Denis Frimpong interview

Summary

Denis Frimpong a long time consistent guest on the show has been on the shelf for a while now, we caught up to talk about his time out and plans going forward

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Kind: captions Language: en [Music] I'm here with Mr Dennis Fring pong it's been a long time since we've talked uh I was expecting you to be fairly active this year that hasn't been the case you wanted to be active this year I want to thank you very much for your time how are you um how things um how have you been the past couple of months because I know you want to be active and and things haven't really happened for you listen I I did want to be active myself this year I was hoping five fight this year which would be a fairly normal year for the Menace but um yeah obviously we had some out of out of the cage incidents that led to me not being able to H get that t on but uh you know um I'm hoping One More Fight by the end of the year I was looking at even [ __ ] other sports and all to try and get a fight obviously I signed a fight with pfl that fell through because of uh the aforementioned incidents um yeah you know it's been it's been i' I've been good though I'm still training you know what I mean I'm always training I'm going [ __ ] fight or not like I'm I'm ready to fight someone if they [ __ ] look at me wrong in the street so you know yeah so yeah like that we were looking forward to I was looking forward to to seeing your fight and obviously like he said this outside the cage incidents um you're looking fight one more time before the end of this year what like what's your plan then for next year um I know it's a bit far away but are you looking to kind of get as many as you can because of the the kind of layoff this year like I said you're fit you're healthy is that is that more frustrating when you're fit and healthy and you can't get get matched like yeah but you know it's it's given me a bit of time to also focus on things that when I am active I haven't been able to focus on you know like outside of the cage stuff life you know what I mean [ __ ] forming relationships and you know bu building me own own thing in in life uh which is which is nice as well because as I said I am still training I'm still getting better it's also given me a bit of a an intermittent period where people are going to watch my last fight and they're not going to expect what's coming in the next fight because they're going to think I'm still that fighter but I've you know as I say I always say this I'm still making those newbie Gams so you're going to see a completely different level of fighter at that stage like I I look at my last fight with khum and I just know I'm I'm a completely different fire and everyone says that but I actually am a completely different fire now um and also I mean my goal when I made my MMA Pro debut was I want to have 30 to 35 fights in my career which you know if I had a 10-year career would equal three fights a year right and so yeah like I can still I can I'm still on track to do that you know I could have sometimes four sometimes five maybe two one year you know what I mean so on average it's three fights a year so I'm still on track to do that so yeah I'm not too B I'm just more so I would have liked to have known that was only had gonna have three fights a year so I could have spaced it then I could have said January June and like November you know rather than January April [ __ ] ages and then you know but uh it's not like I've been out for two years so rust won't be an issue anyway yeah and I was actually G to you actually answered a question that I didn't even ask was about the improvements uh that you've you've had since your last fight do you see them yourself H or do you just go from one stage to another and then be like [ __ ] how did I get there or do you feel it every time you're in the gym do you see it every time you at a span partner do you see them as they happen or is it more of a reflective thing looking back it's it's reflective and it's like at the very start start doing it you see this progression of like it it's like a almost like a like a bell curve progression and it plateaus somewhat when you get to some stage but then you see like incremental incremental incremental and then this boom level up every few months and I've had like two three of them since my last fight so I just know like it's it's going to be a long night for whoever has to get in the cage next um and I've also changed my whole outlook on looking for K looking for finishes everyone's KO and finishes yeah but I just I'm at the stage now I just want to [ __ ] hurt people I I I want I like you know it doesn't hurt getting knocked out you know I've never been knocked out but people have described to me it doesn't hurt you just the lights just go off and then you wake up and you're grand what really does hurt is spending 15 minutes in there getting hit with shots that aren't knocking you but they're hurting you you feel them and then you get CAU and then you get [ __ ] Ted in the belly and you get a leg kick and everything hurts and then after that 15 minute fight you're like [ __ ] H me I'm [ __ ] I can't train now for another three weeks so that's what I want to do to people now I just want to buter them you know I wanted Tony Ferguson them I want them to look like they've been in a bad train accident um and I'm not even AR about finishing if the Finish comes it comes but I'm not looking for it you know do you think obviously with uh with your outlook being like that that the Finish might come more natury did you find in fights you were looking for the Finish you were trying to push it and rather than just kind of being in the Rhythm and just like said just teeing off on people hurting people because you've got the TS you've got the Jabs you've got the leg kicks um if you just what if you just kept doing that you think it will eventually just present itself rather than you you chasing it yeah I think it will open up the Avenues a lot more easy and every knockout I've gotten has come where I didn't think I was going to knock them out in that sequence it just [ __ ] happened it just like him off as part of some I don't know what you want to call it like adrenaline fueled [ __ ] spur the moment thing um but yeah I do think it will happen more organically now um that I'm not hunting for it because as you said when I did get Knockouts and then I looked to finish people I I didn't where when I was like just going in like yeah I'm just going to stick to the game plan I I did knock people out so yeah so yeah obviously that just shows a little bit maturity then on your on your stage and and just true experience uh of being in the cage and talk to us about the gym at the moment Jim is absolutely buzzing H it's fantastic Jim obviously yourself has gone there armon's gone there and Armon since he's had quite a bit of time there looked fantastic I think the guy he knocked out was the first time that guy's ever been knocked out you've got five in all the major promotions obviously there recently as well in UFC how is how is that gym at the moment and how are you find it you spent quite substantial amount of time there what's it like and just tell us to people to Fighters that or that might be interested in joining around that area yeah obviously we've got Lon just just out on not last weekend weekend before he's in the top 10 now UFC he's got to be um you know a top 10 in the world guy that we get to pick the brains of and Inspire with and share the M time with it's invaluable um and just knowing where our levels all that because we all see how we get on in the gym and knowing that that's the level he's at like we know we can compete with anyone obviously we've got atiba just one on Contender series not long ago knocked the guy Sparkle um OB we had Maxwell on pfl um he's being described as another Francis Sanu uh we've got kiru out now in a couple weeks on uh road to UFC Asia he's in the final um yeah A lot's been happening um so by the end of the year we'll have three fighters in the UFC I imagine by the end of next year we'll have six seven eight fighters in the UFC if you know if everything goes well um so yeah we're slowly becoming um not just a Powerhouse of MMA in the UK but a Powerhouse globally of MMA and everyone's going to start realizing that they can't [ __ ] strike with us and I think people already realize that once you're in there with an an Mt fighter you know it's it's it's anxiety do you know what I mean because he understand the Striking game so much better than a lot of these other gyms that they just get like oh [ __ ] this guy's not just standing and banging he's technically systematically doing things that I don't understand so let me just grab a hold of them and that's that's how they'll fight you know yeah because that that Lon Murphy and Dan eay fight that was actually obviously apart from Max and Nicole main that was one of the fights I was looking forward to because it was an that that proved to be an exciting fight it looked like it was going to be and it was and with like you said you you you predicting that there's going to be so many in the UFC from your gym in all these big promotions uh and across obviously the UK K and Ireland now do you feel that the levels across Europe and mostly obviously those two countries are going up and up and up that there's more Talent common outties countries and why would you think that is I mean I can't say why that is I think obviously Inspirations have led to more kids doing it likees to Connor likees to Leon Edwards likees to Michael Bisping like to Tom aspan you know yeah they've pushed on the Next Generation people and next generation of kids and Fighters that maybe were in Jiu-Jitsu or were in kickboxing to then go to MMA um you know taond whatever happens to be whatever other martial art so that could be a factor also I think just like the knowledge of like when you get someone like Leon who goes in there in the cage against these high level American guys high level whatever other guys they come back they sh share the knowledge the knowledge grows it spreads someone trains with Leon you know a few times over a few weeks comes back to Manchester says oh this is what I picked up off him then they go to Liverpool you know what I mean and and the knowledge spreads um and it's a small country so like the knowledge will spread faster so it's not like you're going oh I'm from Florida and this guy's from New York it's [ __ ] it's might as well be another country do you know what I mean um so the knowledge I think spreads faster the UK and Ireland um and yeah I think just like like I said just the the culture of Excellence that's being built through seeing that this can be done by us not just by the Americans and the Brazilians and the Russians you know yeah no 100% And obviously you haven't had a fight in a long time so you've been kind of quiet when you're quiet I don't know how to take it I always used to you going at someone when you're quiet are you happy are you waiting to go at someone and I know obviously you've no kind of fight booked at the minute but is there is there anywhere or anyone you'd like to fight at the minute or like to start terrorizing people again um the quietness has come as a result of a few things obviously um I've not had a fight um you know I did terrorize conle a little bit when I had that fight book with him um yeah also just like as I said earlier I'm focusing on like life things and other things in life life you know I'm I'm trying to like I'm too busy to be honest like and as uh Lil Wayne said Real G's move in silence like lasagna so take that how you will uh it's the C before the storm it will it will come um you know the Menace is still about I'm just watching obviously my page got deleted as well so that's a big factor um I don't have as many people to keep entertaining anymore as I did uh but that you know that'll all come back that'll all um yeah and there was there was a couple of Stories on there or highlights that I I wanted to show people which we couldn't go back and see because I was trying to describe it to people and they just couldn't understand and I you have to see this you have to see this but obviously we we couldn't um do you have like a a timeline for return like I said if if I know there's not in book or if the world that in book I wouldn't expect you to but like is there a date you'd want to come back at are you just going to take it as when a fight comes to you you're going to go for it once it's I will have a fight by the end of the year 100% like I will not go the rest of 2024 without having one more fight um I was actually meant to fight on bkfc that was in talks um I just wanted to knock you know and it was something I always sort of juggled with the idea of an opportunity came up um but unfortunately they've moved I think they they've changed the date of the event so I said I'm not going to wait around till next year and uh I'm currently in the process of trying to sort out another fight um if that goes through it will be a big fight H for the scene for the UK and ardan scene for MMA in general for myself for my opponent um yeah yeah I look forward to seeing a fight announcement then and bkfc obviously you've come from uh you came from jiujitsu True to MMA what made you want to try your hand at at Baron U I wanna like just can I just correct you there yeah before I ever did Jiu-Jitsu I came from bar knuckle yeah okay when when you fight people on the regular in clubs and pubs in school you don't wrap your hands up and put Glo on you just [ __ ] scrap um there's headbutts there's [ __ ] all sorts involved you know other people jumping in so that was my background um yeah it was as I said it was something which I was interested in I like the the Outlook of it I like the the way it's laid out um it's obviously a growing sport um someone can't hold on to my legs in bkfc um and I think I I think my style would suit that I see a lot of guys in in do bar knuckle that for lack of a better word are stiff dosers you know they just rely on their their hardness and their grit but I would go in there I believe and I would technically outclass piece up cut up and you know outwork a lot of these guys so that was that was the main inspiration for that uh and and I'm not closing all doors that in the future I I want I want to have one fight in every real set so I want to have a Muay Thai fight at some point I want to have a K1 fight I want to have even a [ __ ] Taekwondo tournament do you know what I mean I want to I want to do it under every style and uh I think Baron knuckle is one that just appeals to me quite quite a lot to do this so yeah that's that's quite a booket list and it is an achievable one to try and get in every discipline and you talked about obviously a lot of people rely on their Harless do you think as well if you went to bkfc as you do in MMA at a way class you will just be too tall and rangy for people and they just wouldn't even with your Technique they just wouldn't be able to touch it I think I just [ __ ] piece up people from the outside and to be honest even in the leadup when I was thinking that I was fighting I did a lot of boxing my hands got a lot crisper and even on the inside this what I'm saying like my game has totally changed my box in is so much more crisp my inside fight in in in in boxing range is so much more kick crisp I'm not relying on my kicks as much anymore I'm boxing people up um you know getting in that pocket biting the gumshield a little bit and having faith in my hardness and obviously just the mentality and the mindset you have to go into when you're thinking I'm fighting Baron knuckle do you know what I mean [ __ ] I'm GNA have to [ __ ] get dirty here so I've started getting dirty in the MMA rounds now as well um so yeah like my style used to be like some pristine prostitute you know like that you'd pay a a couple grand for a night with but now I've become some sort of dirty Street brass that smokes crack four times a day and yeah I'm just going to get in there get in your face spit my blood on you you know what I mean and make you call me daddy right I'm trying to hold back to laugh here for a second while you finish set up but um I like the analogy by the way very poetic as as your standards always are um you talked about the inside boxing there as well that your boxing has gotten better do you feel obviously you were able to keep people arranged with your kicks you can keep them on the outside and if there was something that was good on the inside that's where they look to get get with you is with that Improvement do you think that's going to stifle a lot of people's offenses against you and then nullify like the Striking chance within the shorter range 100% And yeah like people are going to try and get inside they're going to get inside now and they're going to realize oh [ __ ] it's it's not safe here either you know um it was never really safe in there anyway because of the elbows and the knees and all the other tools but now people are just going to get punched up in punching range they're going to say [ __ ] that I need to get out punching range get out get out into kicking range get kicked come back into punching range get elbowed so it's not like I've changed my game I've just added another layer you know so it's my style has become more and more like an onion you know or like an ogre so ogres have layers my MMA style has layers so I'm just adding layers every time every few months there's layers getting added and every one of those layers invol was brutal violence so you know I I I actually can't wait to see you come back for me it's been too long that you've been not fighting uh I was quite I want to say not disappointed with you but disappointed with how things kind of went for for you this year because you're one of the Prospects top prospects coming out going into Pro the way things kind of started in the Pro went very good and then all of a sudden we haven't seen you for quite some time and and for me it's a bit of a shame I can't wait to see you get back in there I'm going to let you go uh I'm going to thank you very much for your time is there anything you want to say before you go or anything else the floor is yours if if there is and thank you for coming on again yeah obviously thank you Dave for having me on it's always it's always good to be on remember the first uh sort of interviews I had so uh it's always good to get back to me Roots um one thing I want to say is keep an eye keep an eye out on the Instagram um a fight will come soon as I said it's going to be a big juicy fight um verbally it's been agreed so just have to wait for the contracts to come out get signed get the announcement out there and to any fighter who looking to go pro soon or having you know early on in their pro career don't sign for octagon MMA fair enough yeah CA yeah we Allon go into that in too much detail but we see will flurry I in my opinion he's knocked out he he should be getting tit shot now Carlos is fighting someone else um I I I don't nobody some nobody yeah so but I got to let you go thank you very much for your time and hopefully we get this news in the next couple of days no I appreciate it Dave thanks for having you and have a good evening lad yeah perfect thank you