Martin McNulty

Summary

Martin McNulty is a French/Irish fighter living and competing in France he recently won on kongs FC bringing his record to 5-2. He tells me when, how and why he got into MMA, why he started directly into professional rather than through the amateur route and what fighters he…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

[Music] okay so I'm here with Mart magnol he competed last night to bring himself to five and two he's an Irish man in France so congratulations on the victory um and how do you feel obviously will go into your background but how do you feel obviously with the performance last night and getting the win well see the thing is obviously getting the win is um it's phenomenal especially after going four and0 and then going on a two fight skid which kind seemed unfair you know the like say for example the the first uh loss I had they scored at a draw and on the you know on the F what they did was they added an extra round which was which wasn't under contract then the second loss was like 5050 fair and square against uh against a guy by the name of uh Zub or Bara who a l to L black belt hailing out of Paris so that was all right and then uh then I I think we just talk a gamble you know um with uh with last night's opponent because uh you know the thing is he hadn't fought since 2017 because he had like some management issues and and whatnot and thing things like that injuries and all of these things ruing them out so it was hard to come with a game plan so we had to improvise really so I didn't take any risks because I knew he was a wrestler and this and that so I just opted to strike with him and so but I'm very unhappy with the performance happy to get the win after you know all this adversity but you know the performance in of itself is uh is not good enough it's not up to my standards that's what I will say okay okay fair enough and like that obviously you went like that on the winning streak to losing streak but when you say you get an opponent like that like you said he hadn't fought since 2017 yeah you don't know what to expect do you because you've probably seen yourself how much you improve fight on fight in the training room so he could have been a completely different fighter than yeah his his last fight which it so fair play and it's hard to it's hard to prepare for someone like that but what that's say because I had seen obviously there was another guy from Ireland fighting last night jenerson Castro uh that's how I was looking at the card and I came across yourself and I was wondering how did you end up in France and and and what's the background story there well um well I was born here actually you see I'm I'm French as well I'm both Irish and French so I'm fluent in French and in English and I've always lived here but obviously you couldn't tell with the accent because um my dad always spoke to me in in English and I go to Ireland very often fun fact like Tuesday I'm I'm I'm going back home I'm going I'm going to Port leash see the family again and uh that's what I've been doing my whole life pretty much going back and forth back and forth back and forth uh you know but I actually did School in Ireland for a year so that's that explains that you know okay P Le is not it's only down the road for me I'm in Newbridge which is just it's about half so so uh yeah no because obviously he said you were born in France but that's not really a French accent I've watched some obviously I didn't I didn't watch all your interviews but I looked through some of your interviews obviously you're speaking in French so I was like [ __ ] me you can speak fairly good but now that makes a lot more sense but uh with the MMA game it only became kind of legal or kind of like that it could be done for 2020 I believe it was so what what led you into martial arts if it wasn't a sport that was looked on in the best sort of a light within the country well you see I I never really asked myself the question of whether it was legal or not I mean at the end of the day it's fighting is fighting and it's and it doesn't matter where you come from it doesn't matter who you are it's like you know it's something that every every country does that every culture does you know I feel and um what got me into it I feel is you know for example with the soccer wasn't going anywhere I wasn't going to make it as a professional footballer so I was like you know what I'm I'm still going to use all of that energy I put into all these extra training all this extra practice you know I didn't want it to go to waste you know so I had to give up one dream to you know to pursue another pretty much you know to to to pursue a new one so that was um started off with like kickbox you know I I just walked into a kickboxing gym because I was getting you know I wanted to know how to defend myself you know I didn't want to get picked on anymore pretty much and because I'm I'm a pretty small guy you see so you know and I didn't want anyone to mess with me anymore at least walk with a certain air of confidence that nobody would go near me so that was that and I got into kickboxing uh full contact kickboxing got addicted to it started training at a high intensity in there and then I found there's an MMA gym uh in my hometown and that's the one I'm at right now and I'm training you know every day several times a day you know you know all the time that's that's that's my life pretty much that's good I like that with the soccer I think a lot of people when they're growing up I know myself I want to be a soccer player but you realize that this there going to be very not there very few that make it but it's it's I don't know I never would have made it anyways but with the MMA when you went into the MMA can you see it growing now obviously because it's been legalized because obviously they had the shows there and with the likes the serial G and stuff can you see like people being drawn towards it more now is there more people coming into the gyms because of it or was there always the people there um I mean there was always that hardcore base you know I mean you see the old heads at the gym for example The Lads that that have been there since the early since the early 2000s you see and so there's this part and obviously there's there's going to be a newer range of people and and you can even see it by by the different uh types of people that walk into the gym you know they come from literally every background and it doesn't matter your religion um you know your age your culture you know your gender or anything any of that like you you in France it's it's such a Melting Pot and you can you can see with like all the different uh standouts coming out of of France like you got Ben was s who who would represent you know like the you know an old school French man you know who's really into the military who's you know you got Mano F fur who who could represent you know the women who would want to get into MMA serial Gan uh you know comes from uh a place called which is you know it's it's not a big city and and still he he just to to make it out of there and then you got the lads from which is you know a bit more of an urban area so you got your um you got what's his what's his face um guy from ksw um saladine Paras you know then you got the the flashier types like Cedric D doing well uh the more stoic types like Banger CH chadov all these Lads Morgan Shier flashy guy you know you know you got you got different Inspirations that are going to inspire different kinds of people and but the common denominator is MMA all these people are going to be drawn into MMA so you got all these types of personalities all these types of backgrounds that are just going to be drawn into that Sport and and that's what makes it so big you know is the different kind of people the different kind of ways you can you can make it in the sport you know there's not there's more than one way to skin the cat like yeah and I love that saying for one um yeah no it is like you said you've got different personalities different fighting size that people will be drawn to or aspire to and like you said it could be regionally from someone from a tough urban area might look at someone who's made it out of a tough urban area and then follow their dream um but yeah with with the fight so far I noticed on your topology and now because that's why I'm asking you because I realized something was wrong on your topology with the triangle joke but did you amateur bouts or did you just go straight into the pro ranks uh straight into the pro ranks well it was it was kind of a weird one like that my first fight was an organization called the KOC in um in Cognac and uh it was a professional rule set but I didn't get paid nothing you know but it was it would but you know the stipulation would still be like it would be marked on your professional record so the the only thing you got out of it was the glory of a professional fight so I'm happy to have it now because obviously it adds a win to my to my um to my record so that's you know I can't complain but I never had amateur bouts like ever the only amateur stuff I've ever done in Combat Sports where you know where you're really hitting the bloke is is H is in kickboxing I had like four amateur kickboxing fights three wins one loss and that was that and then I just kept training MMA and eventually my coach was like you know we've got would you like to fight on this event and I was like yeah I've been working towards it for so long I've been working so hard you know let's get it and so then I got the triangle choke in the second round after after um a lot of top control a lot of top heavy control and then it just went on from there you know yeah know that's that's that's good and and when you went on that that streak then of of the four what was that feeling like obviously winning and then winning again and winning and like constantly winning and getting the Finish as well I'd say you felt on top of the world like what that when you're always putting your opponent away was it like that feeling or did it just feel natural to you because of the training and hard work You' put in it's it's a good question it's like obviously when you got that o um it it would do something to you I'd say like obviously you you know it's like it's more like you got something to protect more than anything that's the problem I feel it feels like you've got something to protect uh which which um which isn't that good to be honest I feel so um and even then you know when when I was going on that run it it was it was fight after fight after fight you know it's like different Lads different styles you know it's like every day is a new day every fight is a new fight and that's that's the way I always approached it and and sometimes you know we would go into a fight thinking you know this one's going to be a step up and and i' i' pass with flame colors for example um like the fourth win you know after the fight my coach like damn I thought that was going to be I thought you were going to get tested in that fight and I didn't really you know I mean he had good defense but eventually I you know I found a hall and just got his back and ched him out you know um and you know and and then in the fifth fight you know it was same alls you know take him down dominant position and you know and then then you get caught and it's 108 round to him and and then it's a draw match and then they they add the extra round because you know it's they're in Belgium a Belgian fighter so you know it's like it is what it is you know and I want to fight that guy again but you know what the thing you you'll come to realize is MMA a lot of the times it's it's it's one and done unfortunately so you can't be chasing cars you know you have to have to move along like you know that's the way it is yeah no and and that's I want to talk about obviously that fight where they done the extra round obviously that's my next question was going to be how did it feel obviously to lose your because you want to protect it but it's more so in the manner that you lost it that I'd be more pissed off with like if it's not in the contract it's a draw should be a draw you see them happen at loads of different promotions you see them happen everywhere like what was your coach's reaction and your reaction when they said we're going into like a final round well like what was kind of going on there a bit of a shock to be honest I mean we were like first of all we were shocked not to get the decision you see because out of out of 15 minutes of of fight time you know obviously there was there was chaos that I had to survive for like for maybe a minute and a half which which was and and that that minute and a half was significant mind you of course you know there you can't take that away that was significant as hell but um you know out of out of 15 minutes one minute and the half really you know um [Music] but then it was you know and then it's just yeah the extra round it's just like we were like a hell with it you know let's go because um for the simple reason there was a belt on the line you know there was a belt on the line the an augural FWE title so we're like right let's let's you know we didn't come here for nothing you know we're we're going to come here and try to take that from uh from this guy well from from this organization and you know and and I feel like we we've been hard done you know not only that but um it's just that you know then then you go to the hos then I asked to go to the hospital just to get checked up and you know and I I find myself with a 400 EUR bill you know and I get fined for not paying it you know it's not mine to pay you know just and and it's just it's just such a snowball effect that I I don't need that drama in my life you know it's crazy you know I won't be going I wouldn't be advising anyone to Bel then and fight for a title and potentially get hurt there if that's the case it doesn't sound like a an overall good experience for a fighter but it's one of those things not stuff like that kind of happens in the game but I see you lost your next one then um but then youve talked about how like obviously it was good to get the win you weren't happy with performs But ultimately getting back on the winning track was was the main thing you said something that interests me about protecting the zero uh protecting the O do you find a lot of people fall into that trap as well and can make people uh compete a lot safer maybe then they would and take more risks or maybe go for stuff that they should have did you find that well obviously it wasn't happening to you because you were you were dominating and you were finishing but was that always in your mind that you had that all and you didn't want to lose it well it's it's always in my mind I don't want to lose I don't want to let my people down because I don't want to let myself down I don't want to let my family down you know whoever that's the mindset you know most of us going you know going to the octagon with um maybe a no adds to that you know but I wouldn't know about that anymore because it's no longer concerns me in a sense so you know to answer your question you know I'd have to go back in time to see myself as a less accomplished fighter uh you know a 20-year-old less accomplished fighter than I am now I'd much rather be me you know as I am right now than who I was beforehand cuz in between time okay fair enough I I lost uh I lost two fights but that doesn't take away all the hours I put into the gym it doesn't take away all the things I learned doesn't take away you know the the hardships I had to get through and you know and and that's that's the that's me that's my life right now that's my career you know I got a win right now and and we're going to try and build off of that so last had a four fight win streak let's let's go beyond that you know that's that's the plan yeah know and I agree with you obviously even with the with the losses uh the hours put in the growth the learnings from the losses the the controversy and all that sort of stuff has has helped add to you as a fighter and as a person and like you said that's that's LED you to where you are today but but what's next for you do you have anything in the pipeline or do you like to just take some time after a fight or do you go straight into looking for another fight thing is I I regardless I never stop like I always train I I always do something you know like even right now it's it's 10 to it's 10 to 11 where I'm at and I'm going to get a workout done you know before the day is done you know I spent all day just relaxing and everything but I'm going to get something done before the day is through that's my mentality and of course you know I'm looking to be active it because before um you know as I was fighting professionally I was studying at the same time and that last fight was the first time I only focused on fighting where I didn't have a job to worry about where I didn't have um you know assignments to worry about college to worry about all that stuff um the the only it's a shame the performance didn't really reflect that but still the preparation was good the weight cut was good everything was good and now I'm looking to get active that's that's my that's my main thing and it might seem crazy to you but you know I'm I just turned 22 like a couple of days ago and I set out a plan I set out a list of me wanting to you know just to get after it and I won 12 fights by the time I'm 25 you know I won 12 fights before I'm 25 I'm going to Windows 12 you know that's you know there's no other way to go about it it's it's either you get that ment ality or you forget about it you know yeah no I like the I like the mentality even after you win today like you said it's 10 to 11 you still want to get something done today so you're still gonna get workout done tonight and in terms of it's good to have a plan because a lot of people want to go from destination A to B and they don't seem to have the things worked out in between whereas obviously you said you want to have this amount of fights um in regards to getting those fights how many promotions is there in France that minute obviously because I say it's opening more back up and there's more popping up is there many promotions in France uh as options for you uh as options well obviously the kungs FC did a pretty good job at hosting the event you know um MMA GP I fought for them and I fought and um I'm under contract with hexagon right now there was a bit of a mixup unfortunately where I see in my last last semester in college you know I was supposed to fight in hexagon and then I had to cancel the bout in advance because um because I you know my Visa had my my student visa had just you know I just received it and had to leave in order not to miss any classes and you know not to worry about anything so I was under contact with under contract with uh the hexagon MMA organization and uh then that fight just falls apart so we just assume that's that we'll leave it at that and then next thing you know a few a few months later I I signed a I signed a fight deal with um MMA GP which is another famous organization in France three-fight deal you know and then hexagon come knocking at the door like well you you already signed a three-fight deal with us so you know we're in a bit of a mixup with them um but uh it's it's not it's not that big of an issue you know if anything I'll tell you what I'll just I'll just fight three times for them and three times for the others I have no crams about that because that's what I do you know I'll just fight six times and Beyond because that's that's that's the that's the life I I decided to choose well there 60 or 12 fights already that you want to get to in the next couple of years go there you go that's what I see it's you know it's like there's no drama just fights are going to be carried carried out anyways yeah no and he hexagon I know there's actually a commentator from Ireland uh Phil Campbell who actually commentates on that I don't know if you've ever seen or heard of him on it um no I I don't I don't really I don't really watch the these um those promotions you know I just I just wait for them to give me fights be honest yeah you want the people watching you you're just concentrating on doing you rather than than watching others I want to fight like that's all you know really yeah and that's that's good though because you get a lot of people who want to do this and they want to do that but you like the way you seem to approach seems like just fighting is your life and that's that's what you want to do and that's what you want to continue doing well it's not my life you know there's there's more to life than fighting but it's just but it's but you know it's like it's it's only a 10-year deal you know and I'm I'm in it right now so you know you might as well go all the way it's like you know I I already sacrificed a you know a dream as I as I previously mentioned in the interview you know and it's it would be really really heartbreaking for me to to go through that again you know especially with how far I've come so you know as a I'm a professional athlete now and that's something I can't take for granted and it's like I'm 225 and two I mean I wish I was seven and0 but who cares you know it's like that's that's it that's who you are right now you know and you take inspiration from guys who've you know who who've bounced back from losses you see Guy like I know Robert Whitaker is like he's the absolute man uh you know your Robert Whitaker is your um you know even George ster had to go through that Demetrius Johnson had to go through that vulcanos is pro is going through it right now and you know and all of these guys they're my favorites they're the they're the lad I look up at I look up to the the valuable Fighters the fighters where you know they're going to put on a performance even if they get you know even if they get dominated in in certain aspects in the fight you know they're always going to find a way to pull through and you know show who they are you know whether you know Win Lose or Draw that's what I'm looking to that's who I want to look like those types of Fighters and the fighters you named out there are unbeliev Robert wicker is probably one of my favorites he's just he's an all around good guy and he's been to adversity he fought y Romero twice when no one wanted to fight I watched those 10 Rounds like during last last week's fight week and to be like if he can do that and it's also like his his fighting style I take a lot of inspiration from it so it's like if I go up against like a bigger guy bigger tougher guy and you know being being more Nimble this and that that's you know and you add to that the the sheer will that he has is just mind blown it's truly inspiration and I watched those 10 Rounds you know that helped that gave me a massive lift you know in preparation yeah no that's good that's good I like your style I Like Your Enthusiasm as well and I wanting to just get it going because like you said it's a 10year deal you're not g to have uh like like you said you could get to the end of it and go I wish I could have done more but obviously it sounds like you want to do as much as you as much as you possibly can while you can because like I said it is a short career but I got to let you go it's been fascinating to talk to you um I really enjoyed the conversation I got to be I'll be keeping an eye on your journey from now on before you go or anyone you want to shout out um well it would be it would be tough not to shout out um my coach with my teammates and uh you know the friends the family and and and all these people because at the end of the day it's it's a very lonely sport but without all you know without that Entourage you know at the end of the day you're not and it's it's that simple like without the lad to hold your your pads without lad you know to give you that little bit of advice you know it could be your friend giving you a bit of Life advice you know on to when to you know when you need to kick up the ARs or when you need to cool the Jets you know that's it's it's good to have uh good to have people to talk to and uh to rely on you know and that's who I try to be I try to be somebody who who you can rely on as well and you know and then it's then it's like a there's a certain equality to it and um you know that's that's what I'm trying to get to at least um and yeah and just for the last thing uh I wanted to say you know um I am looking for a fight right now that's that's the last thing I will say is I want to fight as soon as possible you know obviously I need to get a little bit healed up I didn't I didn't suffer any damage you know but you know sometimes you know even even even your offense will hurt you you know you know the leg kicks the you know maybe a grazing punch you know might hurt your your hands or whatever but you know give us a week of just light training and then you know I'll I'll be back to to seeking fights you know so there's I got a proposition from from a lad the day before the fight uh before my my last fight to fight in Liverpool on the 17th of May I'd like to fight an exagon on the on the 2nd of June one one or the other and then why not you know in my own Hometown on the first of of July that would already be three fights in in a short amount of time and hopefully three wins and you know I wouldn't be happier if if that would happen so yeah anyway you've got a lot of options the one in May I know is cage leg he that can get on to you yeah that's him yeah that's who got on to me so if he's got anybody you know who's you know who who game and who um you know who's my equal like who's you know who's equal to me in the rankings and make it a proper fight that can benefit somebody then you know I'm up for it you know and uh we'll we'll look at it with careful consideration but you know uh I'm here to fight and I'm here to put on a performance every time so yeah perfect I love your attitude uh it'd be good to see on that Liverpool card because I might be going to it myself um there is plenty of options here for fights in Ireland as well if you were ever interested but obviously if you're signed if if you're signed with hexacon and H hexon and mhgp I don't know how that's going to work out but we'll uh we'll worry about that when the time comes thank you so much well here's here's the thing there's there's a little loophole there I can fight for any organization that isn't French just saying just putting that out there not a French organization I can I can fight I can fight for you guys no problem perfect well that's I I'll let a couple of promoters know I'll send your name on this evening if they're looking so thank you very much for your time G let you go so you can do your workout as well before it hits 12 o' it's been an absolute pleasure speaking to you thanks it's been it's been a pleasure uh doing that it's it's the first time I I do one of them in English so I was really trying not to mess it up or or talk too much or talk to little but look we'll get better at it don't worry about it we'll have one I like said I'm going to follow your journey so I'll interv you before every every time you fight we can just keep doing this if you're if you're interested I'm very interested perfect thank you and have a good evening all right