they lose a couple of fights, I use you as an example. Like I said, don't beat me up when you see me, but I go look look and and it's more of a credit to you that like you said at one stage you thought is this for me and look how you've changed and for me you're one of the best bantamweights in the country you know in a sort of way. Uh you're definitely the the I think we talk about top three yourself miss Oliver and I'm going to kill myself. So the second the third person is going to kill me because I can't remember the name anyway >> Jake Knight. Yeah. Who's actually fighting. So, um, yeah. Um, that you can come back from adversity and do it and look at what you're doing now. Uh, what you expecting from the fight this weekend with Michael, have you looked too much into him? Do you let Aaron and the boys do that or or what you expecting from this weekend? >> I don't know. I like as far as fight study goes, like kind of my coaches and my brother would do a lot of that for me. Um, obviously it's it's a striker versus graph match like to know like it's it's there's everyone knows what I bring to the table. Everyone knows what Michael brings to the table. Like he has obviously a couple of submissions too, but like my grappling just is going to be much better than his and he obviously he's going to look to keep it on the feet. So that's really the fight. Like it's just who can implement our game the best on the night and I feel like I have the skills to definitely do that and beat them. >> It's an interesting fight as well. I really really like the fight. Um I have respect for obviously the two gyms are fantastic gyms and you were talking about when you're in in there you can only hear your corner. MMA Cook is one of the gyms that I love all the gyms in the country, but past year they've really kind of impressed me with their work rate, what they produced out there, and more so especially with the coaches. They're everywhere nearly at every show. I believe MMA Cork or at um what's it like being in there at the minute? It's it's great. Like we've just we've so many bodies training partners like the gym is the gym is booming as as far as I'm concerned like loads of lads my weight a few weights heavier like you know and you know all weight classes like there's there's so many bodies to train with for anyone any size. So, and that too like I suppose the lads aren't afraid to travel to to get fights like when the matchmaking comes in we just see it in the fighters group chat and it's like if anyone wants a fight it's just yes a thumbs up like and don't know if they get matched well we're we're fighting like know >> yeah no 100% Uh have you seen the improvements in in yourself since you've kind of joined there? Cuz there there is uh a lot more people your way and there is like you would uh spar with people heavier than yourself as well. Have you noticed the improvements? And when you do notice them, do you notice them at the time in the training room or is it when you get into live competition and you can kind of see what you put into practice? >> Um no. I've definitely noticed them in the gym. um like Aaron Aaron will tell you like um what you're doing wrong and you he will he'll be like if you keep making that mistake he will let you know so you know you better stop making that mistake and I suppose like don't know training wise like you're always improving I suppose like for me it was it was the striking it's it's just it's creeping up and it's getting I'm getting more and more comfortable there the whole time like so like I'm really happy with that like Yeah, I like what you said because Aaron Aaron will correct you and correct you and correct you because he knows someone else is going to correct that in a fight and it could potentially lead to obviously losing the fight or whatever. And he talked about the striking. One thing I've noticed and we were talking about offer Brian Manning who didn't finish anyone at amateur. Johnny Dugen dropped his opponent about 100 times the other night. Aan Scully, what's he doing in that gym and what's what's he like as a coach? cuz I don't think he gets enough credit as well as the boys and cuz he's more kind of quiet reserved than he does thing. What's it like working with Aan? >> Uh Aan's really good for some of the lads like you know I I don't uh I don't actually do anything with a um but like the lads that are with them and do a lot of pad work with him like you know he's very he seems to be very good with the boxing side of things like and uh fixing things for lads and helping lads like you know plant get plant those shots a bit better like and stuff like that. So he's he's clearly working and doing great thing for for the legs that are working with him. >> Yeah. And like that you elite was last week we seen Brian Manning obviously do his thing that the the whole gyms buzzing. Uh what's it like when you see those nights? Obviously I say you would have liked to have been on that show in court but obviously you had this fight coming up. Um what's it like when Elite is going on? Cuz the show is is really good. I really like what Barry's doing. Uh what's the show like leading up to elite and then obviously leading into yours because you've got your fight coming up as well and there's people like does the gym do be buzzing when it's coming up to shows like >> yeah like know you can you can feel that energy and know everything's a little bit more competitive I suppose like because everyone's peing at the same around the same time so the rounds are just they're they're tougher like because no one's no one's getting tired because they're out of shape or anything so there's no easy rounds when uh when there's shows like that coming up and we had brought like nine 10 plus fighters fighting on elite on the weekend. So like you know and a lot of lads that I train with like won their fights too like so know it was great to have that like >> yeah know it is I was down there for the show. It was I actually really like the setup of that new new uh venue. It was more spacious. It it was really good. It was a more panoramic kind of view. Um, you've got this fight. I know obviously you're not going to look past Michael because your next fight is your most important fight. Do do you envision yourself having any more fights this year or or you just going to kind of see the year out? >> I'd um things going well. I'd like to make my pro debut in December hopefully. Um I think a win here now would kind of know that would be kind of enough for me. That's 15 amateur fights. Obviously, as you said before, like not the prettiest record, but I think I've fought the who's who and all the top lads in front of me. And you know, the work I've been doing the last two years kind of I feel like I'm I'm I'm more or less there. I'm ready like >> Yeah. And like that like you say about the record, but records when you go pro, I'm only going to know your amateur record and yourself, you know, the sort of way. And those those fights when you've won a lot, you've learned from them. And I always bring Kieran Clark as another person who I hope doesn't beat me up for bringing up his record, but he had like a 50/50 record. He's what 10 and0 now in uh which is now PFL which was Bellator. So it just shows like that a lot of them came at the start and you've improved and we talked about who you fought at the start as well. If you look at them now, most of them are pro. Uh and you were up at higher weight classes as well compared to bantamweight. There was one or two at lightweight there as well I believe at the start. It shows you found your weight, you found your groove, and your style is like I said, we know what to expect for you, but you're so smothering and so hard to fight against. And do you see like that when you fight a striker and they can't get up? Can you sense that frustration in them and then you pray on that and make them more frustrated, make them make mistakes to get them down and and get the damage in? >> I I love it. Like I love when you you can feel it when when you break their will. Like, do you know when they're like starting to give up? Like I I feel like I do my best work later in the fight too when they are getting tired and I'm just still relentlessly throwing shots, dragging them down, get letting them back up even, dragging them back down again, landing more shots like that. That's just what I love. I just love that smothering people. Like what kind of signs do you get or what tells you get like is it can you feel them like sighing or like or like or can you just feel that their movement might be different or their energy might be different? Do you know when they're breaking? Can you feel them breaking at the time that they when because I you can see it from the TV? I can see like you can see obviously if you're on top I can see their face and they're like I need to get up. Then they get up throw one or two and they think right I got to get back in just break down. Do you feel that those moments when you do break them and is that when you're like right I have this now? >> Yeah you can like you can you can tell by their body language even even when it is happening like they're kind of just putting themselves in positions where like right I'm not going to get finished here but I'm happy to stay here. You know that kind of like those kind of scenarios like they'll like they'll happily like lie on their back and stay in guard, let you be in the guard just so like you know they can't be finished and like that. Like you know they're they're like they don't even try to get up anymore. They're just like all right just right out the clock like you can you can tell it like yeah I I say that is like that when you feel them breaking like right now I've got them because I can imagine as a striker and I can see it. So if it's a fighter like an Irish fighter versus someone else in a fight in a grappler, it's usually like a Dagistani with the beard and and you can see just say when and I'm hoping yeah when they get back up to throw a couple of punches and then I get frustrated when like they're have to take them back down and you know they're going to be on their back. So I can imagine for you yours like do you it sounds like you relish that. You're like yeah that's what I love. >> I love it. I absolutely love it. That's where I'm in my happy class. That that is I love that. I love that. But h hopefully, like I said, it's going to be a cracker fight. I'm really really interested in the fight and and the card as well. Obviously, you're more interest. But what do you make of the card and fighting on Cage Conflict? They always put on a good show. There's some really good matchups on this one. And how do you find working with the boys? Cuz I find them quite easy to work with. Do you like You've been on that show before. Uh no, sorry, you haven't. That was I think it somewhere else. What was it like dealing with them or obviously does Aaron take care of all that? Um just one or two little things like but Aaron does most of it like um but the the conversations I had they're like obviously you're you are fighting one of their fighters but they don't make you feel like that like you know they don't make you feel like the outcast or even in the chats or group chats or whatever like when the fight's coming up like they're they they're more than helpful to if anyone has questions um the lads are sound and I've I've been to like plenty of uh the shows but never got to fight one so I'm I'm buzzing now that I do get to fight one especially for a title like as well. >> Yeah. Know, so I was actually confused. I was thinking of someone else and then I realized halfway through. But and I like that with the boys as well because like at the end of the day, they're bringing in yourself for Michael cuz they know you've got something that Michael needs to deal with and the and they're doing it to make their boys better. And that's what I love about them. They want everybody to get better in the sport. Uh they want everyone in Ireland to obviously when they're fighting, you're fighting the fighters. They don't want you to succeed, but going forward um I think they're really good guys to deal with. It's going to be a good show. I won't be there. I'll be watching on pay-per-view. Uh, so I'll be sitting at home. I might be having a beer, maybe not. H, I got to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out? Obviously, you want to shout out the person who gave me that car. I didn't actually quite get to keep it, but um, thanks to the lads up in Mondello like for uh, helping me and uh, all that. and Drat some of my sponsors uh there in Ross Gray and obviously the all the lads down in Cork and my training partners especially to Johnny Dougen and uh Jacob so they're southpaw's helping me with the sparring a lot last couple of months so big shout out to those two boys >> yeah know 100% and Melo you're literally about 10 minutes away from me when you're up there I can't believe you didn't give me a shout next time you're up give us a buzz skill this Cracking fight. Uh, thank you so much for your time cuz it is so close fight and I do really appreciate it and I will talk to you. I'll give you a shout after the fight. See how after whatever way it goes, I'll give you a shout anyways. You know that sort of way. >> Appreciate it, Dave. Thanks for the time.