Paul Buckley interview, Fansviewmma

Summary

Paul made his professional debut after waiting a long time to get matched, with two weeks notice Paul stepped into the cage and had a fantastic performance with a third round finish. We speak the fight, his plans for the year and current talent coming from MMA Cork plus more

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] okay so I'm here with Mr Paul Bley who at the end of last year made his professional debut uh he won in third round with punches it was a fantastic finish it was a debut we all wanted to see after the amateur career that he had so thank you very much for your time how did you think last year went for you because it ended very very well it was good like uh yeah like you said like I was very happy to get that because like we were trying to get Mas for oil and every week that went down I was kind of losing hope like it's not going to happen in 2024 I'm not going to make my debut because my last fight before that was July I think fourth of July or something and say and like since about September and we were looking couldn't get a match couldn't get a fight somewhere and they finally got something in in a week all this like so which was in it was good in a way because I was keeping the weight down anyway I was only like 84 when I took the fight going for 77 So like um yeah like since I kept the weight there and it wasn't too bad all that's left to do then is go and actually do it I suppose but yeah I was like uh just starting to lose hope like it was like that week I'd say or the week before that I was kind of almost accepted like this fight's I'm not going to get a fight before 2024 like that was my goal to have the pro fight before the end of the year it was just starting to look like this isn't going to happen all of a sudden get a text and in a week it's happening then it's mad like that for your amateur fights and it's well known that you take fights on a week and stuff like that but to take a pro fight on a week people would look at as quite risky as well but you're obviously confident with your weight and with your abilities going in that like that you would have top in top in Ireland before you left the amateur ranks that you you have the skills and stamina and everything to take them on a week's noce yeah like I wasn't like I suppose I wasn't doing nothing for six months yeah like like you know like when I was off I felt like I got a lot better so like I was confident it was I suppose it was kind of risky but I was kind of thinking and like it's my like it's my chance now to get the fight for 2024 last one it kind of felt like it was meant to be a bit so why I was like and even for all the fights I'm kind of like You' be so afraid all take on the week's notice like I might win or lose or something I suppose like that could have like you know like I don't know you could almost lose any fight so if it's only a week of worrying about am I going to win or lose it was almost even better mentally because I had less time to stress about it and stuff just like okay it's on in a week let's let's just get the weight down first which is kind of a good distraction like it's [ __ ] to do to wake up but it's a good distraction because I'm not thinking of the fight and then like you're thinking of it for a day or two and uh but I just felt I felt really ready so like I think that just took a lot of the nerves away as well yeah like that fair Place week's not was to go in but obviously we were all confident in your abilities and then when you got to the fight did anything feel much different because we're not going to talk obviously about the preparations but kind of the fight day and Stu you went over to the UK to do it um did anything of it feel different than to amateur like the the nerves to they feel different or was it more of the same so like in the lead up and stuff like it was my first time being in donc cast as well so it's kind of a different place it's kind of it is a bit weird but I kind of like that too cuz yourself in a different place kind of really helps you just like there's no distractions like you know at home it's like normal different stuff going on but I'm over there just for the fight and fight alone so I can really focus on it but um and obviously in the fight like walking out all I felt the same I was in there like it feels the same H obviously like the root like with the elbows and stuff is different but um yeah I was kind of used to the five minute rounds from training so like I knew just you know telling myself like even in the first round I was taking it kind of slow and easy because I was like this is a lot longer than two three minutes you can't just go 100% for the whole thing like you know you have to kind of manage a bit better so that was probably the main difference the length of time but it was kind of good I think it actually kind of suited me as well in the end yeah it was and it was a fantastic performance I must say h it was an overwhelming performance I'd say how did you feel getting a performance and then getting a finish like that as well because um to get finish on your Pro debut on and it was their Pro debut also like that's a big big stage for B and obviously you came out on top with that finish how did that feel it was good it was really good like uh eventally like because most of my gra most of my am care is probably kind of grappling and stuff so it's good to get and get it you know I know like it finished like on the ground but like you know the damage is don't undefeat and stuff so it was good to kind of show those improvements um and I just felt like really I felt really good really confident in there felt really relaxed and that's kind of another thing I'm really happy with like you know I just felt like really kind of in the moment like not so anxious or anything like that it just felt like it almost felt like I was in a spare or something like that like you training and uh that was good yeah it was quite clinical as well the strike and yeah also we all seen you at the the shows well actually just right after I seen obviously you had what was it like celebrating after wi cuz I believe Brian was there with you as well it's was a party when Brian's there and what was the feeling like once once you go out of the cage and you kind of walk away or maybe a day or two later reflect on it go [ __ ] like the pro Journey started this is the start of a new chapter is it exciting for you what the next year might bring yeah like yeah like obviously my hand put a bit of Downer on the the plans and stuff like for like I was kind of thinking like I wanted to fight three to five times before like August next year but like obviously that's if I fight once by then I it's I'll be lucky like so um the plans have changed a bit like reflecting and stuff we kind of put a small down I still have to I won but that's like in terms of thinking of the future kind of changed there was no celebrating though like we went uh straight to the a& after the fight but we were waiting there for like 40 minutes didn't get seen there we were like we're going to be waiting here for hours an hour so we just left so um our flight was at five o'clock in the morning there was literally no celebration it's got like a burger or something like that uh I knew like sure was coming into December so I was like I'll have loads of nice out and stuff feel the need to go celebrating straight away so Brian had to fight only two weeks after anyway so that probably helped like you know was not a dragged into anything as that but um it was just like I still enjoyed I liked it that way uh if you go out after a fight you know it's just all it's so mad at the event and stuff then you go out it's mad when you go out like you don't even kind of think about anything but this one was nice just to kind of have like a quiet week there was John John Mitchell fighting in pfl the weekend after so like it was good to kind of go up to that and then like you know went through a good times now over December H but I'm trying to like the whole time even December I was like now that I'm injured don't get too carried away going out this and that just like you know try keep training do what I can and um try to be like in a good position when I do come back training properly then you know so yeah I did we had a few celebrations over December but I'm kind of done with it now again since the first of January yeah as as everyone is is but with your hand what is the kind of of time range on your being back if you know and if you want to talk about as well because we were looking forward to after that performance what was next and like you said kind of dampered the looking at it to yourself but there's still a lot of fighting left how frustrating is it for like to win your debut like that get that injury and realize you're going to be out for obviously you're going to tell us how long you potentially could be out for yeah like it's really annoying because it was good form it's good win good a like good kind of buzz after it but probably not I'm not going to be able to hit again I think for like six months six months from the the break so probably like five more months now but uh it's it's annoying I actually didn't have to get the surgery in the end though um I'm going to get another opinion just to be sure to be sure that I don't need it but I that would kind of be a good thing if I really don't need it because it's I'm going to be able to come back quicker I just hope it doesn't rebre again when I finally do come back I have no problem giving the time once that like when I do come back it's right again that it's not going to like rebre every time I hit someone or something again but uh yeah it's like I can still do a small but now like you know like running bit of soften the bike some weights for my legs I kind of went back hitting pads today and uh it was good even just to do stuff with my left hand do some kicks and stuff so I'm still trying to like be around the gym and like watch train TR even if I can't train so that like when I do come back I feel like I haven't take a huge step back in ability and stuff um and like you know hopefully then like the next performance is good again and I can just pick up where I left off like I I was you know it was exactly kind of performance I wanted and it would be good to keep the momentum going but I think like when I come back you know people forget quickly enough as well so like you know even if you didn't people forget about your fight a month after your fight so I think it's six months six seven months five good performance again I can create the same buzz and then hopefully keep it going then after that yeah and I think he can too and it is it is a shame obviously from our point of view because it started off so well you were one of of many debuts last year to like say Gary Rooney Max L as well when you look at this year going forward as well who's going to be making it the liks of the Conor mccar and stuff what kind of a place do you think Irish MMA is in I think it's in a very good place we've obviously got six in the UFC right now uh pfl we'll talk about John by in a minute um what you think of the state of Irish MMA as it stands as you've just turned oh it's unreal like even yeah all those Lads those top amateur girles that have went pro last year are going pro this year it's unbel they're all unbelievable like it's not even like it's all like Pro debuts like like some of the ls you mentioned is like this doesn't look like debut Fighters and Stu they already look like in and car themselves like they're like experienced pros and stuff so like it's class and that was good to have for the amateur as well because like you know the competition kind of makes you better so when they're all good around you I could be fighting this guy could be fighting that guy that kind of pushes you want to get better again and then when you fight abroad it doesn't feel like you know I don't think the level's the same amateur wise and I think in the future proo is not going to it's you know the level is just going to get better and better again like obviously it started with like say like people like McGregor and stuff like that but even when he was training there wasn't that many gyms around there's 100 more gyms way more amateurs way more Pros coming up way more Pros that are already doing well and it's just getting better and better again you know as the years goes on so I could to look forward I'm look forward to my own career I'm looking and even looking at the other Lads now it's it's exciting as well even our own gym you know the lads coming up from Cork and stuff you know it used to be maybe one good fighter from Cork two three four now there you know it's just getting more and more every year so yeah see like like I just I was going to go on next was MMA C yourself and Brian Manning um Barry Kenny Johnny dougen like youve so many good Fighters coming out there as well and then obviously one of the main ones probably the not the most important but one of the main ones John Boy obviously talked to us about what kind of an inspiration John Boy is to you guys in your gym and especially I know the result didn't go as way pfl but like what's it like to have someone like that to look forward to and up up to and you think that's why a lot of Fighters coming through caucus because of likes guys like him oh yeah because like he's kind of done this everything he's unre for advice and text I text him all the time and he's kind of telling me you know like this watch you should do that's what you should do and stuff and uh just like kind of following like say some kind of path to him and and and like just kind of sh I suppose like you can get there then like from like say from this gym he's got here you can do that as well you know and then the more people that do that the more people get inspired by I think so if John goes first and then if two or three more us come after then you know a few more come again and every year it's just going to get better and better and better like there's teens in the gym now that are unreal and just getting better every year staying active doing all the right things so um yeah like he's been like really good inspiration just because like you know like he's similar to ourselves and I suppose same like if you see him do it you're like why couldn't I be there in another say a year or two something like that in the same competition something like the pfl and then like there's Lads other Lads that are thinking the exact same thing and like the more kind of you know like the more we can more people that get there have a knock on effect and the more that's going to come again and again so like the level's just getting better like every year like I know it's true for like every gym in all over the country but I think every year like the gym the level in the gym is just getting better and average and better again and better again and we're doing new things um you can see like fights that like wins that speak for themselves and people becomeing champion and stuff like you know like even say three two three years ago like I suppose like uh like wouldn't have known say much about me or Brian anything like that we train the whole time and and there's loads of other Lads too like loads of lads I haven't mentioned in the gym that are you know really on the way up as well really competitive in the gym even last that like maybe fights haven't gone their way but like in the gym like they're they're right up there as well so um yeah I can't I kind of forget what the question was again but I think yeah John like the more that come before us the more kind of possible and like John's performance I know he lost but like it was unbelievable yeah it was the hardest thing like he was delighted with the performance and stuff like I was kind of saying to him like God almost since you were smashing him so much it made it harder for us to accept like you know in a way because you know like I thought it like after that first round I was like the nerves were gone the stress was gone I was like he's smashing this guy he was going to shot once killed the take them dead I was like he is going to light this guy up he's going to knock him probably in the next you know one or two rounds and then since I did to complete 180 I couldn't believe it but he was saying that he' a really good like attitude after the loss as well really really good really positive just saying that like you know he still showed his level um you know like you's saying he got caught with a liver shot like and stuff like that can happen in any fight so I think that like it was disa pointing at the time but like you know he's still had a good year and next year's going to be better again and you know the next one's going to be better again like if he's say like in the UFC he could be in the UFC in you know the next year or two and then if that happens he wouldn't even be thinking about this fight anymore it's just kind of like you know it could do more like it could do more good than har for him in the end yeah no I I like the attitude of it was better to be fighting well until you're beaten and getting smashed and getting beaten I can I can kind of see it that way as well from the his perspective but from our perspective like said ca he was dominating it is G from our perspective but you have to think you'd be better you you'd be bet you'd feel better with the performance you had even though it went the way it went but so what's obviously you were talking about it's going to be six months before you probably might not get even get a figh in this year or would it be to the late end of this year like hopefully that's why I'm trying to say like I'm trying to say fit if not even get fitter again while I'm out now I'm doing like a lot of lot of running a lot of bike a lot of cardio still doing a bit of weights to stay kind of strong still going to do as much like super like drilling for Jitsu um still move around on the pads so hopefully when I come back I haven't taken a big back step and I don't have to like work hard to get back to where I was you know like hopefully it'll be quickly coming back to where I was and then I'd love to fight like if it depends how the hand is suppose because if it was like say June July and it feels 100% perfect again then I'd almost fight in July or August again you know or like and if I do if I if I did I know it's been hopeful enough but if I did get a fight then in say July or August I'd love another one or two before the end of the year because I really wanted to like you know be active now because I had like six months between my last am fighting the pro debut and probably like six months before that again since my last amate F so it's only like it's not that active I want to have a really active year this year yeah that's obviously changed yeah well obviously once you get back we hope you can be as active as possible because we all love watching your fight well I do especially and a lot of the lads that seems from severe and energized as well talk highly obvious as well and you're one of the top touted prospects H going into last year for pro so I can't wait to see what is next and when it comes but there's a show in Cork it looks like how good is it to be able to go and watch the show obviously you can't but to watch the show that's so close [ __ ] yeah like it's so good because like gri and love in the fights you know in the Premier fights Ron CL Mel off is the best thing ever because it's only like 45 minutes an hour away it's even better again now that it's that we have a fight in Cork I know like had a fight in Cork it's the best thing ever because it's five or 10 minutes out there you're doing your home already like you know it's um like and it's just good to have so many of our Lads on the show as because like since we're kind of doing it uh we're going to be you know loads of our Lads in the gym that are going to get get fights H and it'll be like a show full of fights that like you want to watch rather than like you know if I drive if we drive say three and a half hours up to nuuri which I love like the shows like say all the shows I did in Dublin I love them all really like enjoyed going up and doing them they were great shows but it's just if you go up there you're focus on maybe one or two fights of your own Lads out on the C maybe one or two more besides but this one is going to be like show in our hometown probably the whole car we're going to want to watch you know so I can't wait for that and it should be like like I think before maybe like there wasn't enough Fighters around court maybe you could CH and have a full car and stuff and now I think there is and even like I say the lads and tip are kind of the same a Lads for Waterford is not so bad like I know for fighters in Northern irand or Dublin it's it's a bit of a track down but um I think there'll be no figh saying cork tiary Waterford that like we'd have a good show like really like good fights and uh like because I'm going to want to watch them anyway if it's cork Lads is GNA want to watch it and if and it's going to be good fights besides that I'm not just saying it because it's it's cork Lads but um yeah I'm look forward to can't wait for that now yeah ick for yourself and others but no I like I like it in Co because I like when they're going to be in different places I think um I seen premier looking at maybe limi I thought they posted somewhere on a on a story as well I think it's good it's it's good that there's going to be more down down south or in the Republic because obviously there's not too many I think it's got to do with safe and may it's really hard to run a show and it costs a lot of money so it's good to have them and like that for me I know D the cork isn't too it's not like what it used to be like it's m away the whole way I L drove a Mot way the whole way into the venue nearly so it's not that far like you gone IC at Derry uh Belfast Nori Dublin you're everywhere so you deserve to have this and like you said between yourselves SBG CK you've got Samson martial arts as well there's so many fighters from there that can fill the card and it is going to be a really good show but I unfortunately you won't be able to perform on it which we would have liked to see but um we will see in the near future but I want to thank you very much for your time and is there anything you want to say before you go or anything you want or anyone shout out no just obviously as always like the gym H all the lads in the gym all the lads help me prepare for the fight um and yeah I can't really think I was kind on the spot now I can't really think too much but thanks for having me on again as well Dave and uh yeah we'll see you soon perfect I we'll see we'll come across each other at one of the shows because between your last fighting on shows that show and cork we're going we see each other nearly every time at show anyways cuz you're usually corner so I can't wait to see again meet you in person and hopefully the hand gets better as quickly as it can thanks again Dave appreciate it perfect