Coach Filip interview (Oito gym)

Summary

Filip Novakovski speaks to me about the gym himself and Leon Lisboa have set up on Francis Street in the heart of Dublin city centre. We talk about his journey in fighting and keep moving to Ireland, why he wanted to get into coaching and how him and Leon decided to get…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

So, I'm here with Coach Phillip H from Itto Gym. It's in the heart of the city center on Frances Street. I was up there recently for a media day. Um, very nice guy. I got to talk to him and I wanted to talk to him a bit more about the gym. It's only kind of new there. I I I didn't know it was there. Um, so I wanted to explore a bit more about the gym. Thank you very much for joining me today. Um, how are you doing? >> I am good, David. Thanks for having me. Uh, like I was saying earlier when we were doing a little bit of prep, like it's I it's a great opportunity for me to be um on on on your show. Um, and to kind of be talking to someone in the community cuz we're we're pretty new uh ourselves. Uh, and so it's great. Yeah. I don't get an opportunity to represent too much. Uh, so it's great that that we got to meet uh by happen stance really. Uh, but I'm well. I'm a little bit over all over the place. A lot of work. Uh, a lot of work on top of work. Um, so yeah, I am I'm I'm good overall. Surviving and thriving from time to time. >> Aren't we all? Aren't we all? We're living the dream as they say. But like I said, we we came across each other cuz Mel was having the the media day there. H you had one of your own fighters there. There was a couple of fighters and I like the set with the gym. I liked where it was in the city center as well. I think the outlets are needed especially in the inner city for people because you can see there's so much trouble going on. But talks about the gym. You said you said you're quite new cuz that's what I I was like I wasn't too familiar with it. H how long have you been set up? Cuz I know you were somewhere previous. So how long ago did you actually set up the gym? >> Yeah. So we set up Oto uh not even a year ago. So 28th September is our birthday. So very excited for that. We're going to have a happy birthday celebration in the new space. Uh, so we set up initially on uh Thomas Street. So it was just kind of around the corner from where we are now on Frances Street. Uh, we were in a little in a little basement underground. It was kind of like I don't know 5x6 if you will with a pillar in between in the middle of it. So you couldn't even use the whole space. So imagine, you know, martial arts and throwing and clinching and sweeps was not something we did too much because just limited space. Um so yeah we set up September last year. Um and then it's been it's been a journey I think I have to say by within a year uh we got lucky to find a space that was a bit bigger. Obviously we got I think clients that were willing to support us in it um and kind of giving giving kind of our vision um a place you know or or an opportunity a chance to grow. Um so yeah uh not even a year old babies if you will. >> Yeah and you actually have quite a few members as well. Your your membership increases but you were able to increase it with the new space. >> Um >> like you've been there a year but talk to us about you your background and why you wanted to to set up a gym. Uh why what how did that transition happen? So what were you doing beforehand? What martial arts were you involved in and what gyms were you involved in? >> Yeah. So uh I was I guess I started I'll talk a little bit my journey and kind of go into uto and and how it came to be but like my journey with martial arts became when I was I don't know almost like twice my size right now. Um where I was in New York so I was living in the states and I was looking for something to do. I used to be a dancer when I was young and I really enjoyed having my body move and kind of using all of it. Uh so I was like what can I do that is like dancing but I can dance with anyone. I don't have to have this specific you know girl that I have to build trust with and go on the floor and compete. Um, and then I I was going through all the other martial arts. Um, grappling and and kind of wrestling or MMA didn't didn't really got me because I did that with my brothers and I had enough, you know, you know, you you I have two brothers. So, at home wrestling, breaking bones and stuff, it was enough. So, so I was done with that. And then kickboxing fine. And then I found Muay Thai where you can actually clinch. And then I was like, "Ooh, I can literally dance and use my balance and use everything that I that I that I am." Um, so I started training myself in New York. I trained under Koban. Uh, Lo Chayong is a very long name as a Thai guy. He used to be um, a Raja Damon champion and Lumpini champion way back in the days in in Thailand. So he's a good one to Google for people if you want to see some brutal force. He's fought people that people I guess would know these days like Rammon Deckers. Have you heard of him >> in in Muay Thai? >> I I wouldn't be familiar with Muay Thai. I love the sport and I think it's the the purest form of striking, but outside of Ireland, I wouldn't know a huge amount except for the kind of >> you know the the kind of mainstream household names. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, he would have been someone that like I think people who are maybe getting onto this on your, you know, I know you do most of your work in MMA. Uh, but someone who's kind of wants to get into a different kind of striking. Um, it's someone to look into. So, anyways, um, he was my crew or my teacher back then. Uh, I started with him in New York. Um, I loved it. Like I I fell in love with it. You know, it was a stress relief. It was something new to learn with my body. every time I get I think I'm good and then someone kicks my ass whether you know whether they're two heads bigger than me or whether it's some really scrawny little guy just sweeping me off my feet. So it's like yeah this is this is there's a lot of learning and I like to learn so um I get bored otherwise. Um so I got into Muay Thai I did three fights when I was there but I started about 10 years ago myself. Um I did I I fought there under them. Um, and it was nice and then CO got in. So then I was like, what do I do? How do I keep going? My gym unfortunately got shut down. New York was awful. Uh, but they couldn't keep up the bill. So the gym got shut down proper. So it was just me, myself, and I. I had my wife hold pads for me. She's like half my size at some point. It was hilarious, but she did it because because of the passion. Um, so yeah, I think I I I did that. I was in the States. Then five years ago uh or so I moved to Ireland um to kind of just uh my wife originally was the reason she got into medical school here and so I was doing my the usual 70 80 hours a week work weeks. Now a little bit into what I am. I'm a organizational psychologist by training. So I do a lot of kind of I used to do leadership development assessment kind of people profiling that kind of stuff. um and professional coaching as well. So, kind of more talking um as opposed to showing people what to do and how to how to move. Um and then I was working too much. So, when she said, "Oh, I'm going to apply to Ireland for medical school." And I said, "Okay, baby, if we get if you get in, we go." So, then she got in. So, like, "Okay, now we go." Didn't know about Ireland. have to be honest with you, my journey was very much we're coming, our plan was we're coming to Ireland, finish the school, and then we're back in the States because that's what we knew, even though both of us are immigrants. Um um I'm originally from Macedonia, so North Macedonia these days is is how it's known. Political stuff, I'm not going to get into it. Um and uh then we got here one year after both of us are crying in the car trying to be honest with each other saying we kind of want to stay like this this country is really nice you know um and so we fell in love with Ireland. So it's and Ireland's been kind of home proper you know for for me as a as a as an immigrant like I can work I can do two jobs I can do three jobs and at the same time David and this was the wildest thing was I can actually try something myself and that's kind of how I got to u um where I was training here after kind of co kind of died down I was trying to find a gym and then I met Neve Neva Donahghue maybe you know Um, yeah, Neve. So, I met Neve at a very random way. I was like just recovering from CO. I was like, and my wife was like, "Go do Muay Thai. That's what you want." I was like, "Okay, I go." And I met Neve for a private. And then she appointed me to Hammerhead. So, I trained in Hammerhead under Dave. Uh, you know Dave? >> Yeah, I do. >> Yeah. Uh, so, so I started training with Dave. Uh and then kind of I got into into back into it fully. Uh I was in Hammerhead for a while. Uh I did a couple of fights as well there under under Dave. Uh and in Hammerhead was actually where I met my business partner now and the other coach Leon. So Leon Lisboa. Um he's probably people might know him better cuz he's been quite active in the in the Muay Thai scene lately. Um, so he's been kind of my main my main guy that I train as a coach uh in terms of fighting. Um, so we met there in Hammerhead and I think being in Hammerhead and kind of being surrounded by gave me energy and then coupled with this piece of hey I can actually do something myself here. I don't have to depend on a [ __ ] visa or an employer for my for my livelihood for everything you know. So, um, I was working again pretty hard. I was working in consulting, um, at the time. And then Leon was saying, "Bro, I need a space. I'm doing privates with clients. It's going to be winter." I've always wanted to have a gym of my own because kind of it tells you my story of I'm I'm very much people oriented. So, I work with people all the time. And I've always wanted to have a gym of my own. I don't know where. Somewhere in the head, in my body, it was sitting. things like that idea of like I want to have this space, not a gym but a space. And I'll tell you about Oto in a bit. U but to to kind of wrap up the story and and the answer is um I kind of was talking to Leon. We got really close training together. He did a camp in Thailand. We were training in Thailand. So it was kind of like a whole um experience that kind of got us bonding. So we bonded through fighting and through the love of of the sport. Uh and we're like we don't have the belts. We don't have the bells or whistles. We're not world champs. We're not European champs. We're no champs. But what I think what we agreed on is that we have a passion to share the art with other people. Uh to help them be better, stronger, um and for them to have a space where they can just be themselves, you know, and and use their body. Um and Muay Thai is what we know. So, we're like, let's give it a go. So, we found the basement. uh we started and then then here we are a year later trying to secure funding fingers crossed David uh for for for our toilets and for expanding the gym fully. So uh that's I think hopefully it wasn't too long of a of a answer to your question but it was very come in detail so feel free to pick it apart wherever you'd like to. That's how we got today. You know, and I like that because you need the background because especially when you're doing something like this and you talk someone, people want to know who's behind it, what they're like. And I think like that when people are themselves and they talk about their story, a lot of people might relate to your story, they might not relate, but they get to see the authentic you, who you are. And one thing is I think your job as well also uh would lend over to coaching as well, which is like that the talking and and like what you said. And I think as well one of the things is like you're very much people and I have this discussion with people as well. Sometimes there's coaches that are just technical and they don't have the personal aspect. And I ask fighters, do you like to have bow or do you want your personal thing? But I think you need that personal aspect because especially with fighting people are there. You've been there blood, sweat and tears, their ups and downs. You've been through camps with them. I think you need that personal aspect with them as well. And I think obviously your job would would lend to that. But when when you started the gym, what was it like? How hard was it to get people in the door? Uh at what way did you advertise? How did the gym kind of take off that you were able to then go on to a new space? >> Uh I think it was a it was a lot of work. Uh David specifically focused on like finding people but not just finding them but keeping them there and and giving them the hardest thing was David actually trusting ourselves that this can work and this will work for me. Like when we started the gym was like what okay here's the space now right great here we can put the floor what how um and we basically started like we offered a free trial for anyone so anyone who wants to come in free trial free class um we started spending a lot of time in the gym so every time most of the time even if there were one two three people it would be the two of us so we basically gave people full attention. Um, and most of the people who are coming to us were beginners. We had some people who are more advanced, looking for the fighter mentality, looking for I think what most gyms offer in Ireland, which Muay Thai gyms, which is not wrong. That's I'm not I'm not criticizing anyone in the space. I admire all of them for their different kind of work, you know. Um, but we couldn't offer them that. We didn't have fighters on our roster. We didn't have a big class. You can't come in and spar and learn something new. You, you know, but what we gave people was basically a lot of time and attention and focus on the basics and kind of showing them what it means to us to do this sport. Um, we went on Class Pass. So, we registered Class Pass. We did uh a little bit of kind of I think Instagram was the biggest winner for us in terms of marketing. like you go on Instagram and then you pay for a few ads and hopefully as soon as someone says hi, you're like grab them and and have the call, have a chat, bring them in the gym, bring you see all of that I'm telling you, I'd have to bring it over and over and over and over again to help people understand what we're doing. So that was the hardest thing cuz some people came in and like, "Oh, this doesn't look like a fight place." We're like, it's not a fight place, you know? It's it's a gym where potentially it could be a fight place one day, but today is a place where you can feel like you belong somewhere new. You can get your fitness done. You'll get a good sweat cuz you know yourself. It's a good sweat. Whether you know what you're doing or not, you're going to sweat. Um, and it's going to be always us there and you're going to have good support. That's that's that was kind of what we offered. Um, and it took some time. It took some time. Low prices, very very low prices, free free privates, like you name it, we done it. Um, but word words, I think word of mouth was critical. So, time had to kind of settle a bit. People had to start talking a bit. Hey, there's these two guys in that little basement. They're cheap. They're nice. They're really actually they're they're nice people. They know what they're doing at the level we need. Maybe you should come. And it was a friend of a friend of a friend. So that's kind of how it worked out for us. Um, and then then eventually they kept coming back and then we kind of reinvested everything. We still haven't, you know, money. It's not a money business. >> It's a passion. >> It isn't. >> It's a it's a passion business for us and and what we bring in is the passion. And I think that's been the kind of staying true to what we offer. >> Yeah. >> We're not going to get you to one championship. We're not going to get you into the UFC. We're not going to have you fight the major events out there, but if you want to fight, we'll give you that. Mostly if you want to train, we'll train. And and I can say now that I've I've been a coach to people who have done the first their first fights. So members who started with us trained for five four to six months and then they competed on the the evolution show uh in South Dublin, Muay Thai. So that was kind of like and I think everyone in the community has been so nice having us like there hasn't been anyone that be like ah screw you guys like where'd you come from stupid ass you know like cuz sometimes you can have that um everyone's been very much like hey you want you have people on our show to come on our shows and training in different gyms so it's been it's been support I think from the community that helped us helped us get to where we are today and we have now over 80 members first which is which is like when I see it when I saw it that was just few weeks ago I was like who are these people like what and then I go through and I'm like oh I know all of them and it's it's and and it's so great now some of them they don't even have to come to talk to me now they come to talk to each other and that's what that that was that's our goal have them have them connect I'll do the class I'll tell them my bid but now they're they're they're doing it with with each other which is um yeah, it's just beautiful to see honestly like it's it's the dream coming true for me. I'm very happy with that. Um a lot of work behind the scenes, but that's kind of how we've gone very much purpose, passion first, and then all the noise we had to cancel. >> Yeah. And I like what you've done as well. Like you said, when you start cuz there is wasn't fighters there. When beginners come in, it's it's quite intimidating to go into a gym for the first time, stuff like that. Especially for females that might come in for a male dominated kind of area, you're able to give them time because cuz I know when I've gone to classes before and there could be 20 or 30 and like Joe, you're not getting something and you want to ask question. Don't want to ask question. The fact that you were readily available helps and it builds that kind of personal relationship and and the way you've kind of done it. The word of mouth as well. I went to college and marketing that was through TV ads whatever. Word of mouth was the one that got you because I'm going to tell someone that would trust me. So, >> um I'm not going to trust a TV show that's putting your ad on. I'm going to tell someone that. >> Yeah. >> I think it was four times more likely to get a customer. I think it's four times more likely to get a customer than an advert would and that's through trust and stuff. But I like especially what you've done and like I said to get to 80 is amazing. And you said there was hell from the community. I think the MMA or not not MMA but the combat sports community in general I think cuz especially likes Muay Thai MMA boxing is more accepted but it's it's very marginalized by the country. They're not recognized. There's no funding. It's really hard to get stuff and I think that's why everyone kind of sticks together and they want everyone to succeed because then we can get to a place where funding can be uh from the government can be implemented hopefully get recognized and I think combat sports I've been in different circles whether it's GA soccer combat sports has been the most accommodating accepting and and the nicest uh that has been but there was one thing I really want to talk to you about and I saw on your page and it's really interesting >> um the mental health class talk to us about at how it came up and what does it consist of? >> Yeah. Um I'll give you a bit on that. I think I have to go into a little bit of background cuz >> that was something that >> um we're you know like myself and Leon we're quite different whereas I would be kind of the softer I do have the more technical kind of technical nuance as well but I'd be kind of the softer one that kind of I in with my people. How are you? What's happening? Is someone off? is someone walking weird in the door, you know, and you can see that in people sometimes. And then Leon is the guy who's like, "We're going to sweat today. You might be crying at the end, but that's all right, you know." So, and he, you know, he drills them in. No shame in the game. I'm just there cheerleading, you know. Uh, but they like it nonetheless. So, I think um the mental health bit is actually something we chose to be as a differentiator for ourselves as well. So um I will have done a lot of kind of personal development coaching um but the biggest reason why we chose with that is that Muay Thai has been a place of kind of safety for us for me and Leon. Um it's gotten us out of trouble. It's put discipline in our lives in a very concrete way, right? Repetition, showing up, all that stuff. You know how it is. It's it's the same, I think, with any martial art you you decide to practice. Um, and it's it gave us that. And it gives us a peace of mind, right? And it gives us a way to kind of stay focused in life, right? When nothing's going, my bag's going to be there. I can kick my back. I can punch my bag. My people are going to be there. Someone's going to say hi to me in the gym when I go in, right? And so I'm not going to go into this too much in detail, but I'll just say that um I did struggle with addiction earlier in my life and Muay Thai and fitness was the way for me to very much break ties with that, you know, and and go a way that that is better for me, right? Um, like I said, then I've done I've done a lot of psychology work and then I'm pursuing a master's in psychotherapy right now. So, that's kind of my my I'm I'm deepening my knowledge in people because that's what I want. Um, and so that was the thing where we decided, listen, we're not we're never going to be just a Muay Thai gym. We will be primarily a Muay Thai gym, but we're going to be a place where people can come and connect with people who maybe just want to be left alone from everything else in the world and just be here for a moment, you know. Um, and so that's that's the very much the under layer that's the support behind Muay Thai that we have that we offer. Uh, so it would stem very much from my kind of personal experience but also expertise and training. Um, so the mental health sessions, it's very much I do that one-on-one with my clients when I notice something, whether that's cheering them up, whether that's listening, you know, after class, before class, during class. That's my that's my style, that's my way. Uh, but the work the workshops that that we do and the one we did recently is very much focused on um, it's it was interesting one. It was very, it was around storytelling. For example, who are you? What kind of nice things are you telling yourself? Are you telling yourself any nice things? And if not, why not? And we did that in a nice group setting where we literally had to kind of sit down and talk about um what is the story I'm telling myself right here, right now. Yeah. And then really get a reflection from people when they hear that story of bottom line how harsh we can be for to each other. I can't kick right. I can't get the promotion. I can't do whatever. Yeah, it's not just Muay Thai. But it can be very very, you know, coach is saying, "No, turn more on the kick." And then you're doing it thinking you're doing, but it's not happening. So, it's like, "Oh, I'm useless. Never going to learn this. Oh, stupid. All wrong. Oh, that was wrong." Um, so that was part of it, but it's it's it was very much just to give you an idea of what kind of work we do when we do these sessions and and kind of in between with our clients as well. Um, I think we will expand. We've worked with uh people who are on the autism spectrum as well. So, we have interest now from a group of people who want to do a little bit of Muay Thai. So, a little bit of kicking and boxing followed up with something like this. Um, so it's it's we didn't we never asked for it, but some of our clients are working like they're social workers or helping kind of people in the community. Um, so they're asking for it, which is great, you know. Um, they've never thought about kicking, punching as a let as a outlet and then you're calmer. Well, then you can kind of breathe a bit proper be in your body as opposed to just kind of what's next, what's next, what's next, what's next, what's next, what's next, you know. Um, so that's a little bit about it. I get too passionate there. You have to stop me, man. Otherwise, I keep going. >> No, keep going. I'd rather you talking than me talking. But there was a couple of things that I picked up on there um as well that like like you were saying about people talking to themselves. And I remember saying someone they they came out and they I think it was an interview or something. They were like, "Oh [ __ ] this that the other." And I turned around and said, "If I came out of that interview, would you say that to me?" They were like, "No." I said, "Then why are you saying it to yourself?" >> Like be a friend to yourself. So, you can criticize yourself or look at where you can think, but don't be harsh on yourself. Um, and I don't think people realize that that a lot of people go through that that battle in their head. Um, there's a really good song. I don't know if you've ever heard, Hyen. I'm going to send it to you after this. It's 9 minutes, but >> what? Yeah, it's unbelievable. Um, and it talks about the people's battles in their head. >> Oh, I knew it. I know it. I I had to register. I know it. >> Yeah. I' I've cried to that song like maybe five times, not going to lie. I cried the first time because there's a part in it where he says to get rid of me, you have to kill and then it's just like I had that moment like that I've had issues like like yourself. Um and it was like that's how I felt. Do you know the sort of way? I was like I need to like it feels like that's going to be with me forever unless when I die that's when that dies. You know the sort of way. But I I really like what you're doing. It's so unique. Um there is I know there is a guy doing MMA classes. Uh Jordan O'Neal is in Cage Warriors. He's doing classes every Friday and that's what he said. Even if you don't want to come up and uh punch or kick or whatever, just come up and chat and socialize and just be around people. And he's open that free. Uh >> yeah, >> he's opened that free for people. So, but like your one is obviously with your background and stuff, you're able to go into the nuances and stuff like that and you can analyze a bit more cuz like that Jordan said, he's not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but he's brought someone on board to be there to talk to the people as well because I don't think especially with men, it's not talked about enough. Um, >> yeah. Yeah. You you just see the aggression at the front, which is a lot of people come in thinking like I just want to And then when that goes away, when someone gets tired. >> Yeah. >> Right. Or someone's like, "Oh, I just want to kick me. Kick me." I had this one client. I I love him to death. Yeah. He comes in. He's like, "But I want to know how it feels. Kick me. Punch me." I was like, "Okay, let's do it. Let's do it. Sign a waiver." Of course they sign. >> Sign a waiver. Get that one. >> But then you kick them. And then it's like, "Well, that wasn't okay. That hurt. But okay, that's it. I was like, that's it. That's not the point. That's not the point. How hard you kick or you get kicked, you know? It's about what do you do with it? How long can you go for it? What does that mean to you? And then he and then he turns into like a calmer purse and then you can talk. >> Then it's not he's not killing people in sparring all of a sudden. There's control. >> And I like to do that. I like to give people the ability to control themselves where it's like a if you need to turn on, turn it on 100%. You defend yourself, you go and defend yourself. But if you don't need to, why would you hurt your teammates? >> What's the point? >> I see I see hard aggressive spars online. You see there's so much there's so many videos. There's a place for a spar if you're training for a fight. If you're training to get better, for me it's like train right and then fight easy. That's kind of like I changed my my coach's philosophy. It used to be train hard, fight easy. That was kind of the way that that I was taught. But I've changed it recently in my own coaching philosophy, which is train right, fight easy. Um if need be, you go hard. Um but if you train right, you know when to go hard and when to go and and pace yourself. So I I try that in my in my way to to give people kind of the ability to choose to regulate to manage themselves, right? Um so yeah. Yeah. It's it's Yeah. I got goosebumps when you mentioned the song earlier. Thanks Dave. >> It's you know what it's it's it's not a song. That's a piece of art is what that is. It's >> is what it is. >> It's it's it's mental. So I I'll actually post that link for people as well to see as well because I think everyone should watch it once. Don't blame me if you start crying because we've been there. But I I really like what you're doing with gym and I like going forward. You've got a couple of girls fighting coming up. I'm going to wrap it up now in a second because I' I've really enjoyed this and I want to catch up with you in a couple of months to see how how the gym's progressed as well. But uh you've got a couple of girls uh fighting coming up on Mel's show with the female side of thing. What do you think of what Mel's doing? I think what she's doing is amazing. She's coming down. She's really she's making the the the girls are kind of front and center cuz you know you said sometimes you go to my tie they're lower on the card whereas this is all about them. How and how's that making your girls feel that are that are on the show. >> Oh, it's great. So we have we have one girl fighting. We had two girls fighting before on the evolution shows. I don't know maybe crossed paths but so there's one fighting Andresa um on Mel's show. I think it's fantastic. Like I think it's for me personally like if there's a if there's a all guys show or if there's a show why isn't it why why is like I was so upset cuz she was supposed to fight on Valkyries which was another all women show that that they putting together I don't know if you if you've heard of it >> need I was supposed to actually be at the first show but there was an MMA show so I had to MMA >> yeah and it just fell through because people didn't show up you know and so so I don't know and there there's plenty right like we've had we have as many girls fighting now out of our gym as we have guys. And for me it's like Yes. And and they attract others. Not just about the fighting, just about the the way of being, the discipline, the showing up, the the having fun with it. Yeah. I can't stop them talking. All of them, you know, that's my biggest issue. When they just get they get they get chatting. I'm like, "Okay, now are you in camp or are you not?" Because decide. Um, I think what Mel's doing is amazing. Um, I have I'm I'm very excited for that show. Um, to just be a part of it and I think it's going well. Um, it was a pleasure to have all of them and kind of you see the younger ones, the older ones. I know they were talking to I overheard this is me overhearing cuz I'm hyper when I'm on I'm on. So, it's like Vicki who's the main main event. She was there and then they were telling how like these little girls in Belfast are like she's their idol, you know? >> Yeah. >> I'm like that's so cool. Like that's so cool. Like they get inspired. Like I wish I had constantly something to it to aspire to and be inspired by. Yeah. And I do. But for them, someone who's who's female, I think it's it's important they they they relate to some someone that's similar to them, you know. So I think it's awesome. Um, most of my mentors in my life that have helped me in my life literally like taken me out of the grave have been women. So I I you know I I have all respect and gratitude. I'm very excited for the show. Um, so it's great to be part of it. >> It's a good show. It was a good day and thank you. Obviously you let Mel have the space we up there with Tony. I wasn't doing a hell of a lot. I usually am more involved but Tony was the guy with the camera. He's the expert. I was his assistant for the day. It was really nice to meet you there and then. It was really nice to have this chat. Um I really find a lot of things you say interesting. I think we are going to have to have another one where we can do maybe a longer form one and and I can go into a bit more detail, but I know obviously today we're both under a bit of time pressure. Um but I'm going to let you go. Is there anything you want to say before you go? Thank you for your time. Best of luck to your fighter uh to is it Andreas? Andressa Andressa >> Andresa at the show. I will actually be at the show uh myself personally, so I'll get to see you again in person. Is there anything you want to say before you go? >> Uh I I I'm just going to say thank you. They I think that was that's great to to have me and give me the opportunity and the platform to to join um and say my things. Uh I don't think everyone gets the opportunity to say their things. So, if there's someone there wanting to say their things or do their thing, I want you to use this as an opportunity to go and actually do it um and and and do something with it. Um like I did now. I could have said no to you. It would have been easy. I'd be gone. So, thanks for having me. Um and yeah, hopefully on the next one I'll tell you where we're at next and and what's happening at Oto. Um but if anyone's looking for us or me, you can find us on Instagram. Um Oto Fight is the tag. Um, and then we go from there. >> Yeah, perfect. I'll put all the tags in the description. Uh, I'll probably do something on a little reel on Instagram as well. I'll tag it all there. I want to thank you so much for your time. This has been a very interesting conversation and I'll definitely catch up with you in the next maybe three to four months and then we'll see how the gym has progressed. H, how the fight teams progressed? Have you got more fighters? Stuff like that. Enjoy the rest of your day. I know you have to go to training now. You've been an absolute gentleman and I will talk to you soon. >> Awesome. Thanks, David. Why now?