Jack Corr interview

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It's been an extremely long time and I am extremely grateful and h happy that I have Mr. Jack Core with me. He's going to be fighting on the uh cage war November 28 I believe. Would I be correct in saying >> it's been a long time since we've actually seen you fight 4 and0 four finishes. One of the people I don't think gets talked about enough and I think was >> I don't want to say underrated but overlooked. Uh I feel um how are you? Thank you very much for joining me. How are you feeling getting shot on cage warriors 4 and0? How how does that all feel? >> Um, absolutely buzzed. You know, in my mind before I turned professional, I wanted to get to about four wins. Four wins was like the baseline in my head to get comfortable with the rules set, feel comfortable fighting professional, everything about it. Um, before I got a shot on like a big organization, I wanted to build that way. So, especially because my pro debut was short notice pro. So in my head like that wasn't even a professional camp. Do you know what I mean? So um just absolutely buzzing to get on Cage Wars. Massive massive platform, massive show. Um biggest in Europe, you know, the amount of UFC fighters who came from Cage Wars to get um you know, and I'm just really excited to be on I think their best card of the year from the looks of it. Um including myself. >> Yeah, there's some crazy fights on as well. And I'm glad as well that when people are signed the cage warriors, it's not just the February and September, it's not twice a year. You see like Alexander Sullivan H and other people have gone over. I think there was three on a card I believe a couple of months ago in Newcastle as well. Yeah. Um but I there was one thing I would ask obviously like you said you wanted to get to 4 and0 being comfortable and stuff. I think that's the right way because I think well that was was that your method going into pro was was get on the region shows and stuff because obviously you've been on the region shows you kind of know what to expect. Cage warriors is is a step up like I said you're going to have a lot more media obligations whereas when you're when you're fighting in Ireland you've just got me texting you usually or or the energized lads or maybe the triangle whereas you're going to have to do a lot of video stuff and a lot of stuff. Did you want to just kind was so that was a conscious decision to to get in and get embedded with the kind of pro rules and and just take it before you kind of ventured on to the to the next step. >> Yeah. Yeah. It was more um well that that side too, but I wasn't even thinking about the media side or anything like that. I was just thinking about you know the competition level. Um, you know, like I've I've seen people on Cage Warriors before, like I would say my last opponent was cage warriors level. Um, like entry level, I would say. Um, you know, he was coming off a threeight win streak. Um, had never been finished. Um, actually finished Cage Warriors fighter Kade Perkins in his last amateur fight. He armed him who's flying at that guy's flying at the minute at bantweight. So I was like, he was a good level. So it was more in my head. I wanted to build from like each level. Um at amateur I think I like sort of thought backwards where I started at IV off and then went back to the regional shows. So I wanted to um so I had like tough competition from the start at amateur and then sort of finished it fighting on you know clam war stuff like that. So I wanted to, you know, every fight I had at pro, I think I was fighting people with the same amount of fights and like each one was a step up and in my head I just felt it was the natural progression, you know, getting 4 and0 get more comfortable and obviously my dad had his own show, club show. That was good for me to get experience. I fought in chaos as well. Main event main event of that. Um, you know, Millennium Form, great spot to fight in. Gwood, great great spot to fight in. And you know, Cage Warriors, I was looking from my last fight, I was looking to get on at Cage Wars events. Some of the timings just didn't work out for me personally to get on. Um, but you know, once I seen the November date, I've been on for a while trying to get on to this card and, you know, Manchester fighting away. I'm just really excited finding a guy with the same amount of fights as me. Looks like a good opponent. So, I feel I'm ready for for the next level, the next test. And, you know, I'm used to fighting abroad. Um, most of my amateur career was abroad. Um, so that won't be a problem for me either. >> No. And one of the things I want to ask you is like if you look at your amateur career, I don't take this as like there's a lot of wins, a lot of losses, but do you feel and this is this is what I always try and get through the fight is when they lose. I know it's not a nice feeling of losing, but do you feel that those losses and those experience have been one of the things that have helped propel you at the start of cuz it's better them happening then than your pro. Do you think th those were one that was something that helped propel the way you start? Cuz like four fights, four finishes. Unbelievable. Like do you think that was a part having those experiences then have helped you now? >> Definitely. when I like I I fought in martial arts competitions as I was a kid for years and I always done really well in them and then when I was 18 um there wasn't much young when I was 18 so my my actual amateur debut will be 10 years to the week of my cage wars debut here so I fought in European championships in 2016 when I was 18 and back then there was no youth eye mass there was no under 21 eye mask so I was 18 and everyone else in my category was like 24 5 from all about Europe and I was a we bit naive going into that and thought like I was like from fighting as a kid I was like I'm unbelievable I'm so good and like I won my debut at the IMA off Europeans but it was still tough and then I lost my second fight the the day after and you know when you went to the IMA offs you were never unless you won gold you were coming home on a loss so I actually was sent to my dad for like the first three years of my amateur career cuz I was fighting at IMAS and I never got to celebrate a win like properly like I won and then that night you're like right you're fighting tomorrow morning horn again do you know what I mean so like I never got too high and you know I think I'm good at it you know even my last amateur fight was a split decision loss for a title and you know you can let that um pull you down and not be motivated but I like at amateur I had to keep believing in myself to keep fighting, you know, like you're come fighting the top level guys and you're taking wins and losses, but you can't I in my head if I've had I know some people who will lose a fight and be like, "Oh, what was the point in training so hard for that?" Do you know I've lost it was a waste of time. In my head from fighting an amateur in the worlds and now fighting pro, in my head I'm always like, well, I've got better in that training camp and then the fight I can test it out. You know, if you lose an when I was if I lost at amateur, I was like, maybe I would have lost worse if I didn't train harder. Do you know what I mean? And in my head, I'm always like, nothing's wasted. So, and now I'm 4 and0 getting to fight in cage wars and like there was a point in my amer career where I was like that's not going to like I'm not going to be a professional never mind fighting on cage wars. So, I've just built it up and I feel like I'm at my peak confidence levels, my peak performance and I feel comfortable in the cage now. Like there's times amateur where I felt like oh I'm not ready for this or whatever but a pro like I feel locked in every time I'm fighting. So yeah, I think the the losses really prepare you cuz you can go your whole amateur career without a without a mark and first bit of adversity hit a pro like that could be you ready to ring it in like >> yeah I like what you said there something I just want to to ask you based on that but it like I really like the way you kind of explained that as well and a lot of people like people see you now flying at 4 and 0 and like you said you you didn't think you'd be a pro or think was there any stage where you like really had to mentally like kind of reinforce obviously you've got a good family around you with your father and everyone else. Did you like did they did you really have to go like am I going to make it at this and this isn't me getting at you. I just want to find I just want for people who are going through amateur and they're having some losses >> that like >> they can like you can come back and look at the way you are. Kieran Clark's another example I want to say he was 13 and 10 went 10 and0 as a pro. What >> at any stage did it did it get really hard and did you ever feel like maybe this isn't for me? Yeah, like in my head I I think I'll always do martial arts, but it was all right. >> No, you're all right. >> Um, that sound all right, does it? >> Yeah, that's good. >> Yeah. Um, in my in my head, I was I'll always be a martial artist. So it wasn't as much like I can't envision myself never not training martial arts in some capacity even when I retire. I think like my dad's the same. He trains martial arts himself like like even when I like do stuff like go on holiday if I don't get a we session in like and like for a week I feel like gez I'm so lazy here. Do you know what I mean? Like I just think I'll always have that in my head. But there definitely was a time where I was like I think like the end 2019 like I fought fought in the world had two fights. One my first one then broke my hand in the second fight and then co came in was recovering from a broken hand didn't fight for a while and then started 2021 was hoping to get a fight again then broke my ankle. Uh so then I was like my first fight back it was against Adrian Barrow in 2022 and I remember and that was my first fight on home soil as well. So I had fought from 2016 and then had those injuries. So I'd been fighting from 2016 hadn't fought in Ireland from I was a kid till 2022 and I remember before that fight I was like am I actually good? Can I remember how to fight? Like all these thoughts were going through my head and I was like first fight loads of my friends were going to watch in person and I remember being like am I like am I good enough to do this and like after that fight when I won that fight that just sort of from then I've sort of like no like I am good enough to do this you know you're taking wins and losses at the world championships but you're not fight any bums at them like and they're tough fights so even the ones you lose like you can take something away from him and then even my last two fights against Kieran Bradley like they were both nip and tuck and then that's what sort of pushed me to turn pro thought the rule set would have suited me better which it has like I think of more weapons to use and stand up and uh yeah but I I just always you just have to like you can't get too high on the wins and you can't get too low on the losses you know like one thing I've took away from winning a pro as well is no one cares as much as you do when you win. So it's the same when you lose. You think everyone's like, "Fuck He's lost." No one gives a to two days later. Like some people might be like, "Oh, when they see you, but like a week, everyone cares too much about themselves to care what what happens to you." So that would be my advice for any amateurs who are like going through losses. No, no one cares as much as yourself. So you're you're you're biggest critic. So, I think I'm good at detaching that from my head and just I just focus on my training and then when it comes the time to fight, you know, that's the time to see if you've done done all the work. >> Yeah. No, and that's good though because like to be a like you said, no one cares like and it sounds like a shitty thing to say, but it's not it's not that it's everyone has some >> It's a good thing to say. I think it's a good thing for you mentally to think of because I I think some young fighters and like I have to remind myself of it as well when I'm training, you know, you're like >> like I'm on this card. I'm probably going to be I think like the second fight on the card like >> it's the main event for me. Yes. >> But all the ones who are going there like they're caring about the later fights. By the time the main event's on, they're not going to remember my fight. Like I if I was watching a car, I wouldn't I wouldn't care if it like oh did you see that guy who lost there? >> But then like when you win it can springboard you on the bigger opportunity. So if I win obviously I'm that's my plan and going to be buzzing. But you know I'll be buzzing for two days and then I'll be too deep in a food coma to care about anything else after that. >> Yeah. I just want to clarify what I was going to say. It comes across when you say no one cares as and and I say it as well because I like >> I when something happens to me I think it's the biggest deal in the world like you said but then people go I didn't know it's that mistake or you know and you but in your head you've you've overblown it but it is like you said it's the best thing to say because so many people have their own stuff going on own problems own fights own records to deal with that. Yeah, >> like it is it is it is a bigger deal in your own head once you can detach that and that's really good advice. But another thing as well um obviously with travel with the IMAS and stuff um do you think that's helps you prepare that when you're going in because a lot of fighters going in for their fifth fight on Kors might be their first time having to travel. Do you think like the likes and especially with the match you have to be so organized because it's day off weighins and stuff like that. Do you think that has really prepared you? you kind of there's kind of no worries or concerns about going over because you've you've traveled before and would you urge amateurs to travel if they get the opportunity on other regional shows or IMAS? >> Yeah, definitely. I think it's a it's a very good thing to do if you're planning on going pro, you know, I think all the IMFs I done, especially the later the last few thigh wayins and stuff, I think they were hard. They were harder than than what it will be like not the like the fight for instance, but the actual whole thing around it. You know, you're flying out for a week of fights. you know, you have to get the, you know, you don't know who you're fighting for a start. So, like that's in your head. You're thinking of the other 31 boys in your category. You're like panicking about each one of them, what each one of them is good at. And then you're planning like the recovery is so tough as well, especially like towards the end of my career. I was get like naturally getting bigger. So it was harder the same day when were very very tough like to get the banton weight and you know you're basically doing a weight cut. I was doing a wake cut overnight not sleeping basically and then getting your medical and like the line you could barely get your you couldn't get your breakfast at those mass I went to until you done the medical straight after the win. So but you were in a line of like freaking 200 other fighters. So you were like standing there waiting and then got to get your food in and you're fighting about an hour later. Do you know what I mean? It was it was tough towards the end. So, you know, this I'm I'm flying out three three or four days before the fight and, you know, doing my weight cut over there and stuff and, you know, a full over 24 hours rehydration, you know, compared to those imas and like I was doing it at mass if if you fought multiple days, you were doing that process multiple days. So it was just pure hectic like so and then like even boys I know boys who look like will fight as you said like on regional shows like across new care or whatever and like that's the same that's that's preparing you for pro as well you know like going out different city you know dealing with different obstacles and stuff so I I would suggest that to a lot of amateurs. Yeah, because like that it's um it's like that the good thing about the UK is same language, a lot of the same products, a lot of the same kind of stuff. Whereas people have gone over to foreign countries and it's they don't have certain maybe ingredients or or stuff that need for refuel and and a lot of people get caught out that way, but like you've experienced that. One of the things is obviously with the the title fight that you had obviously on your dad and I really like because obviously that is a home show and that's where your fights were and I really like that it wasn't just handed to you straight away like it it was you earned it you know and and that's the way it felt. Do you did like what was it like competing on a home show obviously hopefully from here on you can go Kors Kors and then on to the UFC and and so how was that? Did you cherish and kind of cherish the moments for those shows? Because like the chances of you fighting back on that show is probably going to be slim because your your your career is going to go that way unless you come back >> later on in your career. But what was like did you did you take in that moment when it was happening because a lot of people just want to get to the end and not enjoy the journey in between. >> I've loved all the experiences of all my pro fights. It's just felt like all my pro fights have been the main event as well. So even my pro debut in the Millennium Forum like um I know Chaos it's not there anymore. starts in Everglades something but that that Millennium Form was I really enjoyed fighting there that felt like an away day as well because like I'm from Belfast so we traveled down the night before um stayed in the Airbnb and you know like that form it was cool looking up because most of the seats were above the cage so like it felt like you're >> fantastic venue wasn't it >> felt like you're in arena so I really soaked that one up and then obviously Gerwood the Gladiator like I went next door to Girdwood, you know, played sports on the pitch beside it in the basketball court and stuff. So that was a real home show. And each fight like M McCoy was a tough fight. Big rangy striker. That Brazilian I thought was about seven foot and so awkward like and but then the last one Sam Draper he was tough tough guy. And like the title fight that was I didn't like I probably could if I wanted to I probably got could have got a belt way earlier than that but I actually said to I don't want to I don't want a title fight until I'm about you know going to be about 4 and0 so I I and then you know my last amateur fight was for a title which I lost. So that was I was like freaking and then I I was like cuz obviously like if you win a belt on Gladiator you get to keep the belt. So I was like and then my dad had the belt in the house for the whole week before the fight. So I was I was like I don't even want to see it here. And I was like sake this English boy is going to take this belt back over to England and my dad's going to be raging at me. So like all that was in my head but like to win that on my home show in front of loads of my friends and family you know I was absolutely buzzing. It was it was it was a really great feeling. But like that's as I was saying earlier like no one enjoyed that or cared more than I did winning that belt, you know. know like so obviously some of my mates are like Lesie the belt and all but they're like you know but it was unbelievable to fight in my local show and then going to be excited to see all the boys from my gym again fighting at the end of the year on the gladiator and I'm more buzzing that I'm fighting before so I can not even think about myself fighting at all like I can just fully enjoy and corner at that show >> you can have your whatever food you want you can have a beauty if you want because likely this will be your last out for Christmas In terms of I know who would have cared as much as you your father he would care. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Probably more actually. >> You can see it. You can see I I can remember when you won or was it yourself or EMTT and there's the picture I think Nikki got from him at the side of the cage know celebrate and it just shows >> what like those wins are wins for him and it's I I just love the the family dynamic and and and everything and and Danny's someone like me and Danny have had so many like we've been talking all week about different >> we we could go on any topics but um >> I'm going to let you go. I want to thank you so much for coming on. I'm really looking forward to your fight coming up. Is there anything you want to say or anyone you want to shout out? I really appreciate your time and the floor is yours. >> Yeah, just want to thank all my sponsors, my family, my coaches, my training partners, my girlfriends, my lots of new sponsors have came on board as well. Um, so that's really helping with all the extra medical cost and stuff and fighting on cage wars. So yeah, just want to thank all them and all the boys getting me ready for the for the fight. Um I'm feeling in great shape. So looking forward and everyone everyone who's bought a ticket. So if you're still looking at ticket, you can um go on the link in my bio on Instagram and ticket links there. So >> yeah, >> all there >> if you can't make it over as well. Fight Pass is only I believe 10 a month as well. So it's actually cheaper than buying a pay-per-view for for a reg. The regency needs those prices because they need to recoup. But obviously with UFC fight, so if you can't make it, you've got fight pass. Jack has tickets. He's got the link. We need to put more money in the fighter's pocket. So click his link. Do you I don't know if you get commission or not. I know what we won't even talk about that in case you do [laughter] in case you're not allowed to. But thank you very much for your time and I can't wait to see your fight. And then hopefully you get to enjoy then Gladiator Air with pizza and a beer. I I'm >> beer after. I'll be cornering loads of the boys. No, can't be. >> Just put it in a Lucasade bottle. Put Put some cider in a lucasade bottle and then we'll see come the main event. Uh because I will hopefully I'll be speaking to Emma in the coming days. Thank you for your time. Thank you for all the support as well throughout the year and uh enjoy the rest of your evening. No >> worries. Thank you, Dave.