Vicky Ochala interview

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Vicky Ocala is making her professional Muay Thai debut December 5th in tallaght Dublin, she speaks about her time away from the ring after having an extremely active 2025, she travelled to Thailand and speaks on the mental sides of fighting and dealing with her mind post…

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Okay, so I'm here with Vico she's going to be making her Muay Thai debut very very soon. She's going to be fighting someone with a lot of experience as well. She's someone I really like talking to and like following along cuz her content online is really really good. Thank you very much for your time. How are you? How does it feel to be coming up to a pro fight and talk to us about why you've kind of gone to Muay Thai route due to K1? Is it cuz of the lack of pro K1 and kickboxing within the country? And thank you for your time. >> Well, first of all, thanks for having me. Yes, so I'm fighting my first pro Muay Thai debut if you exclude my Thailand ones, but yeah, I'm really excited for it. Like it's it's a big fight. I'm up against Reeda Gaddafi, so it's a really game opponent. Um Yeah, I suppose I've kind of gone into the Muay Thai scene now because there's not really any matches for me in Ireland in K1 as a female. Um Yeah, I feel like I've finished the amateur scene and I've made a statement and um there's not many professional K1 fighters in in the country. So it kind of just leaves me with matches abroad, but they kind of there's not that many of them as well coming through. So I just said, "Look, I did a few months in Thailand. Why not give it a shot?" And yeah, I think there's a lot there's like when I look into Muay Thai there's opportunities there for me for the future because I am doing this full-time and I really do want to give it my all for the next few years. So yeah, just kind of make sense to do it and happen naturally, but I'm really excited for it. >> And in terms of the the K1 you're saying there's not a huge amount of matches. Is it would that apply then to the to the male divisions as well or is it just cuz I see I've seen MMA and stuff, the female side is growing, but and and this isn't me saying it in this respectful way, but in if I go to match females, I've probably got a pool of females that would fit in like the smallest division in in the male one. Is K1 is it cross the board or is it just the females that isn't you're you're going to be fine how to get matched in or is there a lot of a lot of K1 male fighters or is there less? >> There is a lot of K1 male fighters. There's a lot of K1 female fighters, but I just think looking at the levels the higher up you go the less there is like um fighting professional K1 in Ireland male or female there's not you know there's a few names that will jump at you, but there's not that many. I think like it's quite sad because it's a brilliant sport like it's so entertaining to watch, but I think there's like a certain point like that there's the Irish titles and then after that it kind of cuts off from what I can see. um male and female that is, but especially female. >> And with the Muay Thai as well I love Muay Thai. I love I love all combat sports. With Muay Thai you've got elbows, you've got knees. What what class is it that you're going to be fighting in because I know there's a couple of different classes. So for people who who might be watching and don't understand what class you're going to be fighting in and what limbs are you able to use? Are you able to use your knees, your elbows because I know there's restrictions on some. >> So I'm jumping into A class so I'll be using uh >> [laughter] >> Just just just jump in right at the deep end. No problem. >> Yeah. >> [laughter] >> I'm not even warming up to it. I'm just jumping into A class which is elbows, knees, clinch, full rules. No. We uh we do have the elbow pads for this one. Um so that's pro arm, but if you ask me I actually don't know the classes like that. I just know I'll be using everything. >> Well if you're using everything you don't need to know the classes. You you've bypassed, but obviously uh [snorts] to go straight to that would obviously was that your decision? Was it your coach's decision? Because obviously you're so experienced like when you look at who you fought like you fought everyone within the country. You're hugely experienced and like you're very like you're extremely extremely good. Was that your choice or was it your coach's choice or was it a mix together that you think okay I'm ready to go straight in and use all all parts of my body to try and put this lady away? >> [snorts] >> Well it was a bit about um it was a bit about, but I think like yeah, it was my coach's choice. So uh further my time training under Craig Coakley, so he decided, "Look, I think you're well able for this." Um and I love a challenge, so I said, "Yeah, why not? Like why why would I shy away from that?" Um I think I'm like I've I'm pretty comfortable using my hands and my kicks and stuff, so yeah, it's only natural to bring in the actual limbs, extra elbows and everything, but yeah, it was a bit about. It was definitely like I I don't like saying no to challenges also, that was the big one. >> [laughter] >> No no you no you definitely don't. You you've had a you've had a really busy year and and like a we would talk on camera and off camera as well and obviously you done an interview with Lena. There was obviously last year or this year you've gone to Thailand and stuff, but there was a an incident obviously had a bit of a cushion you you thought you weren't going to fight again. Uh do you want to talk about how that maybe affected you mentally cuz you said you went to Thailand with the ambition of not fighting and then I think you took two or three fights when you were there. Wouldn't be like >> Yeah. >> But you talk about the effects it had on you as a person and as a fighter like that people might not see on the outside. >> Yeah. So I think social media is a funny one because you talk about all the good stuff that happens and you know, you're showing off all the good stuff, but like you said, you don't know kind of what's going on behind the scenes. Um like last year I had a brilliant year. I won three titles within the year. I had five fights, won four of them. Started like a winning streak. I finished college. All of these things, but I actually finished the year sober and out and I was like I was just wrecked like from you know yourself like the training camps. You're training I was training twice a day and cutting weight and stuff, so coming into this year I kind of was had the intention to slow down just because I think the enjoyment comes out of the sport when you start to push yourself that much. Um but I started the year off with a pretty bad concussion. Um, it was the first time I ever really got hurt like this in any sport, but I got knocked out and yeah, it was a bit of a rude awakening to be honest. Like it was a bit of a shock and I think one thing one thing I'll say is I don't think it's talked about enough in the sport, especially how physical it is. Like you know, you're going in to knock someone out or to be potentially knocked out. Um, it definitely it wasn't easy to deal with. Like the aftermath of it so maybe like the month or two after was very challenging. Um, like I'd say I'm quite a positive person and I can usually rationalize if something bad's happening, I can understand why it's happening and you know, it's going to be over soon. But with this, like your your brain is it just it's the it determines your thoughts, your your thought process, your feelings, your emotions. So when that happened, all of this got like it just got put out of whack basically and yeah, I was going through a lot of like anxiety and just negative emotions. So I kind of I was questioning whether to come back to the sport or not. Um, especially after the year I had. Like it was just like I felt a bit burnt out and yeah, I had a bit of a identity crisis because my sport got taken away from me, my routine got taken away from me. Everything all of what I know and what I'd be doing it day in day out was was gone. Like you know, concussion protocol is that you don't train for 28 days and that's no raising your blood your blood pressure or anything. So that includes even going to the gym. So I was trying to slow down, do a bit of yoga. Even that I was kind of still feeling really down and overthinking a lot because all of a sudden, you know, 4 hours in the gym a day turns to nothing. So you're sitting at home, you're overthinking, you're spiraling. Um so, I decided to go away. I decided to go do a bit of traveling. And that was literally because of the fact that I didn't have a fight coming up. And I couldn't fight for another few months. And I couldn't train. So, I said, "Look, if I don't go now, who knows when I'm going to be able to go?" Cuz I kind of always was pretty I had this idea like I wanted I want to be a professional fighter. I want to do a be a professional athlete. So, um if I don't do it now, when am I going to do it? So, I went away. I bought a one-way flight to to Asia. And I just packed my backpack 2 weeks in advance. And I just flew off. And yeah, when I was away, I kind of I didn't think I was going to go come back to the sport just because of like how it made me feel last time I was there. Like um So, I left, I think, about 2 months after I got injured. So, I tried to come back training. And I was still feeling a little bit upset. And like cut from the gym, you know, all the girls were brilliant cuz they were always there to support and talk me through it. But yeah, it just didn't feel the same hitting the bag or hitting pads or training. So, I felt a bit disconnected from it. But when I went away, I did 5 months of backpacking, I think it was. And when I went away, I started to really really miss it, especially after the second month. And it kind of like reignited this fire back in me, especially by the third month. And yeah, uh I got offered a sponsorship in Thailand. So, I just said, "Look, what have I got to lose? If I don't like it, I'll just fly home same way as I bought that flight. If I didn't like backpacking, I just buy another flight home. And at least I gave it a go." Um and when I was there, the comeback was actually very tough because you lose your rhythm, you lose your speed, you lose your power. Um obviously, you gain a bit of weight when you're not training. And you know, you kind of have to reteach yourself everything. Um that was like a mental challenge in itself to just not be angry with yourself, the fact that you can't do the same stuff that you used to be able to do, but I spent I think 2 months there preparing for a fight and just getting back into fight shape and ever since then I've just fallen in love with it but times 10 and like decided now this is actually really what I want to do. So, yeah. That's that's the story of the thing of the concussion and everything behind I think it's not really talked about as much as it should be because the mental side of it is is challenging but there is like it gets better and when you come out the other end of it like that's what makes you a stronger athlete I think everyone has you know dips in their in their journey and when that happens you just take it on the chest and you say look I'm just a person. I'm going to deal with it and when you come out the other end of it you're going to be so proud of yourself for doing it because you thought you couldn't but you did, you know? >> And you should be extremely proud of yourself for for coming cuz a concussion is is not not something to joke about. It's very very serious and and I like that especially at your young age you talk about an identity crisis as well. People your age are still figuring I'm 39 and I'm still figuring myself out. It's not a straight away so >> Yeah. >> Um [clears throat] to have all that happen once it could be makes you think being so active as well and being burnt out. I think the break away really helped obviously going to help your head and I think the mental side isn't talked about enough cuz I just don't matter what you do is fit like fighting the same is physical but for me if it's not right here the how physical or how good you are doesn't matter because if someone has a a better mentality than you or do you know they they don't have the doubt it's going to go down but you should be extremely proud of yourself for coming back. And how many fights did you have over there cuz I seen you have one and then I seen another week I was watching your story and then all of a sudden you had like one on really short notice as well or am I am I mistaken? >> [clears throat] >> so I had a few lined up but as you do in Thailand I got a skin infection so that got pulled and then another one got pulled and then I had one which didn't last too long and I was actually raging about that cuz I was like, this is my first time in the ring in since December, like 9 months. And I think we like it went maybe 30 seconds, and I was like, oh my god, she better get up, >> [laughter] >> I was saying to myself. And then I had another one, so uh this one was quite funny because I really wanted to fight so bad, so I was texting like I was kind of trying out different gyms, and I was trying to get a fight from any gym at the stage. Uh it was my last week in Thailand, and I was flying on the Tuesday morning at like my flight from Bangkok was No, to Bangkok was at 6:00 a.m., so I had to be at the airport at 4:00 a.m., but I could only get a uh a fight at on the Monday. So I fought finished at like around midnight, went with the coaches for like an hour or two and one of the girls and got back home at like 3:00 a.m., straight to the airport, and I was just thinking like, I hope I don't get injured in this cuz I have two suitcases to drag through the airport to >> [laughter] >> to China and everything. >> Um but in terms of >> to I had to. Sorry? >> No, sorry, go ahead, go ahead. >> No, no, no, I'm done. >> [laughter] >> No, no, I I was just going to say there was one thing that your your dad was actually interesting that just popped back into my mind. When you were saying Joe the stuff cuz obviously you're so high level, you were saying as you were and the bit away as everyone does when they're they're out camp, and you couldn't do things that would have been like muscle memory to you and and stuff like that. Was that very frustrating going, last year that would have been just like a a muscle reflex, whereas now you're struggling to do it. Mentally, was that tough to deal with going like thinking that you're going backwards in terms of skill, even though you weren't, but it was just ring rust, but what was that like mentally? I'd say that was mental torture thinking, 6 months ago it would have happened like this. >> this. >> Yeah, what was that like? >> tough. Yeah, it was challenging in training because it's like I was getting told like the basics, and I was like, I should know this, like I know this, I like this shouldn't be said to me. It shouldn't have to be said to me, but yeah, it was something that I had to work on, and it was honestly so, so mentally challenging to like it was really frustrating for myself. So, like the coaches that I was working with were great. They were literally like, "Vicky, like don't be so hard on yourself. You haven't you Like these are people I met in Thailand as well. They were like, "Stop being so hard on yourself." Like I was like, "No, this literally what you're saying like um Dec- In December I was so much faster. I was better. I was sharper. I was this. I was that." And they were they were just so patient saying, "It doesn't matter. Like you're improving since you've improved since last year. Even though you haven't trained, you're a different person now." And this is the time to fix the mistakes that you were making last year, and you know, build off that. But there was a lot of pain. Oh my god, it was it was quite painful to be fair. Just like even like your kicks wouldn't be as as fast, and footwork, and rhythm was a big one. That was something I struggled with a lit- a little bit, but it comes back like it's just it's a month or two. And you just need to persevere through that, and stop kicking yourself, and yeah. It's just part I think it's part of the journey, and it's it's what makes you stronger as well, cuz if you can come back from that, you can come back from mostly anything, you know. >> Yeah. And when you did get that back on track after the 2 months, what was that feeling like as an emotion? Were you like, "Right, we're back." Like Like what what was it feeling with you when you could do it? Because And I'm not saying you have an ego. Well, all fighters have an ego to an extent. You feel like Joe, you were saying you were frustrated with yourself. Did you feel your ego was taking a bit of a a beating as well? Because then again would be mentally torturing you going, "Like I was smoking guys all last year, and now now this." But once you did get to a part where you were getting it back again, what was that feeling like to to get everything back on track? >> It felt good. It was just like Like I was it was proven to myself. It wasn't really proven to anyone else. It was proven to myself that I could do it. So, it really did feel good. It It was yeah. It felt It was a challenge, so it felt like I achieved something with that. When I When I was coming back and I was able to hit pads, like I could feel the speed picking up, and I could feel my reflexes coming back. Like, something as simple as checking kicks, like my balance was all over the place and stuff. So, yeah, it definitely felt amazing. Like, it was it was good. And even now, I think like, it's funny because after everything now is the fastest I've ever been, the sharpest I've ever been, the strongest. But, like, look how many months it took to build up, and it's only going to keep improving, you know? >> Yeah, it's it's like I can't wait for this this debut. You're someone I followed obviously since since I kind of got involved with male and and the female things. And that's another subject I want to touch on as well. You recently You were at the Artemis show. You were like a special guest, right? Cuz I love your content. I follow your content, and a lot of females do as well. As well. And then then you were announced as like a special guest. And like like you were saying, you're just like a normal person who fights. So, like, all the spotlight's on you. It's harder for you. But for being just a a normal person who does do stuff that 90% of the world don't 99% of the world don't do. But to be announced as like a special guest at an all-female show, that must have some sort of emotion attached to it, doesn't it? Like that is I'm a special guest, and these women are and and young girls are looking up to me. What was that like emotionally as a person as opposed to just a fighter? >> Uh yeah, it's lovely. Like, it's it's mad to me because like like, I'm just another like I'm just a fighter off the scene. Um and it's kind of like, who who am I to be a special guest for these girls? But no, it's a great feeling because it means that I can influence them in some way and help out in some way, you know? Like, especially for the younger girls since the Artemis show began. Last year, was it the first one? I have loads of younger girls and their parents actually following me in like the journey and it's it's really good to know that I have a platform to be able to share, you know, positive like safe body stuff or just female training things that wouldn't really get talked about by male coaches or something and kind of just normalize it a little bit more because it is a male sport even though there's more females coming through with the male sport and yeah, no it's great. It's great to know it is. It's good to know I have a bit of an influence on them as well and just like pave the way for some girls like that's all I can really hope to do, you know? >> Yeah, no and you're doing it. It's weird cuz like people say to me the other time I really like your stuff when I started my page cuz you and I'm like sure sure just don't watch you want. There's no need to lie to me. If you want something to say ask me. You're I think you're not you're not in that sense but you're kind of it's a very surreal feeling for people to say it but you deserve it and you you actually you're a big part of that show yourself. I've seen Mel, Amy and Clodagh had a podcast with you which I actually watched the live and I think you're going to do more of it. How does [snorts] it feel to be working with the likes of Mel, Amy and Clodagh, all these other females to help build the sport because you can see it ramping up a lot now. How do you feel to be one of those people that's kind of heading that charge of the of the expansion of females within sports? >> It actually feels a bit surreal but it feels amazing like uh when I was younger I kind of I really really there was like a when I was doing judo I there was one girl and she was Northern Irish that I was looking up to that was like kind of like this person that you can almost like reach out to and like she's you know she's Irish, she went to the Olympics and but she was so she was so high up there. It was still it was achievable but she was so high up there that I just like I don't know. It was hard to see like what you could achieve for yourself as if you as a young girl. So it's lovely with that the fact that all of us like Clodagh's a coach, Mel's a coach, she has her own gym. Uh Amy's fighting and she's coaching as well and you know I think now it's like more on an actual level of like like we we're just we're just regular girls who are doing this and are able to do this and that's the same for like anyone that would be listening, you know? Um it's great to actually have that influence in the community um with parents and stuff. I know some parents watched the live and they'd be asking all like something as simple as like training with periods, how do you go about this and you can answer it and you know it's a safe space for girls to ask these questions that they might actually just not understand the answers to yet, you know? So, it's it's amazing, yeah. >> No, it's very good. I remember when I first interviewed you, Mary, that was one of the subjects you wanted to touch on. So, then when I had to bring it up, but it is cuz it affects weight cuts and stuff like that cuz you hold more water during that time and I was curious cuz I'm just curious about everything, but I said this is a weird question for a man to be asking a female. So, at least the females now that that that that can put it out, but in terms of you done some commentary there as well. Um >> Yeah, yeah. >> What was that like? Because I know you done it I think was it on Nemesis or Evolution 4 with Paul Brown as well? You done a couple of fights, was it? >> I did and Rumble. I did Rumble. >> I did Rumble twice now, I think. Yeah, I really enjoyed the commentary like you're up front, like you're just you can't hide away from the action like you can hear the punches. But, it was brilliant that martial show like the the level honestly, I think so. Me and Amy did a lot of I think the first five fights together and literally fight after fight was a banger and you know there's so many girls coming through. There is so much talent coming through and so many girls that want to fight and you can really see it in the ring like you can see their focus, you can see all of it like the pride and the performances cuz for me fighting is a performance like you're going out, you need to you know mentally prepare, physically prepare and then show up on the day and yeah, all the girls showed up. It was honestly so good. It was it was unreal. It was unreal to be part of that show as well and just watch it literally, you couldn't get any closer yourself. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, it was good. Say some nice things about about like the girls as well like it's lovely to be able to have the mic and actually big people up as well. Um Yeah. >> Yeah, it's you know as a fighter when you hear someone talking about you on commentary it it's it's really nice to hear so obviously for them it's really nice to hear on your side. Um >> Yeah. >> So it's really especially from someone like you but that's what when I seen the commentary team obviously I've done the shows previous and I I probably done myself out of a job I said Mel see the team you have there that's the team going forward. Do you know what I saw it with? Uh I think he's really gelled well together. Uh I really liked the the podcast with the four of you but look I'm going to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out? Thank you for your time. Uh best luck obviously in the the pro debut but the floor is yours if you want to to thank anyone or shout out sponsors. >> Well, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate you giving me the platform to to talk my bit and yeah just a big shout out to my sponsors. Um and December 5th I'll be fighting in the Maldron Hotel in Tallaght um for my pro debut and yeah, I'm really excited for this one so uh I'd appreciate any support for anyone who wants to come around I have tickets to sell. Um they're going quick but thanks so much for having me. >> No, absolutely my pleasure. And one of the good things about Muay Thai and K1 is a lot of them can be in Dublin whereas in MMA there's none in Dublin. >> All of them north. Yeah. >> All of them north and then Cork and for people in Dublin it's probably quicker to go to Belfast than Cork but look uh enjoy the rest of your day. Thank you so much for joining me and I will uh see you soon. >> Thanks so much.