Alex McCooke interview

Ringkasan

Alex McCooke will compete for the title at the first ever Cage Gladiators Ireland this weekend, we speak about the upcoming fight his activity levels this year and plans for next year

Transkrip (youtube_captions)

[Music] okay so we have Mr Alex mcook here who's going to be fighting this weekend at the very first cage gladiators Ireland he's gonna be fighting for the belt as well so he's going to make history if he wins the belt um he's going to make history by being a part of this card anyways thank you very much for joining me I appreciate your time how are you feeling uh in the lead up to this show because it's the first one uh the first show the first installment of it and you're going to be part of that yeah no feeling good uh totally different training comp this time but feeling great um It's actually an honor to be asked on to the card for first time up being shown so really looking forward to it yeah and and he is a good card and obviously H there there really good fights all down the card you you're obviously going to be facing Emma uh is he someone you've looked into because he was supposed to cross paths at F50 fight at the tournament that time you could potentially so when this fight came about was it a fight that excited because it was one that maybe kind of got away cuz he I think he'd on his shoulder the week of the fight wasn't it yeah um yeah no I was looking forward to it at the time where is he supposed to meet and then once I got offered the opportunity again I was like he's he's up in common and he's one of the the big names in the the scene at the moment so I was like no I can't turn down this opportunity and got improve myself because I'm moving on in the years and he's still a young F I'm getting older so yeah and and then like that like I said he's he's he's good experience he's a good good name and and and fighting no matter what the outcome with you won or lost just going to be Takens away from the fight as well and you've been quite you've been quite active obviously since you you've come back H there's a lot of shows on how do how are you feeling you you've moved gyms you've gone over to dear how how are you feeling how was this camp and how's the new gym uh how you fitting into the new gym well obviously last show I fought on I done part of my training camp through degar and with my old jam and that was sort of the started the transition and then I just moved fulltime over dear the training C's been unreal been more than welcomed into it's just such my style they've added new aspects to my fighting game there's more experience different you know aspects to it there's different things come to me I'm learning new things that I never learned before and no this is to me it was a right move to do I needed to I needed to change my game plan I needed to change everything in me to become the better fighter and step forward to fight the likes of Emma who is obviously a big name so yeah and like that you can only do what's what's right for you as well and there's a question that I'm curious about as well because usually when we talk we talk about your first time going to a gym and stuff like that even as a fighter going from one gym to another like what's that kind of experience like is it overwhelming is it still you be anxious or is it comfortable because you've been in the combat gym I know but going into a new one like for me if I went from one job to a new one you're still a bit nervous bit anxious how you going to fit in does that come across or is it just because you're a fighter you're used to it and the gyms very welcoming or or what was it like with the transition there is a we nervous aspect to it 100% you know because you're walking into new environments like I've known Dey for years obviously been in the fight game for years and the gar and stuff as well but meeting the guys that in the gym was KN didn't know their level didn't know what they were capable of or not capable of but once I walked in I was made more than welcome made feel part of the team straight away there was no no unwelcomeness or nothing it was just straight and straight to business and made feel part of the team from day do yeah and and that's good obviously that you get welcom and that's one of the things about MMA gyms that people don't understand you think you're walking into a scary environment and it's it's not a scary environment it's probably one of the most workc and envirment that you get you said obviously uh you've you've added new aspects to your game and stuff are we going to see a different fighter than we seen last time like obviously don't give away game plans or stuff that you like to do but is there there's new tricks up to Steve that are going to be out this time or have you got a game plan set no I don't really have a game plan set we just sort of just work on ourselves and just work on what we feel like we need to work on weaknesses strengths and just focus on us try not focus on the your opponent as much and just focus on you because end of day it's your fight as much as your opponent's fight I'm not taking anything away from Em's a great fighter but like I'm there with a different game set this time like going to be a completely different fighter everybody just knows me for one thing or knows me from a certain thing this time it's going to change and they're going to see maybe a different side to me completely 100% And I'm excited I'm excited to see that side as well and I like what you said there about just focusing on yourself do you think that's something that some amateurs or even professional fighters get caught too caught up in is their opponent and trying to stop their game plan rather than expressing yourself and implementing your own style 100% people got caught up and the other figh what they done their last fight or what they might do and they just focus on that happening but that fighter is trying to develop as well so they're changing their fight style their fight game to find out where they want to go for the next fight because they're trying to improve as much as you're trying to improve if you got caught up in your opponent you are going to make mistakes you're just going to FOC F on what they done the last time and not focus on what they're going to bring this time yeah and if it doesn't happen as well you might be like okay I was expecting such and such and then your game plan could it could I would assume could it put doubts in your head then whereas if you focus on you and know what you've got to do going forward then that's the only thing you need to do but it's going to be a very good fight like being part of this card and being on the first one like you said it was an honor to be asked so when you got asked for the fight fight and you're going to be going there obviously it's his home kind of show you're going to be going in he's going to have a lot of fans would that motivate you or would that add more pressure do you think it might add more pressure to him because I think sometimes being the home fighter might add more pressure to them and how do you feel like in that situation like that what's what's your experience and and what does it bring out of you no I'm not point the crow doesn't really affect me and Emma seems like a cool customer I don't think he'll feel Under Pressure that the crowds there he just looks like a is there to do business the same as myself we're just there to to fight and best man wins on the the night he could feel the pressure of the crowd feeling it's his first show first time there could be history made here and the pressure could be on him more than it's on me but there's still a lot of pressure on me because I'm moving on the years and I'm stepping up for a bolt here and it's it's just not a little BT it's quite a big belt and if I won it it's it's history been made if I wins it it's history been made so there's a lot on the line yeah there is and it's actually a very nice belt I seen them the post with the belt as well and and obviously what would it mean for you to like if if you were to beat EMT and lift the belt what would it mean to you to lift the belt and then beat someone like of that caliber and it'd be obviously the same if he bets you but what would it mean to lift the belt uh going forward then for your career mean would mean a lot I means shows I have improved and I'm at that standard where I think I'm at and just keep progressing hopefully do if I win do a couple more defenses of it and then hopefully head on to Pro by the end of the year and obviously we're pro at the end of the year with the amount of shows we have I think uh I've been talking to H Emma and Jack and they were saying there's actually gonna be I think four of those shows next year we've got hosts of other shows cage conflict the fight and and all the other ones that go with it are you looking to stay active then before you go pro is number of fights you'd like to get or is it when you're ready you're ready I sort of leave that up to the the coaches and the team to sort of push me I'll always be staying fight ready it's when they feel like I'm ready to step into the next fight but yeah I'd like to stay as active as possible and while the man's still here and still fit to fight just keep going for it yeah and like I said with the amount of shows that we have how does it feel like as a fighter that just say like just what six shows and seven weeks now over the next couple of weeks here which is is is mental it's a busy busy time for for refs me judges coaches everyone with the amount of shows that we have like how do you feel as a fighter then going okay there's that many shows and you've got that many options to get fights it's good to see all the shows are back up and run again since obviously Co and stuff happened a lot of years ago but like is it's hard to choose because you have to pick like the right shows what show is going to Showcase you get the right training camp try and find the right opponent um I mean all that they're all great shows not one of them's a show that's not worth being on they're all great shows but it's just picking the right show for you and fting inside like a training regimen and going for it from there yeah because there's a lot of factors that go into it the day like obviously your personal lives outside this and you've got work and and everything else that goes with it as well and and how hard is that to kind of balance like as a fighter as a as a person is like like how hard is it to try and balance all that or you got to a stage where you kind of you've got everything down or is it still a a learning process every day oh every day still a learning process there's no when there's children involved in work because you can be work one minute in a job could go sweeped next minute I could go tit up and then you come home and there's problems with the children there's problems with the the girlfriend the wife whatever and that just sets you back in training you might be 20 minutes late for training you might M training that night and then you have to try and regroup and get into an extra couple of sessions or hit the gym or do something different no you're still learning because there's nothing you'll ever get down to a tea never even training is never down to a tea yeah because not every day is the same every day is going to be different especially like you said with kids and the family and and jobs uh depending on on what kind of work structure that you have like I know what my job it's not the same every day things are going to change you could be out lateer you could be in Long Run and it's just is trying to to balance them obviously but um obviously like you said you're not looking past them if you were going to after this fight what what kind of time would you like to fight again next year would it be like as early as possible because I know there's a cage conflict in March I think this one run might run in March or are you just focused solely on the task in hand because it's such a big moment H just the task in hand at the moment and then after that we'll speak to D and gar and see where this is all going to go from here they'll pick the next show see where I'm ready because obviously you can come out that show with an injury or come out Scot free and best be ready for the next next show if you came out scotf fre would you fight again this year with with the amount of show you have I don't think it because this would be a good end to the year obviously if I win you know put you on a high Christmas is coming up I have three young children to sort of give me attention to now because I've been so active this year on the MMA scene so yeah no I know obiously the kids are the most important especially leading up to Christmas and as humans we all love to enjoy that that Christmas time as well um but it is it is it's going to be a fantastic show this weekend I'm going to be there in person I I'm I was delighted to be asked like yourself feel privileged to be asked to go up there so I'm going to see you in person again and I've seen you at shows and it's always great to have a chat with you and it's been great having you on again tonight is there anything you want to say before you go and I want to thank you so much for your time no nothing nothing else no that's perfect thank you so much much enjoy the rest of tonight and I will see you on Sunday Best of skill yeah same to you brother thank you