Laura French interview

Summary

Laura is competing at Chaos fighting championship this week, she speaks about her venture into MMA joining Hybrid Ards beginners course then deciding to compete We speak about Arnaud Dos Santos and what he means to the gym as ahead coach and mentor

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Kind: captions Language: en Okay, so I have Laura French here who's going to be competing at Chaos Fighting Championship tomorrow. So, I really really appreciate our time because it is the day before the show. H lot going on. I see you've got your hair done. You're ready to go. >> Oh, yeah. I'm ready. >> How are you feeling a day before? You're sitting down drinking your coffee. You look quite calm. >> Yeah, I'm chilled. Do you know what? I'm one of them people everyone says me I was more laidback I'd be dead. So, but I thought like coming up to the fight because it's obviously my first fight. I thought like people kept saying, "Are you nervous? Are you nervous?" And I was like, "No." And then I was like, "Will it get me closer to the time?" And I'm like now I'm just excited. Now I'm just like I wish it was tomorrow. So yeah, feeling good. >> And uh like that weight going into this you being your first fight. Uh did you did you what kind of a weight cut do you have? If you have a weight cut at all, like how has that kind of treated you this week? Well, when I started in the gym, when I started training with Arno, he kind of was like to me, if you want to be a fighter, if you want to take it seriously, I would consider getting as close to 61, 62. So, I was already aiming for that. And then, so I started off about probably 73 in January. And then, so I was already aiming for that. And then whenever this fight got confirmed, I think I was sitting 65. And now I today I'm 63. So I've got a kg to go tonight hopefully. [laughter and clears throat] >> So yeah, >> we'll get that shifted. >> Yeah, a kg isn't too bad. I've watched someone cut 7 kg overnight. I hope that's right now because I've been saying it in the past couple of interviews, but I'm pretty sure it was 7 kg. It [laughter] was a uh we were doing a documentary and and just watching it happen because it was done in a sauna, I was like, >> "Yeah, >> for me, >> I always was certain I did I wanted to avoid doing that as much as possible. So I wanted to get as close as I could and then um I was at 62 and then I don't know what happened to last week I got woman you know. Yeah 63. So >> we'll get there tomorrow. >> Yeah. And and like that with it being your first fight like you said you started with Arnold. When did you start and why did you start uh looking towards MMA? >> Um so I always kind of had an interest in MMA. Like my whole life growing up, I had like I kind of like I liked I started off I wanted to do boxing and then I maybe done like one session of boxing when I was a teenager and like everyone was screaming at me. It was all men. It was scary and then I never went back and then I um done like a couple of Muay Thai like one to ones whenever I was say about 19. And then um I had my kids and then after I had my kids I was like I need to get back into something but I can't train. Like people go to the gym and lift weights and stuff. That bores the life out of me. Like it really really bores me. So I was like I need to find something that I'll enjoy doing. So, I'm had only just moved to Donald in like the end of last year and then I was driving down the road and I seen a little sign saying hybrid MMA and just so happened to look it up and they were doing a beginner course starting in January this year and I was like that'll do me. So then I joined that and I remember being like oh no like I'll not like the grappling I'll not do like I'll just finish the course but I like the Muay Thai like kickboxing you know all the striking and then once I finish the course I'm like I love the grapple now like and I never thought I would so yes then I've just kept it up since then and like honestly it's just it's like the best thing I ever done for like mental health, physical health and like just stress relief. like it's screw it. >> Yeah. That's that's what people say that they go in that they have something on their mind. They go and they have a session and then they leave the session they're like what was I worried about or or like kind of Yeah. >> And I think it gives people that time as well because I know for me when there's stuff going on and I'm emotional what I'm quite react reactionary and I need to take like a couple of hours to kind of >> like disassociate myself from what's going on. Whereas obviously if you go in and you're you're beating people up and getting beaten up for like an hour or two hours as well, that's going to detach you from and then you come out and realize that maybe what you were thinking about wasn't such a big deal. Like I said, it's fit and and mentally fit. But with the grappling, a lot of people say that that >> they go into the grappling and a lot of people go in and they say like they go in and just say they're I don't know what 70 kg and then they they grapple against someone who's 50 kg and and that that little person [ __ ] them up and then they're like I need to learn it. Is it because because of just the skill and the technical ability of it? Is that what kind of intrigued you? And >> yeah, I think like Arnold kept telling me like just just keep showing up. Just keep push cuz I was like I am not enjoying this at all. I kept going in and like you're with all the boys who are years ahead of you and they were submitting you in like 20 seconds and I was like I can't do this. But then week by week, little by little, you get to last a little bit longer or you might get close to submitting them and then the next week you might submit someone. And it's like I think it's just the little wins every week just keeps you going. Whereas with the striking side of it, it's like [laughter and gasps] especially girls are feisty. Like Arno always says like we can't keep it playful. We just box ahead off each other. And like if you catch the other person and they catch you back like it just turns into a brawl and then it's not as like you come away from it not seeing your achievements as much you know whereas in the grappling you're like oh someone submitted me last week but this week I almost got them in whatever you so that's what kept me interested in it in the end. Yeah, I think that like with the striker like if I'm assuming if you get caught, you're going to be like, "Oh, switch flicks and you're like, well, I'm going to catch them now." And and in all the kind of emotion of that and like it might not be bad emotion, it's a competitive one, >> but you don't really kind of slow it down to see like you said you were getting submitted in 20 seconds and then if next week it was 30 seconds, people go, "Well, you still still submit, but it was still okay. You've increased that by 10 seconds, right?" So, it's you against you every week. Don't look at other people or whatever. And the fact that you can go on and see that because that's like you need a good mindset like how tough was it at times because you need a good mindset to do that because getting submitted or getting beat every every week isn't easy like I said but to stick it through and come out the other side of it must feel really good. So how hard was it to deal with at the time? >> Well I mean if you speak to Arnold I'm sure he'll tell you [laughter] there's been a lot of tears in the gym at times. He's used to it by now with the girls. But like I mean there's even been a night where you when things happen you just get you can get in your own head and think like I'm just defeated tonight. I'd be better just leaving. And there was a night recently where I was about to leave and and he was like just stay just do some rounds. And it ended up being my best night of rounds I've ever had. And he was like at the end he was like you were about to leave. and then it turned and it was a bad situation and it turned into a really positive one. So just remember that the next time. Don't like he's really good at getting yourself out of your own head, you know that way. So it is tough at times, but you just have to if you just stay till the end, it can turn around, you know, that way. >> Yeah. And and you spoke so far, you spoke quite highly of Arnold. He's someone that I have huge respect for h as a promoter and especially coach and and most of all a human being. He's an absolutely fantastic person. >> Um I think he's really good like that mentally to be able to to get people's psyche and to get them ready and he kind of knows people's limits and he knows how to push. How have you found working with him? Cuz Mel we spoke about has has has said she wouldn't be where she is now if it wasn't for him and how he took her in and went on. What's your how if you would like to describe Arno as a coach, what would you say? Um, honestly, like I would I would never go anywhere else now. Like before when I went different gyms and stuff, I'm like, you know, you're kind of there. You're just another number. At Arno's gym, like you walk through the doors and he he believes in every single person that goes in there. It doesn't matter if you've lost 10 fights in a row. Like he believes in you and that's like sometimes all you need. Cuz there's been times I'm like to him, "Do you think I could win that?" And he's like, "Obviously I wouldn't put you through it." Like obviously I think that and he is really like honestly like really really an inspiring person like he just he puts and he runs that all himself like you know people don't appreciate the amount of work he does he is at every fight he's at every training session every one to one you know like it's all him so like he really doesn't get the credit he deserves like he is he is an amazing person and I do owe him a lot for like this year like like I said to him this morning you have seen the worst of me. I don't even understand why he like comments on anymore because I like you just you just take it because like he's seen every emotion, you know. So, he is a great guy. >> Yeah. I I I think I actually I done a story about him and it was actually Haley his wife who actually got on to me and said thanks very much because uh the team that he's kind of built there it's been building over the past while you don't really see it happening at the I see it happening because I do be a lot of shows or I watch a lot of shows and you see noviceses coming through and I think I can't remember the exact figures but out of like >> 14 fights there recently the last 11 they' won you know so that's a really good kind of record when you see him at shows he's on the ball he has he has everything down to his little box that he keeps everything in. You've got the stool, >> everything he does is on point and he has both sides. I think he's got the technical ability to teach you, but he's also got that personal side which I think is very, very important because like you said, he seen the worst. You could get down at times. He turns your worst session into your best session >> and >> that's a difference maker for me. But >> um going into this fight, obviously like you said, you're excited. You're going to be fighting on chaos with your opponents. She is Caitlyn from Lima Valley. Have you looked into her much? Do you leave that to Arno or do you want to just go in and implement your own style as a fighter? >> Um well, I've I've watched her fight with um Gemma and I've watched there was another fight before that. Like I've watched them both briefly, but when I started this like like you said a minute ago, Arnold said to me, it's it's always you versus you. Like don't focus too much on the other person. Um so, and I tried not to do that because I'm like I don't want to get into my own head. I'm like just do my training, focus on me. So I haven't looked into her that much. I know she's a good kickboxer. Um and so like but we've just been nothing's changed too much like with the way we've been training. Um my grappling as I said I came in like a better striker so we focused quite a lot on grappling but then recently we've been doing everything again. So no I haven't really looked too much into it. just kind of going in with my own skills and seeing where it takes me. >> Yeah, know 100%. And I like what did like say you said went in and you would have been a higher level of striker going in then you've brought your grappling up here because you see now in MMA you have to be fully rounded. It's not like >> the early days where it was a boxer versus karate and they were actually in their own different uniform like their own outfits at the time. But um yeah, it's going to be a fantastic card. Uh with with fighting on Chaos, obviously it's it's the longest running show in Ireland. How does it feel to be fighting on a show like that? Uh with Andy, obviously Andy Chapman's part of the show. Dave and other team who've kind of sprung done really well with their MMA in the last year from having not many fighters. But how are you feeling fighting on KC is it's such a prestigious show. Conor McGregor has come through there. James Gallagher, people like that. How does it feel to be part of her? >> Oh, I'm just buzzing. Like, it's obviously, like you say, it's a really well-known show and all these big fighters have came through it, but even just to like I'm even just more buzzing to have a fight confirmed cuz I know how hard it is for girls in this country. Like, even Gemma, like she hasn't been able to have her debut as amateur and it's like, so I'm just buzzing. Like, I wouldn't care where I was fighting. Do you know that way? I'm like I just wanted to fight and uh so I'm I'm glad that's confirmed but obviously I like it's a bonus that it's such a good well-known show. >> Yeah. And like that it's hard. It's obviously when Mel done that sparing day, she was able and I think there was like 80 something 80 something females and I was like I didn't realize there was actually that many females competing in mass sports and I've tried to match Gemma and Gemma is a hard one to match. >> Um because all the people her weight now are kind of very well experienced and there >> you need and it's hard because you can't see like unless you go to gym to gym you don't know who's kind of coming through from novice to amateur. Um, I'm assuming this will be your first and last fight of the year maybe with the the year that's in it because obviously it's going to be the end of November unless I don't think there's any shows late December, but have what's your plan for after this? Obviously, you're not looking past your opponent, but do you want to stay active next year? How do you want to kind of year to pan out next year? >> Yeah. Keep saying to Arnold and Arnold keeps saying to me, next year's my year. So, so we're going to try and be active like you know, every fight show that's come up, I'm sending it to I'm like, I'm doing this. I'm doing this. I'm doing this. And he's like, "Get the first one by and then we'll we'll work on next year." But um yeah, hopefully I know Wrath is going to be obviously next weekend. It's too close to this one, but the next Wrath will be April. Um but hopefully if something comes up in between then I'll be able to get another one out. Um yeah. So yeah. >> Yeah. There's I think there's March, I think there's your and then I think Gladiator released theirs. I can't remember what it is. But how do you feel with the amount of shows that is actually around? Because up north there's I want to say six, seven shows. I think down south there's maybe two, three if cage legy comes back. So you've got up to about 10 shows to compete on. How does that make you feel as a fighter that like just say if >> it is it is hard to get match for females, but there is so many different options that just say if something fell through, it could be jumped on and in a week or two. >> How does it feel for you to have those options there? Yeah, it's good obviously like you just I just plan on continuing training like as if I have a fight. So like cuz like you say as a girl you don't get many options. So if girls are already matched and someone pulls out you're you're already ready. So that's my plan. Um just keep training and if something comes up then happy days on on any show. >> Yeah. And like that hopefully best best of skills tomorrow. going to let you go.