Michael Cronnelly interview

Ringkasan

I was joined by Michael Cronnelly is an amateur MMA fighter training out of Conriocht in county Galway Ireland He has a record of 8-4, in the past 12 months he's got to the quarter finals of Immaf competition and picked up two belts in the process. We speak about being…

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Perfect. So, I'm here with Michael Crony who's just after receiving award award from uh Gway County Council. We're going to talk about that. His last two fights he's picked up belts, one in the UK and one in Belfast. Um he's a fighter I have I've had my eye on for a while. He's very good. I think he's very overlooked. Um I think there's a couple of fighters like that in the country, but uh I have him on today. You're the first person I have back in Fence. So, um, yeah, it's a kind of a special moment for me to come back to do this and then to have you on it as well cuz me and you've had so many conversations personally um, you know, through Instagram messenger or whatever. So, how are you and thank you very much for joining me and being my first guest back. Yeah, it's great to be here, Dave. It's an honor as well, the first uh the first guest back after a while off. Um, I'm doing very well now. Um, I can't complain. Uh lot of lot of things going right at the moment. Um I'm having a I'm having a nice bit of success. Can't complain. Um yeah, thing things are good now. I'm in a I'm in a good place physically, mentally. Uh training is going well. Competing is going well. I can't complain. Yeah. So, so talk to us about the award you received and how special it is cuz like you got like to get for MMA when we're not kind of I say we but the community isn't looked on uh as a recognized sport. How did that feel to to win that award and talk to us some more about the award and what it is? Yeah, so it's a it's a civic award from Gwood County Council. It's uh in recognition of my sporting achievements um specifically the world title on Battle Arena. Um but uh also for the the Irish title um in Belfast. So um basically I just uh there this evening now me and my family, my coach Kevin, we went in and um there was uh some other people as well getting awards. There was a sports team and there was an Irish dancer and uh they uh they just uh briefly go through um who you are, what you've done and then uh bring you up and to say a few words. I had nothing wrote down but your look um we got it done and it was all good. uh if it feels good, you know, to to get recognized because like I I'm five years training now, you know, and it's it's kind of it's now things are starting to happen for me and uh like a lot a lot of a lot of good things have happened in a very short space of time um in the last few months. And then just to have this as well on top of it. Um to be recognized by the county council. Um especially like cuz uh I'm coming from a sport that's not even recognized by sports Ireland. So it is an honor. Um like not not not many people would know about us in Gway. Um that what we're doing in Kriok. Um so you know it it's going to be good in the sense that uh you know that'll be in the local papers. There's uh obviously county counselors and stuff sharing it on social media. Um a lot of people a lot more people are going to know about what's going on now. uh which is going to be very good for a club but for MMA in general in uh this part of the country because um like a lot of it is centered around Dublin um Belfast Cork you know we're kind of I suppose we're kind of forgotten a little bit about out here out this side of the country so it's nice to be uh it's nice to be leading the way in that regard like obviously Andreas is Andreas Binder is from Gway as well like he's doing big things there at the moment you know so it's not just myself and we I've got Paul Keane there in my in my club as well. And we've got some more lads as well. Um and there's there's plenty other clubs as well. Um uh Gway and uh just the West of Ireland in general. So you know uh it is it's nice to it's nice to be getting recognition from myself personally but just you know to highlight that we are here um and we are competing we're winning fights you know it's a it's a it's a good feeling I have to say to get an award like that um yeah I can't complain I can't complain it is it's it's nice yeah no 100% and like that I put proposed a couple of weeks ago and you reshared it and I think I said you were probably one of the most overlooked fighters in the country and I think due to myself as well as media not that I'm f like I will like I will share you and I shared this like uh like Bindar when he was in Gway and he felt he had to move from Gway to Dublin cuz he felt like he was having such a good amateur start to his pro career but he wasn't getting recognized until he he moved to Dublin and I think people in the media and like I'm going make a conscious decision to try and highlight that cuz it's down even further. Waterford over this side as well, Wexford and all I think get overlooked. But I was thinking of this the other day about yourself like Binda came from Shaolin obviously and like it takes one fighter to kind of get people going and getting them going to clubs and you're probably going to be that fighter from your club. How how would that make you feel thinking you'd be the fighter that will get people over to MMA? Yeah. Um, I haven't really uh I don't know. I haven't put much thought into it. Like if somebody if somebody started MMA because of something they seen me doing like that would be to me that would be that would be a bigger that would be a bigger win than winning an actual fight, you know, because like I put it to you like this. MMA has done so much for me in a very short space of time. And if somebody else can experience that um and maybe the reason why or like they see me on social media or whatever um and they they're like you know what like he he's from he's from Aton Roy small town small gym and he's winning these fights he's winning these big fights he's doing all this whatever and they come they join MMA uh like that's that's that in itself is a is a massive win you know like titles aside like that just somebody getting to experience this life this lifestyle um really getting invested in it like that is a that is a good thing. So yeah, it like I I don't look look as myself as leading the way in in in any way, but if I am if I am that kind of person, uh I'll do it to the best of my ability, you know, um I've got big goals. Um there's uh there's a lot of there's a lot of hitting me. So um I just do my best and see what I can do and see how far I can get like uh Yeah. Yeah. And I think as time goes on, you'll see people might start saying it's that you might be the reason and like a lot of people will start looking up to you in gym cuz because of what you're achieving and like it's no easy feat like be a fighter is hard enough but to win fights and win fights in the fashion you have like that performance against Michael Shields who is an excellent fighter who which was a rematch for you. Um that was a top top performance against a top guy in his backyard. talk to us about what that was like avenging like get winning the belt off him in that rematch in his own backyard. Um yeah, it's uh like it could have gone one of two ways, you know. Obviously it went the right way. Uh, it could have gone the other way in the sense that I let the the loss the first time get to me and I let that affect me and affect my performance, affect my mentality going into the fight. But, uh, I feel I feel like there's been a big mentality change in regards to my approach to fighting lately. Um, and I think that was the first time it really showed was that fight. you know, I took that fight and it was only a couple of weeks notice. I I was training away. Um, but obviously I had to get the weight down. So, it was really it was really a training camp getting the weight down. Um, obviously there was, you know, your usual preparation for fights, but at no point like Michael Shields is a good fighter. He's a really good fighter. you know, he was the top amateur last year, voted number one amateur in Ireland last year. Like, you know, he's got a lot of accolades already. He beat me once. Like, I I went in I went into that fight with a with a chip on my shoulder, you know, like going into the backyard, um, fighting the champion, fighting someone who beat me already. like uh there was I suppose every reason for me not to win the fight, but like I said, there's been a big mentality change there. Um and I suppose that's probably come from the IMAS experience as well. Um but I just I felt like I felt like the timing and everything was very like it was it was the the right time. Um, going into that fight, I felt very I felt very good. I felt very confident. I knew I knew I wasn't the same fighter that I was in the first fight. So, I suppose that's probably another reason why that didn't get to me, losing the first time, you know. Um, even just like even I know it was for a belt like, but I didn't I didn't really let that get to me either. I didn't uh try and put too much thought into it. It was just this is another fight. It's against a good lad. against a lot I fought already, you know. Um, everything that happens here now is going to bring the best out of me. It's going to be for a reason. So, I suppose yeah, that that kind of that pretty much sums it up. Yeah, it it was a fantastic fight. It was a very good perform like an excellent performance like that against a good guy. And you talked about the mentality change. What is the mentality change and what brought that on if you're comfortable talking about it? Um, so I think I I would say I would say the IMAFS in Usbekistsan. So I I I went I was two I went two and one at the IMAFS. I had um two wins at a medical court final. Um and in the quarterfinal I was against a very good very experienced fighter from Kazakhstan. And um unfortunately I lost the fight. I I I just didn't I wasn't really at the races. I suppose I I just I don't know like uh how do I put it? Yeah. I just didn't feel like I was mentally there in the fight because you know you know how you you hear people say like uh the fight is won before you get in there. You know, it's like the fight is one in your in the in in the way your head is going into the going into the cage. But I I just I feel like my head wasn't there, you know, that fight. I had two I had two okay win, you know, two good enough wins before that, but just on that third fight. But the other thing as well uh was uh just he was such an experienced competitor and he had been he'd been there done that you know he had fought in the eye mask many times and it was just I just think the the sheer intensity and ferocity he came at me with and like I had never experienced it before in a fight and when I went away and I thought about it about the fight I kind of said to myself I was like I needed to experience that. I needed to see that. I needed to feel that what it was like to come up against somebody like that, you know. And I suppose in thinking about it, it kind of changed the way I looked at fighting that, you know, it's I don't want to sound too cliche now, but the best way I could put it is it's like uh kill or be killed. Like, you know, it has to be intense. It has to be aggressive. It has to be I have to be on the the front foot. I have to be getting after it in the fight. I have to like there can't be any coast and it just in for the kill, you know, best I can. So I suppose when I was thinking about that and I experienced that and I had that loss, I just really wanted to get it back cuz I was meant to have a fight in IU and I had a pull out after that IMAS and I was waiting waiting for a while and then just this opportunity I seen it on Instagram. they were looking for an opponent for Michael Shia and I said this is perfect timing now. Um and uh that whole mentality shift like my approach to fight and everything like I just fel like my it's only been like only had two fights this year. Well, three fights. I have one K1 as well but like in those two fights when I look at them and I look at myself like even last year like I'm a completely different fighter now, you know. And I think uh it comes from that IMAF experience, fighting those guys out there, experiencing that, seeing uh different different styles of fighting, different ways of fighting, different approaches to fighting, all that. So yeah. Yeah. I like that. That's what I like about the IBAS. It's a different setting. It's a tough setting as well cuz people that maybe if they're watching this don't know, you have to make weight every day as well. There's a lot of pressure on fighters. you don't know who you're fighting. There's no game plan. But like you said, when he came at you with with that pressure pressure for I can't pronounce it. But when he came at you with that, that's something you need. That's something you hadn't felt before. And it's good that you felt that cuz I think an amateur you need to fight every style of fighter. You need like different types of fighters because ultimately going forward is going to benefit you. Like if you felt that first time at pro, you're going to be like, whoa, how do I deal with this? whereas you felt that now and now you can take that experience forward and and then you went to Batina. Talk to us how that opportunity came about. Yeah. So um Battle Arena Battle Arena came about in January I would say. We were just uh we're looking for fights. Um and that opportunity came up and just straight away like it was like yeah 100% 100% titan on a big uh English promotion like that, you know, that that is that's how you get your name out there. And that's I suppose that's a big thing for me now like to start getting my name out there more because like you were saying like I'm a little bit overlooked like maybe not as many people would know about me but uh that was the perfect opportunity to really like get my name out there. So uh there was there was a good few weeks preparation for that but I think the Michael Shields fight came about shortly after that. So we took that. I was focusing on that and then so they were a month apart. I was just out of that fight straight away into the getting ready for the next one, you know. So I was riding a bit of confidence after the Michael Shields fight. I felt very good in training. There was no issues in regards to injury or anything. And uh yeah, I just like and I I I knew myself like I'm a completely different fighter now. Like I'm very capable of fighting these really good lads and doing well. And uh I was once again I was going to the the backyard of the hometown fighter and um was fighting him for his title and uh like yeah it's just I I didn't let it get to me, you know. I didn't there's there's so many ways you can put these things to yourself like but I didn't let it get to me. Um I didn't go putting pressure on myself or anything like that. I just said, I'm here to do a job. I'm here to get another title for myself. I'm going to go out there. I'm going to fight hard, fight my best, do what I can. And fortunately for myself, I came out there with the title and a a nice finish as well. Yeah. How did it feel getting the finish and silencing the crowd as well? Because like I said, you rose to the occasion going to these places. And is it do you think is it easier going to these places rather being obviously it's really hard for a hometown fighter to be for you to be the hometown fighter because there there's not really any shows in Gway but do you think that puts more pressure on them and less pressure on you or do you even think about that? Um I I suppose I suppose there's no there there isn't really no there's no pressure on me as such. Like there's the way I put it is like there's only as much pressure as you put on yourself. You know external pressure isn't really like unless unless unless you let it get to you and unless you let it bother you, it's uh then it becomes a problem. But like I don't I I I didn't put like loads of pressure on myself in those fights. Now for the other guys, I can imagine like it's obviously I haven't experienced it and I don't know will I experience it because we don't have shows out this side of the the the country but uh I can I can only imagine what's going going through their minds like you know fighting the hometown crowd people they know and like it's a it's a very uh commendable thing for them to do as well like you know they're it's all the risk is on them like so I have uh I have the utmost respect for Um, it's nothing personal at the end of the day. I'm not going there cuz, you know, like I hate them or any anything like that. I'm just there to push myself against good fighters and um get the best out of myself, try and win some titles, get some recognition. It's nothing personal ever and I I have respect for all of them. As regards how it felt finishing the fight the way I did, silencing the crowd, it's uh like I I I always wanted to finish the fights, you know? It it's uh I we're kind of talking about this before the we started the the stream, but uh I don't like generally I don't really feel a lot at the moment. Um, it's just kind of, how do I say? It's like, uh, it takes a while for things to sink in, you know? It takes a while for me to start to feel any kind of way towards it. But it was, uh, it was strange. Like, that was the first time that I put somebody out like that, you know. I just I'm not one for celebrating or anything like that, you I just kind of walk on, you know, sit down, stay quiet until I know your man's okay and then we can celebrate after. Like I don't I'm not really into that whole jump in the cage or any of that crack like but uh like it it feel it feels good to win but like you know it it takes a while for to sink in you know days maybe weeks but like that's okay too you know you can't can't expect yourself to feel a certain way like you know when it comes to these kind of things everybody's different and that's the way I am. So yeah, sometimes you need to like remove yourself a couple of days, like you said, weeks to actually process what happened. And I like what you said. It was very commendable that you want to make sure your opponent's okay before, like you said, before you kind of celebrate because I see sometimes Joe fighters get sparked out, bad knockouts, and you see the other fighter like running around the ring. And I think like I know obviously they're in the moment, but like there's a person, there is a person, but that is the sport. And at the end of the day, everyone is can do what they want. But off the back of those two wins, do you have any plans for the rest of the year? Like what's your plan? Are you looking to get on any shows? Have you anything booked? Uh, so nothing booked as of now. Um, I'd like to fight in August. Um, whatever whatever date, whatever is going really, I'd like to get a fight in in August. Um, I I I'm going to the World Championships in Georgia in September. Um, so that's obviously the main focus now. Um, I made us the quarterfinals last year. I'm going to try and do better now. Um, see how far I can get, see how see how uh well I can do out there. I know I'm very capable of uh meddling. So, um I suppose that's the big focus now. I I would like a I would like a fight between now and then, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. So be it. I'll be uh preparing way for the world. Um and as far as that, I'm not just I'm not I'm not going to I'm not going to look past that. I'm just going to going to worry about that for now and focus on that. Yeah, cuz fighters have said to me before when they they look past kind of what they're doing next, they've ended up losing fights. I'm going to say I think he might I'm not going to say who it was, but they said it with me believe I believe I can't remember if it was in private or thing they looked past their opponent. If they won something that something big was coming next and they were looking at what was coming next rather than the person and they completely overlooked them and and then the the fight didn't go their way. You've had a fantastic year. Congratulations on the titles. Like I said, you for me, you're one of the best featherweights in the country and and there's a lot of very good featherweights. Um, so congratulations on the title and the award. I'm going to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go and thank you so much for joining me. Thanks very much, Dave. Thanks for having me. Um, no nothing as such. No, just the usual. Thanks very much to um to my coach Kevin M, my teammates and MMA. uh my family, all the everybody who supports me. I've got great people behind me, great people supporting me. Um yeah, thanks for having me on, Dave. Appreciate it. No, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you very much for joining me and I hope to see you competing soon. Hopefully, you will get to compete before uh before going away because I'd like to see you compete in person again. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you and I will see you soon. Thank you, Dev. That's