Lewis Byrne interview

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[Music] okay so I'm here with ls burn who competed and won uh his professional debut this weekend long awaited I must say there's been a lot of ups and downs in this journey so far and this was obviously one of the highlights to finish if you haven't seen it go see it I'm going…

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[Music] okay so I'm here with ls burn who competed and won uh his professional debut this weekend long awaited I must say there's been a lot of ups and downs in this journey so far and this was obviously one of the highlights to finish if you haven't seen it go see it I'm going to call you Stretch Armstrong I don't know how you were able to bend your body like that it was probably one of the maddest submissions I've ever seen but um how are you thank you very much for joining me how are you feeling it's it's a few days removed from obviously the show um how are you feeling now reflecting on on the pro debut yeah know no I'm feeling good and thanks for having me as well de it's been a minute definitely has been a minute maybe about two or three years since the last time I've been to the show but uh yeah know thanks for having me um yeah know just been like like I said you know relaxing just uh enjoying enjoying the bit of stressfree life that I've been having over the last few days you know h a lot of buildup for the fight uh building myself up Jesus like the majority of the year they they get back into the cage um it's not as if I've been injured at any point throughout the years you know just fights fights have been gone ahead me you know there there's been pullouts there's been just plans not going with the plan and but you know it's it's all sort of it's all sort of led to the point of of the weekend gone and get that nice finish um on Clan Wars 50 and but yeah know the the Finish itself I it's it's something I'd go for in the gym like very regularly just like I I I wasn't even going for a submission really I was going for more of a sweep but just the way the guy had me held down in that H front like that that headlock position and I think he just he didn't want to let go of it he looked bit worried he he looked that like that he didn't want to uh give up his own position in case I swept him or whatever so because he he hang on to it you know the so went on and uh it cranked his neck to the other side of his buddy I almost made him do the believeing The Exorcist spin around the head you know um but yeah I it's the Lo R you know really really really happy that's how the proud AB went especially for all the work that that I put in myself you know and all the work that my teammates put in M me coaches and all that sort of stuff so it was just it was lovely to uh sort of cap off the end of the year H with with a nice win like that up the weekend yeah then obviously you were part of Clan Wars 50 which was a historic event for them you fought on the show many times what was it like being a part of a show like that and and going down in history because when you get to the liks of like 10 25 50 100 so they're kind of milestones and and your professional debut was on it like how does that make you feel as a professional to make it on that show and they've obviously got the link with pfl and you see what like the likes of kayin loan and and other Fighters that have competed on it gone on to what was it like just being part of the show and being asked to fight on the show I think it's amazing for um for any show to get to that many shows in in the country you know and on that Regional scene of irans 50 shows is is not the Shak a stick at you now like a lot of obviously work and preparation and um discipline has gone into the keeping the show running and I've been on the show multiple times before and it's always been really well run show great setups and and I think I think the one weekend there um in the in the new Forge Arena was probably the the best one best setup that I fought on on a clan war show H the vibe and the real deadly as well everything really everything with the show H especially that 50 show was really really cool good fights I managed to catch a couple of the fights in a couple of the uh the noice fights and that that was the first five six fights on on any amateur show in Ireland especially one the noice there they're some of the the best fights you're gonna be seeing that night the boys down here the boys are there to to HT each other in their nervous in their nervous debut you know full of adrenaline full of be just going each other and so that that was good to see them as well then some other really you know high level amateur fights as well and obviously unfortunately there was a couple of other Pro fights that were supposed to be on the show as well beond teammate gr Shen I was unfortunate to see him make his PR Pro debut but hopefully hopefully be on something soon but other than that yeah know all the fights were great especially on that main card towards the end there were all the tots um and yeah really really really enjoy getting there myself you know and having fun for for 60 seconds or whatever it was yeah so like like said this buildup has been a while like obiously you had a fight schedule before there was issues with that it fell out then me and you were actually supposed to interview I want to say it was this time last week or Monday last week I get a voice message obviously the fight had fallen out I knew kind of when I seen the voice message I was like this isn't good then the next morning you said that to me you said you sleep on it we got there we the next morning I seen Clan Wars already had someone so once you kind of got to the cage like did we like was you were you still kind of what how frustrating was it for you and what did it feel like when you actually got to the arena everything was weighed in and you about to step into the cage was there a sense of relief that okay this is this has finally happened now but what about the frustration when you found out about the pull out originally yeah like I I was glad to to finally be at the show on the day and now that the fight I had to unless something [ __ ] mental happen was going to go ahead that day you know what I mean and but like I said like a lot of them a lot of time and effort and um just discipline's gone into the last year like my last fight was just over a year ago um over Manchester and Anthony Pettis FC um and since then you know at the beginning of the year this year I thought had the Year Ma out to a T I thought it was going to be fighting on on Clan Wars 47 or 48 whatever it was and back in the end February St of March found out the week of H the guy was fighting couldn't get into it in into the country you do a Visa problem so I was like all right [ __ ] waitting another day or so to see if they could get a replacement no replacement Stu I was off I like all right grant now worries it's only end of February now I'll definitely be fighting in maybe the next month or so next month came across I I I had already organized you know it might have been a bit foolish looking back in hindsight now but after uh after the initial fight that I thought I was going to have this year I just planned a trip um away with my girlfriend and but the day I got back from the trip was the day of cage Warriors So that obviously made it impossible for me then to to find the cage Warriors character because a lot of money had gone to this trip me and me girlfriend organized and so that was unfortunate so I was like right we'll try and fight in um in June or whatever it was same thing happens you know fights just falling apart not being able to get a fight that sort of thing so the summer hereit um again a bit a bit and what would you call it selfishly sort of for like for my own career I I had planned a Trip Away With Friends so like two two two trips in a year I thought ah what's the worse I couldn't miss that many fights gone away once in March and then gone away once in July but little did I know it was gonna force me to miss a couple of fights here and there so that's definitely something I'm Gonna Knock on the head now going to New Year luckily enough this fight came around um me me two months Camp You Know da try hard all that sort of stuff and three days into the waterl I found out the opponent was out again and the last time the last Clan Wars earlier on year I was three days into new water and I found out my opponent was was pulled out so I thought the second time I couldn't happen again I actually met with my uh my my sports psychologist on the Monday the bank holiday Monday that week and she was asking me how how am I feeling this week going into the fight week and I was just saying ah you know like I'm Feeling Good Feeling fit feeling confident but you know the last time I got to this stage and the water L and stuff me last opponent pulled out now I know that's not going to happen again um but I had that little that little worry in the back of my head and L and behold 24 hours later the opponent was gone again and so it's funny it's funny the way things work out you know luckily Clan Wars praise a lot a lot of praise to them a lot of respect to the guy who who turned up they were able to find me a replacement and up away class honestly are I would have fought at Welter right there if I had to that week I didn't really give a alock I just wanted somebody to be in front of me um and on the night of the show who was willing to fight because I wanted to get that that proud AB out of the way I think if I had to wait till next year [ __ ] kill me you know being being being laid off for that one one full year um like I'd never had a long layoff like that before um during me amate career like there was a time where I would have fought like a maybe 30 time times in about seven months seven or eight months and then towards the end I I I took a big injury and I I my rot so I actually had to take a bit of a layoff but never like have I ever been uninjured fully fit fully ready to go in training camps and just like fights out G ahead and falling apartment you know so yeah like that was that was quite a longwinded answer for you there but you know the year has been a long one and but I was glad to finally step in there on Saturday night and you know get the job done in in the way that I got it done as well you know I'm delighted for you because like uh like I said you one of the first people I had interviewed I want to say it was second think it was Taylor Den you and yeah and I always I've always been looking out for your fights and I always try and keep up to date with you and obviously you talked about that the break after your amateur career or not between the amateur because yeah I remember I think I put it up that it was I I put up it was about yourself and Taylor and it was like these guys have fought this many times and I think I said 12 months and you like is that actually eight months or something like that I remember yeah yeah and at at the time like looking back on that now if if you were talking to to an AM fighter would you recommend they fight that many times or did you find it took a toll on your body at the time um it's probably one of those things you take for granted for when you're younger you know H you you probably don't put as much weight on in between fights as you would as you get that little bit old and your metabolism slows down a little bit if we're just talking about making way for fights but look come here for for any amateur Fighter um i' I'd recommend getting as many fights in as they can in as little time as possible uh no no real rush really but like just try and gain as much experience as you can in as many places as you can in the UK in Ireland um abroad wherever you can get it you know what these big IMA tournaments and stuff um in Asia Saudi Arabia and stuff they do as much as you can while your amateur because like regard of what your record is like who cares about your amateur record when you when you become professional the only person who cares about is you you know um so yeah I I'd honestly I I would recommend um you know these younger guys guys and girls coming up get as much experience if you can you know no no single win defin you no single title defin you no single loss defin you it's it's all about getting in there and if you if you take a loss if you take two losses in a row if you take three losses in a row you know get your head back down and and and continue training stay disciplined and don't give up like if if MMA is something you want to do because for some people like MMA they know it's something they want to do and but you know after a loss or two they can have their Mindy changed and they can get in their own heads and say ah maybe it's not for me but like it really is just about getting the head down and and not letting any single win or any single loss get there and just y keep [ __ ] chugging on ahead you know that's what I would say that that's what my advice would be to any it is younger parameters come up yeah know 100% And like that I was talking I I like when I talk to a fighter and they've lost and I probably done what you after you take lot I always reach out to people and and and have a chat with them after to see if they're okay like if you won that lasts what about 24 48 hours kind of then you're back to work you're back in a gym it should be same with a loss like you know the sort of way is like have your 24 hours to kind of be sad and have your cry I I don't mean that in but like you know kind of be sad let the emotions out and then yeah Monday like you said if that's somethingone you want to do other than Delisa khabib who was like a once in a kind of Lifetime generational fighter you you're not gonna find someone who losses all the fa your favorite Champions have multiple losses they all have bad days and I think then it does then improve them you you talked about something there and I don't know if you'd be comfortable talking about it h sports psychologist is something that something that I've kind of been pushing as well and I ask people about and seeing is it something you're comfortable talking about as to to yeah 100% 100% yeah because obviously MMA is hugely physical right so obviously all your training is going be physical and that but I think mentally is is probably a percentage wise is is a big portion of actually going into fight game you've got the leading up to the fight the fight week uh one of the most nervous times I think I would believe is out the back waiting to go out um I think your mind should be trained and you should exercise your mind in different ways as well in a sport like is is that and and how have you found it was there any particular reason or or how have you found it so far you help it helps you going into the liks of fight weeks and it kind of gets rid of some of the doubts and nerves that you may have um yeah look I I think I think I I've been working with h my sport psychologist H I'll give her a shout out it's Molly di SP on Instagram if anybody is is also interested in getting involved with her um but yeah now she she approached me um maybe five or six weeks out from this fight and just asked if I'd be interested in in you know doing a couple of sessions where and seeing seeing what it was all about now I I've always heard of sport psychology and and had a sort of general idea of what it was but look I I entertained it and I and I thought what's what's the worst that can happen it's not going to make me worse as a fighter you know so I gave it a go um and it really like it's not as it's not complicated as you might think it is and it's just it's it's about finding out what makes you tick as a person maybe not even as a fighter what are the things that sort of you know you you hold value for in your life and it's got like look come here the sessions are going to be different for every single F or every single athlete who who who takes part in a sport psychology um session you know people are going to want different things from it but um anything at all if it makes you that 1% better like why not do you know what I mean Wier um it's it's helped me you know it's it's it's helped me just in regard to like uh giving value to certain things in in my life within fighting and then outside of fighting as well because sometimes you know like for this fight for example for two and a half months you know you know you're fighting on this date everything in your life if you're taking it seriously is going to be focused on the person who in front you at the end of those two and a half months so other things in your life can sort of take a sideline so it's it's it it's important to you know give value to those things as well um outside the F so you know I'm not going to go too too in depth into into what my sessions consist of you know I don't want any future opponents taking notes or anything from this interview they but look it's it's something it's something I'd recommend any all fighters just to give it a go you might like it you might not it might not be for you but it might be for you and it might make you that 1% better because like you said the mental side of the sport is is really it's huge know it's it's make or break for some Fighters you'll see some Fighters like you you mentioned there the backg room some Fighters are super loud in the back room some Fighters are super quiet in the back room you don't know what's going on inside the head you don't know if the loud Fighters are there you now worried and they're sort of put putting on this bravado thing then he go out and he fall apart and then the silent fighter might be psyching themselves up and getting themselves ready and they go and win or vice versa you know so everyone's sort of mentality is very different um so it's something I I I think it's something that everybody can explore for themselves but you know it's it's something that I would definitely recommend everybody to give a go anyway just to know figure out what sort of person what sort of fighter you are yeah know 100% because I see a lot more of it picked up or uh the past year especially there's a couple of people obviously I'll once this is released I'll give uh I'll tag uh um it was Molly wasn't it Molly in it and uh like I just think it's not that necessary like said it could be for you it might not be for you um you try all these other things in training I think that's one thing that needs to be so like said one person that could be make a break some person could just have a mental block and that person can get through the mental block and Nathan mcgillian for example done that and then he went he got silver in the uh four nations he was probably fighter at the tournament even though he lost and and he said once he got past his mental block he was able to kind of find who he was as a fighter and start getting these finishes but um talk about your opponent change that close today obviously you were relieved to get a fighter what happens to the game plan then is it does the likes of Andy reder do people I know J Harris is a massive part of that gym for for helping um look at Fighters and study them as well like got was it like a scrambled to go look did you worry about it or did the guys take that off your plate and just let you keep doing the water loading and then the weight cup because that's that's a big deal in at s I'm not sure you you went up and wait in the end sorry yeah yeah and yeah know like wa weight wasn't a problem at all leading up to where even even when the opponent changed you know um for me I already had um a couple of you know not not the result that I wanted in the fight obviously everybody wants to win but I already had a couple of um sort of goals I wanted to hit within my with within my performance on that night H just a couple of goals I worked on myself that's actually another one of the things I would have worked on uh with my sports psychologist Molly just just things I want to hit during the fight you know H just certain things about my performance that I would like to achieve and if I if I got it I got it and if I didn't I didn't but was just about reviewing that then afterwards um so look when I when I found out I was finding somebody new those those goals stay the exact same you know and I was goingon to hit those same goals and I did in the end H even though I only had about 60 seconds to do it you know and then the fight was over oh um going up a away class you know justes that little thing of ah this guy might be a little bit bigger than me now or have the little bit of strength a little bit of size size Advantage but the guy took it on three days now so I in in my head like he couldn't be that [ __ ] heavier than 70 kilos if he's taking it in three or four days now so you know it's a lot for him to take as well that you know I was right there's a fire who's at been training out for the last 10 months for a specific opponent I am a different opponent but this this guy like I was ready you know for two months for anybody to S I had across me I didn't care who it was and so nothing really changed for me and plus the guy was a bit of a ghost I couldn't really find any of any footage of his past fights you know anywhere um I found a social media and that was about it h because I couldn't find anything else you know I usually wouldn't even look up social media I couldn't really give a bics about someone someone social social media I was main looking for footage and clips and tape and stuff like that um so the only thing I really knew is it was an Eastern European guy probably you know a pretty good background in some sort of grappling if he's you know Eastern European taking part in the Mixed Martial Arts um so the game plan stayed roughly the same Dave to be honest um and yeah I was happy enough that I still hit those three goals I had and during the fight yeah no that's that's fantastic and I I'm delighted that you got that fight said I followed you for quite some time and and I was talk to the first time you got to pull out and I could the devastation obviously for but it's gone ahead now the end of the year you can enjoy Christmas now as well you can enjoy Christmas don't obviously get too heavy going into New Year because do you have plans for New Year are you just going to take everything as it comes now because of the way the last year has planned out you had the the year kind of planned out in your head and and what how fights you wanted to kind of have because that went the way it did this year sorry um are you going to take it as it comes rather than look for numbers and just to see how you feel on the day like just see what fights do pop up as they they come come along I think going into the new year you know I'm GNA stay disciplined and F then I I want to be ready on you know three to four weeks now as for any fight that might come my way I want to be open to as many opportunities as possible for next year as well I don't want to do anything to myself or you know add anything into the lifestyle is going to hind that so like now now trips away anyway until I get at least another two or three fights in you know and then I I can reward myself after that because I do want to get another solid couple of fights in I I have a nice bit of momentum now coming off this fight like I said still no injuries and and hopefully no injuries now till till the end of the year so it's just about staying fit staying disciplined having you cheat days every now and again like we all need to have and and then yeah just like I said taking taking all all these opportunities that are going to be coming my way next year yeah and obviously there's a big potential with like Clan Wars like said are linked with pfl um you've got cage as well with Jamie abber I think probably looked the best I've seen Jamie abber and a not that he he didn't look but he just looked that that the pro game yeah like it seemed to so much more you done you done really really well h i was Sting Cas for that fight and I was [ __ ] I was jumping around the place I was like a [ __ ] rabbit bounce around the place but uh yeah he done really well really really good hands put your boy away and was I think it was the second round was it but like like was piecing them up in the Force round as well so and I think you know Jamie jiujitsu was really really good I think he he got a TKO finish and the other tree boys and the card all got all got submission finishes that night saw jar and James and so that that was funny but yeah know Jamie Jamie has hands as well i' be looking forward to seeing him getting back in there in the new year yeah no because obviously you see him go you've got J Solomon who's the buzzer beater at the minute he seems to be just finish fights within the last 10 to 15 seconds or something what like what's it like now you've been through the amate you've been to the ringer and amateur iMed a whole lot there's a lot more opportunities with the likes of pfl you've got octagon you've got cage obviously cage Wars is kind of the route most people want to go but what is it like knowing that there is other options out there because MMA just seems to have exploded over the past couple of years because the talent coming out of this country especially um and across Europe what's it like having those options it's nice like it's nice you know H there's there's more multiple routes you can go you know um you know there's there there's one route for me that I do want to go though you know I don't think I'll I'll look like I said I'm gonna take any opportunity that comes my way in the next year but like ideally like I would like to go that rout with the cage Warriors maybe get a couple of fights in there maybe eventually fight for a title that's that's after Sol wins the title and then he goes to the UFC maybe do that and then hopefully hopefully get to the UFC as well eventually one day I think that's every every young lad every every young lady's dream H who who started them M that they eventually wanted to get to the UFC know that that's the Pinnacle of us so you know maybe maybe one day just give me give me a bit more time and we'll get there yeah no 100% And like that because what I like about cage Warriers the past year they've taken on the likes of Jamie Solomon darl Ward I believe no he had a they do got K Brady's debut was on it as well yeah like does that feel you full of confidence that because years ago been kind of more experienced Fighters kind of going to with the fact that you can get that chance earlier on in your career like does that fill you with a bit more hope and especially with the gym you're in you've had quite you've got Champions there you've got so many fighters that have fought there um it's just up to you now just to just hopefully the Call Comes for maybe your next fight hopefully maybe we'll see what happens da we'll see what happens but uh no I think I think uh kro especially has has a really good base in Ireland you know they they have a big fan base and and like what there there's plenty of Firs to choose from as well you you named a couple of names to yourself and that last card in D back in uh March or April whenever it was really good cards I think every just about every single fight was there was an Irish man or an Irish woman fighting you know so that that just goes to show like the the the roster um of available our forers in the country H we countless of other names that he didn't name there either and so yeah look I'm I'm hopeful the fingers are crossed we'll see what happens s in the new year but you might see me with a p of yellow gloves on eventually yeah know hopefully we see that uh sooner rather than later but if it when it comes it'll come I'm Gonna Let You Go I've really enjoyed this conversation we need to have a catch up more than I want to say years since the last well it's three I started this so I'm assuming it's about three years um since yeah yeah maybe I think so it goes one of the the ogs you know in the in the very beginning when I was a little a little babyfaced amateur a couple of years ago but uh yeah now I have the beard now I have an extra 15 fights or so under the belt so and now it's good to be back and and thanks for having me there no it's an absolute pleasure um uh enjoy your Christmas I'll be chatting you anyways and then hopefully we'll get some news in the new year and just uh yeah congratulations on everything and finally getting there and been able to stick it out because it is hugely frustrating is there's anything you want to say before you go the floor is yours if not we can wrap it up yeah I'll just give a give a shout out to the team team rhyo team rhyo done made as well all the coaches you know putting time into me putting time to into the whole team and all me training Partners as well and that that's about it yeah thanks for having me on Dave I appreciate I appreciate the time and have a good Christmas as well yeah you too thank you very much have a good evening p