Sam Simon interview

Ringkasan

Here, with one of my favorite people, one of my favorite interviews. Um Unfortunately, I think some of the interviews are lost uh on fans who we talked about his the length of the time out and stuff and and we've kept in contact even though he hasn't been that active. He's one…

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Here, with one of my favorite people, one of my favorite interviews. Um Unfortunately, I think some of the interviews are lost uh on fans who we talked about his the length of the time out and stuff and and we've kept in contact even though he hasn't been that active. He's one of my favorite people. Like I said, one of my favorite stories. And one of the people like if you really want something and just wait and get it cuz we we'll go into the story a bit more about how long it took him to come back and then he came back and won three belts. We'll expand on that later, but if you want something and it's there, the work is there and you'll find out how hard Sam had it to get those belts and what he had to go through and and so this is if anyone takes anything away from this interview, I hope it's that as well that no matter what you want to say, no matter what obstacles cuz you had a lot of obstacles. But we're finally back talking. It's been a talking online in an interview. It's been a long time. Thank you. How are you, my friend? It's so good to be back talking to you. >> Uh I'm very, very good. I'm very good to talk to you again. It's been so long. I'd say it's probably been about three nearly going on three years since we last spoke and for an interview like this. So it's actually good to actually be back on. So yeah, I've been good. Um obviously currently training um back in my groove, back in rhythm and um just excited for the next fight coming up now. So yeah, I'm I'm buzzing. Yeah, as always, always buzzing. >> Yeah, we we I saw obviously you had the poll and chase day. So do you want to tell everyone you you're going to be competing in K1 next? Obviously uh MMA is your your groove, your main thing, but you're you're going into a K1 fight now. I think it's is it not this weekend, it's next weekend, isn't it? >> That's correct, yeah. >> Yeah. How are you feeling about that? And what made you take a K1 fight as well? Is it just to kind of dust off the cobwebs? You've been out of cage for a while just to kind of get that sharpness back? Or why did did you take it for a change? >> Yeah, um yeah, 100% part of it is to get the sharpness back and also um I saw it as an opportunity to um to try something different, you know, like I'm someone that always you know I always like being going out of my comfort zone. So kickboxing is something I've never really done before and I like the challenge of of just getting in there and actually just having a pure striking. I also see that as an opportunity to improve on obviously my striking and my stand up and also to you know to dust off the cobwebs to get warmed up before I get back into MMA. And most importantly mentally as well. When Bobby mentioned there was a kickboxing fight that he said I think it was like four weeks ago. He was saying Sam do you want to get on to it? I told him yeah of course I will get on to it. That's once I have something to look forward to I kind of tend to I switch on like right away. So I was I was happy to just take that opportunity to just jump straight into it and yeah and regarding the opponent were you going to ask me something about that? I'm not sure. >> Yes you had cuz I noticed how you were thinking and then actually cuz when I was on my way up here to do the interview I was I wasn't driving looking at my phone. It was when I had stopped. And then I seen that it looked like it was different cuz on the original post that you were on the left side and he was on the right. So I noticed it was around so I'm assuming you've had a change in opponent. Do you want to expand on on what happened what happened to the opponent? Like did your opponent pull today or was it was it last week or or did you know he had pulled or did they just come to you and say look one's pulled we've got someone else. What way did that happen with the new opponent? Yeah so that's this actually happened about I think around three days ago. Got three or four days ago I got a text to say he's pulled out. So I didn't know why he pulled out. I was that's that's the fight game it happens. So and then they asked me like there's another guy that I could fight as well if I want to take it. This guy I believe this guy is a pro kickboxer. So they were looking to come cuz the original fight was meant to be amateur kickboxing. That was my first kickboxing fight so and they said there's a pro and would I be willing to to fight him? I was like yeah, like why not? I've had MMA fights so that's that's all good. And so they said we'll we'll meet halfway. So this fight is going to be semi-pro now with no shin guards so it's like obviously there's no head shots to the head but and elbows but it's it's step up in the into like I'm literally going straight into the deep end of things like no just no safety. Like there's never any safety with every anything I do so and that's what I love about it. I just love the grind. I love to fight and even when they said it's you're moving up a level with that that even got me excited so um I was not I was actually delighted with that and was not I was not disappointed that the opponent changed. I was happy with the new challenge I'm getting because it's a even a bigger challenge for me so yeah. >> Yeah cuz cuz you talk about obviously with the amateur fair play to as well go straight at someone who's pro go straight into a semi-pro for your first kickboxing fight. But you're saying there was shin guards and stuff but obviously being an MMA amateur we haven't worn shin guards in maybe four or five years something like that. I'd say that would have been a bit weird to be putting on shin guards >> Yeah. I I didn't want to. >> [laughter] >> I was like I didn't want to wear shin guards. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah I I just know it just it feels weird. It just feels weird like obviously it's a it's for protection but um it it doesn't it just doesn't feel like me. Like I I just like to just take that off. Take the headgear off. Take the shin guards off. Let's just go. Let's go. So yeah. >> to build bone to bone connection. That's what you want to do. >> Yeah, exactly. With violence. Controlled violence. >> [laughter] >> I love it. I love it. But with that coming up obviously it's it's been a while out. You're going to go in and dust the cobwebs and the show I believe is in Waterford as well. So you don't have far to travel. How is that knowing you don't have to get up and drive to Nori, Belfast, Derry, even Dublin that the show is going to be that close to you cuz I'd say this is probably the first time in a long time maybe or the only time that's happened that you've had a fight in Waterford. Would I be correct? >> Yeah. Yeah, this is the first time I've ever had a fight in Waterford and I've been fighting for years now. So it's I'm actually delighted I actually get opportunity to fight in my hometown and um So that's something I've always wanted to do cuz obviously I grew up here and I never had a chance to actually do it. So this this fight actually means a lot. Even though it's not an MMA fight, it's still something that is important to do, you know, to fight in front of your home crowd, in front of people that you know, you know. So um Uh obviously not having to travel all the way to Belfast as well cuz that's what we always have to do all the time. So that's gives I get an extra extra sleep if that you know, if that helps. So yeah, I'm actually so happy that it's down here and um And hopefully in the future as well I would even have more opportunities to fight down um in my you know, in the home in my hometown. >> Hopefully. Hopefully we could get an MMA show down there someday. But it's it's they're hard to come by down south. You only have really elite at the minute which is which is based in Cork. But it's it's it's good that there is one down in the Republic because especially guys in Cork cuz you think it might be bad you're going from Waterford to Belfast. Cork to >> Oh, wow. >> Yeah, we got to take it like 6 and 1/2 hours. >> Yeah, that's draining like >> Like imagine having to do that the morning of a fight after making weight the night before. Then if you're in the car with your coach, you're the coach and if there's two other people fighting with you, all three of you are squashed into that car for that 6-hour [clears throat] drive. >> Yeah. >> Exactly. And then you there you say your breakfast till like 11:00 a.m. 11:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m. and you have to drive back. Oh man, your weekend is gone. So, obviously it's opportunities to to travel and fight all over the place, but I think once in a while as as a fighter it's it's means a lot for athletes to actually get a chance to fight in where they you know where they grew up, you know, their surroundings cuz I grew up in Waterford. So, to actually do it here is cheers. It's it's very nice. It's very very good. Although it's very last minutes, regardless it's a good opportunity. >> Yeah, cuz like that's easier for family and friends to get there and it's not like cuz people will always want to travel support you, but sometimes people might have stuff on. The cost of living right now is is crazy as it is, so everybody's feeling the pinch and sometimes being having to travel to show up there might not be within they might not have the money or might be too far or might. So, at least at least they're and it sounds like you're going to really take it in because I don't I think they they probably do now. See the guys in the likes of Belfast and Derry where they have these home shows. And you don't. So, I hope they don't take it for granted cuz I I'm assuming you're going to take this all in and relish this and this is going to be a moment that you'll remember forever being able to fight there because you don't get to fight there that often. Do you think this is going to have a lot of meaning to you a personal meaning to you to fight there? >> Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's It's where you It's where I started. So, it's definitely a personal meaning obviously and I hope it's something is for something big in the future as well cuz me I'm from Waterford. My brother Solomon is from Waterford as well and he's going to also accomplish a lot in Cage Warriors, you know. So, I'm hoping this is the start of an opportunity to even get an MMA fight down in Waterford as well cuz we have the talent, you know, we have Solomon that is one of is literally Cage Warriors champion. Like, imagine having an MMA fight down here. Get Get them to come down to us now. You know what I mean? So, that's get the call guys. Get the Belfast guy. We're ready for them. So, you know, it's it's nice. It's a nice feeling to actually do. So, people So, and also the thing is people get an exposure into what it really is what MMA really is. You know, for people that lives in Waterford would actually understand the sport more. So, it gives an exposure to this this kind of stuff as well. Even with kickboxing that also gives an exposure to us as well. So, yeah. >> Yeah, cuz cuz like that MMA is like I find in different parts of the country. I know down like Tipperary, Waterford, and kind of all kind of coastal counties there's a lot of K1 and Muay Thai and then kind of as you go into the center goes and then up is is a lot of MMA, but at the minute >> Yeah. Yeah. >> We've got where there's MMA, Muay Thai we're doing really well in with Tom O'Driscoll, that young lad Ty Gannon over in the world championship. Neil McGreevy who RS W. Like, at the moment Ireland just seems to be a bubbling pot, but obviously we're not looking past this K1 fight, but are you looking to fight MMA before the end of the year? Is that something you have your sights on or do you want to just get this out of the way and then you and Bobby come together and see what the next next step is? >> Uh yeah, so um this is obviously I want to get this out of the way. I'm not looking past this. I never look past any fight no matter what. I've never done and I never will. So, obviously the guy I'm fighting is a very good kickboxer. That's his game. You know, I'm coming to his game. So, I'm excited to challenge him at his own sport. So, that's that is an excitement on his own. So, I'm looking at this, focusing on this. Going to I want to show even though I haven't fought in a year, nearly 2 years, I know I I have that in me. I just know I am like so and the once that's done, I'm hoping to get then get straight into the MMA scene. Hopefully get profile by the end of the year. That would be absolutely perfect to actually do and um just getting staying consistent getting consistent as well cuz I think I'm starting to get my groove because I haven't really been um I've been training but I've not been consistent and I know when I'm consistent and I train constantly I know I can achieve a lot and I've seen the other side when I'm not consistent like how I can I get back and I struggle to get back in again and I you know that kind of way it's just so hard to stay focused but now if I can manage to get this fight focus on the next one, you know, keep improving and improving there's no reason why I shouldn't have a profile by the end of the year. So I put in or MMA fight at least by the end of the year. So yeah. >> Yeah, get Solomon to get on the Cage Warriors and see if we can get you set up on there that that would be ideal that >> That would be fireworks. >> [laughter] >> I imagine but >> Yeah, for sure. >> Uh we've we've we've loads of shows out cuz we were talking before we came on. I know towards the end of the year you're going to have Cage Conflict Clan Wars Rat Your Cage Gladiator Chaos. I'm going to be missing some so I'm going to probably get in trouble. But like I I want to say we've talked about Vertice is coming up shortly. The Valor I'm going to forget some so I'm going to get in trouble so I'll just stop. I'll never forget [laughter] some of them. >> You got to actually remember names now. >> How do you [laughter] feel about having that amount of shows because there's that many options to potentially get a professional fight and that's what I was actually going to ask you but you asked the question before you answered the question before I even asked it cuz I would have assumed pro was probably next because your improvements from when you came up like cuz I remember watching your first fight back was Adam McElroy Jackson. Um >> Yes. >> And then you could see the improvements getting better and better. You were the only one who stepped up to fight uh face Conor McCarthy that time as well. That was one of my favorite fights as well. >> Yeah, yeah, I love that fight, yeah. >> That that that is then Jordan Scully. Jordan Scully, I think when me and him, I don't know if he he like me. I think he might have said it to He said you were a hardest hitter. He said I think you dropped him in the second, was it? He said when you he got dropped cuz Jordan doesn't get dropped, but he was like, "Bro, what the [ __ ] just hit me?" So, [laughter] he I think he said He did say online cuz he actually said you were his hardest fighter if I could find that info. He said you were his hardest fighter. Um and we've seen the improvements. So, how do you feel like like that with the amount of options that you have? You can There's so many different avenues that you could potentially get as a fighter when you look at the amount of shows you have. You like, "Cool. There's a good chance I can get a pro fight now towards the end of the year." >> Yeah. Um yeah, there's there's so many like you mentioned all these different promotions, different options. Um so, I'm always Once I'm ready, once I get going, I'm ready to fight. Like I go to go. So, it depends on who is ready to step up um to face me. Like I'm only human. I'm not going to bite or whatever, but >> [laughter] >> I'm only I'm only joking. But like um I'm excited to get on to um you know, just get in there. Get back in there. To feel that cage, you know, you know, wear that gloves again, that atmosphere. Just be there cuz that's where I, you know, I find a lot of joy just being in. For some reason I find happiness in a lot of happiness in violence for some reason. I don't know, but um I'm all all good um if whichever one of the shows um I manage to get a good timing on or a good opponent that shows up as well around that time. Yeah, um obviously we'll have a chat with Bobby. He's he's the boss. He decides whenever I'm ready to go. And yeah, we we take it from there, basically. >> Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's mad cuz obviously UK like you said I think it's mad when it says you haven't competed in 2 years and it's like nearly three since we talked cuz we talked when you were going for your first title. I saw you then at your I got the picture with you which I I got to put it on this interview. If anyone's watching this tell Sam to remind them to send me that photo cuz I need it for my own Instagram. Um >> I have it. It's It's there. It's in the cloud. >> Uh because of like I'm going to get you to to talk about your kind of story as well. Not not like fully but just a brief cuz I think it's important for people to hear cuz I'm I'm pretty sure the original time you told me was on a live and obviously all of lives are gone and it's one of my favorite stories cuz it just like you were going to fight for a title, you got injured, you were out for a couple of years and then done again. But talk to us it in kind of your kind of how that was with you. You were about to fight for a title I think you were 19 or 20 years old, wasn't it? You got injured and then from there just explain kind of what happened and and your mentality to come back. >> Yeah, of course. Of course. It's always good to um just um use that as a way to encourage people. So, basically I I started MMA when I was 19. That was back in 2013 I believe. Um and I I loved it from the from the get-go. Um I feel like that was where I I belong. I I'm in control of you know things when I'm in there. Um so, I was able to I had a good run. Um I won my first fight. I had another fight and then I think on my on my fourth fight I was thrown for the title fight and um before that I I had some issues with my knee um during training. It was a bit wobbly and stuff but I had an opportunity to fight for the title at the time. I didn't really know much about injuries. So, I didn't really you know >> [laughter] >> what I mean. So, I went into the fight um yeah, and I popped my ACL um in that in that in the first round but I grinded it out of onto the end. I think that was back in 2014. And then after I after that injury, I um tried to go back into train. I just feel like I could not go back into train. I just could not um move. It just kept getting worse. Um so, it took me a while to um to get surgery. I believe I had to wait about 2 3 years or something like that to get surgery. So, and then I started to go back in get back into it again after the surgery. Things started, you know, going well. And within few months, I the same as the same knee popped again the second time. You know, like um I was like, "What is like what is going on?" Like cuz I was like I could see myself being going really far with it, you know? And this all this setbacks I was I wasn't very I wasn't I was disappointed it happened. Um but with that I didn't stop. Um I had to wait another few more years for surgery again. Um my doctor said to me, "Listen, you're taking a risk if you go back and do this, you might you should be trying a different sport." But there's no way. I already had in my mind that I was going to get back in there, you know? I had a vision I'm going to fight again. So, um after that um I managed to get another surgery again. Um the knee was fine. And then, a while later on um just a few like a few months or something, I had an issue with my kidney as well. I had to get surgery to to get my kidney fixed. Um it was a long time I had an obsession with that. So, it's like every time I keep trying to go back in there's always something pulling me back. But my mindset was not pulling me. Even there was situations where I start, you know, having I do I was starting to have a bit of doubt, but I remind myself about my dream to get back in and fight, you know? So, by the grace of God, I'm here I think about 8 years later. I got I managed to um Bobby asked me when I was starting to get recovered fully he asked me do I want there's a fight to fight under Mark and Rose. He was a one of the top fighters at the time. I was about 81 82 kg whatever I was a big guy. So I just saw them yeah I will take it. You know even though I wasn't ready physically but mentally I see this it was an opportunity I was not going to let this slip by. A lot of people would have just stopped they would have just given up and just go do something else. Because why would you go through all these surgeries just to go hurt yourself in a cage. But that wasn't me that was I that's what I live by I can I you know I if I don't do it I will feel I rather regret for the rest of my life. So yeah I went on for Adam and within within 2 years or 3 years I won three three MMA titles. I just you know kept going. And um it just shows of course the power of just having belief in yourself and having a dream and that just vision that no matter what you go through you know if you really want something literally if you really want something um you you can make yourself walk if you can't walk you know. So that's that was basically how everything led up to this. I won the title just over over over 1 year ago now. Took a break now I'm back in again. So it's been a long journey. >> [laughter] >> It has and you like you had every excuse as well to give up because the first one goes okay fair enough you come back like I said even waiting two three three and a half years or something to come back that's a long time to think about. So I'm going to be out for this long and come back then it goes again. And then you have the liver. And then you're just like most people I'm not going to lie to you after first time I'd be like I'm out yeah. Whereas like and then for the same knee like that like that must have been so hard mentally to know especially when you were so close to the title. But how did it feel when you actually won your first title? When you got the first title shot and you won it because that was what you were about to fight you were about to fight for a title before you got injured, weren't you? Yeah. How did that feel? >> Yeah, that was That was a good question. I like that question for some reason because no no one has actually asked that question before. It gave me a deja vu, you know, a deja vu of this is what happened then. And this is what's happening now. And you know, if I wasn't [snorts] if I was weak mentally, I could start laying down cuz in my mind I was like, "What if I get injured again? What if this knee is not perfect before going to this title fight?" But I I changed I I strengthened my mind to think the opposite, you know, that this is an opportunity to to reclaim what you lost. You cannot um you cannot lose this um title. You're not going to lose this fight. I said to myself, "This is not going to happen. This is actually meant This is you getting back what you lost." You know what I mean? So I said that to myself and I before going to that fight, I already knew I was going to win that fight. And it's not like I'm looking down on my opponent Ondřej Novotný because I knew that was meant for me because I worked It took me such a long time to go through all that for me not to actually get that um get that. And um it was just I was mentally strong going I wasn't the most I'm not the most skilled fight person in the world, but I know I'm one of the most mentally strong person, especially when it comes to things like this. And um yeah, it was it was great feeling. It was a very good feeling. Like, you know, when I actually thought of it, I remembered winning the belt. I just put my head down and I was like, "Wow, this this just happened." Like, you know, this was a dream I had um at the time was 8 years ago and the dream just came Just imagine that. Like, you always dreamt of something to happen and then that dream became a reality even though at the time it didn't seem possible and then all of a sudden just that's just how life is, you know, if if you dream to want something it's still life just has a funny way of um showing up. You will get it no matter what. >> Yeah, it was like stars aligned and it was was supposed to happen. It's not a sort of way it was and that's why I love that story cuz it was about 8 years you were out, it's a long time. So, I want to thank you so much for your time and best of luck in your K1 fight coming up and I can't wait to see it. I'm going to watch it. I don't know, I might be able to make it in person if not, but thank you very much and enjoy the rest of your day. >> And thank you so much for having me. It was wonderful to speak to you again and