Michael Shields interview

Summary

Michael is an amateur MMA fighter who trains out of Fight academy Ireland is the current IUR featherweight champion and will defend his belt in a rematch he against Jede Paulo in the main event

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] okay so I'm here with the champ Mr Michael Shields he's going to be returning to your Fighting Championship this weekend he's gonna be facing J Paulo in a rematch uh a rematch which was a very close Split Decision which obviously Michael Fields went his way but he has the chance to write that wrong this weekend thank you so much for joining me so close to the fight how do you feel going into going into the fight this week uh everything's been perfect there not much I can really say this went wrong my weight's good the TRS went good uh so everything's perfect everything's L up to be great performance on Sunday yeah no no 100% And and Jed obviously came in about six came in about six weeks ago before that seemed like it was find it really hard to get people matched for the FED way do you know what the reason for that is it just that because I think the show is at the end of a a group of shows a lot of people would have been booked up is is you found it quite hard what was the reason was it because there so many shows people just weren't available or um well I think a lot of the B recently have sort of went pro like uh my knowledge are good feel them went pro um and a lot of them seem to be booked up as well like obviously Julian Ru and Kevin ke for um so a lot of them just seem to be booked up and anybody who had spoke to Dy about or Dy T me about fighting i' said yes and it just seemed like they just weren't Bea aable which is it's just hard is you just probably go through them periods of just not being able to find fights but I wouldn't say it's anything to do with me people avoiding I just think it's probably just hard to find fight it seemed like for cage conflict it was hard to match around fway 66 68 it's really hard to find fights like so I think it just must just be maybe the T of the year or something like that it's just hard to find fight so I don't know I fall anybody like it was actually before Keith Pro was hoping that he had Pro because really hoping to fight him but yeah and know like that like you said it's that transition of like that like s and all go pro who fought a Fed weight uh it's a transition of this kind of new fed weights entering and you're one of the more experienced ones now as well so fight you had so like putting you against a one a one and0 or two and 0 fight make any sense yeah it's another sort of way so obviously the likes of Julian and Kevin are two people that you could fight because they both have experience and they both have uh High skill levels as well is one of them obviously the winner of them uh the other night would you be interested fighting Julian in the future because I believe that fight was meant to happen on this card as well yeah it was meant to happen uh and I don't know what happened I think he's just I don't know I honestly couldn't tell you what happened he P out there uh F Happ just far off I mean want to F somebody else that's fine uh but I would love to fight Julian I think um stastically I would be an absolutely horrible fight for him so it's definitely one the future would like to get definitely before the end here even after this one once the FMA belt that be a perfect fight to fight him after because he just coming off a win against Kev ke was pretty good so that would make sense yeah they are they are two pretty good guys and then obviously they fought so obviously the winner of that would be a good good test for yourself as well to show where your levels at because they're around quite a while you mentioned k k obviously Kik k for me is one of the the could potentially be one of the breakout Stars this year in the Pro season I think he's that good what yeah what was your attraction to fighting he is it because he's that good and you wanted to experience kind of what he's likeed you feel like you could have beaten him is it or is it just you want to fight the best because if you would have said that a year ago you probably would have got the opportunity a couple of months ago because he was fighting how to get matched at amateur um it was been yeah it's been what you said it's more of a I think as well I would have been a horrible matchup for him just in terms of my style feel it could be a very hard fight for him just because he's he's tall as well he's a southpaw um he's a bit more technical so am I so I just think overall it be a harder like a hard fight for him was a lot of the guys fate they I mean they're a bit smaller they B stockier more explosive will like go crazy for three rounds whereas Ian sort of be a bit more tactical where so would he so I think that would actually play Under My Factor him being more tactical turn their actual more tactical fate rather than something M what you see about that much face wi is it's just absolute chaos for 9 minutes which that's why I can't wait to go pro so I can be more relaxed and five people who are going to play the game a bit more which is where I stve I feel like that's why I just think it would have been a very hard match up for him but I just want to fed him as well because he was 151 very good every everybody be very highly so yeah yeah no he is he is like I think he will be a break out this start year and would like that at least you have the B to say that you wanted to fight a lot of people like you've seen it with your own teammates struggling to get match up I reckon it's gonna start happening for Kieran couger I reckon it's going to start happening for Damian and I reckon it's going to start happening for a lot L which I think is mental amateur if you're on the same level you should fight for the experience there's no reason why I couldn't for him like we were both on roughly face because I don't have the same sort of cool looking record but I be my 12 fight he has 15 made sense yeah no exactly and see that's exactly it like it's not as if like I said there's only what there was only four fights in between that that's all it was is obviously he had spent time being injured and stuff as well so obviously his am career is a bit longer whereas you've you've been very very active and you fought like that top guys as well so it would have been a very good fight you've got Jed again this weekend when I was speaking to him the other day he was saying that he felt like he could have done more and he thinks that you felt maybe you could have done more on the night as well do you think this fight is going to be completely different to the first fight because you both want something to uh you both obviously you have something you want something that you want to try and improve something because of D decision went last time he said like that he felt he didn't perform to his best last time do you think the two year G to come out here looking for a finish on Sunday uh definitely I think it'll be a completely different F all around like um I just think that the I know he spoke very ni me so I don't really want to say much but um I just think I am so much better everywhere um and I read him he's really nice but I just think I am so much better everywhere and I didn't even show 10% of what I can actually do in that last fight and I feel like um that F made me me and his skills look so much closer than what they really are like I am much much better than that um so this weekend I feel like a real good opportunity to go and show that you know like our skills aren't really like along the same level like I'm so much better than that so feel like it's a really good opportunity for me to go and show that he's nowhere near My Level yeah no I I think it's going to be a good fight I can't see it being anywhere near the first fight because of obviously all the different factors involved in it and H obviously you've got to tight that you're fighting championship you thr a couple of times now what you make of the show and what what you make working with Dey uh because I seen obviously I was talking to you tonight you got your posters and stuff like that um and you seem quite happy with him what you make a Dei on the show as well because obviously case conflict is your home show you weren't that there recently but you're on this show and there's quite a few fi there a crossover between fi and Torres obviously onto different shows how do you find uh your Fighting Championship giving you the other option as well um I love F on here um it's a br job for on twice now uh it's very well set up and D is a legend like he I mean like he gave me those posters the other day and I wasn't expecting that he said something about posters last week but I wasn't too sure what he actually meant and they give these posters of these big mive posters of uh the F card it was last just we think I got the there just sort of look back on your amateur career and just your first M event just having your own poster of like top of the card so I love fighting on here I think that is's Legend yeah know it is quite good like said there's a crossover between a lot of Tours go on to him and and that that's much better as well that it's uh everyone's a bit everywhere but obviously just what I was going to actually bring up next Main Event how do you feel about that one thing I'm happy about was obviously uh Shay and Damian have headlined two main events back to back one was your one was Cas conflict um there doesn't seem to be as many pro fights on the regional scene at the minute and I think that's because like octagon and cage Warriers are taking the lads quite young and different places are as well I think the regional scene probably means more to amateurs to headline a car than it might to a pro and how does it feel for you to headline the card um it's unreal it's uh it's so good like um but I'm not surprised you know what I mean like there's a like I probably would have had one or two by now if things had went differently like I've had a few dodgy fights um so like there's a strong argument for me to be eight and three or even 9 and two so by then probably a few F could have been M event shows but guess just hard up there out and M that we bit extra not pressure but do just you know I mean your main event you're for sure you you want to go out and have a good perform performance and like catch a few eyes because obviously everybody's going to be like the or obviously watch their friends fight or whatever but everybody STS on who's the main event so you want to kind of have a good performance and let people know who are so it's a good uh opportunity for me to get a few eyes on me as well you know and and that's good as well H like you said you talked about being the main event a little bit more pressure but obviously jeds from dund do uh which isn't too far from Nori you're from Belfast which is not that far either so it's kind of a neutral ground as well do you think that helps or hurts or does that even matter um I don't know it doesn't don't think it really what do you mean like in terms of like uh supporters or like yeah because obviously if you you're G to have some supporters which you he'll have some but obviously if you were in Belfast it'd be different you'd have depress all your friends and family being there when you're doing the main event you think stuff like not having well I don't know how many people you do have coming you could have hundreds I don't know but not having EV absolutely everybody plus your Nanny and your neighbor coming to Che you on not having that there do you think that lessons the pressure or does it matter do you drive on the pressure um I sort of enjoy the pressure to be honest I that's why I love fight conflict um just because all your friends are there and that very actually like you know everybody's P to come and watch a fight their voice b s to watch you so I do enjoy the pressure like but um it doesn't really take much away from it where it is it doesn't really follow me yeah cuz like I don't think anyone's going to have more support than you because obviously he not a HomeTown but um as you have this fight we're not obviously looking past your opponent because he's the main thing uh there's so many more promotions out there with so so many more opportunities and and potentially title shots as well um how active do you plan on staying and would you like H to go for belts on other promotions as well so I'm trying to I'm trying to figure out my head the cage conflict FWE was it James slavin James slavin was he yeah but he just couldn't get a replacement so um not sure what happen imagine James will still fight for for the title next which he completely deserves it like he worked hard for it last one was just unfortunate the wayl um and then there's Akuma at the end of August uh there's not there plenty of other shows like that need f it so let's just see how ites out but I think after this long I probably take just a few not any time off to training just few months off fighting because it's been my 12th fight and uh just under two years so wow um know mean just turned 19 as well so I think think it'll benefit me to take a bit of time off fighting and just you know practice new things develop the skills and then come back later at the end of the year probably and then see where I'm at after that or see where I'm at before I come back but after this it probably will be I don't know maybe five months five six months until I fed again well that's I get that I've talked to a lot of people but that like you said that's 12 in under two years that's a fight every two months essentially like that that's what that when you when you break it down like that that's fighting every two months and and you think obviously I used to think like that being active active active was always the best kind of method for a fighter but then like I think it was Kieran Davin said to me like you said sometimes he takes he actually stops his team from competing for about four months and says it's kind of like your upgrading sessions no not session or upgrading time where you just drill drill drill do you feel like with no fight camp on and studying for just kind of or training for one opponent do you think the skills get better quicker then not that you don't during camp but when you just go and train for the sake of training trying new things rather than focus on an opponent well it's more just um you know like being able to go to training and like not having the fear of like having a bad session because you tried new things and not coming away feeling like uh what's the word um not coming away feeling like you're not ready for a fight or you didn't have a good training session you're not performing as well as you sometimes do or times whenever you don't have a fight coming up you can have them nights when it's not really going to bother you as much because you know you don't have a fight coming up and you're like oh wonder ify I'm fighting is know doing really well really well training at minute so it's just a mix of everything as well like um but then that's only like I've had 12 fights not including uh junior fights like all all together I've probably had about 16 17 fights in like two and a half years wow without grapping competitions as well I've had like seven or eight grapping competitions have been like so so active where I've just been like I've always had a date in m so good to just take a few months off and just improve and try new things yeah know that is good ide that's that's a lot of uh competition obviously within a short space time but obviously it's paying you dividence because you can see your skill level uh any time I go to k car was there watching the fights I think he love watching fighting as much as you do actually be fighting um but like like that being said going forward you're just G to take your time which I like rather than rush it because you have plenty of time in the world and then like when you talk about just training and getting better what's it like at a minute like obviously you've got um Jordan's going to be fighting this week weekend over Newcastle Jordan O'Neal he's he's fully gone over now is he or is he still half and half no he's fully like phly join FY yeah so you've got him obviously in Newcastle with Jordan is a major talent and then it's not just him you've got Paul Hughes obviously that's doing his thing and you've got so many good Pro Fighters that are going places what it like being in the gym at the moment what's the buzz like uh and just what's the training like on on day-to-day basis um well just being in the gym is just mean you just it's like an addiction you just get addicted to being those get addicted to being around your friends it's just like and every day you're just learning something new um and the whole system as well that uh Pat Chand Adam have is unreal like you have one night grapping one night striking one night rattling like even we like we do a back group just an r on the back on the back every week um that's how much detail goes into that's how much our coaches put like go into detail with us like um with the train at the minut it's Onre like see the the buzz on the way up the HCT even the buzz still now like still unre but on see on the late up the cage conflict and stuff like it's you just need to be there to experience it I know you've went up on sun spawn once before like but see on the late up the cage conflict it's like it's m yeah I was talking I was actually talking to Adam Adam strong at the at the show tonight and he was telling me about the liks of the fly weights like uh Henry Kieran cougan Miss Oliver and things and he was like you should see the spars he goes I would need be able to charge you like iaac I'd pay to see what those spars are like I can only imagine but it's like that with the run up to cage conflict uh I could say The Bu The buz there's feds in every division as well like there's like the amount of feds we have in E division is meal like there's at least five fights there's a few bights there's loads of flights there's lightweights n there Welter weights middle weights there's flipping heavyweights as well n it's there's endless bodies like yeah and and yeah it is because obviously you've got I'm trying to think off top of my head of you have obviously you've got James St you've got tan Lo and your weight division as well yeah Cory M Mar me uh flipping BL Mill I imagine he's he's going the F soon um there's more than I just can't even think of right now there's definitely definitely more Nathan Mulligan as well he's only two three and0 or something like he's a fell he's seriously good there's so many James Wallace everybody there's there's ones that you haven't even seen yet and you're just going be like whoa that's I wasn't like like when you're going in and show sometimes people say they feel a bit going in do you ever think like I can not go in here 100% cuz like is the times where like obviously you're going to go in and get the better people some days but is it if you're having a bad day is it's not a group of people you want to have a bad day in because say it's not going to end up nice going home but like that it is what it is that happens to everyone at some stage know I it well sometimes you just do have you're just coming away go it's just it compl if you don't have a good Sunday Spar it can just ruin the rest of your week because you're just likeing in Spar well and until you Spar the next week and if you then you sp well it then makes the rest of your we good so it's it's just the game like just have off you have good night you have off you're like am I ready for my f then you have good good you're like I cannot wait for this F it's just TI it is yeah and there there's something that I like that you brought all oby is like if you have a bad one you're waiting all week for the next one so obviously you're kind of you could be pissed off but you could be motivated also to make sure that you get the good sparing next time you think me mental factors play a lot more into fights than people give them credit for and your how you mentally approach a fight and how you meant to prepare yourself for a fight um definitely uh it could be a night where you know like the week before fight or something something comes up and you can't train and you're like stressed about like I need to do this S I need to do it I need to do it but it's just sometimes being able to like to just like sort of sit back and go I've done all the work I possibly can um and I'm ready for the fight you know what I mean like um say it's 50/50 mentally and physically like you have to be ready for a f um knowing the you've done enough and just being confident that I'm ready for this fight like this the most confident I've ever been for a fight because it's how hard I've ever trained haven't uh skipped any sessions completely had my head down for the past 10 weeks you know what I mean so it's just about like staying mentally strong especially on fight week sometimes you can like hit PS or something on F week and you're low on cars and you're starting to feel a bit tired sometimes you come come away go you know am I actually ready for this fight like why am I getting so it's just about knowing your body and just yeah it's just 50/50 with mentally like mental and physic physically yeah and like that it seems like that obviously no one's perfect but you've got most things figured out and that I assume was come with just the amount of fights that you had as well because a lot of Fighters think like you would think that why am I tired am I ready am I this but you know that's just the feeling you're going to get at this stage because your body because of the low cars and then that will go and it'll come to to fight day as well like obviously you're going to be one of the last last ones on it's the same when you fight on cage conflict as well you're usually high enough up there as well so it's a long enough way how do you find dealing with getting to the venue and then having to wait uh to the fight like what's your what advice would you give someone because I know it could be kind of depends on how long long you are waiting it could be quite nervous for people yeah uh like how do you relax and and is there anything that you would advise people to do that might help them just relax for a few hours and obviously structuring your warmup would be essential I'd say um Well everybody's warm ups warmups different like um that last fight that was like the biggest warm up I did like I properly got a good swack on but F before that I only really ever did like small SW warm-ups because it was like I know it was just never for me doing a big warmup it was always like the conser by the energy and stuff which it's just warmups just depend on like how you feeling that's fine but um times like driving down and being at the venue and walking in I mean it's you sort of you be think of their nights every night after training you be thinking of like wonder what the wonder what the cage is sound stupid like wonder what the cage is going to look like how like how big the van are going to be you know you be thinking of their moments weeks and weeks before the fight So then whenever they come you just need to know I mean like embrace it and go this is what I've been waiting for and just like take in the moment because weeks and weeks before that's all you've been thinking about I'm training for this fight can't wait can't wait can't wait and then whenever comes people be a bit toen away so you just need to sit down and go it's what I before I'm ready for this you know that's what I've been dreaming of every night yeah yeah like think about Long Time advance and I think sometimes people especially you you've had so many fights so you're used to by now the crowd the event and and everything I think it just catches a lot of people when they go from novice to to amateur and I think one of them was going on cage conflict and I was like you're going from fighting with no one in the room to fighting on cage conf like that's a massive difference um and some people love it and some people obiously they might not like it the first time but look um it's a fantastic fight that you have this Sunday I uh thank you again when I mened you today it's really nice because we talked about a lot of the fights while we were there and we enjoyed some of watching the fights together um I'm G to look forward to seeing you again this weekend I'm gonna be there at your in person as well to watch the fight as well because I really want to see this fight is there anything you want to say before you go or anyone you want to shout out and thank you so much um just want to shout out my coaches P Adam Sho just uh just for all the work continuously put in um and it really doesn't go on L by me or any of the boys training um shout out to my mom as well for I said this last time as well like having her on fight we is unreal because you know like she is completely screwed in with all that stuff and completely knows what I need to beaten and uh my sponsors freshly Prep ecn sports massage can of help UK um future focused financial and Mark reallyy my strength condition coach and that one as well um so thank you to all perfect thank you so much for your time and especially So Co fight I really really appreciate it and I will you on Sunday Sunday