Sean Brazil interview

Ringkasan

Sean Brazil competes at this weekends elite fighting championship we talk about the fight and his journey into MMA

Transkrip (youtube_captions)

Okay, so once again I have another competitor at elite this weekend. I have Mr. Shaunie Brazil. What a second name I must say. It's going to be his third fight. Uh he's from Team Rhino. He's someone I've wanted to talk to for a bit. I've heard a lot about him before even went amateur. Uh cuz I'm obviously you know the relation with Lewis and a couple of others in your gym. But thank you very much for joining me especially this close to the fight. I really appreciate it. How has fight week treating you? How how has your week been going so far? >> Yeah, it's been going good. I uh I said it to you there off the camera, but uh this camp has been a lot easier. Like I'm fighting a 70 kg because it's the same day weighin. So I'm happy we need a little bottle of water. H no water cuts this time around. So we're happy this fight week. Yeah, it's going good. >> And just like as opposed to the last fight, obviously you were cutting down and you're saying you've got the water, you seem happy, you seem like chirpy there. Has that made a big difference in your mood and your preparations you think for this fight because you're not worrying about the weight and I know especially you're filling yourself with water and then neglecting yourself of water which is um a mind [ __ ] in itself like do you feel a lot kind of happier and the preparations have gone better because there hasn't been that way. >> Yeah, you would be like like I was going to me 90s and all the last camp uh with a towel with a load of ice in it chewing on a towel and they're all looking at me like I'm a like a psycho or something. So don't have to deal with that either. So it's making everything a lot easier doing the same day weighing this time around. So yeah, a lot happier this time around. >> Yeah, 100%. And you can't go to your cuz I don't know if you're nannies like my nanny, they try to feed you everything. So that must be a hard place to go when you're cutting weight. >> What do you What do you mean you're not eating this? Like I can't do I have to make way. I'd be there for like go down. It's like I've had breakfast, I've had lunch, I've had two dinners, like I can't eat anymore. You have a sandwich. No, I won't have a sandwich. So I can imagine that's hard, but you're fighting cork like that the same day weighing. I like I like the the theory behind it that there's not much weight to cut. Some people do then try and cut too much weight which does make it dangerous. But that's on the people themselves, you know. So way I think for myself, I don't know what your opinion is. I think at amy you should fight closer to you walk around way at the start and just kind of fight and enjoy yourself rather than worry about weight cuz is that is that something that you would agree with or disagree or what's your thoughts on on weight cutting amateur at the start? >> Well, look me forward, you know what I mean? So, I wouldn't be one to uh cut too much weight. I know uh later on down the line when I go pro and all, I'll probably fight a lower weight classes, but now I'm just uh I'm happy enough fighting at near enough where they walk around and then doing the water cuts for a day before. So, it's uh I wouldn't be one to be putting mad weight until I get into the pro scene, you know. >> Yeah, I don't think you I think you should just worry about getting in there cuz like other than obviously your skill development stuff like that you have to deal with the event trying to get things timed warming up and stuff like that. I think weight should come later like you said um when you you know you're going professional and that time is coming. But uh your opponent this weekend um what way do you approach opponents? Do do you look into them yourself? Do you let your coach do that or just kind of ignore and trying to just implement your own style when it comes to the fight? >> Well, the training camp doesn't really change. It's more like the the mindset that I had with myself like uh me force fight me novice me novice amateur a up in Belfast I was looking at your man it was a good fighter Adam Braniff he uh he was like a really good kickboxer so the plan was going in like uh just couple of strikes and then work your wrestling cuz I've been wrestling since I'm a little nipper you know so it's uh that was the game plan but now this one Shane Harmony very good jiu-jitsu guy h obviously the game plan has to change like you wouldn't want to be going to the brown with that sort person. So, I've uh I've actually been I've taken on a new uh training coach into me team, Declan Gerty, uh boxing out with Comeland Cland Boxing Club. So, I've been working a lot on me boxing this camp to keep it on the feet and change the game plan around a little bit. Yeah. >> Yeah. And that's good as well from a development point of view as well cuz like that you've got the coach in and you're doing the box that's going to sharpen your boxing and it's just going to help you improve as well. like Shane Cley, I've watched him in BJJ and he's uh like that. He's very very good and >> but I it's it's a good fight. It's a good style of fight and it's who could adapt more on the on the day I think will win it. >> Yeah. Like I I'd never be one to doubt myself, you know? Like if it goes to the round, I'm not going to be worried. You know what I mean? But I just think I'll feel more comfortable on me feet this time around. Like uh like that I was saying in the force fight. He was a kickboxer. I was still I was still landing very good shots against him. It's just you give him too much give him too much time on the feet and he might find something against you, you know. I think that's the same way around with Shane this time. If I give him too much uh too many too much time for me to make a mistake, then uh something will happen. So, I'd rather keep it where I'm comfortable this time around, you know. >> Yeah. Know 100% 100%. And obviously with with the gym, you're you're a fantastic gym. Like there's Lewis, Jar, Graeme, like I I could go on and on. What's it like being >> what's it like being in that gym and being around those type of people? Like there's so many I could go on for an hour listening but we won't. What's it like being around that those kind of people? >> It's great you know like it's it's good to know that you have a good team around you. So when you are learning and they are giving you advice leading up to these sort of fights then you know like that's that's something to take as like gospel you know. Uh like I've been like I said I've been there since I'm only a baby. So, it's like I'm looking at all these boys uh since they're amateurs and then watching them go pro now and me coming into the amateur seeing they have a lot of they have a lot of good advice with like with weight cuts and technique and when to be doing the hard spar and just just in general like the whole fight camp process and all. Uh it's a lot of very good advice to be hearing from in your own gym. So, it's good it's good to be around those sort of people. Yeah, because like that they can tell you what worked for them, what didn't work for them, what to avoid and stuff like that. And it just makes you then coming in at the younger age with a wealth of knowledge from people like that. Um, I want to go back to the start. What What kind of brought you in, like you said, you've been doing this since your nipper. Obviously, it was your you kind I would assume your parents kind of put you into it or was it you wanted and they supported you? Talk to us about your start in combat sports in general. I started I started years ago when I was about what eight down in a boxing gym down in Fisbra. I was I was doing the football and all and it was a bit I was a bit rough. People didn't like it very much. So uh I was in the boxing as well and there was a there was an element of getting hassle around where I was living. Uh so I needed to be able to defend myself in that way. And uh I was up there for a while with uh Dave Kelly. He was like he was like the main person teaching me up in uh in that boxing club. And then eventually something happened. I was too young to remember. Something happened and uh a load of bogeies came through. He had to get out of there. It was it wasn't safe. Uh and then Davey ended up taking me up to Team Rhino and uh that's when I ended up introducing me into all the boys. So uh yeah, that's how I got started. Dave Kelly, if it wasn't for him, shout out to Dave got me into Team Rhino with all the boys, you know. So that's how we got started. Yeah, >> that's that's fast. And that's a that's a good story that someone else brought you to the gym, he'll always be a part of your journey. He'll be one of the major parts of your journey for that transition. And how did you feel going up into an MMA gym? Like did it cuz I know when you go somewhere new even at any age, it might be daunting, but you seem like you have a bit of confidence. What was it like going in going right now? What was that like? >> It's a funny story. I do tell people about that a lot. Uh the first day I went up there, I was I wasn't with Dave. I was with my dad and me dad's like lunatic. Uh, I was walking up the stairs and it was me dad was like, "Right, you go first, Sean." I was like, "All right." And, uh, I walked up the stairs and I had a look around and I seen uh, all the boys. There was like all the Russian boys, Constantine and Graeme and Lewis and all punching the head off each other. And I'm walking up the stairs and I was like, "What the fuck?" And I turned around to look where my dad was. My dad was halfway down the stairs. He was like, "See you later, Sean." I was like, "What the [ __ ] He just leave me here." Like, and then uh, I was like, "Sink or swim." So I got used to a fairly sharper then you know all the boys. So good little story. >> Yeah like once you have that competitive streak in you you're always going to kind of gravitate towards it as well. But like that a lot of people go in and that's what they envision all the time. But a lot of people don't realize most of the members in gyms actually don't compete. So don't think that it's all just fighters. If there is someone that wants to compete if you want to do it just as a hobby it is there. Like you've probably seen in your own gym. There's so many that that don't compete that don't do MMA. up. But um like that you've had the this will be your third fight. Obviously you'll be looking to to get the win and do you think you'll be fighting again this year? Obviously not looking past your opponent, but you think you'll have another one or you think that'll be at Christmases soon. Um you might see your nannies you might want to be feeding you. Um >> you will be wanting to feed me. That's that's a good factor to keeping in the fight camps. Uh I don't know like four four fights I think is fairly decent for me first year as like an amateur, you know. uh if something comes your way, I'm not one to turn it down, you know, but uh I'd like to I'd like to enjoy me Christmas a bit, not get too fat. And uh like it's it's either way it doesn't it doesn't really bother me. Like if I get another fight, I'll I'll see how me way is. I'll see what the body's like and I'll I'll consider taking it. If I don't get a fight, then happy days and enjoy myself for the rest of the year, you know? It's not it's not very easy breezy when it comes to that sort of thing, you know. >> Yeah. And you're quite young as well. So like next year there's man there's so many shows. How do you feel as an amateur with the the like you just say if a fight fell out I was talking to someone last night and then two weeks later they're able to get booked cuz the shows are like there was last week this week next week the week after then there's three in November two in December. How do you feel as an amateur having those options? >> That's great. like you know like uh I was only talking to uh me boxing coach uh Declan Gerty and he was saying how uh it's he thought it was mad like as an amateur cuz you know box amateur boxing is different to MMA boxing where they fight like they treat as like Sunday league football they'd fight every single weekend and I was telling him I'm fighting in two months and he was like oh see you're a pro were you but uh yeah no it's good it's good to have options you know if one fight falls through then you can just get on the next show, you know, it's not a be all end all. >> Yeah. It's like that like boxers are like getund and something before the they go pro. Well, most of them go to the Olympics and then after the Olympics go pro. Very few. I think Gary Cully didn't go to the Olympics and one or two others. But >> it's like you said, it's like Sunday league. It's every weekend and they're everywhere. Like box though, you know, it it takes the it takes like the pressure off. If you're fighting every single weekend, then it's not a big thing. It's just like, oh, I'm going off to have a Barney on Sunday, like every Sunday, you know, whereas like uh it's not as it's not as much in the MMA, but having so many shows during the year that's not like a big buildup. You can just go into another show if things don't go your way, you know? >> Yeah. It's like a hard I don't want to say hard training because it's fight, but it's like you're testing what you like you can see the improvements quickly, see what you're doing wrong quickly if you're fighting every weekend and try and correct them as much. But if you're not fighting every two or three months in MMA and then you get to the live competition, it might be right, okay, how long before I fight again? What do I need to improve? But it's uh I like I like both sports. I love MMA though. Um and this >> pretty Yeah. >> Uh in Cork, how how do you feel about going down to Cork because it's not it's usually up to Belfast or up that area as well. It's down Cork. How do you feel? I think it's good that there's more shows coming in the south. I think we need them. Obviously, you like the day of weigh in because you've got your bottle of water. How do you feel about the show on Cork and and how this fight has kind of come about? >> Uh yeah, I'm not looking forward to the drive h to be honest with you, but h yeah, it's good it's good to have fights in the republic, you know. Uh I would have liked to have a fight in Dublin this year, but it is what it is. Uh yeah, the the venue doesn't really bother me. Like I know this is Shane's back garden and all, but uh like that's that's never been a problem to me. I've never fought in Dublin like apart from when I was fighting in youth and I was fighting in like the nationals and all but where it is doesn't really bother me at the end of the day it's a cage and they lock the cage door and you have a strainer you know so >> it is what it is doesn't matter if it's on hard you're still getting into the same octagon you know >> yeah 100% and like that sometimes I feel if it's the hometown fighter I think sometimes they have a bit more pressure as well cuz more people are able to come buy tickets and I think it's not that the people put pressure on them I think sometimes fighters put pressure on themselves you other sort of a way and then you can just breeze in and you you don't have to deal with the pressure and stuff. But there hasn't been a show in Dublin this year. I believe is one I think Cage Lexi is due to have one at the on New Year's Eve. That probably wouldn't suit you to fight on cuz it's through Christmas, but would you like to see more kind of come back to Dublin? Because obviously Dublin is the capital. It's good to have them in the likes of Cork and stuff, but I think we really need a show to come back next year. A nice big show. What do you think yourself obviously being from Dublin? >> 100%. I think uh now I don't mind like I'll do whatever I can to compete but h it's it's very expensive like traveling like halfway across the country every time I need to go have a fight like you know it puts a lot of pressure on uh myself and the family and all just to it it turns into this big thing whereas uh it's not so much when it's like around the corner I can make I could even make me own way down then people come afterwards but uh yeah 100% I think if there were three more shows in Dublin I'd be all over that you know make me life a lot easier Hopefully there will be next year. Hopefully K XC if it goes ahead, it goes well and they they run another show because that was a show I really really liked. But yeah, I'm looking forward to uh to I don't know if I'm going to be there. I might I might not. So every time I promise I'm going to be there. I never end up going. So I'm going to either watch a pay-per-view or I'm going to be there live. If not, I'll uh best of skill this weekend. I'm going to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out? Thank you for your time as well. I really appreciate it. >> Yeah. No, thanks very much for the time. It's uh it's always class getting an old interview, you know. Uh not nothing really else to say. Thanks very much for having me. H shout out to all the boys. Help me out during the training camp. Uh all me coaches and me teammates and all. But yeah, going smash this weekend. See you later. >> Perfect. Enjoy and like I said, if I if I'm not there, I will be watching. Um and I will talk to you after the fight. Right. >> Perfect. See you later, David.