Rian Dunn Leavy

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Rian Dunn Leavy is an amateur MMA fighter under the Ben Davis in Shaolin Galway with 18 amateur fights under his belt he contends for the super bantamweight title at Wrath, he's fought nearly every within the scene, with this being his 7 MMA fight this year he's been extremely…

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here with Mr. Rean Dun Levy. He is a staple around the scene. He's one of the most I think he's fought nearly everybody now at this stage. He's going to be fighting this weekend on Wrath for the Super Banton title against Veem in a crack and cracking fight. Re takes on everyone, all newcomers, all he's fought the best of the best. He's from Gway City as well. So, how are you? Thank you very much for joining me. How you feeling with fight week? >> Thanks for having me on, Dave. Feeling good. Yeah, looking forward just get getting in there really like at this point. Uh good few weeks training done now. So, uh just looking forward to getting in there seeing what happens. >> Yeah. Know it's a very good fight and obviously the show was originally supposed to be in November. We've had to move it forward and and obviously the original opponent was Morgan Hines who who is someone obviously we'll talk about a little bit later. H he couldn't do it. So then Vadeim they were like well Vim's Veem's there. So we said right we'll go with Veem. And when I I put it to you, you just said whoever. You were just like whoever. >> And is that your mentality towards fighting because I'm having issues with matching with fighters that could be the same uh skill level, experience level, and they're saying no to each other or one saying no and you just say no. And whereas I just said to you, look, it looks like Morgan can't make it. And you just said just get me anybody to fight. >> Uh talk to us about why you have that mentality. Um, like it's just like the way I am really. Like to be honest, if I'm like I'm obviously I don't want to lose a fight, but I'm I'm not afraid of losing either. If I lose, I lose. Like to me, every fight is equally as scary as as an ex, you know? Like like I'd be just as nervous fighting Morgan as I would be fighting Veem as I would be fighting my little brother. Like it's it's all the same really. you're walking out in front of a crowd and and you're getting into a cage with someone. So, for me, it's not that I'm like I'm not nervous to fight tough guys or this guy or that guy. It's that I'll be equally as nervous to fight anyone. So, I might as well just go in get it done, I suppose. >> Yeah. Cuz like that and I always I always feel wary when people say to me, but then again, it's people's nature when they know before a fight they say, "Oh, there's no nerves or that." Sometimes I feel if there's no nerves, you might not care. But some people are just built in a kind of cold demeanor. >> But um I think it's natural to get nervous against especially because it means so much. You're obviously going into a situation where only 1% of the world less than 1% of the world would go into. But um obviously uh with Vadem has his own different set of obstacles that you obviously have to overcome. Is he someone that you had looked at before when he came into the division with the kind of run he's on and thought that he might kind of potentially meet at some stage? Not not really to be honest. Like I'd seen I'd seen his um his last two fights. He had two knockouts and I seen them and I seen uh his debut as well, but I kind of thought since like I've been I have so many fights at this point. I thought by the time we might meet I might I I might have kind of moved on to pro. That obviously didn't end up happening. And like Vim, he has a lot less MMA fights than me, but like if you look at the fights he has had, he's obviously at a high level. He has two big knockouts his last two fights. He has a wrestling background. Like I he wrestled at the World Championships in 2021. So like it's not it's not someone with four amateur fights versus someone with 18 amateur fights. It's someone with a big background in wrestling and then moved to MMA a bit later versus me who didn't have as big a background in martial arts, but uh I have the experience in MMA. So, I didn't really think we'd fight, but like he's he's definitely legit. I do think he's he's a tough fight for me to be honest. >> Yeah, it's like that cuz you were so far apart in experience and stuff. It obviously it came true because Morgan obviously wasn't available. So, uh, we we were trying to keep it in in the we were keeping it in the gym with going for demon. And he's also fighting, I believe, on EFC now as well. Well, that was booked before we had booked the fight because it originally was supposed to be one. But this is going to be your seventh MMA fight this year. And you've had one K1 fight, and you're potentially looking to fight again towards the end of the year. So, you're going to end up with potentially >> what, nine, 10 competition fights all in all in all disciplines. How has this year felt for you? Also, you've also had a day you had in Gamma, you fought twice in one day as well. So, if you want to talk about the activity, talk what it's like to fight twice in one day. And how you feel so far with your year? >> Um, so yeah, it's been like um like I never really planned to be this active this year. My goal was to get five fights in and then go pro. But just the way it worked out, you know, I had some fights that I didn't take damage. And like at the start of this year and some like I was fine at featherweight and I wasn't really cutting weight to make that like a little bit, but I was like one week out from the fight eating dominoes and whatever. So I wasn't I wasn't cutting any weight. So then I kind of I had that fight at featherweight and last year I was fighting up at featherweight. Then I had a bigger cut back to Banttom. And then I was like I had some injuries. So I had a small break and I was planning I was planning on taking a long break and just doing that K1 fight after my fights in February and March. But then uh my coach Ben, he wanted me to go and do gamma and I was like no I I don't want to do it. But then I just said a [ __ ] it. I'll go. And um I told him like I'm not cutting weight for it. like I'm not I'm not going to do even featherweight. So I I did gamma at lightweight. So it's literally just like I I I was just fat before to be honest. And then went in obviously that went well. The first two fights uh the first day perfect. Uh first one I got got finished uh quickly. I I won by JLock in a minute. Then the second fight was a tough kind of three round grappler match but it was still fairly dominant. And then obviously the next day I was meant to fight in the final but h your man couldn't compete. So like and then obviously I had the K1 fight booked so a week later I had that fight but like I think all in all like I really wanted to just have a few fights but it just yeah then the Rean fight came up on two weeks notice and I was like oh [ __ ] it. I'll I'll go see what happens there. And again I that was at 68 kilos so I didn't I didn't cut weight. So, it's kind of like I've been more active than I'd like to be. Then obviously have this fight and then I'll probably get a few more in by the end of the year. But yeah, [ __ ] it. While I'm amateur, I might as well. I always kind of said I'll just take whatever whatever opportunity comes up and go for it. Like >> it's mad. You're kind of like the lad who says he wants to have a quiet night in and then goes out and ends up on a three-day bender. It's like I want to have a quiet year and you've had uh you're going to be fighting potentially nine 10 times before the end of the year is out. But obviously with Veem um >> have you looked into it? Obviously you've done a bit of research like you know his kind of background but do you kind of look into it much or you just kind of brush over see kind of what he's good at and then go okay I need to look out for this and this kind of the the usual sort of stuff but you do you or do you look further into it? Um, it's so it depends on the the fight really in the opponent. There's been a few times when I didn't really look into them that much, but uh for this one I I've done quite a lot of research. I always look at a few bits like here and there, like what's like what are they looking at for me? What's their game plan probably going to be? And then like kind of some of the positions that might come up in the fight. But for this one, I really looked into it a lot more to be honest. And what was the is it because he had so few fights and you weren't to like he you weren't as familiar with him or was it just because it's a title fight and it means that a little bit more >> or does it >> I'm still I'm still trying to kind of um find the right balance and h kind of figure out what my process should be cuz I've probably gone into fights where I I overthought or like in general like I I think about it maybe too much. I think about every little detail that might happen and then other times I'm like like I go in and I want to just I don't think about it at all. So I'm trying to kind of find the right balance. So I'm still kind of you know it's still trial and error for me. And also Vim I seen his last two knockouts and I really don't want that to happen to me. So I was like you know if we're going to have a like I knew me and Shane Cardy was going to be a grappler match. I was like, ah, you know, it's not as uh it's not going to be as bad if I lose, but if knocks me out cold, uh I I really wouldn't like that to happen to be honest. So said I do a bit more research for this one. >> Yeah. And like that, but like if you look at most of your fights, even when you have fought strikers, you've been able to to nullify them and you don't take much damage in your fights. Like I said, you were able to fight twice in a day, you're ready to go to the next day. Obviously you were saying to me off camera that your opponent actually had two wars though at kama and then you're going in fresh but it just goes to show that with that style that with that style is the reason you have been able to actively compete the way you have >> and jump in and see like that you've jumped in at lightweight re and rean bammy over in the UK he's someone I don't know he must have trained in FI for a couple of weeks or something at one stage because I followed him years ago >> and it was only about two or three years ago I realized he was actually from Liverpool but he's like what was it like going over and doing that fight obviously cuz he wanted the like his opponent pulled out two weeks before he was dying for a fight and when you seen that came up what kind of was like was it sent to you? Did you see it and seek it out or did they seek you or was your name passed on? How did that work out? Uh, one evening after I I finished up uh, training, I just I opened up Instagram and I seen the British MMA scene had a post up like, "Oh, we're looking for someone at 68 or 66 kilos in Liverpool to fight Rean and the purse would be paid." And like I think I was just like, "Okay, I was definitely thinking about it when I seen cuz I was like, oh, I'm I'm around that way. I'll do it." But then especially if it was like a mid opponent or like some someone with like a mixed record, I probably wouldn't have been as up for it. But because Rean, he's so highly touted and he's very skilled. H he's been at this a long time and he's you know, what is he 10 and0 or 11 and0 or something, I was like, "Oh, it's a it's a great opportunity to kind of see where I'm at." I thought going in like there's a chance he might he might be a bit more skilled than me. But I still I still thought like if I go in there fight my fight I could get it done. But I suppose that was what made me really want to go for it. I suppose the opponent rather than the anything else more so it was re and I wanted to fight. >> Yeah. And I like that you're you're seeking the best people at kind of the your weight class and the weight class is kind of on the peripheral to to where you are. obviously up at uh featherweight and up at maybe 68 kg and is the what's the reason for that? Is that because I look at fighters and I I kind of commend you because you're looking for the best fights to see what you can learn from is my kind of view on it. Is you want to take away cuz like I said if you get an opponent that might be a mid or or whatever. um you've only fought kind of re like the best of the best and do you feel you want to fight the best of the best and like whether it's win or lose because whether you win or lose you're going to pick something massive up from that fight whereas if you go in and dominate someone easily you don't really learn anything. Is that the thinking behind it? >> Uh yes and no. Like for me like if I'm offered a fight against someone that's maybe not so good and they're up for it like I'll more than happily take it. you know, if if I think there's an easy fight, I I'll I'll take that as well. I'm not I'm not gonna lie to you and say, "Oh, I only want tough fights, but I'm also up for for the harder test of tough fights." Like, for me, it's much more about like like I I do love the sport and I love the competition side of it, but I would consider myself much more of like a like I'm much more interested in the technical, the tactical side than I am actually like being a fighter or being an athlete, you know? So like for me like obviously I want to win every fight I wanna I want to go far in this sport but like when I I hear about a fight with Rean or a fight with Vim or a fight with you know whoever else I fought I'm I'm just like okay like I'm interested by it. Even if I seen Rean booked against let's say Shane Camed that would get me excited you know I'd be thinking like oh what might happen in that fight. So the same for myself like I'll be up to take these fights because I'm I I like that kind of uh problem solving and I I I'm more passionate about the technical side than I am anything else. So I suppose that's that's part of it I suppose. >> Yeah. Know and you mentioned Shane Carney there like two two of the best people on the ground and they like the Carney brothers I would I would talk to them and they really really highly rate you. they can't speak the like good enough words about you uh when I do have the conversations with them. But obviously you've got one other teammate at least. I know there's definitely one I think one one of the fights is is gone. How does it feel to have someone to share the journey with you uh on because it's a long trip to Belfast from Gway I believe. >> Yes. >> Good few hours there. Good. Like it's it's always nice to have a few of the lads on the same card as you obviously kill Killian and Chhatrick is fighting. That'll be like a a teens fight. So it be one of the first fights and then I'll be I'll be cornering him as well actually cuz I I coach Killian in the gym. So it's it's always good like it was same down at EFC last year. I cornered Killian. I cornered my brother Callum then around all day and then I fight. So it's definitely good. But it's definitely good for the gym to have a few lads on on the cards as well. And it's a bit more of a buzz than just going up by yourself. You know, you might get a few few people up to watch as well if there's a few of us fighting. So yeah, it's always better to have a few of the lads on the card. And and how does it feel cuz like you had said to me about Killian and getting them matched up and all. How does it feel especially at your stage of career that you are also coaching? How how do you manage that side of it? who enjoy it because a lot of fighters say they enjoy it a lot more than they actually would have thought of, especially when they're active in their own. Chris, talk to us about how coaching came about and and your feelings towards it and how it makes you feel as a person coaching these uh teenagers come true. >> Like like I I like coaching quite a lot to be honest. Um, same like I said before, I'm just I'm very interested in kind of the technical side of MMA and like like seeing what will work for one person might not work for someone else and trying to kind of develop people in that way. I I kind of got into coaching from nearly like I've been coaching MMA nearly as long as I've been training cuz I just when I started I was doing jiu-jitsu then I got into MMA and I was in like third year kind of just before TY. So I just asked Ben if I could do my my work experience for transition year in secondary school at the gym. So I was kind of just helping out with kids classes and stuff nearly from the time I started training. So it kind of worked out well. I was just slowly built up into I was coaching. If Ben was gone every now and then I would cover the class and then eventually you know uh someone stops coaching or new classes come up. I started coaching a teens class. I started coaching some jiu-jitsu classes, some adults classes, whatever. So, kind of just like from just like assisting classes for TY work experience into covering every now and then and now into uh coaching my own classes and then also coaching people for fights. So, it's definitely something I enjoy. It's good like it's a nice way for a fighter like to earn a bit of extra money as well. Like I don't work a job. Obviously, I don't have much expenses. I'm living at home. So, it's good to just train full-time and then coach on the side. So, it kind of works out well, I feel. >> Yeah. Know, you see a lot of fighters kind of it goes that way with him as well. Andrew Baris one, he actually I think he has a gym down in Gway as well in Band of the Slow, I believe it is. >> Um, and I think he's I think he's given up fighting now this days, I think, because he said he actually enjoyed coaching so much. But >> on the night of the fight, are you gonna be more nervous for your fight or Killian's fight? Because a lot of people who fight and coach say they're more nervous when they're the person they're coaching is fighting because you can't control the situation. Is that a feeling you have or what's it like watching someone someone fight that you've trained and cared for till this time? Like >> like it it's it's great to see someone that you coach go and do well. It nearly feels better than doing well yourself at times. I'm definitely like I'm nervous for both, but I'd definitely be more nervous if someone I'm coaching is fighting just cuz like like like you said, I I am someone like like most people they feel like if they could control the situation, they're they don't feel as nervous. And obviously a fight you can't control every situation, but you you can at least somewhat control what happens. And then also I feel a lot of fighters, they kind of go in with a like I know whatever happens to me in there like I'll be able to deal with it one way or another. If I go and lose I'm going to be disappointed but like I'll be more than able to deal with it. If I get my arm broken, if I get knocked out, whatever, like I'll be able to deal with that myself. But you wonder if people that you and not Pion in particular, but people that you know well, if I'm cornering a friend of mine, a student, my brother, like will they be able to deal with it in the same way? So you nearly you would I anyway I get more nervous like can this person deal with losing? Can this person deal with getting injured badly versus you like I know whatever happens like it's it's on me to deal with, but you kind of feel bad and obviously other people would feel that for you then when when I'm going fighting. So, but definitely I I think I'd be more nervous for someone I'm coaching. >> Yeah. Know, a lot of people say that cuz they can't control and a lot of things that you said was quite true there. But then like that, if they see you and they're being coached by you, obviously I think they're going to pick up a lot of traits off you and and stuff like that. Uh but look, I got to let you go. It's a fantastic fight that we have this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it and I am going to be there to commentate on it as well. That was one of the worries that we were actually I was having coming up to I think I was talking to you about off camera. Anyways, yeah, >> but um is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out? Thank you so much for your time. I'm really looking forward to this fight, but the floor is now yours. >> Uh just thanks for having me on. Just uh thanks to my coaches, my training partners, my family, and yeah, just looking forward to the weekend. Should be a good one. I'll see you down there. >> Perfect. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your day, and I will see you on Saturday. >> See you then. Thanks for having me.