Callum Burns interview

Summary

[Music] cage conflict Fighter for this weekend out of Fai Callen Burns how are you doing thank you very much for your time I know it's was very close to the fight so I appreciate you coming on how are you doing I'm all good thanks for having me perfect Perfect so you're only…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] cage conflict Fighter for this weekend out of Fai Callen Burns how are you doing thank you very much for your time I know it's was very close to the fight so I appreciate you coming on how are you doing I'm all good thanks for having me perfect Perfect so you're only like two or three days away you've got your weighin on Friday how is your weight looking how how do you usually handle a weight cut do you usually cut much weight especially at the early stages I usually just St down get K too of just do a S night before and ask me on with yeah so it's nothing too strenuous coming in yeah coming in your kind of and I think do do you find that better I think I find that better at the start of your amateur career for just learning the trade rather than having there because you probably seen boys do horrendous way Cuts you think it's more beneficial to just come in kind of not too far off your walk around weight as as an amateur to come in and just learn learn to trade as fighting yeah just get but don't try and kill yourself type of thing yeah because obviously you've seen people have passed out and they they've it's it's not good especially as an Amry I don't think he need to be doing that but you've got two fights we're GNA go back to the beginning a little bit how long ago did you join MMA what kind of brought you to it and why did you choose fight academy uh it's just was just one day that I said about doing a beginner's course because I don't live far from fa C like 10 minutes away so he de said me there this gym doing beginner course if you want to do it I was like yes I was like five years ago now been up ever since and what was your first kind of like walking into a gym because I know especially at any age it doesn't matter whether you're young whether you're older when you walk into a new gym uh of lads whether the boxers MMA kickboxers it can be quite daunting and uh kind not put you off but what was your kind of what did you think was it going to be like going in and what was your actual reaction when you got there because I think they're quite welcoming the MMA crowd probably the most welcoming I was I was expecting just to go in full of big guys B each other kids but then I got really lock I went up and there's a lot of people own like age and size and all I I like I was working really well I loved it and when you seen kind of like that the smaller guys did that make you feel more at ease then that it wasn't just big heavy heavy Lads and and then when you finished that course did you did you realize then you wanted to compete or was that something that came later on I really then I wanted to compete but I knew it was nowhere near because when I was doing the course that the first kids conflict on so I went there out so I was just sit there mement watching as I was learn how to do an AR bar so I know there was a way to go like yeah no but like that you're here five years later but um obviously you finished the course when you finished the course did you did you know immediately is you ended or did like halfway to did you know you wanted to stay on to do MMA and and did you feel like then you wanted so you obviously wanted to compete but you think right I'm going to stick this out and get ready to compete like did you know straight away I'm staying with fight Academy after this course yeah as soon as I first first session I was like I love this I'm staying here that's what was my personality for the way and and how did you find MMA because a lot of people say MMA is good for kind of structur in your life outside of fighting as well and outside the gym and you hear of a lot of people that will go to MMA to stop them maybe get going down the wrong road do you think MMA benefited your life uh positively outside of the gym as well with structure discipline humbleness stuff like that oh definitely because a lot of people I grew up with have all gone and G off the rails if you know what I mean like a lot of them are on drugs drink even back then when I was starting so it helped me stay away from all of it and just focus on myself that would be a completely different place if I didn't started and like that the day were your close friends I assume you probably could have potentially went down the same road as them because CU it's it's is I I know obviously around Dublin and the areas I'm from it's very easy you see it happening a lot people going down that road it's a slippery SL it is and I said people look at as a flashy lifestyle but like jail or dead is kind of where most people end up before the 40s it's not the road to go down but we'll fast forward to your first ever fight um when you actually took your first ever fight what was your kind of anticipation going into it What was was fight week like what was the like what were your emotions going through it CU I say it's up and down and up and down yeah sometimes you're buzzing you can't get right you just want to go there and then there times you're s like what did I get myself in for you know what I mean just question everything but know most of it I loved and then like that the the fight day like what kind of is that experience like because obviously you have to go in early you have to do like your Medics uh get your hands wrapped and then you could be waiting for a little bit of time how did you find kind of waiting around and trying to conserve your energy because I talked to a fighter who said he was so nervous he dumped all his energy you know before he even went out and fought and it felt like he was a jelly like what kind of what kind of an experience is that kind of waiting around for the fight to happen is that nerve reckon does it help you calm down or or what kind of feelings did you have there see I've been very luy on both the kids conflicts I was on I was one of the first few fights but then I was on the F fif the fight twice I was on like the middle of the card so I've been I've felt both of them I definitely prefer going out early like getting there getting wrapped and going sitting B for too long just getting your own head and start worrying and all yeah and like that well I think nearly all the fighters have to arrive at a certain time for those different things for the Medics and stuff so imagine being the main event and having to come in at two or three o'clock get everything done and and wait i' say it could be nerve-wracking but obviously your first fight on cage conflict was the one you won by triangle wasn't it yes yeah so what was it like once you kind of got into the cage you and then you finished it in the in the way that you did like what was that feeling like in front of everyone in Belfast in that crazy crazy atmosphere I it probably one of the best feelings ever because so many my family and friends were there as well watching in front row so as soon as I got the top look jumped up and seen them all sitting there going nuts was the best part of it the seeo reactions I'd say that and then once you the Finish would you stay on then and watch your teammates for the rest of the night then as well well I S do the rest of the night yeah it's it's it's a m like the atmosphere I don't think it can be matched the atmosphere in the deinition is so small intimate and intense and obviously then on you went on to your second fight um how did you find that fight and how did you find the the waiting around longer was that a bit more kind of like oh I just want to get going now was that the the f one yeah the F fight was that yeah I had a nervous one on a conflict in between those two oh sorry yes yes it was the the fit to fight and then it was the the case conflict apologies H yes but uh fit the fight what was your experience like on that on a different show though as well what my first was on F the F up was sorry I got mixed up I I had it do other way around my bad conf twice and F the F twice as two of them were novice though as well then I would presume yeah and how on fit to fight I it was different experiences getting out somewhere I've never been before the comfort zone but I really loved it I felt like you're like invad somewhere if you know me like back in the day going over to someone else's Turf TR I take over like yeah me anyway yeah no it is it is a very good show as well and Dam mcgan is a champ on that show as well uh from your gym uh but with this fight coming up do you study your opponents much or do you just kind of want to work on yourself as an amateur rather than kind of worry your brain or maybe overthink about what they're going to do what's your kind of approach to to opponents we kind of just watch have a quick look at their faces to get an idea of what they're going to be like but they don't really overanalyze it or anything I just want to like be aware what they're going to do yeah good job Etc stuff like that yeah and then obviously so then you you're just focus working on yourself and you've got this fight coming up uh we're not going to look past your opponent because he's obviously not going to be looking past you but with the amount of shows we have are you looking to to be quite active this year do you have a number you'd like to get to this year I want to get at least three or four in as many as I can't like but at least three I'd be happy and then what do you make as an fighter of the amount of shows that we have CU there's like your Fighting Championship H you've got Akuma is back in August Clan Wars uh verus there's so many what you make of having all these choices to to be potentially fight on I brilliant with is you couldn't ask for more there's one there every month now or there every week sorry at least there's always good opportunities popping up yeah there is lot like this weekend you've got cage Lexi although it is in Liverpool obviously but you've got cage Legacy Friday cage conflict Saturday last week you had chaos and Clan Wars to something the week at the week before was it cork then the week after I think there's something else it's just it's absolute bedum at the minute so at least at least there is those opportunities but um are you like obviously you're just an AM you've just had the two fights now but are you looking at like you look at your gym Paul Hughes uh Paddy mcari who's obviously got uh thing you've got match Elli you've got all these Pros Jer who's tearing it up when you see all these guys in their Pro ranks as well is that what you want to want to do do you eventually want to go pro do you have a timeline or you just taking it one fight at a time when the boys say you're ready you're ready and what's it like being in fight Academy with the likes of all them well definitely want do want to go pro one day for a few elbows you know I mean but no is being up with all them guys just listed off is it's scary sometimes you it don't feel real walking into the gym having the all down there like re mck and all well you're just like how did I get here with all that guys it's amazing yeah know it is good like you said you pick that gym because it was 10 minutes away little did you know you picked the best gym in the country just by kind of default as well got Lu here yeah no you got Lu you didn't get lucky obviously you picked it but like that um you've got like Reese there's so many like even you look at the amateur Daman MCG Kieran kouan definitely like just they're all up bla Migel there now aan Dean there's James Lavin there's just there's so many good Fighters but I'm going to let you go I want to thank you so much for your time today is there anyone you want to shout out or anything you want to say before you do go I have just show a kiss Conflict for having me on it again brilliant opportunity thank you for having me sh Sean one part as well perfect perfect I will be at this show because I'm not goingon to miss another cage conflict so I be to see you fight in person again thank you so much for your time I really appreciate it and I talk to you on Saturday hey you talk to you on Saturday perfect talk today