Shane Hurley interview

Summary

Shane Hurley is an amateur fighter fighting out if Samson Martial arts he recently won the Elite FC lightweight title. We discuss the title win, his gym and journey through MMA so far

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, so I'm here with the newly crowned lightweight champion of elite Shane Hurley from Samson Martial Arts down in Cork. Um, it was a fantastic fight against a fantastic fighter as well who had a lot of he was getting a big push. He was getting a big push at UK and and you stole the show from him. So, congratulations on the victory. How do you feel winning the title Ali in Cork as well? because there's not many down in the Republic, but to have one on your doorstep, what was that feeling like winning it in Cork? >> Yeah. So, like um I suppose coming up to the fight, I was trying to play it down a little bit and just treat it like any other fight going in. Um so, I wasn't trying to let the idea that there was a belt on the line or that I was fighting a guy that was highly touted or that it was going to be in front of a home crowd and that I'd have people I know kind of watching me and stuff cuz uh I didn't want any of that to kind of get in the way of focusing on the fight. So, I just kind of played down to a tech like any other fight. And then uh that really worked. Like when I got in there, it just felt the same as every other thing. Like, and then at the end when I got the belt, it was nearly like a surprise or like an extra kind of an added bonus. I didn't really want to think about it leading up to it too much. Like, you know, I just focused on the job that was in front of me there. Like, um, and the same when it came to the crowd, I didn't want to be in the middle of the fight thinking about like, oh, this person's watching. I better not make fool of myself here or whatever. So, uh, I just tried to take it in my stride, take it like any other fight. And then all that kind of stuff kind of came in afterwards then like you know once I got my hand raised. It was nice to be able to meet people after the fight like you know and uh kind of a lot of people there who would have been supporting me along the way be able to kind of show my appreciation for that and meet them in person and shake their hand and give him a look at the belt and all that kind of stuff was nice. So it was definitely good to to be fighting in Cork like and to win the belt in Cork and like you said my opponent was getting a bit of a push and he was actually from Cork as well. So, it didn't really feel like I was the home fighter and uh that I was fighting an away fighter. I kind of felt like he was the home fighter as well. I'm sure he had a lot of local people there to support him, too. So, the fact that I was fighting someone from Cork that I'm sure had a lot of sport with him. I didn't necessarily feel like I was the home fighter against an away guy. I kind of felt like I don't know, two cork people going headto-head in Cork for a belt. I mean, that's uh it's a a good kind of story for the for the show and stuff and uh I'm sure something that people appreciate in the crowd and stuff. So, I was happy with it. It was nice. You said it was inc though. Yeah, 100%. >> You know, 100%. And and like for someone who's watch that. So that's your four1 now. So that's your fifth fight for for for you to be able to like what you said like block out that noise cuz a lot of people would get caught in it. There's a belt. Uh Taylor's getting a lot of push like you a lot of people would put pressure on themselves and not purposely just subconsciously have the fact that you were able to block that out just shows kind of a maturity level as well. And um like doing it in cork, like I said, two cork lads going against each other. It's not like obviously when you go to Belfast and you fight someone in Belfast, you know who the home fighter is cuz you you've obviously been there yourself. Um so I wouldn't it's it's a mad one, but it's good to have the show in Cork. How did you find the show? >> The show is great. Like Elite is great. Um I think it's it's tough from what I hear from what I hear from promoters. It's tough to hold events in the Republic of Ireland. there's some uh additional expenses and uh just the way the market is and stuff. I don't know if it's to do with the insurance industry and medical costs and all these different things, but it's difficult and obviously safe MMA and different things like that. There's just more regulations and more expenses kind of associated with it. So, um I understand that it's tough to put on shows, but uh they don't really spare any expenses. They don't cut corners anywhere else to accommodate for that. It's not like they have a low production value or anything like that. Um I think the shows run well. I like uh everything about it. Like I like the the big cage is something different as well, you know. I think that's the biggest cage in Ireland for regional events, the huge cage. Um, which is pretty cool. And then uh yeah, everything else I'm happy with how the adventures are run uncomfortable there. But like if you set up a cage in the dressing room there and I don't know, some warehouse, I'd be happy to fight there, too. Like you know, I'm not one of these guys who needs to be pampered in the dressing room and have the the right kind of warm-up area and whatever. Um, I'm happy enough with whatever once there's somewhere I can get a bit of a stretch in the back and then somewhere where uh I'm able to go out and fight that suits me, you know. So, I don't need any of these extra additional frills or anything like that. I'll fight wherever. So, um I'm happy with the setup at Elite though. Uh on Elite F1, so the first time I fought on Elite when I fought Ivan Greg, they also had Jaffa cakes in the back as well. So like some shows there they'll have like water or like sometimes you get a banana, but they had like a huge stack of Jaffa cakes in the back at EFC1. So I took like two or three sleeves of them on the way out when I was uh leaving. They were for the fighters like you know so it wasn't like I was stealing but uh they had water bottles and the Jaff cakes. So that was going the extra mile. That was really good in terms of the setup. Something I appreciated on Elite. Um I don't think they had them this time actually but they might have them back for next time I'm fighting on Elite. We'll see. But the Jaff cakes is a big thing. Other than that dressing room in a cage, that's good. That's all they need in terms of production and setup and all these things, you know. >> Yeah. So, bring back the Jaffa cage for the next one. We've put that >> back. >> Yeah. Like that. It's the biggest cage. It's a UFC size cage, I believe. It was It's a huge expense. And >> there's a lot of pro shows across Europe that probably wouldn't have that size. I think it's bigger than Cage Warriors. So, it's it's good to get in there because with the smaller cages, obviously, you find that like one or two steps and if if you're fighting a wrestler, if you're at like Joe, you can you can close someone down if you're a striker. You're able to have that movement around a big cage as well, which is good. But like we've talked about your last fight. Talk to me about why you got into it, mate. What brought you in and what made you choose the gym that you're in? Um, I started with like various kind of different martial arts and stuff when I was a kid. And then I got really into karate then when I was like 12. And I'm still super into karate. Like I'm competing in karate there next weekend. So karate is still a big thing for me there. And I coach and everything with that. And then uh when I was I'm from Formoy and I was training karate in Foroy and I was watching Leoto Machida in the UFC who was a karate guy and he was doing this MMA stuff and I was like that's pretty class-like you know and I was kind of interested in it since then and there was actually an MMA gym in Foroy at the time for my fight factory and uh I was like 14 and I said I'll give this a look. So, I went up there and I was mainly toy boxing, but I was doing a little bit of MMA as well. And I was up there for about six months and I was actually getting on really well. I was really enjoying it. And then between karate and toy boxing and MMA, I was just training like every day. Uh, that only lasted for like six months though unfortunately. The gym in for my closed down and Dylan Sheen was the coach in for my fight factory and he ended up becoming a coach in Samson martial arts then in Cork, which was actually trials MMA at the time. it had just changed over from the MMA clinic. So he started coaching up there and I was 14 and I just couldn't commute to Cork. Like I couldn't drive um things with school there and the bus service and everything. It was just too much hassle to get up to Cork City. That's like a 40minute drive like you know. Uh so when I was 14 that wasn't really an option. So I just kept checking on the karate then. And then when I was in college I was obviously able to drive um when I was like yeah 19 20. So that was co which didn't really help and then in 2021 then when co was over I got back training with Dylan then in Samson martial arts. So um I did it for a little bit when I was like 14 uh for like six months and then the gym closed moved to Cork City is where Dylan was coaching then wasn't able to commute there and train but then when I was uh 21 then in uh 2021 I was able to get back uh training with Dylan. So uh I had tie boxing fights initially um straight away kind of straight away once I joined the gym in Samson I started competing in tie boxing and then I had like four tie boxing fights and the whole time I was training grappling and wrestling and everything. Um but because I was obviously competing in a striking style it was difficult to I don't know have a tie boxing fight and then an MMA fight or whatever. But Dylan was always kind of trying to convince me or whatever to have an MMA fight. And initially I was always saying no that I wouldn't do it. But then uh I don't know, I kind of decided that it was time. So I made my amateur MMA debut then and uh yeah, we're fight Steve at the moment and just picked up my first title. So I think that's roughly the story. Roughly how it went. >> Yeah, it's a good one because it was February 2024. So like it's only like a year and and a bit that you've been fighting and to amass that amount of fights as well is quite impressive and and stay active. But talk to us about your first fight like you had competed before like said in different disciplines. What was was MMA much different going into it or was there different feelings, emotions, uh like uh planning, strategizing? >> Um a little bit like I've been doing a lot of grappling the whole time, you know, so I've been training with the MMA lads, sparring with the MMA lads all the way up along. So I felt like I was developing the skill set and definitely getting good at every part of MMA. But then um kind of leading up to it, I got a couple of injuries. is I was actually scheduled to fight once before my debut and I got injured and I had to pull out. Uh I actually got injured in a crate competition. I like really hurt my ankle. Um and I had to pull out of that one and then I ended up actually getting to fight the same guy I was supposed to initially fight in my amateur day. So we at least got to tick that box off. I didn't feel like uh I took an opportunity away from him. He got to fight me eventually, you know. Um and then when I got in the cage um it was a little bit different. All right. Tie boxing. It felt a lot more intimate, I think, because the cage kind of like shuts off and makes it bright in the cage, but very dark kind of in the crowd. And uh it doesn't have that toy music playing or anything either. So, it felt very kind of like it was just the two of us and the referee and there's nothing else going on. And then um yeah, that was kind of it for the most part. Preparation and everything was fairly similar like you know, you just train as hard as your body will allow you to and you just eat clean, train hard, all that. And then uh yeah, when I got into the cage though, it was a little bit different of a setting. We'll say like a little bit different of a setting. >> Yeah. Cuz because you see in Thai boxing that in Tai that the the coaches do be up on the on the ring that some of them are nearly in the ring sometimes. >> Yeah. Especially at Samson and Kieran O'Brien. Like I think I've got a couple of like photographs from a few of my toy boxing fights where his head is in between the ropes like and he's slapping on the canvas and everything. But like that's actually something that I really liked about boxing is it's kind of chaotic like you know people really be getting excited and uh you know anytime you land a big score like a big kick or something just the the shouts you know and the slapping of the canvas and there's something very atmospheric about tie boxing like you know um it's nice. I like I like the atmosphere around tie boxing. I think it actually makes me fight a bit more chaotically as well though like when the music is going and the crowd is slapping the canvas and cheering and everything. I think you just kind of go out a little bit more hectic like you know it feels very chaotic in there whereas MMA you can be a bit more intelligent a bit more calculated a bit more cerebral with your approach and I think some of that actually is to do it like look it's probably because I'm maturing as a fighter and getting more experience as well but I'm going to blame it on the Thai music and the crowds it is what it is. Yeah. >> Yeah. I've seen I've seen I've been to Tai shows as well and I think Tai is like for striking it's such a it's a fantastic sport. It's a brutal sport and a but a fantastic one. And I don't think they get enough credit cuz like you look at MMA and people go they need to be paid more money. Tai make not much at all. It's not just it's for the love of it really. >> Yeah. I think like I don't know. It's my own theory. Like, but I think part of the thing with tai boxing and the pay disparity though is like when you look at MMA or boxing or anything like that, if you want to get the most elite fighter in the world and pay him to be on your show, it's going to cost like x amount of money and it's going to be pretty high. But like because of the cost of living and stuff over in Thailand and that um you know the average wage that like these guys there's you can go over to Thailand you can find a worldclass elite fighter who will be willing to like fight for 500 euro you know whereas you couldn't get a top 10 guy in the world in like MMA that will do that like because he's obviously able to uh negotiate a higher price there or whatever but like most Thailand there's hundreds and hundreds and thousands and thousands of really highlevel fighters that aren't getting paid well that if you want to have a really high level guy in your show, you can do it for peanuts. Like, you know, compared to MMA and boxing obviously, like you know. >> Yeah. Yeah. Like like that like like you were saying like you'd find it hard to get a fighter that's a pro fighter even that's Irish that will fight for 500 euro after fights, you know, the sort of way. So it it's >> I'm sure like I don't know exact. Look, I'm not a promoter. I don't know exactly, >> but I'd say you could find someone in Thailand with a hundred fights who'll fight for a couple of grand. Like, definitely like surely. Do you know what I mean? >> Yeah. >> Maybe maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's not as simple. But like I think that does kind of affect the market value of what TIE fighters can demand because like why should I have Dave Farrell on my show for that much if I could pay the same amount to some 21-year-old TIE fighter who's got 80 wins? Like, you know? I don't know. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's I don't know. >> We'll find out. I I'll actually inquire about that because I know the pay isn't much and I've talked to a couple of fighters and they say like they do it more for the the love of it and just their discipline and that's how they want to live their life. It's like a lifestyle sort of a thing as well. But >> how often they fight as well. They fight every two weeks. So like a lot of guys over in Thailand fight every two weeks or every month. So it's obviously that's going to be reflected in how much they get paid as well. like you know if like some fighter in the UFC was willing to fight every two weeks or every month they'd get paid a lot less per fight as well probably like you know >> yeah I'd say so I'm not sure but you've had obviously the five fights you've won the title what's next have you got a plan for the rest of the year or do you kind of take it are you just kind of enjoying your time after the after the fight or have you plans for the future for this year >> yeah so like I've definitely enjoyed the last kind of two or three weeks by taking them off um I had a very busy first six months to the year. Even though I didn't get that many fights in, I only fought twice, but uh I was scheduled to fight in February. So, I was training since Christmas. I did a two-month camp leading up to a fight in February. And unfortunately, the fight fell through uh and didn't end up happening. So, I was supposed to fight on you um at the end of February. So, I did my full camp leading up to that. Then that fell through and then I was matched with Harry Thompson for Gladiator at the end of April. So, I went straight into another two months of training leading up to that. got to fight on that one fortunately and then straight away that was only seven weeks out from my fight with Taylor. So as soon as I was finished fighting uh on Gladiator era I was preparing for the title fight then in Cork. So the first six months were just backto backto back training all out from Christmas until when I fought Taylor. Like you know even though I only got two fights uh because one of them fell through it was still six months of consistent training as hard as I could you know. Um so I said I'd take a couple of weeks off after that. Then I definitely wanted to get in before the end of the year. I was looking October would probably be perfect and there's a load of shows in October, but unfortunately uh my October is actually very busy with things in my personal life. So uh there's a family waiting on and there's a couple of other bits and pieces and it's actually every weekend in October I'm away. I'm busy have something on like you know uh so October doesn't really suit for me but I'll definitely get in before the end of the year. Maybe something in November or December. But I definitely plan on getting in uh at least one more time before the end of the year. I was hoping two. It's looking more likely maybe one now just like I said with different uh things going on, events in my personal life that are kind of taking away from my ability to prepare or compete in a fight. So um definitely get in before the end of the year again though. I don't want to rest on my laurels too much like you know um it would be easy to I don't know take that belt and then just relax for ages or ride off into the sunset or whatever. But uh no, I want to get in there again. Um, and the fights are only going to get tougher from here. Like, you know, first couple of fights, you won or two fights, you can put your name in for a show. Maybe it'll be against a really good guy. Maybe it won't be against a really good guy. But, um, I think once that belt kind of gives you a little bit of a label there, and uh, anybody I'm going to be fighting from now on is going to be good, which is uh, really good. It's a really good thing. Like, it's a good position to be in, and it means there's great fights and great experience up for grabs there in the future. But uh it also means that I need to be dialed into my preparation and making sure that I'm getting better. So I'm on that level as well, you know. >> Yeah, 100%. And like what you said there about the training like people see you for a night like 15 minutes or or whatever. It won't be 50. It'll be 9 minutes for for the fight. They don't realize what goes in before that. Like you said, you're 6 months and I've seen what you do, how you train and it's not easy. Like only 1% of the world can do it or are doing it. So it just shows how difficult it is. And what I liked what you mentioned about the belt is a lot of amateur fighters said to me, "Oh, the amateur belts don't mean much." And I said, "But the thing is with an amateur belt is like you said, you're going to want get the best people that'll want to fight you for the belt. So, you're going to get the best opponents and get the best experience for yourself because you do have a belt. And that's only going to benefit you whether you win, lose, or draw. Whatever happens, it's only going to help you improve as a fighter going forward." But I'm thinking I think Chaos has a show in November. There's a couple of shows, but it'll be good. Hopefully I'll get to see you fight in person. Um, I'm going to let you go. I want to thank you so much for your time. Is there anyone want to say before you go or anyone want to shout out? >> Uh, just a big thank you to everybody there at Samson Martial Arts and everybody in there as well that I train with. Um, I think that's that's everything. Like, you know, I'm not doing anything particularly special. I'm just showing up and I'm lucky to have some very special coaches and training partners involved in my life. like you know um so a huge shout out to Dylan Shehan and Kieran O'Brien and uh all the training partners that I I get to work with like I'm very very fortunate in that way and then a huge shout out there to my support network as well you know all my family and friends and uh everybody in my life who kind of contributes towards letting me do these kind of things and uh anybody who kind of supports me anyway at all makes a massive difference then when you're competing so huge shout out to everybody who helps me and uh my sponsors there as well underground fight store in uh on the center park road there for all your fighting uh equipment needs and then the Herring Cafe as well. Shout out to those two. So, that's about it, I think. Yeah. >> Perfect. Thank you very much for joining me. It's been a pleasure. Hope you enjoy later on the year and uh enjoy the rest of your day. >> Deal. Cheers. Thanks very much. >> Cheers. Thank you.