FH: How has training been for this fight?

RS: Training’s been going well. I’ve been doing most of my training at Next Generation in Liverpool, but I’ve also been doing my strength and conditioning work with the guys at Strength and Performance in Stockport. We’ve been focusing a lot on speed and power work over the last few months, and I’m feeling that together with the work I’ve been doing with my technical coaches, it’s all starting to pay off in sparring. 

FH: What can your fans expect to see on June 2nd.

RS: I’ve been working hard on rounding out my game too, so the fans should expect to see the best version of me to date! 

FH: How do you see this fight going?

RS: I don’t want to make a prediction about exactly how the fight will play out – but I’m confident everywhere. 

FH: Any message to your opponent?

RS: I’ve got nothing to say to Aisling – I believe in letting the fight speak for itself. 

FH: First of all Marcus, how excited are you as a proud Irishman to be fighting in Ireland?

MD: The last week before coming I was having problems sleeping. I’m always like a boy on Christmas eve who stays awake to see Santa. I love it here. I love the people. I love the energy I get from performing here.

FH: How did the fight come about?

Chris just sent me an email asking me if I’d be interested. We went back and forth until we had an agreement. When I found out he wanted to match me with Mark I got even more excited. I love a real fight. I don’t want to fight people who I believe I can beat easily. Mark is very skilled at what he does so I wanted this fight badly.

FH: Do you know much about Mark Casserly and his fighting style?

MD: I’ve seen about 10 of his fights. He is a very good kicker. His style is unique. It’s not straight Muay Thai. It’s not straight tae Kwon do. He mixes them well.

FH: What kind of preparation has gone into this bout? How has it differed from preparing for an MMA fight?

MD: The biggest difference is all the focus is on stand up. No wrestling. No jiu jitsu. It’s easier to prepare for less dimensions. The focus is different.

FH: What do you think is the most dangerous part of your game coming into this bout?

MD: My most dangerous abilities I bring is my hands. Speed and power.

FH: Do you think your greater overall fighting experience gives you an edge? Do you have a particular game plan or is it more difficult considering the action is going to be solely on the feet?

MD: There is no surprises in this fight. If he boxes with me he will lose. If I trade kicks with him he will get the better of me. We both will mix it up but lay heavier on our strengths.

FH: How long do you plan to keep on fighting be it K1 or MMA?

MD: I’m not a food product so I don’t have a expiration stamp on my head. Could be a year. Could be 3. Not sure

FH: How is everything going at Team Irish MMA? As a dedicated family man you must really enjoy seeing new kids coming in the door.

MD: Our school, my brand, is growing. I love teaching. It is another one of my passions. I teach the young and the older. Team Irish MMA is my future.

FH: Would ever think about opening a branch of Team Irish here in Ireland?

MD: Yes. There will be one. Already in the mix.

FH: Do you pay any attention to the UFC anymore? What do you think of Jon Jones? Is Dan Henderson is the man to beat him?

MD: Yes. I have a radio show in America called “Pull No Punches” so I have to be on top of the MMA news. Jon Jones is a friend. He is a complete fighter. His athleticism is beyond anyone in his division right now. But MMA fighting is a sport where anything can happen. Anyone can win or lose. So Henderson always has a chance.

FH: Who do you think is the top contender at 170 apart from Carlos Condit?

MD: Jake Ellenberger, George St Pierre, Josh Koshcheck, Fitch, Diaz are all top in the division.

Tickets for Primal Fighting Championship 4 ‘Worlds Collide‘ are on sale now.

Credit: Alan Keane.

Barry (left) with co-commentator Stuart McQuitty

Fight Hounds caught up with Irish MMA’s man of many talents. Barry Oglesby is a former fighter who runs his own gym, hosts Ireland’s biggest jiu-jitsu tournament and commentates for the country’s biggest MMA promotion. 

FH: First of all tell us about how you got started in martial arts? Was there always an ambition to own your own gym ?

BO: No not at all. I sort of fell into coaching. I had bounced around from boxing to kickboxing, judo for a while as a kid, but it wasn’t until college that I really got stuck into something and that was taekwondo. I spent about 7 years training that and was a 2nd degree black belt running a club when I finished up. There was a sort of progression there in the organisation I was with where they were trying to expand so you were always being asked if you’d instruct and myself and my girlfriend (now my wife!) started a small club training kids. But the grappling bug had bitten at this stage and soon I was rolling around with a few mates after each taekwondo session and gradually that began to creep it’s way into training proper.

FH: And of course now you’re running Grapplepalooza, Ireland’s biggest no gi BJJ competition. How did that come about?

BO: Out of frustration mostly. Around 3 years ago no one was running any tournaments. Everyone seemed to be looking to compete but there were very few chances. I had a big gym at the time with plenty of mat space, so I thought we’d run a friendly small tournament and in the end 130 people showed up to compete. We were hopelessly unprepared and had to use some spare mats we had to make another ring! I thought we’d get 50-60 guys. But it went off pretty well considering. I did that a few more times but by the last one that gym was on it’s way to closing down and it was obvious that the tournaments had outgrown the venue. At the same time, there was a debate on who Ireland’s best grappler was and I took that ball and ran with it to make the first Grapplepalooza event with a €1k prize for the winner of a 16 man event, plus a daytime event for all other competitors. That ran great but I completely lost my shirt!

FH: It was an bigger event this year so what changed in terms of organizing it this year?

BO: In terms of organisation, pretty much nothing has changed except for numbers involved. Doing anything like this is stressful but as long as you’re well prepared in advance it’s easy. The most important thing is good organisation and good standards of refereeing and scoring. We’re getting more and more experienced at refereeing and I run my guys who work the tables and actually run the event through the event in advance. The guys who help from my club are about as experienced as I am in terms of running the show now so I could probably sit back and let it happen. They’re really good, really professional at it. I think that’s the least you can expect for a tournament you pay money for- good professional organisation and high quality refereeing to make sure you get a fair shake.

FH: Where do you feel the standards of BJJ and MMA in Ireland are right now?

BO: Since the new C class rule came into effect the standard has really gone up. John Kavanagh deserves a lot of credit for forcing that issue. It used to be bad grapplers could essentially get away with not being finished once the fight hit the ground, and bad strikers could rely on being on their backs without fear of getting hit. It made for unrealistic matches. I like watching most amateur matches now. The standard of Pro fighter is also very high, and I think domestic irish matches are as good as anywhere in Europe right now.

As to BJJ, I think the sport is so popular and growing that it’s hard to see a negative. If I had to say one it would be that the membership is still a little old. At any given tournament you might have 120 adults and 10 kids. That’s not right! I’d like to see more youth involved although i do recognise BJJ and grappling are a hard sell to parents

FH: You mentioned the difficulty of selling BJJ to parents. Last year there was a lot of controversy when a video emerged of two young boys engaged in a ‘cage fight’. It was in fact a grappling match before the beginning of a local MMA show. Do you think MMA will ever escape the stigma of ‘cage fighting’ and the idea people have that there’s no rules whatsoever?

BO: Well it certainly won’t escape it as long as we keep embracing it. The same guys who shout “legitimate sport” are the same guys posting videos of shin clash breaks and Joe Stevenson covered in blood on their Facebook accounts. Look it’s a certain type of sport with a certain appeal. That has to be understood. the guys coaching and training in it see the science and yes the beauty in it, and so do a certain section of the fans. But the guys buying tickets and pey per views are interested in getting a few drinks in with their mates and aren’t hoping for a battle of wits, they’re hoping for Griffin/Bonnar or Diaz/Gomi. That’s why it’s successful, that’s why after 10 years plus of the sport in Ireland you can still hear guys shouting “Stand em up!” or “Stop hugging him” at shows. It is what it is. If it’s any consolation, it’s so big now, there’s such money involved, that I don’t think we have to worry about being recognised as a legitimate sport.

FH: How did your commentating gig with Cage Contender come about?

BO: I think mostly because I talk crap all the time, and John Ferguson wanted someone to talk crap over fights. Seriously though, JF was looking for someone for Cage Contender to partner Stuart who was on board at that stage. This was for, I think, CC 2 or 3, and these were DVD releases. John posted something on the boards MMA forum and I responded with something funny about doing it but having strange dressing room demands like Mariah Carey or something. I can’t really remember to be honest. Anyway he rang me a few minutes later and asked me to do it.

I arrived at the first show in jeans and a tee shirt having cleared out my garage that day in them, thinking I’d be sat cageside watching the fights and that would be that. Instead I was shoved in front of the camera and stumbled and stuttered my way throught the first piece to camera. I was terrible! Luckily once the fights started I was fine and myself and Stuart got on really well.

FH: What’s the best fight you’ve called for CC?

BO: That’s actually quite a tough one. It’s funny because you see some fights from Cageside and the atmosphere and sense of occasion really make them, but then they lose some of that in the transfer to television. In terms of pure atmosphere, the first Pendred vs. Shannon fight and the Robinson vs. Wain fight really stand out for me. Dublin and Belfast both rocking. They were great battles that the crowd made. But the standout bout for me has to be paul Cowzer v Keith Coady. That was some fight.

FH: Ever tempted to get back in the cage yourself? When you’re sitting there calling these fights, you must get an itch?

BO: I actually drove up to Belfast last night with my coach Andy Ryan and we spoke a bit about this. I’m 34 next month which while it doesn’t make me old, does make me about 15 year’s older than the average MMA trainee it seems. I actually only stopped putting myself forward for fights because I had a run of bad luck when training for them. The last 4 fights I trained for went number 1: I broke my hand, 2: A guy pulled out, 3: I got a staph infection and had to have some minor surgery and then 4: I showed up and the venue was unsuitable.

That was almost 2 years out of my training life and I’m quite a busy guy as I’m self employed. To sacrifice like that, like the way all the good pros you see on Irish cards do, you have to really want it and I don’t want it that badly anymore. When me and Andy were talking last night I was telling him that when I see a good MMA match I don’t feel the urge to get back to the gym, but if I watch a good grappling or Jiu Jitsu match I do. That tells me everything I need to know about my own training! I still love the sport, but I’m happy to be coaching it right now and I don’t feel any desire to take a fight.

FH: Saturday night at Cage Contender XIII Paddy Hoolahan knocked out Damien Rooney with a headkick. Were you surprised by that given Holahan’s record for wins by submission?

BO: I’m not surprised by anything that young developing fighters like Paddy do. Sometimes you see a lad fight and a year later he looks like something totally different. As a commentator you’re asked to nail your flag to the mast and I thought the fight would be decided in the clinch with Rooney looking to keep it standing and Paddy looking for the takedown. I was wrong as I’ve been before. But look if you’re in the media and you just say stuff like “oh anything could happen” then you’re a wuss. I say don’t sit on the fence, make a call and sure if you’re wrong then at least people get to slag you for it.

FH: Dean Lister defeated Rodney Moore last to set up a possible title fight with Chris Fields. Excited?

BO: Yeah Chris was unlucky to pick up his injury before the CW middleweight tournament. He has his eyes on big things and if you want to be picked up by a big promotion, you have to be either picking up legitimate titles or picking off big names. They don’t come much bigger than Dean. I don’t know if it’ll happen mind you, all i saw was a tweet with the two of them squaring up at the after party. There’s Chris’s Cage Warriors contract and so on that might get in the way. Hopefully not.

FH: Finally Barry, we always ask is there anyone you’d like to say hello to or maybe mention your gym?

BO: I’d like to say hi to Wardy. When he walks into the gym everyone’s eyes light up, and then quickly dim again when they realise it’s not who they thought it was. But he did buy me my bandana, which I wear with pride every day.

Alan Keane

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Ruairi O’ Hagan cought up with UFC Fighter & head MMA coach at the Boking/MMA Clinic (Cork) Jake Hecht after the event to discuss a night that saw all 6 of his fighters take home the W on the night.

Credit: Ruairi O’ Hagan (Red FMs Big Red Bench)

Full Results

Andrius Daskus (MMA Clinic) def Scott Grant (Waterford MMA) by split decision 29-28 29-28 28-29

Kostek Kozak (MMA Clinic) def Keith Burke (CSC) by triangle choke by 1.47 rd 1

Martin Houlihan (Tuatha de Danan) def Declan Broderick (CSC) .37 rd 1 guillotine choke

Evan Brophy (CSC) def Gary Wallace (Waterford MMA) by unanimous decision

Will Fleury (MMAC) def Luke Geoghan (Kokoro) 1.07 rd 1 rear naked choke

Darren O’ Gorman (MMAC) def Mikey Flanagan (FSC) by unanimous decision.

Kieran O’ Brien (MMAC) def Gavin Denihan (CSC) 2.17 rd 1 arm bar.

Dylan Sheehan (Fermoy Fight Factory) def Paul Aylmer (CSC) 2.34 rd 3 rear naked choke

Ciaran Daly (MMAC) def Thomas Cross (FSC) unanimous decision

Q: Hey Brian how’s the weight cut and all the other preparation going for the fight?

A: My preparation for the fight has been excellent. My coach says it’s the best I’ve looked and I agree. I feel great in all ranges and excited for Saturday so I can put on the best performance of my career to date.

Q: You lost a tough decision last time out against Mike Wilkinson your first loss in MMA. Is that motivating you to fight harder this time or do you even think about it?

A: I’m always motivated to train hard and fight. My last fight had circumstances around it that made it impossible for me to perform even close to my best. My focus at the minute is 100% on putting on my best display and getting my hand raised on Saturday.

Q: Have you worked on anything specific while training for this fight? Where do you feel you are at your strongest in a fight?

A: I’ve worked hard and improved in all areas. In SBG we leave nothing to chance. One of the strongest advantages I have is being able to mix the stand up, ground and clinch which is important in MMA today.

Q: Where do you think the biggest improvements in your game have come since turning pro?

A: I feel like I’m one of the most well rounded fighters around. If you look at my last amateur fight and my game now, I’ve developed all areas of my game significantly. I train harder than anyone in Irish MMA. Add that to the level of training, coaching and sparring I’m getting in SBG and that’s why I’m improving quickly.

Q: How much of that is to do with joining SBG? Training everyday with the likes of Conor McGregor and Gunnar Nelson must be a real eye-opener.

A: The vast majority is down to John Kavanagh and SBG. Training under John who is quite simply a genius when it comes to MMA and BJJ and with world class fighters the gym is producing can only bring your game on. Add that to my work ethic and expect results
.
Q: This will be your first professional fight under the Cage Contender banner but you do already have two amateur wins in the same organisation. Are you thinking about a title at all or is it even a consideration at this point?

A: The best pound for pound Ireland has yet produced owns the Cage Contender FW Belt and that guy is Owen Roddy. SBG are my fight family and I don’t fight family. The only involvement I’ll have with the belt for the time being is to help Owen in training to prepare for his title defences.

Q: Do you have a certain game-plan going into the fight or do you prefer to let your opponent worry about your skills?

A: My game plan is to go in and fight. I train twice a day, six days a week and it’s what I know and do best. 

Q: What are your long term ambitions in MMA? Do you have anything lined up after this fight?

A: My ambition is to be the best. I’m fighting an opponent on Cage Contender XII next Saturday 25th February and that’s where all my focus is at the moment. After that I’ll concentrate on the next fight.

Q: With intense physical training being such a huge part of your life what do you to relax away from MMA?

A: I like to relax by spending time with my Fiancée, friends and family. I love watching movies and socialising when I get the chance. But it’s not long before I find myself back in the gym training doing what I love 

Q: We’re obliged to ask, give us your prediction for the fight??

A: I’ve 100% belief and faith in myself and ability to perform and get the win.

Q: Anyone you’d like to give a shout to?

A: Huge thanks to my coach John Kavanagh and all the guys in SBG who have helped me prepare for this fight, my boxing coach Diarmuid O’ Sullivan from Kilkenny Boxing Academy, The Irish Strength Institute for my S&C. 

Also a big thank you to all my sponsors for this fight; The Pain & Muscle Clinic, Pro Gum Gumshields, Pro Fitness Supplies, Club Whitford and Express Art and SBG Sponsors Bigshots Sports Nutrition.

Finally to my fiancée Noreen for all the support she gives me and the patience when I’m cutting weight .

Everyone at Fight Hounds would like to wish Brian the best of luck in his upcoming fight with Conor Dillon this Saturday at Cage Contender XII. Check out Brian’s blog in the “Fighter Blogs” section on www.fighthounds.com

FH: Hi Dave, first of all thanks for talking to us. Could you tell us a little bit about you got involved in MMA?:

DJ: I have been involved with Martial Arts since the age of 6 beginning with Wado Ryu Karate, moving through Kenpo Karate, Aikido, Wing Chun and freestyle Kung Fu with “the odd bit of Japanese Jiu Jitsu thrown in.” In late 1996, I saw the Rickson Gracie documentary ‘Choke’ and the first two UFCs around the same time and thought this is what I want to do and my involvement with MMA began. I met up with John Kavanagh in 1998 and he set up a small training group split between De La Salle Churchtown, St Andrew’s College where I work and a primary school in Rathfarnham. I got into MMA because number one I liked the idea of it, and number two I firmly believe no one should coach it without having done it, and having taken it up quite late, I knew coaching would be where I would spend most of my time. I fought eight amateur fights, with a record of four wins, two losses, one draw and one No Contest. Three were in the UK and five in the US while I was training over there. I fought seven professional fights, the first being on the first MMA show in the UK – Cage Wars in Portsmouth. I opened Next Generation in association with Chris Brennan in 2002 and taught BJJ and coached MMA for close to 10 years.

FH: What kind of training is involved in becoming a qualified MMA referee?

DJ:

Well first and foremost, there are no “qualifications” for MMA refereeing. There are many referees offering all sorts of courses that purport to prepare people for refereeing. Most of these courses are run by referees looking to supplement their income.  Below are a few of the things I believe you need to become a MMA referee and in my opinion you can’t pick these up on a weekend course. 1. Intelligence; I believe that you must be able to assess quickly the action as it unfolds and decide how it affects fighter safety and is it within the rules (safety and rules being the two primary focuses of a referee). You must also learn to anticipate what may happen next and be ready to stop a bout on the basis of either of the two focuses I mentioned. 2. Impartiality; You must remain impartial and view the fight not from a fans perspective or a coach’s one but from a neutral position solely focused on safety and the rules. You can’t relax and “watch” fights, you are constantly analysing and assessing. 3. Integrity; You must remain at all times a professional both in preparation, manners and attitude, before during and after fights. It is important to keep a distance between you and the “internet analysts” who aren’t always in possession of the full facts when they are questioning a decision or an outcome of a fight. You must learn to deal with that in a mature manner.

I guess I am lucky in that I was involved in the sport from its infancy in Ireland and my experiences as a fighter and coach have stood me in good stead as a MMA referee. I have a Degree and Postgrad in Physical Education, I was always involved in sports from a young age and I am a qualified Basketball and Rugby referee through my involvement in both those sports so I am well used to the decision making that is required for refereeing.

FH: Recently there have been a couple of ‘controversial’ decisions with Carlos Condit being awarded a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz and before that Chael Sonnen getting the nod over the Michael Bisping. What did you make of those two decisions?

DJ: Three Independent judges are going to or at least should view things independently, however I do sometimes wonder what fight judges were watching when I see some of the results. In my opinion I think judges should have had some experience in either coaching or fighting. Given the age profile of some of the judges that isn’t always possible, but I do think that unless you can view fights from the experience of striking, clinch and ground ranges then you are at a disadvantage as a judge. With regard to the Diaz fight, I think the right decision was made, I had it 3 rounds to Condit, 1 to Diaz and 1 round a draw. Sonnen v Bisping was probably closer, and Bisping was probably due such a decision since his own against Matt Hamill in the UK earlier in his career was just as “controversial”. I am not saying that the latter came into play at all and nor should it but if you let a fight go to the judges you run the risk of it not going your way. Not all judges are coming from a practical knowledge base and fighters need to remember that.

FH: The Condit/Diaz decision was especially contentious with a lot of people saying that Diaz deserved the win because he was ‘pushing the action.’ But how relevant is that considering Condit’s stick-and-move game-plan?

DJ: Diaz pressed forward but did very little to capitalise on that. Condit countered constantly and stuffed pretty much all takedown attempts. The fight was 90% on the feet which means the heavier weighting of the scoring was based on effective striking and on that alone Condit won the fight. If the fight is mainly on the ground, then submissions and GnP get heavier weighting. If the fight is 50% up and 50% on the ground then more equal weighting is given. Finally if those first two criteria are equal for both athletes you move to “octagon control” and purposeful aggression. In the case of Diaz v Condit, there was no need to move past the first criterion i.e. effective striking.

FH: Another somewhat controversial decision was made at UFC 142 when Erick Silva was disqualified for punches to the back of the head. Some people argue that the back of the head is the area a Mohawk hair style would cover, while others say it everything behind the ears. What did you think of that decision and what do you consider the ‘back of the head’?

DJ: Firstly the biggest mistake in that fight was Mario Yamasaki not walking out of the cage and avoiding a cringe-worthy trial by TV from Joe Rogan. According to Mario he warned Silva more than once regarding the back of the head, and the video shows at least 1 strike to the back of the head after his warning. Do I think the illegal strike (s) changed the outcome of the fight, absolutely not but rules are there to be enforced and if the fighter was warned (please don’t forget fighters attend a rules meeting so that counts as a warning for all infringement too) then Yamasaki made the call as he saw fit. Silva is experienced enough to target his strikes he just got carried away in my opinion rather like Belfort vs Akiyama. I go by the headphones but also if the glove of the striking fighter can hit the ear of the fighter being struck then its legal. If there is no contact with the ear then it is an illegal strike. Fighters are informed of this at every rules meeting given by me.

FH: Have you ever had to make a tough call like that in a fight?

DJ: Not that sort of situation no thankfully. Fighters and coaches need to remember that any decisions a good referee makes, are for the safety of the athletes involved. We aren’t out to spoil records or ruin anyone’s evening. My job is to protect fighters from themselves a lot of the time, not wanting to tap, wanting to continue after being KO’d or close to it etc. The other side is the enforcement of the rules and only late last year I had to disqualify someone for a soccer kick to the head of downed opponent. To be fair he knew immediately what he had done but had been watching “Pride” fights the week leading up to his fight! Not an excuse, and not the first time I have heard it!

FH: Can you remember the best fight you’ve been in involved in?

DJ: Wow that is a really tough one! I have been lucky to be in charge of so many great fights over the years. Picking just one would be near impossible. The standard in this country is just getting better and better as well.

FH: What do you make of the rapid expansion of Irish MMA? It must be exciting to be involved as a ref when the quality of the fights is improving constantly.

DJ: Like I said above, the standard is improving show to show and as long as the match making is done well then there is always the potential for a “fight of the night” from every fight on a card. The “C” class rule changes have improved the standard of the amateur fights, which were often stalemates due to rule restrictions. So yes it is a very exciting time to be involved.

FH: Where will you be plying your trade next?

DJ: I have just done Man of War 3 and the next show for me is Cage Contender on the 25th February in the NBA in Tallaght. It is always a great atmosphere and always has some great fights.

FH: Finally Dave, anyone you want to give a shout out to?

DJ: I guess a big shout out to all the promoters who continue have me adjudicate at their shows. To the fighters and coaches who continue to trust that I will always and without question put the safety of the athletes first. To Peter Lavery, Dec Larkin, Aidan Marron and Johnny Shiels who I have worked with over the years at various shows up and down the country. Thanks to you guys to for the interview. Cheers.

Dave was talking to Alan Keane.

Photo Credit: MMA Kaptured.

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FH: Give us a quick brief why you got into this martial art?

T BOB: I have been competing in Taekwondo from the age of 8, when I moved to Ireland I start kickboxing then for last two years I train in Muay Thai

FH: What kind of training do you do on a regular basis

T BOB: Muay Thai, Boxing , running, the usual stuff

FH: What kind of training have you done for this fight, were did you hear this is for a title, do you train different for a title fight?

T BOB: Just the usual stuff same as always

FH: How excited are you to be fighting on Primal Fighting Championships, to be held in Dublin in the D4 Hotel, one of Ireland’s biggest Pro K1 and kickboxing promotions?

T BOB: I am grateful for the opportunity thank you

FH: Do you know much about your opponent for this fight?

T BOB: Not a lot but I know they will be good

FH: How do you see the fight going? Any predictions?

T BOB: No predictions anything can happen in this type of tournament

FH: When you fight do you go in with a strategy in mind or is a case of just see what happens?

T BOB: I always have a strategy but can change if need to

FH: What’s the most important piece of advice your coaches have given you? Is there any advice you would give to newcomers?

T BOB: Train hard keep working try always to improve

FH: Is there anyone on the Irish kickboxing / K1 / Thai scene you particularly look up to? Is there a particular fight you would really like to be involved in?

T BOB: I would like to see the k1 scene in Ireland grow and fight the best in the country and abroad.

FH: Do you have long term goals in kickboxing /K1 / Thai or is it a case of taking each as it comes?

T BOB: Same answer as above

FH: What would you like to say to your opponent?

T BOB: I hope we have a good fight looking forward to it

EVENT INFO

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TICKET INFO

Tickets: €25, you will need to be quick. Pre Order now by sending an email to: primalfightingchampionships@hotmail.com or chrisboyne@eircom.net

Q: First off we would like to thank you for taking the time out and talking with us today and how good does “The Man Of War Featherweight Champion” sound?

A: It feels great,best feeling in the world hearing the mc shout that out saturday night.

Q: How and why did you get started in MMA?

A: I had been watching mma for years and always wanted to try it,its the toughest sport in the world and i wanted to see if i could do it,and get to a level were i could fight.

Q: How long have you been training MMA?

A: I’ve been training about a year and a half now so im still a baby in this sport. I came into it with no backround so I started from scratch.

Q: You train at the Boxing Clinic in Cork (Ireland) why did you choose this gym?

A: When I decided to train I didnt really no of many gyms around then I heard on the radio that Chuck Liddell had just been to the boxing clinic so I decided to check the place out. I’m really grateful I was listening to the radio that day because for example i dont think id be a man of war champion after such short space of time if i had gone to another gym.

Q: You took part in the first ever Cage Warriors Irish show back in November, how did that come about?

A: Taking part in the first cage warriors was awesome, I had only been training four months and I got the call on the tuesday of fight week to fill in for an injured fighter.

Q: You lost a very controversial majority decision that night to Warren Mitchell, what was yor thoughts on the event, your fight and did you take anything away from the loss?

A: Yes the judges decision on that fight was a hard pill to swallow, most people there thought I did enough to win. In fairness to Warren he gave me a few words of encouragement after the fight and he was surprised by the decision himself. I look at the positives from the fight, it was my first fight after just four months against a good opponent making his fifth fight and I did ok. Warren has since gone on to show he is one of the top featherweights out there.

Q: You also took part in the Cork Institute of Technology MMA club open competition which took palace in The Boxing Clinic Cork this year and you took the goold in your weight class, again what what was yor thoughts on the event and how did if feel to to get 3 wins in a row?

A: The CIT open was a good day last year, winning the three fights and the gold medal was cool. I think the event is a great way for guys to get some cage experience and judge if there ready for c-class.

Q: You then went on and won your next 4 fights and the Man Of War Featherweight title, what does winning the title mean to you & when will we see you fighing as a Pro?

A: Winning the last four fights has been great and to cap it off with winning the title saturday was class, lifting the belt means alot to me and I look at it as a symbol that I’ve trained really hard and I try my best. Ian cleary was a tough opponent and a big favourite on the internet poll to beat me so to get the first round stoppage was a good feeling. I’m still only 18 months in so im not looking at the pro game just yet, there is so much to learn in this sport so im not going to rush things. There is still some big semi pro fights out there for me.

Q: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

A: Yes of course,id like to thank all my coaches and team mates at the MMA Clinic for all there help, believing in me and of course beating me up every day and to all my family and friends for all there support and following me around the country for my fights it’s a great feeling having them behind me.

Q: What can you tell us about your next fight?

A: My next fight is in March against Tony Keane, it will be the first time I’ll be fighting a guy I consider a friend and Tony is one of the top featherweights out there with a bit more experience than me so it should be interesting. I look forward to the challenge in March in what I think will prove to be my toughest fight to date.

Sean’s next fight will take place at The MMA Clinic Amateur Fight Night 2 which will be held in the Rochestown Park Hotel (Cork) on March 24th (2012) his opponent on the night is Tony Keane. We wish Sean the best of luck in his upcoming fight.

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FH: Give us a quick brief why you got into this martial art?

DC: Well I’ve always had a love for the sport and that, I’m doing it and can’t get enough of it.

FH: What kind of training do you do on a regular basis?

DC: I train 3 days a week with the kickboxing and the same with the gym

FH: What kind of training have you done for this fight, were did you hear this is for a title, do you train different for a title fight?

DC: I train three times a week, keeping fit and going the gym

FH: How excited are you to be fighting on Primal Fighting Championships for a title fight, to be held in Dublin in the D4 Hotel, one of Irelands biggest Pro k1 and kickboxing promotions?

DC: When i found out that, i was fighting for a title i was over the moon with the news the smile still hasn’t left my face ,and to be fighting in a Primal Fighting Championships is just mind blowingW

FH: Do you know much about your opponent for this fight?

DC: No to be honest no , i think its kind of better that way if you don’t know anything about your opponent.

FH: How do you see the fight going? Any predictions?

DC: Well its going to be a good fight, but im hoping for another K.O 

FH: When you fight do you go in with a strategy in mind or is a case of just see what happens?

DC: YES, we have a strategy, but we may have to alternate it during the fight.

FH: What’s the most important piece of advice your coaches have given you? Is there any advice you would give to newcomers?

DC: Well as my coach Chris Boyne always says to me don’t go in brawling stick to the combo you were thought and you should come out on top. For any newcomers that are coming in to the sport listen to your coaches and you should do alright ,that’s the main key is to listen.

FH: Is there anyone on the Irish kickboxing / K1 / Thai scene you particularly look up to? Is there a particular fight you would really like to be involved in?

DC: Well the kickboxing side of things, I would have to say me two coaches Chris Boyne and Damien Crowther, Ive learn’t alot from the two of them , and the k1 side of things, I would have to say Uvals ’Aslan’ Bisayev.

FH: Do you have long term goals in kickboxing /K1 / Thai or is it a case of taking each as it comes?

DC: Short term to be Irish Kickboxing Champion, long term for the future is go on a be a pro k1 fighter.

FH: What would you like to say to your opponent?

DC: Looking forward to a good fight on the night, best of luck bud.

EVENT INFO

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TICKET INFO

Tickets: €25, you will need to be quick. Pre Order now by sending an email to: primalfightingchampionships@hotmail.com or chrisboyne@eircom.net

FH: Give us a quick brief why you got into this martial arts?

JB: I was always into fighting, my father started me off in the local boxing club when i was a kid and ever since then i stayed training

FH: What kind of training do you do on a regular basis?

JB: Regular basis would be alot of pad work and sparring , and when training for a fight increase it with road work and strenght training and diet

FH: What kind of training have you done for this fight, were did you hear this is for a title, do you train different for a title fight?

JB: I train just as hard for every fight, i dont take a non title fight lightly, i am happy that this is for a title, but eaither way i would be still smashing the training

FH: How excited are you to be fighting on Primal Fighting Championships for a title fight, to be held in Dublin in the D4 Hotel, one of Irelands biggest Pro k1 and kickboxing promotions?

JB: As i said i am happy to fight for a title, and i have heard that this is gonna be a huge show, so its nice to fight on a professiopnal promotion

FH: Do you know much about your opponent for this fight?

JB: A little, but it doesnt matter, i lived in thailand for a year and fought alot of guys i knew absolutely nothing about so its no problem for me

FH: How do you see the fight going? Any predictions?

JB: Lets just say i am feeling stong

FH: When you fight do you go in with a strategy in mind or is a case of just see what happens?

JB: Yes a little, but things can change quickly so you have to learn to adapt

FH: What’s the most important piece of advice your coaches have given you? Is there any advice you would give to newcomers?

JB: My coach paul kelly has never advised me wrong, i have alot of faith and trust in him, what he say’s, i do!

FH: Is there anyone on the Irish kickboxing / K1 / Thai scene you particularly look up to? Is there a particular fight you would really like to be involved in?

JB: There is a few fights in the pipeline, but i am not allowed say, sorry.

FH: Do you have long term goals in kickboxing /K1 / Thai or is it a case of taking each as it comes?

JB: I want to be the best in tis sport as i can possibly be

FH: What would you like to say to your opponent?

JB: Good luck and see you on the 4th

EVENT INFO

Click HERE for full event info.

TICKET INFO

Tickets: €25, you will need to be quick. Pre Order now by sending an email to: primalfightingchampionships@hotmail.com or chrisboyne@eircom.net