Johnny McCutcheon interview

Summary

Okay. So, I'm here with Johnny McCutchen who's going to be fighting tomorrow. So, I want to thank you very much for taking your time uh today because I know it's so close to the fight. You're going to be fighting in K1. You're going to be fighting on Valor. How does it feel?…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay. So, I'm here with Johnny McCutchen who's going to be fighting tomorrow. So, I want to thank you very much for taking your time uh today because I know it's so close to the fight. You're going to be fighting in K1. You're going to be fighting on Valor. How does it feel? How is it one day out? >> Yeah, feel feel excited. Feel good. Feel feel ready to go. Um looking looking forward to the show in general and stepping stepping into the cage. >> Yeah, it's it's I was at the last one. Unfortunately, I won't be there cuz I was already booked for another show. I really liked the venue. I really liked kind of uh the whole atmosphere around it. Um you had a change of opponent leading up to this. Did this did that kind of do anything to your preparations leading up or did it make much of an issue? >> It it kind of had a wee bit of a bit of an effect. Um cuz I I I did, you know, I knew that there was a bit of a difference in stance in terms of, you know, Southpaw Orthodox. Uh, so I worked on a bit of training with, you know, focusing on Southpaw. So, um, that was probably really the only thing. But the good thing about about hybrid, a lot of the guys in there different stances anyway. So, you're, you know, you're sparring constantly with with a change of of people from Orthodox to to Southpaw and it keeps you on your feet anyway. >> Yeah. Yeah. The change of stance would be a big one because obviously southpaws or and orthodox there too. It's like obviously if you're going to be kicking lead legs or stuff with your stance. You you could have been practicing techniques for a certain stance and then it turns around. But you talked to us about hybrid there. Talk to us about the gym, what the gym's like at the minute because obviously the show is tomorrow. So I'd say there's a really good buzz around gym. Talk to us about what's like right now. >> Yeah, [snorts] gym gym's been brilliant. It's been uh it's been a good um good fight club. Um, everybody in there is, you know, really, really excited and good to go. Everyone's been really focusing on the training. Um, and a real mix of of guys like, so and girls, you know, we've been been a good good team to work with. Um, feels a we bit different at times cuz I'm I'm one of the older boys there. So, I am so kind of different working with all the all the young really fit guys, you know. >> Yeah. I actually went to do an MMA, a couple MMA class. There's a lad here locally. He he fights he used to fight in Belor and he set up a little class here and I said I'll go cuz I want to know kind of what what uh the train is like and I went in these were 18 19 21 22 year olds and I got bet like I owe them money and I was like you know what I don't really like this but [laughter] it was it was weird cuz when you going into spar you don't know like how what what percentage of power you put in what way to spar and then they were like oh do you want me to go light on you the way you're going light on me and I was like I don't know what kind like what kind of power you generate in sparring. But um talk to us about >> why you got into combat sport force and when. >> So I I um going back now I'm I'm 35 now but going back to my my early 20s um I did a bit of bit of training, bit of karate, uh bit of kickboxing and a bit of Muay Thai um before moving into into the MMA. Um, so I just I just done that really kind of get fit, you know, change things around and I was really interested in combat sports and [gasps] uh just getting involved in the whole scene. So I did that for for a few years and then um I stopped I actually stopped. So it's been 15 years since I've I've done any sort of training. Uh for the last 15 years I switched up and was focusing really on strength training sort of um just weights. No, no training with with MMA, Muay Thai, anything like that. So, I joined Hybrid Devils back in in June. Um, and just went to a real mix of classes doing, you know, a bit of the the Muay Thai and MMA and some of the BJJ stuff as well. Um, so just I really I wanted to get back in just to see where where my body was compared to how it used to be when I was young, in my prime, all that there. Um, but it was it was good to get back in and really, as I say, joining the gym like that as well, especially, you know, not to focus on the age thing, but you you do, you know, you're going into a gym with younger guys that have been doing it for a while. But no, you know, everyone in that gym has been so welcome. Um, really said you put you at ease, you know, um, all mix of levels as well. So it's you you don't feel there hasn't been a time in that gym where I I haven't felt uh comfortable, you know, especially and like you say in terms of sparring there. Um we can have hard sessions, we can have light sessions, but everybody, you know, respects each other. If you want to go light, you go light. If you want to go hard, then you know, you go for it. So it the gym's been fantastic. The coach have been coaches have been fantastic and really, you know, put you at ease. Anyway, >> yeah, that that that's a big gap. And you probably realize when when you're at the age you're at now cuz I'm not too I'm a little bit older than you. Everything starts to hurt a bit more. It's harder to lose the lose the weight especially even I was talking to a fighter who's competing this weekend and he even said he's 30 31 and he said he can't cut weight like he used to his body's just not able. But the fact you went to go back in after so long out is is fantastic. But you could probably answer this. A lot of people say does strength beat technique. Do you know the sort of way what's your man's name? Bradley Martin thinks he can beat all the fighters in the street fight. Um, you could probably attest when you you went back >> from just bodybuilding. Like you said it was like everyone's good like going in a lot of people when they go into MMA gym they think it's intimidating it's this that and you know whereas what was you said everyone's welcome welcome cuz do you think that's just a myth and what people expect from MMA gym but for me I think it's one of the best communities around and most welcoming. >> Okay. Yeah. I suppose to be to be you know totally honest I've been in clubs where you've you've gone in and eagles are through the roof and they are looking at you like oh there's a bit of fresh meat coming in let's you know take the guy apart and it can't it can put people off but um hybrid's never it's never been I've never experienced that I've gone in and you know from the the get go you've got guys coming up to you and you know fist bump shaking your hand or like you know welcome to the class and all and um it definitely no I've never never experienced any sort of of ego or anything like that. It's all we're all levels. We're all we're all trying, you know, everybody's everybody's learning. Um it did help having a wee bit of a you know, history and knowledge going in, bit of experience. Um but I I did, you know, when I joined back in when I joined Hybrid again, I was I was 110 kilos. Um, so now I've shifted that obviously down to to get down to the weight for the fight. Um, but definitely it's it's I felt the struggle of the weight, you know, and the strength coming off. Um, but the technique all day I think is, you know, you can be the biggest, strongest guy, but somebody knows what they're doing to keep their distance on you or close in on you and keep you away and just hit you with that one shot and then you're you're done for. >> Yeah. Yeah. You know, I see like cuz I think it was Emanuel Thompson uh prospect MMA actually done a jiu-jitsu with Leon Davis who's like a little phenom from Limat and Emanuel like that would have been 100 something kilos muscle and Leon would have been 60 something kilos and Leo Leon subbed him like nine times in 5 minutes or something. So it just goes showing like Leon's 16 years of age but like that it's unfortunate that obviously you said you've gone to gyms and that happens cuz for me you want to make it a welcoming place. You don't want people to be turned off the sport. You want people to come in. So, it's I'm glad you find found a good home in in hybrid. And are you looking to be active competing? Are you looking to be competing in all competitions, MMA, K1, jiu-jitsu? What what's your kind of plan for after this? Not looking past your opponents obviously. >> Yeah, I think I think after I mean I had no intentions of joining joining any sort of combat sports again and jumping back into like any sort of fight. I had no intentions on it. Um whereas now I'm kind of like you know what I give a K one a go and then maybe maybe after this is all out of the way I' look at you know jumping into an MMA fight again. Um I say that now but see you know see how things go. The the training's been great but you do you know you do kind of your social life goes out the window a bit and your family life kind of takes a backseat as well. Um cuz you do, you know, you need to focus. You need to be in the mindset and you are a team like everyone's putting their effort in. So you want to make sure you're you're giving it everything. So I do I think once once the weekend's gone, I'll potentially um maybe a week or two of rest and then see where we go from there. But it' be nice to to jump back in and give something else a go. >> Yeah. No, 100%. And that and that's what I why I start doing interviews intros like this cuz uh the guys that are looking to go like the young guys looking to go pro like the sac like you talk about sacrifices there. I don't think people realize the sacrifice you make like family time nights out um other stuff. It is very taxing and it is very hard. So that's why I wanted to show kind of what yourself and and other people go through that and the benefits of it as well cuz I think it's good for mental health. It's good for discipline. It's good for motivation. is good for even being a nice part cuz I think it humbles you a lot as well. Have you found that obviously you had have to make sacrifices but what are the pos positives you've gained from training in combat sports? >> Yeah, definitely it's it's a massive uh positive impact on your like on your mental health. You know, if you're everybody has bad times, everybody goes through, you know, rubbish and and [snorts] stuff that it's difficult to deal with in life. That's it that is life. That is what it is. But um it's you know getting in f really focusing on something having a drive a goal um and you know just something is you know have a bad day and go and hit pads. You come out of that going I feel really good. I feel you know you go out and you get get a bit of the bit of the anger out in a controlled environment. You can you can walk out and you can revisit things that have happened to you know during the day or or even work stresses. you know, you're working full-time and then you're going to training. Um, it is a real good positive outlook on things to and and it's sometimes that not to do the whole cliche, you know, can take away uh a bit of bit of mental pain if you know what I mean. You know, close it up a wee bit. Um, but definitely it's it's all all positive. you do you do take a bit of a back burner with things and you you kind of have to and I think there's that saying as well that it's you know it's a young man's game um in terms of you know three boys myself so u you have to work training around their schedule and stuff um but you do make it work you know so there's there's that side of things of at least you can sit back and say I focused on that and I didn't you know all right it might have knocked the social play for a few weeks, but you get that back and you [snorts] balance everything out. >> Yeah. And like you described the positives that have come from it from sacrificing that for for the time training. Like I said, you get it back. You're going to take some time off and not time off, but you're going to take a week, spend some time with the kids cuz like fair play. You're going back at that age and it's not me here trying to say you're old, but like you said, it's just a young man's game. Um cuz I'm older than you, so that' make me really old. But it's like you said to go back it would be at at the age you're at is is kind of daunting as well like you said but to go back do it and like you said to make it work cuz a lot of people be like oh well the training is here so it doesn't suit it doesn't suit here it doesn't suit there whereas you're like well if you want to make it work you'll make it work and that's what you done. So I just want to congratulate you for number one stepping back through the doors and getting back in and number two actually competing uh which is going to be tomorrow. Unfortunately I won't be there but I will be keeping an eye out for I am going to let you go. I do appreciate your time uh especially so close to fight. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out and thank you so much for your time today. >> Yeah. No, thank thank you very much. Really really appreciate that. Um I suppose that you know I'll give everyone give the the coaches um Steven Buster um Andy Young, Dan Dy, give them all a shout out for putting us through our paces. Um, and definitely give all, you know, all the all my teammates, all the guys at at um, Hybrid Devils, give them a shout out because they've really they've really put the word in. Um, it's class to be part of that. It's incredibly part of that. Um, especially the older guy sitting in the room with them like, but um, and a big, you know, a big definitely a big shout out to my my friends and my family because they've been fantastic support through it all. And even you know people contacting you to say they want to buy tickets to go and watch you to go and support like that's it it means a lot you know it really it's a it's a big buzz. So it is. >> Yeah you know cuz especially with the way the cost of living is nowadays for someone to to pay for a ticket to go to watch you fight is is a huge support because nights out are few and far between. I know for a lot of people nowadays the fact that they're willing to do that is is huge support for you. I'm rooting for you here as well because you're not too far off my age. So, I'm definitely rooting for you. Um, yeah, best of skills tomorrow and I will talk to you after the fight. Uh, I'll obviously I'll see the results and stuff, but I'll give you a shout after the fight and see how how you feel it went and we might revisit like cuz as we were looking forward to it now, we might look back on it then in in a week or two if if that's something you're interested in. >> Yeah. No, that'd be brilliant. Be great. >> Yeah. Perfect. Perfect. But best of skill tomorrow and I will talk to you soon. >> Appreciate it. Thanks very much, Dave.