Belfast MMA Juniors league; Adam McGarrity and Henry Corrigan

Summary

Adam and Henry joined me to discuss the Belfast MMA junior league, a platform for athletes ranging from 7 to 17. they describe why they brought this platform about, the success of the first two shows and the plan for the third. Plus plenty more

Transcript (youtube_captions)

So I'm here with Adam McGarti and Henry Corrian. Obviously a lot of people have seen the MFA MMA Belfast Junior Leagues coming up after having two events. Two really successful events as well. I believe 44 fights at one of them and the next one the the venue you're going to is amazing. But you know more about it than I do. Thank you very much for joining me. How are you today? >> Good man. Brilliant. Good to have us on. Appreciate it. >> Thanks for having us mate. I'm good as well. >> Yeah. Good. Good. So talk to us about obviously the shows have been so successful but this obviously came from somewhere came from an idea. How did this idea come about and why did you decide you needed to get together and do something about it? >> Go ahead Henry you go ahead. >> Sweet ass. Um we're both well about this all the time but um a few different things happen. So obviously whenever Adam Adam has run shows before in the past with you know in the Fed Academy uh gym doing like club shows and stuff for the end of the year stuff he's been involved in that longer than I have so he had done them anyway but when we opened our gym um we found that there was nothing really for for teens up here. Um there was a couple of parents contacting me and saying yo he's going to join boxing and because you can get fed tonight. It just didn't sit well with me. I was like I just started to do my heading but I was doing pads well one day. So I trend to do do P one day busted. Um but after that session we were talking about it because Adam has a big pool of fers academy doing Adam is one of the coaches up there as well you know teaching them every week. So he had like what did he have about 60 or something lot like be 45 plus like 35 between the 7 to 12 year olds and then about 30 again in the 5 to 8 year olds like so it's >> big number of kids across the >> and then I also had a big pool of kids from North Belfast so we just decided one day you know we got chatting about it and then we're the cage talking about it and Shand was there as well and he said that he thinks that it be like No, no one better for the job, you know, cuz we were we were really wanting it, you know, for for the kids. And then we were we were taxing back and forth about it cuz we wanted to do it. We went and met and cost them. We planned everything that we're going to do, but we never had a date. And then Adam was were you in Dubai with Paul whenever we pulled the trigger or just before? >> Um I was just back. I was just back and then we had noticed there was a lot of shows like sort of popping up around the date that we had wanted. Henry was like, let's pull the trigger and go. And then with three weeks notice we pulled off the first one and now we have time. That was three weeks we done that first one with 44 fights and professional standards from start to finish. And and then as we give ourselves more time that's a thing each show we have a bit more time to grow, reinvest and get better and just from there it's just becoming its own beast to be honest. >> Then the second show obviously the second show we ended up with 55 fights on it. Um and then we were in Fight Academy for that one. The first one was in Henry's gym and our down and the second one ran up then in FI and with 55 fights on that one. So you can see that the growth in the show um was much more like and obviously we added so much to it that time and just noticed there that like basically we had the place absolutely packed absolutely perfect day. So and the feedback was just unreal. So that's just pushed us on now to getting this bigger and better venue and actually growing it into know like a proper proper league and a proper competition for for MMA grassroots like and Henry said but both just of massive teams behind us that we wanted them to get an opportunity to compete never mind all the other teams in in Ireland that have you know kids that are watching the likes of Paul Hughes watching the likes of all these guys coming through going to all the shows maybe you know the guys you're watching on the likes of Akuma and Cage Conflict there are probably coaches is, you know, in other gyms for kids classes and stuff. So, the kids all probably look up to them and they want their opportunity to get out, but there's just not really a grassroots for youth path path at all. And especially in the north and even in the south as well, it's just not accessible for everyone. Whereas, what we've created now is that competition that's accessible for anyone in the sport and for the sport to be able to actually grow properly. So, it's it's grew into something even bigger than what we thought it was going to and we're excited now to make it even bigger again. >> Yeah. Know and fact she pulled it off in three weeks is mental. But one of these is what I I really like the fact that they've got the opportunity like Henry was saying if a boxing coach was saying they're going to get fights here, Joe, instead of MMA, that that to me if I was involved that to me even sounds like I would rather the kid stay in MMA because I know the benefits and and how skilled it is. But the fact that he knows that opportunity in game because down south there is like there's is in MMA leagues but like that I don't know how often it runs it is it is run quite well but like I said in Belfast don't like there they're very far places for people to travel from so vice versa ways like the leagues will there be like a a record for the novice fighters though so like that they would have an record like an amra record or will that even be recorded we keep it we keep a record of it ourselves um just so that we know then whenever coaches are setting stuff in that we have like you know more back into all their experience and we know well this kid's won there and this kid's maybe lost there so it makes our matchmaking a bit easier but in terms of it maybe going on to like a kid's topology or something like that I don't see that to be honest no don't really want to make it all about that too we want to make it more about like growth for the sport competition like getting out there getting the experience getting the rounds in and like getting the rounds in massive and that's it really just to try and people want to do the sport the gyms are packed so the demand for MMA there but of course those kids are going to want to compete not every one of them want to but it's like you go into a boxing club not every one of them will fight but a lot of them will want to so you just need to be able to give them that opportunity now and that's what we've given them whereas before they were the opportunity to train there but the opportunity to compete wasn't especially for traveling clubs away up the north or maybe going to the likes of Dublin is maybe a little bit far from them, bit far for parents and stuff to travel. So having the the location in the north especially, it's definitely missing. >> Yeah. So when when it came to the first the first show, how did you manage to do that in three weeks? Because like a show is an easy thing to put together. You see when when they booked their shows, Case Conflict, obviously you've been involved. Um like they're months planned in advance and there's so much that goes into them. How did he get that done in three weeks? >> Loads of uh loads of online meetings >> and good system late nights. That's it. >> See the the thing is like see with like you have adult fights, all these other promotions are obviously um for adults and teens about to turn adult. They would have divisions. You have flyweight, bon weight, feather weight, light weight, the whole way up and some catch weights. See what we do. We're going from 20 kilos to 120 kilos and from the ages of 7 to 17. So we have such a wide range of kids of different shapes and sizes, ability, personalities that we have to match. It is hard, but we've made a really good system where we can we we do study it. We study exactly what each person is like. We talk to the coaches and find out what's his personality. What is he actually like? Is he timid? Is he mad? You know, what are they? And then we'll we'll do it based as far as we can. So we have a really good system. We'll create it off the bat. And having them really good solid foundations from the get- go has just made it a wee bit easier for us going forward. We stick to the same the same methods the whole way through every time. Um and having more time this time to plan for it. The matchmaking is going to be I don't even know if it can get better not you know blowing smoke up your own ho but everyone said last time watching the fights the matchmaking was spot on. Yes, that is definitely the biggest compliment that we had got was how fair the matches are. And if you think 44 fights, one show, 55 fights on the second show. And the biggest compliment that we're getting is how fair the matches are. Like no kids have got hurt hurt hurt at all like perfect like it's and we were saying like it's hard to to keep a perfect safety record when you're doing a combat sport. But the way that we have the rules set up, there's no head shot. the rules are monitored to keep the fights moving forward but in a way that everything's still safe and controlled. So the matching has been perfect. There's been no mismatches and there's been no kids that have got hurt or anything like that. So as I say, our biggest compliment we get has been how good the matchmaking has been. >> Yeah, you mentioned something. Henry mentioned something there which I find quite intriguing and I I think it's quite very intelligent with the system. They're asking about the personalities and stuff. That's a very psychological way to kind of obviously year round fighters all the time to know what kind of maybe style or how aggressive and stuff he is. >> Exactly. >> How did you manage to come up with thinking of that? Cuz that's very outside the box. I must give you compliments on that. >> It was just really organic. Me and Adam were just chatting and like cuz we had some of our own fighters fighting each other. >> So when we were matching someone, we were like, "What's he like? He's I'm like he's he's good. He's he's about it." And I' like, "Well, he's not really about it. He's a we bit we bit soft." So maybe that fight won't suit him. And then this just spilled out and everything we do. We asked other coaches like what's the experience like and then even like we have back and forth messages with some coaches about um certain fighters being you know small for their age and all the we factors that matter because if you put a quiet kid in um who is timid with someone who's rough and ready and they're they're just going to go 100 miles an hour. I can kind of put the kid off of a bad first experience. Do you know what I mean? >> I think that's the beauty of we having our own system. it does take a bit longer that we're manually doing all this, but we have much more control over it. Whereas the likes of other other things like jiu-jitsu competitions and even some other like junior things that run on smooth comp, which is a great system and it makes things a hell of a lot easier for matchmaking. The kids go in, they enter their age, they enter their weight, um, and that does all the matchmaking for you. It organizes the brackets and all. It sounds like it would save us a hell of a lot of late nights. But Henry said it perfectly. One time we were talking before was a computer can't tell personalities. And from experience, I've brought kids that are timid to shows and they fought kids that are really game and aggressive and it's put them off. Um, I thought, you know, I've brought people to these shows, these kids growing up for years and seen it firsthand that, you know, it to make it a proper inclusive event, you have to get into kids personalities to be able to because we have kids that are neurode divergent, autism, ADHD, things like that. Like a computer can't pick that up. so we can, you know, really like get these kids involved in the sport um and make sure that they're staying safe at the same time. >> Yeah. I So what what you've just described there is is absolutely brilliant at the personality is not something I never would have thought of, but I can like obviously as coaches I can see exactly where you're coming from and talking about the experience. So there's one thing I kind of obviously we're talking about this and we're talking very loosely as well, but I want someone if they're going to watch this and they have their child in MMA. So basically if you could explain like what is about and what are the the rule sets like so to put parents minds at ease. So cuz you talked about obviously the no head shot that's a massive thing. Obviously you don't really want kids taking head shots. So if you could just do like a like a little brief summary of of what kind of rule sets there is. I know if there's loads of different kind of ones for different ages. I we don't need that. just kind of the the go the guts of it. >> Um, so pretty much as we said, the main rule that's going to be across the board for all the fights is no head shot. And that's just because you're going to be dealing with kids with limited experience and to try and keep the risk of head trauma um at a young grassroots sports is is a massive thing. Um, so I think for safety wise for parents when they're going and they're not watching kids getting punched in the head and bloodied and bruised, potentially knocked out, potentially, you know, getting really seriously hurt that that's massive. So that's the first thing was that we would never have head shots, but people have asked us, you know, what if the teams get to good level or whatever would we do head shots? We just it'll never be in there. Um, we allow grounding pound, which some other ones don't because there's ground and pound in the sport. Obviously, it's still to the body as well, but it keeps the fights moving and it keeps the sport more realistic where if you get some clubs that are maybe jiu-jitsu based and they're pulling guard, you can't get away with that in MMA as much. So, kids are learning that from a younger age in this rule set that they're, you know, that they can use multiple weapons in different areas of the fight. So, that was definitely a big thing because I've brought kids to fights before where it's meant to be MMA and there's no grunt and pound even if it's controlled. also gives jiu-jitsu people to be able to be able to work submissions based off people's ground and pound if they're getting reckless obviously all that type of stuff. So in my opinion it was massive to keep that in in terms of submissions and things like that but don't allow any slams obviously for safety and things like that. No neck cranks, no leg lock laps, anything the kids aren't going to be well versed in and experienced in. They're going to have to keep them safe. One of the big things that we really like doing is the kids have three chances to finish a guillotine before they give it up. It stops people just ratching on someone's neck the whole time. So that's just another we layer to keep it safe, but also to allow guillotines where some kids jiu-jitsu you go to, they're not allowed to guillotine at all. Or maybe they go up into some junior MMA ones as well and they're not allowed to guillotine. Again, doesn't move the sport forward. But we don't allow stunting guillotines for anyone under 12 because again we want to try and encourage people to use the sport to shoot in to take risks to try and grapple and not just be getting guillotine. They want to see some 9year-old comes up trying to compete, shoots in, gets skeleton, fights over straight away. You know, it's not really they're not really mature enough. They understand like the rules enough to allow Stanton guillotines, I don't think. Um, but it would shout out Darn Wallace. He actually suggested, you know, allowing Stanton guillotines uh for teens because then it's more realistic and they're moving towards, you know, going towards shows a lot sooner than what a young child is. So it allows for progression right through from our youngsters right up to the older ones that the rules are very similar with just small tweaks for submissions and safety really round time and things like that there. They would be the main differences but realistically the seven year olds are doing the same route set as the 17 year olds um but only with some slight variations just to allow to keep the sport moving fast um which it obviously is. >> Yeah. Know so congratulations on setting it up and having the two successful events. Um, like I said with the the amount of fights you've had, you've had what nearly just 90 89 90 fights on on two shows and talk to us about the next show and the venue that you've got for because you were telling me there was big news coming. I think it was when we started this dialogue about having interview and you said keep an eye out in the next day or two and the facility you've got is is out of this world. Is that how fast this has grown for you? >> Yeah, definitely. Go ahead. you can say about the facility Henry because it's been unreal getting it like >> it has we brought down the air having we look at it again and no really get we went to it before and we was like yep we want this and then we went again there gave us a real good idea of our layout so we made a we floor plan and all that looks good >> um >> but the venue itself is just it's it's so needed because obviously we've done the first one in my gym >> and that was brilliant. We had about three or four maybe five crowds cycling through you know like coming as as the phase progressed and then went to Fed Academy and again the crowd filled the place. So we just at this stage for us to to grow the show we need more space. Um and with this new venue we have like there's no spectator limit this time whereas before we said the even the traveling clubs who obviously they want to bring a big crowd with them you know likes of 14 street and stuff they they they have a big support. Um we had to say them all like two spectators per f with two or three something like that. Um it's just there's no limit. Just if you want to come support your your nephew, son, daughter, whatever, um cousin, everyone get down to the show because there's no limit no more. Um yeah, so that's that's why I went for the bigger venue. It's it's lethal. It's such a venue. It's on the on the peace wall kind of thing. It's like right in between the two. >> Yeah, it's right on the peace line. So obviously that's like more of a thing that would be for us up north, but like it's very like in the middle of both communities. Um, so like again it makes the event really inclusive that it's not in just one area. It's not in one gym. You know that it's in this big mod like that's been just built this year 7 million pound facility that's for like a for a shared space for events like this but it's only built so we've got in a great team I believe with them as well where we can be the first kind of sporting events that they can start hosting and the size of the hall and the space that we have to work with here is going to allow us to to scale the show properly. But I honestly think like when people see this one here in the 13th of September, they're going to be blown away by like the compliments we got for the last ones being in a gym is like not to not run anyone down, but it's been it was better than a lot of MMA promotions I've been to that have pro fights on them. And that's not just me saying that. That's feedback from a lot of the other coaches. That's not me saying that. Like it's it's honestly I think when people see this next one, they're going to be blown away by because how good the facility is and what it's going to allow us to do for putting on more fights, getting more kids involved and allowing them the support to actually go and be seen as well because a lot of these kids do have people who want to come and support them. We weren't able to allow that. So now we can actually turn it into these proper events. Um, like our long-term goals with this is to try and get into like a regional and national championship kind of framework where it's not going to be just one-off events that people are going to be working towards, you know, international competitions as well all throughout this pathway. And we're going to be putting on some amazing events in this place. So, it's amazing to have a good facility like the Black Mountain Shirts place to work with because it's going to allow us to grow this properly. >> Yeah. And it is going to grow. And I like the fact that you said it's like kind of in between the communic two communities bringing everyone together as the sport does cuz like it's no one really cares about where anybody's from at these days. When you're in MMA, >> you're a good person or a bad person. >> It doesn't matter who or where where you're from, but um talk to us about like you're both fighters and you've talked about how successful and and the feedback you've got from the show. Do you think that is because you are at a younger age than maybe some of other promoters and stuff and you've only come like from the younger like come through as MMA's evolved show way like years ago wasn't involved. That's why you kind of know the needs of fighters as well. I'm not saying other promoters don't but obviously you you've you've been that much closer because of your age let's say. >> Yeah definitely. I feel like we've went me and Henry with our experience we we are young enough in the sport but between the two of us with over 20 years in the sport as well. So we've kind of came through all the different systems ourselves and then I've been coaching for the last nine years. So I've helped bring a lot of juniors through all this and seen that there just was a gap and that this wasn't really like there was no path for them for a grassroots MMA until they got to a certain age really. Um, so we've just seen it and being a coach and having that experience of going to all these shows and going to all these different events and from junior from BJJ tournaments right through the professional level shows. It's it's see we've been able to see what's good and what's bad and then put our own kind of passion and twist into think about me and Henry work really well together and we're really passionate about it. So, and we've got so much experience. So, I feel like that does work well that we are young and we're passionate about it, but I feel like we have enough experience that we've been around the block and seen what's worked and what hasn't worked over the years as well. >> And I also think that the sport is um is more popular now than ever. >> Like, see, just to jump back to the first show when Paul Hughes came to our gym, like what was that like? H >> he was our show. Sorry, I didn't mean not our gym. came to our show in the gym and the kids were like star struck because like that's that's the what kind of was to us back whenever I started you know >> Paul is that now do you know what I mean and it's just so popular like so you know that as well as everything Adam said there combined and then the way we work and all these systems we use like it's just it's just the right time kind of thing as well. Yeah, and it has really taken off and and like that Paul Hughes is kind of the standout fighter, but this like the like we've got five or six in the UFC as well, Octagon, PFL, like the sport like for such a small country, I believe the talent coming out here is unbelievable. And FBI obviously is a is a major example there. It's just breeding for for champions at the minute. And then Ardine, you only started that less than two years ago, I'd say. and your >> 15 months ago >> and your gym's kind of going from stretch to stretch. I see I see you now more than you did when you were fighting because you're cornering every show that I >> No, I know. I know. It's it's it's it's nuts. But um we we maybe got out a bit early on a few occasions, but to be honest, I'm glad we did because it's just set this sort of like thing in the gym where like everyone wants to do it now. Now we're in a position where we have enough different fighters we can kind of hold back. Right. You're ready. you're ready, you're not, you know, it's so I'm glad we've done that. We just dove in. Let's get stuck in and just trying to match, not match, but just trying to like see what works well for other places. We're trying to do ourselves. I mean, >> yeah. No, it's good. And and there's one thing I want to ask. I don't know if you know cuz obviously you grew from the first show. So, do you think likes of this, like we're talking about how popular it is, um the likes of these events, because now there is something to rival with the boxing, maybe the kickboxing, the jiu-jitsu, the stuff like that, that this will help grow MMA even more in the area because they can compete and there is such a safe rule set. >> That's what I was actually going to say about five minutes ago. Adam always speaks really well to this one. Um, look at the structure that boxing has and look what MMA's done without one, without a grassroots. So what will happen to the sport with more of this? >> Exactly. I think it's massive. Like the success we've had is built off like you've seen over the years like the shows have progressed and got better but there's been no real like like now I look at the pathways even if you're an adult getting you've novice then amateur and you're getting like good high level amateurs and then you're starting to move on to pro there's already a great progression in the sport and look at the level of the people who have already had over the years who didn't come from that. So I just think over, you know, when you get like even the likes of some of the kids now say, you got a 10-year-old who's fighting on our show by the time they're fighting their first novice fight potentially on like a cage conflict, they maybe 10, 15 fights or more behind them and then they're starting to move into novice amateur. So the level of the whole sport by the time you reach an amateur and novice is going to be higher without a doubt in five six years time just because of these events but also because of the popularity of the show like Henry said too and you know now that now kids see that there's an opportunity to compete and progress in the sport it's just going to boom the popularity in the areas more often. Henry's seen that. We've seen that. Other boys who have gyms up up where we train like they've seen a increase in their members of kids because these kids are going to school and showing off their medals and talking to their mates about this event that they were at at the weekend and how unreal it was. And then those kids are like, I wonder what day is that's on, you know. So, it just it helps it helps every team in the in the country really. If they have kids involved, those kids will be going into school and doing the same things, showing at their families, showing at their parents, getting showed off. And then people are going to wonder then, well, how can I get my kid involved in that? Especially when you're seeing these like neurody divergent kids who are coming in like riddled with anxiety, not wanting to do the class and then eventually a year down the line, they're competing on this show and their parents are over the moon because of what you've helped their kid achieve, even though it's just at such a low level. Like the messages that me and Henry were getting after the the last show from parents was absolutely unbelievable. Like >> really was like >> yeah it's I hope when September I have to put that in the diary. I have to come to that one because I've come to Henry I come to his gym for the past 15 months and I haven't >> what? >> You're a lazy [ __ ] now. >> Oh yeah. Just disappearing for a MC and a commentator. What's going on here? >> I I went away. May people miss me enough that they'd pay me to come back. >> You did that. You You disappeared so that you can back and get them new positions. I mean, >> yeah, exactly. Sure, why not? >> That's your [ __ ] Um, might as well. It was actually Browner asked me because man was gone and I think they asked Reese and Reese is like, "No." And Browner goes, "I think you'll be able to do." I was like, "I don't know." He goes, "It's like having a conversation." So, I said, "Fuck, I'll try it." And >> they're good at talking [ __ ] So, >> yeah. Exactly. Exactly. How is you doing that last one with uh you and Matthew were doing on Ralph was it? >> Yeah. I like that. I like when there's like that when Brown was there. He's very strong. I like people who kind of know cuz I'm kind of just to fill in you know that sort of way. I'm kind of I will know about your record who you fought if I've seen you live if something happened particular happened like Oliver I was able to talk about that 97% strike rate in Wales stuff like that. That's the stuff I add. Whereas when it comes to the fighting, yeah, I know the basics, you know, kind of, but I wouldn't know too. Like Browner and Matthews talk about wrestling and working your way up and different transitions where for me, I'd be like, he got from there to there and he choked him out. Do you know the sort of way? >> Yeah, but you have a few different personalities there. You know what I mean? It doesn't work properly. >> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. I love I love Matthew. And you know what? The conversation with him was probably better when we were off Mike. He >> sure was. I'm sure it [ __ ] was. I tell you that the conversation nearly want to do a documentary on some of the stories he told me. But yeah, it was uh it was good doing it. But yeah, look um yeah, it's fun. But going forward, obviously you've got this this event. How many shows are you planning on doing a year? Do you have a number? Are you just kind of taking it one step at a time or show at a time? >> This year it was more a show at a time, but next year we're planning on four events. So before we go into 2026, we and Henry have sat down and we'll have our four dates already planned, booked um with the venue um and we'll be running ahead with at least four events next year. >> But also Adam like it's there still we might be able to squeeze a we one in before Christmas. You never know. >> Exactly. You never know. You never know. >> Maybe we'll hit our four in the first year. We don't know. >> Exactly. We me and Henry start we were like we'll see hard we get on. We'll run this first one. We'll see what you know what happens. and just because of how good it was and how much the kids all enjoyed it. We're like, we'll get another one on. That obviously just grew. So, this one I look at because we're it's our first one in this venue and we're going to build it from there. I'm looking at that like those were like two practice ones and this is like this is our first proper one where we can really show like what we're about like and uh the kids have had a bit more experience now leading up to it as well. So, it's not going to be too much of like a well, how are they going to deal with the occasion? Cuz I was worried about that obviously at the start too with the kids. is like is some 8-year-old going to walk through the curtain here and just implode like but uh so I'm really looking forward to this next one but but as I say we are looking at this like this is show one um and our last two has been the experience building the systems built to to have it run properly. >> Yeah 100%. There's one thing I want to kind of ask you about is it's kind of not off topic but it's about obviously you're doing this to help uh evolve the sport and evolve the skill set. Obviously, you've been a coach longer than Henry, but Henry's been a fighter. Like I said, you've 20 years experience. What evolutions have you seen in the sports in your time as fighting as coaching? So, whoever wants to take it first can go ahead first. >> I'll go first because mine is shorter because Adam has for me personally what I've seen is like see seeing the show from our first show to our second show like the development of some of the teen fighters is just scary. I think it's it's hard to believe that someone can progress so much in such a short period of time. So for me competition is so important um for the development of a fighter. We had a couple of fighters that got beat on the first show like that were they weren't great and then see now the way they're performing in their their last fight and in the gym it's just like a different kid. It's it's unbelievable. So for me um what I've learned through a coach is the competition is is a a real quicker way to to progress yourself. So I think it's so important and whenever the the kids get better who do fight, the ones that don't fight will also get better because they're training partners with them. Do you know what I mean? So it brings everyone up. >> Um so that's that's what I've gained from it. >> Definitely. Um do you mean like like the sport as a whole? Like how have we seen it develop like overall or like >> uh skill sets, health and safety, anything that really stands out to you from when you started? Like so just say if you were trying time travel telling yourself this is how it's going to be in the future you wouldn't believe yourself sort of way is it is is it that vast how much to say >> without a doubt my first fight I was 16 I fought a 24 year old in a ring in a [ __ ] J hall in Dublin with pro gloves on no sh pads got the spit out of me and you weren't allowed to uh you were allowed to knee the head you weren't allowed to knee the head there was no grunting puck The rules were mental like like mental rules, short different round times and all. There was mental fighting in rings, people falling out of the rings and then this is what you didn't have any there was no like medicals like you didn't do any medical whatsoever. You got your blood pressure checked before the fight whenever you arrived and then that was it. I remember sitting before it looking at Jerem with a bear going [ __ ] I hope my blood pressure is too high here and then and then and then it started to progress in a couple of shows got a cage and it was almost like this is such a big show it's got a cage um so like we seen it progress in that and then eventually then more safety started to come on board like medical brain scans all that type of stuff better rule sets you had to wear the amateur gloves you know different shows you had to wear shim pads all those type of things so when your your early face for essentially like pro fights except for maybe elbows and knees was maybe the only thing different, you know what I mean? And you're wearing pro gloves. So, uh there's been a massive progression. I've seen the sport and then almost in the last nine years since I've started too coaching more. Um you're seeing novice fights, you're seeing team leagues, you're seeing leagues like ourselves all starting. So, the progression is really there for for anyone to really work their way through the sport. Whereas, whenever I was starting, it was like you're throwing at the deep end. you'd be lucky to get fights even weight classes like it was like what weight are you 58 right okay fighting at 60 you know it wasn't like oh you're a flyweight you're a banttom weight you're you're anything like this I look at it now they're all all the kids we s up in the gym they were all like rich kids got all these we opportunities and they've got all these systems and they've got everything all laid out for them whereas we were [ __ ] flipping tires and fighting people in G halls you know what I mean >> I love that flipping tires and fighting people in GA halls is probably to the day. But as well what I like about it is is you head one you touched on it there is the talk about the the caden blood like walking through the curtain because I always talked about it from novice to amateur and even amateur fighters getting used to the day getting used to event because especially the dev obviously and it's not just cuz FI that stands out to me because that's such like a cauldron of an atmosphere you come out there for your debut not having a novice in an event >> that's going to send you even when I walked in there the first time I was like am I safe in here or what's going on like it was just there's people no it's just people up against it was madness like so it's not in a bad way but so it's just like the tension in there you love it if you walk >> as an amateur >> so he tell you he Henry's f on case conflict a couple of times like so he tell you it's a >> it's [ __ ] unbelievable >> oh it's so intense I love it it's that crowd's unbelievable it's a it's such a good atmosphere in the case conflict uh events this next one's going to be lethal we've like seven fighters company. >> I think even just because of how good the level of show and you see like that pressure of a show like that um back in the day like there was nothing like that like there was no show. I remember fighting on a show Ultimate Conflict and Yuri just showing the [ __ ] age like that like and I had a cage and I thought like this is this is it. I remember thinking as a kid going, I [ __ ] this is it now. Like this is the UFC here. Whereas now you look at these unreal kids are getting [ __ ] kits made and sponsors and they have videographers and all with them now. It's [ __ ] a bit mental almost a bit too. >> Um but these the level of like the production in these shows are nuts now. So that's why the progression of the sport so important because you can't just throw the wrong guy into somewhere like in the Dav because they'll just get [ __ ] run over. So they need that progression of being able to move through, you know, novice, smaller shows and then progress onto that. And we obviously because it's our show up in FI, like you have people asking all the time, can I get on that? Can I get on that? And you're thinking to yourself, you're definitely not ready for the night. You're maybe good in the gym and good at spawn, but like you're not ready for what that Davish is going to be like. And think better than anyone. >> Yeah, it's I find it like it's the atmosphere is unbelievable. like the the crowd is so passionate and I think if you can go to Belfast the def case conflict for example and you can fight an FAI fighter and win and like to be able to to keep your nerve and win you obviously have a lot of nerve and and you've been there before and that's what you need going into it because I've seen people I've like that scene fight was out the back of shows and like I I [ __ ] don't want to go out here today Joe and it's it's not easy so imagine imagine going out for your debut to Devonish you're having those doubts and thoughts in the back then you go inside and then all of a sudden that devis crowd hits you. So, at least you're you're preparing them for the event and and because there's a lot of waiting around. There's a lot of things that you you probably don't envision in an event. So, what do you need to bring? Stuff like that. So, I guess I really like what you've done, but >> see with the the way we run this as well, it is essentially a mini promotion. So, everything that happens during, you know, like the legs of cage conflict will happen on our event. So, you'll you'll wait backstage, you'll have a warm-up room, you'll be called by a runner, you'll make the walk, you know, from the warm the warm-up room to the curtain to make your walk out. You got an announcement, you have your walk out tune, you have a crowd. The only thing you don't have is alcohol. Like, that's it. Like, our event is is mimicking what they will go to. So, by the time they get there to the shows, you know, the bigger shows, they'll have done that a million, not a million, they'll have done that 10 20 times over. um and that they'll have learned how to deal with deal by that stage. So, >> we're we're preparing them for these shows. >> Yeah. No, perfect. 100%. I really I really love what you've done. I will come to it. No, I'm not going to promise you 100%. 99 95% I'll come uh to the next show, but um I'm going to let you go. I really appreciate your time. Is there anything that you want to say before you go about the show? Well, basically for people who for the next show, when is it, where is it, and where can tickets be got? >> Uh, so next show is going to be in Black Mountain Sh. It's going to be on the 13th of September. Um, tickets you just pay on the day. Um, so spectators can all there's no say there's no limit. Encourage everyone to come and watch and to support youth grassroots MMA in Ireland. Um, to come and support the kids and see what level of the kids that are about these days. So, um, come on the day, support us, show be kicked off by 10:00 a.m. Massive big spectator hall. We're going to have hot food, everything. It's going to be like a a proper day out the way me and Henry want to be just fights. It's going to be a proper day out. It'll be a good day to remember. Good memories made for all the kids. So, come up September 13th, Black Mountain Sh. >> What a promo. >> Yes. >> You had me in a hot food. You had me a hot So, I'm I'm up to 97% now for the the intent. >> KGR. >> Um, I I got to let you go. Thank you both so much for joining me. Uh, congratulations on the success you've had and then the future success that this does have and and you've it's a really vital uh stage for for that age group and you're providing it. So, thank you for providing that for them and congratulations and I wish you the best of luck going forward. >> Cheers, dude. Thank you for having us on, bro. Appreciate it.