Dillion Douglas interview

Ringkasan

Dillion is a professional fighter under the tutelage Rodney Moore, he goes into 7th professional contest. looking to continue his recent form with another win. We speak on host of topics

Transkrip (youtube_captions)

Kind: captions Language: en Okay, I want to welcome back Mr. Dylan Douglas. It's been a long time since our last conversation which I totally enjoyed and I keep telling you about it. That's one of my favorite interviews. You're probably sick of it by now, but it's been a while since you've been active since you've had a fight. Obviously you've had fights fall out and stuff. We're back here. It's It's fight week. How you feeling? Thank you very much for joining me. >> Thank you for having me. Uh I'm feeling feeling good. Uh strange being out so long. Uh I would say the last actual thing that I had was me and Dara. Um obviously had a couple of fights fall through. Some of the people didn't know about fell through sort of in the works. Uh So now man, I'm buzzing again going here like uh just step by step by step. As we said, the fight with Dara was the new debut. So uh Let's get Let's cracking. Let's get you know Goal is obviously three. Bare minimum three a year. Uh More could be there, but yeah, it's just it's nice to you know finally get back to normality would be a good wording. So yeah. I'm looking forward to it now. >> Yeah, cuz especially like you said with like that was that was the new debut. That was like I would say like after that your performance was was fantastic. The win was fantastic. I see you're chomping at the bit to go and then with the fights falling out, what was that like? Is that frustrating especially when when you feel like you've got that new lease of life and you want you need to go and you need to go, but there's obstacles in your way that you can't control. Like what's that like for you? >> Uh the last one fell through. That didn't sort of expect that one to fall through. Uh especially on the way back. Uh like what? Four Four weeks less than four weeks out. Like, you know, I'm sitting there, you know, just started a new job, stuff like that. I had all my holidays booked, got everything done. Everything's set, ready to go, you know. I'm always saying there's four weight classes that are in the same place and I have it all sort of fall through. It was like And then even working the show after, cuz it was chaos. Funny enough, I was working that same show I was in personally with as well, one of the K1 fights got three of them last minute. Uh so, that was as much as you know you sort of enjoy that as part of the game, too, but it's just it's sickening. It's debilitating. You know, hours and hours and hours and hours, you know, working on it, working on what you need to and then just that falls through, man. It just it feels so Uh It's just I can't That's one of the weirdest things you can't put any words to say like cuz everybody does treat it different. Uh Cuz I sort of felt like with fights come up, you know, that were that we had to turn down at the time because obviously the goal was right with that one. Then once we get that one, do the next one. Then once we get that one, do the next one. That was the goal. Uh like That's my main objective, but it saved the one of those and that fight fell through. I still had one, but you know, as Rodney says, just you take it one day at a time as best you can. Uh But just that Give me time to go and sort of get that reset. Uh get a bit of enjoyment out of training for a couple of months and then get a Christmas pie, straight back into it. Uh Just get ready to go again. I'm just glad they, you know, sort of bit back. Especially one uh weight class rather than the class weight now. Uh Which I'm grateful for taking me going in that time. Uh That was his goal was keep me moving by doing the weight again. don't make me do the big jump from 7865. Do a 68 then a 66. You know, work my way down. So, I'm grateful for him, you know, getting that sort of especially against a really high-level guy like Dara. But, uh So, I mean, it's, you know, every camp's slightly different. This one has been it's been strange. Uh Like, you know, stuff that maybe usually happened hasn't happened. Uh Usually, I didn't get much chance to finish it like, you know, 4 weeks out from the fight. I haven't got it on this time, so that was weird. Uh I think it's just like training got up really big this time, too. Uh So, don't know what the uh Looking back on obviously the inactivity last year, I'm looking back on it fondly now, but at the same time, during it, it was one of those things that was a kick in the teeth. Without somebody actually kicking me in the teeth. Uh which nearly would have been preferable, but here we are. Uh So, like it's just one of them, but we we keep rolling, we keep going. Uh So, obviously, get this one out of the way next Saturday in the main to get out of the way. Then, when I chat with Robert, we have something in the pipeline hopefully working once I put this stuff away. We've something being sort of we spoke about a wee bit. Uh so, put that stuff away, we'll go and grab pizza and stuff after the fight. We'll sit down as a team, we'll work out sort of the next step then. So, that's obviously looking into it for a wee bit. Trying to not look too far forward, look just where I'm going. Not where I want to head yet. Uh But, no, it's just as crazy just to get by again, you know, getting it prayed, doing everything. Uh it's even worked out sort of you know, helping me plan to do her first. debut fight. So, you know, that's class to you guys on our part personal as well. Uh So, that's strange, you know, keeping an eye out on her and making sure she's doing everything right and keeping as best as I can, as I can, but yes, uh it's definitely been nice. It's been eating there this fight camp up and follow up on stuff like as well, like uh that's definitely a big big help. So, I'm no way I hear saying you you're going to say you didn't improve. That's on the other you're going to see the same old same old. You're just going to want to get one come home. Uh just over enemy territory. Standard standard affair. Come home. Eat my body weight in pizza. Go to bed. That's that's angle for now. That's as far as I'm looking forward for definitely now. Uh uh when doing a day, come home, pizza, sleep. That's angle. So, >> What an angle that is. >> We have one angle. Pay no one harm to anyone of them. Bad bad people. >> Ah, that's not all. We will because I like you, we'll skip that discussion and we will we will find something else. But there [snorts] there was something you said was interesting that if I might to circle back to it. Um and I think I know what you mean, but I want you to expand on it. What you said at the time obviously it felt like a kick in the teeth, but looking back in hindsight it was probably more beneficial. Do you feel you you grew more as maybe a person or a fighter during that time um and having to deal with that those things happening to making you better person person and fighter today? >> And so with a person, like uh I'm still in the place where Paul Sports is still an like uh that's not going to change. Uh but no, I think I like it's something I've dealt with since you know, with like nearly 20 amateur fights. You've got to deal with pullouts again, but pullouts you get a pro especially whenever you're putting you a pile of money and you prep, you know, a pile of time, you know, you're cutting relationships sort of stuff in half. Uh without there sort of it makes it worse then, but as long as I just look at it as you know, it's hours banked in the gym. It's more hours banked. It's more hours brains banked. You know, I'm not injured. I'm not, you know, falling apart. Uh like that's the best way I can look at it. Uh it's just taking everything over, making sure both still take, so something you know, if something did come up, I was still prepped. Like I'm always more or less ready. Uh like 90% of it is diet to me. Uh cuz I've got quite a love of food, but I'm a low key, uh more low key, uh but that's 90% of the fight for me. Like I'm more than happy. It's just the like if I was called quite hardly, you're going to be in our featherweight at lightweight, but you're just going to be at lightweight quite hardly. I would go on uh I do that drop that hard now. You let me set them probably at 71 kg now. Uh and like that's clean. I would prefer to be a wee bit lower and cut from sort of 75, but again, when I have things come sort of help and I'm coming 30 now, so body's starting to catch up a wee bit just with sort of getting a bit of man sort of size and stuff. Uh but now that's the way of things. Like it's I do look at it in the good way now, but at the time probably for the next, you know, the first two or three weeks after a pullout is probably the shittiest feeling I have ever had. Uh I cuz you're more or less like your whole life they sort of goes to that one point. You just keep it going and keep it going until the time comes. So, that whenever you look at it in the two weeks or a short span, I was like, "Shit." Whenever you look at it maybe two months in advance from that, you're going, "Right, those shots were working, you know? So, let's keep working on that. Let's work on that and see if we're method now, you know, certain weak techniques that maybe, you know, I haven't gotten down to a T, but they work actually, right? So, right, let's, you know, fine-tune those. Uh I have a couple of subs in my locker that I didn't have back then that were brought back then. Uh like even grappling techniques and stuff especially. Uh a lot of raw techniques whenever I was meant to fight him last year or December past. Uh and the fight that pulled, you know, fell through. There was a lot of techniques that I was starting to find home with, but they weren't fine-tuned enough. So, that sort of gave me, you know, the month after sort of going, "Right, let's fine-tune these techniques. See how they work. Uh and then, you know, I've been catching the guys in the gym that know I'm going for it. How is the guy that doesn't know I'm going for it going to deal with it? Uh So, yeah, a lot of stuff got fine-tuned. And similar as fight camp, there's stuff that I'm like places and sorts of submissions and shots I'm finding, but I haven't fine-tuned them yet. I haven't aimed to fine-tune them. So, once I get a fight by, obviously, home, body weight and pizza, and then we'll fine-tune those weak things now. And it's just that's a repeated cycle. So, pulls are bad, but they're a necessary evil, and they're a bigger push to a greater future in that way. So, that's probably my output on that would be that's what I feel but no, it's still Still at the time. >> Yeah, yeah, I I can imagine it is cuz like I can I I know what you do and and and the and the training that you put in for for that amount of time and you want to go out and show so so obviously your improvements and go out and and fight and get or whatever and then obviously it's taken away from you. You're not even getting into the cage or if you went in I don't know what would it would it feel better to go in and lose? And not and would it like to like or they're they're both equally feelings in different kind of emotions, I would presume. >> Probably I have to me it'd feel better to go and and lose. That's one of those bad things is better to go and lose a good fight because the best way I can look at it is you know like it's still a loss at the end of the day. A good loss is better than a bad one. It's always going to be that way. Whenever you look into it deeply like uh like there's a couple of bad records I've seen the past while uh and you they're getting put in with guys that just have that bit more edge because they get put in a you know bad not bad fights tougher fights, you know, they had tougher amateur careers, you know, stuff like that. Whenever they went to make pro they had tough pro fights uh you know, when you're seeing them do better that way but the way I look at it is definitely uh like a good loss is always going to be better than nothing but at the same time, you know, you can argue the point of or better to have two whenever you get a win even if it's a bad one it's still, you know, what I'm not, but you know, that's the best way I can word it is that it's I would rather compete and compete at my best uh and still lose because it's one of those things some people are just better, but just having that pullout and having nothing to show for it. There's proves on that too, you know, what I'm saying, like I've sort of one over in there, like you can find certain details, you know, you can find stuff in your game plan that where you're maybe flawed up. I've been slightly different, but personally I would rather have you know, a good loss than no fight at all, but that's just me. I like fighting. I like fighting and there's, you know, like a good loss for me would have been the time I fought Marajo. Like I was two weeks notice, I think. Uh got the okay for the fight on the Tuesday. Uh the Thursday I had to get lots of medical done and then the week after that was fighting him, but to me that was a good fight, sort of showed me then maybe I shouldn't be a lightweight. So, that's one of those things you learn as you keep going, but I'm still at the point now where I really want to build up my momentum now. I'm pullouts are nearly worse for me, full stop, because I mean, we're I'm not getting any younger, like I could be in another 10, maybe 15 years of my life. If I'm very lucky, I'll maybe have another 15 years. Uh that'll be cuz well, I'm 15 years in the sport now. Uh So, if maybe in another 15 another 10 definite good years until then I need to look at lightweight again, but uh no, definitely it's those are my thoughts on it as good loss you know, build the momentum, but at this point just any fight will come. or nearly take most of them. Uh a light or a other way. That's the best way I can put it. >> Yeah, no, you can and in regards to the fight you talk about Maga, that was just competitive fight and I'm really good friends Maga's huge, bro. Maga's a monster, yeah? >> Yeah. >> And I would say I didn't I didn't cuz I know like you'd fought and I was like that man but like you were so competitive in it. Like that was that was a very Like you said Like you said, you it was a good loss. And it's what you've said, I spoke to Paddy Holohan 2 weeks ago and he literally said what you said about years ago everyone used to fight everyone and if you went in and lost someone who's on the street, even if you lost, it was a good loss because you had eyes on you because of that person and if you had a good showing it it did and he said that's what used to happen. Everyone just used to fight each other. It had to happen. And and then and then head on out into the into the the rest of Europe and and beyond. >> Yeah. >> And it's mad, it's nearly exact You nearly said it have said exact same thing as him. >> It's just just one of them things like it's you know you need to build like you can't just go uh you know, I don't want to fight that guy because he's you know doing this style and the other. You're going to meet him at some point if you're you know, on that same route. Uh I'm trying to think like who's a great example of that like uh I think uh that's good name for him or Marvin but uh um Bradley Race is a great example. Like Bradley will never say no to a fight. Like I heard him uh but that's what I mean, there's people probably saying nobody Bradley because you know, like two guys not very smart highlight reels. Like they were highlight reel not fights. You know, there's probably people saying no to him, but at the same time they're going to meet him at some point. You know, while they're tapping away, you know, trying to get the better than ABC, like Bradley's still tapping away. You're going to have to fight them at some point. Uh See this Cage Warriors? Cage Warriors is a great example, like you know, you can't really say no a fight because somebody's better than you. You get put in, you do it. If you lose, so what? Like, you know, you can always fight again. Uh but as I was saying, like maybe you get a show like Cage Warriors and stuff. As I was saying, it's about building those stocks because that's a great word into uh you know, you have those eyes on you. That's a great example you said there too, like you fight a good guy, you lose a good fight, a good competitive fight, that's eyes on you. Like, you know, eyes are on you for going, "Ah, here." Heads up, you know, you say the new guy say fighting a five and two or something so I like, "Ah." But the five and two's maybe not known too well, but there's a great five and four that say new guy. You know, all eyes are looking at the guy with a five and two record because it's literally one and give like an unbeaten guy, you know, a hell of a time. So, that's the way I look at it as especially whenever you're younger than, you know, I am in all the world. But you just need to keep active like and as Sir Graham said, I'm an advocate for that for a moment. We can't get a fight again. Uh but he's an advocate for just stay active. Doesn't matter how you stay active, just stay active some way. Uh Rodney's very adamant on that too, whether it be grappling and comps. Uh kickboxing and boxing and MMA, just stay active uh while you're an active one side. So, that's probably the best way I would like I would be stay active. Just keep going and keep rolling through. Uh don't say no to fights because you'll meet the person at some point but the time you meet them they'll probably be better. So, why not get a good one? Get those stocks built up now. >> Yeah, like you said your point with the you're going to meet someone at some stage. I think I I for sure. I think everyone should fight like you see in that way. It's a Max Holloway fight and Kieran O'Loughlin. That they could No one else wanted to fight them but they wanted to fight each other. And you like if you look at the crop that have kind of come through gone into Cage Warriors now. You're Conor McGregors, Max Holloways, Keijo's and all. That they were like 4 years ago when I started that's when they were kind of starting or just starting their amateur career. And they fought everyone and you can see the benefits paying off now and I think a lot of people want to jump the gun and go pro and stuff now and I think the scene has changed a little bit and I'm not saying for better or for worse and I think it was just when people seen the success that those guys had that some people are now trying to rush it as well. I don't know if you find that. Whereas they like you said they fought everyone now like he did whereas it's they just I trying to match the show with if I I it's a lot harder than I thought it's going to be. If I could say. Uh like Mike O'Loughlin's a great example too. Like he's half a tear up now. But that's what I mean as you said you look at him at amateur and he fought Mike as well at 70 kilo. Yeah. And like Mike's as big for a featherweight. He's not big for a lightweight. Mike's bloody huge for a lightweight. Like he is. It's like Leon Hal. Leon Hal I think is a good size welterweight. How the hell he made lightweight I don't know. But again they're a great example like them guys like Chris Fields is a great coach here because he'll never you know, he'll never let you just go pro because you get seven, you know, wins. You know, seven months in a row or something like that. You have to put the time in, get those tough fights because in the play it's way possible there's guys maybe you know, with great records at amateur and then they're going pro, but they've never had a hard fight. And then they're going in to your hard fight and then everything just goes out the window. They have no idea what they're doing then. Uh I can't think of any off the top of my head, like I don't want to be disrespectful to anybody because I'm not too in tune with a lot of the amateur records over there anyway, that's not really where my eyes are. Uh but no, like you the as people go on pro slightly too early, uh like Rodney made a point of always going and doing, you know, the harder fights. Like it doesn't matter, you know, if they were a weight class up, especially whenever you were 6 and 6 maybe 7 and 8 fights, 4th fight, 4th whatever. Uh but it's getting, especially amateur, get your time in. The more mod time you can get at amateur, the better it will be for you in the long run. Uh I'm not saying you have to win every fight in amateur. I mean, I think I was what, 9 7 and 3, I think, whenever I went pro. Uh and I think first what, first six fights, I went 2 2 and 2. Uh well away. But that's what I mean, it was just it was one of those things that was pain and suffering. They were all tough fights. And then Rodney will then keep pushing you into tough fights until something clicks. Whenever it clicks usually, and that's sort of the part people don't understand is you know, you can go in there tough fight and you can stop on it. I mean, perfect example like I don't know if it was just a instinct or it was you know, whatever, but like Dara dropped me in the first what, 3 seconds of me and him fighting. Like I have never once been dropped. So, that was sort of strange thing. The closest I ever got to it was Jordan Myers whenever I fought him as a pro. He was my second pro fight and I mean, he rubbed the out of me. Uh and it was a head kick I blocked and the second one I didn't block. Uh and the first one did far more damage, but the likes of that there, it's just you sort of run on knowing you've been in those sort of bad places before and an amateur you know, and stuff. And it means you have that equal background at pro. Like a solid amateur will always beat that way. Uh like a solid amateur, but you don't have to have a long road to go pro. You just have to make sure you have those goods sort of fights. Like you can argue, you know, if you're going out and getting subbed at amateur with the same submission seven times in a row and you know, you're not fixing it. It's maybe not the time to go pro until you fix that. But you know, everybody's their own different way of working at it, but Rodney always stands by you fight whoever's put in front of you. You're going to fight either. So, that's my two pieces well. As you go on, you fight, especially amateur. At pro, you play a wee bit smarter, obviously. You because and that sounds bad. It's you're trying to build up more momentum at pro. Because obviously there's a lot more on the line at pro. Uh every single one of the best shows was PFL, uh UFC or 1 AF that you hang it as that you have those There's three big shows, KSW. Can't think any more off the top of my head, but that's even getting into Cage Warriors, you know, you do maybe a couple local shows, uh then you get your Cage Warriors show. That's you on the road then, but that's one of those things like you just need to keep building that wee bit of momentum and and the smart fights tell them that but not just shy away because you think you might get beat. As soon as you think you're going to get beat, you're going to get beat. Uh as Ronnie House sort of installed that as, you know, it's a tough fight being on it. You just have to get in that sort of bad mind or good mindset, sorry, and go and give it you can. If you do get beat, so what? That's my thing. So, that's my thought. That's my two piece on that, which some people might argue against. That's their own opinion. That's their way of opinions. Everybody has one. >> Yeah. No, uh one thing that you said as well, like you don't want you don't want to be pro and being in a bad position for the first time ever as well. It's not in that sort of way. So, you know, like like you don't want that. But look, we're going to talk about you How were you feeling going into I'll see you fought in this promotion before. I believe you were had a belt on this promotion. Yeah? >> Yes. Last time I was on was 1 A 2017, so that's May It's 9/8 years ago. I took their featherweight belt amateur in a four-man tournament. But it was slightly different from the standard four-man tournament you would see like, you know, four two fights in one night. They did it that you fought on I think it was GTFP eight. I think I fought Ben Robson on. That was in first time at featherweight. Never made featherweight before that. I fought Ben and then the winner heads on to the next year which was GTFP 9. He fought for their belt and a cash prize and it was only That's so long I got so long thinking about this now. So the whole way that sort of rolled about was it was meant to be George Courtney was meant to fight for that four-man tournament. But stuff had came up and sort of I think he had stuff booked already. Uh So he couldn't do it and I remember him sort of pulling me aside and saying, "Here ABC's doing because I'd only recently won the lightweight belt at Clan Wars at the time. Uh >> [snorts] >> George said to me, "Listen, you're probably the best person to show it to because you're running you always run sort of late and I know you're talking about doing any further it was just a talk at the time. Uh and I was like, "Well, why aren't I?" And I basically enjoy it because he's got other stuff booked. I think he had the kids or something. Uh he said, "Rather have you to show it first and then go from there." And I was like, "Right." So said to her all about it. Uh because George had said to her what he could say to me and yeah, since then it was just it's a great show. Uh Dan and the whole team run it really well. Uh But like I said, I mean it's strange going back over now. Uh for what's this? My sixth seventh seventh pro fight going back over like across the water that's strange to me in the first place. You know, we're not going to wait at home it's a strange thing cuz we head over on the Thursday it will do the weight cut that night. Uh I was the first kind of ever sort of been away from home to do a cut. But I No, that's like that's a long time ago. I I took their belt and then I don't think that belt get took again until after COVID. I don't think anybody fought for it again. But I could be wrong. But I could be me sort of got myself up that I held their featherweight title the longest. I But no, like the the show they're on is a phenomenal show. I think this is this GTFP 3 now they're on or something. I'm sure to be honest. It's something that's one of them really high numbers. I But That's what I mean. I Like I fought for them in September of 20 and me and the wife only started seeing each other at the time. I And then obviously won that fight. And then that lead me on to their featherweight fight. I I used to have to do the weight cut. She had no real clue about the weight cut until we sat down, explained it to her. We sorted all that there. I I think and then we flew over last year. >> do that one day with Owen Roddy. So, obviously uh we've talked about the the pull outs and stuff and you've talked about activity. There's there's a lot of shows around like uh UK and Ireland. Are you quite confident because of the amount of shows you can get that activity? Um obviously like you're going over to the UK. There's so many here. Um are you looking to have a number more fights after this or you just focusing kind of on the task ahead? So, me and Rod did get a wee chat about something I said to him. Obviously Rod after uh I said to him see after this fight. Want you to put me in the gym for something here see if we can get it a clock. So we want to keep it a hush just at the minute until we get a chat after this fight but I said just first one out of the way then we'll sit back we'll chat about what the next step is. My next step is actually going to Thailand for a couple of weeks here and January, February, March, April, May and June. We have the Thailand for a couple of weeks me and a couple of other training partners so obviously if we can have some sort of in the pre-op line for that as well that'd be nice but you know I said sometimes that part of the game doesn't work but uh So we get this one out of the way and then we'll you know we'll shoot and we'll see what we can stick in uh but we'll keep that sort of as much as I don't want to keep it hush we'll keep it hush at the minute. Uh that's the goal obviously get this one out of the way. That'll be two good ones in the end. We'll get a chat about what the next step is so once they're out of the time same as nothing to do you know get out of bed that's the first step in the morning next step is going to train. Just we work on one step at one step we never look too far ahead because I said obviously with the last fight if I looked too far ahead I you know I'd have been left in an even worse position than probably but yep so we'll just we'll get this one out of the way and then we'll get sat down and we'll get a chat me rather than the rest of the team and we'll try and see if we can get working on what I want to sort of go working on uh but we'll keep that we'll keep that a wee bit hush now just for uh see if this side more than anything. >> Yeah we'll we'll we'll we'll wait and see. I don't want to say anything. This is what you're doing. Um but you touched on that I want to get kind of a little bit your perspective cuz you touched a little bit on it earlier about about obviously your partner going and doing her first fight. What was it like what it for you because like you were a fighter. Did you ever think that day would come? What was it like? I just want to I fascinated here your perspective on it. >> What do you mean like on her fighting or like with her perspective that I never thought I would fight sort of way do you mean? >> No, that um did you ever think she would want to fight and and and how did you feel when you found out? >> Oh, Jesus. Uh No, I never even thought she'd be into the sport the same way I was. Uh Like I was on her from probably the first year of us seeing each other. You know, you should definitely try it. It was more the best way I can word it as for her I wanted to get more into the sport like being able to protect herself. Uh like as much as I want to protect her I can't always be there. Like I can't be there every single second of the day. Like uh and I am quite protective over on the best part. Uh But no, like it's she got into the training now that she found out she really really enjoyed it. Uh so her first step was obviously me sort of getting her into the sort of sport. Her second step was she wanted to do more for me. So she wanted to do the cut course with Jess and Brian and the whole inside of team. She wanted to even do the course just to you know, wrap my hands just for training and stuff like that. And then uh I think she only got into that cuz I started judging fights and she started coming with me. You know, I'm looking at the intricate details, asking me questions and then from there she got into that. Then from there she was in the gym a lot or like she was having fun with for stuff. She still does, but I then she got into right, I'm really enjoying this and I was worried for the time because I thought, right, you know, she'll probably enjoy the grappling aspect of it. Not the strikes, but a lot of the women obviously enjoy more of the grappling aspect. But she turned out she enjoyed every aspect of it, so I really didn't expect that cuz she's always quite easy going. Uh I But no, I was like, right, well, let's get you in for either bouts and fights, you know, grappling fights. Let's get you in for a wee bit here and there. Uh and then one day she just decided that you know what, I want to fight. Uh so I think she could she had been leading up to it. Uh And then now she like she's a pleasure to have in the gym, like uh as long as you know a lot of people say you shouldn't uh quite a lot of people say that to me back crudely. You don't where you eat, but at the same point, like she has been a pleasure to have in the gym and have around. Uh And it's just nice getting to spend that, you know, that more time and sort of letting her and in the worlds that I was in and you know, make her own place in the sport. Like But it was uh it was sort of shocking, but I did make a rule one day that I would never fight near her show that she would have been competing on or on the same show. I definitely never fight on the same show. I'm not saying, you know, I'll always be the corner man for or you know, I'll always be there for the fight, but uh it's a privilege to sort of see how good she is Uh how much time she puts in you know but I know it's a shock to me but I was always thinking she was trying to get a fight slightly earlier I think it was around about March time but the whole show fell through so I had already my eyes set on Golden Ticket and then by the time she got the A-OK for Chaos literally like a couple of days after even a week later at most I got the word of Golden Ticket wanting you so it was strange that it's strange sort of you know being in the gym both of us prepping for a fight that is a weird feeling but it's one of those things you know most people won't ever get that chance to do they'll never get the chance to do one train with their partner in a combat sport most people won't get that chance to you know compete and be in your partner's corner uh like that's just that's that's something I never expected but it's something that I'm proud of too uh like I'm proud as punch over like the amount of weight she's lost you know how much she enjoys it how much she gets all out there in the gym uh you know having her like having her as my family and then having her part of my extended family in the gym that's as one of those nice feelings like it's it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach or whatever or heart or whatever the thing is uh it gives you that sort of feeling but you know I'm I'm really looking forward to uh having her you know enjoying herself having her first fight which I dare say she'll end up having more but we'll burn that bridge when we get to that Uh as I said, I sort of sell them to her. You do one thing at a time. First thing done, next thing we work on after the first thing is done. Uh uh There was I think it's one of the famous basketball players that job's not finished. Job's not finished. So, one job first. Uh uh But, the only thing The only fault I would have with it is, you know, I can't focus on her as much as I want because I have to have my own time. But, again, that's one of the beauties of having a gym and having, you know, a coach like Rodney. Uh you know, people like Paul Beggan and um uh Stuart George, uh Bradley, Connor McAlister. You have people Paul McKeown, uh Ryan Green. You have those people, you know, that can work with you as well. So, you know, as much as I don't get to be as much a part of her sort of first fight sort of lead-up than what it would be because I had my own sort of fight to come to. Uh uh I still I need to feel the day we'll do training with her. And the only part about it is I can't really have, you know, a big dirty meal after the her fight. I sort of have to sit there and eat like some chicken and rice or some stupid and, you know, watch her enjoy like a burger or something that no one just every bite. I'm just going to have to smell her burger before I take a bite of whatever I'm eating. So, uh but now it's it's surreal would be a good word. Uh like it's not a bad feeling. I'll It's a great feeling this year. Go on. Want to enjoy yourself. Uh I knew just how much she's came on. It's shocking. Uh Like at first, it's just what I was saying. It's like you just see she doesn't see it. Uh Same as everybody. ready. know what I see when I get there, but people will tell me. Uh uh A great example would be last time Dal Pal was over for the time I had him at growing for you know, versus this time, you know, I was part of his rounds and stuff and he said he knows the difference, but I don't know what's the difference. Same as always the way anytime she'll ask she'll go you know, was it better than I am? I'll say it's the way. Your man is very shy. Like it's, you know, it's a pleasure seeing that, seeing how much better she gets and how much more she seems to enjoy it as she starts to get better. Like the trust I have on her, like knowing she will do well is astronomical. And I would never tell her that in person, so that's why I say that's all lies or I got to be funny. Cuz I'm not a lovey-dovey person in private at all. I don't know if I don't know if I'm a lovey-dovey either. Honestly, she just can't say that stuff to your partner. It's just I've never been one like that. But I'll say it about her quite openly. But yeah, no, it's been It's amazing just to see the journey she has uh came on and started. And I look forward to seeing how her journey continues now. >> Yeah, I like the word you used there, surreal, cuz like that's something that you won't ever be able to explain. Like you said, very few people do that. But look, I I'm going to let you go. I really enjoyed this conversation. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out at Best to Scale on? It's good to see you back and it's good to have you back on. >> Appreciate it, sir. Obviously want to shout out all my coaches. I play with the champ. I I want to shout out all my sponsors. I like the likes of Stealth. I I think I'm all off the top of my head. I've more down the phone. I can never remember them all. Uh South Paw's Barber Shop. That has been She was my first sponsor. She's still my ongoing sponsor. Uh like she's known me since I was like like I kid, a short little chubby kid. Uh You know, since then and she's been sponsoring me since I was, I think, 15 or 16. Uh MR Lauren uh I'm going to go through all these again. Uh inside out care. Always stuck with the shorts. Uh Sparing Company, again, a new sponsor and they've been a great help the past while. Uh What else do I have to uh uh Who does your tattoos as well? Uh Obviously, one of the best places to go and get tattoos. Uh so, if you get the chance, get out there and eat the likes of them. Uh Yeah, very standard, obviously. Thank you guys away for even me, right, as well, keeping me physically sane. Uh even though in the insanity of sport, you have to be a wee bit mentally there. Uh but, that's the enjoyable part of it. Nobody's normal. Nobody can't be normal. Uh but, yeah, no, thank you, obviously, yourself for having me, as usual, and thank you, Golden Ticket, for having me back after I guess 8 or 9 years. So, pleasure to be back. Uh but, yeah, definitely Big Shot Promotions. Phil Boyd George, Ger Bradley, Cormac Callister, Paul McCullagh, Ryan Green. Big shout out to them guys because, you know, without a lot of them, I wouldn't be continuing to improve. Uh I probably wouldn't have been interested in the sport the same way I did. But, yeah, no, definitely thank you those guys. And yeah, only nice way to go. >> Perfect. It's It was pleasure to have you. Uh best of steel going forward. I will see you very soon though as well. And yeah, we'll have another chat. >> Bless me. Let's go.