Ben Johnston interview

Summary

Ben Johnston is a professional MMA fighter heading into his second professional bout at the upcoming Akuma We speak about his first professional fight, his learnings from it and how he's preparing for the next one. Plus plenty more

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, so I'm here with Ben Johnson who's going to be fighting again at Akuma. I watched his pro debut last year against Troy Gibson. He's facing another top top uh fighter on the island. So, it just shows that this man does not take easy fights. Uh a proper fighter, a true fighter, and someone who I would call my friend up north as well because we have plenty of conversations. >> Brother, >> yeah, brother. Exactly. He sought me out after the last Akuma so we could get a picture together and that meant the world to me, bro. So, I want to say thank you very much. How are you? >> I am good, brother. Um, I'm good. I'm feeling feeling good. Excited. Just you know how it is. I love I love getting a fight and getting just getting in there. Fight camp's going well. Everything's going well with it. So, yeah. Going back down to 77 obviously after everything. So, my M's been doing my head in about that. So she has she thinks I'm going to end up there. Um but apart from that everything's going well. I'm looking forward to it. >> Yeah, it's good. You can understand their concerns as well obviously with what happened before but obviously that was a you and Stephen has spoke to me that was a mistake that was made the day previous which affected the day after and it was one obviously it wasn't a great situation but you came through it. you came back fighting and uh it was good to see you back. Uh whether you came back fighting or not, it was just it was a scary situation for everyone so we can understand it. But like I said, you're gradually going down so it's not going to be a big cut again. But you're going to be facing Liam. Uh he was I want to say he was 4 and2. I was about to say only 4-2, but that doesn't do him justice because he was kind of on a bit of a rise at the time. He was kind of going through people as well. He hadn't forced a car crash which kept him out for a long long time. I want to say about two years. Um, when this fight came to you, was it an immediate yes? And you're not taking any easy fights, are you for the pro? >> No, I don't I don't see the point in taking easy fights. It's I think I just whoever Steven offers me, I usually always take as long as it makes sense. Like if a holiday or something, then it's going to interrupt the fight camp and they're a real like someone I would need to be really really training for, I would probably say no. But let's hear a fight. He I think it got offered it it was quite soon after the Troy fight. So it was it was actually really soon. Um and I just said yeah. Um I I I genuinely hadn't heard anything about Liam, but it's obviously because he'd been out for two years. So when I started fighting, he was probably already he was probably just like he was probably out injured. So I I just gave him a quick Google and then just accepted it straight away. >> Yeah. Know it it's a good fight and it's a good domestic fight. We've seen a lot more than creep up. Cory McLolin Dano last year. You had >> Grov and Brady, yourself and Troy. Uh you've got obviously yourself and Lean coming up. You got Kiko against Damian McKenna coming up. I like the regional fights. A lot of people say, "Oh, they don't like Irish people beating Irish people." But I think we're at a stage that there's so much talent that I think you have to beat the the the Irish people within the country at pro to stand out. You can't be flying in people all the time. What do you make of the domestic matchups yourself? Like do you enjoy fighting someone from Ireland even as a pro? >> It does it doesn't really bother me. It's to me it's just a fight to fight. Like I someone said they'd say it to me before like years ago. You would really wouldn't have got like domestic matchups as much as a pro an amateur. You get them all the time. Like but it doesn't bother me. Like it's not it's not like it's anything personal, do you know? It's just a fight at the end of the day. >> Yeah. And like that it's there's always respect shown after like yourself and Troy. >> Um and and everyone unless there is bad blood we very rarely see it. We did see one recently but we won't go into that. Um, but it's it's like that years ago back when the likes of Chris Field as Patty Huland were fighting, they did all fight each other. Then in the past couple of years, it's kind of gone away. But I think if you want to stand out to being top in the country, I think you have to beat the best in the country as well. So, and like that Liam is is a very very good fighter. But it's Akuma again a fantastic show. H I was it was honored to do the the commentary for yourself and Troy, two people I have huge amount of respect for. Um, how how do you feel about that show? I think that's one of I think Steven's so good at matching the shows at matching the fights. I think obviously he does have fighters on it as well, but he doesn't tailor it to his fighters. If you look at the the rest of the car, he is boys that might not sell tickets, but he's giving them shots because they deserve shots. What do you uh what's your relationship obviously with Stephen? He's your coach, but what's your feeling about fighting on that show and how you feel about it? >> Michael, fight on. It's always uh it's always a good show. I I haven't had a win on it yet to be fair. I've only fought on I've fought on it twice of of uh I've lost both times. So third times third times the charm here. Um but it is always good show. You do always get good matchups on it. And as you said yourself, it's all it's always fairly matched. There's never really any I've never really seen a mismatch on it or anything. Um, I know you don't really usually see them, but you see the old one here and there, but I I get I think that there the Jim Beggger stadium's a good spot as well, you know. Um, but yeah, I love fighting on. It's good. >> Yeah, I like I like that stadium as well. It's it's out and they obviously open up the second field for extra parking uh the last time as well. So it means you can because you know when you go to shows it might be in a city or somewhere you could be running out checking your car putting tickets on it whereas obviously you got there man and that place >> when you look at the size that place the show only uses half of of of it as well and you've got a big area out the back I I just think it's a really well-run show. I really like the show and like I said some of the matchups that I've seen have been fantastic. Um, and it's I'm actually on holidays that week, so I I don't know if I'm going to be there, but I could be there. It it's it depends on when uh it depends on when I get book my flight back. But um with your first fight there, your first pro fight you fought Troy. Um talk to us about that fight. I thought it was a very good matchup, a very even matchup. Um how did you feel the fight was going to go and how did it actually go then in the end? What were the differences you found? Man, I I did not expect Troy to be like uh grappling as much as he did. I thought cuz he's so tall and rangy, I was working on a lot of like tape tape defenses and stuff thinking that he was just going to stay at range. Um, and obviously I took him to the cage in the first 30 seconds of the fight. Got the take down. He got straight back up even and I was I was trying hard to keep him down. And he got up way easy and I went to myself don't think this is going to be an easy easy take down from here on. And then he kind of turned into more of a grappling match than any like a cage wrestling match more than anything to be fair. And he was so I I said to my coach after one of my other coaches I says he didn't feel I felt stronger than him but he felt really awkward like I just felt like I couldn't get him turned and I don't know if it's causing the height that I always thought it cuz he was so much taller be easier to get turned you know get under and get the leverage and whatnot but [ __ ] just wild awkward like >> it it's mad maybe because he's like that and obviously he's in fight academy. So, he has these different B. So, he could get someone your your size and height like cuz you know how many fighters they have in that gym and kind of mimic stuff coming up. But, I think a lot of people might have thought that about Troy cuz I watched him fight Maga and cage legs. He was one of actually the very first event I went to and that's one thing I noticed about Troy was his cage wrestling was outstanding. like it. He was very good and it was like that. I remember watching you'd get the turn and he'd be there for like 20 seconds, but he would just find a way to to reverse it. How frustrating was that for you once you got him down the first time and he pops right straight back up. How frustrating for you is that as like taking someone down and then pop them back up and being able to reverse because it was so so in the fight. It wasn't it didn't really affect me, you know, cuz obviously we were both both fresh, you know. Um, but then every time I I got him turned I to be fair, every time I got him turned, he was just turning me straight away again. So I mean I felt like I was getting decent damage off we we knees and a couple we elbows and stuff but he was doing the exact same and then he's the one he's he was he controlled me most of the fight against the cage. I felt like maybe I done a bit more damage with different we um but after a while I think it was going into going into the sec or going into the third round Steven shooted two and a half minutes left and I just went [ __ ] me hower 2 and 1/2 minutes left his guns just have me pressed against this cage the whole time you know what I mean but it was after a while it started to get a bit frustrating Um, but he he he was good at what he done, you know what I mean? So, can't really complain. >> Yeah. No, I think he is one of the best at that cage wrestling in the country. I don't think I've seen anyone be able to control cuz like that he controlled Maga through that fight and Maga is a big I think they fought super lightweight and MAGA would be a big super lightweight as well. Do you know the sway and quite strong like yourselves and like that Troy was able to turn him and stuff like that. How did you find the the extra like you got the full 15 so you got the full experience with pro. Uh talk to us about how that did like >> did were you training for it? Obviously you would have been training for that but did you feel fatigued at the end or or did you still feel obviously not going to be fresh but I I feel like I could have maybe I felt I could I could have done another round. Do you know I I was ragged like don't get me wrong but if I had to do another two rounds I I definitely think I could have done them. I I've always say like what do you call him? I mean my hair's my length I can't remember but he always says I've deceivingly good cardio. You know what I mean? Cuz I carry a we bit of a I always carried a we b and all on me but any fight I've been in that's the distance I've always been pushing the pace a bit. I never really try and just sit back. them all that my amateur career was always going straight for the cage wrestling like against Gar that time and Gar obviously being the heavier opponent cuz I didn't cut weight or anything and I think Gar did I think I was talking to him he said he cut a bit of weight so I was just pushing the pace >> yeah no it was a good fight hopefully I I do get to go to Akuma and see the second fight with Liam obviously when it goes to pro we we talk for like amateur you don't hugely look at other fighters, but obviously a pro that's different. Do do you have a set game plan? I'm not going to ask you to to say what it is obviously, but like do you have do you have a route to victory or do you have many routes to victory? Do you will you be approaching this one different than you did the last one? >> There's a there's a good couple of things we've been working on. I can't really go into details about it, right? Um, but there there is stuff we've been working on that I even knew after myself like what what I needed to do. You know, it was was just one of them things. Especially a pro, it's a bit everything's a bit different. >> Yeah. You >> five minutes to work >> around you five minutes to work. Um everything is just head position and all everything needs to be different because obviously you have elbows to the head now. >> So that's why I I found that in the Troy fight where I would have put my head in amateur. I was safe cuz people they could hit you know pop shots he got but wasn't really doing Troy elbowed the head of me. I look like the elephant man when I woke up. My head was all swoll up around there. It was [ __ ] who it was. But so I've learned I learned from that that you know head positioning is very important in pro but maybe not as much as amateur but head position is important like but when you're getting elbowed it's a bit uh need to be a bit more powerful. >> Yeah. Because those elbows can slice and dice and they can open up cuts easy and like you said there's a lot position like against the cage or if he has you against the cage. >> Yeah. Like I said, if he needed swing, he'd bet you'd lose the position. You'll be able to turn, whereas he can just pop off a little elbow. It's it's these little things that you will pick up as you go on. And obviously, you've got this fight coming up and you're not looking past your opponent, but do you have any plans for the rest of the year or will this be the one fight of the year or you just looking towards this first? >> I I'll just just fight at the minute, but I know finally Steven will be have probably he probably have six lined up by by Christmas for me. He's a nightmare with it. But I was uh I wouldn't have minded getting on Cage Conflict, but I'm away on a family holiday, so I can't do it. But I would have loved to do it. Um I love Cage Conflict, too. It's a good show. Um but I just I'm looking forward to this fight and then we'll see what happens. >> Yeah, there's no point looking too far ahead or making plans like that. Case Conflict that I watched obviously Case Conflict. I think that show was just off the scales with the atmosphere and it's like a little cauldron, isn't it? It's it's it's man I love it. Um but like that if you can't do if family holiday family holiday obviously like you said that's that would affect your camp or you know you won't be able to make it but um I wish you the best of skill going into the fight at Akuma. Is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone want to shout out and thank you again for your time this evening? Yes, no problem, Dave. And I would just like to shout out all my coaches, Steven, Pete, James, Diamond, and then a shout out to Sigma Fitness for my strength and conditioning. And then a shout out to Big Buster, >> right? >> And a shout to you, Dave, cuz you're the man. >> Yeah. Not not with the no beard, though. And thank you for the the comments. I got I'm I'm after being when I came back I've been inundated with messages saying thank you for coming back and and stuff like that and it's actually it actually hits the heart as you get older stuff like that hits the heartstrings and I didn't realize how much I contributed to the scene until I kind of went away and came back sort of way so yeah I appreciate it. Well, I well one thing I always remember like being like I think it was it was my first or first or second it might have been my second fight because obviously you wouldn't have knew who I was my first fight and I remember you I think you text me or you can't you did that you text me good luck and all I always thought to myself it's a good man like you didn't need to you know someone on like their first or second fight and they're texting you good luck >> you know if if you're a high amateur everyone's texting you good luck You know what I mean? Everyone wants to ride the train, but you were doing it for boys probably on their first and their second fight and all, which is a good thing to do, right? >> Yes. Cuz because I care about all fighters, everyone. And especially as you're coming in is tough. And like that's why not that I don't interview many pros is the likes of the pros are getting so much attention. Do you know the sort of way? And then it's like I interviewed a lad the other day. He's still only a novice, a team novice. And I like he went to the IMAS and he done really well and he could potentially go really far. And I like giving people like that an interview to cut their teeth on because a lot of times their first time it's going to be tough and it's going to be hard. It's going to be nerve-wracking and and they get better with time. Damian McGwigan I interviewed as a novice and like that. I I just genuinely care about the fighters and and everyone in the game and and that's all that is. And and like I said me and you became brothers Elvis. So here we are. Well, that >> it's been a good >> been good so far. >> Yeah. No, it has been good. So, and you've checked in on me as well when I disappeared as well. Then I do appreciate that as well. You among quite a few people. So, but on that note, I'm going to let you go. Thank you so much for joining me. Best of skill and I will talk to you soon. >> Yes, Dave. >> Talk to you later. Right, bro.