Latest / The MM-EH Show / Is This The Best MM-EH Show Yet? | TMS 017

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Is This The Best MM-EH Show Yet? | TMS 017 · The MM-EH Show

• 0:16
  Hey there, fight friends. Welcome to the
• 0:18
  MMA Show. The show where we talk about
• 0:20
  only one thing, Canadian mixed martial
• 0:22
  arts. Nothing else. We've got a great
• 0:24
  show this week. We've got four awesome
• 0:25
  guests for you to watch. We're going to
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  start off with Abdel Essim, formerly
• 0:29
  known as Abdel Abdelaziz. He's fighting
• 0:32
  in the main event of FLA 25 this
• 0:34
  weekend, defending his uh FLA
• 0:36
  featherweight title against Alan Ruiz.
• 0:39
  If you remember, Alan Ruiz just won the
• 0:41
  title, last at 24 against Morgan Ryan in
• 0:44
  a great fight. Uh and so this is going
• 0:46
  to be an interesting one. If you're
• 0:48
  curious about the name change, Abdell
• 0:50
  explains to me in the interview.
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  Actually, I'm not sure if it's actually
• 0:52
  in the in the interview or if it was
• 0:54
  before the interview, but he's
• 0:56
  originally from Egypt. And when his
• 0:57
  family moved to Canada, they had a bit
• 0:59
  of a predicament because they don't use
• 1:01
  the typical uh like patriarchal male
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  last name as a last name in Egypt. So,
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  he had to figure out what kind of name
• 1:07
  to call himself. And so, I think it was
• 1:09
  his great-grandfather, his grandfather
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  or great-grandfather. He used his last
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  name because that's all he really had.
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  And that was Abdel Abdelaziz. However,
• 1:18
  now he's actually his name's Abdel Raman
• 1:20
  Essim. So that's he's going by Abdel
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  Essim now. So I know a little confusing
• 1:25
  for for Westerners, but uh yeah, it's
• 1:27
  good. That's who he is now. You might
• 1:28
  still see the promotion material, say
• 1:30
  Abdel Abdel Ziz, but that will probably
• 1:32
  stop moving forward. All right,
• 1:34
  following Abdell with featuring the
• 1:36
  co-main event from the same FLA, Cam
• 1:38
  Nelson. He is fighting Luis Guerrero for
• 1:40
  the vacant FLA welterweight
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  championship. Should be a great fight.
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  Cam's an upandcomer. Uh Luis has shown
• 1:46
  that he's a warrior. You might have seen
• 1:48
  him last time at the most recent unified
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  Toronto where he beat Michael Emperado
• 1:52
  in a fantastic fight. Our third
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  interview today is a young man Ashton
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  Dutac. He's an amateur mixed martial
• 1:59
  artist. He's fighting Kenneth Dunar at
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  BTC 37 and this is the end of the uh
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  welterweight tournament. So he's had two
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  two wins already to get to this point
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  and this third fight if he wins this,
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  he'll be the amateur champion. This
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  man's got a bright future ahead of
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  himself. He's uh he's moved from North
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  Bay to Sbury where he's training with
• 2:17
  UFC legend Mitch Gay at Troop MMA. And
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  uh this is cool to see where he's going.
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  That's why you need to watch amateur
• 2:24
  mixed martial arts, folks, because you
• 2:26
  never know where these young athletes
• 2:27
  are going to end up someday. And our
• 2:29
  last interview is going to be with
• 2:30
  Boommy Lanathan. He is also a newish
• 2:34
  fighter. He's had a good amateur career.
• 2:35
  He's now 1 and0 as a pro. When I reached
• 2:38
  out to him, it was with the
• 2:39
  understanding that he'd also be fighting
• 2:40
  on this BTC 37 card. However, once I
• 2:43
  contacted him, I found out that that
• 2:45
  fight has been cancelled for a medical
• 2:47
  issue. However, Boommy is still a great
• 2:49
  guy. We had a nice talk and it's good
• 2:50
  for you to just to get a chance to know
• 2:52
  these new athletes who you might not not
• 2:54
  have been exposed to before. I also
• 2:56
  spoke with Jared Dean from Niger Top
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  Team. He was also supposed to be in the
• 3:00
  BTC 37 card. So, I had three fights
• 3:02
  lined up for the BT7 BTC 37 card. He had
• 3:06
  to withdraw. uh he it's you know
• 3:09
  whenever you hear that a fighter
• 3:10
  withdraws from a fight it's typically
• 3:12
  one of a few things. It's either a
• 3:13
  medical issue uh they got injured or
• 3:16
  they didn't complete their blood work or
• 3:18
  who knows it could be a visa issue one
• 3:20
  of those things. Jared's is pretty
• 3:22
  unique and it's really interesting. I'm
• 3:23
  not going to share it now. We'll chat
• 3:25
  with him uh really soon and he can share
• 3:27
  the news. But I think it's it's a pretty
• 3:30
  neat reason why and it's good for him.
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  I'm super happy for him and uh if you
• 3:34
  knew you'd be happy for him too. Uh, and
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  you'll find out at some point, I'm sure,
• 3:37
  when he's ready to share the news.
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  Anyway, so four interviews. It's going
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  to be fun. And we're gonna start off
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  with Abdell Essim.
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  Abdell, it's good to see you, my man.
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  It's fight week. How are you feeling?
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  >> Yeah, I'm feeling really good. Excited
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  for the fight. How How about you?
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  >> Oh, I'm also good. It's It's unfortunate
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  I couldn't be there. As you know, I was
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  at the last FAA. That was my first ever
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  FLA, and I had a great time. I'd love to
• 4:01
  attend all of them, but uh I just won't
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  be able to make it, unfortunately, this
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  time.
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  Yeah, it's too bad. It was nice seeing
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  you at the the last one. That was the my
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  only time uh only second time seeing you
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  after the uh BTC last year.
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  >> Yeah, that's right. Second second time
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  in person for sure.
• 4:16
  >> Yeah.
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  >> So, let's just jump right into it.
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  You're fighting, you're defending your
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  uh Fight League Atlantic featherweight
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  title against Alan Ruiz. Now, speaking
• 4:24
  about the last FA 24, Allen fought
• 4:27
  Morgan Ryan and he won that fight. Did
• 4:29
  you get a chance to watch that fight
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  live and in person or were you in the
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  back or did you actually get to see it
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  with your eyes?
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  No, I didn't get to watch it live. Um, I
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  had to I had to go because I was like we
• 4:40
  were it was just like made more sense
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  since it was picked up trying to get
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  home and stuff. Um, but yeah, I
• 4:45
  obviously I looked back at it on on
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  Fight Pass.
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  >> What are your uh thoughts on Ellen Ruiz
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  as a opponent for you?
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  >> Um, he's I mean he's got a lot of
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  experience. He's obviously dangerous,
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  but like you know everybody is. Um,
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  yeah, I think it's, you know, it's a
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  great fight and it's it's it's ch it's a
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  challenging fight. So, it's enough for
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  me to get excited. So,
• 5:08
  >> yeah, it must be tough for you to get
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  excited or I'm not really sure because
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  as a professional mixed martial artist,
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  you're 9 and0 undefeated. You've looked
• 5:16
  great in all your fights that I've seen.
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  You look like you're absolutely one of
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  Canada's rising stars. You train at a
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  fantastic gym with with Gavin Tucker and
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  Pat Carroll and everyone else at Tower
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  One Tower 1 gym which is quickly
• 5:29
  becoming one of the best gyms in the
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  country if not well no it already is one
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  of the best MMA gyms in the country for
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  sure. So you have a lot going for you.
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  It's how are you feeling just overall in
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  general in life and in the fight game
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  and everything else?
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  I honestly couldn't. Yeah, I'm every day
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  I feel like I'm just the luckiest person
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  because like like you said, this is um
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  the tower one's known as one of the best
• 5:52
  gyms in the country now. But as far as
• 5:54
  I'm concerned, it's the best gym in the
• 5:55
  world. So
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  >> we have such a good team and everybody's
• 5:58
  improving all the time. So like we have
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  one of the, you know, the most unique
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  situation ever as far as I'm concerned.
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  So um yeah, I'm super grateful. So, I do
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  my best to not take it for granted and
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  just make the most of it. And with each
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  fight, I uh I get the opportunity to to
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  do that. So,
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  >> yeah, I'm super excited.
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  >> What do you mean when you say you've got
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  a unique situation at Tower One?
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  >> Um well, most gyms don't have what we
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  have really where it's like people are
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  act, you know what I mean? like a lot of
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  them gyms are either like very small um
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  and or they're like you know the big
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  marquee gyms where it's like everybody's
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  kind of doing their own thing. Um but
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  here you have multiple undefeated pros
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  um bunch of like amateurs
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  but everybody's kind of elevating
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  elevating together and looking after
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  each other and you don't have these like
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  separate teams within the gym. Um, and
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  yeah, and we're able to train and look
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  after each other and all elevate
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  together, which is, you know, it's a
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  there's Yeah, it's not too many places,
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  I think, that can actually consider
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  themselves like a real real team.
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  >> Yeah. And I think a lot of people refer
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  to their fight teams as family. And I
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  definitely get that feeling with Tower
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  One. I know that you guys, I don't know
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  if you participate in it, but some of
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  your teammates, they rent out Airbnbs
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  and have fight nights where they watch
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  pay-per-views and things and they have D
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  and D nights and things like that. So,
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  it just seems like you're all really
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  meshed together and you just really care
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  about each other.
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  >> Yeah. No, it it it's um it's all true.
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  like more often than not every week like
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  if if we're not family I don't know what
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  else you could call it because for the
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  amount of time we spend around each
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  other uh not just training like every
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  every weekend basically if there's
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  fights we're watching together and then
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  people are you know like you said making
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  plans and and having these types of
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  evenings all the time. So um it's it's
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  bigger than like it's a community
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  basically. So um everybody everybody
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  wants to see everybody do well. So I
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  think that's that in itself is unique
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  cuz you know it's no fault of no fault
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  of anybody of anybody but most places
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  most everybody's going to kind of have
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  to look after themselves.
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  >> Um
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  >> but here people are really really trying
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  to help each other and take take
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  whatever opportunity to to contribute to
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  this uh collective that we have.
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  >> Yeah. Uh, I think you know that I spent
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  a large part of my my life in Halifax. I
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  was in Halifax for over 20 years. So,
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  I'm very familiar with the MMA scene
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  there. That's where I actually started
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  writing and covering mixed martial arts.
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  Um, but I find that for the rest of the
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  country, it's really easy for them to
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  not be aware of MMA in the Maritimes,
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  Maritimes MMA. I think Fight League
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  Atlantic has come a long way to giving
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  you exposure uh and creating that sort
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  of hype out there. But I still think for
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  the rest of Canada, maybe they they're
• 9:02
  not that familiar with maritime
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  fighters. What to you? Is there a
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  typical maritime fighter? Is there
• 9:10
  something that you all have in common?
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  Or is it just like anywhere else in the
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  country? Maybe not just like everywhere
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  else in the country, but you know, it's
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  it's just like, you know, a fighter in
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  Vancouver or a fighter in Calgary might
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  might expect from their gin.
• 9:23
  >> Yeah, I mean that's a fair question. And
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  there's definitely some merit to that
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  where like the region you're from kind
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  of like affects you know cuz culture is
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  kind of where everything comes from. Um
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  I think it just the east coast culture
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  is a bit more like you know has a bit
• 9:39
  more humility to it. So people are like
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  fighters you don't see too many of like
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  the you know the brash loud
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  >> um fighters and stuff like that.
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  people tend to like overlook it, but the
• 9:50
  you can't deny the the changes that have
• 9:54
  been happening recently with how
• 9:55
  successful FLA's becoming um with the
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  gym. So many of us have fought across
• 10:00
  Canada. So feel like the East Coast
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  presence is definitely growing. Um and
• 10:06
  it's there's growth on all fronts in the
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  MMA scene, the jiu-jitsu scene, um in
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  the boxing and kickboxing scene, too.
• 10:13
  And I think it's just going to keep
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  growing.
• 10:15
  >> Yep. When I was in Nova Scotia last
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  time, I I went out and I had lunch and
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  spent some time with a really good
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  friend of mine and he's heavily involved
• 10:22
  in the MMA community. I'm not going to
• 10:23
  say his name, but he told me that in his
• 10:26
  opinion, Tower One, and this guy, he he
• 10:29
  knows his stuff. He told me that he
• 10:32
  thinks Tower 1 has got something special
• 10:34
  that it's the combination of the coaches
• 10:37
  of the coaching of the of the buyin of
• 10:40
  all the athletes are a part of it that
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  just creating like almost like a like a
• 10:44
  template for for an excellent fighter.
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  Like there's something there something
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  in that atmosphere that when you go
• 10:50
  there it elevates you more than
• 10:55
  it would happen somewhere else. I'm just
• 10:56
  wondering if that seems like it's a fair
• 10:58
  assessment to you.
• 10:59
  >> It is. We've had people come here that
• 11:02
  um that have said the same thing. People
• 11:05
  that have been in the game for like a
• 11:07
  very long time, experienced fighters and
• 11:09
  and and even even other grapp people
• 11:12
  that are just like pure grapplers,
• 11:14
  people that are training at a high
• 11:15
  level. And
• 11:18
  when you've experienced all the
• 11:20
  different, you know, what different gyms
• 11:21
  look like and stuff like that, you can
• 11:23
  you can tell when there's like a unique
• 11:25
  situation. And we really do have that
• 11:27
  kind of a unique situation where you
• 11:29
  have people that can fight at that level
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  but also
• 11:34
  be training with people that are like,
• 11:36
  you know, fairly fairly inexperienced
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  and everybody's elevating in the same
• 11:41
  time and everybody's looking after each
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  other. Um yeah, I really that's, you
• 11:46
  know what I mean? Like it's it's hard to
• 11:48
  um explain, but if you experience it,
• 11:51
  it's one of those things. It's like
• 11:52
  becomes you can you can you can tell
• 11:54
  immediately especially if you have
• 11:57
  experience and if you've been around the
• 11:59
  the scene.
• 12:00
  >> Mhm. I saw a really interesting
• 12:02
  interview with UFC fighter Mandal NO
• 12:04
  lately. He had his UFC debut at in his
• 12:07
  late 30s. I think he's 36 37 at UFC in
• 12:10
  Winnipeg. And in that time he sat down
• 12:12
  for an interview and he said something
• 12:14
  that I really I really listened to and I
• 12:16
  liked
• 12:17
  >> the way he described fighting. He said
• 12:19
  that fighting
• 12:21
  should pose problems for fighters. I I'm
• 12:24
  paraphrasing here and I'll probably get
• 12:25
  it wrong a little bit. You'll get the
• 12:26
  idea. He says that when a fighter takes
• 12:28
  a fight, it should be with the purpose
• 12:30
  of solving a problem. So when you take a
• 12:32
  fight against an opponent, maybe he's a
• 12:35
  really good striker and so you want to
• 12:37
  make sure you practice your striking or
• 12:39
  maybe you want to practice your ground
• 12:40
  game. But he said every fight you go
• 12:42
  into should have a reason for you going
• 12:44
  in it. More not just a paycheck. clearly
• 12:46
  not just a paycheck because I don't
• 12:48
  think that's what you're in this for.
• 12:50
  I'm just wondering when you select your
• 12:51
  fights, what's your thought process
• 12:55
  in determining if you'll accept a fight
• 12:58
  and if the opponent's the right opponent
• 12:59
  for you and if you have any
• 13:01
  consideration whatsoever about your
• 13:03
  personal growth coming in that fight as
• 13:05
  you prepare for bigger fights down the
• 13:07
  line.
• 13:09
  Well, this goes back to why this place
• 13:11
  is so special because I um I don't want
• 13:14
  to, you know, uh say anything that like
• 13:18
  that's not true, but a lot of this work
• 13:21
  is honestly done by Gavin where he's the
• 13:23
  one that like kind of looks at the
• 13:25
  matchups and figures out what's the best
• 13:28
  way to prepare and I do my best to like,
• 13:31
  you know, do my part. Um obviously
• 13:34
  showing up is the least you can do. Um
• 13:38
  But yeah, like for me it's like the
• 13:40
  Gavin kind of sets the uh the uh the
• 13:43
  framework for the training and then you
• 13:47
  kind of figure out how to uh you know
• 13:51
  you have your attributes and your
• 13:53
  weapons and you do your best to like
• 13:54
  organize them in a way that's going to
• 13:56
  be give you the best chance in the
• 13:58
  fight. Um, but you also have to be
• 14:00
  careful, you know what I mean? Like you
• 14:01
  don't want to go in with too many
• 14:03
  expectations or expectations set too uh
• 14:07
  set too hard in stone. Um, so I do my
• 14:11
  best to like put as much effort as I can
• 14:14
  into preparing like specifically and
• 14:16
  then once you get to the fight, you kind
• 14:18
  of have to like have an open mind um,
• 14:21
  and then let things play out. Because
• 14:24
  for me it's like I' I see this kind of
• 14:27
  uh issue come up with people when they
• 14:29
  try to like force it to be whatever it
• 14:31
  is that they want it to be
• 14:33
  >> or what they've prepared to be because
• 14:35
  you know obviously it's like it's it put
• 14:38
  takes such uh such a toll on your uh on
• 14:41
  on your um on your thought processes and
• 14:44
  stuff like that that you do your best to
• 14:46
  prepare and then you just a lot of
• 14:49
  people just end up deciding that this is
• 14:50
  what it's going to be and they try to
• 14:52
  force it and they don't let things, you
• 14:54
  know, unfold. Um, and as much as people
• 14:59
  are like scared of unpredictability, it
• 15:01
  can be a good thing because you can, you
• 15:03
  know, as much as you can be surprised by
• 15:05
  a bad thing, you can also be surprised
• 15:07
  by a good thing. And if you're training
• 15:09
  and preparing well, you can like a lot
• 15:11
  of times you just end up surprising
• 15:13
  yourself with how well you do. You know
• 15:15
  what I mean? So that's how I try and
• 15:17
  think about it because at the end of the
• 15:20
  day it's like MMA is just so chaotic
• 15:22
  that like the best you can do is really
• 15:24
  be in the moment and
• 15:28
  in terms of like pra practicing that
• 15:31
  problem. You don't really know for sure
• 15:33
  until you're in there with the guy. So,
• 15:35
  it's almost like you try to like narrow
• 15:38
  things down and you practice solving
• 15:41
  that problem in real time because that's
• 15:43
  what you're gonna have to do more most
• 15:45
  most likely.
• 15:47
  >> You've mentioned Gavin a handful of
• 15:49
  times and for those people who are
• 15:50
  watching who don't who might not know,
• 15:52
  Gavin Tucker was one of Canada's best
• 15:54
  fighters for many many years. Uh he was
• 15:57
  extremely technical fighter. His skill
• 15:59
  set was beyond reproach. uh and he had
• 16:01
  some success in the UFC, but his career
• 16:03
  was cut short due to a lot of injuries.
• 16:05
  So, I'm very happy to see him find so
• 16:08
  much success as a coach. I'm wondering
• 16:11
  if you can take a minute or two or as
• 16:12
  long as you want really just talk about
• 16:15
  Gavin a as a coach
• 16:18
  and how he fits into Tower One. I know
• 16:20
  he's the main guy, but I mean, how
• 16:24
  involved is he in your life overall?
• 16:27
  Does he, you know, does the coaching
• 16:28
  stop at the doors of the gym when you
• 16:30
  come in? when you leave, how much effort
• 16:32
  does he put into you and other fighters?
• 16:37
  >> Honestly, Gavin, he I don't know. I
• 16:40
  don't know if I've ever seen anybody do
• 16:43
  as much as he does for other people. Uh
• 16:46
  like if you're part of the team, you're
• 16:47
  you're as as much as uh of a family
• 16:50
  member as as you could be. So, he'll
• 16:52
  he'll do everything he can to help you
• 16:56
  and without you even asking. like the
• 16:58
  amount of things he's done for me and uh
• 17:01
  the help he's given me without me
• 17:03
  sometimes even knowing that he's doing
• 17:05
  it is is um is kind of unbelievable I
• 17:09
  think. Um so yeah, he's uh and I've been
• 17:13
  that's why that's why I was saying like
• 17:15
  I'm I'm so lucky because I haven't
• 17:18
  trained any done any MMA training with
• 17:20
  anybody other than Gavin since I started
• 17:22
  like I was a complet jiu-jitsu. I
• 17:24
  started training with him or just doing
• 17:26
  jiu-jitsu and then slowly transitioned
• 17:28
  to MMA. Um, so yeah, he's very very very
• 17:33
  involved. He's there for people. Like
• 17:35
  obviously I don't want to um say too
• 17:38
  much, but he's uh um he's he's he does
• 17:43
  everything in his power to help
• 17:44
  everybody around him. It's very it's
• 17:46
  very unique.
• 17:49
  I'm guessing when you see a person in
• 17:52
  this ca this case Gavin invest so much
• 17:55
  themselves into you and your potential
• 17:59
  and your future. It kind of makes it
• 18:01
  like a like a like a loop where that
• 18:04
  makes you want to make them proud of you
• 18:07
  when you put in the effort that they
• 18:09
  they know you can do, right? Like it
• 18:11
  makes you sort of reliant on them for,
• 18:14
  >> you know, you wanting to make sure you
• 18:16
  don't let them down.
• 18:19
  Yeah. No, that's very true. You can't
• 18:20
  you can't help it. Like it's um and not
• 18:24
  only not only in that sense, but like
• 18:25
  when you see somebody doing so much for
• 18:27
  others, um you like as a fighter, I feel
• 18:31
  like it's common to be it's not uncommon
• 18:33
  at least to be selfish. Um but it's
• 18:36
  inspired me to try and do more for
• 18:38
  people and and help and help where I can
• 18:40
  because you know, you have to be so self
• 18:43
  involved as a fighter and just focused
• 18:44
  on what you need and what you should be
• 18:46
  doing and all that. Um but yeah, what
• 18:49
  you said couldn't couldn't be more true.
• 18:51
  Um
• 18:53
  it's just yeah, it's when you see
• 18:55
  someone being so uh selfless and and
• 18:58
  giving uh so much of themselves to help
• 19:00
  to help the people around them, you're
• 19:03
  like, I I don't know if I deserve this,
• 19:05
  but I'm going to do everything I can to
• 19:07
  >> uh give it back to you and everybody
• 19:10
  else around us.
• 19:12
  >> That's awesome.
• 19:14
  Okay, we're nearing the end of the chat.
• 19:15
  I just want to kind of talk about your
• 19:17
  future your prospects.
• 19:20
  Let's say the end of this weekend, you
• 19:22
  have your arm raising victory. Like, you
• 19:24
  know, I I don't like to put any pressure
• 19:26
  on you, but I don't think there's a
• 19:28
  reason why you should lose this fight.
• 19:30
  I'm willing to bet. I don't bet at all
• 19:32
  on on fights at all. I don't bet on any
• 19:34
  sports, but if I were, I would say if I
• 19:37
  was that kind of guy, I would I would
• 19:38
  bet on you to win. So, that that would
• 19:40
  make you 10 and0 as a professional
• 19:43
  fighter. And I think it seems to me like
• 19:46
  you're probably nearing the end of where
• 19:48
  you can go with the regional scene. I'm
• 19:50
  wondering if there's been any discussion
• 19:52
  about what's next. Are you planning on
• 19:54
  sticking with Fight League Atlantic for
• 19:56
  as long as you can or are you really
• 19:58
  going to have any kind of push for the
• 19:59
  UFC contender series or even maybe just
• 20:03
  someplace else somewhere maybe LFA or
• 20:05
  maybe CFC or something like those?
• 20:09
  >> Well, um I don't know too much about it.
• 20:13
  Like I said, Gavin, luckily he handles a
• 20:16
  lot of that, but he's told me a little
• 20:18
  bit where he's got like some uh
• 20:20
  contingencies and backups on uh on what
• 20:24
  the what we can do after this fight um
• 20:28
  if we don't get, you know, like a
• 20:30
  contender series or UFC call cuz that's,
• 20:33
  you know, that's definitely the the goal
• 20:35
  at the moment.
• 20:36
  >> Yeah, for sure.
• 20:37
  >> We've had calls like we have he's we've
• 20:39
  had some uh not sure if I'm allowed to
• 20:42
  say
• 20:43
  But we've had some discussions with like
• 20:44
  some big promotions as well. Um, but
• 20:48
  we're we're kind of focused on getting
• 20:50
  that UFC call at the moment. So,
• 20:52
  >> yeah,
• 20:53
  >> that's the Yeah, that's the plan for
• 20:55
  now.
• 20:56
  >> Yeah. I I realize now my my question to
• 20:58
  you. I don't think it was entirely fair
• 20:59
  because you're doing what you can do,
• 21:02
  right? You're signing fights, uh, you're
• 21:05
  winning fights, and that's really the
• 21:06
  all should be expected of you. I mean, a
• 21:08
  lot of the rest of it just comes down
• 21:10
  to, you know, things like luck, uh, and
• 21:13
  just, you know, inroads and
• 21:14
  relationships with other organizations.
• 21:16
  So, like, as a fighter, you're doing
• 21:18
  what you should do, man. You're doing it
• 21:19
  right. You're doing it well. You're
• 21:20
  doing it with excellence. So, I mean,
• 21:23
  that's all anybody can ask of you at
• 21:24
  this point, I think.
• 21:26
  >> Yeah. Know, I appreciate that's what
• 21:27
  that's what I usually say when people
• 21:30
  when people ask me um about what's next
• 21:32
  and stuff like that. It's just um you
• 21:36
  don't get like as like I started out as
• 21:39
  a fan and you obviously don't know much
• 21:41
  about like what goes on behind the
• 21:42
  scenes, but once you get into it, you
• 21:44
  realize like how much there's uh how
• 21:46
  much u not politics, but it's like it's
• 21:50
  like any other business. There's so much
• 21:51
  more outside of the thing that people
• 21:54
  see that actually uh um like decides how
• 21:59
  how things play out. Yeah.
• 22:00
  >> So, in my mind, I'm like, so much of it
• 22:03
  is just so outside of my control. Um,
• 22:06
  and I have enough to focus on in terms
• 22:08
  of just preparing for fights and and
• 22:10
  performing. So, I'm just going to do my
• 22:12
  best to focus on that and and God
• 22:14
  willing, you know,
• 22:15
  >> things take care of themselves outside
• 22:17
  of that.
• 22:19
  >> Okay. Well, Abdell, I'm also thankful
• 22:21
  that uh Fight League Atlantic has signed
• 22:23
  a deal with UC Fight Pass. So, I I won't
• 22:25
  be able to watch it on Fight Night.
• 22:26
  watch your fight, but I'll be able to
• 22:28
  watch it shortly after and I'm looking
• 22:29
  forward to that. Regardless, I know
• 22:31
  you're gonna have an excellent
• 22:32
  performance. I'm just wondering before
• 22:33
  we go, is there anything you think we
• 22:36
  should have talked about that I didn't
• 22:37
  ask you?
• 22:40
  >> Um,
• 22:42
  >> it's not a trick question.
• 22:45
  >> You didn't say anything about how nice
• 22:46
  the barber shop is.
• 22:48
  >> Yeah, show us the bar. Tell us about the
• 22:49
  barber shop. Yeah, Gavin had this idea
• 22:52
  to like do the uh Grumpy's barber ring
• 22:55
  and then he came up with like some
• 22:57
  posters for all these like famous
• 22:59
  characters where they look grumpy. Um
• 23:01
  yeah, it's so it's a it's a cool spot
• 23:03
  and we just got poker table. Um so it's
• 23:06
  become kind of a barberh shop slash
• 23:09
  which I guess what barber shops are is
• 23:10
  like a hangout spot. Um it's pretty
• 23:13
  neat. Um what else? Um we've had the
• 23:17
  like the other side's been growing a
• 23:19
  lot. We've been having like a great uh
• 23:21
  boxing program. So, having the influence
• 23:24
  from uh the boxers coming in and uh and
• 23:26
  training has been super helpful for our
• 23:28
  training. Everybody's boxing is getting
• 23:29
  better. But
• 23:31
  >> yeah, I guess that's pretty much it.
• 23:32
  >> Okay. Well, I I'm not sure if I should
• 23:34
  say this, but I will just cuz I'm that
• 23:36
  kind of guy. But I think you should ask
• 23:38
  for your money back cuz I think they
• 23:39
  took a little too much off the top.
• 23:41
  >> Fair enough. Fair enough.
• 23:45
  >> But uh I'm just starting to grow my
• 23:46
  beard. So, do you have any uh advice for
• 23:48
  a beard trimming? I'm I'm due for my be
• 23:50
  my first ever beard trim probably in a
• 23:52
  week or so. Are there any things I
• 23:54
  should look out for?
• 23:56
  >> You just let just let it go for as long
• 23:58
  as possible is what I do. So,
• 23:59
  >> Oh, yeah.
• 24:01
  >> Yeah. Yeah. Just let it go as long as
• 24:02
  possible. Let get crazy and then and
• 24:05
  then go from there.
• 24:06
  >> Okay. Good advice. I'll I'll maybe I'll
• 24:08
  follow that. All right, Abdel. Thank
• 24:10
  you, my man. Best of luck in your title
• 24:12
  defense. Fight Fight League Atlantic
• 24:14
  featherweight champion Abdal Essam
• 24:16
  fighting at Fight League Atlantic 25 in
• 24:18
  Dartmouth, Nova Scotia this weekend.
• 24:20
  Cam, it's great to talk to you, my man.
• 24:22
  You're uh you're you're you're always an
• 24:24
  interesting guy to talk with. I've met
• 24:25
  you a handful of times in person and
• 24:27
  you're seem like you're a very good guy.
• 24:29
  Um so this is Fight Week and it's got to
• 24:32
  be an exciting time for you. Tell me
• 24:33
  about fight Week. What's that look like
• 24:34
  to you?
• 24:35
  >> Yeah. Um obviously fight week, the
• 24:38
  excitement, the uh just all the emotions
• 24:40
  that come with it. um getting used to it
• 24:43
  now. This is pro fight number eight. Um
• 24:45
  I had three amateur fights as well, so
• 24:47
  you know, you get a little more
• 24:48
  comfortable with the process um each
• 24:50
  time. Um I just landed home actually
• 24:52
  yesterday. I was up in Niagara for about
• 24:55
  three and a half weeks um doing a bulk
• 24:57
  of the camp up there. So landed home uh
• 25:00
  in Charlotte Town, PEI here 10:30 or so
• 25:02
  in the morning yesterday and uh just had
• 25:05
  my first training session here um at
• 25:07
  noon. little shake out, keep getting the
• 25:09
  weight down, everything that goes with
• 25:12
  making weight, all that fun stuff. So,
• 25:14
  yeah, getting settled in and gearing up
• 25:15
  for uh for Saturday.
• 25:17
  >> Awesome. Now, you've done this, you've
• 25:20
  done things how I feel is kind of the
• 25:21
  right way, right? Like you you entered,
• 25:23
  you started off with an amateur career.
• 25:25
  You found success there. You were 3 and0
• 25:26
  as an amateur, 6-1 as a pro. Now, you've
• 25:29
  been building yourself up, taking
• 25:30
  tougher and tougher fights. I I get the
• 25:32
  feeling like Fight Like Atlantic has a
• 25:34
  lot of lot of faith in you and it seems
• 25:35
  like they really care about about having
• 25:37
  you progress as a fighter. Tell me what
• 25:39
  it's like being a part of that
• 25:41
  organization.
• 25:42
  >> Yeah, obviously FLA's been um a massive
• 25:45
  part of my martial arts career. I think
• 25:47
  nine of my 10 fights uh between pro and
• 25:50
  amateur have been with them. Um and
• 25:52
  yeah, I've built a great relationship
• 25:54
  with um Derek John, all the staff um a
• 25:57
  lot of the fighters as well. I mean, we
• 25:58
  have a lot of the the same roster that's
• 26:01
  kind of come up together. They kind of
• 26:02
  built their their roster based on, you
• 26:04
  know, starting off with amateur guards
• 26:06
  where guys were on and or 1 and0 versus
• 26:09
  type thing and they built them up and uh
• 26:12
  so it's really cool to be a part of a
• 26:14
  brand that um you know built its roots
• 26:17
  in Atlantic Canada and you know has
• 26:18
  become what it is today which is you
• 26:20
  know one of the top promotions in the
• 26:22
  country. So,
• 26:23
  >> I'm just super blessed to be a part of
• 26:25
  it and uh for them to uh to really push
• 26:27
  me and uh give me big fights and give me
• 26:30
  main event fights and title fights and
• 26:31
  things like that. So, uh yeah, just
• 26:33
  feeling uh feeling blessed and ready to
• 26:35
  go, man.
• 26:36
  >> Nice. Now, you are very well known in
• 26:40
  the Maritimes. However, for the rest of
• 26:41
  the country, maybe not so much.
• 26:43
  >> Would you mind just taking a moment,
• 26:44
  introduce yourself, say who you are,
• 26:46
  where you're from, and and how you got
• 26:48
  involved in combat sports?
• 26:50
  >> For sure. Um, so obviously my name is
• 26:52
  Cam Nelson. I'm 27 years old. I'm a
• 26:55
  mixed martial artist here from um,
• 26:57
  Charlotte Town, Prince Island. And, um,
• 26:59
  yeah, I've been training, I started
• 27:02
  training, honestly, it hasn't been a
• 27:04
  crazy long time. Um, it was around COVID
• 27:06
  time. I used to play hockey before and,
• 27:08
  um, my final year of junior. Um, the
• 27:11
  season got cut short because obviously
• 27:13
  COVID happened. So, I was kind of
• 27:15
  looking for, you know, another endeavor,
• 27:16
  another um sport to kind of get into and
• 27:19
  I started training at Henzo Gracie PEI
• 27:22
  with Matt McGrath um around that time.
• 27:25
  And um I always knew I wanted to fight
• 27:28
  at least, you know, give it a go and
• 27:29
  kind of see how things worked out and
• 27:31
  then obviously you you take the first
• 27:33
  amateur fight, it goes well and then uh
• 27:35
  it's, you know, you're hooked from
• 27:36
  there, right? So,
• 27:38
  >> just uh incrementally kind of chipped
• 27:40
  away and uh and now we're here. So,
• 27:44
  I'm going to ask you a question I really
• 27:46
  like asking to fighters because I find
• 27:47
  their answers are varied and always very
• 27:49
  interesting. I'm wondering as you
• 27:51
  progress through your training and your
• 27:53
  fighting, was there any point in time or
• 27:55
  was there a certain event that happened
• 27:57
  that let you know, look yourself in the
• 27:58
  mirror and tell yourself, hey, I'm
• 28:00
  actually good at this and I can give
• 28:01
  this a shot.
• 28:04
  I think it's like a mix of just
• 28:07
  consistent training and then obviously
• 28:09
  being successful in the cage and you
• 28:11
  know showing up when it matters the
• 28:12
  most. To pinpoint one specific one, it's
• 28:16
  hard to say. I mean like when I finished
• 28:19
  my third amateur fight, I was 3 and0
• 28:21
  finishes and I was like, "Okay, I had a
• 28:23
  TKO, I had a couple submissions, so I'm
• 28:25
  like, "Okay, I can get it done both
• 28:27
  ways. I'm getting in there. I'm feeling
• 28:29
  more comfortable with each one." um
• 28:32
  taking a little tougher fights each
• 28:33
  time. So, I I think maybe making the the
• 28:36
  switch from amateur to pro, I'm like,
• 28:38
  "Okay, I'm really going to take a a
• 28:39
  healthy stab at this and I really want
• 28:41
  to see how far I can kind of take this."
• 28:43
  And then, um obviously as I progressed
• 28:45
  the pro ranks, um
• 28:48
  had different fights,
• 28:50
  um lost even a split decision. I was
• 28:52
  able to go the distance, had a you know,
• 28:54
  kind of a grueling fight and a a good
• 28:56
  lesson learned early on in my career.
• 28:58
  And then I think as I like progress
• 29:00
  through my career going up to Niagara
• 29:02
  Top Team training with guys, you know,
• 29:04
  like Malot and AJ and, you know, that
• 29:07
  super deep room up there and, you know,
• 29:09
  hanging in with those guys and being
• 29:11
  like, "Okay, so this is, you know, some
• 29:12
  of the most elite athletes in the
• 29:14
  country and best MMA athletes come out
• 29:16
  of Canada and I'm, you know, I'm hanging
• 29:17
  in and I'm, you know, having my having
• 29:19
  my moments." So, I think that's kind of
• 29:21
  a tell as well. And then the rest is
• 29:23
  just putting in the putting in the time,
• 29:24
  man. Not taking shortcuts, not cheating
• 29:26
  myself. Um, and just, you know, being
• 29:29
  about it. This is really something that,
• 29:30
  you know, you're either all the way in
• 29:32
  or all the way out. So,
• 29:33
  >> yeah, I think it's just a culmination of
• 29:35
  a lot of things. If I had to shorten the
• 29:36
  answer up.
• 29:37
  >> Yep. So, I don't know if they've
• 29:39
  expressed it too directly, but the the
• 29:41
  the Niagara Top Team guys all tell me
• 29:43
  that you fit in really well and that
• 29:44
  you're a you're a good you're a good
• 29:46
  trainer. And in a in a room like that
• 29:48
  where they're all so skilled and the the
• 29:51
  number one component of their success
• 29:53
  according to them is is hard work to
• 29:55
  have somebody come in and they feel like
• 29:57
  you're a part of it. That's a good sign
• 29:58
  for you I think.
• 30:00
  >> Yeah. I mean I can't say enough about
• 30:02
  going up there. It's been like I mean I
• 30:05
  think I first went up in April 2024 and
• 30:07
  I just like I said I just got back
• 30:09
  Sunday and I want to say that was trip
• 30:11
  number nine up there um over two years.
• 30:14
  So I've spent probably like four or five
• 30:16
  months of the last um you know 20ome
• 30:19
  months up there honestly. So it's been a
• 30:22
  lot of back and forth and yeah man it's
• 30:24
  just been uh it's been awesome. It's
• 30:26
  been a huge element of my growth and my
• 30:29
  uh development as a fighter and uh like
• 30:31
  I said above just the uh the things I
• 30:34
  pick up on the mats it's just you know
• 30:35
  the friendships I built with everyone in
• 30:37
  there off the mats as well. We you know
• 30:39
  we're always hanging out and
• 30:41
  >> and doing stuff. We'll go out for a
• 30:43
  round of golf or go for a walk, grab
• 30:45
  dinner, lunch, stuff like that, right?
• 30:46
  So, you know, it's more than just
• 30:48
  showing up to train. It's funny, me and
• 30:49
  Pricket were just talking about this,
• 30:51
  too. It's like how important it is to,
• 30:53
  you know, enjoy the people you're
• 30:55
  training with and spending, you know,
• 30:56
  day in day out with. We were up there
• 30:58
  training twice a day, right? So, it
• 30:59
  makes it so much easier to, you know,
• 31:01
  get up and be like, "Hey, I want to go
• 31:02
  to the gym today because I'm going to
• 31:04
  hang out with friends and people I enjoy
• 31:05
  being around." And the atmosphere is so
• 31:07
  great and everyone's helping everyone.
• 31:08
  So obviously that um definitely adds to
• 31:11
  to it for sure. So
• 31:13
  >> yeah, now you're in a very similar
• 31:15
  situation to a lot of regional fighters,
• 31:17
  not even just in Canada, but everywhere
• 31:19
  in that you have to balance your fight
• 31:21
  career with an actual career that pays
• 31:23
  the bills and and brings you income. How
• 31:25
  are you able to balance working for the
• 31:27
  government and also putting in as much
• 31:29
  time and effort as you need to to travel
• 31:31
  and to hit the gym twice a day?
• 31:34
  >> Yeah, it's certainly uh it's a balance
• 31:36
  for sure. I mean, um, like I said, I've
• 31:40
  done it enough times now over the last
• 31:41
  couple years that I'm finally, you know,
• 31:44
  known knowing how to, uh, kind of juggle
• 31:47
  everything. And sometimes, you know, you
• 31:49
  got to take the foot off the gas and
• 31:50
  focus on one thing rather than another.
• 31:53
  Um, but usually it's the it's the
• 31:55
  training that takes top priority every
• 31:57
  time. So, I'm lucky I'm in a position
• 31:59
  where I can work remotely at times and
• 32:02
  it's flexible and things like that. And
• 32:04
  mind you, I'm not, you know, out digging
• 32:06
  ditches or, you know, roofing a house.
• 32:08
  You know, I have a more relaxed job
• 32:10
  where I can at least recover somewhat. I
• 32:12
  mean, you're still working. It's still
• 32:14
  mentally, you know, you still have to.
• 32:16
  So, it can be draining sometimes, but
• 32:18
  >> it's just part of it, man. At least I'm
• 32:20
  in a position where, you know, I have
• 32:21
  the flexibility to be able to rip travel
• 32:24
  up there and and uh and train and, you
• 32:26
  know, rent a car and book flights and
• 32:28
  things like that. So, I'm very blessed
• 32:30
  in that sense. And uh I just pour all
• 32:33
  my, you know, effort and heart and soul
• 32:35
  into into fighting. So I kind of tell
• 32:38
  people it's like it funds my fighting
• 32:39
  career in a way. So
• 32:41
  >> we'll keep that one maybe off the
• 32:43
  record.
• 32:44
  >> Yeah, I feel the same way with my job. I
• 32:45
  mean, my job pays the bills and lets me
• 32:47
  go to fights and do things like that. So
• 32:48
  I'm I'm very grateful for it.
• 32:50
  >> All right, let's move on to this
• 32:52
  weekend. You're fighting at FLA 25.
• 32:54
  You're fighting a Mexican fighter named
• 32:55
  Luis Guerrero. Mhm.
• 32:57
  >> Now, his name literally means Guerrero
• 32:59
  is warrior and he has actually been some
• 33:01
  really good wars in Canada and he's
• 33:03
  found some success, had some wins.
• 33:05
  >> When you heard his name, he was actually
• 33:07
  at the second opponent, I think, for
• 33:08
  you.
• 33:08
  >> Yeah.
• 33:09
  >> Um, what did you think about him and
• 33:10
  what did you know about him?
• 33:13
  >> I didn't know a ton. I remember I'd
• 33:15
  watched uh his fight with Imperado on
• 33:18
  Unified there. I think it was last year
• 33:20
  somewhat. It was kind of a war like the
• 33:22
  guys kind of threw caution to the win
• 33:24
  and just really got after it there. So,
• 33:25
  I was impressed with uh I knew he was a
• 33:28
  highf flyier. He's coming to win. He's
• 33:29
  coming to throw down. So, he uh I know
• 33:32
  he's accustomed to putting on exciting
• 33:34
  fights, much like myself. So, I think uh
• 33:37
  that's going to bode well for the fans
• 33:39
  for sure. I think it's going to be an
• 33:40
  exciting one. Um other than that, didn't
• 33:42
  know a ton about him. Like you had
• 33:44
  mentioned, I kind of went through a
• 33:45
  couple opponents for this card, so this
• 33:47
  was a shorter notice um exception from
• 33:50
  from his end. So, he took it kind of
• 33:53
  shorter notice. So, I was really
• 33:54
  thankful for him for stepping up, coming
• 33:56
  up a weight class, and uh, you know,
• 33:59
  just being, like you said, a warrior,
• 34:00
  right? He's he's taking it on short
• 34:02
  notice. He's moving up, so kudos to him.
• 34:04
  But, uh, my uh, my plan is to go in
• 34:07
  there and get my belt.
• 34:09
  >> Nice. You mentioned you're fighting for
• 34:11
  a belt. That's got to be exciting. Um,
• 34:13
  it's always nice to have that kind of
• 34:14
  resume, uh, or little title of a
• 34:17
  champion on your resume. It just, it
• 34:18
  bodess well for the rest of your career.
• 34:20
  I'm wondering for anybody who's never
• 34:23
  seen you fight before, take a moment and
• 34:24
  just describe your fight style. What can
• 34:26
  fans expect to see when Cam Nelson steps
• 34:28
  into a cage?
• 34:30
  >> I would say it's kind of uh it's evolved
• 34:34
  over the years for sure. I used to kind
• 34:36
  of be an all gas, no breaks kind of guy.
• 34:38
  Um obviously, you know, that's your
• 34:41
  young and naive kind of u mindset a
• 34:45
  little bit. But I think I was a little,
• 34:46
  you know,
• 34:48
  overconfident or overzealous in my
• 34:50
  amateur fights. I would kind of just
• 34:52
  walk guys down and say, I'm just going
• 34:54
  to melt right through this guy. But
• 34:55
  obviously, as you progress through the
• 34:57
  ranks, you meet uh some adversity and
• 34:59
  some tests.
• 35:00
  >> But I think I definitely still have that
• 35:02
  element to my game. It's just much more
• 35:04
  polished and I like to pick my spots a
• 35:06
  little more. But um very much so going
• 35:09
  to move forward, going to mix it up. Um
• 35:12
  I'm not a one-dimensional grappler or a
• 35:14
  striker. I will do everything on the
• 35:16
  feet or on the ground. Um, and I just
• 35:18
  try to take what presents itself to me.
• 35:20
  Um, that's one thing I've come to learn
• 35:22
  over the, you know, my set seven pro
• 35:24
  fights so far in amateur career. It's,
• 35:26
  um, calm is king in there. So, get in
• 35:29
  there, trust your reflexes, trust your
• 35:30
  eyes, stay on the bike, move around,
• 35:32
  and, uh, just kind of take what's given
• 35:34
  to you. And um if a brawl is forced, I'm
• 35:38
  ready to, you know, meet it, but it's
• 35:40
  going to be calculated and it's uh going
• 35:42
  to be on my terms.
• 35:44
  >> So, uh but you can definitely expect I'm
• 35:46
  always going to be looking for the
• 35:47
  finish and uh looking to make it
• 35:49
  exciting for the fans for sure.
• 35:51
  >> I know a lot of fighters practice
• 35:53
  visualization and they think about their
• 35:55
  fight and they plan what they're going
• 35:56
  to do and they take a look at tape of
• 35:58
  their opponent. Let's fast forward a
• 36:00
  moment. It's the morning after your
• 36:01
  fight. You wake up the next morning or
• 36:04
  maybe you're still up all night. I don't
• 36:05
  know. Regardless, the next day you're
• 36:08
  reflecting on the fight the night
• 36:09
  before. It ends with your arm raising
• 36:11
  victory. What did you have to do in that
• 36:14
  fight? How do you see that fight
• 36:15
  unfolding? And what does what does a
• 36:17
  perfect fight look like to you?
• 36:20
  >> I think a perfect fight um I mean it's
• 36:23
  hard to really encapsulate exactly what
• 36:26
  I would want it to be, but um just I get
• 36:29
  in there and perform. I trust uh my
• 36:32
  abilities. I trust my training. And I'm
• 36:34
  just free in there. And uh I don't force
• 36:36
  anything. I don't um force exchanges. I
• 36:40
  don't force takedowns. I just let it
• 36:41
  materialize and I take what's given. Um
• 36:44
  I set traps that he walks into. I stay
• 36:47
  at my range. I engage on my terms and uh
• 36:51
  I get my hand raised, whether that be by
• 36:53
  knockout, submission, or decision,
• 36:55
  whatever it's got to be. Like I said,
• 36:56
  I'm always hunting for the finish. But,
• 36:58
  uh, if it's got to be a a five round
• 37:00
  decision that I got to grind out and
• 37:02
  make it slimy, then so be it. But, uh,
• 37:05
  I'm hunting I'm hunting for the the KO
• 37:07
  submission. So,
• 37:09
  >> nice.
• 37:10
  >> Yeah.
• 37:10
  >> Okay. I always like finishing interviews
• 37:12
  with this question. Is there anything
• 37:14
  that you think we should have talked
• 37:15
  about that I didn't ask you?
• 37:18
  >> Um, we stayed fairly fight related, I
• 37:20
  think, Andy, but yeah, nothing off the
• 37:22
  top of my head. Uh me and you, like you
• 37:24
  said, we've chatted outside the uh the
• 37:26
  uh arenas and the fights before you were
• 37:28
  down at FLA in April there. It was great
• 37:29
  to catch up.
• 37:31
  >> Um I got a few questions for you, I
• 37:33
  think, next time regarding your, you
• 37:34
  know, ex-military career. Like I said, I
• 37:36
  I work with veterans on the daily basis.
• 37:38
  So
• 37:38
  >> maybe that will be more for uh one for
• 37:40
  me and you when you come back to the
• 37:42
  Maritimes, we'll uh we'll hit up a nice
• 37:44
  restaurant or something and chat about
• 37:45
  that. But uh nothing off the top of my
• 37:48
  head, man. Just want to thank you for
• 37:49
  the time and uh thank you for uh the
• 37:51
  exposure leading up to this this fight
• 37:53
  for me and uh yeah all already on this
• 37:55
  side of things. So ready to go.
• 37:57
  >> Hey. Yeah, it's my pleasure and I'd love
• 37:59
  to sit down have some food with you
• 38:00
  either in Maritimes or next time you're
• 38:02
  in Niagara. I know I've always missed
• 38:04
  you every time cuz I live right there.
• 38:06
  >> But uh yeah, it it'll happen for sure.
• 38:08
  Regardless, I want to say Cam, best of
• 38:10
  luck this weekend. I hope you have a
• 38:11
  great fight. I hope you form you perform
• 38:13
  to the utmost of your abilities and uh
• 38:16
  we see you emerge as a champion. So,
• 38:17
  thanks for your time.
• 38:19
  >> Appreciate it, Andy. As always, be
• 38:20
  chatting,
• 38:22
  >> Ashton. It's nice to speak with you. How
• 38:23
  you doing today?
• 38:24
  >> I'm doing great, man. How about
• 38:26
  yourself?
• 38:27
  >> I couldn't be better. I'm living the
• 38:28
  dream. Thanks for asking.
• 38:29
  >> Perfect.
• 38:31
  >> So, let's because you're a basically a
• 38:33
  brand new fighter. You're an amateur
• 38:35
  fighter with a 5-1 record out of
• 38:36
  Ontario. Please take a moment. Please
• 38:39
  just take a moment, introduce yourself,
• 38:40
  say your name, who you are, where you're
• 38:42
  from, and how you got involved in combat
• 38:43
  sports.
• 38:45
  >> Okay. Yeah, this this is a big story
• 38:47
  actually, man. Freaking um you know,
• 38:50
  I've uh I've always known I could do it.
• 38:52
  I've always wanted to get involved into
• 38:54
  martial arts because uh because to be
• 38:57
  honest, I've watched all these UFC
• 38:59
  fighters do it and I'm like, man, why
• 39:00
  can't I do that? You know, I'm
• 39:02
  disciplined. I have uh traumatic uh
• 39:05
  freaking Oh my god, I can't speak. Uh I
• 39:08
  have a very good body, man. And I feel
• 39:10
  like I I'm more physically fit than most
• 39:13
  people. You know, like uh I knew if I
• 39:15
  worked towards it that I'd be able to uh
• 39:18
  you know, become a pro athlete no matter
• 39:20
  what sport I chose to do. You know, I
• 39:23
  like soccer, I liked hockey, but I
• 39:25
  really really liked watching UFC. And I
• 39:27
  was really like, man, these guys are
• 39:29
  making good money. You know, you look
• 39:31
  badass. You know, you get to you get to
• 39:33
  kick, punch, submit. It's it's just it's
• 39:36
  the total package. You know what I mean?
• 39:37
  I see all these people in North Bay
• 39:40
  where I came from, uh, small town, you
• 39:42
  know, watching the UFC and I'm like,
• 39:44
  man, one day I'll be up there and
• 39:46
  they'll all be watching me, you know,
• 39:48
  it'll just it just that's that's what
• 39:50
  went through my head leading up to my
• 39:52
  martial arts career.
• 39:54
  >> Yep. It's interesting. I asked that
• 39:56
  question often and I think you just gave
• 39:58
  me the most honest to god honest answer
• 40:00
  I've ever heard because it looks badass.
• 40:02
  >> Yeah. Yeah, man.
• 40:03
  >> It's true. It's true. It's true. That's
• 40:05
  a lot of people get into it that way.
• 40:07
  No, there's no there's definitely no
• 40:08
  plan B. You know, I've devoted so much
• 40:10
  to this sport, you know. I moved away
• 40:12
  from home, you know, freaking uh you
• 40:15
  know, I come from a different life than
• 40:18
  most, you know, it's it's not uh no no
• 40:20
  silver spoon, you know, like I didn't
• 40:22
  choose to become a fighter because, you
• 40:24
  know, I did it because I thought I could
• 40:26
  do it. I wanted to do it. I am doing it.
• 40:29
  And uh you know, I'm I'm I'm so excited
• 40:32
  to go pro. I'm really really hopeful
• 40:34
  after this, maybe one or two more, that
• 40:37
  I'll be able to get that pro debut.
• 40:40
  >> So, you've got six fights under your
• 40:41
  belt so far. You were fighting this
• 40:43
  weekend at at BTC in the finals of your
• 40:45
  of your tournament.
• 40:46
  >> Yeah.
• 40:47
  >> Um, so is that what you're saying? Like
• 40:48
  after this fight, you're going to be
• 40:50
  going pro.
• 40:51
  >> Um, after this fight or one or two more?
• 40:54
  Yeah, for sure. You know, like uh
• 40:56
  >> you know, maybe I defend the title. you
• 40:58
  know, uh it'd be nice to have one to
• 41:00
  hang at home and then one to hang at the
• 41:02
  gym,
• 41:03
  >> you know what I mean? So, two titles
• 41:05
  would be great. Um but yeah, uh all in
• 41:09
  all, the end game is UFC. You know, the
• 41:11
  end game is pro as soon as possible. You
• 41:13
  know, I'm young. Uh you know, injuries
• 41:16
  heal quick. You know, I could I can
• 41:18
  really make that push to uh to get where
• 41:21
  I need to be. And I know where I need to
• 41:23
  be and I know where I want to be before
• 41:25
  like 25. You know, I'm 21 now. before
• 41:27
  I'm 25, you know. I really, really,
• 41:30
  really want to make it to that UFC um
• 41:33
  level, you know.
• 41:35
  >> Well, man, you're to me it seems like
• 41:37
  you're sitting pretty, right? You've
• 41:38
  already had got really good amateur
• 41:39
  career. You could go pro right away, but
• 41:42
  really there's no rush these days.
• 41:43
  Amateurs, it's a fighter market for
• 41:45
  amateur fighters in Ontario right now.
• 41:47
  >> There's so many promotions seeking
• 41:48
  fighters and they they just can't fill
• 41:50
  the fill their rosters fast enough. So,
• 41:52
  you could fight as much as you want, as
• 41:54
  long as it's something that you you plan
• 41:56
  for with your coaches and teammates and
• 41:58
  all that kind of stuff.
• 41:59
  >> Yeah, man. Listen, if this this fight
• 42:01
  goes as easy as as good as I wanted to,
• 42:04
  you know, if it goes as smooth as I
• 42:06
  wanted to, you know, and I don't uh
• 42:08
  substain a lot of damage and I get her
• 42:10
  done quick like I like I'm known to do
• 42:12
  in a lot of my earlier fights, you know,
• 42:14
  I have a really good game plan for this
• 42:16
  guy and uh I feel like I'm going to play
• 42:18
  it out. Uh, you know, I've I I feel
• 42:22
  really confident in my ability to take a
• 42:24
  fight within the next little bit, one
• 42:26
  more amateur, you know, before going pro
• 42:28
  if this fight goes smoothly.
• 42:31
  >> I've seen you fight a handful of times,
• 42:32
  I I think at least one in person at a
• 42:34
  Thick Boy Fight Club. Talk about your
• 42:36
  fight style. If when fans watch you
• 42:38
  fight inside the cage for the first
• 42:39
  time, what can they expect to see from
• 42:40
  Ashton Dutra?
• 42:41
  >> Well, to to be honest with you, man,
• 42:43
  freaking um here in MMA, I think I mix
• 42:47
  it up very well. I think um you know I
• 42:50
  have quite a few kickboxing fights under
• 42:53
  my resume. You know I've done a lot of
• 42:55
  kickboxing fights. Um, I've done a lot
• 42:58
  of smokers and uh, you know, now I'm uh,
• 43:02
  now I've transferred over to MMA and I
• 43:04
  think it just mixes in so well because
• 43:06
  I'm in a really good place with with
• 43:09
  Mitch, with Professor Richard Nun, um,
• 43:11
  with all these guys, you know, to build
• 43:13
  such a good strong ground game, you
• 43:15
  know, a really good submission game, a
• 43:18
  really good wrestling game, really good
• 43:19
  takedown defense. Um, but I really
• 43:22
  noticed that I haven't really got to
• 43:24
  showcase any of the striking in my last
• 43:27
  few fights. You know, like everybody I
• 43:29
  go against, they're either, you know, I
• 43:31
  I remember early in my career, there was
• 43:33
  this guy named Garrett. You know, I knew
• 43:35
  he was a striker. So, why am I going to
• 43:37
  strike with a guy who's a deadly
• 43:39
  striker, you know, a dangerous striker.
• 43:41
  I wouldn't say deadly. We're not pro
• 43:42
  yet, but a dangerous striker. So, I
• 43:45
  mixed in the takedown right away. You
• 43:47
  know, I wanted that to be known. and I I
• 43:49
  was able to put him away in under a
• 43:51
  minute, you know.
• 43:52
  >> Mhm.
• 43:53
  >> So, I look forward to hopefully show
• 43:55
  like the mixed martial arts, you know. I
• 43:57
  look forward to show that I'm a really
• 43:59
  good striker and uh show that I can mix
• 44:02
  up the takedowns with the striking, you
• 44:04
  know, cuz like the other fights, they've
• 44:06
  all been pretty grappling orientated.
• 44:10
  >> Yeah, that's the 100% the George St.
• 44:12
  Pierre attitude towards fighting. like
• 44:13
  he was very cerebral going into his
• 44:15
  fights, game planning, analyzing his
• 44:17
  opponent's strengths and weaknesses and
• 44:19
  tailoring his attack plan to suit that
• 44:22
  opponent. So, yeah. So, speaking about
• 44:24
  that, your your opponent this weekend,
• 44:25
  what do you know about him?
• 44:27
  >> I know he's a heavy-handed southpaw. I
• 44:29
  know he has a good takedown defense. Uh
• 44:32
  I know he is no uh no slouch when it
• 44:35
  comes to the striking. Um, I know that,
• 44:39
  uh, you know, he's, uh, you know, I
• 44:42
  didn't really see much of his grappling,
• 44:43
  but I definitely know that he wouldn't
• 44:45
  be fighting for a title if he didn't
• 44:46
  have some grappling.
• 44:48
  >> Um, I look forward to striking with him.
• 44:50
  I know he's a southpaw, so I know that I
• 44:52
  have to keep moving the one way and
• 44:54
  mixing moving the other. You know, you
• 44:56
  got to watch the power side, but you
• 44:58
  also want to lead toward the lead side,
• 45:00
  but you don't want to become too
• 45:01
  predictable and walk into something.
• 45:04
  >> Yeah. So, I'm feeling pretty confident
• 45:06
  there. You know, I've I've watched quite
• 45:08
  a few t tapes on him there, and I'm
• 45:10
  feeling I'm feeling like I built a
• 45:12
  really good game plan around it.
• 45:14
  >> Nice. Now, you've already mentioned
• 45:16
  you've already mentioned Mitch, that's
• 45:18
  your coach, Mitch Gong, former UFC
• 45:19
  fighter, and Richard Nu. Uh, the monkey
• 45:22
  is a very renowned uh fighter in Canada.
• 45:25
  >> Talk about them as your coaches and talk
• 45:27
  about the training environment where you
• 45:28
  train and what a a training week looks
• 45:30
  like to you.
• 45:32
  Um, to be honest, man, I get there, I
• 45:34
  get in, you know, we got uh uh I've
• 45:38
  actually took on a couple coaching uh
• 45:40
  mantles now. You know, I teach kids
• 45:41
  class and sometimes I teach uh beginners
• 45:44
  kickboxing. So, uh you know, like there
• 45:46
  and there, you know, I'm enjoying
• 45:48
  coaching, but then when we switch over
• 45:50
  to my training, you know, I come in
• 45:52
  Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and these are
• 45:56
  all our MMA days. These are all like
• 45:58
  you're you're getting wall wrestled. uh
• 46:00
  you know ca cage wrestling freaking
• 46:03
  we're working our takedowns, we're
• 46:04
  working our sprawls, we're working
• 46:06
  getting back up, we're working front
• 46:07
  headlock, we're working a couple
• 46:09
  submissions, we're going live, you know,
• 46:11
  and then right after that we have a
• 46:13
  kickboxing class and then uh yeah, and
• 46:16
  then it goes through like simple simple
• 46:18
  head movement drills, simple one, twos,
• 46:20
  you know, not overthinking stuff, you
• 46:22
  know.
• 46:24
  >> That's good.
• 46:25
  just getting wellrounded, you know,
• 46:28
  >> and that that's a smart attitude because
• 46:30
  uh you know, as good as you are already,
• 46:32
  let's keep in mind you are an amateur
• 46:33
  and and as an amateur, this is this is
• 46:36
  designed for you to develop your skills
• 46:38
  with lower low risk yourself to the
• 46:41
  fight, right? Like even if you lose a
• 46:43
  fight, it's it's sure it sucks, but it's
• 46:45
  not the end of the world. And it's
• 46:46
  better to lose a fight as an amateur as
• 46:48
  long as you learn something from it and
• 46:49
  you get better than it would be to lose
• 46:51
  as a professional.
• 46:53
  >> Oh, yeah. It's still still still so so
• 46:55
  bitter though. Like it don't it doesn't
• 46:57
  matter if there's a paycheck on the line
• 46:59
  or not, you know? That's just the
• 47:01
  competitiveness in me, you know, like
• 47:03
  playing sports my whole life. Just that
• 47:05
  want to not to lose, man. You know, just
• 47:08
  it's not uh it's not even in my head. I
• 47:10
  don't even like to think of ways, you
• 47:12
  know, or what what plan B is after I
• 47:15
  lose that, you know? There's there's no
• 47:17
  plan B, you know. You're you're winning.
• 47:19
  That's that's the mentality that I have
• 47:21
  going into every fight I do. you know,
• 47:22
  where you're going to win no matter
• 47:23
  what. Either you're going to knock them
• 47:25
  out, you're going to sub them, you're
• 47:27
  you're going to win a boring fight,
• 47:28
  you're going to hold them down and just,
• 47:30
  you know, do your thing. You know,
• 47:31
  threaten a couple submissions, but
• 47:33
  you're going to win. You know what I
• 47:34
  mean?
• 47:35
  >> Yeah.
• 47:35
  >> Yeah. You know,
• 47:37
  >> how long?
• 47:38
  >> Sorry. You go.
• 47:39
  >> No, I'm How long have you been training
• 47:40
  now, Ashton?
• 47:42
  >> Um, where with Mitch or with
• 47:44
  >> just in general training any type of
• 47:47
  sports?
• 47:48
  >> Five years now, I think. Four years.
• 47:50
  >> Started when I was 16. Yeah. So, five
• 47:52
  years.
• 47:54
  >> Nice. And then what? You you made the
• 47:56
  move to Sbury.
• 47:58
  >> Yeah.
• 47:59
  >> And how long ago was that to train with
• 48:00
  Mitch?
• 48:01
  >> Uh, two years ago.
• 48:03
  >> Nice. And I'm guessing you found it's
• 48:05
  it's paying off dividends.
• 48:07
  >> Man, the the the knowhow of the sport
• 48:10
  that he has is uh it's truly uh truly
• 48:13
  something to behold, man. Like, there's
• 48:15
  no uh there's no coach that I've seen so
• 48:18
  far, you know? It's just it's him being
• 48:20
  at the top of the top, you know, being
• 48:22
  able to get there and do his thing, you
• 48:24
  know, in the UFC. You know, he knows
• 48:26
  what it takes, you know, it takes proper
• 48:28
  diet, it takes discipline, no partying,
• 48:32
  you know, all things that I do very
• 48:34
  well, you know, like, and I'm getting to
• 48:36
  train it more and more as an amateur,
• 48:39
  you know, and I'm looking forward to
• 48:40
  doing it as a pro.
• 48:43
  >> That's exciting.
• 48:44
  >> Yeah.
• 48:45
  >> So, let's talk about the BTC tournament.
• 48:46
  This is the finals. Uh
• 48:48
  >> yeah,
• 48:49
  >> at the start of it, did you go into this
• 48:51
  knowing that there'd be, you know, it's
• 48:53
  a ch any fight's a challenge, but having
• 48:54
  to win like three fights to win
• 48:56
  something, it's it's even more of a a
• 48:58
  stressor, I'm guessing. Is that
• 48:59
  something that ever concerned you or
• 49:00
  were you confident from the start?
• 49:02
  >> No, man. To be honest, as far as I'm
• 49:04
  looking at it, I'm already the champion.
• 49:06
  You know, like that's just we were all
• 49:09
  the number one contender. You know, me
• 49:10
  and this gentleman are the champion and
• 49:12
  now we are going to face off and one of
• 49:15
  us will walk away with the belt. you
• 49:17
  know, like at the end of the day, the
• 49:19
  kid that I just beat, I think his name
• 49:21
  is Callum, Callum Ryder, he uh he, you
• 49:24
  know, was a lot of people had hype
• 49:26
  behind him. And uh, you know, I I was
• 49:29
  able to, you know, at the and this this
• 49:32
  is this is me saying like I think that
• 49:34
  this is one of the top it was one of the
• 49:36
  this bracket is one of the top amateur
• 49:38
  fights in Ontario right now. Mhm.
• 49:40
  >> You know, I like to think that Matthew
• 49:42
  Zion, you know, and Kenneth Dunvart and
• 49:44
  the other two that were in the other
• 49:46
  bracket, they were at the top of their
• 49:48
  game, too. You know, Matthew Zion
• 49:50
  already having a belt. Kenneth Dunvarton
• 49:52
  having like, I don't know, 15 fights or
• 49:54
  something like that, you know, from
• 49:55
  America here, you know, and then the
• 49:58
  Callum Ryder that I just fought, you
• 49:59
  know, very good jiu-jitsu, you know,
• 50:01
  coming from a UFC gym such as myself,
• 50:04
  >> you know, I feel like we couldn't have
• 50:05
  matched that up better.
• 50:08
  >> That's exciting. Well, Uh, I
• 50:10
  unfortunately I won't be able to attend
• 50:12
  your fight, but I'm going to wish you
• 50:13
  the best of luck. I hope you're uh fully
• 50:15
  prepared and you're you show up as your
• 50:17
  best self that night. And before we get
• 50:19
  going, I'm just wondering if there's
• 50:20
  anything you think we should have talked
• 50:22
  about that I didn't ask you.
• 50:24
  >> Uh, no, man. I think you covered all the
• 50:26
  bases, dude. Um, I just uh I just I'm
• 50:29
  ready to go, man. I'm super super
• 50:31
  excited to get my title. I've put in so
• 50:34
  much work and uh I'm ready to go.
• 50:37
  >> All right, Ashton, thanks for your time,
• 50:39
  man. and I wish you the best of luck and
• 50:40
  I will see you someday.
• 50:42
  >> Yes, sir. You'll see me pro.
• 50:44
  >> There you go, fight friends. Ashton
• 50:45
  Dutra fighting at BTC 37 this weekend.
• 50:49
  >> Thank you,
• 50:53
  >> Boommy. It's good to see you. I saw you
• 50:55
  last night when I was talking with
• 50:56
  Abdell just in the background for like
• 50:58
  30 seconds, but uh now it's it's time
• 51:00
  for us to chat for a bit. How are you
• 51:02
  doing, man?
• 51:03
  >> I'm fine, thanks. Yeah, I'm good. Just
• 51:04
  uh training and trying to get better
• 51:06
  every day. You know what I mean? Yeah,
• 51:07
  just uh getting after it.
• 51:10
  >> I do know what you mean. Okay, so as you
• 51:12
  know cuz you watch my channel, I like
• 51:14
  interviewing all sorts of fighters. I
• 51:15
  interview UFC fighters. I interview
• 51:17
  fighters who have a lot of experience.
• 51:19
  Plus, I also interview amateur fighters
• 51:21
  and professional fighters who are on the
• 51:23
  on the who are coming up or just getting
• 51:25
  started and that's the category that you
• 51:27
  fall in. You had a really good amateur
• 51:29
  career. You now want to know as a
• 51:30
  professional. Would you mind just taking
• 51:32
  a minute introducing yourself? Say your
• 51:34
  name, say who you are, say where you're
• 51:35
  from and how you got involved in combat
• 51:38
  sports.
• 51:39
  >> So, my name is Bumi Loganathan. I'm uh
• 51:41
  originally from Ottawa. Like I was born
• 51:43
  in Toronto, grew up in Montreal and then
• 51:46
  uh we moved to like Ottawa at like in
• 51:48
  middle school and uh I started I started
• 51:51
  off doing like Japanese jiu-jitsu and um
• 51:55
  like I at that gym they had like
• 51:56
  Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing and
• 51:59
  like uh like I I always knew I wanted to
• 52:01
  do MMA. So, like in high school, I
• 52:03
  started doing jiu-jitsu and competing in
• 52:04
  jiu-jitsu. And then like uh I did a
• 52:07
  bunch of jiu-jitsu like uh like right
• 52:09
  before school uh school was over. And
• 52:12
  then um I had my first amateur fight
• 52:14
  like a week after I graduated high
• 52:16
  school. And then just uh kind of like
• 52:19
  competed a bunch after that. And then I
• 52:22
  uh I lost my third amateur fight. And
• 52:25
  like uh before that I'd go every like
• 52:27
  every week to fight factory and train
• 52:29
  there. Mhm.
• 52:30
  >> And like I lost at fight like uh pretty
• 52:32
  badly in the first round and I kind of
• 52:35
  knew like I had to like uh change stuff
• 52:37
  up. So I went to Fight Factory after
• 52:39
  that and then yeah like I was in Ottawa.
• 52:42
  I competed at Fight with Fight Factory
• 52:44
  for I think two years and then now I'm
• 52:46
  in Halifax uh training at Tower One with
• 52:49
  Gavin and the crew.
• 52:51
  >> Yep. Talk about You mentioned Fight
• 52:53
  Factory. That's of course 613 Fight
• 52:55
  Factory with crew Jeff Harrison. Really
• 52:57
  well respected. uh especially in the Mu
• 53:00
  Thai community, but also in the MMA
• 53:01
  community. Muay Thai is his roots, but
• 53:03
  he's a really well-rounded, good MMA
• 53:05
  coach.
• 53:06
  >> Talk about the importance of having a
• 53:08
  good team around you. First with 613 and
• 53:10
  now with Tower 1.
• 53:13
  >> Honestly, it's like a world of
• 53:14
  difference. like you can see like um
• 53:16
  like guys that have experience and guys
• 53:18
  who have been there before like in both
• 53:20
  uh winning and losing positions and to
• 53:22
  like know how to rebuild someone and
• 53:24
  also like uh how to like um you know uh
• 53:27
  mold like a a good fighter like uh you
• 53:30
  see it in uh at Fight Factory and then
• 53:32
  also here at Tower One like uh yeah it's
• 53:35
  uh it's it's it's really cool to see
• 53:37
  like um and like uh have like different
• 53:40
  coaches bring out different
• 53:41
  personalities in fighting like uh when
• 53:44
  people fight like they uh it shows their
• 53:46
  like it shows kind of who they are and
• 53:48
  like uh like the different styles and
• 53:51
  stuff and it's like um like it's really
• 53:53
  cool to see like uh like guys like Gavin
• 53:55
  and Jeff uh bring out like uh they care
• 53:59
  like different aspects of of you in
• 54:02
  fighting if you know what I mean.
• 54:04
  >> Yeah, I think I do know what you mean.
• 54:06
  >> Yeah.
• 54:07
  >> Talk about fighting in general. What is
• 54:10
  it about fighting, about getting inside
• 54:11
  a cage with another human being with the
• 54:14
  intent of doing damage and potentially
• 54:16
  receiving damage yourself? What is it
• 54:18
  about that that appeals to you?
• 54:20
  I think it's like um it's like um I'm
• 54:23
  sure like a lot of people have said this
• 54:24
  before, but like it's like a high stake
• 54:27
  chess match like um and like um and it's
• 54:31
  like uh it really is all what's in your
• 54:33
  head like uh where your head's at. And
• 54:35
  like uh it's just like uh you you you
• 54:39
  all your decisions have to like not all
• 54:41
  of them have to be the right one, but
• 54:43
  the majority of the decisions you make
• 54:45
  in the in the cage have to
• 54:48
  >> be the right one for you to end up
• 54:50
  winning.
• 54:51
  >> And even the slightest mistake can cost
• 54:53
  you a fight, especially
• 54:55
  >> Yeah. as like people like as you
• 54:57
  progress and people are better and
• 54:58
  better like the people you fight like it
• 55:00
  just takes one mistake and to to you
• 55:03
  know what I mean change your night
• 55:04
  change the you know the six months after
• 55:07
  your fight you know what I mean like um
• 55:09
  and it's just like u I really like the
• 55:12
  pressure like it it um you feel like it
• 55:15
  engages you like the even like fight
• 55:17
  camp or uh leading up to the fight like
• 55:19
  it's just like I like uh I like the
• 55:21
  obsessiveness of it like um it's like
• 55:24
  it's not like it's like nothing else
• 55:25
  like nothing else can give you gives you
• 55:27
  that feeling like like walking to that
• 55:30
  cage and like seeing your opponent and
• 55:32
  seeing him look back at you and like uh
• 55:35
  hearing people, you know, seeing the the
• 55:38
  door close, hearing the referee uh like
• 55:41
  when the referee pulls you guys both in
• 55:43
  and asks you guys to touch gloves and
• 55:44
  like it's just like, you know what I
• 55:46
  mean?
• 55:46
  >> It's like the best feeling.
• 55:49
  >> Prior to fighting, were you involved in
• 55:50
  any other kind of sports?
• 55:52
  >> Uh yeah, I did. I I ran a lot. Like I I
• 55:55
  did a cross country and track and field
• 55:56
  like uh throughout high school
• 55:58
  >> and um actually one of my like uh
• 56:02
  neighbors was like an Olympic bathlon
• 56:04
  coach and uh like like he he had me do
• 56:08
  like really weird workouts but like uh I
• 56:10
  found like they really translated well
• 56:12
  like cardio-wise into
• 56:15
  >> MMA like um like I feel like I have an
• 56:18
  extra
• 56:19
  >> like a push with that and yeah so I did
• 56:22
  a lot of cross country a lot of water to
• 56:24
  track and field and uh I played a bit of
• 56:26
  basketball too.
• 56:28
  >> Mhm. I don't want to I don't want to ask
• 56:30
  you to reveal any any top secrets, but
• 56:32
  what kind of exercises did he have you
• 56:34
  do or things to do that made you that
• 56:36
  made you think that you improve your
• 56:37
  cardio? I think it was just like the uh
• 56:40
  in like um it was the like the the qual
• 56:44
  like the quantity of training like I
• 56:45
  used to run like 120 kilometers a week
• 56:48
  like through through the whole year like
• 56:50
  like through winter through like summer
• 56:52
  everything and then also like a lot of
• 56:54
  the interval training like it was like
• 56:56
  bounding up hills and like
• 56:58
  >> like weird stuff like that like it's
• 57:00
  just like unusual but I feel like it
• 57:01
  does did give me an advantage like uh
• 57:04
  like coming into like MMA like I thought
• 57:07
  like I I feel like my cardio is um like
• 57:11
  um I feel like I have a like a natural
• 57:13
  ability with cardio.
• 57:16
  >> Yeah.
• 57:17
  >> Keeping in mind that your fight style
• 57:19
  will develop and and change over the
• 57:21
  course of the years when you continue
• 57:22
  training, talk about what what kind of
• 57:26
  fighter you are now. Like if somebody's
• 57:28
  were to watch you fight for the first
• 57:29
  time,
• 57:30
  >> what would they see inside the cage? And
• 57:32
  >> and after that, talk about how you see
• 57:35
  yourself progressing in the future. like
• 57:37
  where do you where do you have to go in
• 57:38
  fighting?
• 57:40
  >> Uh yeah, it's a really good question. Um
• 57:43
  >> I feel like last time I fought was like
• 57:46
  about a year ago and um I feel like then
• 57:49
  I was a completely different fighter
• 57:50
  than I am right now. Like um I was very
• 57:53
  uh grappling heavy and like I was uh
• 57:56
  like I'm going to get this takedown and
• 57:57
  I'm going to hold you down and punch you
• 58:00
  in the face and try to choke you out.
• 58:02
  like that was like my uh objective and
• 58:04
  it was like u no matter how many
• 58:06
  takedowns, how many shots I had to take
• 58:08
  for you to to get you down, I would do
• 58:09
  that. And
• 58:11
  >> like uh I feel like over the last year
• 58:13
  it's completely changed. Like I want to
• 58:15
  be a mixed martial artist. I don't want
• 58:17
  to like obviously it's good to be
• 58:19
  specialized in one area, but I want to
• 58:21
  be able to do everything and anything to
• 58:24
  the person I'm fighting. And like uh
• 58:27
  especially over the last uh couple
• 58:29
  months like I feel like my boxing's
• 58:31
  really like improved and like I was
• 58:33
  supposed to fight June 6th so I was uh
• 58:36
  like I really wanted to put that on
• 58:37
  display but uh hopefully hopefully I'll
• 58:41
  be able to put that on display in a
• 58:43
  couple months but uh yeah I feel like a
• 58:45
  completely different fighter. I want to
• 58:47
  like I I I I want when people watch me,
• 58:51
  I want them to like um see mixed martial
• 58:53
  arts and not just uh like I want I want
• 58:56
  to be able to do everything and
• 58:58
  anything. You know what I mean?
• 58:59
  >> Yeah.
• 58:59
  >> Yeah. Well, that's the goal. That's the
• 59:00
  the goal of a mixed martial artist. You
• 59:02
  want to be uh you know, you want your
• 59:04
  skill set to be widespread.
• 59:06
  >> Yeah. Yeah.
• 59:08
  The first time I met you in person was
• 59:10
  with when you were still living in
• 59:11
  Ottawa and I met you with crew Jeff
• 59:12
  Harrison uh for your BTC fight and then
• 59:15
  I ran into you unexpectedly last month
• 59:17
  or a month two months ago in Nova Scotia
• 59:20
  and you told me that you had moved there
• 59:21
  and you're now training at Tower 1. Talk
• 59:23
  about, you know, what prompted you to
• 59:25
  make that change to move across the
• 59:26
  country. Uh to be honest, I like uh I
• 59:29
  was in Ottawa and I just like Ottawa is
• 59:31
  really busy and uh everyone's in a rush
• 59:34
  to get somewhere and like um I was just
• 59:37
  like uh like I love I love Fight
• 59:39
  Factory. I love the guys at Fight
• 59:40
  Factory. I love Jeff, Pete, Matteo,
• 59:43
  Ilia, all of those guys, Mo, but like um
• 59:47
  I was just kind of like tired of Ottawa.
• 59:49
  And it was just like uh it was like very
• 59:51
  fast-paced every like uh like I was like
• 59:54
  just not in a good like space mentally.
• 59:57
  And I was I came out to uh Tower 1 in
• 1:00:00
  September of last year just for a month.
• 1:00:03
  And I like uh I really like the guys. I
• 1:00:05
  really like uh like Jay Kelly. He's a
• 1:00:07
  another 125 or so. It was like it it was
• 1:00:09
  good to train with like a guy my size.
• 1:00:12
  Like it uh like an like it was it was
• 1:00:15
  really good. Like Jake's uh has a bit
• 1:00:18
  more uh like u he has a bit more
• 1:00:20
  experience than I do. So it was also
• 1:00:22
  good to like uh learn how like uh yeah
• 1:00:24
  like be with another 125.
• 1:00:26
  >> Sure.
• 1:00:27
  >> And then like I kind of went back went
• 1:00:29
  back to Ottawa after that month and I
• 1:00:32
  kind of just worked worked for a bit and
• 1:00:34
  I was like I'm going to just move to
• 1:00:35
  Nova Scotia. I really like the people. I
• 1:00:37
  like the environment. I like uh like
• 1:00:39
  Gavin like does like he's u he's really
• 1:00:42
  there for his fighters through and
• 1:00:44
  through. Mhm.
• 1:00:45
  >> And I I like the environment that he
• 1:00:47
  has. Like um it's like a gym, but it
• 1:00:49
  feels more of like you can hang out
• 1:00:51
  there all day. Like there's always
• 1:00:52
  people around. It's a really good
• 1:00:54
  environment. And I was like, uh yeah, I
• 1:00:56
  really want to move down here training
• 1:00:58
  with uh Gavin and Jake and all the other
• 1:01:00
  guys. Like um yeah, it's a it's a really
• 1:01:02
  good environment. And like more
• 1:01:04
  importantly, it was just nice to be out
• 1:01:06
  of Ottawa and like to be uh in Halif
• 1:01:09
  like Halifax is really nice. Dartmouth's
• 1:01:11
  really nice. Like there's a lot the
• 1:01:12
  ocean's really nice. I really like um
• 1:01:15
  it's like quiet. There's not a lot of
• 1:01:16
  there's not a lot of people like um
• 1:01:18
  Yeah, it's nice and chill.
• 1:01:20
  >> Yeah. So, of course, uh this weekend
• 1:01:23
  there's two two well there's several
• 1:01:25
  fight cards across Canada, including
• 1:01:26
  Fight League Atlantic in Dartmouth where
• 1:01:28
  you live and also one where you're
• 1:01:30
  coming to a Missaga or is it Burlington,
• 1:01:32
  I don't remember, for BTC.
• 1:01:34
  >> So, it's kind of funny how you're, you
• 1:01:36
  know, you're right in the backyard of
• 1:01:38
  one fight promotion, but you're
• 1:01:39
  traveling across the country. Um I guess
• 1:01:41
  how are you splitting up your coaches
• 1:01:42
  and your support team? Who's coming out
• 1:01:44
  with you to Ontario?
• 1:01:45
  >> Uh, well, I was supposed to fight June
• 1:01:47
  6th, but that fight got cancelled
• 1:01:49
  actually. Like um
• 1:01:50
  >> I uh like uh there was some medical
• 1:01:52
  stuff that couldn't get cleared in time.
• 1:01:55
  So like uh it it isn't going to happen.
• 1:01:57
  But like um from uh from Tower One,
• 1:02:01
  there's uh John uh Ryan, Sam, Abdell,
• 1:02:06
  and Ty fighting. And uh I think Abdell's
• 1:02:09
  fighting for the 145 belt. and like uh
• 1:02:12
  like he's going to he's going to kill
• 1:02:14
  it. Tai is making his pro debut. He's
• 1:02:16
  like he he's I think he's had like five
• 1:02:18
  or six amateur fights and like he's
• 1:02:20
  going to kill it. And then Sam is coming
• 1:02:22
  back after I think two years off and
• 1:02:25
  he's like yeah like they're all like
• 1:02:27
  just like really sharp and like um like
• 1:02:30
  you can uh like it's uh you can see like
• 1:02:32
  that they're ready like um even the way
• 1:02:34
  they they're hitting pads or their
• 1:02:36
  demeanor like it's uh it's nice. And
• 1:02:37
  then like uh in BTC there's actually
• 1:02:40
  like a couple guys that I trained with.
• 1:02:41
  Anton.
• 1:02:42
  >> Yeah.
• 1:02:42
  >> Uh Jordan uh Hammet, he's like uh he's
• 1:02:46
  like he's 18. He's uh from Fight
• 1:02:48
  Factory. He's making his pro debut. Uh
• 1:02:50
  so him and then Moyes, another guy from
• 1:02:52
  Fight Factory. So and then I have one
• 1:02:55
  more uh one more guy from Ottawa. I I
• 1:02:57
  used to train with them uh back in
• 1:02:58
  Ottawa. He own he runs his own gym. Ryan
• 1:03:01
  Hickey. He's also making his pro debut.
• 1:03:03
  So cool. There's like a there's like I I
• 1:03:05
  know I think there's like 10 people that
• 1:03:06
  I know like uh like a like personally
• 1:03:09
  and have seen them around that are
• 1:03:10
  fighting. So like uh yeah to be honest
• 1:03:13
  like I'm not fighting but I'm like I'm
• 1:03:15
  seeing all these guys that I know that
• 1:03:17
  are fighting it and makes me like happy
• 1:03:18
  for them and like I really want to see
• 1:03:20
  them all do really well and succeed and
• 1:03:22
  uh get you know get finishes in uh in
• 1:03:24
  dominant style.
• 1:03:26
  >> Oh, see this is news to me. I didn't
• 1:03:28
  realize your fight had been cancelceled.
• 1:03:29
  What what happened there? Uh, it was
• 1:03:31
  just like some of the medical stuff
• 1:03:33
  couldn't get cleared in time. Like, uh,
• 1:03:35
  it's nothing it's nothing super serious,
• 1:03:37
  but it was just like, uh, yeah, like
• 1:03:39
  it's just like some of the medical stuff
• 1:03:41
  couldn't get cleared in time. So, like
• 1:03:43
  the fight got rescheduled for September,
• 1:03:45
  so uh Yeah. Yeah. Hopefully, God willing
• 1:03:48
  that works out.
• 1:03:50
  >> Well, that just gives you time to get
• 1:03:51
  better.
• 1:03:52
  >> Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
• 1:03:54
  >> Yeah.
• 1:03:55
  >> What do you do when you're not training?
• 1:03:56
  You said you work.
• 1:03:58
  >> Uh, yeah. Yeah, I uh I worked HVAC back
• 1:04:00
  in Ottawa. Like um actually one of my uh
• 1:04:04
  old training partners, he owns a company
• 1:04:06
  and he also sponsors me, Wolt HVAC, and
• 1:04:09
  I worked that back in Ottawa. But like
• 1:04:11
  it's uh like the hours are kind of
• 1:04:14
  messed up. Like it's like not messed up,
• 1:04:16
  but there's really long hours. So like
• 1:04:17
  it doesn't really work well with
• 1:04:19
  training.
• 1:04:20
  >> So yeah, like um here I got a I now I
• 1:04:23
  work I got a job working security, so
• 1:04:26
  I'm doing that. But like um Yeah. Yeah.
• 1:04:29
  Worked worked HVAC for a while.
• 1:04:31
  >> Okay, cool.
• 1:04:32
  >> Yeah.
• 1:04:33
  >> All right. Boom. This is the point where
• 1:04:35
  I ask I always finish interviews. I ask
• 1:04:37
  the same question. Is there anything you
• 1:04:38
  think we should have talked about that I
• 1:04:40
  didn't ask you?
• 1:04:42
  >> Uh, no. Like I I don't know. I I really
• 1:04:44
  enjoy that. like um I I feel like you
• 1:04:47
  really give people a space to talk and
• 1:04:49
  it's uh like especially fighters like
• 1:04:51
  it's uh sometimes uh people come out
• 1:04:53
  come at you and they're a bit like uh
• 1:04:55
  biased but it feels like very like open
• 1:04:57
  which is nice and I I really enjoy that.
• 1:04:59
  I like um Yeah.
• 1:05:02
  >> Oh, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate
• 1:05:03
  it.
• 1:05:04
  >> Yeah, of course, man. Yeah, I really
• 1:05:06
  Yeah, I love seeing what you do for
• 1:05:08
  Canadian MMA.
• 1:05:09
  >> Well, it's a two-way street, right? like
• 1:05:11
  I do my part, but if it weren't for
• 1:05:13
  fighters like you and others who who
• 1:05:14
  give up your time and your and your your
• 1:05:16
  consideration for me, none of this would
• 1:05:18
  happen. So, I just want to say thank
• 1:05:19
  you. I appreciate it. I'm excit I think
• 1:05:21
  you're I think you're a bright talent. I
• 1:05:23
  think you've got a big future ahead of
• 1:05:24
  you if you choose to pursue this even
• 1:05:26
  further, which I hope you do. And I'm
• 1:05:28
  excited to see where you go from here.
• 1:05:30
  >> Thank you, Andy. Appreciate it a lot.
• 1:05:32
  That means a lot. Yeah.
• 1:05:34
  >> All right, Boommy. Thanks for the chat.
• 1:05:35
  Take care and I'll see you soon.
• 1:05:37
  >> Thank you, Andy. See you.