Andy Chapman interview (August 2026)

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Brian Coyle speaks to Andy Chapman Andy Chapman is a BJJ black belt, Head coach of Team Ryano Limavady and promoter for Chaos fighting championship he also runs a yearly rural retreat for BJJ enthusiast's Brian talks about the professional main event for Chaos fighting…

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We are joined today by a living legend in the Northwest martial arts scene. He is a coach, he's a competitor, he's a promoter, um he's a conspiracy theorist, he's everything that's good and bad about the world at the minute. Mr. Andy Chapman, how are you? >> What's it? >> All's good. Um I had been like chatting to you, Dick, trying to get this thing up and going and have a talk to you for a long, long time. and I kind of just things got in the way and then I was scrolling through scrolling through Instagram yesterday and something caught my attention and I messaged you straight away. Do you want to tell us about this main event from Chaos? Cuz this is a huge huge this is a big deal for the Northwest. >> It's like it's like somebody who's an OG in the area making a comeback against like one of Derry's up and cominging pro MMA prospects. So like and and the exciting thing about it is a lot of people that are messaging me about it aren't really giving Gavin a chance like people that are probably more new on the scene. But like you've been around for a long time and like you've seen Gavin fight and >> Gavin fought his last fight was seven years ago. He won on Cage Warriors and that was the last time he ever fought MMA. But he has an MMA club in Money. Yeah. >> So he's still heavily involved in MMA. He's got a good bunch of boys that that that train there. He sends him down to us sometimes on my body and uh he's probably fitter now than he was then because as soon as he went out of MMA he started uh doing CrossFit for the Mickey Walsh on and he was training hard at that for a few years. Now he's into endurance racing like in a few weeks time he's running an ultramarathon down in Kerry. So the man is fat as a fle I was talking to him a few days ago. He got his metabolic age tested last month and his metabolic age is 24 years old. like he is fit and he's strong and he wants one more fight because he always says to me for this past three or four years I sometimes regret leaving whenever I was probably at my best and doing other things and I've kept saying look man you do you have another fight in you if you want it and uh Bla was in put his name in for matching and we absolutely love Bla at chaos like been a big part of our story you know going back over the last four or five years and we always love having him on the show. He always brings a noise. He always brings energy and his fighting style is brilliant like he can tick somebody's head clean off their shoulders and he comes out right from the get-go with that game plan. So he's exciting to watch. Um whenever Gavin told me he fancied it, I says, "Well, at what weight?" Gavin used he he's actually the pro uh bantamweight champion on chaos but are you going to make bantamweight again? And he said somewhere between featherweight and lightweight. I says what are you sitting at now? And he says I'm about 80 82. I says well with blame with Bla matching for his second profile and around 70 would it interest you? And initially he's like, "Boy, I like Blake." And I was like, "You don't have to not like him to think." >> Um, and he says, "Let me think about it." So then I messaged Lame to see if he was up for it. And like I spoke to Blaine briefly as well. Lame Blame says, "Look, this is this is a good this is a tough fight for Bla, but I would be interested in it around 70." Um, and it is a good fight for Blaine because Gavin has a positive record in the pro ranks. He's got 14 fights. He's fought on big shows on cage wires. He's beaten really good people. If you look through his record, he's beaten some big names. Um, if Bla wins this fight, it raises a stack like it sort of catapults him and uh where I think he should be anyway. Like I think Blaine could be knocking on the doors of the bigger shows like Cage Warriors in Dublin anyway because he's a big ticket seller, you know, and he's an exciting fighter and he has all the ingredients apart from the pro record that he can hand in front of them. But now like if he gets a win in this fight, he's got a wee bit more sway. I think it's a big name if if he can beat Gavin. Even if Gavin's been inactive because inactive in the cage is not inactive in training, Gavin's busy. Yeah, this is the kind of thing some of the some of the the newer boys that are on the scene now seen this look about said to me he goes this is a sure thing for Blaine and I went no it's not this is one of the toughest doggest fighters that you've ever seen in your life. He is like a dog with a bone. He is just relentless and you know cardio was never an issue for him. Um he just he just grinds people out and you look at some of his his record like know he's he's has ones over like Dylan Sheen who's the head coach of Samson down in Cork who's producing the next generation of talent down there who's a legit guy. Um I was there at the I'm sure it was the wild duck in where he um scoop slam KOed I think that was that Luke Luke O'Neal or I think that was his name that was in the UX show. Um, I was there that night watching that. He's absolutely he's he's an OG. I seen this here and I was just like, "Wow, I can't wait to see him back." Um, you know, he he's beat guys like, you know, Steven Taz Mcome up in up in Clan Wars. He has beat legitimate people and he has just grown them out. It's it's the kind of style of fighting that I love to watch that relentless grappling, grinding, pressure fighting. That's that's my favorite style of fighting to watch. People find it boring, but I I find it so so interesting and and like you do have this this will kind of this is a good way for Bla, who always loves to fight in Derry. It's a legitimate name. It's a it's a great fight and it's it's the kind of classic old bull versus the young calf kind of scenario. It's it's almost like the the our regional version now of Phil Pop versus Kean Lan. that kind of if if this is going to be Gavin Kelly's last ever fight and I hope it's not this could be like a passing of the torch or you know this is the the kind of the the rub that Blaine needs like either result creates a big story like if Gavin wins he's come back from being out for years he's won a second pro belt on chaos if Bla wins he's 2 and0 at pro um both fights in front of his hometown support both with like a massive hometown support the second fight against a cage warriors bet and then then that's going to propel him. But like I people have said to me too that like that that Gavin's not going to be enough after his break. Like I I train with Gavin sometimes and I train with other like pro MMA fighters and Gavin still has it. Like he still has that ability to just grind and smother you out of an an ability to do anything. Like there's a certain there's a few people around the north who you would put as elite MMA wrestlers and you'd have maybe Norma Park in there. >> You'd have Matthew Elliot in there. These are people that can just kabib you like Gavin Kelly is in the mix of of fighters. Like there's no doubt about it. He was like a Commonwealth level wrestler. He was brought over into uh Patty Puppet training camps for cage wires back when Patty was fighting on cage wires. He was used as the, you know, the grappling body for Patty. >> Yeah. >> Heaven is high level. There's no doubt about it. >> And and Patty was actually in his corner for his last K warriors fight. You go back and watch it. >> Yeah. >> But on the other side, you have Bla who has come on leaps and bounds since he since he went the FA. I mean, he's come a lot. He's leaned out. He's come down in weight. His his cardio and conditioning is now through the roof. and he's going to need all his all the skills and all the tools that he has learned from Patty McAaster and Liam Shannon to get through this test. It's it just has Barn Burner written all over it. I cannot wait. Um we we actually have two shows that day. We have one on Cork and we have Chaos and uh they were debating whether I was going to go to Cork or not and see as soon as that fight there was announced. Not a chance. Not a chance. I I would actually if I wasn't working at the on this fight card, I would be there as a fan front row just to just to get a watch. That's how excited I am about this fight. It's been a long time since I've got this excited for a fight. Um so he Gav saying this could be one and done for him. What do you think? Is it just play by ear? >> What happens? because he's still fit enough that he can go on if he wants to >> but uh like anything can happen in that like I genuinely don't know what's going to happen in this fight like Bla can take his head off inside 5 seconds like everybody knows Bla can do that the other thing is does Gavin take down because Blaine's an exceptional counter wrestler as well >> can he take him down that is the question >> like Bla's grappling's different level now like and he's working with one of the best grappling coaches in Ireland if not the best grappling coach in Ireland Mallister >> agreed And he's got he's got people like Matthew Elliot around him and other high level grapplers and high level fighters like he is he is his pick of high level people at the gym like Paul Hughes like Usman couldn't take Paul Hughes down and like possibly they might be training like I don't I don't know who he has access to but what I do know is that he's got probably the best team in Ireland behind him. Um, and and and like it's not fair to talk about just Gavin as in Gavin's wrestling because Blaine has a bit of everything now too. Like and he is the up and cominging guy. Um, and like I I just I don't know, Brian, how the fight's going to go. Like I it's a really exciting fight for me as well. >> Yeah, it's it's it's brilliant. Yeah. And and like Blaine will fight anybody. He is he is as game as they come. Even from back when when I first met him in the K1 days when he was fighting out of Wrathmore to to when he started his MMA journey, I I don't think he's ever turned down a fight. Um and it's it's great to see. It's it has excitement written all over. And you know what? If you have as soon as these tickets come out for Chaos, get them because they are going to be just add up so so fast for people just looking forward to not just the main event but the whole card in general. I mean, Chaos is always has always been my favorite show to go to and uh I just can't wait for this one. Now, we we touched on I kind of mentioned there Phil pot and and Lan. This is a segue on to what we're going to talk about next, which is the Battle of the Bridge, which is going to feature another Kraken matchup that would would have been a great MMA matchup. Uh Philpot versus Daniel Thompson. Um that has that's a Kraken matchup. How are you feeling about the battle of the the the baron and how is things coming together? Have we more or less cemented what the what the fight card is going to be? And what fights are you most excited about on it? >> Like the that that show that the Tesla was always supposed to be the tail end or part of like the rural retreat, but but the numbers aren't just as great for the retreat this year. So, we're still running it, but it's going to be like a one day thing. The card itself is is healthy. like we've got about 25 matches on the card at the moment. A lot of white belt matches and I wanted to do that. I wanted to give like matches to teenagers, white belts, blue belts that are that are in the area and maybe haven't had a chance to compete at invitational level, maybe done some competitions around the scene at national level because invitational is a wee bit different. you get your rep poster on Instagram, there's a we bit of buzz around your match. Everybody's watching just you instead of there being eight match laid out is a wee bit different and a lot of people haven't experienced it and it's good to give them a chance to experience it for the first time. And it's all local boys as well. Local boys and girls on the card. So, um I I like giving that opportunity and then just as I run a gym as well from a selfish point of view, it's a good chance for me to look at matching some some of my own people and giving them that exposure as well. especially people that think like I have four or five that have never done a competition that are that have an invitational match that white belt level and it's really cool to to have a chance to do that in terms of like exciting matches I I am excited for Daniel and and Allan as well like Daniel sort of although although Gavin had a you know like a big pro record at 14 fights Daniel's had a similar story and that he was super active and doing well on the scene and then took this big break before like he came back on on the last show on chaos. Um so and he impressed that night against a really good striker and Jimmy Horn and he and he impressed with his striking. Um Fbot like has to be favorite for that match I think. Um just just by way of the trajectory of his career took and moving to Australia and fighting on massive shows and like getting back onto the PFL. So, like he's been more active than Daniel, but Daniel is sort of similar to like what you spoke about when you were chatting about Blaine is that that Daniel won't turn down fights. Like as soon as I said to Daniel follow option, he's like 100%. Like let's like and it's grappling's different to MMA. It's a game. So like neither of us is going to get hurt. But it's a good chance to test yourself against somebody who's like competed at a high level in front of a lot of people um and see how you match up against them in that in that one skill set. So, I would say that that Allan's probably the favorite for that match, but Allan's too smart to discount Daniel. Daniel is a good grappler. Like, and Daniel's finished a lot of his MMA fights back in the day with like really really high level grappling. Like, I roll Daniel as well like weekly. And Daniel still has it too like you know, Daniel can catch me and uh he can definitely catch he can catch a high level person like Allan on his day as well. There's no there's no doubt about it. Katherine McFaden is that it's good to see her back again after >> good to see her back. Yeah. >> After having her baby and like she has a a high level opponent um in me who's won and competed at a very high level has got some medalled you know at good IBJF level competitions an absolute like real high level competitor at purple belt. So it's a hard match for for Katherine but like Catherine's won the world master at the grade she's at. So, she's proved herself as well. And it's good to get two like I I in the post I think I called them fly bears for BJ in the north and they are because like they're purple belts. They're high level purple belts that have that have won at a high level. So, I'm really interested to see how that match goes as well because it's a case of, you know, has Catherine got back to the level that she was before before she had her child and if she has, you know, you'd have to fancy her in that match as a favorite to start with just by what she's achieved. Now, I have watched Catherine uh I've watched Catherine make recently competing at invitational matches at the like a slice and scrap and stuff like that. She is she is good, man. like she's really like so I don't know like it's another match where it's like I don't know how this is going to go like and it's exciting. >> This this this is the beauty of BJJ versus kind of MMA. Like in kind of MMA you're going it could go this way, it could go that way. What the thing about BJJ is it's about who's who makes the best decisions under pressure. You know, it's a it's a game of chess. And that's what that's what's amazing about it. And and with what I love about BJJ is it's small we things. It's nuances. It's we movements. It's a hand here. It's a frame there that maybe the people watching aren't really aware of, but it makes all the difference. Um, and >> there's no >> Okay, who's that? >> Brian Coy and Chris Dunn. >> Oh, Chris D. Chris Don's that easy. >> I don't know like like both and it's an even match like it's a good match and uh >> like it's just one of like again this way I run these local invitationals. It's like two good lads, two people I like. >> It's it's a fun match and and there's there's do you know what? There's no pressure on us. We're we're old guys. We don't care. We don't have those egos that everybody has from years ago. I couldn't give a whether a won or lose or draw, whatever happens here. The only thing I will ask you is what where where's the wit? Where's the wit for my fight? There's no wit. Is it open wit? >> I was under 100. >> Well, I just I just spent eight days in Italy. They're carbing up, so I must be close to them now. Chris Chris is looking lean at the minute. He was he was wearing holidays recently as well, but he was in the gym last night for the NOI class and I can tell whether people are leaning in the class compared to the ghee class when you're wearing the rash car. So, no, he's I must actually I'll message him and send you his weight. But no, he's'll >> he's leaning. I'm I'm thick. I'm I'm looking like a thick boy now. >> No, that's going to be a good match and I hope it's really close and then I can get you into the cage again. No, no, never going to happen. What? So, what what what is the rule set for the for the battle at the Baron? Is it sub only? Is it going to be decision? Is it going to be rest decision? Is it going to be overtime rules? What what are we looking forward to here or how are we going to win these matches? >> The rule set will be according to your belt, IBF rule set by way of what you can do. >> Yeah, it'll be scored sub only. So and and in a weird sense like subs will matter but if it'll be scored subjectively by the ref if it goes to decision speaking to the ref today. So like if somebody's completely dominating somebody for the full match but then there's like a weak guillotine attempt at the end by the person that's been dominated obviously the person that's dominated the match will win. >> Yeah. >> But if it's relatively easy or if it's relatively even I mean then sub attempts will come a wee bit more into it at that point. So, it'll be subjectively scored, but it'll be to the person that was aggressively forcing the match. And sub attempts is a sign of aggression because a sub attempt is an attempt to finish the match. So, that that's how it'll be scored. Um, so the best thing to do is be go out look to dominate your opponent and if the submission attempts are there, then take it. So, I always tell my I always tell my members to treat a sub only rule set match as an IBGF match anyway because IBGF scores for advancing position. And if you're in a dominant position, you're more likely to hit a sub attempt anyway. So, like if you go in with an IBGF score and rule set, you're going to put yourself in positions where you can attack submissions anyway. >> And do you think, look, I've I've often look I speak to Gareth all the time about this. Do you think that there is a market for, you know, BJJ events to be run like MMA events in terms of, you know, the the the setup and the production and the the venue and stuff like that? Could it be done or is it still too niche a sport yet for that? I think it's too niche like and there there are a few promotions like Polaris that have done it, but I don't know whether they're heavily backed by sponsors or I I don't know how they're able to keep uh running these shows and make a profit and still have a brilliant production at them, but I just think that it's a wee bit too niche to run at the level that you would run MMA shows at because like for example, if if Catherine M and K McFaden have a super technical game match where there's really small margins. You're talking about frames and hand positions moving the odd inch either way and it's a super tight technical to match and you might you might see as exciting and I might see as exciting. There's not you're not going to be able to pull somebody out of a bar at 8:00 in a Saturday evening and get them to go and watch that match because they won't understand what's going on. I I always say that like 10% of people that's um go to BJ invitationals they watch probably 10% of people don't do it but still have fun watching. Whereas if you go to an MMA show there's probably 90% of people that don't do MMA that's still able to watch and enjoy the show because it's a we bit more primal in the sense a we bit more sort of like a gladiator thing where one person is trying to tick out the other person and it's exciting to somebody that may not understand what's going on the whole time. That's why like you would see a lot of times under MMA threads online where you've got somebody out grappling somebody where people are like just stand and buy or whatever. Like MMA is more exciting because it's a wee bit more primal whereas BJJ is a wee bit more nuanced and I just don't think I don't think that it's exciting to somebody that doesn't do BJJ. So I I I struggle to understand how you could get big crowds and to watch invitationals. That's what I think. And like if you even look at the Irish scene recently, a lot of promotions that try to get uh Irish grappling up into that like show level aren't really able to do it. They're putting off shows or they've ran shows and they've stopped doing it now. I just don't there's not a lot of money to be made from it. There's definitely not. So like if I'm I'm running this show in Lavar to try and give a platform for people like and selfishly for my members as well to get a platform um and then local people and network amongst other clubs so that that I can use those networking connections then to help with MMA shows on down the line and we've done that already like you know that like that's that's the reason why we're able to set up some matches on MMA shows like Max Mafi and Toby McNarland for the amateur bantamweight title. I was able to make that match because of my grappling connections, not because of because of anything that that I have done on the MMA side. So, I would use those grappling shows and stuff to build connections to to help with chaos as well. But I don't think that they can run independently and be massively successful on the in the way that a cage conflict or a chaos or something can. I just don't think I think it's too niche. Um, no, no temptation for yourself to take a match on this >> on the battle of the baron. >> Yeah, >> I probably would have at the start, but but we've got um I think we've got 13 members on the card. So >> you're going to be >> those members those members pay me a membership to coach them and if I'm like worried about myself and I'm not able to help on the night and like it might seem like see the way we were chatting earlier it's like I don't care if I win or lose like and that's a good attitude to have and I would have that attitude now at my age I don't care anymore but for some people that are doing their first white belt invitational it's like it's like a huge deal and like they pay a membership to be coached so it's it's not fair if my head's in a different place So if I didn't have so many on maybe but but now that now that was sort of filled up a lot of the card own members now I would rather just put a wee bit of time into them that night if that makes sense >> for for and plus the the kind of matchup that that would kind of interest you you know in terms of who who you come up against probably would be better suited for you know like like a bigger show just to say like this is this is a small kind of to get everything up and running. Just say for example, throw something out there saying some other like high level black belt. Say say Craig Jones come over and want to do a matchup where you you'd be putting it on Chaos, wouldn't you? You would be putting it on the >> It would be Craig Jones and Galla >> I just I couldn't think of like a like a who who would be the most exciting like if if Craig Craig Jones offered you a match, would you take it? Ah, hey, like anybody would take a like because grappling grappling's not the same as MMA. Like you can go in and test yourself and you know you're not going to be hurt as long as you just like know and sort of thing. So no, not Greg Jones because I think Greg Jones on socials like destroying people open mats and stuff. So no, not Greg Jones. >> No, you're all right. I'll I'll have trouble enough with Chris Dunn without throwing in somebody like an elite level black belt. me me and Chris will probably spend most of the time chatting to each other on the mat just trying to go right there's four minutes left come on calm down a bit sir calm down a bit when whenever I fought uh uh Kyle there at the at the chaos where I fought him and it was like 10 seconds ago and the claxon was going I going right can you calm it down now it's nearly over I don't I don't have the energy to be holding you down anymore >> I missed your fight because I think we had somebody at the back that was the next fight or somebody that were warming So I didn't even see it, but I heard that it was a great fight. T's good lads and >> it was uh do you know what I look at it and I you look there's no point in coming in with like trying to come up with some kind of game plan for me. You knew what my game plan was going to be. It was always going to be the same. Get it to the ground and like whenever I done the first fight with Kevin and uh went chat to Gareth and it was about getting it to the ground. I go I don't care if he's better than me on the ground. I'm more comfortable down there. And that was just the plan from day dot. So like people people like look even when I spoke to K after he's like we knew you were going to shoot. I was just like yeah cuz I have nothing only a double leg. That's all I had was a double leg. But it's like it's one of those things even even after the fight with Kevin where I lost and I wasn't disappointed. I was just amazed that I got a chance to do it which going to bring us on to something else. the the the next season of the Alpha Project is going to be happening on Chaos on November 14th. Officially, when are you going to start training for it? >> Now, at the end of August, so in the next week or so, we're going to get our programs up and running. I think we have five or six on uh Jason has a similar number. There's names coming forward just on on the day now because Jason's like constantly posting up uh like uh marketing videos for it. So, there there is people interested. And then there's another couple of gyms that have that have got in touch. They say that they'd be interested in supplying >> fighters with two three months experience. So Alan Fulpot's new gym, it's a brand new gym. So he's got new starts in there. He might be interested in putting a few people forward. Uh, hybrid nards always have good beginners programs running. >> I've been in touch with Arnold about maybe getting a few people from his like it's good to be able to fill out fights because it's not easy always to match on the alpha project and then already like today and I'll not name anybody but we've had a former prolevel boxer with four pro boxing fights who's looking to go back and maybe fight MMA. So then there's a there's this battle of trying to match him appropriately because he's got such high level >> experience one area. So we've already contacted a high level elite amateur who's always talked about wanting to you know try MMA as well. So there's a potential alpha project for both of them that's going to end up in an amateur fight at the end of it if that makes sense. Bren those boys probably go straight into an amateur fight and like we've nearly got that over the line. We've got as if we can agree a weight between the two boys. >> We've got a high level striking amateur fight out of running an alpha project. So there's lots of we quirks and twists and turns that can come from doing this. Like it's it's seen as a program to get somebody off the couch. It's never done anything um combat sport related before to get them in the cage. But it also brings these sort of opportunities as well where people have maybe maybe they grappled maybe they're a black belt and and they thought I'd like to try that once. So you have to try and match them against somebody similar like there's there's a potential for a really really good amateur fight if we can just get it over line. I wanted to get it over the line before doing this talk today so that I could announce it but I don't want to say anything in case the weight's an issue for one of them. But I'll let you know as soon as it as soon as we uh as soon as we get the weight and you'll like that fight as well. I like all fights. I like all fights. That's just that's that's my thing. Um I just always loved watching fights. Boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai. And once I start Chaos, >> huh? >> Were you at the last chaos, weren't you? >> Yes. >> Did you watch the Pro K1 fight between Shawn Kelly and Cody Peoples? >> Yes. >> Like it's those sort of fights that I love. And this is why I love the idea of Gavin and Blaine. Cody and Shawn went into the cage. And I didn't have a clue how that fight was going to go. It was a mad fight. Like Sean was winning that fight >> and then just like with a few seconds left he was sick and ended up losing by, >> you know, TKO. Once you once you lose control of your bodily functions, it's TKO. >> But like that was such a class fight. Cody was brilliant that as well. >> Yeah, that's that's the the the beauty. People always talk about fighting is whenever I say I love fighting. Oh, it's barbaric. And I go, it's not. It's an athletic contest between two equally matched people who have agreed a weight and a discipline. And that's what fighting is. It's not like out in the street few pints and on a on a Saturday night and picking on some wee boy. And it's just it's it's primal. I think that's what it is. What why I just I gravitate towards it so much. Once I started grappling then and I started understanding the ground game then it just heightened my interest in it cuz then I start oh I couldn't get enough of watching grappling and then and being involved in grappling. And there's nothing more humbling than stepping onto a mat and jiu-jitsu gym for the very first time. It really lets you know where you're at. But right, we'll wrap this up here cuz our time's running out. But uh was really really good to chat to you. Um I want to get talking to you again probably on my own wrapped up podcast where we can talk conspiracy theorists and >> and and nut job stuff and uh people that would get us banned, things that'll get us banned from from platforms. >> Oops. That's the only one for today. Yes. Thank you very much for your time. Uh look forward to see I'll see you on Saturday week when I'm standing there getting my hand raised against your boy. Uh >> no wrist locks. That's the only condition. No wrist locks. >> I blew that rules. >> It's it's always just prison rules down where you down in uh Savage Martial Arts. Lovat Garav Garav Vaughn will have you well prepped. and you'll have plenty of tracks up here as well. >> Thank you very much for your time and I will see you on Sunday week. >> Good to see you, Brian. >> Thanks very much. Byebye.