Pain is Temporary

Ringkasan

Combat Confidential #032 Pain is Temporary | Brian Draper Ahead of his professional MMA debut on March 7 in Liverpool, FCC 45, Irish heavyweight Brian Draper sits down with me for one of the most honest conversations you’ll hear from a fighter. Brian lets us in about growing up…

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Go back. [music] Let's go. [music] All right, everyone. Welcome back. [music] Uh 2026, we're starting the year off right. Um, I have my man here, Mr. Brian Draper. Um, let me just a little intro for yourself. So, yeah, you're Dublin native. >> Absolutely. Dub Fingless Dublin native. >> Um, you're currently amateur heavyweight. >> Amateur heavyweight. Amateur heavyweight of the year 2025. >> Hell yeah. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. >> Nobody [laughter] joking, bro. >> Um, so you're you're coming off a win from the Forest Fighting Championship and that was when December November. >> October 4th. October 4th. long ago, >> bro. It's crazy. Three months ago already. I don't know how. >> Jeez. >> Um, >> and then you got your professional debut. >> Yep. >> Coming up on the 7th of March. >> 7th of March in Liverpool on the FCC FCC 45. What's FCC? >> FCC is a promotion based out of Liverpool on UFC pass. Um, full contact contender. Yeah, it's had like some Tom Aspenol was the heavyweight champion on it before he went to UFC. Patty the body was they've had some really good really good prospects on the show. So, >> and now uh >> now they got Mr. >> Brian Dver. Yeah. >> But I'm coming in against that hometown boy, that poster boy, the guy that they want to win. Um but it's nothing new. >> Right on. >> Here, you know what I mean? So, >> heck yeah. All right. Well, look, man, I I appreciate you uh blessing me with your time here. >> No, absolutely. It's my pleasure. >> So, let's uh let's let's get right into it. have a couple uh >> couple questions for you just to kind of >> get the blood going. Exactly. All right. >> One of the most important questions that I always start things off with. Okay. Coffee or tea? >> Tea. >> Tea. >> The smell of coffee can be nice. >> Yeah. >> But if Yeah. Put it going to me head. Tea. I'm going tea with a little bit of honey in it. >> Honey? >> Absolutely, bro. Never heard that. Banging. Um, yeah. Leave the tea bag in as well. >> Right on. >> Me nanny kill me if I said h otherwise. [laughter] >> You put milk in it or no? >> Just a drop, bro. Yeah, but >> I don't like burned lips, so [laughter] I leave it sitting there for a few minutes. But the key to it is you're letting the tea bag kind of do its work while they're letting it cool. >> Yeah, >> I wouldn't be a big tea drinker to be honest with you, bro. I'm not a huge tea drinker. >> Same here. >> But um >> when I when I drink tea, I usually drink black. Drink it. >> Really? I've never had it black before. >> No, I I don't. The milk just kind of I [snorts] don't know. It just >> Yeah, >> it's not bad. Like I'll drink it, but uh >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Well, it's not tea, I suppose. You know what I'm saying? >> Yeah. So, tea. Yeah. [laughter] >> All right. Uh would you prefer to listen to music or podcast? >> Oh, bro, that's a hard question. >> Now, music. >> Okay. >> I feel like I've overused me ears have been overused on podcasts over the last like six to eight years. Got >> probably like 17. So, I've listened to probably like hundreds of hours of podcasts. So, now music, but I do love listening to a podcast as well. But music, >> what's your favorite podcast aside from this one? >> Aside from this one, aside from uh the James Hemp show is probably my favorite podcast. Yeah, because James is my guy. So, >> right on. Right on. Um, all right. Would you rather cook like cook at home or go out to eat? That's a These are tough questions. Um, >> like I love cooking. >> Yeah. >> But I do enjoy going to a restaurant with my beautiful, beautiful wife and looking at her all done up and wearing something nice. >> You know what I mean? And being I love with like low lighting and all. You know what I mean? >> You must you must have the benefit then of like someone to watch your kids. >> Yeah, bro. I have I have the best nanny in the world. My mother. Yeah. Oh man. >> Thank God. I'm blessed. I am truly blessed, bro. And I've always been blessed for her since I had my first child when I was 19. So >> that's great. That's great. I'm happy. >> Probably going out for food. Yeah. But I do love to cook at home. >> What do you What's your go-to? Like what's your >> going out? >> No. To cook >> at home to cook >> steak, bro. >> Steak. >> What kind? And how how do you do it? >> Rey and I'll do it medium just because I I don't know like I used to like medium rare but had a couple of bad experiences with medium rare. Like they weren't cooked properly medium rare. So, I just stick with medium now. I feel it's the best safest option to get a good steak. But I actually don't like getting steak unless I'm going to specifically a steak restaurant, which is not really very often. >> I'll prefer to cook a steak at home. I have a cast iron pan. >> I've watched hundreds of videos [laughter] properly. So, like >> Yeah. Do you know? >> Steak uh all you need is salt and pepper and maybe a little bit of fresh garlic, crushed garlic. >> Yeah. Yeah. Of course. And if you want to get real spicy, like I I like to do this, just uh cut up a fresh jalapeno. >> We call them of English gelapos. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> Um what's a what's a one fun fact that maybe most people don't know about you? >> Fun or interesting? >> Either. >> Either. >> What's a fun fact? I can sing. >> You can sing? >> Yeah. >> Well, like like >> anything. >> Anything. Prove it. Prove it. >> Prove it or you can't sing. >> No, [laughter] I love people on YouTube. I actually have video actually. I used to be I used to be into music a lot. >> Yeah, music was kind of my thing. Um, so I don't want to get dark. But my father passed away when I was eight. And I started writing music when I was eight. And I was full on into music like rapping. I actually only figured out I could sing when I was 14. So I used to rap have probably 30 rap songs on CDs still like Yeah. Yeah. So what I used to get for Christmas was I used to get when I found out um kids watch this podcast >> well when S so what I used to get off Santi um was recording studio time up till I was about yeah 10. Yeah >> that's pretty cool >> and I used to just go I used to write songs all year and then I go record like nine songs at once. >> Yeah. So that's what I used to do. I used to love music. Still do love music. You know what I mean? But obviously this is what I do is me job. So >> that's that's cool. That's cool. >> I can also do a cartwheel. That's that's [laughter] interesting. I can do a really good cartwheel. >> You know, I I wouldn't have wouldn't have pegged as a singer. >> Yeah. Yeah. A lot of people. Yeah. >> Yeah. Right on. That's cool. That's cool. I I wish I had something that interesting about me. [laughter] >> Oh, you do this. This is really interesting. >> Okay. What was the last thing you Googled? >> Where me? My phone's over there. [laughter] Do you know the last thing I Googled last night was? And this is going to sound terrible. My MS is pregnant right now. So, you're gonna think it was for me, but I I I looked up the little chip thingless chipper. >> Okay. >> Phone number. That's the last thing I've Googled last [laughter] night. And I ordered me Mrs. It's called a Howya Burger. It's a batter burger with cheese on a bun. >> Not into it. But that's what I ordered for her last night with a can of Coke while I ate tuna mayonnaise and a load of pasta >> with a can of Coke and it was gorgeous. [laughter] Okay. >> Everyone everyone watching this now is going to be like, >> "Yeah, [laughter] >> um, >> yeah. >> Do Do you like to plan things out or you kind of like go with the flow?" >> I'm a go with the flow guy, but when it comes to this martial arts, my fighting, planning is absolutely necessary. Yeah. You can't you can't just >> You can't just wing it. You can't just wing it. If you have a good team and a good structure and a good like routine in place, you kind of it becomes your natural dayto-day flow. You know what I mean? It comes like >> it it it it becomes um going with the flow. Do you know what I mean? Because >> what the what the big problem is, it's your mind wanting to wanting to stay comfortable. So when you're in a good routine, like everyone knows it when you get a fight announced, first two weeks of camp is always great. You're loving life. You know, you're grateful that this is what you get to do. We have a fight book, but then always it happens like you the brain starts to creep in. You know what I mean? Oh, I missed this session. We'll miss the Oh, do this instead. We'll just go for a run instead. That's where the hard part is. You know what I mean? Where if you're you don't have a routine in place and you're just going with the flow where >> it's you're kind of picking and choosing what you're doing, you know what I mean? And I've been I've been I've been both, you know what I mean? >> Yeah. >> Definitely being a not go with the flow guy when it comes to this is very important. >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm generally I kind of go with the faux guy, but if I have a plan, I like to stick with it. I hate and then I hate making any deviations uh you know, right in the middle of it, it drives me nuts. >> Yeah, fair enough. Fair enough. >> Yeah. Um >> if you could pick, would you rather be known for, you know, being tough or having good technique? >> Good technique. Yeah. All day. >> All day. That was the quickest answer. [laughter] >> Fair enough. All right. Look, uh we'll we'll jump right into the meat of things here. So, Of course, bro. >> That was cool. >> You're from You're from Dublin? >> I'm from Dublin. >> What where did you grow up? And you know, it's kind of like what was it like? Who did you grow up with? >> So, I grew up with my mother and me brother and me father obviously, but me father passed when we were eight. My brother was six. So, we was only the three of was really for me whole life. We were very well not me whole life obviously, like the majority of me life. Um, we were like a we're just a core a lot closer than what like a like what an typical family would be. You know what I mean? Yeah. >> Um but yeah, me brother, me best me, he was always there, you know what I mean? Um and then my initial me close family, you know what I mean? Close family were all family is a really big thing to me, you know what I mean? It's really really big. You probably seen that the last like outside about 20 of the crowd. >> Yeah. Yeah. Just waiting for me outside the blading room. It was gas. But yeah, so me family being around me and then kind of just being in and out of martial arts kind gave me a something else to be around other people to be around. Good positive people to be around as well. So yeah. >> Were you uh do you mind talking about your dad or >> No, it's been there 20 years, bro. You know, it's been like 18 years. You know what I mean? >> Um what what may ask what happened or >> So my dad had heart disease. Yeah. >> Okay. He had 85% blockage in his four arteries. Yeah. >> And he kept going to the hospital and they kept saying there was something wrong with him. Nothing wrong with him. And what happened was >> he was going on a trip with me man's two brothers. They went to Amsterdam and when he went into altitude sent him into heart. So by the time he landed and they had only they hadn't even got to Amsterdam yet and basically he was already having really bad troubles. So they went just went to the hotel and he died in sleep. >> Wow. >> Yeah. But there's a positive to it because me and me brother would have walked in and probably dead a couple of weeks. Maybe he wouldn't have died straight, but he was going to die because of the misdiagnos. You know what I mean? And >> like I'm not saying like it was the hospital's fault or anything. You know what I mean? Like I'm a fully I'm full believer in Jesus Christ. You know what I mean? I know that I know that everything that happens is supposed to happen. You get me? And that's a blessing that he passed when he was away rather than passing in our home and me and me brother find him or mom having to find having >> that would have been way more traumatic journey. So >> there's always positives and things you know what I mean. >> Right on. >> Um like were you close with your dad growing up or as I think probably most little boys are. >> Yeah of course. Of course. Yeah. Oh yeah. Absolutely. I can remember I have good memories and I have no bad memories which is good. You know what I mean? Yeah, >> cuz it was only 8 years. It wasn't really very long. So, >> what's your uh >> like what's your fondest memory? >> Scramblers. >> I remember I remember one time I had >> you one of those kids driving through the damn park on your scrambler. >> No, believe it or not, I was never I was never one of those. I I wasn't a I didn't cause much mischief growing up. I more do me mischief now as I'm an older adult [laughter] because now I now now now I can like maturely look at situations and weigh up the option and weigh up the the pros and cons where like >> back when you're 14 and your mates are going to do something crazy. I kind of always well had the fear of me mother. >> Okay. >> So I was like right I'm not going to do that. >> But now yeah like I mean I probably would drive me scrambler through a park if there was nowhere else to drive it. I'm holding just all the people giving out. Ah, look, I don't do >> [ __ ] off. Yeah, [laughter] >> it's only once. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. >> Um, what uh how did how did your relationship change with uh how how many siblings do you have? You have a brother? Just one brother? >> Just one brother. Yeah. >> Um did how did things change with your brother after your dad passed? >> Um nothing changed I would say other than we just got >> Is he your older brother or >> younger? Younger brother's a year and year and nine months between us. Yeah. So pretty we're pretty close in age. Um yeah, we just we were always so close anyways, but like we we got obviously really close when that happened. And then from that me grandfather stepped in me Mazda. He was actually an Olympian. He was Yeah, he was an Olympian. He was a marathon runner. He was in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Um forced Irish man home. He ran a 214 marathon which back then was pretty good. You know what I mean? >> That's pretty good now. >> That's really good now. Like and that's like my grandad never believed in drinking water. You know what I mean? Drink it. Yeah. So back in his day, drinking water in a marathon was cheating. Like >> really? >> Yeah. Yeah. So like these guys now you see with that with that with that gels with the all this car bloating and all like he wouldn't even drink a sip of water during the marathon was crazy. >> Wow. >> But so I had him >> imagine imagine how fast he could have ran it if he had conditioned himself >> 100%. And after the 1976 Olympics, bro, they he was offered a contract in America to go to Colorado and train in Colorado, but he couldn't because he had my mother's mom, me, Annie Betty, she passed when they were when she was like four. So, yeah, she was so he wasn't able to leave three kids and go to America, you know what I mean, and train full-time. So, kind of missed out on that opportunity. But yeah, no, he's still he's still a legend of Irish running. And there's like three races every year named after him that I me and me mother and me brother go and we present the trophy for it and stuff. So yeah, it's cool. Yeah, it's cool. >> That's cool. >> Um did did you and you were just eight, but like did you kind of feel like a responsibility at eight to kind of take not take over for your dad, but uh >> yeah, like people would say stuff like that, but my mother actually told me when I was a little bit older, she said that she actually stopped people from saying that >> because she felt like that was a bad thing to say. to an 8-year-old. My mother is like the strongest person I know. Do you know what I mean? So, she worked three three jobs literally while providing for me and my brothers to make sure that we never missed out on anything so that we never torn down the wrong path. You know what I mean? So, that was her whole thing like she sacrificed everything so that me and him never grew up in fingless, fatherless without any guidance at home, without any structure at home. You know what I mean? She was like, "Yeah, it was like someone would say it was actually I can remember like loads of times my dad my mom grounded me and me brother and me dad coming in and saying like going out like you know what I mean like you remember that it's crazy and I can remember times when even >> so I'll give you a gas." >> So one my mother used to walk on Saturdays. Yeah. And me dad obviously didn't walk Saturdays so he minded us on Saturday and we ordered the Dominoes. Yeah. And we me dad's mate was at the door talking to him when the dominoes arrived. So we went out and got the Domino's and brought her into the s room. Me and my brother thought it'd be the funniest thing ever just to obviously eat the whole Domino's [laughter] while me dad was outside. You know when we came in it was gone. Not even thinking about that now. Who would snap him? [laughter] Oh my god. I'm I having that thought there, bro. I haven't thought that in ages. >> That is hilarious. That is funny. >> But I remember he grounded us, bro, and he sent us upstairs and I remember crying in the room being like [laughter] like and he came in like I ate too much. You know what I mean? not even upset your ground was only like seven and me brother was only like five and was just harsh down like a whole dominoes not all of it obviously but the majority of it and [laughter] >> yeah he then end up seeing the Bruce because remember he came in then he was just laughing about her he was like he's ab dope you know what I mean get [laughter] out you know he just threw us out then to play so yeah he was a loss also m was very not tough like she was the she's the most proud person in the world but she was tough when it came to like there was no messing about you know what I mean there was no acting the bollocks coming say that whatever you want. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, >> it's the internet. >> It is the internet. Yes. I just want to get you cancelled. [laughter] >> Yeah. Anyways. Yeah. >> Um Yeah. Like that's cool that you that you have memories like that and then that's so funny that that you say u or that you even that you bring up a story like that. [laughter] Um it it's that that that's that is funny for two kids to actively conspire against their dad to eat all [laughter] eat all their >> eat the whole Dominoes. You know that probably like Domino's is so expensive as well like probably want the food. It's like >> what is that to do? Like [laughter] >> that's cool though that like your dad probably like that he saw kind of the probably saw the humor of it. >> Yeah. But I'm like that as well. So like I would in the moment I can see myself being like are you winding me up? But then like five minutes later being like that's something that was pretty I could see the humorous side of it. >> Yeah. >> No, I'm like that with my girls. >> Yeah. You have two girls. >> Yeah. Two girls. Yeah. They uh >> Oh, jeez. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I agree. I agree. >> Yeah. Um Okay. So, your mom was your your mom, she was kind of the I don't want to call her the I don't want to call her the disciplinarian, but she was kind of the she was the the the st >> rock. She was the rock of every family. >> That's good. And every family needs something like that. >> They do, bro. Especially when like I see it now, bro. >> It's an underappreciated position in a family. >> How important the father role is cuz I have kids now. Obviously, I see how important it is like regarding discipline, bro. Yeah. >> Like, and I I felt it as well, bro, when I was in me early teens and stuff and and in me late teens and even in my early 20s, like I realized how many things that I actually the tools, let's say, I didn't have when I became a father that I never knew. And I know it's a I always tell this story. I always say to me beginners up here like >> not always, but I mention it to some of the older ones about girls and I say like, "Yeah, WA walks like like like it walks." See, when you do the dead like and you leave her in, it walks like the girl gets pregnant. You know what I [laughter] mean? Like like bro, I didn't have a girlfriend. Like Chloe was like my basically my my like forced girlfriend. You know what I mean? Like I had a girlfriend before for like >> I think for like a week or so one of them things but like >> I had like Chloe was my forced like love force girlfriend all type of thing and then like the first girl I was really like actively with. And bro, no one ever like I never like that was one of the things like I didn't really like when she told me she was pregnant. was like how you know what I mean like what you mean you're pregnant how like and she's like what you mean how like [laughter] and I was like that actually happens you know I thought like you have to try you know what I mean [laughter] so yeah but anyways um yeah I think I missed out on a few key talk talking talking to his you know that that doesn't make sense but key a few key conversations from a male you know in me life but it also taught me to mature and learn a lot quicker as well. Do you know what I mean? That's why God gave me a choice at 19 because I'm on this journey, bro. And look at every UFC champion, bro. Bar, very, very few. All have stable home lives. All have wives. All have kids early. >> Yeah. >> Look at all the boxing world champions. They all have wives. All have kids early because it's important, bro. If you're this game, like I never went near girls growing up because I was always so competitive playing and in jiu-jitsu and MMA and kickboxing. It was just always flat out. So, I never had time for that. It was only around 18 and 19. Like first time I ever drank was on my 18th birthday. You know what I mean? It was genuinely like I never knack or drank that. Never drank in parks, nothing like that. Never done drugs or anything like that. Like just be not because like anything other than I I seeing what it does living in the areas I live in. You know what I mean? Like you see it you see you see what it does to people. You can see what where that road goes. And I'm like maybe I shouldn't >> maybe I should try something different. Do you get me? >> Yeah. having support and having that like structure from me mother then from me from your girlfriend Chloe from just yeah it's just it's it's made this possible to get to this even this far. You know what I mean? >> Right on. Um what what were you like in school? Like uh did you enjoy school? Um you know did you excel at any classes? Were you kind of the like did you goof around in school? Like like how were you what type of student were you? >> I was a good student. Like I was a good student and I I am intelligent. Like like I wouldn't sit here and say I'm I'm an idiot. Like I'm not an idiot. But I love school for sports. You know what I mean? That's the truth to it. Like I love school for sports. Like the day is knowing that you're going to play a match or a lot easier to get out of bed than going in just for a normal day. That to me that like logic says that like that's because I had more of an interest in playing sports. To be honest with you, I did farture in a so in a one perspective, farture ruined my ep my academic kind of mentality towards school. I was really into I done really well in me junior year because it was the first big exam I ever done in me life and I was like I really want to do good. So I done really good in my junior year. >> But then fourth year I started coaching. I started doing like personal training and started doing CrossFit. Started to like coach people in in martial arts. started to fall into all these things and I and I found MMA properly is when I actually joined him when I was 16 like and I just fell in 15 actually think I just fell in love with this and skill kind of took a backseat like I used to like my like my M used to collect me in fourth year take me on half day I was going to the hospital you know what I mean I'd be going training coming here to morning class 12:00 class here team and >> yeah just just when I found this I was like this is what I want to do. Um, but in sixth year, like the last three months, I did put the walk in and I done well in me leaving cuz me man wanted like I wanted to leave in fifth year and she was like, "No, you're not leaving. Why why would you leave? Like you never wanted to leave school. If anyone was going to leave school, I thought it'd be your brother. My brother hated school." So, >> and he done it. He he was staying in and I was like, "I'll just I'll just finish it off for you." You know what I mean? So, and I was happy that I done that. I'm still happy that I done that even though I've never used me leaving SE for anything. It's like I'm happy that I done it. You know what I mean? But I was definitely like the class clown growing up. I love the bit crack. Like even on the mats here, man. Like I just love annoying people. Like whining people up, bro. It's so funny. Like just talking [ __ ] Like see on Friday nights here on Spart nights and all just soon as you come in just person you see you look at you getting a tick. You know what I mean? [laughter] Like you know what I mean? You're a [ __ ] You know what I mean? Just be and like everyone be and they all get it now where it's like we're sping so we're going to actually fight now tonight. You know what I mean? It's like when you're about to roll it's like I'm going to [ __ ] you up. It's like it's like oh what are you going to do le you know what I mean? It's like when I'm about to spar it's like you just it's good. I love it. You know I love just talking [ __ ] to the boys and just and I was the same at school. I just love war people up. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. >> That's cool. >> Yeah. >> Um like did you have any uh was there anyone in particular that you kind of like really looked up to >> in school? Yeah. Or like or in your >> kind of like your teenage years? >> Your granddad. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just bro up till up till >> he was the he was the runner. >> He was the runner. Yeah. So he bro he would run 10 miles every morning and run six miles in the evening. Good lord. >> Like he was like the real David Gogggins type [ __ ] bro. >> Hard thinking about that. >> Like I have I I I I have his uh diaries his his running logs. I have like two or three. He had like 20 or him when he died. But >> like his sons took some. I mean Ma has a few and I took some and I sometimes look at them still even now and it's like you look like Monday morning. Like it's like it's just like he has the he was very diligent with the date. So it's like he'd be like have one for like 2009 and it's like he's running. So he bought 2009 he was in his 60s and he's running like 9 10 miles in the morning. Then he's like writing down like 10 by 400s on the track tonight. >> Wow. >> Crazy. Like that's what I'm saying. Like he he broke he was breaking world records when he had just when he had cancer and didn't know >> really >> in Santry he broke his last 10,000 meter record. He he like for over 60s. He run and he was 74 I think. No he was 76. 76. Yeah, he was 76 and he broke the 10,000 meter world record in Santry, bro. Crazy. >> Oh, that's that's fantastic. >> And he and he had cancer. He died like four months later. >> He didn't know he had cancer. He didn't know he had cancer at that point. Wow. >> That was his last ever race. And he >> hell of a send off. >> A world record or a European record? I don't want to be shy talking. I'm trying to think. He has he still has like three standing world records now. >> Um but yeah, I think it was a European. I'm thinking it's a Europe. It was a European record. his last one that he done at 10,000 meter. That's like, think about how many laps that is on the on the track, man. That's like 20 odd laps on the track, I think. Probably more. >> I have no idea how long a track is. >> 400 meters. Yeah, it's about 200 laps. It's about 20 odd laps on the track. >> Insane. I was there for that. I remember I was there for it. >> Yeah. >> That's awesome. That's what was what was something he kind of >> What was something that he kind of instilled into you that you kind of use these days or use now still and maybe something you're going to pass on to your kids? just like this. I have a tattoo. I don't I have no I'm a Christian and I don't really Now look, there's plenty of Christians out there that have had the tone tattoos. What I'm saying is I got tattoos before I got saved and I I just whenever I I've wanted to get more tattoos and every time I go to book them, I've had tattoos booked and I just get like feel mad >> like conviction like why are you willingly marking your body when you know you're not supposed to blah. But anyways, what's mad is though, I got this tattoo. So this is from me granddad. Pain is temporary, pride is forever. And it's in it's in clouds. So I got that from your granddad because that's what he used to always say to me. Pain is temporary. Pride is forever. And that's something I've remembered since for the rest of me life, you know what I mean? So that's something that I will always pass down to me kids and I hold on to myself as well because pain is temporary. You know what I mean? And especially for a sport that I'm in, like >> one minute you can be getting this [ __ ] kicked out of you and you look like you're about to be finished and within a second you can just land a shot and everything changes and the wall changes and everyone thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread. You know what I mean? So >> yeah, definitely that and work ethic, man. Just work ethic like >> done everything like done everything that he needed to do. Never never missed a day. Always walked, you know, and I'm I tried to live up to that. I I'm nowhere near as the the athlete that he was, but hopefully one day we can be as good as him. You know what I mean? >> That's tough. And it's it's it's good to have kind of these uh role [snorts] models in your life that are trying to say like they exceed the norm. >> Yeah. >> You know what I mean? And like they do they show up every day. >> Um you know, [clears throat] or they at least uh uh they can give the uh what am I trying to say? the >> Yeah, >> they they can put out like the the the mentality of like you need to, you know, kind of show up every day type thing. Yeah. That's great. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have folks like that. And I think it's more common. >> Well, a lot of people around around their areas, bro, we don't you don't have that. You know what I mean? Like the only thing like in Finland, the majority of people are are like walking in construction. That's what men do. You walk in construction. The reason why like I've had so many reasons to stop this sport. The reason why I don't stop the sport is because there's two reasons. One, time with me kids. Because this lifestyle, even though the money is [ __ ] your body's always sore, your mind is always getting broke and there's nothing but setbacks and nothing is guaranteed. >> No. the time that I have bringing me daughter to school in the morning, going to the gym, doing a few PTS, collecting off from school, having a bit of lunch while going back to the gym. I wouldn't have that if I'm I'm a scaffold by trade. Like if I scaffold, I'm up at 6:00. I'm not home till half 4. I'm in stuffing food into me, trying to get washed cuz I'm covered in dirt and then spend a half an hour with the kids before I have to go to the gym for three hours. You know what I mean? It's like that's how how are you supposed to raise your kids if the in the best way you can living like that? You know what I mean? So that's why I stick to it. And then also it's for to show the young people in my family and the young people around this area that I'm doing the most I I'm doing the the most the the most unforgiven sport in the world. Not because I want praise because I don't want praise. That's not why I'm doing it. If I want the praise, I can go do many other things that are a lot easier on the body. You know what I mean? I can go give to charities, man. I can go walk a good job in Scotland and give 200 quid a week to the to charity and post all over social media. I'm sure you get plenty of praise for that. You don't have to fight in a cage. The reason why I fight in a cage and I do this unforgiven sport is so that when cuz this generation, bro, look at all the young like 14, 15, 16 upwards. It's a completely different generation, especially the boys. They have no authority in them. They don't understand correction. They don't understand discipline because they're the age of the internet. You know what I mean? And he can say anything, do anything. And it's it's just like a normal person working a normal job could never say anything to a 14-year-old nowadays because that 14-year-old is looking at Andrew Tate and all of these streamers and all of these famous people with living the best lives and looking at you walking in Spar going, "What are you telling me?" Where I know that if I make it to the UFC and I can be a UFC fighter, I know that them young kids will listen. Do you get what I'm trying to say? because you're speaking from a point where I've done something that a lot of people can't do that 0.0% of the world 0.1% of the world does. I'm going to go do it not for prayers for me because all prayers belongs to him. >> But to be able to say, "Shut your mouth and listen to me. Don't ruin your life." >> Do you get what I'm trying to say? >> Yeah. >> Because it's very important, bro. I was never told that, bro. Do you get me? I never had anyone really to tell me that cuz my granddad Jim died when I was 17. So I had him from 8 to 17, but it was actually harder to lose him than me than me father because I had him in the really important years and he installed so much of my mentality into me that I have now. So that was more difficult to deal with. You know what I mean? So that's what that's that's that's what my one of my main goals is to to be able to tell these young people that when they're when they're doing silly things and they're acting the bollocks and like you said the driving through parks and the scrammers just disturbing everybody and just wrecking the place, lads, [ __ ] the gym. You know what I mean? go don't come to something positive positive with that energy. Trust me because when you're 25, you're going to look back and go, "What was I doing?" >> Or if if you don't if you're 25 and you don't look back and think that, then >> well then you're trusting and hard. You know what I mean? It was going to be hard, bro. >> Exactly. Um Okay. So talk to me about combat sports like when So you were in hurling. >> Yeah. >> Um who you what club play for? >> Nimbara. Finn in Cabra. Um cuz I went to school in Cabra. Went to another school in Cabra. Um, Tommy speak. Yeah. Tommy on agree to me. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> No. No. No. That's That's >> That's awesome. No. >> Yeah. Know that was always one of me plans. Don't worry. I'm going to be the first Irish heavyweight Irish speaking heavyweight in the UFC. >> That's awesome. Do you uh just Okay, sidebar real quick. Yeah. Um >> was it was a year or two ago I was in uh the Aaron Islands. Yeah. And a lot of the like the younger folk um they spoke Irish >> and they spoke Irish around everyone even though they they spoke English. Yeah. >> Um and in my head >> okay so like I'm half Mexican, right? I don't I barely speak Spanish. >> I can I can read it better than I can speak or understand that. But um anyway um in my head I was thinking like I knew if that was me like if uh I was in the States and I was speaking Spanish around like my cousins because none of them speak Spanish either. um in my head like I'm better than you. >> Yeah. >> You know, and like um you know, just I would kind of like, you know, had that little mental game in my head like I'm better than you. I can speak Spanish. You can't. And then I was thinking like, you know, these people cuz they were younger than me. Um and you know, my wife's Irish as well and she doesn't speak uh Irish. She can understand some of it. But in my head, I'm thinking like, do they think they're better than us? >> Cuz I I 100% would. If you spoke Spanish, you know, >> or if I was Irish and I spoke Irish and people around me didn't like, do you give me give me a train of thought there? >> I get I get that people absolutely think that that's the reason why the Irish language is dead in this country because it was there was a propaganda spin put on it that it's uncool to speak Irish. I can advocate for this because I went to school and got the only reason I got suspended in school twice was for speaking English. That's for you get caught speaking English three times in one week by a teacher. you get suspended for a day or two, you know what I mean? So that happened to me a couple of times, but it was uncool to speak. We didn't like it if you like I remember like if you if you walk speaking Irish to a teacher by the boys, if you want to have a conversation with the you know what I mean? Like the boys be like [ __ ] ass speaking, you know what I mean? You're not tough. You know what I mean? Yeah. little weirdo like that's what people like. So that was like a propaganda spin that was put on us like to like right anyone that's even learning Irish should think that it's a waste and it's stupid and it's uncool where now everybody it's like it's changing the culture's changing everybody's like wanting to speak Irish every single person I see now is like wanting to speak Irish so thank god that's going away the whole thing of they think they are speaking Irish watching you get more Irish than me type thing that's the mentality of people where it shouldn't be that it's like no I speak Irish because I went to an Irish school I was forced to speak Irish ish. >> Now we're looking back and I'm absolutely delighted that I spoke. Like in sixth year, it's mad. When I turned 18, I kind of like started to really enjoy speaking at school. Like genuinely like and it's mad because with maturity, you learn these things. You know what I mean? >> No, that is cool. And for the record, I don't mean it like uh I'm better than you. I mean it like like a [ __ ] talking kind of way. >> Oh no. Yeah. No, I mean like that. Well, absolutely. But like there is people out there like I've you talk Irish in front of people and they would think like they would be a bit like rude about you know what I mean like yeah >> stop that nonsense and all you know what I mean talking you know what I mean shut up no one can understand you and all it's like >> so you get me like I love speaking I speak Irish to me kids all the time >> that's cool that I'm truly fascinated by anyone who can speak more than one language. >> Yeah. >> Um >> and just you know Irish because it's like so different from English. >> Yes. Um, and then I know it's not the most I know it's not the easiest language to uh uh to pick up. Um, >> apparently it's very similar to Hebrew. I've only I've only learned this recently. Yeah, it's very similar to Hebrew. >> Interesting. >> Something interesting about that, isn't it, >> man? And what's matter prophet Jeremiah is buried in Ireland. So that's probably where the language could have changed along them times >> cuz I don't before all that there was like Kelts and boy kings and all here. It was like >> NG is very similar to the Scottish language, isn't it? And all as well. cuz I've like looked into it a little bit and uh so it's like >> it was like when was it it was only like in like the 60s or something like 60s or 70s where like the Irish Irish language was like unified >> because if I remember correctly like it was >> the lang it was all Irish but like there were a lot of like the variations and dialects and um >> um and >> yeah in the dialects around the country. Absolutely. I think I think like in the I'm sure I'll be corrected, but uh at one point in time like it was kind of unified to where it would more or less kind of be the same everywhere. >> Yeah. Yeah. I had a I I had an Irish teacher from up up in Dunny Gaul. The Dunny G Irish accent is the hardest accent. >> I was I was just about to say it's like a >> like a sh like like like So this is me saying my name is Brun Driver. Okay. H brain driver. Yeah. That's [laughter] like the words. It's mad, bro. It's like it's so hard to understand. Like I have no issue. Like I have a load of friends from up north and even like Belfast and all like up there and stuff like that. Like and even people in Dun I know not that hard to understand. But even when they start speaking Irish, man, it's a it's like whoa. It's a different language really is like Yeah. [laughter] >> That's awesome. Um yeah, even even English with that accent. us. It is [laughter] poof. It's >> cool. I think we talking about combat where we were getting into a >> Um, so like what was it? U so you're in the hurling. So you're already you're active. You're uh >> playing hurling. Yeah. From when I was four. >> What made you interested in >> martial arts? >> Yeah. >> So I started playing hurling at four. That was when I did like the academy safe on Ethere. Yeah. >> When I was six, I joined kickboxing because me was a kickboxer. Oh, really? >> Yes. My mother was a kickboxer and I went to h gym and I used to just do the classes with um so I was doing that till I was about seven or eight probably till about my dad died and then I joined taekwondo after he died and done that for a couple of years but then the instructor wouldn't grade me brother he just me brother was a bit ADHD to be honest which a bit off to unmedicate as well just couldn't hold his attention in the class but because he was like starting to be rude to him and wouldn't he wouldn't grade him or And I was like I hurt as well. >> Yeah. >> And it was also like it wasn't what I thought it was. It was like I was like coming from kickbox and watching people full contact fight each other and then it's just all kicking and all. I was like but it actually gave me really good hip dexterity and flexibility in me legs. So kind of thankful for it. >> But then >> can I like I mean >> not like not balls to to the ground like I'm not resting on me balls. You know what I mean? Like but I mean I could go like we're in a couple of inches. Yeah. Off the ground. Yeah. Can I'm like pretty flexible. Um you should be anyways >> couple winters as I need. [laughter] Absolutely. You know what I mean? >> But um then boxing, bro. Boxing was the main. Then when I found boxing, it was like, "Wow, this is this is it." Because in boxing, especially back in the day, no matter what age you were, man, you get you are Spartan. You know what I mean? So you are from 10, I was in boxing gyms just sparring. And then when I was about 12 to 14, I really started getting good at horn and I wanted to go on the Dublin developer squad. Then the year I did 14 was the year I gone to the development squad. But the same year that I found MMA and my story for finding MMA is a great story. If you want me to start it, I'll tell you. So >> the film Warrior. >> Okay. Yeah. >> With Tom Hardy. >> Yeah. >> Watched that in 2011. >> No, sorry. In 2012. >> Then watched that and was like this is what I want to do that. This is like I I watched the film after that 20 times. I remember I think uh when that came out um um was I can't remember if it was the UFC game or uh >> the UFC game would have come out the year before 2010. >> Then yeah, I think it was uh then that's what I think it was. I think I went out and bought that. >> Yeah, >> just so I could from Yeah, you can get some of the feel for it. >> Yeah, exactly. >> Yeah, it was sick. So I done that. Um so then So what was I saying? Sorry. So we went from Yeah, sorry. So I was I was got to develop on the under 14s Dublin development squad but then I had start I had found this gym and how I found the gym was my mother's old friend Johnny Comey owned at a fitness gym called body conscious was the gym I was talking for started walking and pting and stuff and my mother hadn't seen him in 10 years maybe and he my literal next no people said a neighbor my next door neighbor like we share a wall he was standing that whole gate talking to her and we pulled up outside the house and my mom man was looking at him and she was like Johnny and he was like Andrea like what the heck's going on here mad coincidence blah blah blah they get talking he says me math tells Johnny that oh yeah cuz he would have known that I was in doing kickboxing and boxing and all she was you still doing the box and she was like yeah ah he's more focy open up underneath me down down on the valley wing road and uh he invited us down to his gym and to check out that gym. So, we went down and this is in like 20 end of 2014. It was like October 2014. Like it was just when I was like 14. And I went down and guess what the name of the gym was? Warrior. >> Crazy, bro. Mad coincidence. >> No such thing as coincidence, though. The Bible tells you that. Anyways, it was meant to be, bro. It was crazy. So, this movie that got me into the sport basically introduced me to it. And what's mad is me me mad told homie then years later that me like showed me on me dad's old UFC DVDs that he had that was mad at the DVD just go to the go to the 30 house mark he used to go to the balber market all the time to buy the DVDs that weren't out yet and he had loads of UFC stuff >> and we still have them bro yeah yeah all the early UFCs and all yeah but he used to watch them and I didn't know this obviously you >> because I was way too young back then to be watching them but so the gym's name was Warrior and I go into the gym joined the gym and the gym warrior was an affiliate of team Rhino. So it was a smaller gym based like affiliated with this club >> satellite >> literally bro and I was there for like six months came up here after that gym shut down then after 6 months came up here was up here for about 6 months I just I knew me striking I at that time there wasn't a lot of beginners there were all the old school pros still up here so I was 16 probably 15 coming up here getting me head punched in constantly and I was like right I need to get better at striking so I said, "Right, I'm going back boxing." Didn't end up going back boxing. Went back kickboxing. Then I was kickboxing for like a year and then I went to the world championship. Gone the other team for kickboxing. Done all that. Had loads of fights and then I came back here then to team Rhino and when I was like 17 and I decided just to go full steam ahead with MMA then and in the process left whoring behind. had to make a hard decision cuz I loved hold them all on me heart but MMA just felt like a calling you know what I mean >> and best decision I've ever made. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Are there are there any parallels that uh you would have between kind of hurling and you know training in MMA or combat sports in general? >> Definitely the toughness. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Well, yeah. You got to guess running around the field with weapons. >> Yeah. Everyone says that like but like you never think about when you're doing it. It's like fighting. Like I look at rugby as like I grimace at I wouldn't watch rugby because it scares me a little bit more. >> I don't like watching the women. >> Yeah. Wasn't the big bloss man. It's the women I wouldn't even mind because I don't know the women as big. They're probably not at some of them. >> Oh no. Not nearly as I mean some of them are jacked but like I mean they [clears throat] be as big as like the smallest guy. >> Yeah. But like looking at big huge besitting into each other jumping on each other's knees like that just make me a little bit. You know what I mean? Yeah. >> So I don't really know like I just loved Holland and I loved fighting. I don't know why. You know what I mean? They just they are very similar though in a sense as in like that they're both just mentally tough sports like sometimes in a whole match. >> You just have to dig deep. You know what I mean? You just have to really dig deep. Like it's even though it's it's it's a it's a it's a failed sport. It's not it's the closest thing you're going to get to a battle. You know what I In my opinion, in a sport, you know what I mean? >> It's like it's like a battle, bro. You know what I mean? When that like when it's like >> there's only a point in the game and you two minutes left, bro, it's like it's kill or be killed. Like you will put your body on the line for that. >> I can't. >> But it's mad. You know what I mean? It's mad. But that's obviously why I like this sport. [laughter] >> Are you still active in your hurling club or >> No, I mean like like do you like coach or anything? Nothing, bro. Can't watch Tree Horn. I stopped playing. I will I when I retire I will go back and play hole. Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Because I'm one of them people bro if I'm doing something I have to be all in. If I watch a hole if I be nannies on a Sunday there's a hole match in the telly within five minutes I'm getting holy out of it underneath the cupboard underneath the stairs and getting a slitter and hitting the ball outside and I'm thinking to myself I could just do one match. You know [laughter] it's like that's what I'm like bro. So yeah. >> Yeah. I I I can't I have to fully >> like take myself out of the picture when it comes to honing because I I I loved it so much. You know what I mean? It's like breaking up with somebody, you know? You can't just keep texting them every two weeks going, "Want to go to pictures?" You know what [laughter] I mean? Just this one time. You know what I mean? It's like Yeah, bro. That ain't going anywhere. Do you get me? >> That's true. >> Yeah. >> Um Okay. So, like how old are you now? >> 26. >> 26. Um like when when Okay, so you knew kind of from a young age that you kind of like this is something you really wanted to pursue. >> When when was it like when did it click for you that like >> this isn't necessarily like or >> Hold on. >> Yeah, Bill. >> Cutting this out. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> No. Um so [snorts] you started or you knew from an early age that you know like this is com sports MMA like it was something you kind of wanted to pursue. um like like when did it stop you know kind of being like a dream per se and more of kind of like a reality not that like this is something I can and I'm going to do like what I was talking before we started filming bro it never goes away that talk that's that selft talk of am I doing the right thing am I is this what I'm supposed to be doing trust me bro that never goes away you know what I mean this is my dream still is my dream and that's where the pressure is. But I think after the pro me pro debut, I think I can I I have enough evidence then to really make an honest decision. If this if look, if I can't beat Josh Carrick on the 7th of March, bro, in a way that I know I'm capable of, well, then I ain't I ain't going to UFC and I'm not and there's no point keep pulling the wool over your own eyes. You know what I mean? I've done so much already, but this you have to be real in this game, bro. This game takes a lot from you and it can go downhill so quick. Like it it can really go downhill quick. >> To to be fair, if I may interject, um to be fair, um UFC is great. >> Yeah. >> I feel like these days though, they're not the be all end all anymore. >> No. >> You know, you have like the PFL, Octagon, um was it Brave One. >> Yeah. You have all the Yeah. one is more moving away from the MMA but still though like >> yeah so there's definitely there's >> a lot more avenues opening [clears throat] up and but to be honest with you bro that's making it easier for me because I have three dreams in this life >> purple bel jiu-jitsu >> cage warriors UFC three dreams that's all I want in this life from this not in this life that's all I want from this sport >> yeah and a performance that I can put on while I'm old and gray and lonely And I can put on the telly and I can go, "Yeah, that was me." See that fight there? That was the one. Like that was the That was me. You know what I mean? That was all all my them fights. You know what I mean? That was me leading up. That was the performance that when I used to go to sleep at night, that's the that's the one I used to fantasize about. Yeah. >> That's that's all I want this sport. You know what I mean? So the PFL octagon staying in cage warriors for 10 20 fights none of that interests me to be honest with you. And if you asked me that a year ago I wouldn't have been able to say that cuz my >> I would be afraid to say that. But I've matured and I've learned and I've I've I've been in pro I've been in camp since last February, bro debut. You know what I mean? >> Since I signed to fight on Cage Warriors last April. So I've been in the pro camps up here. I've been getting treated like a professional player when it comes to training. I've been in the cage with Will Flurry, with Carl Mo, with all the top lads. I understand the level this is. You know what I mean? So, if I cannot do what I know I can, I'm supposed to do me job on March 7th, win or lose, bro, I'll know whether I am good enough to keep going and I will make a harshest harsh decision in the weeks following that. You know what I mean? because you can't keep playing with this sport. You know what I mean? You can't like I like I I used to say like my life never be would never begin until I got to the UFC. But then I got me board pregnant when I was 19 and me whole career was put on a backbone as you know what I mean because I always believed I was gonna be the UFC by the time I was like 23 just because I always started watch John Jones and he was became champion at 23 and I said I'm not going to become champion at 23 cuz that's unrealistic but I do think I'm going to be in the UFC by the time 23 and silver medal in the immath when I was only 18 or 19 you know what I mean and then I had a baby so I was like oh my god craziness just complete whirlwind of a change but now I'm making me professional debut and I believe I'm after this fight. I'm only four fights from the contender series, bro. >> That's how quick heavyweights like heavyweights get picked up. Small pool. >> It's a very small pool. And especially with my style, bro. My style is entertainment. >> I don't mean it to be. I don't try to be. It just is. You know what I mean? >> I just like fighting. >> First of all, that's good. >> It is good. I'm lucky in that sense. You know, >> there's a lot of good fighters out there who unfortunately they're not entertaining. >> No. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. And and avoid fighting. Yeah. You know, I like fighting. I like in the gym. My favorite part, like the worst part about it is the thought of getting tired. That's my worst fear is getting is getting tired. Once I'm tired, it's actually when I have the most fun because when I see the other fell breathing heavy in front of me in Spartan, it's the best thing ever cuz you're like, "Oh, you're [ __ ] as well." You [laughter] know what I mean? Let's see who wants it. You get me? That's and that's my specialty. You know what I mean? And that comes from >> that's obviously comes from me granddad's mentality of being a marathon runner. You get me? just like I I will run one marathon in me life because to dedicate to him, but I cannot think of a worse thing than running a marathon. Like >> like that is crazy to me, bro. >> I have a 5K to run on Patrick's Day. And [laughter] >> yeah, >> bro, start running. >> I've never I I've been I've been working up to it, but I've never been a runner. [laughter] >> Yeah. Yeah. You're more of a more of a choke. I'm more of a redneaker choke guy. Yeah. Yeah. from >> uh my my favorite submission. Uh yeah, like a rear naked choker. Yeah. Or um I or I like uh leg locks. Ankle lock. >> Straight ankle lock. >> Yeah, those are my favorite. I'm one of them. I'm one of them. I will uh I will do an ankle lock and a white belt for sure. I [laughter] do I do it to my kids. >> Nice. Nice. That's gruesome, bro. They've not even fat down there in the ankles. [laughter] It's just all bone. It's bone on bone. But no, uh, you know, I'm a I'm a leg guy. >> But, um, no, like it's good to kind of have a, you know, you have, [clears throat] you know, >> what am I trying to say? Like, uh, >> like, so for me, for instance, when I was doing MMA and I was already in my 30s >> when I started and then, um, >> I got a couple knocks to the head and I realized like, >> I'm not going anywhere with this. Why am I doing this to myself? >> Yes. you know, like uh and if I can, you know, I might be fine now with these, you know, a concussion or two, but 20 years from now >> that catches up >> it, you know, that that's when you that's when you start to feel >> the effects of >> the effects of it, you know. So, that's when I made the decision to just do jiu-jitsu. And uh it's kind of good that um you have a or it sounds like you kind of have a uh >> a realistic point like point of view on it, bro. Because I do and I never and I didn't always, you know what I mean? >> It's only this last year I've actually been thinking of this, bro. Cuz I'm like, >> as I said earlier, like even Tom Aspenol, the heavyweight champion of the world, says it, it never gets easier, bro. When you get a fight, you still you have no matter how good I get, bro. I train with the some of the best guys in Europe in this gym and some days you get the better of them, some days you don't. And no matter what, even on the days you get the better of them, you think, "I had a good day today." And that voice still says, "Yeah, but the fell fighting like he's good, you know what I mean?" And he's and even though he might not be nearly as good as Spartan, >> that voice never ever ever gets any any quieter, you know what I mean? And Tom says it gets louder as you get more into the up up the levels, you know what I mean? So, it's something you just have to be real with, bro. Like I used to be a bit unrealistic as in like like I used to all like if I sat down this chair two years ago I'd be telling I'm going to be in the US I'm going to be like that's all I be saying bro like and I'll be like trying to be like make you believe it where it's like now I'm like one everything's on God's timing. Two you have to be okay with sometimes things not going the way you want them to go. You know what I mean? And you can't get caught up in it and get held back with it and all. One thing I've taken into since the summer, I sort of because I had a lot of fight pull outs back to back to back and I was like, is this for me? You know what I mean? And I just had this thought of day by day, day by day, I'm going to focus on what I can focus on getting better and I've got to this point and this fight has come about and I accepted it. And what's mad is I'll give you a little insight. I was meant to be on Cage Warriors 200. Yeah. >> And that's what I was calling for. The day my fight got announced for FCC, I got a contract in Der Cage Warriors 200 on four weeks notice. Yeah. But the contract was already signed by FCC. >> Oh, >> like two weeks ago. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And you can't back out. >> You can't you can't do it. Was a It was a bummer. But because I'm a man of God, bro, I looked at it in a way that >> it was supposed to be like this. >> I wasn't supposed to cage words yet. This isn't my patio. You know what I mean? And that's the way I genuinely look at it. It's like March 7th, FCC 455. That's my path right now. That's where because I I just surrender that to God every day, bro. Because you have to I But there's too much pressure that comes with this. You know what I mean? And there's too much uncertainty that is in this sport for for me to be sitting here telling you this this this is going to happen. You know what I mean? When you get to the UFC, you can start calling shots out that like I'm going to fight this fell and then I'm because you you know what's going to happen. You know what I mean? You're in that pool. But right now for me to sit here and say this, this and this is going to happen in the next three fight. God know not tomorrow night I could blow my knee out on the mat and I might you might not see me train ever again. >> That's how uncertain this sport is, you know. >> Yeah. I don't know where [laughter] I was going with that. I was just like I got a bit of a rant there. >> It's all good. Um so Okay. So March 7th happens. >> Yeah. And it is a as as I'm sure it will be a a phenomenal victory for yourself. You know, it exceeds excuse me, it exceeds your expectations. You know, what >> what is you know, kind of like your call a two-year plan like or you know or even six or 12 months like what do you >> March 7th goal is the plan? >> Sorry, real quick. Is your FCC fight is that just a one >> cont one deal? Yeah, I didn't sign with them or anything. I just I just signed the fight contract, the the Yeah, the belt agreement type thing. Yeah, I didn't sign contracts. >> Okay. So, so yeah. >> Yeah, I could I could be could be fighting anywhere after this. But >> surely they'd have you back uh on their next one. >> I mean, to be honest with you, right, they're Josh is their boy that he was that amateur heavyweight champion. He's been fed to lower level opponents in his two for two fights. that building them. They didn't they they didn't want me to take this fight. This fight was offered to me twice and I was kind of not signing anything because I was still waiting on cage warriors. >> Yeah. >> But in the process they were saying no contracts getting sent out yet. We're still looking for somebody. They they were looking for more. >> I do still think that looking at me going okay this is going to be a good win for Josh. But I do think they were looking for something a little bit easier in the sense that they like Josh is Josh let's say Josh has another Brazilian go in on a week's notice. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Knocks him out again in the first round. Does it again in March. Does it again in June. 4 and0. The Contender Series comes knocking. FCC have him signed up in a in 100% in a management deal. And that's what they want for him. I know how the game works. I'm around the sports 12 to 14 years of age. I know how I know how the game works. >> Yeah. >> Like that's what they want. They don't necessarily want me coming in and beating Josh because realistically is am I going to sell 150 tickets in Liverpool? No. But Josh probably will because if I was in Dublin, I'd probably sell 150 tickets on cage. But I mean Liverpool still they own like 40 50 tickets which is pretty good like for someone from Dublin especially for a pro debut. >> Um but they definitely they definitely want him to emerge victorious. You know what I mean? And >> it just is what it is. Nothing personal. It's like I'm going to do me job, you know what I mean? And >> so then like I said, if you know everything goes to your plan, like what in the next year, what what do you >> My goal is what would your goal be? >> It's it's Cage Warriors, bro. Like because at the end like Cage Warriors or FCC if I if I do what I think I'm going to do on March, excuse me, on March 7th and they come back to me, we'd love to have Belgian, sorry, bro. And we'd love to have you back, blah, blah. I'm not gonna be instantly like, yeah, yeah, because I know this game works. It's like you're only as good as your last performance is like they don't really >> we'll get back to you kind of >> yeah like you know I mean and that's why you have managers and stuff like that as well because like they kind of do the talking the the in between talking for you know what I mean um so but in in a in an ideal world this is my 12 month plan I want I'd love to be 4 and0 by the end of this year I would look my plan was to go pro in April and make contender series this year in 2026 but realistically if I fight in March I'm not going to get three fights short notice all probably four second round finishes to get on to the contender series between starts in August run through about the start to the end of October I think >> for like 10 weeks I think it was be on like realistically I'm probably not going to get that so my plan is to to walk extremely hard and to fight four times this year and to be four three to four and0 going into 2027 and then realistically be on cage warriors I would like absolutely love to get some sort of a fight in the RDS like next next February say like for like my 4 and0 and then like do another one in like June to get five and0 and then just wait out for [ __ ] tender series you know what I mean? >> Heck yeah. >> So that is that's that's my goal but as I said bro it all starts with March 7th and I have to do what I know I can do. There's no more. There's Look, everyone makes mistakes, bro. But at the end of the day, you need to also have clinical performances. Like, I can't keep going in there and having decision wins. I have to go in and show what I'm capable of, what I do in the gym every day. You know what I mean? And I think professional is going to suit me down to the ground. The longer rounds, >> small gloves. >> It's just going to suit me better. My style is not come out and swing like a Derrick Lewis round. That's not what my style is. My style is systematically breaking you down, fainting you, overriding your nervous system, making you walk, you know, harder than you think you have to walk, making you tired, and then putting a pressure on you that's ultimately going to break it. Nine minutes is hard to do that to somebody because no, you only have nine minutes to kind of do it where you look, go back and watch, anybody watching this, go back and watch any of my fights on YouTube, skip to the third round, look at the look at the body language and my my opponent compared to me. Every single time, no matter who I fought, they're always on the back foot walking back. That's 9 minutes. We now have six minutes left in a professional boot. What's going to happen? That's where my finishes are going to come. That's why I haven't got many finishes amateur because I I do I'm not being a [ __ ] talker. I genuinely believe I run out of time a lot of time. You know what I mean? It doesn't it doesn't suit me game. I'm not a brawler. I've tried. I've I've done it in her sometimes and gotten dropped. You know what I mean? Like it just doesn't walk me. I'm not a brawler. I'm I'm I'm I'm too Me boxing coaches used to tell me I'm too clever. Me brain doesn't let me. You know what I mean? It's I I my brain operates in a way that I weigh up everything and it sort of does bite me in the back a little bit because sometimes I I I get caught waiting in fights and I don't throw the shots when they're there >> and I give opponents too much respect. But I think to go away from that now going to professional which I was kind of thinking I was like I'm just going to come out and just have a war with this fella, you know what I mean? But I'm like why would I do that? My style is and I've been waiting to go professional for so long because I want to test my style at professional. I do believe that in them 12 14th minute of the fight that is where you're going to see like maximum violence from my end. You know what I mean? Where you're going to see me really getting close to people getting me hands on them. Elbows, you know what I mean? I'm I'm walking with Kyle Matt in five years. Elbows, knees. >> How you feeling about those elbows? >> Can't wait, bro. Yeah, >> can't wait, bro. It's it's it's bro. I'm I'm I'm a hauler. Josh Josh Josh is a Josh is a rugby player. So I'm sure it's pretty similar for him in a way that >> we're good inside that rough part the break and amateur. You don't have that little I get that half a second break to pop you with an elbow to cut you. You know what I mean? Like they're the little small details that are going to add to my game. I believe. >> Heck yeah. >> And I could be wrong and I go there and get absolutely sparked in the first round, bro. But that's fine. I'll know my truth. I can take off the jacket and say it's fine. I've done two IMAF medals, K1 world title, two national titles, 10 amateur fights, 10 k1 fights. I done representing the country five times in two different sports. >> Like, >> oh yeah, >> it's quite the resume. quite and like and like >> I'm not boasting but like that's just the reality of and I have to remind myself sometimes of that and I say and I turn professional tried out for one of the UK's hottest prospects two first round KO's coming in against this fell you know what I mean and it didn't go me way I I I and I I'll know if I get clipped where and it's like right wherever I got clipped I have to go again but if I go out there and I don't perform the way and I don't fight the way I know I have to fight then I'm going to be comfortable with saying maybe I don't have what it takes to get to that very next level and you need to have that mentality in this sport bro like if you there is the you have the odd people that are delusional and stuff and I walks with them unfortunately I I can't be like that you know what I mean >> because I don't only have this you know what I mean I have I have two beautiful kids I'm only 26 man I have two beautiful kids I have another kid on the way another little girl on the way I have a I'm a qualified scaffolder I have a there's a family business there that's that's waiting that's flourishing already like without me but like with added me in there it could grow more I could have a great life as well you know what I mean but I choose to walk in the gym [ __ ] rely on PTS people acting the bollocks never showing up you know what I mean always hassling you for oh bro do I already have one session left and you're like bro you paid me that six weeks ago how do you think you think that's you know like it's crazy like dealing all that But it was me dream. It is me dream and I'm gonna and and and I've gotten to I I've always wanted to be a professional and now I'm getting I have my professional debut now in six weeks time and I'm I'm excited, bro. I'm scared as [ __ ] I've never been a scared before in me life. But I know that's because there's no excuses of all the experience of all the attributes there. Now it's just about doing it. And that's what scares me. But that's good also because and the thing that God keeps bringing to me mind recently is if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough. And I keep realizing this, bro. But it's so true because I I keep thinking, why am I so scared? >> It's because this is my dream big >> and it's a big [ __ ] dream. >> And there's a chance I'm going to get sparked put on me back on front to 50 me family members that are all flying over wast not wast spending that hard earned money to come support me. You know what I mean? >> And there's a huge chance that can happen. But there's also a huge chance that I put this guy out spark as well. I don't I would prefer it to be like a a gruesome hard fought window. I would love for it to be in the third round, bro. And just cuz I know when it happens up here in Spartan that last that 10th round, you know what I mean? When you're just digging deep, bro. That's where my true happiness comes from. That's what that's what sets me on a wave for months afterwards. You know what I mean? I remember I had a couple of fights amateur and it was like I felt like someone died afterwards. was even though I won I was like I was like that was [ __ ] man now I just avoiding anything but fighting you know what I mean >> I'm saying that all now it's going to get clipped up and I was just me getting sparked out was going to be like yeah [ __ ] you should have kept running [laughter] don't say that don't say that >> I'm only joking I'm only joking >> but uh all right here look um I wasn't cold when you first started this >> yeah yeah >> starting to get cold now yeah um here look um we'll so we'll we'll wrap it up here uh >> yeah [clears throat] do me a favor real quick. >> Yep. >> Uh look at the camera and then uh talk to the person who they're interested in combat sport. Maybe they're just nervous about making that next step. Like what what what do you say to them to to kind of get them in here? That's that's really like what I'm all about is trying to get more people to step on the mats like learn about your life, where you came from, and then you know know that you're not much different than anyone else. That's true. >> So like what do you say to them? I first of all, let's say hello. My name is Brian. Hope you're well. Um, this place, MMA, this environment can be very, very intimidating. In our minds, we can build it up to be something that it's not. But I promise you that this is the most comforting environment you can put yourself into because everybody in this place is trying to better themselves. Everyone in this place is trying to become a better version of themselves. And you will never ever ever hear somebody in a martial arts gym or a martial arts setting tell you that you're not good enough, that you can't do something or that what you're doing is is is is wrong because it's the most creative environment in the world. I think it's like for anyone that can't paint, it's like the most artistic you can be. You know what I mean? Because you're learning the martial arts. You're learning to use your body and it's amazing for your mind. It's amazing for your soul. You'll meet amazing people along the way. It's just, you know, it changed my life. I see a change in young people's lives. I coach the beginners program here in Team Rhino. >> I see a change in young men's lives every single day, man. You know what I mean? I see I see what a hand on the shoulder and a well done means to some young fellow that lives in Bali Moon and hasn't never ever a man's never even probably said anything other than you're a [ __ ] agent to him. You know what I mean? >> If you have a positive attitude in a gym like this, >> Yeah. >> it the rest of the place is full of positivity as well. Like And that's what we're all about in martial arts gyms. Like, and honestly, I can say maybe there's always there's bad everywhere, but I'd say 99% of gyms, jiu-jitsu, martial arts, MMA, kickboxing, my toy boxing gyms, they are all filled with honest, hardworking, loyal people that the only reason why you would get a smear off somebody in a gym is because they're just they're just curious to see who's coming in. You know what I mean? cuz this is their safe place. You know what I mean? This is their comfort zone. They don't want somebody with bad energy coming in. So, if you come into a gym with good energy, you're going to be accepted and picked right up and you're going to fall into your own little group straight away. You'll find some like you might feel like a complete outsider, but you will walk into an MMA gym and find three people in the same night that are exactly like you. And it's like, how are these people been? How long have you been here? You'll think, >> I've been seeking this for years and you have been here the whole time. All >> I had to do was take was take the moment to walk in, >> you know. So, yeah, I would I would encourage anybody to try it because it can change your life, bro. You know. >> Right on. All right, man. Um, look, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. >> No problem at all, bro. Great sick that was. >> I I I look forward to uh the 7th. >> Yeah, me too. >> March 7th. Um, and if you're interested in going, >> Yeah. >> share a link. Share >> contact Contact the page. We have contact my page and uh we'll send you over details for we have a little package going for flights accommodation and tickets. It's only 140 quid or something. >> Wow. >> So for flights accommodation. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's pretty it's pretty cool. So we have like 40 or 50 of us going over. It's going to be it's going to be a big old crowd. >> Talk to the FCC guys for me. I might I might be going to the the UFC event at the end of March. >> Oh London. >> Yeah. If if I don't get a media pass for it. >> Yeah. >> For 140. I might I might consider that. >> Yeah. 100%. I'll let you know. I don't know when >> UFC is going to let me know. Yeah. But, um, >> yeah, we'll be in touch. >> Absolutely, bro. Sick. That was deadly, bro. >> All right. Look, again, I I appreciate your time. Thank you very much, and I look forward to you on uh look forward to your future and everything that uh is coming towards your way. >> Yeah, please. Thank you, bro. >> Yeah. Awesome. >> All right. Sick. >> Wrap. >> That's a wrap. >> Let's go. Heat. Heat. N. [music] >> [music]