Michael Shields Interview

Ringkasan

Michael is an MMA fighter out of fight academy Ireland, last week he won the featherweight title with a turnaround of 8 days after losing a split decision. he is one of the many up and coming fighters on the Island we spoke on various subjects including weight cuts and the…

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[Music] okay so I'm here with Mr Michael shields on his birthday this won't be released on his birthday so just let it be known that he done this on his birthday so thank you very much for your time your Fresh Off Your Championship winning performance how are you feeling uh yeah really good it's just good to get back on their win uh cuz i' lost the two before that well you could say I lost but technically I did uh so it was good to just appar out and get on the win and I want a belt as well I wasn't even really too worried about win the belt it was just just wanted to not be on a loss it's just training and stuff's better whenever you're on to win it's just easier to train and you're more motivated and stuff when you're on to win so I just wanted to get back out really quick and it just Happ to be for a belt yeah and like that I paid dividence as well like said it was for a belt you won the belt but like a lot of people especially after I was at cage conflict and we just spoke briefly I came in on the last round um there was a lot of people saying that around me aage said that they felt you maybe won that decision but it didn't go your way a lot of people would have sat at home or not at at home but they would have went back and fed sorry for themselves what made you go straight back out and fight was it to get that win and make it make that motivation easier going back into the gym uh it was just a mix of everything like I I like fighting I mean like I I like being active I don't want to just fight every three four months I want to be an active fighter and uh main reason yeah was because I lost that last week and it was just I was on two losses and like I'm not like my record doesn't speak for how good I actually am like I shouldn't have a mixed record like I'm a lot better than that so I just want to I wanted to get back out and get on win and really had a good stride this year like it should be two and0 this year well I am two and0 this year but uh it was just a mixture of everything like I like I like being active anyway so I probably would have took the F had a one or lost the week before like so it doesn't really matter but just want the F again yeah and then like like we said he added bonus to Cherry On Top was then you came in and you got a belt you said OB the fight wasn't for the belt but now that you have the belt as well chances are a lot of Fighters going to want the belt you're not going to have many because that seems to be a problem with with the top level guys at your gym and other gyms as well that you get to a certain stage and people don't want to fight you unless there's something on the line do you think having that belt will help you get these really like really good high level competition fights oh yeah definitely because I've this year I really wanted to Fed all the best guys and uh really like make a name for myself and Ireland and UK for like being the number one fell with and now I have a belt it's just going to increase the chances of me getting them bigger fights uh but even at that there's not an awful lot of vales around anymore like the two best ones were T and Cory and neither Pro which is why I just opens up everything for me just push on and win all the BS this year so that's only one out of the two really I would like would like the cage conflict one and the IR one because they're I know I feel like all the best fighters in the country be fighting on cage conflict in IR so I feel like them the more what's the word um prestigious yeah they're more prestigious than any of the other ones I don't want to say like I but they are yeah and that's that's fair because people are going to have their favorite promotions and and what they feel is better and I think especially with those two I think those two are probably the best match shows I think Dey mle and does a fantastic fantastic job look at like Shay and Shay and Damien was probably one of the best fights I've seen I didn't see it in person but my God how did you how much did you enjoy that fight it was I I didn't enjoy it that much because obviously I'm be quite i' be quite close with Damian but I said him after I was like see if I was a neutral supporter there like that would have been you would like by the end of Midway through the third round everybody in the place was just standing up it was the best fight I've ever seen live and I've been to a UFC show a few KS Warriors shows and it absolutely ble any fight I've ever watched on any of them shows that water like it was it was crazy um because at the time watching it I was like I don't know who won that but watching the back without the sound without everybody screaming deman definitely took the first two rounds and Hy yeah I was like when it came to the end I was sitting there watch it because when you watch it in real time you're not really scoring it you're just enjoying it and I was like yeah I don't know who's getting their hand raised here but the way the way I look at is and I just done a post on it actually was no one I know obviously one person won one person lost but two of them didn't like Shay didn't really lose like their stocks both of their stocks have G oh yeah both stocks the whole way up yeah definitely like that fight's been talked about and guys I know guys from the UK saying they seen that fight and said it was unbelievable so um there's big things coming but like that with yourself what's what's your plan for the year how active did you plan on being because you were quite active and like you said your record doesn't speak to how good you are you've got a bit of a mixed record because like that you you came in and you were kind of going through people and then you had the one or two hiccups what's your plan this year do you want to be completely active and take home more belts yeah well I want another four fights this year definitely uh my goal was five but because I hit two within a week I was like man I could push for the six I could be maybe even really push for seven if I wanted to but I would like to before July I would like to defend the a belt and then maybe fight on I don't know but don't know what other showes are before them but because go on holiday in July so would like two before then and then two Day in the year uh I would like to defend the IR belt fight another show and then fight two a day in the year defly maybe get the cage by the year yeah that be I would like to stay active like def yeah yeah because I think I trying think what's coming up you're gonna have um I know we have chaos I want to say that's May H I know I you have another show planned I can't remember the exact dates I have them written down I think it is yeah and then you've got pick the fight I believe is in April as well which Daman as far and so what how does it feel to have so many options around there no it's so good because you know like whenever I was a bit younger maybe like 14 15 like obviously I wouldn't really known much about what was going on but back then it was only really like it was only really I think cage conflict was the only show that was really going on and now there's cage conflict i f to fight virtuous um there so many more but they're just the ones coming to my head away Wars chaos um there so many right now it's good to have that opportunity at those options yeah yeah definitely but I feel like it is K conflict and I are that are putting on the most competitive fights and getting on the best people in the country which is why I want them two BS because one of them two BS I tell you know like right I'm good to go pro here so they the two BS I want yeah cuz like that even though uh y would be like Dei show his home gym his tourist he doesn't give his guys e fights like I think a lot of times his Fighters have come out like on the losing side overall as a team because he he's put them on because he knows as a fighter what's in how important is it to face high level rather than protecting your record at amateur because I think protecting your record at amateur does absolutely nothing for you going forward in the future no definitely not um but it's really it is really important to like take the hard fights like I'm only well 19 today but I'm just turned 19 and I've had 11 hour fights and if you look at my record like I haven't fought any easy guys like I fought very very hard level opponents like IND the board's really good uh last I I or last I I fought on I fought Mark sup who just fought tier lock for a belt and lost the decision um fought Jack Grundy I fought if you go look at my record my past seven eight fights all been very very top level guys and you can see it how like quickly I'm progressing um at just the AG as well so you just need to be fighting all top level guys because you're not going to get anywhere in sports if you're not challenging yourself yeah like that Jack Rundy uh Marx who was H 40 or five and0 and then I he fought here a Aiden like I said Aiden you can see the levels he's improved every fight as well that he's gone on um so like that taking the hard fights is what you need to do and it's a credit to your gym as well uh cuz I know what seems to be happening and it's obviously happened to Kieran Kier kugan um it was probably going to happen to Tian but he turned Pro is Kieran obviously had to go over to to Wales to fight like obviously that hasn't happened to you yet but being with him you can probably see how frustrating it is that especially at amateur when the the record isn't your be all and end all I've seen people finish Kieran Clark nearly had a 50-50 amate record he's eight and0 like yeah so defin I mean is kieren I think he get injured in February or something last year in the MTH F fight and he was okay to fight by like May and he just couldn't get a fight right up until the start of the year like he couldn't get a fight for what like seven eight months and you could tell he was just sort of getting a bit frustrated and like you know going like if I was him I been like it'd be hard to go to training every day because you're like you're not training towards anything and he just I don't know like whenever I whenever I don't have a fight to look forward to like I sometimes struggle to get myself up and go to the gym because I like having a date to look forward to and it just gives you that ask about the motivation yeah i' I'd say it is frustrated but hoping now he's got the B over there he will he will get more and and uh Shay has said he wants to rematch Damian on cage conflict and I thought that might have been a fight for Kieran actually there's so many there so many good flyweights because he's already fought Owen and he's already fought Damian so yeah he to be a good one but one thing I actually want to ask you TI and Locker obviously held that belt before you and he got to put it on you what's it like having one of your teammates and someone that high level actually strapping the belt on you and and you you they're basically handing over their Throne to you to to carry forward I know it was cool but uh he was like he said to me before he was like if you don't win this [ __ ] b g be reason because then he obviously he had to have to put it on no boil and he was like I don't want to put it on here no boil I was like no I'll win the belt and um no it was a cool moment like it was a cool thing cuz he didn't I was say him before he was like wonder if thaty would let him put the Bel with me then he ended up just saying at the end of the day the show and then only found out and I was like [ __ ] there a bit more out of pressure I need to I need to win this belt you I mean yeah because I seen kieren Brady actually doing it for jard as well who got Kier Brady was the champion before so when I seen that happen and then I seen T and there I was like I hope this is going the way I think it's going but um like I said there is so many shows you've no immediate plans have you any fights in the works is there like you said uh there's a couple of dates there that you want before July is there any of those shows that you'd like to get a fight on like which one would probably suit you I know uh you're you'd like to defend the belt fit the fight would probably be another possible option it gives you a lot of space in between your fights as well maybe well um when's fit the fight you know I want to say April the end of 20 of April does that see I wanted like a two three month break to be hon because see the two w Cuts it's not like I would fight every week if I could like I have no issue fighting like I would fight anybody every week anywhere but it's just the work Cuts like two work Cuts in a week wasn't probably definitely not healthy for me to be doing so I kind of wanted a a two three month break working not like I'm going to get become a fat hunt I just mean like I just want to not have to worry about what I'm eating for a few weeks CU if I was fighting by the 20th of April like I need to worry about what I'm eating after this this week because I'm not a small fell but like I I would cut a good bit of weight and uh so I would like to I would prefer I and then get squeeze one in before July yeah well I'll have a look at dates other dates and other shows potentially and I'll get back to on that one and see what's available kind of uh before like maybe there might be something in June um but like that you you went to the two wles in the weekend I would probably i' say you're right it's probably potentially not healthy for your body how did you feel going into the second week doing the wake up um well I found out I was fighting on the Monday so I had got a bit heavier like I I think on the Monday I was maybe 74 kilo and then 73 74 and um I got told it was fighting so that's obviously 8 kilo over what I F the Monday or five days before the wi so immediately I found out I was fighting like straight away started water cutting out my carbs everything and then by the Friday night I think it was six and a half and then me and Damon D cut together so I was it was probably my hardest cut and the worst i' ever looked but you know it's just because I didn't know I was fighting like I would usually I'd be pretty smart with cutting we like my mom would be really really well helping me like she would be very good in the other the way cuts and um just getting that week I was like it's going to be tough but it was like I don't know it was just an opportunity I really couldn't say no to because I don't know I I probably couldn't see myself getting fight for a belt unless I won four five fights in a row but then I had the opportunity like I need to jump on it so I just cut the way but I felt it in the third round like definitely felt it s yeah i' say did like I said I say it wasn't it's probably not for good for the body you probably do need to let your kind of body reset and just train and just kind of to to go back and just start just letting your body get back to the way it should be but um you talked about obviously you and Damian doing the way cut together what was it like obviously you and him then being obviously you ended up being late this card like getting ready with your teammate for a title fight cutting we together what kind of like what was the atmosphere leading up that week and what's that experience like being able to have that I don't want to say Bond but that kind of Brotherhood you're both going into together you're both getting ready for a fight what's that like to have especially with like a family unit that F yeah no it's definitely it's always better to have someone fighting on the same guard of course Johnny and high were fighting on the too but I mean like obviously me and Daman were way way later on the card so it's always better to have someone fighting with it because then you drive down with them you warm up together you get your hands up together it's always B to have someone there who you know it's feeling the same way and like quite nervous too but um even just the weight c as well like see having someone there like who's cut weight with you it's so much better like whenever you're just sitting on a SAA by yourself thirsty hungry there there's really nothing much like it was good to have him as well yeah to keep the moral High just keep talking whereas I can imagine I've never had to cut we can I imagine I've actually seen someone physically do it overnight and cut 7 kg which was mental um so like to see to have and see he had people there we were there talking to him but I can imagine if you're sitting there by yourself and you're going through it by yourself it's kind of a daunting task but you talked about obviously your M being quite clued into the way Cuts is that something that you've you've brought her has she taken that interest and what's it like to have that support from your family that are doing everything they can for you to fulfill your dream I this so many times like see having her known stuff about W cuts it is better than any sponsor I could get like it really is better than any sponsor I could possibly get like having someone it's literally just like having your nutritionist like it's just the exact same thing like and she's so clued into it all like she knows so much more than what I know um and she can cook as well which I can't [ __ ] cook um like all the meals like even the we small things about like how much salt I'm learn on F week the carbs literally everything's just so clear in at all like it's and she's done so much research about it just so she knows like I'm going to be like as well Fu in the f as I possibly can and I'm doing it smartly and I'm not going to like rack my body and [ __ ] things up although she does hear it like whenever I come in after saw my face is all sucked in she's like why do you do this for but she's it's such a big he like it's unbelievable hav't her yeah no it is good to have that support system around you cuz like said and especially the fact that she takes the nutrition off your hand is so much better because that's one less thing to worry about well she's a PT as well so she would no a lot about um losing like losing body fat and stuff but she didn't know as much about like cutting weight for feathers before but um she had some OD of an idea about on losing weight so she just sort of took it in a lot quicker than maybe someone who didn't know anything about losing weight so that definitely helped to yeah cuz obviously she's in the area where she's able she can take in that information and apply it correctly whereas just say if I started reading stuff I might not be able to apply it correctly because I don't know the in intricacies of the body but um yeah know it was a fantastic performance obviously coming off the loss to come back after eight days I thought was was amazing on part of yourself to be able to do that H and to get back in on the win I want to congratulate you on Victory like you said against a very good Aiden um and I look forward to seeing what you've planned for the rest of the year like I said I'm going to get you with dates but I'm going to let you go is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out and I want to thank you for your time and happy birthday oh thank you bro uh just a big shout out to my sponsors uh freshly Prep hn sports and Mark Gren and shout out to mom as well for obviously helping with all the Wake ups and stuff and the coaches teammates uh yeah that's it perfect it's been an absolute pleasure and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds for the rest of the year thank you very much thank you bro