Damien McKenna interview

Ringkasan

Damien McKenna is making his professional debut this weekend at Chaos fighting championship, we speak about him amateur career and this weekends fight

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Kind: captions Language: en [Music] okay so I'm here with Mr Damen McKenna Damen McKenna's been around the amateur scene for a long long time one of the top amateurs in the country and he's now finally making his professional debut which is going to be a chaos this weekend uh against Jamie M so um thank you very much for joining me how are you how are you feeling that the pro debut on the horizon has been a long time coming yeah well I've been around for a while I feel like it feels like I've been around longer than I have like it's only what just over three years since my amateur debut so it's just I've had so much activity I've had what 17 fights and probably I don't know not a long time so feel like feels like I've been about longer I still I'm not even at it five years yet so but I've fed it a lot in in then few years like so I'm very excited though can't wait yeah know like even your debut fight when you look back on your debut fight it was one of I I used to have that little segment there the Friday night fight a free fight or something it was yourself and and that was the one first back after Co with um with a crowd and when you look at that for your very first fight as a debut and and what you've gone on to achieve can you believe how far you've come in in such a short space of time since that first fight not really definitely didn't think like walking into that fight was going to make me for debut in no time even when I started walked into MMA like I said it before like I just thought if I finish this beginner course I'll be playing never actually did finish it cuz of Co but no I never thought I'd be here but just keep I just scratch one thing off like I get the next goal scratch it off and then okay what's next like try not to sit on it too much you have to enjoy the win or whatever enjoy breaking a new goal but it's like okay let's move on to the next one what's next so yeah it's just blue in like to be honest and but what a fade it was as well between me and like to it was insane like to be honest that F it's one of my favorite fights to look look back a couple that you can go to but obviously you spent a I keep saying a long time am but like you said it feels long because you were so active and then obviously there's been periods of I don't want to say inactivity because as well I think towards the end did you realize you probably needed a bit more rest in between fights because you were so active initially in the first year and a half two years I I like I was 21 when I started in me so I was 22 whenever made my debut so I was kind of like here don't have a freaking too long of a career in amateur like I want to get the experience in short space of time and then here to be honest I haven't fought nice since March so I've had that's the longest like I think three months would have been like years for me before this fight but I'll be honest like I had to take a rest after my last two fights like obviously didn't go the way that I wanted to and just took a lot of Dage which I didn't need to I didn't want to rush back in like to be honest was would have like to fought there in all Ireland but then didn't work out in September time or something the plan was fighting at n Go Pro as well but yeah it's worked I've had plenty of recovery plenty of rests and I've been working for this s for a long time so it's going to pay off and talk to us about like a a professional Camp compared to an AM Camp obviously you've got the use of the elbows and the knees obviously you've been drilling how much different is it other than obviously you've got the the longer rounds were you always training in the longer rounds or talk to us about the the the changes in the camp from am professional for this fight we haven't would even call the Camp I think 28th of October or something the fight was announced was only like agreed a day before that or so but I I have literally been in Camp probably since June because I've been getting ready for the Nationals anyway um but yeah obviously having to be nice to the partners training Partners as well not throwing knees and elbows too hard but definitely it is different like but I it'll suit my style very well like that inside nasty just like to be honest I'm pretty layback but in there I'm pretty vicious Cas so I think it's going to work out well for me and the five minutes I think it's going to work well for me as well because it kind of break people down and the three minute rounds it's like okay if you break someone down within two and a half minutes they can just survive but like five minutes is a long time and be stuck in the cage with some somebody like with me especially with my style just walking someone down figuring them out like so I think it's going to suit me really well to be honest yeah because like you said you can get you're you I find you're best when you're inside with the boxing and then the dirty boxing and then I see when you've got elbows they they can do they go and you you've got knes then as well and and uh how how excited are you to use these new tools and use what you've been working on in in the upcoming fight this weekend excited St watching like JN Jones the weekend just was recapping like there's not many people's good with their knees and he's just got that real mean streak like we know he's like he is evil to be honest and the cage especi which is what you I love that like to be honest his style like elbows knees and the ground like nobody has ground p as VI as his so wherever the fight goes I'm going to be looking like if it's on the ground if it's on the feet I'm going to be really trying not to just be throwing the techniques like I'm going to be trying to really make the most of the knees and elbows as well yeah and then in terms of your opponent obviously um compared to amateur would you have studied your opponent coming up a little bit more or do you leave that to like to Jerry and the guys and and to formulate the game plan and just let you it work on you or or do you like to get involved in that part of it as well done a bit yeah like I do it on my own Jerry is very good like one like one of probably the best things about Jerry are is that he's a game planner very good game planning the fights that I've done my best is one of just I just love as if he's like controlling me like a remote control you know like playing the UFC game like whatever he says especially in between rounds he's very got a very good eye for stuff so like I I was there's actually times when I've just said what he want me to do he's but says it and then I just go do it so when I let you like pick a few points okay this is what we need to look out for okay this is what you're going to be able to exploit you know and I've better research as well like to be honest but I let J do that he's that and obviously like it is your professional debut but you've got obviously the gym behind you as well and you've got a good team there what's the kind of atmosphere like in the gym and especially with uh Dean was someone you pointed out to me I think you put it up after he won the title was someone you said to me that was going to go really really far and how good he was he was just injured at the time well you've got people like that in the gym and what's the what's the buzz like in the gym with the guys like that JY playing went like bz wise to be unfortunately we lost de de's way down under Australia last few months probably only a month or two ago now but yeah it's a big loss for me like he's one of my best meain training Partners we push each other liit like good friend but that's fine like it's good I'm happy that he's way on for himself but like we're a small gym but the spawn partners that I've getting has been very good like especially cuz everyone's roughly around my weight like and they're just coming in and trying to kill me like they're pushing me in sparing and like it's not like I'll do like a one five minute round with one person like I'm doing six minute rounds and there's three people in the cage as soon as one person slows down the next person is jumping on top of me no matter what position I'm in like so I'm really am they've got me ready for anything like and like I'm grateful for them big time of sacrificed T that they know I'm always there to sacrific for them for their own camps as well like week in week out so yeah no it's been a really good Buzz Alpha projects on as well I think we've got freaking 15 OD people fighting at the start of chaos so it's cool like there's guys coming in F or the last few months on their first day ever and then I'm getting ready for my Pro debut so there's a good balls in the gym like to be honest but I'm grateful we have a small group of Fighters that have really pushed me which have been really grateful for that yeah and like that it's not always about the numbers it's about the quality of people that you have you as well and it sounds like you've got a good with there with the Alpha Project I like that the concept of that and when you look back on them do you ever think of if yourself coming through the doors for that beginner's class when you see them all coming through the first time oh yeah it's SM I like to seeing especi it is weird like you see them doing the warm up like a grappling warmup and they can't even do it and like I've that's one of the freaking hardest things to figure right like say like shrimping and like basic stuff like that and I'm like I remember at the start being like how am I ever going to figure this so I was like trying to speak a different language or something like I remember being like okay like I came from a striking background I picked that up no problem but I was like how am I going to figure this crap out like but the end just starts to click you just kind of remember looking at the end being like gez remember you get your first submission or remember you start picking up what kind of St sus you even in the grappling and stuff and it's good it's good to see like there's boys from all ages as well like we have a lot of ones coming in now 17 18 18 and now we've got man F on near 40 like so it is inspiring like you have to take a we bit of inspiration from everybody it's cool and I'm kind of like also more senior ads in the gym more experienced ones like we're set I'm trying to set the tone for them like this is how hard I work if you want to do because obviously we want some of them to come in our most of them to come into our class then I'm like if you want to do well this is what you have to do and that's what I do like yeah know I like it leading by example and showing them what what it is going forward and then being there for them in the stages to to get them to that stage is also integral part but you're fighting on chaos the oldest running promotion in the country um how does it feel to be part of the show to make your pro debut there and be among the list of names the likes of the Conor McGregor James G all these people who fought on that show what does it mean to you this weekend to make your pro pro debut there bastic I've already fought in the sh as well two years ago I was obviously amateur faway Champion as well but I think obviously Jason runs it I seen like he shared some memory or something of like a fight card from I don't know how long like over 10 years ago obviously 15 years ago like there was James Galler I think he was like fighting novice or teen or something py Hulan Conor McGregor like even Kieran D and all was on it like it is M fighting on the same show that they've all fought on but like the the video of McGregor fighting on it it's like like famous is like in this big red cage from you always see it in all the movies and all like his highlights and stuff like it's cool like sharing the same cage and stuff or sharing the same promotion and stuff but to it's basically a second home show for me to be honest like it's not far up the road and I'm going to have a lot of people there so I'm very excited for it yeah and speaking of that because isn't actually too far away I want to say it's about 20 20 minutes or does that mean no over probably ping hour oh Jesus right fair enough I got my my geography wrong there but if being so close that it's not in they say further down the country or or something like that um what's it like you going to have much support there if you sold many tickets or I have 50 tickets so me South and then we have the 15 offer guys and then we da Armstrong f as well like I'd say from the gym there's around 150 tickets out you know and uh like I can sell crowd wherever to be honest um but yeah it's not too far up the road obviously there's a lot this between this Alpha Project as well with got MMA Reno and these are all are Evol sorry they're all Evol team Reno related like so we're going to have a lot of support there it's going to be insane like over half I would imagine will be in some way related to Rino which is good like hopefully they all stay on for the later fights and support me and Sean especially in the Pro yeah and and yeah like that how does it feel to to have a crowd uh of people your own tickets and then obviously like you said the gym coming with you think that will add pressure or it make him more comfortable or or you think once you get in there does it really matter once you're zoned in I've had land verus like a few miles away from my house and had some of two one first round finish and one very good performance the pressure is not if there's ever going to feel pressure it's going to be a n and they've brought the best out of me like so not worried about that whatsoever I've fought in chaos before as well under like bad circumstances family and went out and got a finish against a really good opponent like so stuff like that doesn't if not doesn't affect me it might actually bring better out of me so it's good but just really be grateful and stuff like the fact that 50 people are paying their money to come and driving up the road to come and see me like I really appreciate that a lot and that just motivates me extra if I was going inside the Nationals or something where nobody's come the view might not be that we actually bit of motivation all these people comeing The View see it like gives you that extra bit of push not that I need it though yeah no not not that you do need it like you've done the Nationals and stuff without those crowds and you've done well in all the different um tournaments that you've been in and like you said with people coming down and spending their money and especially coming up to Christmas and and with things getting a bit tighter on the pocket as well lately the cost of the living rights just shows how much uh you mean to these people and these people mean to you going forward but we're not looking past your opponent but next year do you have do you have a plan on on how many fights you'd like to have or do do you want to just get this fight out of the way and then maybe look at next year what have you even decided on next year no I definitely have a plan like I am not underestimate my opponent whatsoever I think couldn't be tough like he is tough he's been around for a long time um but my goal well finisher decision I just want to dominate from Bell to Bell but plan wise I think like I've had like nine fights in a year at one point in amateur I don't obviously I'm not going to get that a pro I think that's one thing that's going to be weird to adjust to but I'd like to get up to maybe three three and know maybe in the regional scene by the middle of next year maybe like a clown wars and a verus or something like that and then move on to one of the bigger promotions anyway like cage Wars or something like that but we just focused on Saturday night and then think about that next year but yeah I don't want to jump rush into anything too much yet to still want like adjust to the new Ru set and stuff so by this time actually i' like to be in one of the bigger promotions anyway cage Warriors would be my goal at least yeah know and like that I think I like what you said there that you don't want to be you can't be as active as well and especially getting used to the r sets and stuff like that if there's stuff that Jerry and yourself notice in your game that you could work on especially Pro you need that longer time to work on that that segment or that that where you feel you might be not lacking but you know you might need to improve a little bit so that is the smart idea but look I got to let you go it's going to be fantastic it's going to be fantastic to see you again in person because I am going to be there this time it is 100% I've got my Liv sort and I'm staying overnight in der as well so I'll be there last you didn't I Missed The Bus by like 30 seconds I literally watch the bus because the bus from Newbridge is terrible it's the airport bus it cost like a 10 or remember but you got you I went home it actually I by the time I got home the show was nearly over Jo cuz it was there wasn't cuz I was going up just for the kind of MMA part and there wasn't a huge card there was a lot of grappling so but I will be there this weekend so I will and I'd be pleasured to see you again in person because it's been a while always good always good is there anything you want to say before you go and best the skill this weekend and thank you very much for your time especially in the week that's sing thank you thank you for always giving us the platform in chat get our names out there a we bit more thanks to all my teammates supporting me Jerry Bruce K Bradley all my sponsors as well thanks to everyone around me that's it and see you may we get a chat next week one I'm one on0 yeah perfect I'll be definitely be up for that thank you again and enjoy the rest of your day cheers Dave