Rachel Mcilhagga interview

Summary

Rachel Mcilhagga is a K1 fighter out of next generation Northern Ireland and will compete at Artemis for the title against Vicky Ochala in a highly anticipated match up We speak about her entry into combat sports and the recent BBC documentary filmed on her and the girls in her…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay. So, I'm here with Rachel the Diva Mahhaga. >> Hi. >> Hopefully that's correct. So, uh she's gonna be fighting on the Artimus show which is coming up. She's the main event. She's going to be fighting Vicki. Um this these are two girls that fought kind of everyone in their weight class and this is a fight that's been a lot of people have been looking for and Mel's made it happen with the show. Uh we we'll expand a bit more on the show later, but how are you? Thank you very much for joining me and how you feeling about this fight. It must be exciting. It's like it's like you're the final boss for each other at this kind of weight class. >> Yes. Well, thank you for having me, Dave. It's a pleasure as always. Um, but I am so excited to fight Vicki. Like, you've no idea. Me and Vicki are we're actually quite good friends as well. I don't know if people would know this, but like obviously with her living in Dublin, we would like text back and forth all the time and see each other at the shows. So, we always knew this was going to come. We always knew we were going to end up fighting each other. And we've always joked about it and we were always like, "Oh, how cool would it be if we were fighting for a belt?" Like two two best friends getting into that ring. Like me, history repeating itself. Sure, that's how handling me and male. Um, but no, I'm so excited. Usually for fights, I'm like so nervous and all, but this one I'm just so excited to get in there. Like I could get into that ring tomorrow. If it wasn't for the weight cup, I would get into the ring tomorrow. I'm just so excited. I'm so ready for this one. It's it's like your main event as well. It is for a title like you said you joke about a title. How does it feel to be the main event for this card especially because it's for all females. H I think Mel's doing something unique. Obviously Neve has done it previously with my Thai hip mixed but how does it feel to be the main event on this with Vicki? This is a big fight for a title and it's a different rule set as well. It's the oriental style rules. >> Oriental rules. Yeah. So being main event in itself obviously is a massive deal, but what makes it so much more exciting for this show is it's an all female card. One of my best friends is running the card. I'm fighting one of my friends and it's for a title in Oriental Rules, which neither of us have fought before. So there's just so many different things. I'm fighting at 61 kg. The lightest I fought at at the minute is 63. So that's a challenge in itself. So there's just so many different different things going on, it's just making it so exciting and like at the minute with all the female only stuff coming up like you remember the sparring day up in Straban nail that was a massive eye opener to me because some of the wenger girls were like coming over they're like oh my god like can I spar you like you're Rachel and it was like kind of like an imposter syndrome day for me. So then that day I was like, "Wow, I'm really like a role model for these little girls, these we fighters that are coming up." So I'm really excited to show them what what can happen if you really put your heart and soul into something. But um the fact it's Mel's first show as well and that it's all female. I'm just so excited. I'm just so excited to kind of be like a role model for the for the little ones coming up through the ranks. And that must feel nice as well because a lot of people like that in gyms until you hear it you don't actually realize like there's a lot of fighters some the different gyms that say when the the new beginners come in they say like I've been watching you fight amateur or this for for years. Like did it catch you by surprise? What was your first kind of were you first kind of like I know you said you got imposter syndrome but like whoa. Like it must be a good feeling though as well to to hear that. >> Oh it totally caught me by surprise like the way Straban Martial Arts is laid out. There's like the we ring in the corner. It's just a big room with a big mat and then there's a ring in the corner. So, I just kind of put myself into the ring because I was wanting to do like harder, heavier rounds because there's loads of girls there, loads of different standards. So, I was just like, "Right, I'll go into the ring. I'll call people to spar with me and just tear on." But then like some of the adults were bringing overwe ones and they're like, "They've been waiting for you to be free. Like they want to have a round with you. They just can't believe that they're here with you." And I'm like, "This is mad." Like I just I'm just Rachel from Balamina just training and fighting away. Like, yeah, you get the odd message, you know, on your Instagram saying that people are like watching your fights and loving your story and all, but being in a room with so many girls, women, um, girls that I look up to as well, people knowing my name and wanting to spar with me, it was surreal. It was mad. I left that sparring day absolutely so grateful for the community that we've got and it was just such a surreal experience. I loved every minute of it. >> Yeah. Know that that was another good thing she done was the sparring day. It must feel, like I said, surreal to that you have such an effect on these kids kind of coming through and and yeah, I I can't even imagine how that feels. But last time I talked to you, it was just you kind of venturing into K1 from from MMA and you've kind of really shot up uh very very high. I I actually commented on one of your fights in Akuma where you fought in the cage against Luis Brady as well. Um, when you left MMA, did you did you know you like because you you would have preferred striker, did did you envision you were going to be this successful this quickly in K1? >> You never start a combat sport envisioning that you're going to be successful. Like that's not the goal. The goal isn't like whenever I started MMA, my goal wasn't to be champion. My goal was to train and to fight and to enjoy it. So then moving to K1, that was more a way to build my confidence back up and um fall in love with the sport again, which obviously I did, but I did not ever ever expect to get to where I am now. Like since the last time we spoke, I ventured into K1. I'm now 10 fights down the line in K1. Um, six wins, four defeats, but I'm on a fouright win streak. So it took me a few fights to get my groove. And then it just all kind of clicked one day. And never in a million years did I expect that. Never did I expect to be fighting K1 maybe just over two years and to now I've got two title shots here before the end of the year. And never ever ever expect it to be as successful as I have been. And I'm so grateful for it. And I have a list the length of my arm of people to thank in my um journey between coaches, teammates, friends and family, everybody. Like um the saying there's no eye in team is so real. like I wouldn't be where I am without the community and the circle that I have around me as well. But no, to answer your question, I did not expect to be here at all. I just expected to get my confidence back and get back into the cage and two years later got my confidence back but haven't got back in the cage yet. So, we're getting there. >> I I think cuz I remember I saw actually you saying you you were toying with the idea of maybe the cage again someday. I think the route you're on and the path you've taken, I think I in my opinion, I just stick where you're going and see how far you can take it there. You could go back to MMA. There is there is a big scope for a lot more for matching now as well. >> There's a lot more girls in the MMA scene at the minute. Now, don't get me wrong, the plan was to get back into the cage this year. There's still time. Um, in the last, see from like August, August, September, October, like I've been offered quite a few MMA fights and I would have took them if it wasn't for other fights that I already have booked. So, like Mel's Artemis title for example, or I've got the Rumble final coming up as well. So, it's just been bad timing, but like I've been offered good opponents that would be good a good fight for me. Um, so hopefully one of them will come back up again before the end of the year. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I'm totally happy doing what I'm doing. Um, but if the opportunity rises, I'm not going to say no. It just needs to be at the right time. Like I don't want to do an MMA fight right in the middle of a camp for a K1 title. >> Yeah. No, and I get that. And like that we've got a wealth to show us at MMA as well. So if you didn't get one by the end of the year, they all start they all come in bunches is what I've noticed. I'm traveling for weeks on end and then I'm away for like three months doing nothing. But there there is there is that chance. But one of the things I want talked about obviously I called your fight when you done the the K1 in the cage. What was what was that like? Like like what differences was there? Did you had to prepare differently? Did you train in a cage leading up to talk to us about the differences from the cage to the ring? >> So to be honest, the preparation is the exact same. In nextgen we have a ring and we have a cage but I don't have a preference. It's just what everyone's free. I'll go in and do my rounds there or I'll go in and do my pads in the ring or in the cage. What I prefer about the cage is there's nowhere to hide. Like you can't get backed into a corner. You can't use the corner like you can't like bounce off the ropes or nothing. You're literally out in the open. So, for example, with my fight with Louise, I was quite on the on the front foot for the entire fight. So, she was never backed against the rope. She was never backed against the cage. So, it kind of gave me more like space to work and um gave her more space to move as well, which can be a can be a good and bad thing, but it kind of worked in my favor in that fight. Um, but in regards to preparation, we just prepare for everything to be totally honest with you. Like, if I'm training in the ring that day or in the cage that day, um, my coach will say, "Oh, against the against the ropes, work the body." So, like, you're still kind of just envisioning it in your head. It's more learning to fight smart that way and putting yourself in scenarios whether you're in a ring or you're in a cage. Um, but not that the only difference really is on fight day, you can't get backed into a corner, which is a good thing. I think I personally don't like being backed into a corner. I find it quite difficult to to maneuver out of there. Um, especially if I'm fighting somebody very aggressive. Um, so yeah, I I don't even know what one I would prefer to be honest. I love both. Um, I like the bounciness of the ring because you obviously you don't have that with a cage, the spring. Um, but I like the fact that there's no there's no four points in the in the cage as well. So, I'm a bit 50/50 on it. I don't really have a preference really, but the preparation for it is the exact same for me anyway. >> We'll have to get a bouncy cage and then that'll be perfect for you. >> That Yeah, that would be me. A bouncy cage. >> A bouncy cage. But like that. You've got this fight coming up. You've got another fight coming up. Do you usually you've been quite active like I said. You've got the 10 fights. How active do you like to be? Like, and how far apart do you like to space your fights? Or is it a case that when shows come up, you kind of have to take them? >> I'm always ready. Like, I'm I stay ready. Like, I I would cut quite a bit of weight for fights. Um, so I always try to keep my weight down. Ideally, I like to go from camp to camp. I like to go say so for example with um Artemis here I've had a full 8week camp and then I'm taking one week out and then I'm going straight into a six week camp and then that fight's not actually totally confirmed in the books signed off but I'm training for middle of November. Um I just like to stay active because I find it really hard in between fights to train like I'm training for a fight. Do you know what I mean? Like I would be very like diet-wise I wouldn't be very strict whenever I'm outside of camp. Whereas whenever I'm like I have a fight confirmed. I can like switch a flip or flip a switch straight away and be like right need to do x y and zed to get there. So that's why I try to let all my fights roll and like roll together. So like my last two I've had quite a break since my last one. So I fought in March and then I fought in May. So that was camp to camp. And then obviously the you know what it's like there's a bit of a lull in the summer months and then I was training for Akuma in August but I got injured and I had to Steven was trying to get me matched and then I got injured so then Rodney just pulled me out. Um so it was training like I was in camp anyway and then the injury happened and then I was straight back into camp then there as soon as I could train again. Yeah, it sounds like you always want to be training when uh uh and have a goal in mind because a lot of fighters say that to me when when they don't have an opponent or or a show in front of them, they find it harder to to get up get into training. Whereas if you know, okay, just to say it's so and so's fighting on cage warriors, it's there like right now I've got a day set. It's there. We know what we're going for. Whereas >> it's kind of you kind of lost lost without that kind of end goal as well. and the junior in as well. I really like obviously >> uh there's Chloe, you've uh you've got so many Dylan's there as well. There's so many good people there. And there's something that's after happening. I think it's been a couple of years recording now. Would you want to expand on on what's happening? Because it's due out tomorrow night. I've only seen it >> today. That's due out tomorrow on BBC, I believe it is. >> Do you want to expand on it? Because I know zero about it except for what's been put up online. So, the past year and a half, maybe um almost two years, there's been a lot of filming going on in NextGen, um for a threepart documentary on BBC. It was initially just meant to be on BBCi Player, but it's actually going to be running on BBC 1 now, too. So, comes out tomorrow, first episode, 10th of September. It's quite late. It's on like 20 to 11 at night, but I don't care. I'm still in the movie series, so it's kind of cool. Three-part documentary. So, the first episode comes out tomorrow. Next episode, next week, last episode's third week. So what it is is it's called Girl Fight. So the three stars as such would be myself, Chloe, and Ne McNeel. So Neve trained in our gym for years and then she's just moved off to Australia. So she's not actually in the gym anymore, but she'll she'll still be there. She's still there in heart. Um it's literally just following our three very different stories. So my story is coming off the back of a defeat, coming off the back of quite a lot of defeats, um, anxiety and all through co, you know, and then learning from that and falling in love with the sport and being successful of it. So they filmed my fight against Sarah in Dublin. That was my last defeat. And then they filmed my fight in Carlo and my fight in Derry. So that was my the first two wins of my fouright win streak. But unfortunately that's whenever filming ended. So that's all they got. So that's my story that they've got. Chloe's is her journey to becoming professional. And then the professional MMA and then Neves was in preparation for her moving abroad and gaining her um gaining more life experience and gaining more self-belief and stuff like that. Um, so no yet the show obviously there's going to be a lot about Rodney, gonna be a lot about a lot of different people in the gym, but it's mainly focused on us three girls and our own individual journeys. And it's very exciting. Nothing like this is really out on TV at the minute, especially focused on girls. Um, so yeah, we're all very excited. Um, after all the filming, they were in the gym all the time. It was so annoying. like you couldn't train with music on, couldn't have the music on. It was infuriating. Um, they filmed one of my weight cuts and everything. So, yeah. I'm really sorry if you can There's a dog behind me eating, so I'm really sorry if you can hear the munching. >> I I can't hear the dog munching, but it's it's it's quite cool. And like that like with Chloe for me, Chloe last year was probably one of the most improved them and probably the most improved fighter. I think the the level she's gone up and then the way you've kind of gone with your K1 that you've both kind of ascended. So I think it's going to make for a good view and like you said there's not there's not even much like that for males unless it's UFC PFL or something like that they they and they produce their own ones. The fact that BBC have come to Rodney's gym obviously Rodney is well renowned for years the fighters that have come out there like Norman Park is someone I just don't think he gets the credit he deserves. I think like if you look at his record what he's done he was five and three in the UFC wars with gamma. I just don't think he gets his flowers in my opinion. And I think he's >> he's a top fighter. But I'm looking forward to seeing this like I said and especially with uh females in combat sports now. I think it's really interesting cuz I want like that I' I've supported male support every all the females going forward. How do you feel the scene is now compared to when you start? Because I remember me and you talking or me and Melan and trying to find matches or or even on a show there'd be one fight now like I think Stephen on Akuma had three. I think one fell out on the day but before two or three years ago you you wouldn't have got more than one and you were lucky if it happened in case like if someone pulled there was no way you'd find an opponent. How would you look at the scene from then to now and and how it's improved and how does that make you feel as a female to be part of that with these people looking up to you as well? The female scene has definitely expanded loads since even the last time me and you were speaking. Like I remember talking about how me and Mel had to fight each other twice because there was nobody else to fight. Um there's definitely so many more girls on the scene in both K1 and MMA. Um as you said like even my fight on Steven's Akuma back in May, there was two girl two girl fights on it and then there in August he had a couple as well. Um it's very rare now to find a fight card that doesn't have any girls on it, whereas before you'd be lucky if you even had one. Um the the biggest eye opener for me was that all girls sparring day we had about 80 girls on the mat like all ages. Um it's just fantastic to see and I'm I'm happy to say that I feel like I have a we bit of a part in that from being one of the girls that was there from the start whenever there wasn't very many people about. Um, it's really I'm just really grateful that so many people have actually took that step into joining the gyms and doing the training and now the girls are wanting to fight and like yes, they're all relatively new. Like it's there's not really a massive amount of people for like myself to fight, but like it's still really nice to see. Like look at Artemis for example. There is a full card there of all girls and majority of them are novice. Majority of them have only just started training. So this has all been very very recent. all these girls to start it their fighting experiences and it's just so nice to see. It's just nice to see the girls getting the recognition that they deserve and the spotlight's not so male dominated as it used to be. >> Yeah. No, 100%. and like that it is the likes of you Mel and people from your locality will will look at you and then on on the bigger stage Shauna Bannon obviously in the UFC >> um she's like I think the way her story and all comes off a lot of people will gravitate towards her and have gravitated towards her >> even like the Beamer Darcy Sarah all them ones >> is another one and Ema is probably the nicest person that would beat the out of you >> 100% >> like when you talk to her she's so nice like Sarah Ellis Shern's another person I'm really fond of. Uh you've got >> as well. She's just gone pro. >> Oh, she's another killer as well. Like >> I can't wait to see her on PFL. >> She it it just shows that the like the good like her headkick. That's something you'd see on a UFC on a thing. And I can't wait to see how how she goes on. I think she's potentially the future of this generation. Obviously Jean is a little bit ahead of her with with age and stuff. I think with the generation right now, I think Ka can go all the way to the top. Yeah. Um, but it's just so >> Sean is a great role model for the girls like us as well. Shauna is a great role model for us. >> Yeah, because I remember talking to I won't say the fighter's name, but you'll know her. But she said Shauna cuz she'd have a child and she was a single mother at the time and and she would text Shauna and Shauna would text her back no problem. Gave her advice and what she done or whatever. And I found that with Shauna, even from when she I was covering cage legs, she she'll still always give me the time now because I was there. Yeah, when she was coming up and Yeah. No, I I think just the way the sport's gone is it's really really good. And the fact that Mel has got so many fights, I would have thought it would have been hard to get that many fights. >> Yeah, me too. And she has a list there ready to go if she has any pull outs as well. >> Like there's there's so many people who wanted to fight. So many girls wanted to fight. And the the span day was good as well because you were able to because obviously I know you had to fill out forms so she was able to get weights, experience, stuff like that which is good then for matchmaking because you know yourself you could get someone >> there's a girl looking for a fight now at amateur debut but on like the only other people that are at your weight that are kind of available or like four or five fights and we don't you don't really want to do that because you don't want someone to get smashed potentially and then and then put off. But no, it's it's >> that was very smart the way Mel did that. That was that was a plan in the works for a while and she knew she wanted to do a show and then we were talking about it and we were like what about putting a we form out here in the sparring day just like put the feelers out and that's exactly what she did and here we are. Look, look at what she's done with it. She's done something amazing. She's making history. >> Yeah. No, it's fantastic. I'm going to be there in person as well. It's going to be something really like I can't wait for it. Um and what like like I said what she did was really smart but going forward obviously you've got the match with Vicki. Um >> yes. >> Uh would you have game plan for her much or are you just going to do your own thing or like obviously you're going to look at her basics what she does really good but what way do you approach a fight and research etc. >> I don't personally do the research. My coaches do. Um so yes we do have a game plan. not going to tell you what it is in case she is watching, which I'm sure she is. She's my biggest fan. We're each other's biggest fans. Um, but yeah, we have our game plan. Same as you do with every fighter, like the the girl I'm fighting in November as well. I have a game plan for her, and it's totally different to the one that I'm using for Vicki. Um, so my coaches have watched some of her fights, um, figured out her strengths, her weaknesses, as we all have, both strengths and and weaknesses. Um, it's just you need to know how you're going into a fight. You can't go into a fight blind. Like, you need to have a rough idea of how you approach it. Whether it goes that way or not is a totally different story. You could have a game plan. You go in there and you absolutely don't listen to your corner. I would I'm really guilty of doing that. Um, Rodney kills me all the time. He's what's the point even having a corner if you don't listen to me. I'm sorry. Um, so yeah, we're just training for the game plan. I've got Pat um Pat Mcdana. He's my obviously Rodney's my coach, but Pat is my we do one to one all the time. I have um in the gym every Monday, Tuesday, Saturday. He's um we're a we team in there. He's um he's the brains behind my success. We'll put it that way. Pat is he doesn't get enough credit for what he does for me. And he's the most humble guy ever. He won't take the credit either. Um but no, me and him have been doing a lot of work. every single fight. Um I started training under Pat November time. So as soon as I started winning, it was all because of Pat. That's whenever I started training with him. Um so we have our game plans for every opponent and we drill it until you can't bloody drill it anymore. And then um Jamie Crawford as well up in Linka. He was doing his research as well on Vicki. And thankfully, I know sometimes it's a we bit difficult whenever you have like more than one coach at at a time, but Jamie came up with a game plan which is the exact same as Pat's. So, even better. So, I'm with Jamie once a week and we're drilling the same sort of thing. So, um we're really no stones being unturned here. Like we're really going in head first with this fight with Vicki because we know how good she is and we know like I anyone who asked me about this fight, I'm just saying it's going to be a technical showcase of kickboxing. And Vicky will tell you the exact same thing. We both know it's just going to be a real technical fight and it's just going to be whoever the better fighter is on the day because we're both very similar level. It's going to it's going to depend on who has the better game plan and who has put that extra R into their camp and it's going to be a really really exciting one. It's going to be it's going to be a showcase. We'll put it that way. >> Yeah. No, I can't wait to see it in person. Like I said, a lot of people have talked this talked about this fight to me and said this is the fight everybody want wants and like that's the main event oriented. Like I said, it's made it spicy. There's a couple of different things that have have changed up the different weight class and stuff that keeps it that little bit different that it's not the same old same. Then you've got two of the top girls in that division going headto-head for a title. I want to thank you so much for your time. It's been a pleasure. We need to leave it. No, we need to catch up a little bit more than we have because it's been about two years since we had to catch up. Is there anything you want to say before you go and thank you again for your time? >> Um, I just want to say first of all, thank you for having me on. It's always a pleasure to have a chat with you. Um, anybody who wants their tickets to see the big head-to-head clash and the pick link is in my bio on my page, so just go on and have a we look. Um, but no, it's going to be an exciting one. tune in to the BBC 10th of September. First first episodes out at 10:40. And I just want to thank everyone again who has had my back no matter what. There's been a lot of ups and downs, especially the past year or two. And I have my handful of people who held me up no matter what. And I'm not going to name them because they all know who they are. But I just want to say thank you for that. I wouldn't be here without you all. >> No problem. It's been an absolute pleasure again. I can't wait to see you fight in person and meet you again in person. and I will see you in two and a half weeks. >> You will? >> Well, hopefully I bring this out fairly quick because imagine it came out fight week. Yeah. Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of your evening. >> Yes, you too, Dave. Thank you.