Ciaran Brady interview

Summary

Ciaran Brady makes his professional debut on Cage Warriors this weekend, we talk the preparation for his first pro bout, amateur career plus plenty more

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] I'm here with here on Brady one of the probably the best he definitely was the best Banton way Amire last year with The Virtuous tournament I want to say three belts as well 11 and two I want to say you finished on in the end y yeah that's right y fantastic career I followed a lot of it not from the very start but you were very active uh cage Warriors debut very exciting I want to thank you so much for your time how you feeling leading into this week on on this big event and how does it feel to make your pro debut on a stage such as cage Warriors and in Dublin as well uh it's it's it's great obviously um it's probably perfect for me h i be a real break for my own home comforts you know for doing things comfortably H and with the event being just down the road in Dublin I have as much comfort here at home and you know I'm not too far away and I'll be still a massive stage and cage Warriors as as still be I can still remain can un comfortable enough because I'm at home you know I think my from first pro fight to go away uh somewhere other country and all would be maybe a bit much for me so um I'm glad that I got the opportunity the cage was coming to H duin and they me to fighting the show it was great obviously but again for [ __ ] nervous as [ __ ] have been for every every fight you know it does I think I've told you before I'm not telling you any lies um I'd be nervous i' be scared i' Be Wondering to myself what am I doing but I get there and see I'm able to perform you know yeah cuz like what you just said doesn't mirror the way you fight in the cage you're calm like in even at amateur you don't have much time to work in the positions especially that you like to work in because you're completely at you're dominant and you're very overwhelming with the rest but you take your time you never rush it and you never see you talk about the nervousness you never see that in your fight style but it's something I actually want to ask on like people say a lot of people say I don't get nerves anymore for me that kind of I don't want to say sces me but it concerns me because I think if you're going into something such as cage Warriors or any sort of a fight there should be some nerves shouldn't there oh without the shadow of that if if you're planning you think of it this way if you're planning on fighting somebody who's doing this at the very least it's very similar if not the same thing that you like the amount of training you're doing you have to look at yourself as someone who's dangerous you know like in training what three hours a day how many days a week to fight somebody to hurt somebody um and that's a thing you know I would be scared getting in even to fight myself because I spent so much time learning this thing and getting better out you know so I'm I'm fully expect the other guy to be doing the same thing so that's why you know I'm realistic like you know he he he could as easily knock me out as as easy as I can knock him out you know because we're both trained to do that so you have to be prepared for it and it's a scary thought too at the same time so yeah I look I'm the same as you the people that said don't get scared I be thinking to myself [ __ ] they're M but again it's still own you know suppose it works different for different people different struges for different folks and all that but ter of obviously you'd won so much to amateur were you expecting cage Warriors to come in and and if so what was that like finding out they were interested in you and knowing that they obviously were watching you at some stage because they didn't just pick you out with a hat well it just it all kind of happened quite quickly I I thought I had bloom a chance I'll be honest with you I when we were at we were over OCT on um in November must been the 26th of December or November for ar ar McDonald's Pro debut um and I was over there was s on and we were just it was the Friday or had we in and we had just just be all day really you know he had reloaded night ate with him we been to nond we got I had been a real fool that day you know and uh it was tur like a we holid day when then went back to the room that night and I was Ling down in the bed and S looked around him and goes what we are you and I says St the skills anyway and he said I might have a fight for on bre 57 kg but I'll be honest I was 72 kilos when I stood on the scales that night in Manchester and I had six weeks to get this I five weeks to get to H 57 and I did say myself when I was going to go pro I could probably make 57 but it's a hard enough sport hard enough this life without killing yourself for any longer you know I'm happy enough BTO if things don't go so well BTO then maybe I'll think about 57 but but for now I thought then I did agree to take the fight originally the first few days I said yes I will didn't e for four days got down from san2 about 66 67 and then still had no fight contract through and the then the pair that they were offering wasn't the original what it was originally offered so I just want you know what it's not worth it I'm not taking such a massive risk so once Brave once I turned down that opportunity I thought oh [ __ ] I've I've I've missed my big chance you know but then again d it was next option was Dy show I which I was happy to fight on happy to make my debut on and then one day Dy just Tex me saying hey if if I can't get g maton i are do you want to fight in cage Warriers and I was like oh well I yeah I suppose why not you know H getting scared to death like I'm probably thinking to myself [ __ ] even D myself till now am I ready to fight on kids Warriors you know but I have to look back then I never expected to do so well in my am career you know want so I have to look at it that way you know who knows how how well I'll do here in pro career you know yeah I I think youell yourself at times I really really think you do um but I think that's what drives you to become better I think I certain aspects I used to do with when I went back to college when I was older in my job I'd go I'm not doing good enough but that would push me then and I'd get better whereas I find if I rest on my laws and go I'm doing a fine job I just I coast and and it seems like you you are doing just getting better and better every day and cage Warriors what like when you look at obviously just yourself there's a Daryl WS making his debut or his cage War debut with second fight Emer Darcy there's a couple like there's a couple of guys that would have been around the scene the same time as you that are just breaking through Solomon Simon people like that how does it feel when obviously you've got this opportunity but you're looking around at all these other guys that were coming up on the scene which you're thinking like these guys are all here like what does that make you think about Irish MMA and the level we're at well that's it it gives you confidence and that if I was able to be at the top of our MMA um like we we are strong our MMA is strong you know if we can get like how many I don't know I would love to see it but how many times do say the cage Warriors go to a different country and nearly fill the whole card with just the local Fighters you know it's um like warri card is more less done that you know it's more or less all there's nearly one AR fighter in each in each fight and to be able to do that it just shows the strength of of the the strength and depth of ourm you know and and so to then yeah as you say think back and think right I come from that that category it must be strong I must it gives me confidence then you know obviously I must be doing all right you know yeah no and and you are doing you're doing better than all right let me tell you when you started from your very first fight right when you started your am Journey did you envision this happening within this space of time not a hope not a hope in hell um I can remember my first fight St warming up for it and car mam was the clown War bate champion at the time he was warming up to defend his belt and I was the first one of the first fights and I can remember looking over at Carl and thinking [ __ ] look at him with the belt and all that's class and then within five fights I fought him in the fifth fight for that belt and I lost that was my first loss but I can remember thinking the whole way through the fight oh my God I'm [ __ ] actually surviving in this fight I think it's one of the reasons why didn't win that fight was because I was too happy that I was surviving I was comfortable you know I was like [ __ ] hell I'm in here with him and I'm happy enough for myself I'm doing okay but only know when I look back I didn't really put myself out of my comfort zone in that fight because it was just so I was so proud of myself but I was still in there and doing all right you know so no if he I really wouldn't have made I still laugh went to song M her yesterday and we're sitting the two of us three of us Sor I just laughing going holy [ __ ] we're fighting kids this weekend like you know here we are but yeah it's great it's mad even the wife laughs too sometimes like you know here we are it is it is mental I like that you had a very extensive in a short space of time as well you had a very extensive amateur career and I like what you said obviously you were looking at car then you were fighting him and it sounded like you felt like you were just you were kind of happy just to be there in the cage with him but as you got on you you got so strong and and that's why I loved your style you were just so overwhelming for opponents and um like what did you end up I want to say three titles and The Virtuous trophy yeah it was chaos yeah chaos belt and then the the Buras tournament they all came nearly all together at the end as well didn't they so I think I think an interesting fact an interesting fact about my I think it was so there were four so that's four and then at two losses before that were title fights so against Alvis and so I think I've had like so was that four five that's title fights out of my last seven fights or something you know it was there and you don't you know that's high level like you don't get easy title fights anywhere I suppose yeah know and like you said the people before K mcconway who's actually just made his return he was at the European championships I think he lost split today Evis L uh Jack [ __ ] you fought twice as well wasn't it twice yeah um like you just you you fought the best bet and then that you had that four or the fourman tournament the one night as well where he came up against a kind of open and comer in Dale Sheran as well and people were like how's this going to work like because Dale had shown his power and you completely nullified him and like you shut down his game plan um so like when you take away from everything all your accolades and all what did you take away most from your amateur career um good question I just just consistency me if and yeah that that that ability to never be happy with where I was at I did I went 4 and0 and then when I was fighting car started to feel like oh this is easy you know oh this is Maybe started taking a few shortcuts lost two in a row and it was the best thing that happened to me because no matter really how good you think you might be in this sport if you're not consistently training you're off the mark you know and I think that's the main thing with me I've just been I haven't talked many massive no real time off or anything and camps aren't crazy camps now where I'm think oh I'm in fight Camp I need to be doing this this and this it's just been so consistent for the last last three year two years now you know where everything's just been going well don't change with SN broke you know yeah no and saying that like that you with 13 fights in your am career and you obviously gained a lot from that because you can see like you said how your camps used to be or what you used to do with the STS I think I mean you talked about uh weight cutting as well from the start and how it went on and do you think that's why lot of people should stay at amateur and I'm not saying stay for a long time but stay for between the 10 and 15 mark because the likes of the event we talked about before how to keep yourself calm do you think all these things just come over time and experience and a lot of people now are kind of rushing to get into Pro because of the way the Seas popping do you think if you were to give it an amateur advice would you say stay in for a good few fights until you get the feel for everything because it's not just the fight you're going into it's all the other things around it absolutely it's yeah it's like even the sh I've had to deal with this week you know different people from not that it's it's been pleasure like working with cage wise it's been great and but it's just a we bit more than you're in your normal promotion like you know and then on top of that again at the end of the week you have to fight somebody here so if there's a lot that goes on and but no it's yeah I would advise yeah stay outter for as long as you feel like you can until you you feel like right like here's the truth if I felt like if I I would have stay out you for the rest of my life if s would have told me I had to go pro you know you know because that level almur level is is brilliant like so I would just say yeah keep hammering away at your arm level until your coach decides that you're ready to step up you know it's um some people feel like I know for sure like there some guys you get some off at like boys iate there that have had I don't know say one boxing fight and and think they're going to go into their number two box and F fight and Spark a b clean out you know a want to bang them in one and you're like I I'm training again I'm saying 15 20 hours a week and I don't know I don't have that confidence I'm going to do that the suay so where does that one person get the confidence from but everybody everybody's different but if if you need the confidence and you need the work on the cage time the amateur is perfect to do it like you know it's you can Ratt away fights as often as you want like I did you know anding you're not killing yourself to make weight you should be improving every time and working out what's going wrong yeah 100 like you said you you kind of I don't want to say glad but you said you happy those lost this game when they did that kind of gave you the kind of kick up to get that more consistency to kind of like okay this is real get to because better get them then than get them further down the line you know that sort of a way and and like that like I said since then you could just see you visibly invisibly improve and when people came up against it it was just like this is going to be and this is not disrespectful to people but I would look and go this is like this could potentially be just like a k Brady Mor and like controlling them frustrating them especially when you're fighting Strikers and they're down and they can't get back up and they all they want to do is knock you out but they can't and you can see even just the physicality and the the mentalness of them they kind of just go like get deflated and you are very good at you have a game plan you stick to it and you do not deviate that's one thing well that's what I get from watching your fights I don't know if it is actually no 110% that's how I got the where I've got to exactly what you're saying there like you know there's no there's no secret to it that's exactly it I have a game plan ni stick to it that's what I assumed but then I was like maybe it's not his game plan he only knows his game plan but that's why I assumed it looked like I'm going to go in do this do that and then you move on but going forward obviously you're gonna be fighting on the card with Dei okay so Dei has been around a while he's been on C he's in the gym he's kind of like and I spoke to him the other day and he feels like he's at the stage that he's like more he's a mentor now to the younger kind of generation talk to us about Rel with Dei Melina 100% exactly what you just said there he he's a bit of everything there he is um I would call him people I try and describe him as I would just sort say our team captain you know our our main our main Pro he's H obviously he he's been a big part of Team tourism before I got there but um when I did arrive like Dy has been almost like a big brother figure like he is everybody in the gym you know especially when we started running a year he started running year he he he he looks after us you know and it's not like he looks at him so not saying that as and he gives us EAS he fights or anything you know cuz he definitely doesn't he picks the the toughest fights for a scenario but he he'll always give you a fight if you need it he'll always give you a reason to be training he he all he'll keep he'll keep tabs on you know if you're [ __ ] up he'll give you here where were you what are you doing you know and you know dck McAn is is a top is 100% one of the one of the good guys in the sport like and um it's an absolute honor and a pleasure to be sharing the car with him funny like even you know the gu and energy energized a show up the poster today of me and ding on the same poster fighting on cage Warriors and when I seen it I was like f you know it really blows my mind like I'm thinking to myself my God because again I would have looked up the Dy massively like you know when I started I first started going to new ad walk still do look up to him but [ __ ] D mcleen and he's fighting on keid Warriers and now I'm fighting alongside him you know but it's been great he's really helped me out and I'm glad I'm fighting with him you know it was made a lot easier that's for sure that he's on the card it's give me a lot of confidence knowing that he's going to be not too far away from me at all the times like yeah no he he's he like he's a promoter he's a a partner to his his his misses he's a f he's a fighter he's and he's just an all round he like you said he is one of the good guys in this Sport and what I love about him there's no [ __ ] with him like if something he'll say Dave like this that the he won't be a Deon but he'll just say straight out this is this is why it is and he definitely didn't give you easy fights because there's a lot of cards I remember going to like but he done that because that wouldn't have benefited your career and do you feel fighting on his show benefited your career because he gave you the hard fights oh absolutely yeah we like the shot over D it didn't hold me back like uh and like the one even against Alvis L was short notice inter turn title fight that like I had just bought him a couple of weeks before in clown wars and it was up and down that week it was like I didn't have opponent then did then did and he was like boom your fighting now was go for the B and I was like Bo [ __ ] right okay you know coming off a loss I was thinking to myself oh is this really what I want to do and I lost again but and it done me no harm whatsoever you know it was I didn't I done exactly what I didn't want to do so I had a game plan and I didn't stick to it I I I I varied from that game plan and I lost the fight that's how simple it was and not just by him giv me that allowed me to know again it just reminded me to not bear off that path you know but again you know it definitely benefits us even sh look at sh there for example you know fighting sh and Damian is it there were yeah what a fight yeah you know what a fight and then like again he could have do that fight no not give sh handy know Daman had the title actually so he had to fight for it but again no look He he'll take he gives us the tough fights to improve us he's told us that before you know and he tell saying he's honest with us so he'll tell you he say look I'm giving me this fight because it's a tough fight you know and you're like right perfect he not said not not tell Li you know yeah know because like that there there's been nights where the tourus lads have been in like on I want to say the losing side of the night you know there might be eight fights and they might have lost five and one three and and he he does that for for the benefit and more power to him because he knows himself you need those fights but with this weekend coming it g to be in Dublin you know what the the Irish crowd is like like and you said before that you used to kind like you'd be worried out the back not worried but like you found it hard to take time are you gonna Embrace this or take all it in uh the event that it is and cuz Dey and yourself I would presume we're going to have a really good crowd coming down like how do you feel about in that re in the in the RDS in front of a crowd like that yeah I'm gonna have to use that to my advantage aren't it you know um obviously it could be it could get very nerve it's going to be nerve-wracking for me before the fight and stuff but that seems to disappear once you're in there and then you well I'll I'll soak up the energy and I'll soak up the the atmosphere that that the supporters in the crowd of BR like I'll definitely use that again I've been thinking about that this week you know if I can hear all my ones and Dy ones and everyone sweing and shouting there no way I ain't going to give up for a minute you know or for a second you're just going to press and go and go that whole time and look the look The play everyone that's there has showed up for you you know yeah no it is I've been to these cage Warrior shows and and they're fantastic and it's such a good opportunity for yourself obviously with your with your first pro fight with that being said has your training differed much cuz I assume you would have trained like a pro coming up towards the latter part of your amateur career anyways oh absolutely that's it there comes a stage there where where you're fighting at the amateur where you're fighting boys that we're probably training fulltime anyway so you have to make that call I remember the day thinking to myself right long time ago now I need to all in or don't do it at all because the guys that you're fighting at that level are all in you know H but now every like obviously the training time obious round times and five minute rounds now which is a lot harder than threes so you make that you make that change and then you've got knees and elbows to the head so you have to just drill but you just add then your spawn your pad hitting the stuff way bit more it hasn't been anything drastic you know a bit more time and same sort of game plans and stuff it's nothing nothing crazy you know you're saying there's not there's not a massive level change between high level amateure and pro you know yeah especially as you're going into the the early stages of pro it's it's going to be more or less the same and and like we talked about the level that we have here like the at the high level like yourself would be better than maybe other Pros in other countries that have had four or five fights but with the elbows and the knees I'm interested I'll see with your style you take them down you're on the ground I would presume that's going to suit you because obviously when you're in positions it's hard to get back and get the swing as amateur where if you've got them in positions are you looking forward to to being able to use on the ground exactly you can use once I've got the point on the ground if it can get a bit steal sometimes down there they maybe if I'm just holding on they're not giving me anything I know have elbows to move him on you know if he's not moving the way I want him to move to I can just try and get him to move that way you know or or get him to move something because I don't have to sit there I I did have to when I was right when it's hard to get any leverage on a punch from there but with an elbow it's it's a lot easier you know again here I'm no master at the elbows yet but we'll get there someday you know yeah but like that that's all just a learning process let you go in a second but uh obviously you've got this one fight are you looking to stay active this year you can't be as active as you were as an amateur because you put out crazy Pace but have you got a number of fights you'd like to reach this year obviously you're not looking past your current opponent not looking past opponent know at the same but H like G talking about just my wife and the life in general and the kids and stuff I think August time will may be the best for me again because I a holiday booked in June I want to go and enjoy myself with stand at the water park in spin I don't want to be going looking over my shoulder and worrying about anything you know I want to be having relaxed having a good time plus my brother and M sister both are defending their BS here and next three or four weeks both I I coach them both so I want to give them a bit of time and eff over the next few weeks as well so um I maybe August time maybe if we get August and then maybe again three maybe three three Pro fights in a year would be all right wouldn't it yeah it would be it would be fantastic a lot a lot like that because people I think need to realiz you need to step off the gas as well when you come from am amateur Pro because like you said you've got lot going on you've got you congratulations on the your fighting family fighting for bels as well um yeah that's the conversation that we will have for another day because I know you're press for time I know it's fight week so is there anything you want to say before we go or anyone you want to shout out and once again I want to thank you for your time it's been an absolute pleasure k no look just shout out to my sponsors um I have them all up on the page anyway and not bombard you with them and thank you to you D just thanks for having me on let s a bit as always um and yeah thank you very much that's it thanks for having me thank you I will be watching you this weekend thank you very much and enjoy the rest of day good man thank you so much