Latest / The MM-EH Show / The MM-EH Show: Kyle Nelson, Mirza Hopovac, Alana Cook, Jonathan Ramsay, and Mehdi Zeidvand

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The MM-EH Show: Kyle Nelson, Mirza Hopovac, Alana Cook, Jonathan Ramsay, and Mehdi Zeidvand · The MM-EH Show

0:00
Hey there fight friends. We're joined
0:01
today by Kyle the Monster Nelson who
0:03
will be fighting at UC Seattle next
0:05
weekend. Kyle, thanks for joining us.
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>> Yeah, thanks a lot for having me on.
0:11
>> You're pretty far into your UFC career
0:13
now. just take a second now if you don't
0:15
mind and just share with everybody
0:17
watching your just overall thoughts
0:18
about where you are in life right now
0:20
where you are stand in the organization
0:22
in the rankings in your abilities as in
0:26
the way of like how good a fighter are
0:27
you now compared to how good a fighter
0:29
you want to be ultimately just where are
0:31
things standing with you right now
0:33
>> yeah so this will be my 12th fight in
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the UFC so I I did 12 fights before I
0:39
got in the UFC and this will be my 12th
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fight in the UFC kind of you know, a big
0:44
point for me where I fought in the UFC
0:47
as many times as I fought out of the
0:48
UFC. Uh, I'm starting kind of my my
0:52
journey up the the lightweight rankings,
0:54
but I do feel like everything's kind of
0:56
come together much better in my career.
0:58
Um, since I've been with my fiance the
1:00
last few years, my nutrition,
1:02
everything's got a lot better.
1:04
>> Uh, we made the the decision to move up
1:06
to lightweight and I feel like that's
1:08
been great. My training camps have been
1:09
going a lot better and a lot smoother.
1:11
Uh my last performance against Matt
1:13
Ferbola I felt like went very well. So
1:16
yeah, I'm excited to see, you know,
1:18
after this fight with Terence McKini
1:20
again, another I think another good
1:21
name, another way for me to kind of put
1:23
myself on the map at 14 at 155. And
1:27
yeah, I'm excited to see where that's
1:28
going to kind of put me uh you know, in
1:30
the the lightweight rankings.
1:33
>> The the the changing of of of weight
1:36
divisions is also is always a very
1:38
interesting subject to me. I like
1:39
hearing about it. I hear all sorts of
1:41
different things and perspective from
1:42
different fighters moving up. Did you
1:44
feel like that was just a natural weight
1:46
class for you? Like are you a heavier
1:48
guy or do you like do you suffer from
1:50
lack of strength compared to where you
1:51
were at 145 or is it just you were
1:53
always bigger?
1:55
>> I think I was always bigger. I think it
1:57
was just a little bit easier to make 145
2:00
when I was younger. Uh the older I've
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gotten, the more kind of muscle and
2:04
stuff I'm putting on. And the last few
2:07
fights at 145, you know, we'd always
2:09
have to try and lose body fat, but we'd
2:11
have to try and lose lean muscle mass
2:13
and stuff as well in order to get to a
2:15
point where we could even make the water
2:17
cut feasible. So, we were able to get
2:20
away with it uh you know, a little bit,
2:22
but uh it just started to get to be too
2:24
much and I felt like it was taking away
2:27
from not only my training camps, but my
2:30
performance in the octagon.
2:32
Yeah, it's got to feel good not having
2:33
to worry about that kind of stuff
2:34
anymore. I mean, you still have to make
2:36
weight at 155 or 156, whatever it is,
2:39
but if it's not in the back of your
2:40
brain the whole time, you can just even
2:42
just relax a little bit. And sometimes
2:43
that stress relief is is a very
2:45
underrated thing to have in your life.
2:48
>> Yeah, absolutely. And like my training
2:50
camps now, I'm able to push myself even
2:52
harder. So, I feel like, you know, when
2:54
I was at 145, it was basically like a a
2:58
weight loss camp. you know, we would try
3:00
and, you know, dial in a couple things,
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but for the most part, it was really
3:04
about nutrition and trying to lose the
3:05
weight and getting the cardio in and
3:07
stuff like that. So, I didn't feel like
3:09
as far as performance-wise, I peaked
3:12
very well. I kind of, if anything, I
3:14
kind of went down in in like skill a
3:17
little bit and like muscle endurance and
3:20
cardio and everything. Whereas now, I'm
3:22
able to to stay fueled the whole time, a
3:25
lot less injuries, and I feel great. And
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I do feel like I'm getting better as we
3:29
get closer to the fight.
3:32
>> I like what you said before about how
3:33
you're you're sort of coming into
3:35
yourself now as a fighter and as a
3:37
person. And I think that comes to a
3:39
degree with age and maturity. You've
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gone through life, you've seen a lot
3:42
more and you can sort of slow down a
3:43
little bit and think things through. But
3:46
at the, you know, but then of course
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you're getting older too, right? So that
3:49
that's a that's the challenge. But is it
3:52
something that you think about having,
3:54
you know, so much responsibility as a
3:55
father and you've got three boys and all
3:57
that kind of stuff. Is that something
3:58
that really focuses you on on you? I
4:02
mean, I know you're taking care of them,
4:03
but does taking care of them allow you
4:05
to look at you and take care of yourself
4:07
first?
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>> Yeah. I think obviously when I, you
4:12
know, first had kids and and stuff like
4:13
that, it was trying to figure out the
4:15
balance between work and and life and
4:18
and being a dad and being a a mixed
4:21
martial artist. So, I know that took a,
4:24
you know, a little bit of time to to get
4:25
into the swing of, but now, like you
4:27
said, I've got three boys. We've got a
4:28
brand new daughter, and I feel like I've
4:30
found a good balance between, uh, you
4:33
know, being a professional athlete and
4:35
being a father.
4:37
>> Nice. talk about uh I wouldn't uh if you
4:40
don't mind talk about Crew Ellen. You're
4:42
your head coach at House of Champions.
4:44
Fantastic guy, really well respected,
4:46
really knowledgeable. What's he bringing
4:49
to your plate as a fighter right now?
4:52
>> Yeah, so obviously I've been working
4:53
with Crew Lin for like 14 years,
4:57
something like that. Um, yeah. And I
5:01
mean, like obviously my my skill set has
5:03
grown leaps and bounds working with
5:05
Cruel Lynn, but also just working with,
5:08
you know, the all the people he knows
5:09
and the coaches he brings in. Obviously,
5:11
Agent Woolly's been a huge part of, you
5:14
know, my wrestling coach. And I mean,
5:16
Alin just knows everybody and everything
5:19
about mixed martial arts. Muay Thai. um
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he has such a great uh relationship with
5:24
everyone in the UFC obviously being a
5:26
cut band for the UFC for so long. Uh now
5:29
he's you know he's working with you know
5:32
different um athletic commissions in
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Ontario and stuff through uh you know
5:36
Muay Thai Ontario and and now amateur
5:39
MMA in Ontario. So, he's just a wealth
5:41
of knowledge, not only skill-wise in
5:44
Muay Thai and mixed martial arts, but he
5:47
also knows everybody. And if there's if
5:49
there's something if if you need a
5:51
certain training partner with a certain
5:53
style, he knows all the coaches and the
5:56
fighters and and so he can really put
5:57
together a great training camp.
6:00
>> You're really lucky to have him. I've
6:01
been a big fan of his for 20 years or
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so. He's uh he's he's he's such a great
6:06
guy. Let's take a second now and move on
6:08
to actual Terrence McKenna, your
6:10
opponent uh at UFC in Seattle. What did
6:12
you know about him when he was offered
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to you as an as as a potential opponent?
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>> So, obviously I knew the name. I had
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watched him fight a fair bit. Obviously,
6:22
he was kind of like a popular name uh
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just because such an exciting fighting
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style coming out so fast and and you
6:30
know, knocking people out or getting
6:32
knocked out. So, it was uh definitely a
6:35
guy I knew. Uh similar to the Matt Fvola
6:38
fight where like I you know I let the
6:39
UFC know we wanted to move up to 155 and
6:43
I was kind of expecting sometimes you'll
6:44
get a name that you've never heard of
6:46
and then they offered me map for like
6:48
wow that's a guy I know of again had a
6:51
ton of hype behind him. Uh so it was it
6:54
was like wow like you know I'm stepping
6:55
right into 155 uh going right against a
6:59
guy that I've heard of. Um, and you
7:01
know, I was able to do well against him.
7:03
And then again, same thing, right
7:04
against a guy like Terrence McKenna who,
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uh, this will be, we're kind of fighting
7:09
in his hometown. Uh, big name, lots of
7:12
hype, very exciting guy. And I think it
7:15
just shows, um, you know, that the
7:17
UFC's, they're putting me in there. They
7:19
know I've got the skill set to to go up
7:21
against these guys and put on a great
7:23
fight and I think, you know, come out
7:25
victorious.
7:27
when I don't know about other people,
7:28
but when I follow the UFC and I I follow
7:32
fighters and their career trajectories
7:34
and stuff, I sort of in the back of my
7:36
mind get an overall feeling of of how
7:38
the UFC thinks of them. I sort of get
7:40
the feeling if the fighters on their way
7:42
out or if their fighter is doing really
7:43
well just from the way Dana White talks
7:45
and different media outlets and things
7:47
like that. And my and honestly, my
7:49
impression of you is that you are on
7:50
your way up right now. Like they're
7:52
they're giving you opportunities, you're
7:53
taking those opportunities, you're
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performing well. So, I think you still
7:56
have, you know, you're you've got a lot
7:57
of lot of future there for you. Just,
7:59
you know, get a couple couple great wins
8:00
under your belt and uh, you know, you
8:03
name's going to be mentioned along with
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a whole bunch of others.
8:06
>> Yeah, absolutely. You know, I had a bit
8:08
of a a rocky start at the beginning and
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then uh, you know, once I kind of got my
8:12
feet under me in the UFC, I feel like
8:14
it's it's been going great. And you
8:16
know, after pretty much every fight,
8:18
whether it's it's Dana White or Shawn
8:19
Shelby or somebody always comes back and
8:21
they're even on some of my losses,
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they're they're you know, they're happy
8:24
with my performance and excited how how
8:26
I I went out there and and um yeah,
8:29
performed and put on a show for the fans
8:31
and stuff like that. So, I think even in
8:33
my losses, uh you know, the UFC has been
8:35
happy with my performance. So, it's uh
8:38
it's exciting now to to be on a bit of a
8:40
win streak again and and see where this
8:42
is going to take me.
8:44
>> Yeah, that's awesome. Kyle, is there
8:46
anything that I didn't ask you that you
8:47
think I should have asked you?
8:50
>> Um,
8:52
I don't think so. I mean, uh, you know,
8:55
everything's going great. Uh, like I
8:57
said, we just had a daughter, so that's
8:58
a, you know, a great addition to the
9:00
family.
9:01
Uh, now I'm I got on with Huntsville
9:04
Fire. So, I'm also kind of doing the
9:05
Huntsville like the firefighter thing
9:07
along with fighting, which has been a,
9:09
you know, an interesting kind of, like I
9:11
said before, finding that balance
9:13
between fighting and being a father and
9:16
now the balance between fighting,
9:19
firefighting, and being a father. And
9:21
how
9:23
uh stuff like being a father has not
9:26
only being a father, but also helping
9:27
coach other mixed martial artists. how
9:29
that's kind of improved my game as a
9:31
fighter and now, you know, becoming a
9:34
firefighter and taking some of the some
9:36
of the stuff that I've learned through
9:37
firefighting and and the work ethic and
9:39
that and even some of the the exercises
9:41
that we do to stay in shape as
9:43
firefighters, I think have also helped
9:45
me, you know, build some strength and
9:46
muscle and certain things that have
9:48
helped in my MMA career as well. So, um
9:50
I'm definitely excited, you know, with
9:52
the firefighting, with fighting, and and
9:54
with everything going on with my family
9:56
right now. Is it a volunteer fire
9:58
department?
10:00
>> Yes. Yeah. So, right now I'm on the So,
10:02
Huntsville only has a volunteer fire uh
10:04
department uh which I think works great
10:06
with my schedule and stuff. Um you know,
10:09
I think I still got a few good years
10:10
left in the UFC. So, um we'll see about
10:14
uh maybe going full-time fire um after
10:17
that or or as I get towards the end of
10:19
my UFC career.
10:21
>> It's it's a great way to stay in shape,
10:22
man. Have you ever seen those uh those
10:24
firefighter games where they go up those
10:25
towers carrying the carrying the the
10:27
hose rolls and stuff? It's crazy.
10:29
They're in such good shape.
10:31
>> Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, a lot
10:33
of that stuff is not light stuff and
10:35
when you're carrying around a lot of
10:36
that stuff, especially if you're wearing
10:37
the bunker gear and you've got an extra
10:39
50 pounds on you. So, yeah, it's it's
10:41
definitely a physical job.
10:43
>> I uh I think you know, I was in the
10:44
military for a long time. I was in the
10:46
Royal Canadian Navy. And one of the
10:48
things we focus on our training
10:49
consistently constantly almost almost
10:51
daily is firefighting because fire on a
10:54
warship at sea is probably the most
10:56
dangerous threat you're going to face
10:57
outside of war, right? So always
10:59
carrying hoses and charging hoses and
11:01
putting on your bunker your B gear and
11:02
putting on your back in the day when I
11:04
started we had something called chemox
11:05
which was like a chest air device where
11:07
you inserted this canister and it
11:09
created oxygen. Oh it was terrible. This
11:11
is well before like Scott air packs
11:12
around like that which was such a nice
11:14
treat but I can't say I was a big fan of
11:16
doing all that. It was it was a lot of
11:18
work.
11:20
>> Anyway, just thought I'd check.
11:22
>> Yeah.
11:23
>> Okay, Kyle, thanks for your time, man.
11:25
I'll let you get to training and uh
11:26
appreciate it. Have a great time in
11:28
Seattle. Kick some butt and we'll be
11:29
rooting for you.
11:31
>> Yeah. Thanks a lot for having me on.
11:34
>> There you go. Fight friends. Kyle the
11:35
Monster and Nelson fighting Terrence
11:36
McKini at UFC fight night in Seattle
11:38
next weekend.
11:40
Hey there fight friends. We're joined
11:42
today by the Bosnian bomber Mza Hopovac
11:44
who is challenging Jake Craig for his
11:46
unified MMA light heavyweight belt at
11:49
unified MMA68 this weekend. Mza, good to
11:51
see you. How are you?
11:53
>> I'm great. How you doing, buddy?
11:54
>> Living the dream. Just like you said a
11:56
minute ago, it's life life can't get
11:58
much better.
11:59
>> No, it can't. Maybe if it was summer
12:02
time it'd be a little better, but it's
12:04
not too bad.
12:05
>> Yeah, it's not too bad. Almost there.
12:06
Almost there. When I saw this uh this
12:09
fight being announced that you and Jake
12:11
would be fighting, I was surprised
12:13
because you're a heavyweight or you have
12:15
been a heavyweight and now this is for
12:16
the light heavyweight title. When that
12:18
offer came to you, does that is that
12:20
something that you had to give a lot of
12:21
consideration to or you just jumped on
12:23
it?
12:24
>> No. No. I think uh I think Craig and I
12:26
both wanted to fight each other. So, I
12:29
mean, realistically like uh you know, as
12:31
soon as I start training, I'm around 225
12:33
230. M
12:34
>> so it's not like you know uh it's I'm
12:37
sure he's around there too you know
12:39
before cutting weight. So so
12:41
realistically it wasn't a big cut. I
12:43
just prefer not to to be honest. I'm 35
12:46
years old. I don't give a [ __ ] that
12:47
much. You know what I mean? Like I like
12:49
I rather fight the bigger guys. But uh
12:52
whatever. It's part of uh it's part of
12:54
the game, right?
12:55
>> Well, I'm not sure if you if you thought
12:56
this fully through because if you win
12:58
the fight then you're going to have to
12:59
keep fighting at 205 and keep keep
13:01
cutting back your food. Or maybe I'll
13:03
maybe I'll be a double champ.
13:05
>> Sam Champ. I like the sound of that.
13:06
>> Maybe maybe that. I like that better.
13:09
>> All right. So, you're still right now
13:10
you're talking to me from 613 Fight
13:12
Factory in in Ottawa. When do you make
13:14
the fight to Edmonton? Is that tomorrow?
13:17
>> No. So, we just finished the training.
13:20
We'll do one more tomorrow
13:22
>> and we're leaving out on Wednesday.
13:25
>> Nice. Wednesday around uh I don't know.
13:27
I didn't even look at a ticket.
13:29
Sometime.
13:30
>> Okay. All right. Cool. Now, you
13:31
mentioned that you and Jake want both
13:33
wanted to fight each other. What is it
13:35
about him that makes you want to fight
13:36
him?
13:37
>> I think he'll be a great fight for for
13:39
both of us. I think both of us are are
13:42
hard hitters. Uh great stand up and, you
13:45
know, we'll see who's uh who's better uh
13:48
at standing or if he wants to go, he can
13:51
go to the ground, too. It's not a big
13:52
deal. But I think uh both of us uh are
13:57
pretty, you know, uh same same kind of
14:00
fighters. So I think that's going to be
14:02
interesting. It's going to be
14:03
interesting for us. It's going to be
14:04
interesting for the for the crowd. I
14:06
think it's going to be fight of the
14:07
year. So So I think I think it just
14:10
makes sense on every level. You know,
14:13
>> when I spoke with him and and asked
14:14
about you, he was very complimentary as
14:16
well. There was no it seemed like there
14:17
was no bad blood or or nothing from his
14:19
end. He just really respects you as a
14:21
fighter and wants to challenge himself.
14:22
>> Yeah, absolutely. But there's no why. I
14:24
don't know the guy. Why would there be
14:26
bad blood? But this is the game, right?
14:27
This is the game. I'm I'm uh I'm going
14:30
for a knockout. I'm sure he is too. You
14:32
know what I mean? This is this is the
14:34
game. We're we're going uh uh you know,
14:36
live by the sword, die by the sword, you
14:38
know? So that's
14:40
>> Tell us about your training. What it's
14:41
been like for the past few months. Is it
14:43
Have you done anything special for this
14:44
fight?
14:46
>> Uh same same to be honest. Same. the
14:49
same just a little bit longer rounds.
14:51
Well, not more rounds, I guess. I've
14:54
been in camp. So, my last fight finished
14:56
what uh was it September, October?
14:59
Something like that. I took a month off
15:01
a little bit and then went right back to
15:03
camp. So, cuz we were supposed to Craig
15:05
and I were supposed to fight in
15:06
February, right? So,
15:07
>> that's right.
15:09
>> So, I was in I've been in camp the whole
15:11
time. So
15:13
>> now when you're you're going through
15:15
something like that and you're you're
15:16
cutting weight, so you're probably a lot
15:18
lighter right now than you have been in
15:19
the past, has that had any positive or
15:22
negative uh physical benefits toward
15:24
you? Like do you feel lighter now? Do
15:25
you feel faster?
15:26
>> I I think it's very positive like uh you
15:29
know uh being 240, 250, I don't you know
15:33
that's not great for your body, for your
15:35
movements, for for for anything. So now
15:37
that I stemmed down this much, uh, I
15:40
feel great. Like I'm running around. I
15:42
can put on my socks comfortably, you
15:44
know? It's, uh,
15:46
yeah. So it's it's been great. I feel
15:49
faster. Uh, I'm moving better. I'm
15:52
kicking harder. I got a lot more better
15:54
movement, better flexibility. So
15:56
overall, uh, I like it. You know, I do
16:00
like pizza, too, but uh I like this uh
16:02
this sweet, you know. I like,
16:04
>> you know. So,
16:06
>> your main coach, crew, Jeff Harrison,
16:09
uh, very well respected in the Muay Thai
16:10
community, and I'm guessing like when
16:13
you do a game plan for an important
16:14
fight like this, is that mostly you or
16:17
is he involved in that or do you have
16:18
anybody else involved in sort of
16:19
planning what you'll have to do?
16:21
>> Uh, well, it's mostly him. Um, I mean, I
16:25
am who I am and he just works with me.
16:28
You know what I mean? Uh, he works with
16:30
me and tries to uh tweak a couple of
16:33
things. Then I have Peter uh he's an
16:35
amazing uh uh uh uh grappler
16:38
>> Peter Physicus. Yep.
16:39
>> Yeah. So him and Peter and our wrestling
16:43
coach. So you know it's a good team
16:45
around us, you know. Uh and we're just
16:47
tweaking little things. We you know you
16:50
you always in the till you retire,
16:52
you're always going to be tweaking
16:53
little things. It's just what it is.
16:56
>> Okay, let's flash forward for just a
16:58
moment. It's the morning after the
17:00
fight. You wake up. You open your eyes.
17:02
The sun's shining and you are the new
17:04
unified MMA light heavyweight champion.
17:06
When you look back at the night before
17:08
when you're in the cage, what did that
17:10
fight look like to you? What would be a
17:12
perfect fight for MZA?
17:15
>> Perfect fight for H uh
17:18
I didn't think about it.
17:21
>> I guess whatever. Uh I I think ideally
17:23
for both of us, we go, we swing it out,
17:25
we have a great [ __ ] time, and uh one
17:28
of us gets knocked out, most likely him.
17:30
But, you know, that's that's that's how
17:32
I see the fight going. But again, like,
17:34
you know, if we start grappling, that's
17:36
fine, too. You know, if we need to go
17:38
five rounds, that's fine, too. You know,
17:41
>> this is just something you said makes me
17:43
think of a different question I I I used
17:45
to ask quite a lot. If you were to look
17:48
at uh a fight, your next fight, any
17:50
fight, right? Would you rather win
17:53
impressively by submission or knockout
17:55
in the first 30 seconds of the fight or
17:57
go three or five rounds and win in the
17:58
last 30 seconds of the fight?
18:01
>> So, I won a couple of times in the first
18:03
30 seconds. Uh, that's a great feeling.
18:06
Um, that's a great feeling, you know.
18:09
Uh, I went to distance multiple times,
18:13
too. That's a better uh learning curve.
18:17
>> Mhm. when you go to distance, you get to
18:20
uh
18:21
you get to uh you know experience things
18:25
that you know you didn't think you could
18:27
or you get to do things that you know
18:29
you you know you push yourself to the
18:31
limits.
18:31
>> Yeah.
18:32
>> Uh that being said, I had 15 fights. I'm
18:36
uh been going at it 10 11 12 years now.
18:38
You know, uh the body's getting a little
18:41
tired. So at this point, I'll take that
18:44
first round knockout.
18:45
>> Yeah. First round knockout. There you
18:46
go. All
18:47
right, MSA, I know you're you're busy.
18:49
You're in the middle of your training
18:50
right now. So, I appreciate you taking
18:51
the time to speak with us and share your
18:53
thoughts uh to all the viewers. Is there
18:55
anything that you think I should have
18:56
asked you that I didn't ask?
18:58
>> No, this was this was great. Thumbs up.
19:00
>> Okay. Well, then we're going to let you
19:02
back to train and get your sweat on. Ma,
19:03
thank you so much. And there you go,
19:05
fight friends. Ma Hopac challenging Jake
19:07
Craig at Unified MA68 this weekend. Wish
19:09
him luck. And you can watch on the
19:11
Unified Plus app. Hey there, fight
19:13
friends. We're joined today by the
19:15
Alanal, Alena Cook. She is fighting uh
19:18
Rebecca Evans at CFFC Cage Fury Fighting
19:20
Championship 152 in Atlantic City next
19:22
weekend. Atlanta, thanks for joining us.
19:24
>> Hey, thanks for having me, Andy. It's
19:25
always nice to chat with you.
19:26
>> Yeah, of course. This is our first
19:28
actually online interview. We've met of
19:30
course a bunch of times and chatted.
19:31
You're a super nice person.
19:32
>> I feel like Yeah, I feel like we've
19:33
already done this before. This is just
19:35
>> Yeah. All right.
19:36
>> Awesome. Nice. So, you have done
19:38
something that a lot of fighters have a
19:40
really difficult time doing and that is
19:42
escaping the velocity of the local
19:45
regional scene and now you're fighting
19:46
in the states. Not only are you fighting
19:48
in the states, but you're fighting for
19:49
Cage Fury, which is a really large
19:51
organization. They're really well known
19:52
and respected and of course on UFC Fight
19:55
Pass and they send a lot of the fighters
19:56
to the UFC. Uh you've got to be pretty
19:58
excited about this opportunity and just
20:00
competing at that level.
20:02
>> Yeah, absolutely. So um you know before
20:04
this when I was living in Vancouver I
20:06
was fighting uh for well my pro debut I
20:08
got picked up by PA FC Palace Athena uh
20:11
and that was just an incredible
20:13
experience you know and like that even
20:15
though that was in Canada it almost felt
20:17
like I was on the international stage
20:18
because they were bringing in people
20:20
from you know Australia, Europe, uh
20:23
Asia. Um Dakota Dicha actually was on my
20:26
pro debut card. She was fighting like
20:28
her fourth pro fight or something. So
20:30
>> I remember that.
20:31
>> Yeah, exactly. So, and then like like
20:33
see where she is now. So, uh it's pretty
20:36
cool to know that we were both still
20:37
there on the same card and then fighting
20:39
for BFL and then you know coming out to
20:41
Ontario uh BTC fight promotions has been
20:45
very very good to our gym. You know,
20:47
they're always looking for us. So, um I
20:49
fought like in all around Ontario and
20:52
it's always fun to like go out and like
20:54
you know see the crowd and know the
20:56
people and but uh sometimes you got to
20:58
like leave the nest so to speak. So, I'm
21:00
I'm really excited. And uh Atlantic
21:02
City, like how cool is that? You know, I
21:04
think like the East Coast Vegas um it's
21:07
going to be a pretty incredible place to
21:08
have my pro day or um sorry, I have my
21:10
like big debut like outside of Ontario
21:13
and uh you know, I've watched a few um
21:16
I've watched some footage about some of
21:17
the past fights CFFC has had at the Hard
21:19
Rock in Atlantic City and it looks
21:22
spectacular. So, I'm I'm really
21:24
envisioning I can see myself under the
21:26
bright light, see myself making that
21:27
walk and um see myself getting that hand
21:30
raised. So, very excited for that all to
21:31
happen.
21:32
>> That's amazing. That's fantastic. Yeah,
21:34
Atlantic City is one of those things
21:35
I've only ever seen on movies and TV
21:37
shows. I've never actually been there.
21:38
I'd like to go someday. Maybe I'll go
21:39
for your next fight down there.
21:40
>> Hey, absolutely.
21:43
Love to have you.
21:43
>> Now, when you mention when you mentioned
21:44
we a few times, you talked about a few
21:46
things I'll bring up. Uh first of all,
21:48
you and your partner Keenan Keenan
21:49
Keller, he's also a professional
21:50
fighter. You made the big decision
21:52
several years ago to pick up your lives
21:54
and move all the way across the country
21:55
from Vancouver to St. Katherine's
21:57
Ontario where you're now training at
21:59
Niger Top Team.
22:00
>> Yeah.
22:00
>> Now that you've had uh a year or two or
22:02
three to to reflect on that that move
22:04
and that decision
22:05
>> overall, what's your decision? Like are
22:07
you happy with it? I know you love Niger
22:09
Top Team, but just the whole move and
22:10
away from family and everything,
22:12
>> you know, it's it's always been hard.
22:13
You know, I've always lived except for
22:15
the year I went to Thailand. I've always
22:16
lived near my folks and like, you know,
22:18
like I'm a small town girl at heart. you
22:20
know, I love my family. I love uh the
22:22
people I'm close to. So, that was really
22:25
hard for me to leave my mom, you know,
22:27
and my grandparents and my dad and just
22:29
everybody and and move. But, you know,
22:32
it it it's about sacrifice, right? And,
22:34
you know, Ken and I had that talk. So,
22:36
he he left town when he was like 19.
22:38
He's from a small town near Alaska
22:40
called Terrace. So, he'd already, you
22:42
know, gone through it, leaving his
22:43
family before, friends and family. So,
22:45
for him, it was like, well, we're just
22:46
I'm just doing this again. But, you
22:48
know, I really had to dig deep and think
22:50
like, how much does it mean to me to be
22:52
the best that I can be? And for me at
22:54
the time, Vancouver, you know, while
22:56
it's got so many benefits in training,
22:58
amazing coaches, um, you know, the
23:01
partners my size were just not there for
23:03
me. That was really the big thing. And
23:04
then, um, just having to be constantly
23:07
crossraining and moving like it, man,
23:10
it's a lot to drive. And, you know,
23:12
we're doing a lot of strength and
23:13
conditioning. there's not as many of
23:14
those prolevel practices as there are at
23:16
Niagara Top Team. Uh so we went out in
23:19
May and we moved in July. So that that
23:22
tells you like how quick we kind of said
23:24
like are we doing this? I guess we're
23:25
doing this. Um so but you know what?
23:28
Like looking back at it, I'm so glad
23:30
because I think if I hadn't done that, I
23:31
would always be thinking like what if
23:33
you know what if I hadn't done that,
23:34
right? And no matter how my life turns
23:36
out, I'm really grateful I did it. You
23:38
know, I've being with NT um almost three
23:41
years now. has been over two and a half
23:43
years and I've had this will be my fifth
23:45
fight with them. I've had three
23:46
victories, one loss uh on a short notice
23:49
fight I took. So, you know, every time
23:51
I've been here and had that full camp,
23:52
I've I've come out victorious, come out
23:54
as a better fighter, come out with my
23:56
hand raised. So, I'm very uh I'm glad,
23:58
you know, sometimes, you know, you miss
24:00
BC, but I think we made the the right
24:02
move for our careers.
24:04
I've seen the training room at Niger Top
24:06
Team of course and I've seen not only
24:08
the big names like Mike Malott and
24:10
Jasmine, they do really well. Um, but
24:13
overall the female team is very
24:14
impressive. They've got you, Jasmine, of
24:16
course, she's number six ranked
24:17
flyweight in the UFC. You've got Joey,
24:19
you've got a whole bunch of other
24:20
fighters. I mean, know Jamie Lyn Hor
24:21
came down for a while. Uh, and plus the
24:24
the high number of excellent male
24:26
fighters who are similar to your size.
24:28
That's just got to be a great boon to
24:30
you. just a a good, you know, a good
24:32
note in your back pocket knowing that
24:33
you've got all that support.
24:34
>> Exactly. You know what? And here's the
24:36
thing, too. It's like it's one of those
24:37
gyms like there's no easy rounds. So,
24:39
even, you know, like if you go in on a
24:41
day like um this camp was a little
24:44
different because all the girls were in
24:45
fight camp. We've never had that before.
24:47
Every single girl on the pro team,
24:49
myself, Jasmine, G, uh Joe, Hannah,
24:54
Danielle, Tanny, and I all in fight camp
24:56
at the same time. Uh the fights were
24:58
spread out but um so it it was cool
25:00
because we all had that that fire that
25:02
intensity like everyone was showing up
25:04
but it also meant that we didn't partner
25:06
with our usual partners you know we had
25:08
to use some of the guys and you know
25:10
what even the guys who are like an ammy
25:12
at NT like everyone's a killer so
25:14
sometimes it was like I'd be having a
25:16
practice and I'm like this is so hard
25:18
going against guys all the time but then
25:20
I just remember you know what like train
25:22
hard fight easy right and I would rather
25:24
be at a gym where you know I'm having to
25:27
claw my way to the top rather than be,
25:29
you know, a big fish in a small pond
25:31
and, you know, feel like I'm just like
25:32
winning all my rounds and just like
25:34
beating up everyone every day. You know,
25:36
I want to have that that push. And I
25:38
think, you know, watching tape of myself
25:40
like you can just see the difference in
25:42
me and I can I can feel the diff the
25:44
difference in myself. Uh so it's it's
25:47
very cool to even though you know on the
25:49
days it's very humbling, you know, you
25:50
got to be the nail sometimes. Um there's
25:53
never a bad training day at Nagger Top
25:55
Team. Yeah, the skill level is pretty
25:57
insane. I I spoke the other day with uh
25:59
Jake Craig. He's the unified MMA light.
26:02
Yeah.
26:02
>> Yeah, he's the unified MMA light
26:04
heavyweight champion. And he brought up
26:06
just without even prompting, he brought
26:07
up Aiden Appel, who of course is like a
26:09
19-year-old phenom, and he couldn't
26:11
believe how good Aiden was. Aiden Aiden
26:13
was was doing very well with him in
26:14
training. So, like if a if the heavy if
26:16
the light heavyweight champion can look
26:17
at the am one of the uh not an amateur
26:19
anymore, but one of the young
26:20
upandcomers and be super impressed, I
26:22
mean, that's got to say something for
26:23
the whole team.
26:24
>> Absolutely. Like we right now actually
26:26
uh we have so we've had like Jamie
26:27
Lynhor came out um we've had Cam Nelson
26:30
you know the FLA champ come out numerous
26:33
times uh and right now we've got Adam
26:35
Pner who's the BFL uh champ he's he
26:38
stayed with us actually so it's that was
26:40
a nice thing too about us is like we're
26:42
still so friendly with like Emer BC like
26:45
>> sometimes like our gym fights people
26:46
from back home but like you know you
26:48
don't you don't take it personally and
26:49
then after the fight like we're all
26:50
crossraining anyway right so Adam's with
26:53
us he's helping Mike Malot for his his
26:55
main event fight and Adam is saying the
26:57
same thing like he can't believe the
27:00
talent level here and the great rounds
27:02
he's getting. So, it's just I think it's
27:04
one of those things like you got to be
27:05
here to kind of believe it. Um and like
27:08
even yeah he did some rounds with Aiden
27:09
and I was like watching I was like this
27:11
is going to be really really good and
27:13
it's you know it's it's fun. It's really
27:15
cool just to you know watch these people
27:17
that I train with all the time but um
27:19
you know like martial arts it really is
27:21
an art. Like you look at someone, you
27:23
know, like Cody Kavanchek and when he's
27:24
striking, like it's it's beautiful. Like
27:27
that's there's no other word for it. Or
27:29
you're watching, you know, Javon when
27:30
he's wrestling and it's it's beautiful.
27:32
Like it's just the way they move, the
27:34
the artistry they have, the intensity.
27:37
Um like it's just it's something special
27:39
here for sure.
27:41
>> Yeah. The uh you just mentioned Javon,
27:43
of course, Javon Balf for a high level
27:44
wrestler. He's now the head coach at
27:46
what is it? G I think it is possibly.
27:48
But he's
27:48
>> I think is that or McMaster? I gota I
27:50
got Mike Master with him.
27:52
>> So he's the head coach of a of a high of
27:54
a high ranked university program. And I
27:56
remember a couple years ago when uh I
27:58
think Mike Malot, one of his first
27:59
experiences training with Javon, Mike
28:01
was so [ __ ] pissed off at himself.
28:02
You know, when you're like a a very
28:04
intense
28:06
high caliber athlete and you want to do
28:08
perfection and just he was so pissed off
28:10
at Javon. I remember Mike walked up.
28:11
>> Do I know what it's like to want to do
28:13
perfection? Yes, I
28:14
>> like Mike's like [ __ ] [ __ ] man.
28:17
Javon got this on me. I don't know how
28:18
he did it and whatever. So that's pretty
28:20
awesome.
28:20
>> I know. Javon is like just such a a
28:23
beast of like just a different kind of
28:24
animal. And honestly like you know
28:27
training under Cricket and Demarks and
28:28
Jelly like you know what they're they're
28:30
masters but I do I do credit Javon a lot
28:33
with shaping the way I am as as a
28:35
wrestler. I've been doing a private with
28:36
him
28:37
>> almost every week uh since I got to NT.
28:40
And I think working with him is one of
28:42
the reasons that my my wrestling like I
28:45
always had good cage wrestling, but just
28:46
my open mat wrestling um you know my
28:49
wrestling defense, my awareness has just
28:51
you know skyrocketed since I came here
28:53
and like you know I'm actually seeing
28:54
him in an hour for our last session
28:56
before nice
28:57
>> uh the camp. So that's always something
28:59
I draw a lot of confidence from is like
29:02
I'm working with the best people, you
29:04
know, and at the end of the day,
29:07
you know, sometimes it doesn't matter,
29:08
right? You could have the absolute best
29:10
camp of your life and go in and get
29:12
caught. You could have a terrible camp
29:14
and then go in and still shine. But for
29:16
me, going in there having the confidence
29:18
and knowing that I did the damn work and
29:21
I did it with the best people. um you
29:23
know even if um you know regardless of
29:25
the outcome I'm gonna go in there and I
29:27
would gonna compete with my whole heart
29:29
and you know fight as hard as I can to
29:31
the bitter end and um yeah no matter
29:34
what I think I'm going to be very proud
29:35
of myself.
29:36
>> Yeah, I'm sure you will be. Um you
29:38
mentioned your wrestling and I think
29:40
your last fight I I was I attended in
29:42
person was your victory over Andrew
29:44
Watson and your wrestling was a distinct
29:47
advantage for you in that fight. I mean,
29:48
you pretty much uh, you know, did
29:51
whatever you wanted in that fight and so
29:52
that's got to be really uh comforting
29:54
knowing that's in your back pocket and
29:56
you've got that capability.
29:56
>> That was a very fun fight. Uh, I I don't
29:59
think she expected me, you know, it's
30:02
one of those things like you can, you
30:03
know, you see it in the people Jasmine
30:05
fights, right? They think that they're
30:07
ready for uh her wrestling and then
30:10
>> they're not ready. So like you know this
30:12
Andrea, I remember she said she's like,
30:13
"I'm more than prepared for Lana's
30:15
grappling." and she had like over a year
30:17
to get ready for me and then I took her
30:18
down in 10 seconds. You know, it's so
30:20
it's just having that confidence is
30:22
good. Uh but I I will tell you like the
30:24
the drawback to that is I I did have to
30:26
learn my lesson. So um last time I
30:28
fought for CFC, it was a short notice
30:30
fight.
30:31
>> Uh and they brought me in to face uh
30:33
Michaela Rampage. So she's a six- foot
30:35
tall striker. So I was like, "Okay,
30:38
perfect." Like I can, you know, take her
30:39
down. It'll be just like the last fight.
30:41
Um, and she wound up just like really
30:43
sticking and moving and just kind of
30:45
running away from me the whole fight.
30:46
And I couldn't catch her. And at one
30:48
point my coach is like, "You need to
30:50
box." And um, I kind of was like, "I
30:52
don't have the conf I realized, you know
30:55
what? I've relied so much on my
30:56
wrestling. I think I' I'd kind of, you
30:58
know, you do the classes, but I in my
31:00
heart I was like, I don't know if I'm
31:01
confident in my boxing." Um, so
31:03
unfortunately I lost that fight and I
31:05
had to really do some soularching and
31:07
um, I was talking actually with Zack
31:09
Powell. So, he's um you know, he really
31:11
helped me out. He kind of told me he's
31:12
like, "Well, you got three three
31:14
options, right? You can quit, which you
31:16
know, I'm not going to quit." He's like,
31:17
"You can just stay the same or you can
31:20
evolve." And I'm like, "Okay, well,
31:21
we're going to evolve." And we started
31:23
working my boxing like 3 days after that
31:26
fight. I was like, you know, like I'm
31:27
like, "I'm not resting. I'm getting
31:28
right back into it." And we did boxing
31:31
like almost every day until I loved
31:35
boxing. Like I just all of a sudden, you
31:37
know, I started being like, "Yeah, I
31:38
hate this. I want to take people down to
31:40
appreciating it and starting to like
31:42
really find my rhythm and find my range.
31:44
And then my next fight was against UFC
31:47
veteran Vanessa Melo.
31:49
>> And I boxed almost the entire fight. So
31:53
that was, you know, I was so proud of
31:55
myself for that. I would say that was
31:57
like one of the fights that I was like,
31:58
you know what, you know, I was throwing
31:59
nice low kicks. I was throwing nice head
32:01
kicks. I was just doing nice boxing. I
32:03
had some takedowns, but um that was a
32:06
very much more well-rounded Atlanta than
32:09
I'd ever seen or that I ever thought
32:10
possible. So, that's the thing now that
32:13
that I've got in my back pocket. You
32:15
know, I I almost had to have that loss
32:16
to force me to evolve, right? Because
32:18
otherwise, I probably would have been
32:20
still kind of coasting right in my
32:21
wrestling till I got to Contender Series
32:23
and then maybe I would have got stopped.
32:25
So, I'm glad I got to figure it out
32:27
still, you know, a little bit earlier
32:29
on. And then, you know, this fight I'm
32:31
coming at next week, I got everything,
32:33
man. like I'm really comfortable on the
32:34
feet. I'm comfortable with my wrestling.
32:36
Um, you know, I've been doing strength
32:38
and conditioning. I got that Muay Thai
32:40
style. So, wherever this fight goes, I'm
32:43
ready to take it there. And I know that,
32:45
you know, even if like the game plan
32:47
changes midfight, now I have that
32:48
confidence in all my abilities that I
32:51
know I can still get the win.
32:53
>> That is such a great attitude to have
32:55
because fighting is in in a way it's an
32:57
analogy for life, right? So, it's very
32:58
similar. you face challenges, you'd face
33:01
disadvantages. And it all depends on how
33:03
you if you're able to reflect and take a
33:05
look at that honestly and ask yourself,
33:07
what can I do to overcome that issue?
33:09
And it sounds like with your boxing now,
33:10
that's that's a big step in the right
33:12
direction for you. So, I'm happy for
33:13
you.
33:13
>> Absolutely. Yeah. It's, you know, and I
33:15
started play my first sport I ever
33:17
played was soccer. So, I got these big
33:19
legs. I'm like, why am I not kicking
33:20
more? So, you know, just like taking
33:22
advantage of this stuff. It's you almost
33:24
a lot of the I realized this too. A lot
33:26
of the limits I've ever had are limits I
33:28
just put on myself and not like, you
33:31
know, like consciously, but it's just
33:33
like, oh, I'm not a boxer. Oh, oh, I'm
33:35
not like a jits person. Like, it's like,
33:37
well, why do I put my why do I pitch and
33:38
hole myself? Like, I can do anything.
33:40
So, it's I think that was a big mental
33:42
shift for me, just realizing like when
33:44
when it's not about like my goal's never
33:46
really been the UFC or uh like a certain
33:50
record really. My goal has always been
33:52
let's be the best fighter I can be and
33:54
let's see how far I can go. And when I
33:56
have that attitude, uh, I feel like, you
33:59
know, the sky's is the limit for me. So
34:01
hopefully, you know, this fight goes
34:02
really well. I'm really excited for it.
34:04
And then, uh, yeah, we'll see what comes
34:06
at the end of it. But, you know, no
34:08
matter what, this is this is the light
34:10
for me.
34:11
>> When you imagine yourself as the
34:13
ultimate Atlanta, the ultimate fighter
34:15
that you're ever going to be at some
34:16
point in the future, you just mentioned
34:18
the sky's is the limit. Where do you
34:20
stand right now in terms of your uh
34:23
fighting ability compared to where you
34:24
want to be ultimately?
34:26
>> Um, you know, like we also always have
34:28
those like it's harder. It's hard
34:31
sometimes with martial arts, but like
34:32
when you look at like a jiu-jitsu, like
34:34
obviously, you know, it's the grading
34:35
system. I'd love to have my black belt.
34:37
Um, when it comes to MMA, I think we use
34:40
rankings a lot to kind of see ourselves
34:42
and where we fit. Um, so something about
34:45
this camp that's been very interesting
34:46
is because I had to kind of change up
34:48
some of my uh sparring partners, the
34:50
people I would usually kind of measure
34:52
myself against uh weren't there. So for
34:55
a little bit I was like a little bit
34:56
unsure like where do I stand here? And
34:58
then I realized like it really it really
35:00
comes from a place from within you and
35:03
like where do I feel comfortable? Where
35:04
do I feel calm? Where do I feel like
35:06
I've got my flow? So, I think that the
35:09
ultimate version of me, the version that
35:11
I'm I'm really starting to feel myself
35:12
be is um just someone, yeah, who's
35:14
comfortable everywhere, who knows where
35:17
the fight is going to go. Uh someone who
35:19
doesn't like I remember I used to get so
35:21
angry in some of my early fights sort of
35:23
like I would just like like just like
35:25
see red and just go for it. And uh you
35:27
know what, it serves its purpose, but I
35:29
think you know the best fighters are the
35:31
ones that are calm. And like now that
35:32
I've really learned that, you know what,
35:34
no matter what the like, you know,
35:35
Jasmine can be on top of me, beating the
35:37
pulp out of me, and you know, I'm still
35:38
like, this is fine. This is fine. You're
35:40
gonna you're gonna find a way out.
35:42
>> I'm happy to be here.
35:44
>> And I think that's just a really what
35:45
separates the the lower level fighters
35:47
from the higher level is just having
35:49
that that calm and that confidence. And
35:51
so like Mike Bot, we were talking the
35:53
other day and I think he is such a great
35:55
example of that, too. you know, he's
35:56
been through so much adversity and
35:58
really done the mental work and um you
36:00
can really see it just talking to him is
36:02
he's, you know, he's ready for every
36:04
situation. He's visualized it. He's felt
36:06
it and he's ready for it. So, just and
36:09
that's something, you know, um I work
36:10
with a mindset coach, Mindset Mike. We
36:13
talk about that a lot about a lot about
36:15
visualization.
36:16
You know, it's not just like visualizing
36:18
myself winning, but it's also visual
36:20
myself like, okay, well, what do I do if
36:21
I come in and she drops me? What am I
36:23
going to do if you know she takes me
36:24
down right away? Okay, what I'm going to
36:26
do if she starts stalling, it's I' I've
36:28
seen myself in all these scenarios and
36:30
knowing what I'm going to do um has been
36:32
super beneficial for me.
36:34
>> That's so critical. I I know I've talked
36:36
with Mike extensively and his coach
36:37
Danny Patterson about some of the
36:39
preparations they've done for his
36:40
fights. So, you said magic Mike. How did
36:43
you find him? And
36:44
>> Mindset Mike.
36:45
>> Oh, Mindset Mike.
36:46
>> Let him know about that. Magic Mike. I
36:48
love it.
36:48
>> Sorry. Mindset Mindset Mike. So no
36:51
worries. My friend Mel Zean, so she's a
36:54
professional fighter as well.
36:55
>> Yep. NBC. Yep.
36:56
>> Yeah. Yeah. So I was I was in her corner
36:58
actually when she got that 22nd KO and I
37:02
just remember being in the back room
37:03
with her and I was like Mel, you are
37:04
like absurdly calm right now for someone
37:07
who's about to fight. And she's like, I
37:08
just feel really calm and confident. And
37:10
I was like, all right, what's your
37:11
secret? Like usually I was like, usually
37:12
I'm a mess in the backstage. And she's
37:14
like, I've been working with this guy,
37:15
Mindset Mike. And um you know leading up
37:19
to my next fight for Niger Top Team, I
37:21
was having like some anxiety about it
37:22
because I just you know it's my new
37:23
team. I'm coming off a loss. I want to
37:25
perform well. Uh so I reached out to
37:27
Mike and we've been working together for
37:30
a long time now and and he's awesome. So
37:32
we did uh we did a course together and
37:34
then now I just I just do check-ins with
37:36
him every now and then. Um and like you
37:39
know I'm part of a group with him and he
37:41
just he has really constructive things
37:43
to think about and just really just
37:44
thinking through the fight without uh
37:46
without overthinking
37:48
you know just like taking taking what
37:50
benefits me and leaving what doesn't. So
37:53
um as someone who is a very scholarly
37:56
person you know like I'm getting my PhD
37:58
I'm very academic and how I how I view
38:01
things. And sometimes in fighting you
38:03
can't view it academically. It has to
38:04
really be more of a feeling thing. So
38:06
that's been really helpful. and kind of
38:08
figuring out what parts of the sports
38:11
are benefiting me and maybe where I'm
38:12
doing too much. So, uh yeah, it's just I
38:15
I can't recommend enough working with a
38:17
mindset coach. Like I I tell people like
38:18
you're going to you know you're going to
38:20
work out every part of your body. You
38:22
got to work out your mind. You got to
38:23
figure out something like you know and
38:26
people will say like, "Oh, it's boring.
38:27
I don't want to journal." I'm like,
38:28
"Well, no one does." But like, you know,
38:30
you don't want to also do sprints and
38:31
you do them. So, it's it's about doing
38:34
also the stuff that maybe you don't want
38:36
to do. It's just it's all it all comes
38:38
out in the end and it's all contribute
38:40
contributed to me being a better
38:41
fighter.
38:42
>> That's great to hear. Okay, let's move
38:44
on now to your upcoming fight against
38:46
Rebecca. Uh when you were offered her as
38:48
an opponent, did you know who she was?
38:50
And what do you think about her now that
38:51
you've had some time to get ready?
38:53
>> So, actually, uh they'd offered her to
38:55
me before like the year before, but I
38:58
was already um like in contract to fight
39:00
Nicola uh Kasperka. So, I was like, "Ah,
39:04
like, you know, I'm already in contract
39:05
and I know you're looking for something
39:06
and um but I was like, you know what?
39:08
Just keep me in mind for the future. You
39:10
know, like I it looks like a cool
39:11
opportunity." At the time, Rebecca was 3
39:13
and 0. Um and then, you know, uh my
39:16
manager, Josh Hill, was looking for a
39:18
fight for me in January. He's like,
39:19
"Hey, we've got this offer from CFC,
39:21
Rebecca Evans." And, you know, I sent it
39:23
to my coaches. They said, "Yep, we want
39:25
it." Uh we agreed. Took a few days. They
39:28
said, "Yep." And like there you go. Easy
39:30
peasy. So, uh um you know, I hadn't had
39:33
her name on my mind too too much just
39:35
because you know there's so many girls
39:37
like well there is and there isn't but
39:39
you know you you don't want to get too
39:42
uh there was one girl I had in mind but
39:44
she was getting surgery so it's like
39:45
you're just constantly looking and then
39:47
we said we think that this is a good
39:49
match for me um and you know it's going
39:51
to I think fighting her is going to make
39:53
me a better fighter no matter what so
39:55
I'm I'm really looking forward to this
39:56
challenge.
39:57
>> Awesome. when you uh anticipate your
40:00
fight with her and you say it's it's the
40:03
day after the fight and you're
40:04
reflecting, you're looking back on what
40:05
transpired and led to your arm being
40:07
raised in victory. What does a perfect
40:09
fight look like to Alena Cook?
40:13
>> Gosh, the perfect fight. Um,
40:17
you know what? I don't always visualize
40:19
how it looks. I visualize how it feels.
40:22
When you talk about the perfect fight, I
40:24
would say one where I go in and I feel
40:27
like I'm seeing the move before it
40:29
happens, where I'm I know what I'm
40:31
doing, where like I'm having fun, I get
40:33
to I get to do a little bit of
40:35
everything and I get to show show what
40:37
I'm made of. Maybe I go through some
40:39
adversity and I come out the other side.
40:41
And just that feeling of that feeling of
40:43
pride and that feeling of confidence in
40:44
my abilities for me, that's the perfect
40:47
fight. So that last fight I had against
40:49
Vanessa Melo that that came pretty close
40:51
to it. I gotta say, you know, maybe
40:53
visually it wasn't a complete one-sided
40:56
victory. You know, it was definitely
40:57
challenging, but
40:58
>> I remember when I was waiting for, you
41:00
know, them to announce the winner, I
41:01
just I remember thinking my heart like,
41:03
you know, if for some reason,
41:05
>> you know, the judges didn't see that I
41:07
win, I feel in my heart that like I I
41:09
couldn't have done anymore and I'm very
41:10
proud of myself and, you know, I got my
41:12
hand raised, so that was just icing on
41:14
the cake really. So for me,
41:16
>> um it's just a fight where I compete
41:17
with my whole heart and I have so much
41:19
[ __ ] fun and that's what it's all
41:22
about, right? Because if like I used to
41:24
let it stress me out so much and now I'm
41:26
like if I'm not having fun then what's
41:27
the point? Like what is the point of all
41:29
this of trying so hard and um so
41:32
sometimes, you know, it's easy, you
41:33
know, you get caught in the weeds and
41:34
just taking that moment and looking and
41:36
being like, man, I am so grateful to be
41:39
a professional fighter. like how many
41:41
people get to be a professional athlete
41:42
in their 30s as a woman? Uh you know
41:46
like financially just and also just
41:48
getting the support from people like
41:49
there's countries right now where women
41:51
aren't aren't even allowed to play
41:52
sports and I get to make a living doing
41:54
it. So um just really it all comes down
41:57
to gratitude. That's the big thing for
41:58
me. I'm just you know any time I get to
42:00
spend in that cage is a blessing.
42:03
>> Well it sounds like you're in such a a
42:05
great spot in your life both personally
42:06
and professionally and everything that
42:08
you've got going on for you. pretty
42:09
happy for you. Uh, and uh, I just want
42:11
to ask you before we get going, is there
42:13
anything that uh, you wish I would have
42:15
asked you to talk about that I didn't
42:17
ask?
42:17
>> Oh, that's a great question as a
42:19
journalist, isn't it? Um, yeah, just uh,
42:22
so in the corner in my corner, it's
42:23
going to be uh, Matthew Jelly. Um, you
42:26
know, he has, you know, was quarter did
42:29
pads for way, quartered her when she won
42:31
her belt. So, uh, you know, I got I got
42:33
some pretty good cred there. He's he's
42:35
worked with absolutely everybody. He's
42:37
been in jazz quarter for a long time. So
42:39
Jell's the man. Really excited to have
42:40
him there. Um my partner Keenan Keller
42:43
is going to be there. You know, he's
42:44
been at every fight I have. He's been my
42:46
rock. He like knows the fight game
42:48
inside out. Really glad to be there. And
42:50
uh Tay Guthro is actually going to be
42:52
coming with me as well. I love Tay. He
42:55
is such a fun, exciting fighter. He is
42:57
just mentally bulletproof. He's so good
43:00
to talk to anytime I'm like, you know,
43:02
struggling or having a bad day. And he
43:03
just he sees things very well. Uh, so I
43:06
think, you know, with those three guys
43:07
on my side, you know, like how can I how
43:09
can I do anything but fight to the best
43:11
of my abilities. Um, and one thing
43:13
that's really fun too is you'll notice
43:15
on my banner when it's there, um, I did
43:17
this last camp, too, is I had a lot of
43:19
friends who wanted to sponsor me, but
43:21
they don't have businesses. So, I said,
43:23
"Well, if you give me uh $100, I'll put
43:26
your pet on my banner." And uh, so I got
43:29
a whole new crop of pets for this uh for
43:31
this banner. So, they're really cute and
43:32
they're on there. So, uh, pretty fitting
43:34
for someone who's called the animal.
43:36
>> And who is your first sponsor for that?
43:38
>> My first sponsor. Ah, yes, exactly. So,
43:41
thank you, Andy. So, your your
43:43
daughter's kitty is going to be on
43:44
there, too. And I just saw it, and it is
43:47
so cute. So, thank you so much. I
43:48
appreciate that support.
43:49
>> Well, it's for my daughter, Olivia, and
43:51
her her cat uh her cat uh Rory. She's
43:54
such a cute little kitten. So,
43:55
>> Rory's going to be on UFC Fight Pass.
43:57
So, I said maybe you'll never be on
43:59
Fight Pass, but may but your pets will
44:01
be. So, there you go. That's awesome.
44:04
>> Okay, Elena, thank you so much for your
44:05
time. I know that uh you know,
44:07
especially like the week before a fight
44:08
and and you've got so much going on in
44:10
preparation, so time is the most
44:11
valuable thing you have. So, I truly
44:13
appreciate it. I wish you the best of
44:15
luck and we will talk to you after the
44:16
fight.
44:16
>> Awesome. And sorry, just one more second
44:18
too if I can just uh take a quick moment
44:20
to thank all my sponsors. So, uh,
44:22
Dilotera Bakery, Primisdas, uh, Lakeside
44:26
Recovery, the Toronto Fight Shop,
44:28
Creative Dynamics, uh, The Family Fight
44:31
Cartel, Pump Supplements. Uh, really
44:33
really appreciate you all. You're
44:35
amazing. And I I also have so much local
44:37
support for things like meal prep, food,
44:39
uh, clothing, uh, supplements. So, it's
44:42
it really takes a village and I I really
44:44
appreciate you all.
44:45
>> Great, Elena. Thanks for everything
44:46
again. And there you go, fight friends.
44:48
Atlanta Cook fighting at Cage Fury
44:50
Fighting Championship next weekend. Make
44:51
sure you watch her on UFC Fight Pass.
44:53
Hey there, fight fans. We are joined
44:55
tonight by Jonathan Ramsey, a Quebec
44:57
mixed martial artist who is making his
44:59
first foray into international territory
45:01
when he goes to uh
45:04
somewhere in the states when he goes to
45:06
Atlantic City, New Jersey to fight at
45:08
Cage Fury Fighting Championship number
45:10
152. John, it's good to see you. How are
45:12
you?
45:12
>> Good to see you. I'm doing good, thank
45:14
you. How are you?
45:16
>> I'm also good. That's our our second or
45:17
third time we've said that, so it
45:19
finally worked out. So, as I mentioned
45:21
before before we uh we got cut off, uh
45:24
there's a quite a a distinction between
45:26
when a fighter starts off, you you start
45:28
being a local fighter and you fight, you
45:29
know, in the area where you live and
45:31
then you make a transition to an
45:33
international fighter or somewhere you
45:34
go to a different province or a
45:35
different country.
45:37
>> Cage Fury Fighting Championship is a
45:38
very well-known organization. They send
45:40
a lot of their fighters to the UFC. How
45:42
is that you got connected with them?
45:44
>> Um I I get connected by a first round
45:47
management. my manage my manager uh
45:50
bring me that um fight uh occasion uh
45:54
against Manny Morales.
45:56
Um at the beginning I was checking out
45:59
um
46:02
the promotion and I knew cage free for a
46:05
long time you know it's a big promotion
46:07
it's a good promotion you know when lane
46:09
has fought there
46:11
>> um I got couple of friend in American
46:13
top team that fought for cage free
46:15
>> so I knew it was a good promotion so
46:18
when they bring that on the table I was
46:19
like you know I just moved for the US I
46:23
um I was in Canada but I had a business
46:25
in Canada. I just sold everything down
46:28
there, my house, my business,
46:30
everything. So, I was like, it's a it's
46:33
maybe there for a reason, you know, so
46:35
let's take it. Let's just go uh take it.
46:37
And they offer me a four four fight
46:40
contract. So, I got four fight with Cage
46:42
Fury. Um and yeah, they they I think
46:47
they they're going to they're going to
46:48
help me a lot since I got the the
46:51
long-term contract. And uh
46:55
I I'm in the enemy territory. I always
46:57
been in Quebec fighting uh with my
47:00
people and now I'm fighting Manny
47:02
Morales. He's from Philly actually one
47:05
hour from uh Atlantic City. So I can't
47:07
wait to I'm excited to to live that, you
47:10
know, uh being the underdog for uh the
47:13
the crowd, but it's gonna I'm I'm really
47:17
excited.
47:18
>> That is super exciting. Like a fouright
47:20
contract with a big organization. That's
47:22
That's terrific. And did you Sorry, did
47:24
you say you sold everything in Canada?
47:25
Do you live in the United States now?
47:27
>> Yep. I sold my house. I just uh signed
47:30
it um last week. So, a house I've been
47:34
in there for nine years. Um I just sold
47:39
it. I I had a business uh with I had a
47:43
12 employees, 14 employees at one point.
47:45
I go down at eight employees
47:48
and I had four truck, nine traders, a
47:51
bunch of stuff. I've been in a business
47:53
for seven years. Uh I start that during
47:57
COVID, but after co I give the sport
48:00
another chance. I was like, I'm 7 and0
48:03
as I'm an amateur. So, let's give the
48:04
sport a chance. I can
48:07
>> I can just leave it like that. Then, you
48:10
know, you know, my professional debut
48:12
was really uh on a peak. I got knock out
48:15
on the first round, first minute like
48:17
three time, four time. Um, so yeah, I
48:21
was like, let's go. Let's uh let's do
48:24
it. I got two losses, but I was between
48:28
fighting and business. I was trying back
48:31
and forth Florida training camp, go
48:33
back, doing 90 hours for a week just to
48:37
get all the work that is late. Uh, you
48:40
know, the bus is the bus. So when he's
48:42
not there, [ __ ] happen, you know. So
48:45
>> stuff doesn't get done.
48:46
>> Mm- So, uh I I'm really happy now. I'm
48:50
set to be the best the best version of
48:53
fighter that I can be.
48:56
>> I'm That's super exciting for you. Do
48:58
you have a partner? Do you have a a
48:59
spouse?
49:00
>> Sorry.
49:01
>> Do you have a partner? Do you have a
49:02
spouse that you live with?
49:04
>> Uh yeah, I got my roommate, Gavin Rice.
49:06
Uh we we we take that uh that that that
49:10
apartment together. We uh he's there.
49:13
Gadin, come say hi.
49:16
>> He's a good fighter. He's fighting uh
49:18
out A1 for the F.
49:20
>> What's up?
49:21
>> How y'all doing?
49:22
>> Nice to meet you, man. Doing fantastic,
49:24
sir. How are you?
49:25
>> Good, man. Fantastic.
49:26
>> So, we live together. We got the gym in
49:29
the garage. We got the aerbaric chamber
49:32
right there. and we got a everything
49:36
said to be the best version of herself
49:38
and yeah, we we it's my brother, you
49:40
know, so we uh we try to together.
49:43
>> Now, of course, uh another very
49:45
well-known Quebec fighter, uh uh Mark
49:47
Andre Berio moved down to Florida as
49:49
well, and he's doing pretty much the
49:50
same thing. Did you talk with him before
49:52
you made the move and just get some
49:53
advice?
49:54
>> No, but I know him. He fought my friend.
49:56
Uh he's dead today, but Stra, he's
49:59
fought him twice.
50:01
>> And um yeah, I know Mark Andre because
50:04
he's training with uh Jun Lablan.
50:08
>> He's a good guy. He's a really nice guy,
50:11
good fighter. Um but I did not talk to
50:14
him directly. Um you know who really
50:17
make me take that decision? You know, um
50:21
Dave Lazuk, the
50:23
>> Yeah, of course. Lethwe. Yeah, Leway I I
50:26
get that guy as a mentor uh since couple
50:30
of year and this guy did that move
50:32
actually he sold everything down in
50:34
Gatsino to move in uh Thailand.
50:37
So I was like you know what I think it's
50:40
the the way to do and so many people
50:43
down in American Top Team did the same
50:45
stuff. My roommate, same [ __ ] He just
50:48
leave everything down in his hometown,
50:52
sacrifice everything just to come here
50:54
and uh live the dream.
50:56
>> Yeah. Well, it's often said that if you
50:58
want to have big rewards, you have to
50:59
take big risks. And leaving your home
51:01
country and selling everything, that's
51:03
that's pretty ballsy, man. So, good for
51:04
you.
51:05
>> Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it been a a
51:07
big choice to uh to get, but I feel it's
51:10
the good one
51:12
>> for sure. Now, you said AT, so is that
51:14
where you're, for people who don't know,
51:15
that's American Top Team. Are they
51:17
They're in Coconut Creek, Florida, or
51:18
Coconut Grove, Florida, one of the two.
51:20
Is that Is that where you're living?
51:21
>> Yes, I'm living in Coral Spring.
51:23
Literally, I'm uh 7 minutes from the
51:25
gym. I'm The gym is just the other side
51:27
of the bridge. I can go there and
51:29
bicycle. So, I think it's the same time
51:31
in Bicycle. The seven minutes is because
51:33
the red light is so long here.
51:36
>> All right, let's talk about Manny
51:37
Morales. What when you were offered him
51:39
as an opponent, somebody you'd be
51:40
fighting, what did you think about him?
51:43
I think it's a good matchup for me. He's
51:45
a good fighter. Obviously, he's a good
51:47
wrestler, good ground. Uh he got good
51:50
striking, well overrounded. Uh at this
51:53
point, you need to be. Uh so I am. Uh I
51:57
trained in American Top Team. Uh the guy
52:00
are really good everywhere. We got the
52:03
best striker. We got the best wrestler.
52:06
Um so
52:08
my wrestling getting way better. I got
52:10
the American wrestling into uh in me a
52:13
little bit more than I was. So, I can't
52:16
wait to uh to to to show up you guys
52:20
what I I I get now what I got, you know.
52:24
>> Yeah. It's funny. There's a lot of guys
52:25
who are who are good at grappling. It's
52:27
just they really like striking. So, of
52:29
course, the fight when it it starts,
52:31
you're on your feet and so you're you're
52:32
going to be punching and kicking to
52:33
start. And you're really well known for
52:35
your striking. I mean, your last win
52:36
over Ash Mashreggi was devastating, man.
52:38
And it was br it was a beautiful KO. You
52:41
just uh you know, everybody who who was
52:43
watching that fight knew coming in that
52:45
it was going to be fireworks cuz both of
52:46
you have heavy hands. And uh man, you
52:49
just took it to him. You look great in
52:50
that fight.
52:52
>> Yeah. Yeah. Um
52:55
I mean that was the plan. And I wanted
52:57
to do uh highlights on that one to get
53:00
myself into a good position because I
53:02
obviously I had to defeat but I feel the
53:05
defeat was into a part of my life that
53:10
was into back and forth Florida
53:13
>> and my hometown trying to deal with the
53:15
business trying to deal with problems on
53:17
the business and stuff. So yeah, [ __ ]
53:21
happened, you know, but now I feel yeah,
53:25
it's uh it's it was uh the the thing to
53:29
do highlights because I had a win, but
53:32
it was a decision. Then I need to show
53:34
the people that I can still knock people
53:36
out on the first round, you know. So
53:40
that was the plan.
53:41
>> Well, the ultimate goal is is I haven't
53:43
asked you this, but I'm willing to bet
53:45
the ultimate goal is the UFC, as it is
53:46
for everybody. and you came really close
53:48
to to being with them already once. Uh
53:50
it didn't quite work out, but you're
53:52
obviously on the radar and they know who
53:54
you are and I think you you positioning
53:56
yourself in Florida. Uh get some good
53:58
wins under your belt that could only
53:59
only benefit you.
54:02
>> Yeah. Um
54:05
I mean I went to tough you remember I
54:07
went to tough uh I was alternate so I
54:10
get back
54:12
um and you know I think everything is
54:17
happen in life for a reason. So, it was
54:19
mean to be. I I didn't want to go there
54:23
in the UFC with a business under me
54:27
and just like waste my opportunity, you
54:31
know? So, I think everything is meant to
54:33
be. I get my things fixed now and now
54:37
it's the time to show up and go back in
54:41
there.
54:43
>> We've only got a few minutes left, so
54:44
I'll I'll ask you this question. If you
54:47
fast forward to a weekend from now, you
54:50
just finished your fight against Manny
54:52
Morales. Your hand was raised in
54:53
victory. You won the fight. What did
54:56
that fight look like? How did you win
54:57
the fight? And how did you how did you
54:59
take it to him?
55:01
>> I mean, against Manny Morales, he's he
55:05
can he can be anything. Uh the guy like
55:07
to scrap, the guy like to strike, uh
55:10
obviously he's a good wrestler, uh good
55:13
grappler.
55:14
So, I don't have any expectation. I'm
55:17
ready to go everywhere with him. Uh, if
55:20
you want to go on the ground, we can
55:22
play there. I like it. If you want to
55:24
stay on the feet, I like to stand and
55:26
bang. That's what's that's my style. You
55:28
know me. So, whatever whatever happened,
55:31
I'm ready for it.
55:32
>> Awesome, man. La very last question. Is
55:35
there anything that you wanted to talk
55:36
about that I didn't ask you that we
55:38
should talk about?
55:45
I mean I think we we we are uh all over
55:50
what happened in my life. I'm really the
55:52
only in the into American top team. Uh
55:56
turn out uh everything into US. Uh
55:59
because in Canada it's not the same uh
56:03
it's not the same thing for me. Uh, I
56:05
think I need to avoid the fact that I
56:07
got a if I stay in Canada, I will still
56:10
got my business. I know me. I I I can
56:14
like if I turns out sell everything and
56:16
be here, I will be really focused on
56:19
fighting. So, that's the only point I
56:22
for now. Uh, we we we we talk about
56:26
everything that it's on me right now.
56:28
Yeah.
56:29
>> Okay. Well, John, of course, Cage Fury
56:31
is on UFC fight pass, so I'll be
56:33
watching the fight. I wish you the best
56:34
of luck. I'm sure the rest of Canada can
56:36
be watching as well. Uh, and so I just
56:38
want to thank you very much for your
56:39
time. I really appreciate it. Enjoy
56:41
Florida. It's a lot warmer than where I
56:43
am right now. So, best of luck next
56:45
weekend.
56:46
>> Thank you so much, Andy. Thank you.
56:48
>> All right. There you go, fight friends.
56:49
Jonathan Ramsey fighting at Cage Fury
56:51
Fighting Championship 152 in Atlantic
56:53
City next weekend. Wish him luck and
56:55
make sure you watch on UFC Fight Pass.
56:58
>> Hey there, fight friends. We're joined
56:59
today by Medi Zedvand who had been
57:01
scheduled to fight TJ Larmy this weekend
57:04
at at Samurai MMA 18 in Laval.
57:08
Unfortunately, uh just yesterday, the
57:09
day before, we found out some some bad
57:11
news. Uh Medie, I'm sorry, man. Would
57:14
you mind uh just sharing with the people
57:15
what what the news is?
57:18
>> Yeah. Uh hello everyone and uh hello
57:20
Andy. Uh happy to see you again.
57:24
Um yeah, yesterday was a tough day
57:26
because I fear the cancellation of the
57:29
fight uh d injury
57:32
um from uh TJ Ramy. But uh we know this
57:37
is a part of the game and we cannot
57:39
avoid it. But it's a little bit
57:40
disappointing and and and sad because I
57:45
was well
57:47
ready for this fight. I had some great
57:50
camp in different cities. I I was
57:53
working with different coaches. Um I I
57:56
was well prepared for this fight but
57:58
unfortunately
58:00
um the cancellation and injury is part
58:03
of this game and we cannot
58:05
avoid it. But um it's still a little bit
58:10
disappointing. Why? Because there is
58:13
there was no
58:15
um backup
58:17
opponent,
58:18
>> you know. So at least uh we we could
58:22
have do something
58:24
you know if one of one of us get injury.
58:29
Um but you know what I always see good
58:32
in anything and yeah they offer me to
58:36
fight um
58:40
a catch weight or 155
58:43
but
58:45
my cutting weight was a little bit
58:46
different. Right. So I had more pressure
58:49
on my body than whoever wants to uh
58:53
fight at 155 that hasn't started even
58:57
cutting weight. So I I I see I see this
59:01
part. This is a technical part and you
59:03
have to have a an a detailed eyes
59:08
and be so technical to know and
59:11
understand this part.
59:13
>> Mhm.
59:15
It's uh it's something that most people
59:17
don't really understand the effects of
59:18
of weight cutting and at your level it's
59:21
it's a very precise thing, right? Like
59:23
you have to plan for it weeks and months
59:26
in advance. You have to start a long
59:27
time before you need to before fight
59:29
night. So, it's really difficult to
59:31
change any of that at the last minute.
59:33
>> That that was that was my point too in
59:36
the beginning. I said uh I've been in in
59:38
cutting weight for for a for a good
59:42
amount of time and then uh uh last
59:46
minute uh last minute they they tell me
59:49
to to change the opponent and um
59:54
um completely change the plan, change
59:56
the style uh another weight class. It
1:00:00
was a little bit difficult time for
1:00:02
yesterday to deal with.
1:00:05
>> Yeah. What was the first thing you
1:00:07
thought of when you were told? How did
1:00:08
you find out first of all? And what did
1:00:10
you think of immediately?
1:00:13
>> Um,
1:00:20
I mean I I I had I had some experience
1:00:23
uh to um
1:00:26
>> You had some experience?
1:00:27
>> I had some experience. Uh I got injured
1:00:30
a few times but I still uh fought with
1:00:34
my injuries, right? But
1:00:38
um
1:00:41
if I say yes to them, if I gave my word,
1:00:46
I walk
1:00:48
towards a true right
1:00:52
but uh it was uh a little bit
1:00:56
disappointing. I don't know. I I cannot
1:00:58
judge anything but I fought with my
1:01:02
broken hand. I fought with my um uh
1:01:05
popped out shoulder.
1:01:08
You know, I I've seen myself and I've
1:01:10
got this experience uh myself too. But
1:01:14
um I was a little bit shocked in the
1:01:17
beginning because um um I had a good and
1:01:23
long camp for this fight, you know. So I
1:01:26
I was I was so disappointed. I I I was
1:01:29
feeling so sad to for this u
1:01:33
cancellation.
1:01:37
>> I have no doubt. Um let's look at it
1:01:40
from TJ Laram's perspective for a
1:01:42
moment. Like I I understand you're very
1:01:43
disappointed. You've fought through
1:01:45
injuries before. Uh when you got a guy
1:01:47
like T TJ apparently was it a neck
1:01:49
injury I think I heard. So, like I don't
1:01:51
know if you want to be messing around
1:01:52
with with a neck injury uh and going
1:01:54
into a fight when you're not when you're
1:01:56
not fully
1:01:56
>> He knows.
1:01:58
>> So,
1:01:58
>> yeah. Yeah. For sure. For sure. For
1:01:59
sure. He has he Everybody has his own
1:02:02
its own reason,
1:02:04
>> you know? But uh you you ask me if if if
1:02:07
how I think and how I feel, I say I
1:02:10
fought with my broken hand,
1:02:12
>> right? I I I fought with my popped out
1:02:15
shoulder,
1:02:16
>> you know? So this this is maybe someone
1:02:18
tell me oh this is no uh this is this is
1:02:21
not professional but I did it this is my
1:02:23
experience this is what I I I I've gone
1:02:27
through
1:02:28
and um yeah I think um
1:02:36
if um
1:02:38
for next fight I I'm I'm not sure if if
1:02:41
I'm going to fight TJ Ramy because uh
1:02:44
it's done it's over. I I put it in in uh
1:02:49
it's done. You know,
1:02:51
>> if if even he if he ask me to fight
1:02:53
again, I'm not sure if I'm going to
1:02:55
fight him because I was well prepared
1:02:57
for this fight
1:02:59
>> and um
1:03:02
and I'm ready for for next one.
1:03:05
>> Yeah, I'm ready for
1:03:07
>> for sure.
1:03:08
>> It's probably it's probably too early to
1:03:11
talk about that yet, but what can the
1:03:13
next one be? I mean, you're ready now.
1:03:15
Are you ready to fight now somebody or
1:03:17
do you need another whole training camp?
1:03:18
>> Yeah, for sure. Do you have any plans?
1:03:20
>> For sure. I need I need another uh camp
1:03:23
for the next one, you know, because um
1:03:27
um
1:03:29
again, everybody is different and I'm
1:03:31
different too. I respect your
1:03:33
differences and everybody should respect
1:03:36
my uh my opinion and my perspective,
1:03:40
right? So someone says okay last minute
1:03:42
a lot a lot of things last minute
1:03:44
happened and this and that they going to
1:03:46
replace okay they they they can't
1:03:48
replace right but you you make 145 and
1:03:52
then uh I accept you put one two three
1:03:56
uh options opponents
1:03:59
right
1:04:00
but at at at this level okay you want to
1:04:03
you want to make 145 that's okay and
1:04:06
then we can fight
1:04:09
Not without not uh
1:04:12
a few days before they tell me.
1:04:16
>> Yeah.
1:04:18
So, what happens now, Mie? You're you're
1:04:20
still uh disappointed. I think you're
1:04:21
still keeping busy. Are you uh just
1:04:24
going to take a few days off and just
1:04:25
eat a bunch of food and then just go
1:04:27
back to training or are you going to
1:04:28
just get right back in the gym
1:04:30
immediately?
1:04:30
>> Um yeah, for sure. For sure. I need a
1:04:33
few days off completely off of off of
1:04:35
mind, off of training, off of any
1:04:37
strategic, off of any technical
1:04:41
um
1:04:43
experience and technical gain.
1:04:46
But
1:04:48
after a few days, I'll be back. I mean,
1:04:51
uh my my experience and my journey to
1:04:56
this fight is not wasted for sure,
1:04:59
right? I've gain I I've gained a lot. I
1:05:01
>> I sat down with with some great coaches.
1:05:04
I I I learned from them the philosophy
1:05:07
of of uh mixed martial arts and working
1:05:12
with different jiujitsu coaches, working
1:05:14
with different striking coaches, uh
1:05:16
conditioning coaches. I love them all
1:05:19
and I respected them all a lot, you
1:05:21
know, and um I I I I really valued what
1:05:26
they gave me, you know, their time,
1:05:29
their energy and uh these are these are
1:05:32
very important to me and it means a lot
1:05:34
to me and especially uh in in the
1:05:38
beginning of of of of uh of this journey
1:05:40
when when you're going on top, everybody
1:05:43
can can be there but in the beginning is
1:05:47
important and to see who is around you,
1:05:49
who are around you, to to to guide you,
1:05:52
to lead you, to accompany you. So, um,
1:05:56
so I I really appreciate and I'm so
1:05:58
grateful for for this camp. It's been a
1:06:02
few months
1:06:03
and um
1:06:07
but after a few day days off I'll be
1:06:12
back
1:06:14
um with a different mindset
1:06:16
>> for sure with a different uh vision
1:06:19
you know but for for next one
1:06:24
um I'm already the the the the
1:06:29
number one rank in Canada. I believe
1:06:34
that I am right now.
1:06:37
We want to prove it.
1:06:41
We can talk about it later with details,
1:06:45
but let's match me up with um with
1:06:50
number one or number two rank in Canada.
1:06:55
Uh Jamie,
1:06:58
what's his name?
1:07:00
Jamie the number one rank.
1:07:05
>> Oh, Jam.
1:07:05
>> Jam Raj or number number second rank.
1:07:11
>> If it if it's uh is it isn't it a fair
1:07:15
matchup?
1:07:19
>> Well, that's why you have the fight to
1:07:21
find out.
1:07:22
>> Exactly. and and I believe I already
1:07:25
have the corona above my head, you know,
1:07:28
that's why that's why this is what I'm
1:07:30
asking.
1:07:30
>> Mhm.
1:07:32
>> Um,
1:07:33
have you also considered another option?
1:07:36
It seems like a lot of uh high-profile
1:07:39
Quebec mixed martial artists are going
1:07:40
down to the United States. Jonathan
1:07:42
Ramsay, Tommy Morrison, they have their
1:07:44
next fights in the United States. That
1:07:46
could be an option for you, too. the uh
1:07:48
uh it can be two but
1:07:51
um but where I'm living first
1:07:56
and I I have I have to be I have to be
1:07:58
the number one rank where I'm living
1:08:02
>> you know
1:08:03
>> and then and then
1:08:04
>> yeah you're going to clear
1:08:05
>> and then and then I can I can go to
1:08:07
different um continental
1:08:12
it's called like I can go to Europe I
1:08:15
can go to US I can go to Asia,
1:08:17
>> different continents,
1:08:18
>> Asia, right? But uh where I am right
1:08:21
now, I'm in Canada
1:08:23
and I I think uh I deserve to be the
1:08:27
number one rank in Canada, too. So,
1:08:32
if if it's a fair matchup, let's match
1:08:34
me up with number one or number two
1:08:36
rank.
1:08:39
>> As simple as that. Well, there's a B uh
1:08:42
there's a Battlefield Fight League
1:08:43
happening in in May and as far as I
1:08:45
know, let me double check for you uh
1:08:47
Mandy, but I don't think Jamie Siraj is
1:08:50
matched up yet.
1:08:53
So, the next BFL is 87 on the 7th of
1:08:56
May. And I'm double checking.
1:08:59
Yeah, I don't see Jamie Siraj on there
1:09:01
right now. So, that could be uh
1:09:02
something for maybe your management to
1:09:04
reach out to to Battlefield and find out
1:09:06
if that's a fight.
1:09:07
>> It can be. It can be possible, but right
1:09:09
now I don't. And then one thing uh I
1:09:12
don't have a manager and I've been
1:09:13
dealing with with Samurai uh for for the
1:09:19
um for the last fight, you know, a lot
1:09:21
of back and forth.
1:09:23
Um I I need to I need to
1:09:30
find that person, find that uh
1:09:33
management, you know, to work with. But
1:09:36
um
1:09:37
a a management
1:09:41
not not going not not
1:09:42
>> it can be really beneficial
1:09:43
>> not going not going further
1:09:46
>> but uh I had I had the management uh
1:09:48
corup management I appreciate all the
1:09:50
work they they put in for me uh
1:09:56
they were they were so great and uh and
1:10:00
we'll see what's going to be next
1:10:04
>> for
1:10:07
Okay, Medie, I know you uh you pulled
1:10:09
over your car on the side of the road to
1:10:11
talk with me right now. So, uh I the
1:10:14
most valuable thing we have in life is
1:10:15
time and you mentioned that with your
1:10:16
coaches, all the the time they put into
1:10:18
you. So, I just want to thank you. I
1:10:20
appreciate your time that you gave to me
1:10:21
and and our viewers today to
1:10:23
>> Thank you so much Andy. You you know uh
1:10:26
a few time besides we've seen each other
1:10:28
in person. Whenever I whenever I see
1:10:31
you, it makes me happy.
1:10:34
you're a you're a great man and um good
1:10:38
energy, good wife, you know, and that's
1:10:40
why talking to you is always a pleasure
1:10:43
and I'm I'm always happy to talking to
1:10:45
you and sharing sharing my my journey,
1:10:48
sharing my upbringing, sharing um
1:10:54
in the future going a little bit deep
1:10:57
down about philosophy, about life and
1:11:00
then then go on,
1:11:02
you know. But uh thank you so much.
1:11:07
>> Thank you so much. That means the world
1:11:08
to hear that from you. Thank you. You're
1:11:10
a wonderful man, too. And I really value
1:11:12
value you. So, thanks for everything.
1:11:14
>> And uh I guess we'll call it a we'll
1:11:16
call it a wrap for now. There you go,
1:11:18
fight friends. Medie Zvand, I'm very
1:11:20
disappointed. Won't be fighting TJ Larry
1:11:22
this weekend, but the future's bright
1:11:23
for him. So, make sure you keep your
1:11:25
eyes focused. Follow him on Instagram
1:11:27
and other platforms and uh you'll see
1:11:29
him go really far someday.
1:11:31
>> Thank you so much. Goodbye everyone.