Kenny Mokhononana interview

Summary

Kenny Mokhononana fights this weekend at @Cage_Warriors for his 9th professional contest, we speak about what a fight week looks like for him, what it's like fighting in Dublin in front of his home crowd, competing on a show like Cage warriors, We discuss his recent form and…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, so I'm here with one of the first people at the time who accepted for MMA MMA in death and I'd be forever grateful. He's a really good guy, Kenny the Black Diamond. He's going to be fighting at Cage Warriors this weekend, uh, a show in Dublin. For context, if I put this out during the week, this is done the Sunday before the show. So, thank you very much for joining me. How are you? What does a fight week look like for you coming into Monday of the fight week? Cuz you taper down. What does it look like? Explain to people who might not understand what a fight week looks for a fighter. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, nice to be on the show again. Nice for having me on and um yeah, just we're obviously going into the fight. This is the Sunday, so Monday's tomorrow is start of the fight week really for me. So, um just it's kind of the training's done now. We've done six, seven weeks of hard training. My last bar was actually Tuesday and then after that it was um just like cardio cardio things. So, this week is just about getting the weight down, getting getting the water up, water loading, um changing my diet, and just um just making weight and preparing mentally for the fight. Yeah, that's that's pretty much what it is. >> Yeah, the water loading. I've been with someone when they've done the water loading cuz I went and I I was there and I was like, "How are you drinking that much water?" And then I >> That's my fun. when you see the process like I'd love for like I will get someone on that's done it to to because we don't want to explain it fully here because it's about you but the process that goes through cuz I was like how does that work is literally tricking the body but it's not a nice process you're you're pissing all the time you're full of water and then once you try to drain like once you're cutting then you can't touch water so you've gone from one extreme to another and it's just a it's not a nice process but it's what all fighters have to do to make weight um coming up you've got cage wires uh which is another promotion you fought on like top promotions Bellator PFL you fought on then two in Ireland cage conflict and clan wars as well so you've been around a couple how good does it feel to fight on cage wars cuz especially there was a lot of SPG weren't really invited onto it before whereas now that kind of bond has it's not that it's resealed but SPG fighters are on how does it feel to be on Cage Warriors in Dublin so you can have all your fans to uh to be able to travel to it >> yeah I being in Dublin fighting in Dublin. It is it is handy. Like I I do like going away, but there is definitely some negative to to going away as well. Like like I can like obviously being home like when people are here like it's it's like um familiar to me, you know what I mean? It's easier to get get things that I need um like food or cooking food or something like that. Like so yeah, that's it's handy in that regard. And obviously um obviously my people can watch me as well. So yeah, I'm excited for it. like with the beef as well. Like I don't really I don't really get into involved in like that beef has nothing to do with me like so and other other fighters in the gym. So um it's good that like that politics doesn't like isn't getting in the way of um a lot of up and cominging fighters um getting opportunities. So, um, yeah, it's good to see a few few of the boys, Steven and Gary Rooney on the card and and you'll see a few a lot more like um, SPG fires in the next few cards as well hopefully as well. >> Yeah, cuz like I said, ultimately it's an issue that was from a couple years ago. Whatever happened, that's irrelevant. That's none of our business. And and it's rectified now. Like I said, there's Conor McCarti from SPG Char as well and you've got Max Ali as well. So it just shows like how many people would have been missing throughout the years on these cage warriors cars because of it. But but you're here now. You talked about like being able to get your food and stuff like that and it being familiar. But sometimes like it's good fighting at home and away, but sometimes when you do fight away, do you find you can get more locked in because you've less distractions around you or is that something or you still get distractions when you're away? Oh yeah, you can still get distracted if that's if you just It depends on the type of individual I think to be honest. Like when I was in Dubai in January, it was just like it was just hard. I had to walk like 40 minutes to the shop to get like something like like um like a powder that I needed for my shakes or something like that. Like cuz obviously like a fighter's diet on fight week is different to like a normal person's diet. Like sometimes when you cut out salt like like everything has salt in it. It's it's hard to find things that aren't like don't have salt in it like and you have to cook your own food because like you be power that some of the ingredients has salt in it or something like that. And just little things like we get weird stuff like something like sweet sweat or something for the sauna. We rub like sweet is like a kind of oil that you put on you to make you sweat more. And um it's hard to get things like that, but like if you're in like I know in Ireland like I know where to go. Like I know exactly where to go. I could walk I could walk like 50 minutes in in like Dubai and not find the thing that I'm looking for and I'm cutting weight at the same time and I don't find it and then I find out it's it's only like 2 minutes away the shop that I needed to go to after walking all them them miles. So um just little things like that. It's the little things that like make a big difference like when you're fighting a home, but obviously there's advantages to finding away as well. It's good. It's a good experience as well. Like >> Yeah, it is. And like that you you've you start your professional career, you were finishing everyone. You've had a couple of fights where the things haven't really gone your way and you you're going into the next fight. How did that affect you initially if you don't mind me asking cuz cuz you were flying high, you were finishing everyone. You had a really good amateur career and everyone gets that loss, but like what was that like for you when when you got the first loss at Pro? Uh if you don't mind answering the question. Yeah, it hurt like every every loss hurts like um there's no loss that hurts like one more than the other. Maybe like the one in Dubai like I didn't really I didn't really like sorry um the one in Dubai didn't hurt as much but it still hurt obviously like it really really digs deep like when like um you're by yourself and you and you work all this you put so much into your camps and and things like that as well and it doesn't work out for you obviously um but um yeah like all I can do is I've learned a lot from a lot from the losses as well like obviously I never thought I'd be in this position with three losses back to back coming off being from 5-0 like I never thought that that would be a thing but like um yeah this this sport like anything can happen um that's what makes it so so uh great as well keeps you humble keeps you on your feet as well like um as well so yeah I've learn I learned a lot and I'd like to put what I've learned from them three losses into this fight I feel like um as well it's not the first time I've been on a skid before like People only see my pro fights, but obviously I have a I have lots of amateur fights and I've and I've been on a few skids before, so I just I just know how like how to bounce back from it. I know not to take it take it too deep. Like like I heard Anthony Joshua say one time he said like don't let your lo your wins get to your to your head and don't let your losses get to your heart too much cuz like this is the sport like we like I lose all the time in like training and um yeah I learn from it. I come back I have some good days. is I feel like I'm the best in the world. I have some bad days. I feel like why do I do this? Like I feel like every fighter gets these gets these um get these feelings. So um yeah, like I'm just looking to get bounced back from it. Obviously I made a few mistakes. I know I I know I've had to work on um and yeah, I'm looking forward to um to um getting a win, >> you know, and we're looking forward to as well. I have a feeling it's going to be rear naked. I don't know why, but I predicted that in one of your fights. Um and and like you said, I've I would obviously know the IC, so I would know you have an extensive extensive amateur career and you can kind of see that the the guy that you're fighting has not as an extensive as you, but he's got quite I believe he had 15 fights at amateur and then he's come into pro. What are you expecting from this opponent and and how are you approaching the game plan? Obviously, you're not going to give away your game plan, but do you look at that? Does Dave, does John or or whatever coach? >> Yeah, of course. Yeah, of course. Yeah, we we I feel like my last just let me just talk about my last fight like I feel like decision making throwing kicks at the wrong time just and just like rushing things, throwing kicks at the wrong time when I shouldn't be throwing kicks against someone that's good at catching kicks like judo people have good good uh at catching and they've told me this thing. I just didn't listen like um but um I'm not here to make excuses or anything like that. Um like I I take my losses on my head. Losses are losses. I come back from it. But um the game plan this time, I feel like last time I just thought I was just going to just breathe in, kill the guy, easy fight. And um when it was a hard fight, I I I wasn't I wasn't ready for a hard fight. Like I I I feel like that that's that's obviously my fault. Um I expected a I expected the H United to obviously think I was going to come in, wrap him up, and that'll be it. like my like my first few fights, but every fight is different than um and when I seen that he wasn't fading, I've seen you can see the look in his eye, he was he was busted up and he was still coming forward and I think that had a mental effect on me as well. And um I feel like um like I feel like he was prepared to die in that fight like to get that win and I and I wasn't you know what I mean? And um this this time around I'm looking at this like this is going to be a war. I'm I'm I'm mentally preparing I'm not preparing for an easy fight. I'm preparing for this to go this whole three rounds. I'm expecting him to take big shots, me to take big shots, and in the in the third round, maybe I can't breathe out my nose, things like that. Like, and I still have to fight on. So, um I'm expecting like both of us to be in deep deep waters and this time mentally prepared to push through like um adversity in this fight. >> Yeah. And it sounds like obviously you've changed your mentality. You said you went into that fight expecting an easy fight and when you overlook people that's usually most fighters I speak to that's usually when it goes something happens and they're like I was looking past this guy whereas he was only looking at me you know way and and like you said the decision- making and that will obviously you will correct it going forward. Talk to us you talked to us about Dave Roach there. Obviously, John Ka is is well known and around, but John Ro or Dave Roach, sorry, is someone that I don't think gets as much plaudit as he deserves. Talk to us about Dave Roach and your relationship with him. I think he's a fantastic human being, fantastic mind in the game, and a fantastic coach. Uh, from just my personal experience, what's it like to be around him and training uh under him? >> No, 100%. Um Dave is like oh Dave  man anything any any like problem I have with like outside of the cage as well he's like coaching me outside the cage as well I don't know how he does it he's managing like 50 fighters at once like like the day I fight at cage warriors yeah the night before he's at PFL in um France so he has to the next day he has to take like a train at like 7:00 in the morning the next to Brussels and then get a get a plane back somewhere else and then another plane back to Ireland just to make it back for um Cage Warriors. So, I don't even think he's going to get time to go home like um his dedication to the to the fighters is um something else. I don't know how he does it. And um yeah, like it's like um I think we everyone at the gym I think I think the fighters in the gym do like big him up like as well like as John like um he does a lot for the fighters and um yeah as well as well as that like I feel like as well I I let a lot of people down as well like like I said Dave doesn't mind if I lose as long as I give my give my best performance. So, um I feel like as well as that, like I want to get this back for um Dave as well, like um and his dedication to even getting get to the fight is is mad as well. But um yeah, Dave Dave is a great mind for the sport. Um and yeah, great great person as well overall. Yeah, >> like you just telling me the travel he's having to go to to get there. That just shows when you see a coach doing that. Whereas a lot of coaches might be like, you know what, Joe kind of there next kind of down, you can take the corners. But the fact that he's going through all that just shows that he he wants to be there for you and he will be there for you because that's a lot of hoops to jump through. It's it's a lot of things to do. And like you said, he's I think he's fantastic. Like it was actually Brad Katona who I first heard give him a shout out to you see and I was delighted for Dave cuz I when I go to the shows recently which you know I go to I see Dave everywhere and he's such a good guy. But you were talking a little bit earlier about when you lost and and you were by yourself you're being lonely. Do you think people don't understand how lonely the sport can be? Because I know from both sides when people win, if I go to a show, I'll text someone who loses first rather than someone who wins because I know I might be one of very few messages that that person will receive. Do you find when the tide is high, everyone's with you and then when it kind of goes down, you've only kind of got your day ones and the people don't understand what you go through to get there, you bow trained um to but they only get to see 15 minutes. think that the viewers don't get to see that kind of stuff realize what you go through. >> Yeah, 100%. Like even before the fight, you're obviously going to you're going to big up yourself. You're going to have you have to have confidence and like even if you you have to even like  when you say it enough times to yourself like you know yourself like it's like um you say something enough time to yourself it's more going to likely happen than not. You know what I mean? Then if you say like ah this is gonna be this this you know what I mean? But um yeah like I I felt I felt it like I know I know in the game you're only as good as your last fight. Like you see it like like everyone everyone was talking about Leon Edwards or something when he was beating Kamar Usman. You don't really hear about many more. You know what I mean? Or or like there's so many examples of it like so like you know you're only as good as your last fight. So um or your next fight. So it doesn't matter how many wins you have like you can like I think Kefir even saying saying like himself like I think people see Kefir's page like he's he's an example as well like when he bet like that UFC veteran like everyone and then he he was dropped your man on the misfits like everyone was like on um on a big hype like and then when you lose it's just like you're sh I mean you could finish 100 people but you lose a few and then people just forget everything you've done but that's that's the sport we're in like you're only as good as your last fight and this is sports in general. So, um yeah, you just have to you have to be thick skinned skinned with it. You have to know know the sport as well like and yeah, that's just just how it is. I understand it and I don't take it like too too much to heart cuz it's just sports in it. >> Yeah. And that's something I see gradually over time that >> it gets better cuz I know armies that come in and and they take it real personally like you were saying that quote I love. Don't let them go to your head and then don't let those losses go to your heart because when you win obviously it is good and it's a good feeling but you're straight back to the gym and I I feel it should be the same if you lose. You can have your 24 hours to kind of regroup and kind of think about things and then I think you should be straight back in gym. That's easy for me to say I don't fight but the mentality that would be my mentality uh like the resilience how >> someone going to work or something it's the same like you have you do something like 9 to5 about you know yourself if you work like you have a great day you're just you get a pat on the back and next day you're just like what you doing you know PR meeting or something you know what I mean like that's just that's just life isn't it? >> Yeah. No it is. It is. And obviously with with the fight coming up this weekend, uh how good does it feel obviously to be fighting on Cage Warriors and looking to get that win in front of of your home crowd, your people, your family, your friends, your fans um to to for that screw to turn and for it to turn back around for you cuz I'm convinced that it will turn back around for you this weekend. >> Yeah. So yeah, obviously yeah, I left my I let my family down like like I not then again I don't want to I'm not going to even say anything about excuses like like I just obviously I made changes in this camp that I feel like will make a huge difference and um my dedication has been more because um I'm I'm not even it's not even about respecting my opponent. I just have to respect the the sport and the game. Do you know what I mean? Like cuz and you know yourself any how many times have we seen upsets and underdogs  knock someone out? He can knock me out. I can knock him out like lucky punch or lucky kick anything that can happen. So you you just have to respect that and you have to expect anything and and I'm expecting to be in a war and if it's not in a war happy days but I'm I'm just expecting a war. So um yeah that's that's what it is and like obviously that's all I can do. I can I can say I can do all this for the people, but like I just have to I have to focus on the fight and um afterwards then like like I can show them like like um my work what my work has done like cuz um I think the hardest thing is just putting yourself in them uncomfortable positions as well. And then yeah, like your family can't can't can't help you in them situations and all, but like yeah, I do want to get it back from my coaches and I've put my body through enough through enough shark tanks, through enough rounds. I've chose the hardest rounds. Um I've put myself in the most uncomfortable position. So I can look back at this camp and I can say I've done everything I have to do to um be fully prepared for this for this fight. >> Yeah, was I like that. If you do that leading up to it, that's a also a mental thing going into you've done everything you possibly can. So whatever the outcome will be will be and like that I think is going to be win. I'm going to say round two rear naked choke. I don't know if I can bet on this. I don't know if there is places to bet on it, but I will be trying to bet on that if it is available. I'm going to let you go. I want to thank you so much for your time. Apologies about all the delays and rescheduling. Is there anything you want to say before you go? It's been a pleasure talking to you again and we'll have to do it again before your next fight or after this fight even if you'd be interested. >> Yeah, 100%. Anytime, Dave, bro. Um, yeah, I just want to say a massive thanks to obviously anyone that's supporting me. Um, big thanks to my like my girlfriend Kelsey. Thanks to my sponsors, um, my mother, my family, my sister, my whole family, my friends, you know, you know who you are. Um, I want to thank one Hutch. um Wazy Workshop um four 4x4 Blanches Town and then um Battle Ready and Evan Tracy Photography. Thanks. Thanks um for the support this camp. Um you have helped me get to the get get this get like getting getting here is the hardest part. This is going to be the easy part. So getting to this part of of the camp is um is um the easy part. You know what I mean? This we're going to have a fight now. And this is the fun. This is the fun part. And um the hard part is over. And um I wouldn't have been able to do it without without the support and the backing of um all these people. >> Yeah. No, 100%. It's not an easy road to get through account, the financial side of it and everything. And and these people are there and they're able to support and help you. Like you said, you've done the hard part. Now you just have to go in and have the the fun easy part uh which is the fight next weekend. I look forward to seeing the fight uh best of skill. And thank you so much again and I will talk to you very soon. >> Yo, it's cut out there for a sec. >> Oh, did it cut out? Okay, I'll Yeah. So, yeah. So, what I was saying was, yeah, getting to the fight is the hardest part. These people supporting you are essential in MMA because there's not as much money in in MMA as people may think there is. Uh, you >> you've done the hard part. Now, it's just the fun easy part for you. Next weekend, I want to thank you so much for your time. It's been an absolute pleasure. and I will talk to you just straight I we I'll talk to you in messages anyways whether we'll do an interview will be up to you but I will talk to you after the fight. >> Nice one brother.