Latest / The MM-EH Show / FLA 24 Recap & Rory Gillis SHOCK Announcement | Kristopher Bryan Headlines | MM-EH Show Ep. 13

Transcript

FLA 24 Recap & Rory Gillis SHOCK Announcement | Kristopher Bryan Headlines | MM-EH Show Ep. 13 · The MM-EH Show

0:16
Hey there, fight friends. Welcome to the
0:17
MMA Show. The show about Canadian mixed
0:20
martial arts and only about Canadian
0:22
mixed martial arts. If it's not mixed
0:24
martial arts in Canada, I don't know
0:26
about it and I don't want to talk about
0:27
it. I'm your host, Andy Codell. just
0:29
like every week. And this is going to be
0:31
a really busy episode. It's a fantastic
0:33
one. I really enjoyed it. Uh we're going
0:34
to start off talking with Timmy B. He is
0:37
the uh the broadcast announcer for Fight
0:39
League Atlantic. I met him this weekend
0:41
at FLA 24 in Picto, Nova Scotia. And he
0:44
and I are going to sit down and talk
0:45
about the FLA 24 card from bottom to top
0:47
and we're going to tell you all about
0:48
the fights, give you some insights, uh
0:51
which is interesting because Timmy's
0:52
previous podcast is called the Fight
0:54
Insight Podcast and it was a really good
0:56
talk. Uh, next we're going to move on to
0:58
a conversation with Christopher Bryan
0:59
who is fighting in the main event at
1:01
Absolute MMA in Calgary this weekend. I
1:03
will be there for that one as well,
1:04
followed by Rory Gillis, Fight the
1:06
Atlantic Victor on the weekend and he
1:09
has a big announcement that he's going
1:10
to share with everybody. So, if you're
1:12
interested, make sure you watch and
1:13
listen. You probably know what it is
1:14
already, but uh you can hear it from him
1:16
himself.
1:18
Next, we've got three people from Fight
1:20
Atlantic. We have Alan Ruiz, who won the
1:22
main event against Morgan Ry. Uh this
1:24
young fighter from Mexico has had some
1:26
ups and downs in his in his fight career
1:27
in Canada so far, but he I think is at
1:30
the weight class now at 145 that he
1:32
should be. Looked really good and he had
1:33
a good win in in Picto. Uh next we're
1:36
going to be talking with his coach and
1:37
manager, a man named Christian Viea.
1:40
It's really interesting how I saw him at
1:43
every fight event I went to in the past
1:44
two years. It feels like I don't know if
1:46
that's actually true or not, but it
1:48
seems like he's there all the time. and
1:49
he's always bringing up Mexican fighters
1:50
to fight at FLA, at Unified, at
1:53
different cards around Canada. You see
1:55
him all the time and he's got a really
1:56
cool perspective, too. And it was really
1:58
nice getting to know him a bit in the
1:59
personal level. Uh his English is
2:01
excellent. Um and yeah, so hear what he
2:03
has to say. Follow that by Dylan
2:06
Shepard. Dylan Shepard is a multipletime
2:09
amateur champion for Fight Atlantic and
2:11
he's started his pro career now. He's a
2:13
couple fights into his pro career and he
2:17
delivered what was the most spectacular
2:19
submission I've seen in a long time. For
2:22
those of you who know what it is
2:23
already, you probably agree with me. I
2:25
don't want to say anymore right now.
2:26
You'll have to watch the interview to
2:27
find out, but it's a very rare
2:29
submission. It's only happened in the
2:30
UFC, I'm going to say twice, maybe three
2:33
times. Uh, so you might have never seen
2:35
it before at all, but Dylan is a very
2:37
interesting fighter, good striker, and
2:39
good off the ground, too, now
2:40
apparently. So, uh, it'll be cool to
2:42
give you a chance to see what Dylan has
2:44
to say. And we are going to finish off
2:46
the talk with Canadian MMA veteran Chris
2:48
Hordeski, who had his own rising stars
2:50
MMA promotion happen last weekend. And
2:53
or sorry, the same weekend as UFC fight
2:56
night Winnipeg. And Chris is going to
2:57
talk all about that, how it went, and
2:59
any lessons learned, and what's next for
3:00
the Rising Stars promotion in Ontario.
3:04
So yeah, I think I'm going to cut this
3:07
short now because we talk a lot with Tim
3:08
about the FLA card. But please, I ask
3:11
you a favor. If you enjoy this content,
3:13
please subscribe, like, do whatever you
3:15
can to help me support this channel and
3:17
make it grow. I want to start bringing
3:19
some money in. And in order to do that,
3:20
I need to start getting monetized on
3:22
YouTube and other platforms. So, please
3:23
do what you can to share. This uh
3:25
platform really promotes Canadian mixed
3:28
martial arts, amateur and professional.
3:31
And I think these young athletes and
3:33
some some not so young athletes deserve
3:36
to get their stories told and that's
3:38
what I'm here for. So, please help me
3:40
out with that. And uh everything you can
3:41
do is much appreciated. And for now,
3:44
we're going to move on to Timmy B. Tim,
3:47
it's great to see you again. I just saw
3:49
you a few days ago at Fight League
3:50
Atlantic in Picto, Nova Scotia. It was
3:52
the first time we met. Overall, my
3:54
experience for the whole weekend was
3:55
absolutely fantastic. Uh thanks for
3:58
agreeing to do this. I really appreciate
4:00
you taking the time.
4:02
>> Thank you so much. I appreciate it. And
4:03
it was great to meet you as well and see
4:05
you there out there all weekend. And the
4:06
fights were incredible.
4:07
>> They were to give the audience a little
4:09
bit of an introduction. You are Timmy B.
4:11
You have the Fight Insight podcast.
4:12
You've been doing it for quite a while
4:13
now. A lot of great stuff on your
4:15
channel. I've watched a whole bunch of
4:16
it. And another thing you have, you got
4:19
uh associated with Fight League
4:21
Atlantic. And so you're actually living
4:22
in Ontario, but you fly out there for
4:24
the events and you do the commentating,
4:26
you do the the cageide broadcasting. uh
4:28
tell me what that experience is like and
4:30
and how you got involved with them.
4:32
>> Oh, it's amazing. You know, like so I
4:34
was doing the uh Fight and Sight podcast
4:37
which is now on hiatus, temporary
4:39
slpermanent hiatus. I did it for about 5
4:41
years uh 235 episodes or whatever it
4:45
was. You can find them on YouTube if you
4:47
want to come check them out. Um you
4:49
know, and then through that time of
4:51
doing it, I met so many great people
4:53
like from UFC to 1FC, from amateurs to
4:56
pros and everything in between.
4:58
commentators, referees, judges, you
5:00
know, made so many great friends. And
5:02
then no, no one better than Derek Clark,
5:05
co-owner and co-founder of Fight Like
5:06
The Atlantic. And so it was just through
5:09
meeting people after people, eventually
5:11
it got turned on to FLA. And one of the
5:14
first videos, of course, that came
5:15
across was Mr. Entertainment, Ben Lease,
5:17
and it was one of his viral knockouts
5:19
and him doing his craziness. And uh it
5:22
just went viral on my feed, and people
5:24
were saying like, "Hey, you got to get
5:25
those guys on. you got to get FLA stuff
5:27
on. And so eventually met some of the
5:30
fighters, eventually met Derek, and um
5:32
you know, he is such a great guy, as is
5:34
everybody out there. You know, it
5:36
obviously firsthand now. And uh at one
5:38
point he said, "Hey, why don't you come
5:40
on down and check out the event? Uh I
5:42
went out for FLA1 was my first one.
5:46
And then uh since there's been every
5:49
event since I've been going down there,
5:51
really graciously, he allowed me to
5:53
start doing some commentary. I started
5:55
it with uh actually on that first event
5:57
that I went down, they were doing a
5:59
double header. Sometimes they would do
6:00
like a jiu-jitsu event on the Friday,
6:03
they would do a kumite event and then
6:05
they would do the MMA on the Saturday.
6:07
uh he let me do some of the commentary
6:09
on that first night with the jiu-jitsu
6:11
because I said it was something that I
6:12
always wanted to try and um and then
6:15
from there on it it kind of spurned and
6:17
there's I don't know you can't see it
6:19
here but here's all my staff badges that
6:21
I keep very proudly um and been doing
6:24
the commentary there and it's been
6:25
absolutely incredible. I help them out
6:26
with their FLA exposure podcast.
6:28
Obviously the pre-shows, sometimes I'm
6:30
doing backstage interviews. Like
6:31
whatever I can do to help put the
6:34
spotlight on Fight League Atlantic and
6:35
help put the spotlight on those
6:36
incredible fighters.
6:37
>> Yeah, it's interesting how I'd never
6:39
seen you before in my life and all of a
6:41
sudden you were just overwhelming my
6:42
feed for one of the like you were on
6:44
absolutely everything. You're you're the
6:46
man in charge there. You know that Derek
6:48
and John are behind the scenes, but
6:50
you're the man in front of the camera
6:51
for a lot of it. You do a fantastic job
6:53
interviews, all sorts of stuff. Uh, and
6:55
now I'm going to ask you a question that
6:56
has been asked of me before and I'm
6:58
going to turn around and ask you.
6:59
>> What's it like when you're sitting
7:00
beside the cage watching the fights, but
7:02
you're working? Are you able to enjoy
7:04
the fights as a fan or is it all work
7:06
for you?
7:07
>> Uh, it's funny you say that. Like, yeah,
7:10
you en it's a totally unique way to
7:12
enjoy it. Like it's it's so different
7:15
because it's it's now your job and
7:18
there's a lot of stress and pressure,
7:20
man, on on getting it right and making
7:22
the content good and being able to
7:24
highlight the fighters and tell their
7:26
stories but still be respectful of the
7:28
fight that's happening and be respectful
7:30
of your co- commentator, you know. Um it
7:33
it's a different thing. I really what I
7:35
will say is I love that we are now on
7:38
UFC Fight Pass video on demand. Of
7:40
course, FLA23 was our first event there.
7:43
This was our second. And being able to,
7:46
you know, in a couple weeks watch it
7:48
back and now actually be able to uh
7:50
judge and critique my own work and and
7:53
then enjoy the fights for real. Uh it's
7:56
it's quite the different experience for
7:57
sure, but it's uh it's always amazing no
8:00
matter no matter what way you're doing
8:01
it.
8:02
>> That that's a huge opportunity for you
8:03
because even though FLA it's their
8:05
second event now with Fight Pass, there
8:07
it's a tape delay, right? So you, like
8:09
you said, you can watch it after the
8:10
event, but I believe soon enough this
8:12
year maybe even they're going to a full
8:14
broadcast on UC Fight Pass. Is that
8:16
correct? Is that what you've heard?
8:18
>> I have not heard anything. I'm a I'm a
8:21
mere cog in the machine, Andy. And I
8:23
don't I I don't know. All I know is that
8:26
this was our second event on UFC Fight
8:28
Pass video on demand. Whatever lies in
8:30
the future, I'm super excited. But uh
8:32
yeah, right now if you're listening to
8:34
this, you can go check out the live
8:36
stuff on fight league.com and then watch
8:38
the replay on UC Fight Pass. But
8:40
absolutely incredible, man.
8:41
>> Well, every machine needs cogs to
8:43
operate. So I don't say that as a as a
8:45
dismissive thing.
8:47
>> No, no, of course.
8:48
>> Uh and uh but yeah, once again, back to
8:50
Fight Pass, this is a great chance for
8:52
you to sort of show your face, get your
8:54
name out there, increase your brand. So,
8:55
it's a really great opportunity for you
8:56
if you if you want to bring the Fight
8:58
Insight podcast back or or go more into
9:01
MMA as a career. I mean, that's a that's
9:03
a great first step.
9:05
>> Yeah. Yeah. You know, like I've had like
9:07
really great opportunities uh through
9:09
through my podcast and just through luck
9:11
and through friendships and whatnot, but
9:13
like I had interviewed TJ Dantis, who of
9:15
course is like a massive uh commentator.
9:18
Um interviewed uh some of the 1FC
9:22
people. uh Bryant uh now I'm going to
9:24
forget all the names off the top of my
9:26
head, but uh the gentlemen from Octagon
9:28
MMA uh from all over the world, you
9:31
know, different people, and just being
9:32
able to meet all those guys has been
9:34
absolutely uh crazy. And then now to see
9:36
myself on UFC Fight Pass is like really
9:38
cool, man. But it's all about the
9:40
promotion. It's all about like, you
9:41
know, I just I'm just happy to be any
9:43
any small part I can play in helping
9:45
them do better or helping them achieve
9:47
whatever. It's just awesome, man.
9:49
>> That's cool that you can make
9:50
connections like that. Like as for TJ,
9:52
I've known TJ for years and years and
9:53
years. Uh we
9:54
>> he's the best.
9:56
>> He's the best. Just ask him.
9:59
>> No, I'm
10:00
>> No, he is on Honestly though, TJ
10:02
DeSantis was so friendly and and and
10:05
nice with me, shared so much uh wisdom
10:09
and you know, I could reach back to
10:10
those guys. Like when I first got the
10:13
opportunity to commentate at Fight
10:15
League Atlantic, I reached out to him
10:16
and I said, "Hey, I'm doing it." John
10:18
Gooden from the UFC. Um, oh my goodness.
10:22
Why can I not think of the gentleman's
10:24
name at 1FC uh, commentator?
10:29
>> This is bad podcasting right now. Mitch
10:31
Chilson. Mitch Chilson and Brian Lacy
10:34
from Octagon MMA. And I would reach out
10:36
to all of them and I would say like,
10:37
"Hey, I'm going on. Can you give me any
10:39
tips?" And all of them, TJ included, TJ
10:41
sent me like a video thing. like
10:44
absolutely the greatest people in the
10:45
world, man, that uh that help out and
10:47
and would share some pointers and some
10:49
tips and uh it was absolutely
10:51
incredible, man.
10:51
>> That's fantastic. I'm happy for you.
10:54
>> Well, maybe at this point, Tim, we can
10:55
move on to the FLA card and start
10:57
talking about some of the fights.
10:59
>> Let's do break out my handydandy
11:01
portable handheld electronic device and
11:04
bring up my preparations, my notes. So,
11:06
we're going to start from the bottom of
11:06
the card. First fight of the night,
11:08
Brady Russian against Riley Johnson. Uh
11:11
I'll let you go first.
11:13
If you walk out to Shawn Michaels, the
11:15
sexy boy, you know, you have to put on a
11:18
show, man. And uh the both these guys, I
11:21
really love them both. Brady Rush, a guy
11:23
that I've known and and met before and
11:24
watched him fight before. He's a very
11:26
cool kid, man. And I'm excited for him
11:28
and for whatever his future holds. But
11:31
ruthless Riley Johnson was not to be
11:33
denied, man. Th those two guys just went
11:35
at it like tornadoes. By the time I
11:37
finished the sponsor read, the fight was
11:39
over, man. It was like very fast, just
11:41
frenetic. They were just throwing
11:43
everything at one another and uh Riley
11:44
Johnson gets it done, man. And then does
11:46
the Shawn Michael flexes.
11:47
>> Yeah, it was pretty cool. I was uh
11:49
having a quick bathroom break before the
11:51
event started. And as I was getting
11:52
ready to go out, uh the the ramp he had
11:55
to walk down to get the cage, which is
11:57
really the only entrance. was Brady Rush
11:59
had already gone down and uh and Riley
12:01
Johnson was sitting back there and I saw
12:02
him with his blonde hair and I was like
12:04
kind of filming a little bit back there
12:06
kind of creeping on him and I walked out
12:07
with him like 10 feet behind him
12:08
actually
12:13
20 ft behind him when he walked out I
12:15
love recognized the song right away
12:16
loved it love the attitude it's it's
12:18
it's a great great gimmick to get people
12:21
in you um but with any gimmick you need
12:24
to be able to back the gimmick up and
12:26
and he did that and he looked really
12:28
good.
12:28
>> Yeah, Dang.
12:29
>> He came out really strong. Uh Brady
12:31
defended strongly for a short duration.
12:33
Then Brady came rushed him and got some
12:35
pops in, but then uh Riley got on the
12:37
ground and took him out. And something
12:39
about Brady Rushton, and this is
12:41
something uh Brady, if you're watching,
12:42
you got to know, man. Like, uh I've been
12:44
told that your training is not really
12:47
where it should be. And by that, I mean
12:49
that, you know, I'm not quite sure that
12:52
Brady Russian puts as much training and
12:54
time and effort into as he should if he
12:55
wants to be a a fighter. Um,
12:58
>> well,
12:59
>> go ahead.
13:00
>> Yeah, I think I think he had some I
13:01
think he had some gym issues and some
13:04
changes with some gyms, which
13:06
unfortunately uh did that. He took the
13:08
fight on short notice. Obviously, Riley
13:10
Johnson had a different opponent and so
13:12
Brady kind of comes in to save that
13:14
fight. So, kudos to him, man. Uh, I
13:16
don't think it was any slight on him
13:18
that he wasn't preparing in the way that
13:20
he should, but the fight was on short
13:22
notice and due to some gym issues, I
13:24
think that's what kind of led to that.
13:25
So, you're right. Uh, for sure. But
13:27
hopefully in the future, man, hopefully
13:29
this kid comes back and dedicate
13:31
yourself and get in there, man. He's a
13:32
good kid and he can do great things.
13:34
>> Yeah, I agree. From what I saw, he
13:36
looked like he was good. He had some
13:37
talent. It's natural talent, but with
13:38
natural talent, you'll have to develop
13:40
it. And you're you're right. Let's give
13:41
him a chance and see where he can goes.
13:42
>> I think his brother Kenzie, I met him,
13:44
very nice young man. I think he does he
13:46
fight too as well, or is he going to?
13:48
>> Yeah, I haven't seen him in the FLA cage
13:51
myself, but he is a fighter. But uh both
13:53
of them I was talking to them and they
13:55
were both saying about the gym stuff so
13:56
it's been a little bit off and um
13:58
>> but yeah man look all these kids are
14:00
amazing and the thing is too is like
14:02
you're this is in the amateur division
14:03
so go get that experience right if at
14:06
aside from the fight experience it's all
14:08
the psychological experience getting
14:09
getting used to the weight cut to being
14:11
in there being under the bright lights
14:12
man I've been to so many events and like
14:15
the FLA lights and the show is a big big
14:17
deal so like to get the experience there
14:20
let that all wash over you so that every
14:22
time you go out it becomes more natural.
14:23
You can only grow as a fighter and it's
14:25
amateur man. It's fine. I'd love to see
14:27
him in the advanced amateur rule set as
14:29
well. Like
14:31
>> you know when you're in the amateur rule
14:33
set obviously there's less strikes that
14:35
you can do but not only that but then
14:37
the referees are a little bit moreient
14:39
>> cautious, right?
14:41
>> Yeah. So getting into that advanced
14:43
amateur and beyond that it gives you the
14:44
ability to kind of fight things out that
14:46
I know these kids can do.
14:47
>> That's a really good point, Tim. I know
14:48
during uh a few of these stoppages that
14:51
happened this night, there were some
14:52
that I heard whispers in the crowd, not
14:55
whispers, but people talking, there was
14:56
an early stoppage. What they don't
14:57
understand is when it comes to amateur,
14:59
there's there has to be what's called an
15:00
overabundance of caution, right? These
15:02
are not professional fighters. These are
15:04
people getting experience.
15:05
>> If you get taken down and you get a
15:07
little bit of ground and pound on you,
15:08
even a punch or two, and you get the
15:09
fight stopped as an amateur, you have to
15:11
be able to be fine with that. You can't
15:12
be upset. Uh it's not a reflection on on
15:15
your overall skill set. That just means
15:16
that, you know, this is they're giving
15:18
you an opportunity to get back in there,
15:20
stay healthy, stay healed, and keep
15:22
creating and fight again.
15:24
>> Yeah, that's right, man. Like, you know,
15:26
the greatest thing would be that you'd
15:27
be able to turn it around and be there
15:28
in there at FLA 25. You know what I
15:31
mean? So, don't take too much damage and
15:33
then just get right back on that horse.
15:34
And you're right. And it's something we
15:35
try to do on the broadcast is like
15:37
explain to people why
15:39
>> perhaps the the stoppages could be a
15:40
little bit quicker than normal. But the
15:42
thing I'll say is even though there may
15:43
have been a few fights where you could
15:45
think that that was the case in some of
15:46
the amateur fights, you never saw it in
15:48
the fa in the faces or the reactions of
15:50
the fighters. Man, all very
15:51
professional.
15:51
>> Okay, let's move on. The next fight.
15:53
Next fight was uh John Kim versus
15:56
Gizling Casey. That was a really good
15:58
fight. I like that one.
16:00
>> Excellent fight, man. Uh Jizlan comes in
16:03
0 and0. He had some fights in Thailand.
16:05
He had won two fights in Thailand in the
16:08
Muay Thai realm. uh comes in here
16:10
fighting out of icon combat with Hunter
16:12
Savage. Good gym, good training. He was
16:15
ready to go. This was his first fight,
16:18
but comes up against, you know, John Kim
16:20
who's 0 and2 first time in Fight League
16:22
Atlantic. But look, this kid comes out
16:24
of tower one. So, you know, that
16:26
wrestling background and the wrestling
16:27
pedigree is going to be there. He
16:29
grounds Jizlan, takes him down, does
16:31
what he needs to. Doesn't get the
16:33
finish, you know, which I know he would
16:35
have loved, but man, he did a great job
16:36
and secured that victory. And it's just
16:38
something for Jizlon to work on, right,
16:40
in in the jiu-jitsu realm, in the
16:41
wrestling and how to get up. And then
16:43
John Kim as well, he was he kept going
16:45
for what looked like a head and arm
16:47
choke.
16:47
>> Yeah, I saw that.
16:48
>> But but what happened was he would keep
16:50
getting it on the side where the cage
16:52
was. And if you know, like you have to
16:54
be able to push your body unless you're
16:55
like super super strong. You have to be
16:57
able to move your body over to that side
16:59
to be able to finish it. And and kind of
17:00
that cage kept blocking him. So little
17:03
fight IQ things that he'll be able to
17:05
pick up and change. And obviously Gavin
17:06
Tucker, Abdell, they're all going to
17:08
teach the crap out of him. And everybody
17:10
says this kid is a killer man. I will
17:12
say he spoke about the blonde hair of
17:15
Riley Johnson. John Kim, look at how he
17:18
looks in his fight poster versus how he
17:20
looked on fight day.
17:22
>> He looked pretty freaking cool, man. The
17:24
buzzcut, the bleach blonde hair. He
17:26
looked really good, man. He he
17:28
definitely has the look. And uh from
17:30
everything I hear, he's got the skills
17:31
and he and he proved it. Gets his first
17:33
win. Yeah, the blonde hair I believe was
17:35
uh uh based on the bad influence of
17:37
Nicole McMahon. Just joking, Nicole. It
17:39
was funny. Um but I think it look Yeah,
17:41
I think it looked pretty cool. It's It's
17:42
good to have that.
17:43
>> Really good, man. Yeah. And and like you
17:46
said, like with the song, you got to
17:47
brand yourself and stuff, dude. The
17:49
>> the right time to start branding
17:51
yourself is right now. Like, so if
17:53
you're a fighter,
17:54
>> even when you're in the amateur
17:55
division, man, get your brand, start
17:58
building it. get a song, do whatever it
18:00
is to make people understand who you are
18:02
and get behind you.
18:03
>> And this was an excellent fight overall
18:04
and it just reinforces my my
18:06
understanding that amateur mixed martial
18:08
arts of today is not the amateur mixed
18:10
martial arts of yesterday. Back in the
18:12
day, when you wa I say this all the
18:13
time, back in the day, if you watch an
18:15
amateur fight, you would know within 3
18:17
seconds those are both amateur fighters
18:19
because they look like they're amateurs.
18:21
Amateur fighters now, man, by the time
18:22
they get their first fight, they're
18:23
already super skilled. Some of them have
18:25
been training since they were 12 years
18:27
old. They know how to strike. They know
18:28
how to grapple. They know how to
18:29
transition. They know how to do the
18:30
clinch. Uh this was just a fantastic
18:32
overall fight. And and yeah, it didn't
18:34
look like an amateur fight to me.
18:37
>> No, none of these fights do. And that's
18:39
why I'm so happy for like it to be on
18:41
UFC Fight Pass and for people to see
18:43
from day one when I've gone out there. I
18:44
told people I'm like they're like, "Oh,
18:46
it's amateur MMA." I'm like, "No, you
18:48
don't understand. This is all this is
18:50
pro fighting, man. For all intensive
18:52
purposes, these kids are fully the part,
18:55
man. What the only thing they don't have
18:57
is the experience, but in terms of skill
18:59
and dedication and power and, you know,
19:01
skill, everything, they've got it, man.
19:03
It's good.
19:04
>> Okay, next fight we're going to. It was
19:06
Mediasa beat Damen Sentner. That was a a
19:09
light heavyweight fight. Two of the
19:10
bigger guys in the card. Looked really
19:12
good. Both of them looked really good,
19:13
but Medy Lasna came out on top. Lasia,
19:16
sorry.
19:17
>> Yeah. Yeah. Uh the Atlas beast as he is
19:20
known. and uh out of Morocco. This guy
19:24
star written all over him. Man, this kid
19:26
looks the part. Uh through the whole
19:28
weekend, you saw he had like his
19:30
entourage with him and they were filming
19:32
vlogs and everything. This guy looks the
19:34
part, he acts the part and uh he
19:36
performed the part very very much.
19:38
>> Yeah. And and that's smart. Like with
19:39
the entourage, I'm not saying everyone
19:40
needs an entourage and everyone needs to
19:42
act like a superstar. I don't know what
19:44
it's like on his day-to-day life, but
19:45
for something like this, why not film it
19:48
all? You never know like all these
19:49
people, all these these young people,
19:51
they they're putting in so much effort
19:53
and time and training in their lives to
19:55
develop their skills to become good
19:57
fighters with the goal you you would
19:59
expect to make it to the UFC or
20:00
elsewhere. Uh you mentioned 1FC FC
20:02
earlier on,
20:03
>> you know, they want to make it to the
20:04
big show. So all this coverage, if they
20:06
can get all this footage beforehand,
20:08
that's just going to be worth gold for
20:09
them and help them build their brand. I
20:11
know we're talking about Tim, we're
20:12
talking about building the brand a lot.
20:13
And for anybody watching, you really
20:15
need to understand that it's it's not a
20:17
separate thing from from fighting. You
20:20
you develop your your fighting skills,
20:21
but you also need to develop all that
20:23
kind of other stuff because they go hand
20:24
in hand. Like if you want to fight for
20:26
promotions,
20:28
>> they want to have to number one sign
20:29
you. And why would they want to sign
20:30
you? If they have a choice between two
20:32
fighters that are say 4-0 and one of
20:35
them can sell them 2,000 tickets and one
20:37
of them can sell 100 tickets, which one
20:39
are they going to bring in? The fighter
20:40
who can sell more tickets. So it's it's
20:42
beneficial for yourself and they have to
20:44
do it
20:45
>> and it starts right now. This is what
20:46
I'm saying like you know like the people
20:48
that were in that Hector arena in Picto
20:51
Nova Scotia they might not be at the
20:53
next event. They might not see your next
20:54
fight. So it's not like you can just go
20:56
oh I'll do it next time. No man, every
20:59
time you're out there that's your
21:00
opportunity. And shout out to the to the
21:02
gentleman that were with Medi. It I mean
21:04
those were his coaches. But just and
21:07
this is the thing, everybody knows their
21:09
role, right? Like, hey, this is Medi's
21:11
fight weekend. We are going like you
21:13
could just see how dedicated they were
21:14
to their fighter. And it was absolutely
21:16
incredible.
21:16
>> One of his coaches, uh,
21:17
>> but the performance.
21:19
>> So, the people watching on UFC fight
21:20
past not might not realize, but now that
21:22
we mention we talk about this, they can
21:23
go back and take a look. One of the men
21:25
with Medi was his name is EA Buen. His
21:27
nickname fight nickname was Tiger. He's
21:29
got like 10 fights in the UFC, trained
21:31
out of Tristar MMA, and still runs
21:33
Tristar MMA in Repenty, Quebec right
21:35
now. uh inc one of Canada's best
21:37
fighters we've ever produced. And uh it
21:39
was real like when he walked in I was
21:40
kind of surprised to see him. It was
21:41
cool. And we chatted for a quick second.
21:43
It was a it's kind of neat to see when
21:44
you get such talent join an organization
21:47
like FLA and I don't think anybody
21:50
really knew who he was like in the fans
21:51
and stuff like that. And that's a shame,
21:53
but that's why UFC Fight Pass is so
21:55
great. You can go back and look at
21:56
previous fight cataloges. You can watch
21:58
EA fight on there. I'm sure. I haven't
21:59
looked, but I'm willing to bet a bunch
22:01
of his stuff is on there. And uh
22:03
>> Oh, for sure. For sure. And you get to
22:04
see the like the depth of the level of
22:06
of fighting in Canada.
22:09
>> Yep. The next generation is here, man.
22:12
>> All right, next fight we're going to
22:14
This was the only female fight of the
22:16
night. It was Nicole McMahon beat
22:18
Colleen Blanc.
22:21
>> Yep.
22:21
>> What are your thoughts on that?
22:22
>> Great fight.
22:26
>> The women always bring it, right? Always
22:28
excited when there are women's fight on
22:30
the card. And uh Nicole McMahon was
22:32
fight of the night last time in Picto in
22:34
her last outing. Uh so she knew to bring
22:37
it here. She man,
22:39
>> you could not stop smiling from the
22:41
second she came out right with her music
22:43
and her dancing and her emo emotes that
22:46
she was doing like the little heartsy
22:47
symbols and her smile and everything.
22:49
Man, she was making it such a good time.
22:52
And uh her opponent, first time in the
22:53
promotion, Colleen Blu out of uh
22:56
Montreal, Quebec by way of France. uh
22:59
great great fighter. The only thing with
23:01
her uh was that she was very on her back
23:06
foot a lot. And so she it seemed like
23:09
and I think I read one of Nicole's um
23:12
posts or maybe it was when I was talking
23:14
to her after even Nicole knew like oh
23:17
she's trying to go me in. She's trying
23:19
to make me overcommit, right? Like
23:21
that's why she kept pulling back. And so
23:23
Nicole was like but I'm not going to
23:24
play that game. So, it was a little bit
23:26
like throwing a lot of like touch
23:28
punches, you know, like jud getting a
23:30
lot of distance but not really
23:32
committing to the strikes. Colleen
23:34
looked very dangerous and I feel like if
23:36
she had more forward pressure, the fight
23:38
could have been different. Uh, but kudos
23:40
to Nicole, man. Did everything that she
23:41
had to. They were trading high head
23:42
kicks. How many times did we hear the
23:44
feet
23:46
>> snapping off each other's jaws. It was
23:48
crazy. It was like one for one at one
23:49
point. Like, it was great. Good fight.
23:51
Strong fight.
23:52
>> Another excellent fight. Colleen Blanc
23:54
did look like she was very skilled and I
23:56
and I think your assessment is pretty
23:57
pretty bang on. She was you know
23:59
sometimes you get the fighters who
24:01
retreat and you get another fighter
24:02
advances and you know that can make a
24:05
good fight. It's also there's different
24:06
styles, right? So you might have two two
24:08
fighters are both aggressive and going
24:09
towards each other that can make a
24:11
banger of a fight. When you get a fight
24:13
who both the fighters are counter
24:14
punchers and they want to sort of stay
24:15
back a little bit. Those can be a little
24:16
bit boring on the side at times. But
24:18
these two ladies balanced each other out
24:20
this fight. I thought it was really
24:21
good. One thing I I really like about
24:23
Nicole, and this is uh my first time I
24:25
saw her fight in person, a uh I
24:27
mentioned this later on, is that she's
24:28
got some dog in her, and by that I mean
24:30
she was aggressive, she was gritty, she
24:32
wasn't stopping, she was non-stop
24:34
forward momentum, and even though, like
24:36
you said, she she wasn't overcommitting,
24:38
she was committing. She was the one
24:40
pushing the action. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
24:41
Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm not insinuating.
24:43
Yeah. It was just really good, I
24:45
thought.
24:46
>> Yeah. She just wasn't falling for the
24:48
traps and like and credit to Colleen for
24:51
setting the traps. But
24:53
>> very very smart of Nicole not to fall
24:55
for it. And of course when you got Gavin
24:56
Tucker in your corner,
24:57
>> right? Like he's going to be yelling
24:59
instruction at you. But uh no, great
25:01
great fight, man. Both of them. And like
25:03
the thing about Nicole, too. You know,
25:05
she's 34 years old, I think. You know,
25:07
two kids in the arena. She started this
25:10
like, you know, just as a way to lose
25:12
weight and to get healthy. And then next
25:14
thing you know, she's the first fighter
25:15
that ever fights for Tower 1. And now
25:17
she's been like moving along. And here
25:19
she is now kicking butt and doing it.
25:22
And what an inspiration to her kids, to
25:24
other women, to to everybody on the East
25:26
Coast. Like, it's very cool to see
25:27
someone like that fighting and and doing
25:29
so well and enjoying it. They posted
25:31
photos, was it yesterday, and it's just
25:32
her smiling away in the cage, and you're
25:35
just like, you know, it's so cool to
25:36
see, man. So cool.
25:37
>> Yeah. When when I I watched her
25:39
throughout the course of the weekend, it
25:41
wasn't much, but I could just get the
25:43
sense that she was loving every single
25:46
moment of it. She embraced the whole
25:47
thing. She was present. She was taking
25:49
it in. And she Yeah, she looked really
25:50
good in the fight, too.
25:52
>> Yeah. Her her buddy and training partner
25:54
and fellow fighter Kristen Brenton, the
25:56
bipolar Barbie, is there holding up her
25:58
big Iron Daisy signs. Like, the two of
26:00
them are an amazing combination as well.
26:02
And then they're very good friends, good
26:04
training partners, and they're both
26:05
seeing good success. I think Charlene
26:06
Bark House too is a part of that trio
26:08
and a few other ladies. Seems like
26:10
they've got a good core at Tower One. Uh
26:12
I'll be visiting them in June and it's
26:13
kind of exciting that I'll get a chance
26:15
to do that and uh yeah, it was a good
26:17
fight.
26:18
>> Yeah.
26:19
>> Okay, next fight we're going on to James
26:21
Richardson beat Noah Kore at 135 pounds
26:25
amateur. That was a a good fight. They
26:27
both look good and James Richardson came
26:29
out on top.
26:31
Man, James Richardson I I feel like and
26:33
no disrespect but shocks the world man.
26:36
Noah Noah Kore definitely very highly
26:39
touted after his last fight which was at
26:41
Picto as well in September and we had
26:43
been waiting a long time to see him.
26:44
Talk about someone who's got a brand and
26:46
a style, man. That Noah kid is dressed
26:49
to the nines, very cool and composed and
26:51
and we were expecting huge things from
26:52
him. He did very well in the fight.
26:54
Nothing to to be taken away from him.
26:56
But man, James Richardson, and here's
26:58
the thing, Andy, I was saying it on the
26:59
commentary, James trains at Grant
27:02
Martial Arts with the weapon, Brettton
27:05
Maloney and Tiger,
27:08
um, Matt Harish, Matt Tiger Harish. Two
27:11
guys that are super successful. Brettton
27:14
Maloney is currently the amateur
27:15
champion. These kids are doing such
27:17
great things. And then James is a part
27:20
of them, part of this what they're
27:22
calling now the G team. And man, I knew
27:25
cuz both those other kids seen great
27:27
success and I'm like, I don't know, man.
27:29
That's the that's the special unknown
27:31
factor that James has is like being
27:32
around these winners, you know what I
27:34
mean?
27:35
>> And so he goes out there and he does it.
27:36
Like we thought that he would strike
27:39
away, but man, he he got things to the
27:41
ground and he was dominating on the
27:42
ground. And so congratulations to James,
27:44
man. What a good kid. Great kid.
27:45
>> Yeah, I think James was the only grand
27:47
MMA fighter on this card and and he
27:49
certainly uh represented just gym well.
27:51
They looked really good. And uh Oh, I
27:54
had a I had something I was going to
27:55
say, Tim, when you were talking, you you
27:56
gave me an idea for something. What was
27:58
it? I've got a bit of a brain fart right
27:59
now.
28:00
>> G Team Champ.
28:03
>> It wasn't It wasn't G Team. Um you know
28:06
what? It'll come to me or it won't. But
28:07
that's okay. I'm I I'm having one of
28:08
those moments. So, we're going to move
28:09
on to the next next fight.
28:11
>> Uh next was Anton Ko beat Vrage Bramot.
28:15
That was another really good fight. Oh.
28:17
Um, yeah, this is what I was at the
28:19
point I almost forgot, but I just
28:20
remember now is that
28:23
everyone comes in at this as this level.
28:25
We're talking about how good amateurs
28:26
are. James Richardson, Noah Kore,
28:29
>> we both highly regarded already before
28:31
the fight started. But that's why you
28:32
need to have the fights because this
28:33
sort of allows us to sus out the
28:36
rankings, right? Whether whether the
28:37
rankings are on paper or in our minds
28:39
where we get an idea. I mean, you can
28:41
going into that fight, they both thought
28:42
I both thought both of them were, you
28:44
know, excellent prospects, both going to
28:46
kick some butt and do really well and
28:48
that's why you need to have the fight to
28:49
see who's going to come out on top and
28:50
and you see that with every fight.
28:53
>> Yeah, definitely. You're right. 100%.
28:55
>> Okay, so now back to uh Anton and Vrage.
28:57
What your thoughts on that one?
29:00
>> H man. Uh this is a tough one. You know,
29:04
first of all, Anton Krispy Kremo gets
29:06
the victory uh by a TKO stoppage. This
29:10
one would be the one that you're saying
29:11
the crowd might have been making a few
29:13
whispers about this one. Anton lights
29:15
him up. Uh Anton Crispy Kremo has that
29:18
name for a reason. Very crisp hands, you
29:20
know, lights him up to the point where
29:22
Vrage turns his back and runs, right? Uh
29:27
Anton does not let up, keeps striking.
29:29
Eventually, there's a flurry of strikes.
29:31
Vrage looks very rocked, but he recovers
29:34
and the referee does not stop it. Then
29:37
they kind of move back again. Anton hits
29:40
with a few shots, but then is kind of in
29:42
a pause. Vrage is kind of standing
29:44
there, not wobbly. Then the ref stops
29:47
it.
29:49
>> In terms of it being an amateur fight, I
29:51
do think it's the right thing, man,
29:52
because it was like he had taken a lot
29:54
of shots. It's just for the visual
29:57
aspect, I wish he had stopped it earlier
30:00
rather than at the point he did. But
30:02
Sevie, that's how it is. What I will say
30:04
here, Vaj Bra Brambot, his last fight
30:07
was like two years ago and also had a
30:10
controversial stoppage.
30:11
>> And so, uh, he had spoke on the FLA
30:14
exposure podcast about going back to
30:16
India and meditating and really trying
30:18
to get over that loss because of how,
30:20
uh, emotionally difficult it was, you
30:23
know.
30:23
>> Um, it was like a it was like a high
30:25
headkick. I think it was, uh, I forget
30:27
who it was that he fought.
30:29
>> Um, but high headkick, dropped him. And
30:33
even though he kind of popped back up,
30:34
the ref stopped it just because it
30:36
looked devastating, you know.
30:38
>> Um that was his first loss. It was
30:40
devastating.
30:42
Then this one happens and I really hope
30:45
that Vrage is okay. Not physically as
30:49
much as mentally. Man, I hope that he
30:51
can recover from this, understand that,
30:53
hey, that's okay, and then get back on
30:56
that horse and do it again. You know, I
30:58
really hope that he's able to um
31:00
emotionally or mentally recover from
31:02
this one a little bit quicker because it
31:03
was a tough one, man. It was a tough
31:05
stop and that fight, man, I did want it
31:07
to go on because this was going to be a
31:08
good fight when it was happening.
31:10
>> Oh, crazy level again. Amateur fight or
31:14
advanced amate was this one advanced
31:15
amateur? But man, great fight. Um but I
31:18
I wish it had gone on longer and and
31:20
maybe one day in the future they fight
31:21
again. Great great fight. But Anton
31:23
Krispy Kremo,
31:24
>> not to be denied. And this kid is this
31:26
kid is a superstar as well. very very
31:27
good him and his brother
31:29
>> when uh when you settle that stuff about
31:31
Vrage right now I didn't know about the
31:33
first fight first loss but when I sort
31:35
of make an analogy and I just made this
31:37
up right now so I'm sort of working it
31:38
out when I think of a a fighter the
31:41
analogies are kind of like a like a
31:42
hockey goalie right and by that I'll
31:45
explain
31:48
some people think that fighting is an
31:49
individual sport and they're right in
31:52
the sense that when the cage door closes
31:55
it's one fighter across from another
31:57
fighter. So, it's one person. It's one
31:59
person in there. But the reality is
32:01
>> to get to that point, you need a whole
32:03
team to support you, right? You need
32:04
coaches, you need training partners, you
32:06
need strength and conditioning, you need
32:08
nutritionists, you need all that kind of
32:09
stuff. So, it's by it's not it's not a
32:12
solo thing. You have a team.
32:15
Same as in hockey. But at the end of the
32:18
day, if you lose a fight,
32:22
I won't think that the the team lost the
32:24
fight. I'll think the fighter lost the
32:25
fight. In a lot of ways, a lot of ways
32:28
people will rightly or wrongly blame a
32:30
goalie for a loss. But, you know, if a
32:33
goalie takes 60 shots in a game and lets
32:35
in five,
32:36
>> he probably stopped a whole bunch, too.
32:38
But, you know, his teammates let those
32:40
shots go off, right? So,
32:43
you know, I'm sure he's upset. I'm sure
32:46
he's uh you know he could be even
32:48
disillusioned like you said after the
32:49
first one, but it's it's it's something
32:52
he's just it's not his it's I almost
32:54
said it's not his fault, but you're
32:55
right. It's it's not the end of the
32:57
world. It's an amateur fight.
32:58
>> Um yeah, this is just something to help
33:00
you give you some data to make to make
33:02
future decisions with and keep training.
33:06
>> Yeah. And the and that fight that he
33:07
lost, I thought it was Matt Leblanc, but
33:10
I I I was getting I was confusing myself
33:12
because Matt then fights in the next
33:14
fight. So yeah, it was Matt Leblanc that
33:15
did the headkick that dropped Raj that
33:17
lost that. And then like you're saying
33:18
here, yes, you're right. However, one of
33:21
the things on my podcast that I always
33:22
used to keep track of was the losing
33:26
streaks of certain gyms
33:29
>> and the winning streak and and and this
33:31
with an like we talked about the G team,
33:33
they're now on a huge winning streak.
33:34
Same as Anton and and his brother um
33:37
Anson. They've both now come into the
33:40
last couple fights for them and both
33:41
done spectacular performances. I do feel
33:44
that sometimes you can get on a losing
33:46
streak with not just you but your team
33:49
>> or get on a winning streak with you and
33:51
your team as well. So that I I don't
33:53
know I kind of believe in the there was
33:55
one gym in Vegas that man they had lost
33:58
like I don't know a hundred fights in a
34:00
row in the UFC and I was like is anybody
34:01
tracking this? This is pretty bad.
34:03
>> Yeah. Okay. But yeah,
34:05
>> uh let's go on to the next one. So
34:08
>> now Matt Leblanc.
34:09
>> Yeah. Canton Ko that that was the
34:11
advanced amateur fight. Yeah. And and
34:14
then another advanced amateur here with
34:16
Savage and uh both of them, you know, I
34:19
was uh coming into this fight, I was
34:21
eagerly anticipating this one. Uh you
34:23
I've seen a lot of good things from both
34:24
fighters and but once again, this is why
34:26
you need to have the fight because one
34:27
will come out on top and Matt Leblon
34:29
came out on top and he did it in a
34:30
really impressive manner.
34:34
>> Beautiful striking uh by both these men.
34:36
They're both great fighters. Very
34:37
action-packed and exciting for as long
34:39
as it lasted. Uh, this one ended in in a
34:42
little bit of an odd way cuz I called
34:44
for the replay a couple times after it
34:46
stopped. Matt Leblanc throws like a left
34:49
kick to the B or sorry, Hunter Savage
34:51
throws a left kick to the body of Matt
34:53
Leblanc. Matt catches it.
34:56
Kind of throws a strike, but is kind of
34:58
just moving with the body. Hunter, it
35:01
really looks like his ankle twists and
35:04
his knee twists on the on the leg that's
35:06
planted, which was his right side. It
35:07
looks like it kind of gives out under
35:09
him. I don't know if there was damage
35:10
previously or whether it was damage
35:12
then. He I did speak to him afterwards
35:15
because I love him. His his mother and
35:16
father are always right uh cage side and
35:18
they're they're such great supporters of
35:20
Fight League Atlantic all the time
35:21
whether their son is fighting or not. Uh
35:23
and uh I reached out to Hunter and he
35:24
said that he was okay and that
35:26
everything was fine and he was back to
35:27
thing. no permanent damage or nothing
35:29
that uh nothing that he was revealing to
35:31
me, but uh I think yeah, I think it was
35:33
that the leg twisted and dropped in a
35:35
funny way and then Matt pounced, man.
35:37
And kudos to Matt
35:38
>> immediately pounced and got that referee
35:40
to call it by delivering like very
35:42
vicious and and accurate strikes to the
35:45
grounded Hunter Savage. Great fight.
35:47
Great fight. And again, two guys that
35:48
I'm super fans of, man. Matt Leblanc
35:51
walks out to Pink Pony Club.
35:56
I mean, I've seen him do it now multiple
35:59
times in every arena. The crowd erupts
36:01
and goes crazy. Uh, he much like Nicole
36:06
McMahon, this Matt Leblanc just walks to
36:08
the cage smiling, dancing, singing Pink
36:11
Pony Club, and the crowd just loves this
36:13
kid, man. I'm so happy for him. Great
36:15
great success for him.
36:16
>> Yeah, it was the first time I was really
36:17
exposed to Matt Leblanc this weekend.
36:18
I'd seen his one of his fights before,
36:21
uh, but I don't really have a big
36:23
recollection of it. Um, and sometimes
36:24
that happens. I watched so many fights,
36:26
it's difficult to have everything stand
36:28
out to me. But in person, for sure, he
36:30
looked like he was really good, really
36:31
competent, and composed. I think
36:33
composure is a very uh underappreciated
36:37
ability to have. If you can just stay
36:38
calm and just when the fight's
36:40
happening, punches and kicks are
36:41
happening, you can just stay calm, relax
36:43
in there, it'll do you a world of good.
36:45
And yeah, he he looked great.
36:47
>> A great kid, man. Win, lose, or draw.
36:50
After the end of the fight, you'll see
36:51
him walking around the arena talking to
36:53
people as happy as can be. Uh last fight
36:57
when we were in
36:59
I want to say when we were in Dartmouth
37:01
maybe last year, I remember there was a
37:03
fight where he was fighting. I wasn't
37:04
commentating so I was doing some videos
37:06
up top during the prelims. He's up up in
37:09
the crowd with me just talking to me.
37:10
I'm like, "Aren't you fighting in a few
37:12
fights?" He's like, "I'm just relaxed."
37:13
Like great kid, man. Matt Leblanc. Love
37:15
him. And uh can't wait for both those
37:17
guys to get back in there. Matt
37:18
Leblanc's got a bright future, man. He's
37:20
just got to find the weight class that
37:21
he thinks is right for him
37:23
>> and uh he'll be a tear. He's very good
37:25
kid and like you said, it's that mental
37:26
composure that he's got that is
37:28
unbeatable.
37:28
>> Yeah. Okay, next. This was the one that
37:32
a lot of people were excited to see. Ben
37:34
Lee versus Rob Logan. Um I interviewed
37:36
Ben beforehand and he told me all about
37:38
Benny's Fight Club and that was an eye
37:40
opener for me. I I laughed my butt off
37:42
watching a bunch of his videos of
37:43
16-year-old kids fighting in the
37:44
schoolyard. Uh, and coming into this
37:47
fight, you know, I I I'd heard and I I
37:49
was aware that Rob Logan had a really
37:50
good jaw. Um, I'm not sure that's
37:53
sustained itself. I met him after the
37:55
fight or sorry, before the fight. First
37:56
time I got a chance to speak in person.
37:58
Very nice man, very humble. Uh, I I
38:01
enjoyed my conversation with him. Uh,
38:03
but the fight did not go well for him,
38:05
did it?
38:07
>> It was a tough fight, man. I mean, he's
38:09
44 years old. The day before it was his
38:12
birthday. uh goes to 44 and then is
38:15
fighting like a 23-year-old young stud
38:18
in Ben Lease, man who's got nothing but
38:20
confidence. And uh it was a tough fight,
38:23
man. Uh Redbeard looked good. He, you
38:27
know, didn't look bad. They were they
38:28
were trading some shots, but Ben Lee
38:31
sniper, man. I know he's his nickname is
38:33
Mr. Entertainment, but man, if he needs
38:35
a second nickname, it's the sniper. This
38:37
kid just finds the shots. What I love
38:40
about Ben Lee is he will throw to the
38:43
body the minute you start putting your
38:45
hands up high. He just rips that body
38:48
and that just devastates his opponents.
38:49
I've seen him to do it to so many
38:51
people. Uh very very good kid out of
38:53
Evolution Training Center. He's got such
38:55
a team there and uh this kid's got
38:57
nothing but you know nothing but the
38:59
moon and stars ahead ahead for him. Very
39:02
very good kid. Uh very impressed with
39:04
his postfight speech where he prevented
39:06
himself from swearing. So, good job to
39:08
Ben Lease on that one. And uh but he you
39:10
know, he's money on the mic, man. As as
39:13
much as he's great in the cage and as
39:14
much as he's great outside and speaking
39:15
to people, he's money on the mic. And
39:18
that's what really sells him.
39:19
>> Yeah. For for fans watching now, uh he
39:21
got a little bit of trouble at the
39:22
weigh-ins after he made weight. He said,
39:24
"F yeah, the commission was not very
39:26
happy with that. Mr. Hubert Earl, much
39:28
respect to Mr. Hubert Earl. He likes
39:30
keeping it keeping it uh PG-13." So, uh
39:32
yeah, but I guess Ben controlled
39:34
himself. Yeah, he he he looked really
39:36
good. And and back to the thing we've
39:38
talked about a whole bunch this
39:39
conversation, Tim, is that he's got the
39:40
gift of the gab. He's a good
39:42
entertainer. He's a good talker. And
39:44
that'll just help help him do well in
39:45
the future.
39:47
>> Coming out with the jean jacket vest as
39:49
he does, it's like like this is the
39:52
thing too. You have to understand like
39:53
there there was a while where Fight
39:55
League Atlantic we had full fight kits,
39:57
right? And so coming to the cage, you
39:58
were wearing the full fight kit and
39:59
everything. But then they've opened it
40:01
up in the last several events and Ben
40:03
Lee is one of the guys that took
40:04
advantage of it, man. He then now he's
40:06
you see him and he's there with his jean
40:08
jacket vest and it's patched out with
40:10
his sponsors and he's got the look,
40:12
>> man. Very cool kid. And I will I will
40:14
say I think it was today that uh
40:16
Redbeard announced his retirement from
40:17
mixed martial arts uh on his Instagram.
40:20
So he said that that was his last one
40:21
and he had some beautiful words that he
40:23
put on his Instagram. So go check him
40:24
out. uh and Redbeard, congratulations to
40:26
you on an incredible career. He he
40:27
fought at FLA1, man. So he fought at
40:29
FLA1 and FLA 25. What a career. Uh true
40:33
legend on that guy.
40:34
>> Well, that's uh it's kind of sad to
40:35
hear, but it's inevitable for for every
40:37
fighter at some point. Uh so Rob, if
40:39
you're watching this, congratulations on
40:40
a great career, man. It was really nice
40:42
to meet you in person. Um you know, you
40:44
you had a great run, man. And and uh
40:46
it's kind of cool like you'll have this
40:48
in your back pocket forever. You can
40:49
tell stories about fighting for FLA and
40:51
uh yeah, it's it's really cool. I'm
40:53
happy for you. Congratulations on your
40:55
retirement.
40:56
>> Yeah. And if you're in New Brunswick, go
40:58
train with him at St. John Kickboxing.
41:00
That's it.
41:00
>> There you go. All right. This next one,
41:02
this was a shocker. Uh, in a good way. I
41:05
was so thrilled. Uh, Dylan Shepard and
41:07
Brolio Hernandez. Um,
41:10
something happened in this fight that
41:12
we're going to talk to, but when it was
41:14
happening, my eyes were bugging out cuz
41:16
I knew it was coming. I was sitting
41:17
beside Craig Ferguson. He was the same
41:19
in the same boat. He was like, "Is this
41:21
going to happen?" We were talking to
41:22
each other. We were giggling. It was so
41:24
exciting. And Dylan Shepard nailed a
41:27
freaking twister, man. Uh and that was
41:29
just uh thrilling for me to watch. What
41:31
What did you think when you saw it?
41:34
>> I mean, I was a gasast. Like I I
41:37
couldn't believe what we were seeing.
41:38
And thank God there was two commentators
41:40
on the table cuz Dave Manueli who's next
41:42
to me and Dave is going crazy. Like he's
41:45
a jiu-jitsu guy. He's like, "OH GOD,
41:46
IT'S A IT'S a twist. It's a twist." And
41:49
like and we're like insane, right?
41:52
And and then when he gets it done, man,
41:54
it's like, what the heck? Now, forget
41:57
all that. I then see him after
42:00
>> right after the event is over. And I'm
42:02
like, dude, a twister. And he's like,
42:04
that's my favorite submission. I'm like,
42:06
who practices the twister on? Like, that
42:09
is such a crazy move to even do. And you
42:12
understand how many times you have to do
42:13
that to the point where your muscle
42:14
memory can do it in the middle of a fist
42:16
fight.
42:18
crazy to go for that and to get it done
42:20
in a professional fight,
42:23
>> right? Like that's this is not an
42:24
amateur where you're fighting some
42:25
schlub like you're fighting another
42:27
professional fighter and you pull that
42:29
off.
42:30
>> Devastating. And it looked like it hurts
42:31
so bad.
42:33
>> Well, it's a spine lock, man. It's like
42:35
tears your spine off. So, yeah, I guess
42:37
it would hurt. And uh fight friends, if
42:39
you're watching this, go back a few
42:40
posts and you'll see I actually posted a
42:42
video clip of the twister happening. And
42:44
stick around. Make sure you don't hang
42:45
up after Timmy and I are talking now.
42:48
Watch later on where I talked to Dylan
42:50
Shepard. He's going to explain the
42:51
setup. He's going to explain everything
42:52
that happened leading up to that
42:53
twister. He's actually been ready to
42:56
give a twister before in amateur fights,
42:58
but it's not allowed. So, he didn't do
42:59
it, but he was ready for it. And it was
43:01
uh it was really cool. It's exciting for
43:03
this young man that uh you know, this is
43:05
going to make a name for him, I think,
43:06
and and have put a lot of people on
43:08
notice.
43:09
>> Yeah, man. Highlight highlight reel,
43:11
right? He has a highlight reel spinning
43:13
hook kick finish in Fight League
43:14
Atlantic in the amateur division. Now
43:16
he's this he's a two-time um FLA amateur
43:20
featherweight champion. Like this kid's
43:22
got a lot of accolades. He goes out he's
43:24
trained before at Niagara Top Team with
43:25
Cam Nelson. So he's getting good
43:27
exposure there for this camp. I think he
43:29
went out to Montreal to train at H2O if
43:32
I'm not mistaken. But you know this
43:33
kid's going places, man. He's
43:35
diversifying his skill set. He's
43:36
learning. He's making all the right
43:38
moves. So really good for him. And this
43:40
just shows that at at this level now, so
43:42
he's only at the start of his
43:44
professional career, but he did have an
43:46
extensive amateur career, but it just
43:47
shows you like
43:48
>> if you want to be super successful, like
43:50
get to the highest levels, you have to
43:52
be fully committed. You said Dylan's
43:53
traveling. He's gone to Ontario. He's
43:55
gone to Quebec for training camps.
43:57
>> Sure, it's it's possible for you to stay
43:59
in your your home gym somewhere in
44:01
whatever town you're in and and find
44:03
some success there. Uh but I would say
44:06
it'd be very difficult to reach the
44:08
highest levels unless you go out and get
44:09
some some bigger exposure somewhere. Uh
44:12
you can do a bit of both. I know a lot
44:14
of Quebec fighters, they spend uh and
44:16
say Aaron Jeffrey Ontario, they they
44:18
train at Niger Top Team or they train
44:19
some or Tristar and then they go down or
44:22
Pat Node and then they go down to
44:23
Florida for for half the training camp
44:25
or something. So you can mix it up, but
44:27
you really need to be fully committed to
44:28
be successful.
44:30
>> Yeah, definitely. That's what he's
44:33
doing.
44:33
>> Yeah. Well, good for him. It It shows,
44:35
man. He was amazing. Okay, next we have
44:38
the co-main event. And this was kind of
44:39
sad, the ending of it in a couple ways.
44:42
Rory Gillis versus Derek Bergen. Uh
44:44
Rory, I fight fans watch, you'll be
44:47
hearing from Rory himself right after
44:49
Tim Hangs up. Um but yeah, it was a win
44:52
for him. And it turns out this was going
44:53
to be his last ever fight. He's he's
44:55
retired. What did you think when you
44:57
heard that?
44:59
>> I wanted to jump in the cage and uh stop
45:01
him. like uh no I do not accept his
45:04
retirement. I don't know if like there
45:05
has to be a son like a like a vote on
45:08
this or something. Do we just allow guys
45:10
to retire whenever we want? No, this guy
45:12
freaking five and one in his
45:14
professional career. His one loss was a
45:17
uh very, you know, great performance by
45:20
the other gentlemen, but like it was not
45:21
that he was getting beat in that fight
45:23
when he got caught. Yeah.
45:25
>> Yeah. He gets caught on in like the
45:27
first second, you know what I mean? like
45:28
literally the first second of the fight
45:30
he gets caught and then gets stuck in a
45:31
choke that he can't get out of when he's
45:32
all dry. But five and one, I have seen
45:35
this man do incredible things. He's a
45:38
former FLA amateur champion as well. And
45:41
that guy was UFC bound. I mean, here's
45:44
the thing that's crazy, Andy. Like, you
45:46
have a guy who literally would be UFC
45:49
bound in my opinion, whether it's like,
45:51
you know, in one fight or two fights or
45:52
three fights, but this guy had
45:54
everything in the making, man, to be a
45:56
UFC fighter. So, to give it all up. He's
45:59
a firefighter. Uh he's a good family
46:01
man. Loves his loves his uh loves his
46:03
family and and his team over at
46:05
Evolution. He trains with Ben Lee, of
46:07
course. And he's just such a great guy.
46:09
So humble and respectful. I had him on
46:12
my podcast. He's one of the very first
46:13
FA fighters I had on my podcast, too. Uh
46:16
just such a great guy, man. But to to
46:18
walk away from the sport when he has
46:22
suffered like
46:24
zero damage, I I swear to God, I've
46:27
taken more damage than Rory Gillis, you
46:30
know, in my nonfighting training at a
46:33
kettlebell class than this guy has taken
46:35
in all his fights. He like absolutely
46:38
devastating. He has power for days, this
46:41
kid. And um to to give it all up, kudos
46:44
to him, man. You you lived the dream as
46:46
long as you wanted to do it and you
46:48
retire of your own accord.
46:49
Congratulations to you. But uh you will
46:51
be sadly missed. Sadly missed.
46:54
>> Sure.
46:54
>> He my wife loves him. My wife is always
46:58
like the mustache.
46:59
>> Rory Gillis the mustache. Like she loves
47:02
this guy and and and he's always been so
47:03
kind and nice and
47:05
>> h I don't like it. I do not like it.
47:07
Andy,
47:08
>> I I I know what you mean. But it it's
47:10
time. It's it's his decision. Um
47:12
>> but what would you do? you're five and
47:15
one as a pro
47:17
>> young guy like I he's not old by any
47:19
means, right? Like like UFC could come
47:22
knocking.
47:24
>> Well, it's interesting you say that
47:25
because I I got him to acknowledge that
47:28
maybe this is just a bit of burnout and
47:30
I'm not saying he's going to come back
47:31
somewhere down the line,
47:33
>> but you know, he just he just needs time
47:34
off. It's it's a lot of effort. It's
47:37
always being prepared. It's it's
47:38
training. It's taking, you know, a
47:40
training camp is two months of of not
47:42
going to the flea market on Saturdays
47:43
with your wife because you've got
47:44
training. It's it's your dietary
47:46
restrictions. It's it's all all sorts of
47:48
stuff.
47:48
>> And you know, he's getting ready to get
47:50
married. They want to have kids. Uh he
47:51
tells you that later on. You'll hear it
47:53
for yourself. But uh you know,
47:55
>> so you're saying it's his wife's fault.
47:56
>> That's exactly what I'm saying.
47:58
>> And no, she apparently she's super
48:00
supportive of absolutely everything. And
48:02
Rory told me that you're not going to
48:04
believe this. Absolutely nobody knew he
48:06
was gonna make that announcement before
48:07
beforehand.
48:08
>> Even his wife, his wife, his teammates,
48:10
nobody knew. In fact, he didn't really
48:12
know.
48:12
>> I wondered why she didn't jump in and
48:13
give him a kiss. You know what I mean?
48:15
Like uh
48:16
>> yeah. Uh absolutely shocking, man. And
48:18
so here's what you Okay. But what I am
48:20
hearing from you is that if you are a
48:24
gentleman in the middleweight division
48:26
and at some point you want to call out
48:29
Rory Gillis out of retirement,
48:33
do it. see what happens. I mean, God
48:35
bless you if you do because then you're
48:37
going to get knocked out by Rory Gillis.
48:39
But, I mean, there's a potential call
48:41
out maybe down the road, man, and
48:42
something maybe brings him back. But
48:44
Rory Gillis is so such a happy guy. I
48:46
can't see anyone getting under his skin
48:48
that he be like, I'm coming back for
48:49
you, you know?
48:50
>> I do I do love a good call out. So, I
48:52
guess we'll have to wait and see.
48:54
>> Yeah. And
48:55
>> yeah, but congratulations on an
48:57
incredible career to Rory, man. Like the
48:59
nicest guy in the planet. And uh the
49:01
only thing is like just hey keep
49:03
training those guys at evolution be
49:05
there with Andy Young and keep
49:06
developing that team because like Rory
49:08
is such a part of that team. I've never
49:10
seen an Evolution fighter fight without
49:13
Rory Gillis behind him.
49:15
>> I'm so glad you just said that that name
49:17
right now. Andy Young. I think that Andy
49:19
Young is is one of those very
49:21
underappreciated
49:23
assets to the to the maritime MMA
49:26
community. Uh I I don't I don't know him
49:28
well, but I've met him, you know, a
49:30
dozen times at fights over the years,
49:32
and he has just for for a decade now or
49:34
more, he has just been slowly, steadily
49:37
producing excellent fighters with good,
49:40
well-rounded, solid skill sets. And uh
49:44
you know that if you're coming out of
49:45
evolution that you're probably going to
49:47
be a good fighter and don't take a fight
49:49
against an evolution fighter unless
49:50
you're ready and you're prepared.
49:53
>> Definitely. Definitely. No. Andy's
49:55
Andy's a great great guy. He's he's very
49:58
much uh the spitting image of Rory minus
50:02
the mustache, but like they're very much
50:04
the same kind of human being, you know
50:05
what I mean? Like just very nice,
50:07
friendly, good people. And uh that's
50:09
what the East Coast is all about, my
50:10
man.
50:11
>> Y and I don't want to finish I don't
50:13
want to finish talking about this fight
50:14
without talking about Derek Bergen. Uh
50:16
he he's a a skilled fighter. He looked
50:18
really good in some of the times. Uh and
50:20
you know, he was trying to keep that
50:22
distance close when Rory was on top. uh
50:24
to prevent Rory from getting the ground
50:25
and pound. But Rory found a way to get
50:27
through. And uh Derek, if you're
50:29
watching, I just want to say keep your
50:30
head head held high, man. You're a
50:31
warrior in there. You did did good. Um
50:33
just keep training. Keep persevering.
50:35
And uh and I'll see you next time.
50:38
>> Oh, definitely, man. Raw Dog. Look, I
50:41
love Raw Dog. He's a great guy. And um I
50:44
was very happy to meet him. Honored to
50:45
have him. He was on the FLA Exposure
50:47
podcast. Great guy. He was talking to
50:49
me. You know, here's the thing. when I'm
50:50
preparing for an event too, like you
50:52
know, I'll message the fighters to try
50:53
and get some information, everything. He
50:54
was one of those guys that was
50:55
immediately writing back, sharing
50:57
stories, and you know, just being a
50:59
great guy. So, very, very nice guy, a
51:01
good addition to FLA. I hope we see him
51:02
back. Really, really hope that his
51:04
career goes well.
51:05
>> Me, too.
51:05
>> All right, finally, the last fight of
51:07
the night, and this was kind of
51:08
heartbreaking to me. Uh, Canadian Morgan
51:10
Ryan lost against Alan Ruiz in the main
51:12
event. Uh, I've known Morgan for
51:15
forever, since the start of his career.
51:17
I remember in my mind I still think of
51:18
him as a kid, right? As a baby. He his
51:20
his body was kind of weird at the time
51:23
because in a good way because he had
51:25
like a normal upper body, but his legs
51:27
his lower body once he hit the waist his
51:28
legs were just like this big around. It
51:31
was crazy. And he's more normal side
51:33
like he's he's proportionate now. Super
51:36
skilled. And uh and I I I felt bad for
51:39
the way this fight happened. But Alan
51:40
Ruiz won a split decision and it was
51:42
deserved. It was fair decision I think.
51:45
>> Yeah. I mean, congratulations to Morgan
51:47
on eventually becoming proportional.
51:51
>> That's what we're learning.
51:51
>> That'll be the That'll be the clip for
51:53
this video clip for this fight. Yeah.
51:55
>> Yeah. Yeah. Really proud of you, Morgan.
51:58
Uh 33 professional fights between these
52:00
two guys. They did an absolutely
52:02
incredible job, man. The fight
52:04
delivered. I mean, I was hoping that the
52:06
crowd was just going to start chanting,
52:08
"One more round. One more round." You
52:10
know, like it was a great fight, man.
52:12
from beginning to end. I didn't know for
52:14
sure who was going to take it because it
52:16
was very, very close. And of course,
52:17
Alan Pachchungas Ruiz coming in. He's
52:20
the away fighter. So, this could be a
52:22
hometown advantage, you know. Um, and
52:24
Morgan did so well, man. Morgan looked
52:26
more ripped and shredded at weigh-ins
52:28
than I've ever seen him. He was
52:30
physically ready to go. He's gone on
52:31
such a tear, you know, and done so, so
52:34
well in the promotion and in his fights.
52:36
Great, great guy. Again, speaking about
52:38
like someone who represents Canadian
52:41
mixed martial arts well or represents
52:42
the East Coast, well, this is a guy that
52:44
does it. Uh, but Alan Pachchungis Ruiz,
52:47
man, would not be denied. This kid came
52:49
in and fought Jano Porier at 170 pounds
52:53
last year, immediately after his fight
52:56
is yelling outside the cage to John
52:58
Foster, the co-owner of Fight League
53:00
Atlantic, I want to fight at 145. I want
53:02
to fight at 145. He knew he did well
53:04
against uh Geno, but he lost that
53:06
decision, right? And um now goes back
53:10
down 25 lbs, right? Drops down to back
53:14
to his 145 and really showed why he
53:17
belongs there. Excellent striking,
53:19
excellent grappling, excellent takedown
53:21
defense. This kid has it all, man. And
53:23
he also has a freaking amazing haircut
53:25
like that. His hair. Uh I did find out
53:28
that his wife does that for him. So his
53:30
wife does his hair and does all the the
53:32
cool uh dye job and whatever it is, but
53:35
and it apparently is different for every
53:37
fight, but you know, he's got two kids
53:39
at home and great great kid, man. Great
53:42
kid and so happy that he did so well.
53:44
And uh speaking to him after the fight,
53:46
he's like, I just I want to keep
53:47
fighting for Fight League Atlantic. I
53:48
love it here. I love it here, you know.
53:49
And kudos to him, man. And he's just
53:51
such a great guy. So many people taking
53:53
photos with him. That's another thing,
53:55
Andy. like uh at the end of the night
53:56
he's you know walking around there in
53:58
arena and and fans you know that maybe
54:00
had never met that guy before right or
54:03
had not known about him before were
54:04
waiting around to take photos with him.
54:06
So think about how cool that is that you
54:07
went over that hometown crowd and people
54:09
are asking to take photos of you. It's
54:11
pretty awesome.
54:12
>> Yeah. I think that the the the Mexican
54:14
fighters have been coming out to Canada
54:16
for the past few years. There's been a a
54:18
huge evolution in in in things. It used
54:22
to be known that Mexican fighters were
54:25
brought up to lose. And so you'd get
54:27
fighters and and usually a fight event,
54:29
I'm talking like three, four, five years
54:31
ago, if there were Mexicans in the card,
54:33
they'd all go home with a loss on their
54:35
belt. And that has over time changed.
54:38
We're starting to see a lot of Mexicans
54:40
at the last unified card. They had some
54:42
good Mexican success. We had Alan Ruiz
54:44
tonight. Looked really good. And uh and
54:47
I think it's I think it's cool. I think
54:49
it's kind of neat sort of in a symbiotic
54:51
way that we can have that association
54:52
with the Mexican fighters. I know their
54:55
coach uh and and and manager uh
54:57
Christian Viea, he does a fantastic job
54:59
bringing all these young men up to
55:01
fight. And the thing about the Mexican
55:03
fighters, it's a cliche like but cliches
55:06
happen for a reason is the Mexican
55:08
fighters are [ __ ] tough, man. They're
55:09
tough and they come to fight. You
55:10
mentioned Ellen Ruiz fighting in
55:12
multiple weight classes. I saw him fight
55:13
at 170 and unified off the top of my
55:16
head who was it against uh
55:20
Simon Marcus it fight but you saw when
55:24
he had a chance in his own element his
55:26
own weight class he looked fantastic he
55:28
did actually look really good and me
55:29
personally this was my favorite fight of
55:31
the night it takes two fighters it takes
55:33
two fighters to have an excellent fight
55:34
and both he and Morgan brought it man it
55:36
was back and forth it was it was not
55:38
clear to me who won the fight afterwards
55:41
>> um you know it was a split decision
55:43
ision. Therefore, two judges gave it to
55:45
uh um to to um
55:48
>> Allan. Two judges give to Allen and one
55:50
gave it to to Morgan. And that's fair.
55:52
Had it gone the other way. I also think
55:54
that would have been fair.
55:55
>> And uh
55:56
>> yeah.
55:56
>> Yeah. It's a shame, but uh it's a shame
55:59
for Morgan, but it's good for Allan.
56:02
>> Yeah. I mean, a great fight. Both of
56:04
them, you know, keep their heads up. I
56:05
know Morgan obviously very disappointed
56:07
from it. But look, he's bounced back
56:08
before from losses and gone on
56:10
incredible win streak. So like I don't
56:12
expect anything less from him. Uh but
56:14
Allan Ruiz really really congratulations
56:15
to that guy, man. Put on put a stamp on
56:18
a great show and I'm very excited. I'm
56:20
very excited to watch it back on UFC
56:21
fight back.
56:22
>> There you go. Good plug.
56:23
>> Um and final thing about this fight and
56:25
back to Allen's hair. It was very
56:27
reminiscent. I don't know how long
56:28
you've been a fight fan, but back in the
56:30
day a lot of the Kebekqua fighters used
56:31
to have hair like that. John Lule. I
56:33
think Steve Clavo used to have their
56:35
fight hair like that. Uh, it was kind of
56:37
cool. So, that's the first thing I
56:38
thought of when I saw whenever I see
56:39
Alan Ruiz's hair.
56:40
>> Yeah. Yeah. No, it looked great. Yeah,
56:42
it was really good. Really, really good.
56:44
>> All right, Tim, I told you which was my
56:45
favorite fight. Did you have something
56:47
that stood out for you on this night at
56:48
FLA 24?
56:51
>> Oh, man. Like, uh, of all the fights,
56:54
what was my favorite fight? I can't, you
56:57
know,
56:59
hold on. Hold on. Let me go put you on
57:01
the spot here.
57:02
>> Second. I
57:04
>> I don't know, man. I honestly I think
57:07
maybe
57:11
it is so tough. They were all so good.
57:14
But you know what? I'm going to say that
57:15
maybe my favorite fight was the
57:21
Maybe it's the
57:23
>> James Richardson fight. Okay,
57:25
>> I'm going to go with that one. I I was
57:27
going to go with Medi, but I feel bad
57:28
because it was it was such a one-sided
57:30
fight and like a real domination. I'm
57:32
very excited for Medi because of what he
57:35
potentially is going to bring to the
57:36
promotion for the future and I think
57:37
that he that he's a breakout star. But
57:40
James Richardson, man, maybe that is my
57:42
favorite because that was a very good
57:43
fight and I think that James Richardson
57:45
really
57:47
put everybody on notice, put the
57:49
division on notice and like let
57:50
everybody know that this kid is for
57:52
real, man. like uh the his G team
57:54
nicknames him the doctor and I said like
57:57
he's delivering prescriptions for pain
57:59
Andy and uh he's a dietician you know a
58:03
great kid super intelligent works at a
58:05
hospital dietician and and and a good
58:07
guy but man really really did well and I
58:10
think that that that was someone now
58:12
that we have to really watch out for if
58:13
you weren't already
58:15
that really showed that there's a new
58:17
star in town and it's James Richardson.
58:18
>> Okay, good. Thank you very much. And
58:20
yeah, Tim, I don't know if you ever get
58:21
tired of this MMA gig, I think you could
58:23
have a have a future career as a voice
58:25
actor on the Simpsons, man. You you
58:27
could be in there and contribute, I
58:28
think.
58:30
>> Give me a call and I will be
58:32
>> Come on. You're here first.
58:34
>> Yeah. What are you doing?
58:35
>> All right, Tim.
58:36
>> I got bills to pay, Andy.
58:38
>> Yeah, we all do. All right, Tim. Uh,
58:40
once again, thank you so much for
58:41
joining me. This is really nice. I
58:43
enjoyed meeting you in the weekend. You
58:44
seem like you're a super guy. Had a good
58:46
meal together. Had some good pizza and a
58:47
You didn't have a cowzone. What did you
58:48
have? a panzerati or something.
58:50
>> I had a donaire panzerati. It was my
58:53
first ever one. Dude, I've never had
58:55
one. People always told me they're like
58:56
cuz the first time I went to East Coast,
58:58
they're like, "Have a donaire. Okay,
58:59
fine. Try a donaire sub. Okay, got that.
59:02
Okay, try a donaire pizza. Okay, got
59:03
that."
59:04
>> And then someone told me about this
59:06
panzerati.
59:07
>> Dude, that was delicious. It was crazy.
59:11
It was really good.
59:11
>> Crazy good. Yeah.
59:13
>> All right. Uh T,
59:14
>> but yeah. No, man. Good, good to meet
59:15
you and thank you so much for allowing
59:16
me to do this with you and I really
59:18
appreciate it and I hope I see you
59:19
again, man, out there. Like these cards
59:21
are absolutely incredible. And if you're
59:22
watching this or listening to this and
59:23
you're like, "What the hell is Fight
59:24
League Atlantic?" Go to fight league
59:25
AtAtlantic.com. Follow them on all their
59:27
socials and uh come out to the fights,
59:29
man. Like the next fight is in June. You
59:31
can get a flight out there if you're in
59:33
Toronto. You can get a flight out there
59:34
for like 300 bucks.
59:35
>> Go stay at an Airbnb or some cheap
59:37
hotel, man. And like just enjoy the East
59:39
Coast. It's absolutely beautiful. The
59:41
the fights
59:42
>> are incredible. You'll be in a great
59:44
venue, man. It's way better than
59:45
whatever the hell else you're going to
59:46
do out here in Toronto. That's for sure.
59:48
I'll tell you that.
59:49
>> Um, final point. You mentioned before
59:51
that the the Fight Insight podcast is
59:54
kind of on a hiatus right now. Do you
59:56
know if that's going to be coming back
59:57
at some point or it's it's done?
1:00:01
>> I mean, if you want my wife to kill me,
1:00:03
Andy, I guess it will come back. But,
1:00:05
uh, you know, it's tough, man. It It's
1:00:07
just It's so much work, man. It's so
1:00:08
much work. I mean, you know, you're
1:00:10
doing you're doing this show, man. It is
1:00:12
so much work. I would I had a co-host
1:00:14
all the time and then I would, you know,
1:00:16
be booking all the guests and it's just
1:00:18
it's difficult, man. And then doing all
1:00:19
the editing and the promotion and all
1:00:21
that. And here's the thing, Andy. I
1:00:23
really appreciate that you're doing this
1:00:24
because like you're a good guy. It is a
1:00:26
very un uh unrewarding job. It's
1:00:30
unfulfilling. Like you put this out into
1:00:32
the universe and then like you know like
1:00:34
five people say great job. And then the
1:00:36
craziest thing is after I ended it,
1:00:38
people were giving me more compliments
1:00:39
than when I was doing it. And I'm like,
1:00:40
"Well, where were you before?" You know?
1:00:42
>> Uh, but like
1:00:44
>> it's tough, man. I don't know that I'll
1:00:46
ever go back. I I accomplished
1:00:48
everything I ever wanted to with that
1:00:49
show. My my favorite favorite guest of
1:00:52
all time. My favorite fighter of all
1:00:53
time was um Bobby King Green, and I and
1:00:55
he came on my podcast. So, and he still
1:00:58
messages me to this day, man. And
1:01:00
>> Brian Bam Bam Barbarina became a good
1:01:02
friend of mine. And I met I I found this
1:01:04
dream that I never knew I had with Fight
1:01:06
League Atlantic and doing commentary
1:01:07
that I never knew I could do. and um all
1:01:09
the people that I met around the world,
1:01:11
the the the main announcer for all the
1:01:13
MVP events with Jake Paul, Big Mo, he's
1:01:17
the big tall blonde hair guy. I had him
1:01:19
on my show back before he hit it big and
1:01:21
you know, like so just seeing all these
1:01:23
people and we still message and talk.
1:01:24
It's like amazing. The one thing I miss
1:01:26
the most, Andy, and if you ever end this
1:01:27
show, it's what you'll miss the most is
1:01:29
meeting all the new people and meeting
1:01:31
all these new friends
1:01:33
>> because now week to week I'm like, "Oh,
1:01:34
I'm not meeting new friends anymore."
1:01:36
But like before that's what you were
1:01:37
always doing. So that's what I missed
1:01:39
the most. But man, it was so much
1:01:40
effort. So much. So
1:01:42
>> well Tim,
1:01:43
>> I don't know. But if anyone wants to buy
1:01:44
my remainder merch, you know, if you
1:01:46
want to buy this hat, I'll sell it to
1:01:47
you for a good
1:01:48
>> I don't know. It's vintage now, so maybe
1:01:50
20 30,000. I don't know, this would go
1:01:52
for 35.
1:01:53
>> That's 30. I'll round it to the closest
1:01:56
35,000. Yeah. Uh yeah, man. It's it's
1:01:59
great. And I'm still doing stuff. I do I
1:02:00
do interviews like I'm, you know, with
1:02:02
the FLA. I do that stuff and I do
1:02:04
interviews on Millions.co and I do some
1:02:05
shows there and stuff like that. So, um,
1:02:08
yeah, I'm still in I'm still heavily
1:02:10
involved, man, but Fight League Atlantic
1:02:11
has my, uh, has my heart for now, and,
1:02:13
uh, that's where I really want to focus
1:02:14
most of my energy.
1:02:15
>> Well, I think your heart's in a good
1:02:16
place. And Tim, thank you for everything
1:02:17
you've done in the past. Thank you for
1:02:18
everything you do now. Uh, you're right.
1:02:20
I hope to see you again. I will see you
1:02:22
again at a future FLA or maybe even
1:02:24
elsewhere. Who knows? Maybe at the
1:02:25
Toronto Pearson Airport. Uh, but all the
1:02:27
best and uh, you take care.
1:02:30
>> All right, buddy. Thanks, man. Have a
1:02:31
good one, my friend. See you. Bye-bye.
1:02:33
Rory Gillis, uh, I feel like I just
1:02:35
spoke with you a short while ago before
1:02:37
your last fightic fight. I saw you again
1:02:39
this past weekend. You defeated Derek
1:02:41
Bergen in uh, Picto Nova Scotia at FLA
1:02:44
24. Congratulations on that great win.
1:02:46
But that's not really why we're we're
1:02:47
talking today. Um, it was a it was a
1:02:50
good fight. You won and then after the
1:02:51
fight was over in the cage, you shared
1:02:54
some pretty important news with the fans
1:02:55
listening. Would you mind just uh to to
1:02:57
our viewers right now just reiterate
1:02:59
what you said and and maybe what you
1:03:01
were thinking?
1:03:03
>> Uh yeah. So that was uh that was my last
1:03:06
fight. I uh I retired in the cage. Uh
1:03:09
didn't tell anybody I was going to do
1:03:11
it. Uh just kind of knew this week that
1:03:14
uh that was going to be the last one.
1:03:16
Um,
1:03:18
yeah. And it's it's a big commitment to
1:03:21
be fighting full-time. And, uh,
1:03:25
yeah, I guess I I seen like some of the
1:03:28
my younger teammate Ben, I can see that
1:03:30
he's in a different headsp space, a
1:03:32
headsp space I used to be in. And, uh, I
1:03:35
just been kind of recognizing that in
1:03:37
myself. Uh, I still love the sport.
1:03:39
Still going to be involved in it, still
1:03:40
going to be coaching, but uh, yeah, I
1:03:43
think my days as a competitor are done.
1:03:46
Was this a long time coming or is it
1:03:48
something that just came to you in a
1:03:50
flash?
1:03:52
>> Uh it it came to me uh I guess yeah a
1:03:57
few fights I've been thinking about it
1:03:59
but uh
1:04:01
>> yeah this this week I knew that uh this
1:04:04
this was the last one. Uh
1:04:07
>> just yeah life life's busy. I I got uh
1:04:09
my full-time job. I'm getting married uh
1:04:12
in the fall here. Uh yeah, just looking
1:04:17
to go on to other things, but like I
1:04:19
said, I still love the sport. I still
1:04:20
going to stay involved in it and still
1:04:23
going to train all the time. Uh it's
1:04:25
just a different level when you're
1:04:26
preparing for a fight and getting in
1:04:28
there.
1:04:29
>> A different mindset I think that you you
1:04:31
got to be in.
1:04:33
>> Speaking about different levels, I think
1:04:36
especially with this win over Derrick
1:04:37
Bergen, who's a good opponent, you were
1:04:40
reaching a higher level as well. So that
1:04:42
in the future, I would have imagined
1:04:43
you'd be facing opponents of a of a of a
1:04:46
higher caliber. Uh Derek Bergen was a
1:04:48
good start, but you'd be looking at
1:04:50
going maybe to other promotions or bring
1:04:52
in top tier guys to face you because
1:04:53
you'd be the kind of guy who people
1:04:55
would be looking at to go to the bigger
1:04:57
leagues, maybe the UFC or something like
1:04:58
that. So to get to that point, I mean,
1:05:01
you're already putting in a huge
1:05:03
commitment in training. People might not
1:05:05
understand. Actually, no. You know what?
1:05:07
Our viewers who are watching this
1:05:08
probably understand because a lot of
1:05:09
them are in your shoes. They know how
1:05:11
much time, how much energy, how much
1:05:13
commitment, how much everything of your
1:05:14
life revolves around getting ready to
1:05:16
fight that, you know, even if you're
1:05:18
doing that already at this level, just
1:05:20
imagine if you got to the next level, it
1:05:21
would just it would it would compound.
1:05:23
I'm sure that had to be a consideration
1:05:25
for you.
1:05:27
Yeah, I'm only going to be fighting
1:05:29
tougher and tougher guys and uh there's
1:05:31
some good guys in Canada up and coming
1:05:33
who are hungry and I know they would uh
1:05:36
be thrilled to be testing themselves
1:05:38
against me and uh in some ways I I think
1:05:42
that would have been exciting to test
1:05:43
myself against some of those guys. But
1:05:46
uh like I said, I just
1:05:50
uh we were we were kind of talking
1:05:51
before the interview. I was looking at
1:05:52
people like my teammate Ben Lease who
1:05:54
just had an awesome win on the weekend
1:05:57
and uh just the emotions he was feeling
1:06:00
in the dressing room and and uh fight
1:06:03
week. Uh they were emotions that I was
1:06:08
feeling a few fights ago that I found
1:06:10
like I'm not I I wasn't feeling anymore.
1:06:12
And uh
1:06:14
>> I guess recognizing that myself, I just
1:06:16
decided uh to stop sooner rather than
1:06:20
later. uh when the sport pushes you out
1:06:23
or you decide to get out before the
1:06:25
sport does.
1:06:26
>> Mhm. So, you didn't tell anybody? Did
1:06:29
your fianceé know that you were going to
1:06:30
be doing this?
1:06:31
>> No, she was she was watching with my dad
1:06:34
and uh she was looking at him like, "Did
1:06:36
you know about this?" And uh yeah. No, I
1:06:39
I I told her I I've been thinking about
1:06:41
it, but uh I never told her that I was
1:06:44
going to do it. And uh yeah, she was
1:06:46
just as surprised as everybody else.
1:06:49
when you got a chance to sit down with
1:06:51
her and chat afterwards in the days
1:06:52
following, what was her reaction?
1:06:55
>> She she just wanted to make sure I was
1:06:57
okay with it, that I'm not going to have
1:06:58
any regrets uh stopping. And uh she's
1:07:03
she's been supportive the whole time.
1:07:05
Like she just wants me to get what I
1:07:07
want out of this sport. So, uh
1:07:10
>> she she was just kind of checking in
1:07:11
with me like as long as I'm okay with my
1:07:14
decision, then she's okay with it, too.
1:07:16
Uh yeah, she she's been super supportive
1:07:19
throughout the whole thing. Like
1:07:21
actually whenever uh me and my fiance
1:07:23
met, the first time she met my parents
1:07:25
was at my first fight. So I just quickly
1:07:29
introduced her to
1:07:31
>> uh well I my mom is too nervous to go to
1:07:33
the fight, so she only met my dad, I
1:07:34
guess. But uh yeah, she she she met my
1:07:38
dad and my siblings. Uh and uh I just
1:07:41
quickly introduced them for like a half
1:07:43
hour and then I had to go to the venue.
1:07:45
So then, yeah, she kind of hung out with
1:07:46
them all night. So fighting's been a big
1:07:49
part of our relationship ever since we
1:07:50
met each other.
1:07:53
>> Wow, that's pretty great. So now you
1:07:56
said you're still going to stay involved
1:07:57
in the sport. You train at Evolution MMA
1:08:00
and Fitness, correct?
1:08:01
>> Yep, that's right.
1:08:03
>> So you'll you'll be you'll be still
1:08:04
training there. I do you anticipate your
1:08:06
your amount of training is going to go
1:08:08
down significantly? Like how often are
1:08:10
you going to go? Uh are you going to
1:08:12
start coaching immediately? Were you
1:08:13
coaching already? I have so many
1:08:15
questions and I don't know if you have
1:08:16
the answers to any of them yet.
1:08:18
>> Uh yeah, I don't know if I have the
1:08:20
answers either, but I want to keep
1:08:22
training uh as much as I have been
1:08:24
training uh because I think that's the
1:08:26
best way to learn. You got to be testing
1:08:27
it all the time and I'm still and I'm
1:08:29
still healthy enough to train. So, uh
1:08:32
yeah, I'm definitely going to be
1:08:33
training. Um but I'm going to be going
1:08:36
into that coaching role, too. So, uh,
1:08:39
focusing on guys like Ben is like one of
1:08:43
our upandcomers. So, like definitely be
1:08:45
focusing on Ben. And then we have a lot
1:08:48
of guys who are getting their toes wet.
1:08:51
Uh, getting into some amateur kickboxing
1:08:53
coming up soon here. And, uh, we'll have
1:08:56
a lot of guys, I think, that are
1:08:59
thinking about making that walk into the
1:09:00
FLA cage pretty soon, too. So, I'll be
1:09:02
helping those guys out.
1:09:04
>> That's pretty awesome, man. Uh, I'm just
1:09:07
curious if you have any hobbies or any
1:09:09
other things you think you might be able
1:09:10
to explore more now that you you could
1:09:12
have time if you let yourself.
1:09:15
>> Uh, I used to have other hobbies. Uh,
1:09:19
MMA is uh, yeah, pretty much. And it's
1:09:23
still going to be my main hobby and I
1:09:25
think I'll still do grappling
1:09:27
competitions, too. Uh, that's that's a
1:09:29
side of the sport that I really like.
1:09:31
Uh, so yeah, I think I'll still be doing
1:09:33
jiu-jitsu and grappling competitions.
1:09:35
Uh, and maybe I'll get back into hockey.
1:09:38
Uh, I used to play hockey. Uh, and then
1:09:41
MMA's kind of taken over and I haven't
1:09:44
been playing as much, but guys on the
1:09:46
fire department, they usually rent the
1:09:48
ice in the afternoons. And, uh, yeah,
1:09:50
it' be nice just to be able to hang out
1:09:53
with some people outside of the fight
1:09:54
sport, too. And, uh,
1:09:57
>> yeah. So, I'll probably that that'd
1:09:58
probably be a hobby I might get back
1:10:00
into is playing some hockey on the side.
1:10:03
>> Awesome. Awesome.
1:10:05
Now, what I'm about to say next might be
1:10:07
looked at by some people's projection,
1:10:09
and I don't want to tell you what's
1:10:11
going to happen, but I just do know that
1:10:13
in a lot of sports, and in mixed martial
1:10:15
arts, for sure, retirements come and
1:10:17
then retirements go. It's like, I'm
1:10:19
retired, and then 6 months later,
1:10:21
somebody's signed a fight. So, uh, you
1:10:23
know, I'm not I'm not going to even ask
1:10:24
you if that's something you might
1:10:25
consider because I don't think you know
1:10:26
the answer yet. But, uh, I wouldn't be
1:10:28
surprised if you you get the itch after
1:10:30
taking a year off or something like that
1:10:32
and see you back in that cage again.
1:10:34
You know, you know, it is crazy because
1:10:37
uh yeah, I've been pretty active and uh
1:10:39
burnout's a real thing. Like I I was
1:10:42
feeling like I was getting burnt out. So
1:10:45
yeah, who knows if I have time off, if
1:10:47
I'll get that itch again. But uh I was
1:10:50
definitely reaching that burnout uh
1:10:52
stage. So I'm going to enjoy time
1:10:55
relaxing, enjoy my retirement, enjoy
1:10:58
coaching, and uh you're right, Eddie.
1:11:02
Who knows? Who knows what's going to
1:11:04
happen in the future? Like I Yeah, I'm
1:11:07
I'm not going to say 100% know because
1:11:10
you never know what's going to happen.
1:11:11
>> How about we just leave it at that?
1:11:13
>> Yeah, that's right.
1:11:16
>> Okay, Rory. Well, I you know, it's
1:11:18
funny. When I was when you're at the
1:11:20
stadium, when you're at the arena during
1:11:21
the fights, I was standing like six feet
1:11:24
away from you when you made the
1:11:25
announcement, but I couldn't really hear
1:11:26
anything just the way the loudspeakers
1:11:27
are, right? You know, you know, you
1:11:29
can't hear as much when you're in
1:11:30
person. But uh everyone as soon as you
1:11:32
started saying those words I could sense
1:11:34
there was something going on around me.
1:11:35
I was looking like people were looking
1:11:37
at each other. They were talking and
1:11:38
like hush whispers and you know I was I
1:11:41
was sitting beside the ring announcer
1:11:42
Craig Ferguson. So he told me what
1:11:44
happened actually. So uh I was pretty
1:11:46
surprised but I get it man. I I totally
1:11:49
get it and it's important to remember
1:11:50
that we're all human beings and we have
1:11:52
lives and just because we do something
1:11:54
doesn't that that doesn't mean that's
1:11:56
who we are right? It doesn't mean you're
1:11:57
an MMA fighter for the rest of your
1:11:59
life. Uh, you can just do different
1:12:00
things, have fun, enjoy your life.
1:12:02
You're getting married. I bet your kids
1:12:04
are on your way after that. So, whatever
1:12:06
happens, Rory, I'm really happy for you.
1:12:08
I just want to thank you for all your
1:12:10
for everything you've done for the
1:12:11
sport. You've created a great name for
1:12:13
yourself. You've created a positive
1:12:14
atmosphere wherever you go. You're such
1:12:16
a good man. Uh, thank you for all that.
1:12:18
And, uh, yeah, I hope you kick some butt
1:12:21
and just enjoy some time off and, uh,
1:12:23
maybe we'll see each other again
1:12:24
someday.
1:12:26
>> Yeah, it was it was awesome meeting you
1:12:28
at the event, Andy. I'm glad uh I was
1:12:30
able to meet you before I actually did
1:12:32
retire and you got to see me compete
1:12:34
live which was pretty cool.
1:12:36
>> Uh and hopefully if you're back at FLA
1:12:38
I'll get to see you in the crowd. I'll
1:12:39
be around coaching so I don't think I'll
1:12:42
be missing too many FLA events anyway.
1:12:44
>> Yeah. Yep.
1:12:46
>> Unfortunately I won't be at the June
1:12:47
event, but hopefully again later this
1:12:48
year I'm going to make an effort to come
1:12:50
out. So uh we we'll see. But uh anyway,
1:12:52
Roy, thanks for everything. Any final
1:12:54
words before we go?
1:12:56
>> Uh final words. I just want to thank uh
1:13:00
my friends, family, everybody who
1:13:02
supported me. My fiance, like I
1:13:04
mentioned already, she's been super
1:13:05
supportive throughout whatever I want to
1:13:08
do. Uh everybody at Evolution who's
1:13:10
helped me get ready uh over the years,
1:13:13
like people have dropped what they're
1:13:15
doing whenever fight camp time comes
1:13:17
around. Uh it's not easy to get people
1:13:20
to come in on a Saturday. So, those
1:13:22
people who come in on a Saturday to help
1:13:24
Shark Tank us, I appreciate everybody.
1:13:28
Uh, and I'm I'm excited for my teammates
1:13:31
for what they're going to do. Uh, yeah,
1:13:35
excited for what Ben's going to do. Uh,
1:13:38
excited for what Devin's going to do,
1:13:39
too. Another teammate. Me, Devin, and
1:13:41
Ben have been on a lot of fight cards
1:13:43
together. So, just can't thank those
1:13:45
guys enough. And all the other guys in
1:13:48
our gym up and coming. I'm excited to
1:13:49
see what they're going to do. And yeah,
1:13:51
just thankful for everybody that's
1:13:52
helped me along the way.
1:13:54
>> Thanks a lot, Rory. Appreciate the time
1:13:56
and all the best.
1:13:58
>> Yeah, thanks Andy.
1:14:00
>> Christopher Brian, it's good to see you
1:14:01
again. I met you once very briefly. I
1:14:03
stopped by Absolute and watched a
1:14:05
training session last year, the year
1:14:06
before, I think it was. Very impressed
1:14:08
by your skill set. You were looking
1:14:10
really good. You and your teammates at
1:14:11
at uh Champions Creed MMA. Uh Josh Fox
1:14:14
was there. He looked great. Nick Leblanc
1:14:16
was there. He looked great. Alexander
1:14:17
Horchanik uh of course Hakee was there.
1:14:19
Hakeim Dalwood, you all got you look
1:14:21
like you've got a solid core, a solid
1:14:23
team there. Tell me about uh your
1:14:25
training there at at Champions Creed MMA
1:14:26
in Calgary.
1:14:28
>> Uh very consistently. We have high level
1:14:30
guys at the gym and uh it's great
1:14:32
because we have kind of a tribe
1:14:34
mentality and uh the tribe regulates the
1:14:36
tribe. So, we're consistently holding
1:14:38
each other accountable and getting
1:14:39
strong together, which is important for
1:14:41
me. So,
1:14:42
>> how do you hold each other accountable?
1:14:43
Like uh like if somebody doesn't show up
1:14:45
for a couple days, are you calling them
1:14:46
and saying, "Hey, you need to get your
1:14:47
ass back in here?" Well, I'll give you
1:14:49
I'll actually give you an example. The
1:14:50
other day I tried to talk myself out of
1:14:52
Tai sparring and Hakee was making sure I
1:14:54
was there. He said, you know, we were on
1:14:56
the phone and he says, "Listen, dude,
1:14:57
show up to my class. It's not up for
1:15:00
debate. You know, be there." And, you
1:15:02
know, ultimately he's right, you know,
1:15:03
and I actually had a great sparring
1:15:04
session that day. So,
1:15:06
>> yeah, that's awesome. I I think to
1:15:08
become a high level athlete, you have
1:15:09
need to have a lot of independence and
1:15:11
and desire to push yourself, too. But
1:15:13
sometimes, man, you just need that extra
1:15:14
little push, doesn't it? Don't don't
1:15:16
you?
1:15:16
>> Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.
1:15:18
So, take a minute, Christopher, now if
1:15:20
you don't mind, just take 60 seconds,
1:15:22
uh, just introduce yourself, say who you
1:15:24
are, uh, how you got involved in combat
1:15:27
sports, and perhaps why we're talking
1:15:28
right now.
1:15:30
>> Um, hi, my name is Christopher Bryan.
1:15:33
Um, I got involved in combat sports, uh,
1:15:36
when I was in high school, uh, to stay
1:15:38
out of trouble. you know, a few people
1:15:39
have sang the same blues uh in my gym
1:15:42
and throughout the martial art community
1:15:43
and uh you know, it kept me out of jail
1:15:46
and uh in the gym instead.
1:15:49
>> How old were you when you started
1:15:51
training?
1:15:52
>> I was 14.
1:15:53
>> And what did you start in any particular
1:15:55
discipline?
1:15:56
>> It was uh Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay
1:15:58
Thai. Those were two big ones for me.
1:16:00
And I competed uh heavily in both of
1:16:02
them early on as well.
1:16:04
>> Nice. So, you started when you're 14.
1:16:05
You're how old now?
1:16:07
>> I'm 27. Uh,
1:16:10
>> you're just a young pup. Don't even get
1:16:11
started on me, please.
1:16:14
>> Uh, so when you started in Brazilian
1:16:16
jiu-jitsu and Muai, what was it about
1:16:17
those sports that drew you in that
1:16:19
sucked you in and just made you want to
1:16:20
compete and get better?
1:16:22
>> Um, the challenge and how hard it was,
1:16:26
you know, how it made me feel. The
1:16:27
nerves were unsettling. And, uh, you
1:16:30
know, I always there always used to be
1:16:32
street fights happening in my
1:16:33
neighborhood and it kind of replicated
1:16:35
that feeling but in a more professional
1:16:37
sense. And uh it's it's a little bit of
1:16:39
adversity for me which for some reason I
1:16:41
don't know why but that's the direction
1:16:43
I go uh when I'm looking for the right
1:16:46
path is the hard path. So
1:16:49
>> I actually spent a lot of years in
1:16:50
Calgary. In fact Calgary is where I
1:16:52
joined the military from. Whereabouts do
1:16:54
you live or where were you raised in
1:16:55
Calgary?
1:16:56
>> Uh I was actually born in Ontario and
1:17:00
raised for a while in Ontario and then
1:17:02
I've lived in Calgary for the past six
1:17:04
seven years I think now
1:17:05
>> I think. So, yeah, I wasn't always in
1:17:07
Alberta, but it's definitely better
1:17:09
here. I've definitely evolved more as a
1:17:10
martial artist and a human being here as
1:17:13
well.
1:17:14
>> Are you able to train full-time or do
1:17:15
you have a job outside?
1:17:16
>> Oh, absolutely. So, I actually have a
1:17:18
wonderful setup. I own my own garage
1:17:20
door business, which allows me to train
1:17:22
full-time two to three times a day. So,
1:17:25
I'll kind of give you a layout of my
1:17:26
day. Um, a typical day is
1:17:29
>> I usually start my install at about 9:00
1:17:32
and I'm done at about 12 to 1. only work
1:17:35
for about yeah not too many hours and
1:17:38
then after that I go home and I bike my
1:17:40
dogs.
1:17:41
>> After my dogs are biked I go lift
1:17:43
weights and then after that I take a
1:17:45
rest, do some administration for my
1:17:46
business and invoice people yada yada
1:17:49
yada. Then I'm off to my final training
1:17:51
sessions throughout the day.
1:17:52
>> That's amazing. It sounds like
1:17:53
>> every single day. Yeah. It's like uh
1:17:55
like uh clockwork.
1:17:58
>> That's such a great setup, man. And I
1:17:59
mean, so many people are sort of slaves
1:18:01
to a to a business where they have to be
1:18:03
there from 9:00 to 55 or 8 to 4 or
1:18:04
whatever, but being able to make your
1:18:06
own hours just sounds like it's I don't
1:18:07
know why everybody doesn't try to do it.
1:18:09
>> Mhm. Well, you know what? It's
1:18:11
definitely it definitely requires a lot
1:18:14
of self-discipline. You know, I have to
1:18:16
wake up and go to work. You know, I
1:18:18
could choose to just take all the time
1:18:20
off in the world, but I still have to
1:18:21
have an income. I still have, you know,
1:18:23
uh, rent to pay. I still have things to
1:18:25
pay for. And, uh, work's important for
1:18:27
me. and I want to grow my business
1:18:28
alongside growing my martial art career.
1:18:30
So, it's both are actually really
1:18:32
important to me equally.
1:18:34
>> Nice. How did you pick garage door in
1:18:36
installation as a as a business?
1:18:38
>> Yeah. So, my father actually has been in
1:18:41
the garage door game for about almost 30
1:18:45
years now. And it was something that I
1:18:48
thought about before leaving Ontario.
1:18:50
And I came up here and I learned the
1:18:51
trade with my dad. And then, you know,
1:18:54
he stopped doing residential and I saw
1:18:56
an opening to do residential. So, I
1:18:59
started my own residential garage door
1:19:01
business. And yeah, now ever since that,
1:19:03
I've been doing my own thing. And you
1:19:05
know, listen, I love it. I'll never go
1:19:06
back. I absolutely love it. And uh it
1:19:09
gives me time to do the things that I
1:19:13
love and appreciate the little things.
1:19:14
And you know, sometimes you don't get
1:19:16
that.
1:19:18
>> Let's move on now to uh your fight. The
1:19:20
reason why we're talking right now is
1:19:21
because you are going to be fighting in
1:19:23
the main event at Absolute MMA number
1:19:25
eight. I believe it's called Anarchy.
1:19:27
That's on the 2nd of May in Calgary.
1:19:29
I'll be there in attendance and it's
1:19:30
pretty exciting. Uh tell me about uh
1:19:32
this fight. How your opponent's name is
1:19:34
Ethan something, right? Uh what did you
1:19:36
think about him when you found out he's
1:19:37
who you'd be fighting and and and and
1:19:40
was there any hesitation in fighting
1:19:41
this guy?
1:19:42
>> Um no, there was no hesitation at all.
1:19:45
However, you know, we respect Ethan uh
1:19:48
immensely. He's a very skilled fighter.
1:19:50
He has experience and he's he's been
1:19:52
fighting in America tons and staying
1:19:54
active. He's very skilled. Um, but after
1:19:58
my recent loss, I have changed a ton of
1:20:01
things and I have revamped my training
1:20:03
and I've, you know, rethought my
1:20:06
recovery sessions. I've rethought what
1:20:08
I've been doing in the gym. I'm trying
1:20:09
to make my all my training sessions more
1:20:11
applicable and have intention when I'm
1:20:13
doing it. Um, and Ethan is the perfect
1:20:15
guy. He's still challenging. I don't
1:20:17
want to have, you know, a loss and then,
1:20:19
okay, you know what? I have to fight
1:20:20
some can, you know. No, I want a a real
1:20:22
fighter and Ethan's a real fighter and
1:20:23
I'm super excited to share the cage with
1:20:25
him. So,
1:20:26
>> I spoke earlier on today with Charles
1:20:28
Drew who was in the main event or sorry,
1:20:30
the co-main event of the UFC in Winnipeg
1:20:32
this past weekend. Uh, he's talked with
1:20:34
me in the past and we talked more today
1:20:36
about how he had a loss to Jean Silva at
1:20:39
145 pounds and that prompted him to make
1:20:41
a whole bunch of changes. The only
1:20:42
superficially it was a change in weight
1:20:44
class. He went down to bantamweight but
1:20:45
additionally he had to really sort of
1:20:48
evaluate his life with with a true lens
1:20:50
with a clear lens and ask himself what
1:20:53
he was doing and if he was doing what he
1:20:55
needed to be successful at the highest
1:20:56
level. So it sounds like you went
1:20:57
through something similar. You had a
1:20:59
loss and losing is never fun especially
1:21:01
in front of your home crowd. Tell us
1:21:03
just what process you went through after
1:21:05
that loss and and what changes you made.
1:21:08
Well, something that you know for me and
1:21:11
you know I guess it sounds like Charles
1:21:13
as well. Um, loss for me, unfortunately,
1:21:17
but fortunately, is where I grow the
1:21:19
most. And people say, "Oh, I lost." Uh,
1:21:21
you know, it's only a learning lesson
1:21:22
for me. It's amplified. Like when I
1:21:24
lose, I I really reflect and I think,
1:21:27
you know what? I could have had that
1:21:29
win. What do I need to do to change
1:21:30
that? And moving forward from that loss,
1:21:34
I have been living in the weight room.
1:21:36
absolutely living in the weight room and
1:21:37
loving it and falling in love with it
1:21:39
and having a passion for it and been uh
1:21:41
really sharpening all the skills that I
1:21:44
enjoy doing, you know.
1:21:46
>> Now, typically when you're in the weight
1:21:48
room, it's to to to to build muscle and
1:21:50
gain strength. Is that something you
1:21:51
found you were lacking?
1:21:53
>> Uh I definitely definitely wasn't doing
1:21:56
as much as I should have been 150%. You
1:21:58
know, and a few uh also to circle back a
1:22:01
few mental things to to fix as well. You
1:22:03
know, I felt like a bit of my passion
1:22:05
for the game was declining after I got
1:22:08
the belt. I got complacent. And, you
1:22:10
know, honestly, ultimately, Ash made me
1:22:13
a better fighter. He made me a better
1:22:15
fighter. And, uh, hats off to him
1:22:16
because I have been grinding. I have
1:22:18
been in the gym and my my fire is
1:22:21
ignited again, and I'm ready to show
1:22:22
that on May 2nd.
1:22:24
>> Yeah, Ashrag is one of those guys where
1:22:26
he is going to go all out, man. And if
1:22:28
you're not fully prepared for him, he's
1:22:29
going to steamroll you. So, absolutely.
1:22:31
Uh I mean he he he wins you know he goes
1:22:33
all in and he wins big and he loses big
1:22:36
uh but you know if you want to achieve
1:22:38
greatness you have to take those risks
1:22:39
and and uh I guess that's also a lesson.
1:22:42
>> Well they say the path to greatness
1:22:44
starts in the fire. So you know maybe my
1:22:47
path to greatness starts then with that
1:22:49
loss.
1:22:50
>> If you don't want me talking I'm going
1:22:51
to bring up a different kind of subject
1:22:52
and you can feel free to talk about it
1:22:54
or not. It's up to you. It's my it's my
1:22:56
understanding that you're fairly
1:22:57
religious as well and I just want to
1:22:58
know if your faith is something that's
1:23:00
very important to you and and how you
1:23:01
reconcile that with fighting.
1:23:03
>> Absolutely. So recently I've circled
1:23:06
back on my faith and you know I've
1:23:08
always been a spiritual guy and a
1:23:09
faithful guy but I haven't dedicated as
1:23:12
much as I should have been towards my
1:23:14
faith and I feel like for now for me God
1:23:17
is number one and without God I wouldn't
1:23:20
have anything. You know all glory to
1:23:21
God. So, I've been really making an
1:23:23
effort to show up and study the Bible
1:23:25
every Sunday and making sure that I'm
1:23:27
putting in that effort so that I feel
1:23:30
like I can deserve the greatness that
1:23:33
comes moving forward.
1:23:35
>> This is a question I always find
1:23:36
interesting when athletes talk about uh
1:23:39
praising God for their their successes.
1:23:41
I never hear them talk about God when
1:23:43
they have their losses. But I also know
1:23:44
that uh with Christianity anyway that
1:23:49
any any trials that are given to you by
1:23:51
God are there for a reason. They're
1:23:52
there to to to force you to to face
1:23:54
something and it's for your better good.
1:23:55
It's up to you to to learn from that
1:23:57
experience. And I'm just wondering if
1:23:59
that's something you've you've thought
1:24:00
of.
1:24:01
>> Yeah. You know, it's it's funny because
1:24:04
even before the Ash fight, I was my head
1:24:06
was in the wrong place and I was doing
1:24:09
things that aren't favorable and aligned
1:24:11
with my mission. You know, aligned with
1:24:12
my mission. I want to be a UFC champion,
1:24:14
you know, and when you want to be a UFC
1:24:17
champion, your daily habits and what you
1:24:19
do today and in the future are going to
1:24:22
are going to reflect. You need to it
1:24:24
needs to align with your identity. You
1:24:26
need to 100% align your daily habits
1:24:28
with your mission. If not, it's going to
1:24:30
show. And especially in fighting, you
1:24:31
know, if uh you're not allin, it's it's
1:24:34
going to show on fight night for sure.
1:24:36
And it did.
1:24:38
Clearly, a lot of my audience, the
1:24:39
people who are going be watching this
1:24:40
interview, a good chunk of them know
1:24:42
what it's like to fight, to step into a
1:24:44
cage. I've got a lot of fighters on
1:24:45
here, but there are a lot of people who
1:24:47
have never stepped inside a cage to
1:24:48
fight and they likely never will. Would
1:24:51
you mind just explaining what it's like
1:24:53
on fight night as you're preparing, as
1:24:56
you're getting to the to the venue, and
1:24:58
as you're getting changed, getting your
1:25:00
hands wrapped and the walk out? What's
1:25:02
that whole experience like? What's going
1:25:03
on inside you?
1:25:05
Well, I've learned, you know, after
1:25:07
fighting more and more that it's kind of
1:25:09
like a weighted blanket and you can
1:25:11
learn to, you know, be cozy with that
1:25:13
blanket or you can dread it and you can
1:25:15
drag the blanket along and pretend like
1:25:17
you don't have a fight and dread the
1:25:19
fight night and get to the promotion
1:25:21
and, you know, get all quiet and get
1:25:23
lost in your headphones and do things
1:25:25
that you won't normally do um during
1:25:28
training. And, you know, I I always have
1:25:30
to sit back and reflect. I'm like,
1:25:31
"Okay, you know what? I have to
1:25:33
recognize those actions. Recognize those
1:25:35
thoughts. Sorry. And let it go. You
1:25:38
know, I'm here to fight. I'm here to
1:25:39
have fun. You know, an old coach of mine
1:25:41
back in the day said, he said, "Gress,
1:25:43
if it's not fun, what's the point?" And
1:25:45
that's always something that sat with
1:25:46
me. And I think, you know, I get it. You
1:25:48
know, it's hard work and it's fighting.
1:25:49
It's not a game. It's not a joke. But
1:25:51
there's got to be a certain level of
1:25:53
play to the game, right? You got to have
1:25:54
a certain level of play. And for me,
1:25:56
that's important. And I'd say for the
1:25:58
people who haven't stepped into the
1:25:59
cage, have fun. Have fun with it. Enjoy
1:26:02
the process. Don't dread it. If you
1:26:04
dread it, it's going to suck. If you
1:26:05
embrace it, you know, swallow that
1:26:07
anxiety and go with it. You're going to
1:26:09
have a blast. And uh, you know,
1:26:10
ultimately, you're going to feel
1:26:11
rewarded. Uh, loss or win.
1:26:14
>> I believe this is your fourth main event
1:26:16
for Absolute, which is pretty cool.
1:26:18
>> It's pretty cool. So, what's it like
1:26:20
having that? You must have a a
1:26:21
tremendous level of support from the
1:26:23
local community and the fans and on
1:26:25
fight night and and else times.
1:26:27
Yeah, definitely. I uh as even the
1:26:30
people who don't do martial arts uh have
1:26:32
been supporting me and I always get
1:26:34
messages from back home. I always get
1:26:36
it's funny because it's always the
1:26:38
people, you know, you you wouldn't
1:26:39
expect. It's always the guys that, you
1:26:41
know, I'm like, "Oh, wow. He really
1:26:43
supports me and he's reaching out to me
1:26:44
and he wants to see me do good and win
1:26:46
and that makes me feel great." So, I
1:26:48
feel a ton of love from the Eastern
1:26:50
Conference all the way to the Western
1:26:51
Conference. I feel I feel a lot of love.
1:26:53
So, and that's going to that shows and
1:26:55
you can tell cuz uh you know I'm I'm
1:26:59
ready for for May 2nd and I'm excited
1:27:01
and happy that I'm leaning towards May
1:27:04
2nd. I'm going I'm going in spearheading
1:27:06
it. So, feel good.
1:27:08
>> That's awesome. Yeah, we're just over a
1:27:09
week away. So, you're getting excited.
1:27:11
Like I mentioned, I'm in attendance. I'm
1:27:13
getting excited. I guess Christopher, my
1:27:14
last question for you is, is there
1:27:16
anything that I didn't ask you that you
1:27:17
think I should have asked?
1:27:22
Well, I see you have a Johnny Cash shirt
1:27:24
on. I just want to let you know that
1:27:26
Johnny Cash is one of my favorite
1:27:27
artists. I just uh the other day I was
1:27:29
installing a garage door and uh I had
1:27:31
him and all his songs playing
1:27:32
consistently. I also got one of his
1:27:34
guitars, too, which is cool. So,
1:27:36
>> no way.
1:27:36
>> Yeah. Yeah, I saw the Johnny Cash. I
1:27:38
thought that was great. I thought maybe
1:27:39
you might ask me my music preference or
1:27:41
something, but
1:27:42
>> Well, now that we're on Johnny Cash,
1:27:43
what's your favorite Johnny Cash song?
1:27:46
Uh, it's got to be Cocaine Blues for
1:27:49
sure.
1:27:49
>> Yeah, good song.
1:27:51
>> If you ever had a a I think you have
1:27:53
children already, don't you?
1:27:55
>> I do not. No, no.
1:27:56
>> Okay.
1:27:56
>> I have fur babies.
1:27:58
>> Okay, there you go. If you have a son,
1:28:00
will you name him Sue?
1:28:03
>> No, no, no, no, no. I haven't thought of
1:28:05
I haven't thought that far, but I
1:28:06
definitely want children, though.
1:28:08
>> Or even a daughter. You know, a son or a
1:28:10
daughter. I'd be happy.
1:28:11
>> I've got a daughter. It's great. It's
1:28:12
It's all sunshine and roses. Nothing
1:28:14
ever goes wrong.
1:28:15
>> Nice for now.
1:28:17
>> For now. All right, Christopher, it was
1:28:20
really good to chat with you. It was
1:28:21
nice speaking with you again. I'm super
1:28:22
excited. I'll see you at the weigh-ins
1:28:24
on the the day before. And uh up until
1:28:26
then, I hope all the rest of your
1:28:27
preparations go well. I hope the weight
1:28:29
cut goes well. And I hope you're fully
1:28:31
prepared to be your best self that
1:28:32
night. And uh yeah, I guess we'll see.
1:28:35
>> Be seeing you. I really appreciate uh uh
1:28:38
you taking the time to talk with me. So,
1:28:41
thank you for thinking of me.
1:28:42
>> All right. No problem, Christopher.
1:28:43
Brian fighting in the main event of
1:28:44
Absolute MMA 8 in Calgary on May 2nd at
1:28:47
the Deerfoot Inn and Casino. Make sure
1:28:49
you get your tickets. Hey there fight
1:28:51
friends. MMA Andy Codell here with the
1:28:53
victorious Alan Ruiz. He won his fight
1:28:55
tonight against Morgan Ryan in the main
1:28:57
event of Fight League Atlantic 24 in
1:28:59
Pictor, Nova Scotia. Alan,
1:29:00
congratulations on the win.
1:29:17
Victoria.
1:29:19
>> Thank you very much for all. I'm
1:29:21
appreciation for Derek for give me a
1:29:24
fight in my weight and I'm come back.
1:29:27
I'm I'm go to the to the bell.
1:29:30
>> I go to a lot of fights and it seems
1:29:32
like a lot of times if I'm at the
1:29:34
fights, you're going to be there at the
1:29:35
fights, but so are you. You fight a lot.
1:29:37
You fight often. How is it how difficult
1:29:41
is that for you to fight so much?
1:29:56
I'm I'm still training all all days and
1:30:00
this is the point. I I'm go to the next
1:30:03
level. And I noticed you also seem to
1:30:06
fight in a lot of different weight
1:30:08
classes, too. Like, is that just so you
1:30:10
can get more fights? You you train at
1:30:11
different weight classes?
1:30:37
I'm don't like cut weight and because uh
1:30:42
when I see an opportunity to fight in
1:30:45
every weight I take it and I fight.
1:30:48
>> Awesome. Um, tonight in the fight
1:30:50
against Morgan Ryan, it was a split
1:30:52
decision, which means two of the judges
1:30:54
gave you the victory, one of the judges
1:30:56
scored it for Morgan. Was it a difficult
1:30:58
fight?
1:31:34
Yeah, it's a good opponent and a good
1:31:37
fight, but I'm train more to to win.
1:31:44
After the fight, you looked at FLA owner
1:31:47
Derek Clark and you mentioned the belt.
1:31:49
You said you want the belt. Is that uh
1:31:51
something that would excite you to come
1:31:52
back here to Canada and fight for the
1:31:54
FLA belt?
1:32:21
Yes, I'm I'm say Derek. I'm I want a
1:32:25
change to fight for the bell in the next
1:32:29
event and I'm back to to give me the
1:32:32
belt to Mexico.
1:32:33
>> Nice. Well, uh, Alan, you are a true
1:32:36
warrior through and through. Every time
1:32:37
I see you, give it 100%. Congratulations
1:32:40
on a well-deserved victory tonight, and
1:32:42
I'm excited to see you again sometime
1:32:43
soon.
1:32:53
Thank you very much and see you soon in
1:32:55
the next event.
1:32:56
>> Okay.
1:32:57
>> All right. There you go fight friends.
1:32:58
Alan Ruiz victorious tonight at FLA 24.
1:33:01
Hey there fight friends. You might not
1:33:03
recognize the man standing beside me,
1:33:04
but I see him at almost every single
1:33:06
event I've been to in the past several
1:33:07
years in Canada. Christian Viea, uh the
1:33:10
man in charge of the VA fight team from
1:33:11
Mexico. Christian, you up in Canada so
1:33:14
much. You bring so many fighters here.
1:33:16
Tell me, you must be exhausted. How many
1:33:18
air miles do you have?
1:33:19
>> Uh hi. Uh I have uh I don't know 20 30
1:33:26
fighters in Mexico, Argentina,
1:33:30
uh Venezuela, Colombia
1:33:33
and
1:33:35
we fight for me.
1:33:37
>> Now you bring so many fighters up here
1:33:39
and the past year for sure we're
1:33:41
definitely seeing some a lot of success
1:33:43
from your fighters. Like tonight Alan
1:33:45
Ruiz against Morgan Ryan looked really
1:33:47
good. He won that fight tonight. Uh, how
1:33:49
does he feel and how do you feel about
1:33:50
that performance?
1:33:51
>> I feel so so good because he he won so
1:33:55
much the victory and he trade a lot in
1:33:59
Mexico. No
1:34:01
>> and we got the the win and I so happy.
1:34:04
>> Yeah.
1:34:05
>> Now, how did you get involved in coming
1:34:07
to Canada at the start of everything?
1:34:09
because uh a years ago I'm I am a
1:34:12
fighter too and I come uh 202 and I I'm
1:34:18
coming in 2003 to to fight for box
1:34:22
>> and I know uh somebody hears and then I
1:34:25
I'm send a message and to give me the
1:34:28
the opportunity to to come to fight with
1:34:31
the other fighters and that that's
1:34:33
that's all.
1:34:34
>> So when you're in Mexico, do you own a
1:34:36
gym? Do you do you train the fighters or
1:34:37
you just the manager? uh the two I'm I'm
1:34:41
the manager and a coach for different
1:34:44
fighters.
1:34:45
>> So now that you've been coming to Canada
1:34:47
so often, do a lot of your fighters come
1:34:49
to you and say, "Hey, I want to have a
1:34:50
fight in Canada."
1:34:51
>> Yeah, it's a a big opportunity come to
1:34:54
fight in Canada and we tried uh Canada
1:35:00
are the second home with with us.
1:35:02
>> Yeah, I know.
1:35:03
>> Like I I swear I saw you at Unified 66
1:35:06
in February. I can't remember the last I
1:35:09
see you like every month or every two
1:35:10
months in can. It's pretty crazy. Are
1:35:12
you getting tired of all the traveling?
1:35:14
>> Yeah, but I like the this and I have so
1:35:17
much fighters, you know, Ricardo Chavez
1:35:20
>> and a lot of more.
1:35:22
>> Yeah.
1:35:23
>> Okay. Well, Christian, I I thought it
1:35:25
was a I wanted to uh take this
1:35:27
opportunity to chat with you. You're
1:35:28
such an interesting guy. Congratulations
1:35:30
on all your success and I'm sure I will
1:35:32
see you again soon. Thank you very much
1:35:34
for for the interview and wherever you
1:35:37
want you have your home in Mexico.
1:35:39
>> Thank you very much. Do you have any
1:35:40
final words for anybody watching or
1:35:42
anybody back in Mexico?
1:35:43
>> Uh
1:35:44
>> you can say in English or Spanish it's
1:35:45
up to you.
1:35:46
>> It's okay. Sorry for my English English
1:35:50
and I'm happy for for come and uh we
1:35:54
tried that all fights are good.
1:35:57
>> Yeah. Well, you did that tonight. Alan
1:35:58
Ruiz victorious in the main event.
1:36:00
Congratulations once again. And there
1:36:02
you go, fight friends. Make sure when
1:36:03
you're watching pay-per-views from all
1:36:04
your favorite Canadian MMA promotions.
1:36:06
Look in the background and make sure
1:36:07
you'll see Christian standing there with
1:36:08
his fist raised. Cheers.
1:36:10
>> Thank you very much.
1:36:12
>> Hey there, fight friends. MMA Andy here
1:36:13
with Dylan Shepard victorious tonight at
1:36:16
FLA 24. Dylan, congrats on a great win.
1:36:18
>> Thank you very much, Andy.
1:36:20
Now, for those of you who didn't see my
1:36:21
social media post I did where everybody
1:36:23
was screaming like little school girls
1:36:24
after this win, Dylan won through a
1:36:26
submission that you see every once in a
1:36:28
while, but rarely. I think we've only
1:36:30
seen it twice in the UFC, and that's a
1:36:31
Twister. Um, tell me about the Twister.
1:36:33
Tell me about the setup. Tell me about
1:36:34
how long have you been training it.
1:36:36
>> Uh, I saw Twister long ago by the Korean
1:36:40
zombie, and I've loved it ever since.
1:36:42
Um, it was one of the first things I
1:36:44
picked up in jiu-jitsu after seeing it
1:36:45
online. And it was kind of one of those
1:36:46
things you try as a white belt, but uh
1:36:48
you're not really able to practice in
1:36:49
the room cuz it's kind of an illegal
1:36:51
technique.
1:36:52
>> Amateur, I wanted it. I had back control
1:36:54
at points, but I wasn't there cuz I'm
1:36:56
not allowed to do it in amateur fights
1:36:57
here. Uh but it it presented itself
1:37:00
early in this fight and I I was glad to
1:37:01
be able to show it.
1:37:02
>> Well, it was fantastic. I was sitting
1:37:04
beside ring announcer Craig Ferguson and
1:37:06
both of us when we saw your legs locked
1:37:07
in the b on his left leg and you started
1:37:09
grabbing his arm to swing it, we were
1:37:11
both like, "Oh, he's going to do a
1:37:12
twister." It was pretty cool.
1:37:13
>> Yeah. No, he um I thought he was falling
1:37:17
off back control. I almost wanted to put
1:37:19
my second hook back in and start digging
1:37:20
for a choke, but but his leg was locked
1:37:23
in and and uh I was able to flip him to
1:37:25
the other side and he kind of he kind of
1:37:26
faced out like he was about to leave and
1:37:28
faced the wrong way and lined up itself.
1:37:31
>> Now, when you train a twister, it's kind
1:37:34
of weird for people who don't do
1:37:35
jiu-jitsu. They might not understand,
1:37:36
but hopefully I'll explain it properly.
1:37:38
You can know when you're grappling, you
1:37:41
can know when you're in danger and not
1:37:43
exactly know why you're in danger, but
1:37:44
you can feel it. And when somebody's
1:37:46
setting up a twister on you, you can
1:37:48
kind of if you know what's coming, you
1:37:50
know that it's happening and you're
1:37:51
almost helpless to avoid it. Did he give
1:37:53
any indication that he knew it was
1:37:55
happening when it was happening and try
1:37:56
to stop it?
1:37:56
>> I Yeah, I don't know. It almost seemed
1:37:59
like he was still trying to exit the
1:38:00
back control and I and I was I was
1:38:03
pulling it pretty hard and I was
1:38:04
concerned that he didn't know what was
1:38:06
going on cuz it was uh it's kind of one
1:38:08
thing if it's on it's on.
1:38:10
>> So,
1:38:11
>> all right. So, Dylan, this is my first
1:38:12
FLA in person. It was super exciting to
1:38:14
be here and get to see some of the East
1:38:16
Coast fighters like yourself. What's uh
1:38:17
what's going on in your career? Tell me
1:38:18
a little bit about where you train and
1:38:20
how long you've been training.
1:38:21
>> Uh I've been training since I was about
1:38:24
19. I'm 25. Just turned 25 in March.
1:38:27
train at Henzo Gracie PEI and um on Kent
1:38:30
Street in Charlotte Town PEI. Uh I train
1:38:33
with um up and cominging fighters like
1:38:35
Cam Nelson, a few amateur fighters like
1:38:37
uh Sean Failen and uh Drew McY and we
1:38:40
have a we have a good gym coming
1:38:42
together. We get guys over from other
1:38:43
clubs. Um the late Matt McGrath was our
1:38:46
our great coach and uh we miss him
1:38:48
dearly, but uh he paved the way. We have
1:38:51
we we are able to still train at his
1:38:52
club and represent him and and it's and
1:38:55
it's awesome to still be able to do
1:38:56
that.
1:38:57
>> You mentioned Matt McGrath. I I've known
1:38:59
Matt for years and years and years. In
1:39:00
fact, I went to Edmonton with him to
1:39:02
fight at a organization called Maximum
1:39:04
Fighting Championship and his name
1:39:05
wasn't even Matt McGrath at the time. He
1:39:07
used to go by Matt Dukowski and that's
1:39:08
how I first met him. And Matt was such a
1:39:11
good man that I find when I meet his
1:39:13
fighters, it's almost easy to tell
1:39:15
they're as fighters because not only are
1:39:17
they excellent and skilled, but they
1:39:18
also seem to have a certain quality
1:39:19
within them that just makes them seem
1:39:20
like they're solid and like like good
1:39:23
good men. And I get that sense from you.
1:39:25
>> Yeah. Like Matt McGrath is a great guy,
1:39:27
very humble, and I and I choose to
1:39:29
represent him as as he is and uh kind of
1:39:33
do the same thing. Be humble, love
1:39:35
fighting. He's a family guy. uh and and
1:39:38
and I tend to do the same and his family
1:39:40
supports me now more than ever and and
1:39:42
our club supports them as well.
1:39:44
>> Awesome. Well, Dylan, uh I was really
1:39:46
happy I got to watch you do that in
1:39:47
person. It was pretty cool. I think this
1:39:49
is one of those things that people are
1:39:50
going to be talking about for a long
1:39:51
time to come. Uh not even just fight
1:39:53
like Atlantic. I think a lot of people
1:39:54
are going to see this, which is super
1:39:55
cool. What's on the on the boards next
1:39:57
for you? Take some time off, relax, and
1:39:59
>> I I I like getting the fights in. Like I
1:40:02
six month break is too long for me. I I
1:40:03
always aim for try to do two to three a
1:40:05
year. Um, so I I hope to get on this
1:40:08
June card or this uh September card is
1:40:10
more likely for me.
1:40:11
>> Nice. Well, congrats once again. Any
1:40:13
final words for your fans?
1:40:14
>> No, guys. Thank you very much for
1:40:15
watching. I'm glad I was able to do that
1:40:17
and picked out. It's awesome to get that
1:40:18
camp wrapped up with get one after under
1:40:20
the belt there. So, thank you very much.
1:40:22
>> All right, there you go, fight friends.
1:40:23
Dylan Shepard with a beautiful twister
1:40:25
victory at FLA 24 tonight. Make sure you
1:40:27
keep your eyes on this young man.
1:40:30
>> Chris Horeski, it feels like I just saw
1:40:32
you yesterday. Uh, in fact, it was about
1:40:34
a week or so ago that we spoke in in
1:40:36
advance of your Rising Stars MMA event
1:40:38
in London, Ontario. Uh, I heard it was a
1:40:40
great great success. Congratulations on
1:40:42
everything and I'd like to hear all
1:40:43
about it. How did how did everything go?
1:40:45
>> Hey, appreciate you, Andy. Thanks for
1:40:46
having me back. Yeah, it was a great
1:40:48
great weekend uh for Adrenaline MMA, for
1:40:52
MTC, Maximum Training Center, uh,
1:40:55
London, Ontario, and Rising Stars Fight
1:40:57
Series. We came out with our first event
1:41:00
here in the Forest City. success all
1:41:03
around. Uh 700 people in attendance live
1:41:07
stream people were watching um online
1:41:10
all over the world. It was great. Um
1:41:14
you know like the fights were awesome.
1:41:17
11 fights a mix between kickboxing and
1:41:20
MMA. Very unique concept. Uh the whole
1:41:23
crowd at the Maronei Club was vibing.
1:41:25
The the walls were shaking and uh you
1:41:28
know it was a climatic finish at the
1:41:31
end. you know, the the the bad boy from
1:41:34
Chicago came in and he uh he was down
1:41:37
two rounds to nothing in the third
1:41:39
round. He came out
1:41:41
>> and he finished the fight with a
1:41:44
guillotine from side control, which was
1:41:46
incredible to see.
1:41:48
>> Wow. You don't see that
1:41:49
>> that type of a climatic finish. We don't
1:41:51
we don't see that too often. Um
1:41:55
especially in the main event and uh fans
1:41:58
definitely got were put in for a treat
1:41:59
that night.
1:42:01
It sounds like it was amazing. Um, and
1:42:03
they say that all the time when uh
1:42:05
fighters go fights go to decisions.
1:42:07
Nobody likes a decision. They say never
1:42:09
leaving the judge's hands. So, it sounds
1:42:10
like he did just what he needed to do.
1:42:12
He probably knew he was down two rounds
1:42:13
and turned it on and he he uh was
1:42:16
rewarded for it.
1:42:17
>> You know, it was a rough night for the
1:42:18
team in the sense that our our boy
1:42:20
Braden Todd, you know, we
1:42:23
he is our, you know, one of our
1:42:25
standouts in the amateur scene. Uh, you
1:42:28
know, the weight cut affected him
1:42:30
definitely. We thought he had it in the
1:42:32
bag, but I knew going into this fight,
1:42:34
it was no joke. The fact that I knew he
1:42:37
was trained under Joey Deal, a good
1:42:39
friend of uh mine from Chicago under the
1:42:43
toutelage of Jeff Curran, one of Jeff
1:42:44
Curran's uh most regarded black belts,
1:42:47
active competitor in MMA. And
1:42:49
previously, you know, he had 20, 30 MMA
1:42:52
fights. um one of Jeff Curran's main
1:42:56
training partners and I knew that his
1:43:00
team was going to bring it. The fact
1:43:02
that he would send him in and be willing
1:43:04
to make the travel, make the trip out,
1:43:07
you know, north of the border and and
1:43:08
compete on a card. I knew he was no
1:43:10
joke. I knew he was active in
1:43:12
competition. I knew that he competed,
1:43:14
you know, like a week or two prior, he
1:43:16
was competing in a sub only grappling
1:43:18
tournament, um like super fight. He
1:43:20
already had another fight lined up. So
1:43:24
that just shows you that he's not
1:43:26
scared. He's not scared to step into
1:43:28
enemy territory. And you know, Braden,
1:43:33
you know, he looks like the Incredible
1:43:34
Hulk, right? Like he's ripped from head
1:43:36
to toe, especially down at 135 lbs. Uh,
1:43:42
you know, he was cool, calm, collected,
1:43:44
and he came back and he and he pulled
1:43:46
the guillotine. He almost had the
1:43:48
guillotine at the beginning and we
1:43:49
thought Braden was was, you know, he was
1:43:51
safe and in and the round was finishing
1:43:53
at the first, but
1:43:55
he pulled it off. You know, he played
1:43:57
the spoiler. U but all the power to him.
1:43:59
I I as Braden's training uh partner and
1:44:04
a coach, you know, it hurts, but in
1:44:06
terms of the show, it was it was a
1:44:09
pretty climatic finish to be honest.
1:44:12
Well, that I think this uh perfectly
1:44:14
exemplifies why we need amateur mixed
1:44:17
martial arts and how it has so much
1:44:18
value in in what what you do because
1:44:21
this is just an opportunity. I mean,
1:44:22
there's no there's not as much pressure
1:44:25
to win as an amateur, even though I'm
1:44:27
I'm not dismissing the fact that you're
1:44:29
competitive and you want to win, but if
1:44:31
you lose an amateur, I mean, it's some
1:44:33
people argue that's what amateur is for,
1:44:34
to go in there, experiment, try stuff.
1:44:36
uh you can win some, you can lose some
1:44:38
uh without fear of really jeopardizing
1:44:40
any future rankings, but it's just great
1:44:43
for experience for them and you can
1:44:44
learn so much in amateur.
1:44:46
>> That's exactly it. Right. That's the
1:44:47
thing is these amateurs, this is a
1:44:50
blessing for them. They don't understand
1:44:52
how fortunate they are to be able to
1:44:54
fight this frequently and so close to
1:44:57
home. And basically, it's a fighter
1:44:59
market. You can fight. You don't want to
1:45:01
fight on this show, no problem. There's
1:45:02
another show in Belleville the next
1:45:04
week, Niagara Falls two weeks after, and
1:45:07
in uh in Hamilton 3 weeks after. So,
1:45:10
it's a fighter market. You can pick and
1:45:12
choose.
1:45:13
We try to make sure that the fighters
1:45:15
get treated correctly, that the coaches
1:45:16
and and the teams are felt appreciated.
1:45:20
Um, we match as best as we can. And you
1:45:24
can just see that I didn't bring
1:45:26
somebody in to give Braden a walk
1:45:28
through, a walk over,
1:45:31
>> and come out a champion and and come out
1:45:32
with their belt.
1:45:34
>> I made sure to put the pressure on him
1:45:36
and to fight someone that was willing to
1:45:37
step up and willing to to challenge him
1:45:40
and and come out here and and play that
1:45:43
bad guy and play that spoiler. So, it's
1:45:46
just a testament, you know, to to what
1:45:48
we're trying to do and what we're trying
1:45:49
to build here at Adrenaline MTC and
1:45:51
Rising Stars.
1:45:54
>> You know, put on your promoter hat for a
1:45:55
second. Talk about the the weeks leading
1:45:58
up to the event and now that it's over,
1:46:00
is there anything that happened uh or
1:46:03
didn't happen that that surprised you or
1:46:05
you you thought you might have been
1:46:06
ready for, but maybe it was just a
1:46:07
little bit different than what you
1:46:08
expected? Um, you know, there's a lot of
1:46:10
moving pieces, you know, going from club
1:46:12
shows and doing, you know, like
1:46:14
exhibition fights, going into sanctioned
1:46:16
fights. There's a lot of moving pieces.
1:46:18
You know, I was very fortunate with Reno
1:46:20
Belcastro and Gino Galapard. Those were
1:46:22
kind of my my uh my two go-tos. Um, you
1:46:27
know, I called them more than anybody
1:46:28
else. The three of us, we we were
1:46:31
chatting every day on a daily basis. you
1:46:34
know, leading up the amount of dropouts.
1:46:36
We went in 10 days prior, we had 16
1:46:39
fights. We dropped down to 11. Not a bad
1:46:41
problem to have. Um, the fights were
1:46:44
incredible. I think it left people
1:46:46
thirsty for more, which was it's a good
1:46:48
feeling when you when you come out of a
1:46:50
fight and you be, "Oh, I' I'd go to that
1:46:52
next week." You know what I mean? That's
1:46:53
what you want. You don't want to burn
1:46:54
people out. There's so much MMA between
1:46:57
the UFC, between, you know, all the all
1:47:00
the shows in Asia.
1:47:02
fans have an amplitude of selection and
1:47:05
amplitude of choices of where to spend
1:47:08
their money and where to where to spend
1:47:10
their time if interested in the sport.
1:47:12
Um, you know, obviously there's little
1:47:14
things from the production standpoint. I
1:47:16
think our production was incredible. you
1:47:18
know, uh, Paul at PM Creative, the the
1:47:21
work that he did. I' we've been working
1:47:23
together since 2016,
1:47:26
you know, having a couple turntables at
1:47:27
club shows, uh, going to, you know, the
1:47:31
production that we had. We got a live
1:47:32
stream where people were watching, we
1:47:34
pulled that out of, uh, out of nowhere
1:47:35
very, very quickly. I think people can
1:47:38
be very, very gracious and grateful for
1:47:40
the opportunity they have, the guys that
1:47:42
they compete. Um, you know, obviously
1:47:44
things with medicals and stuff and and
1:47:45
and like that stuff, you know, you're
1:47:48
dealing with fighters. Sometimes
1:47:51
some fighters are are more diligent,
1:47:53
let's say, uh, with that stuff. Some are
1:47:55
a little bit uh more laxidasily and and
1:48:00
naive to to requirements that is put on
1:48:02
us by the commission.
1:48:04
But as a whole, I'm very very happy. I'm
1:48:07
very very satisfied.
1:48:09
um you know the the the high of the show
1:48:13
it's it's still taking over the gym. It
1:48:15
does nothing but great things for the
1:48:17
city for Adrenaline MTC the the MMA
1:48:19
community here in London Ontario. It
1:48:21
just creates a great vibe in the city
1:48:23
and and motivates people to be able to
1:48:26
to beat on something like this and to
1:48:28
take themselves, you know, maybe they
1:48:29
were thinking, "Oh, I'd like to try a
1:48:32
fight." Now they're like, "Oh, I want to
1:48:34
try that." And people see that. You
1:48:35
know, you got young kids, young girls,
1:48:37
young boys. They want to get out there.
1:48:39
They they know that it's it's reasonable
1:48:41
to be able to compete. They saw their
1:48:43
training partners. They saw their
1:48:45
teammates get in there and step under
1:48:46
the hot lamps and and have that
1:48:48
opportunity to fight and motivate them
1:48:51
to get in there, too.
1:48:54
>> Yeah, you're absolutely right. It's
1:48:55
really important to have a a grassroots
1:48:57
level thing in in a local area. Like you
1:48:59
can watch mixed martial arts on TV all
1:49:01
day long in different parts of the
1:49:02
world, but if it's in your own backyard,
1:49:04
that's a big boost for a lot of people
1:49:06
and actually gives them incentive or or
1:49:08
gives them the thought that hey, maybe
1:49:10
this is something that I can do. So I
1:49:11
think what you're doing is so important.
1:49:12
I love it.
1:49:13
>> Yeah. It just it it creates that little
1:49:15
bit more of okay,
1:49:17
>> if he could do it, I can do it. Right.
1:49:19
It's it's it's that. And we made them
1:49:21
feel like superstars. You know what I
1:49:23
mean? Like
1:49:24
everything through and through the
1:49:26
professionalism, you know, with as
1:49:29
simple as the equipment, you know, the
1:49:30
the signature gloves, the the matching
1:49:34
shorts, the clean look, it it was great
1:49:37
all around,
1:49:38
>> I feel like really really gave uh gave
1:49:42
the guys a great opportunity to fight
1:49:44
and uh yeah, the next generation is just
1:49:46
waiting. And that's why we call it, you
1:49:47
know, rising stars, the next generation
1:49:49
is because we're paving the path and
1:49:51
paving the direction for the next group
1:49:55
of athletes, the next group of standouts
1:49:56
to make their mark.
1:49:59
Can you please clarify me? So So Rising
1:50:01
Stars comprised of of you uh Chris at at
1:50:04
Adrenaline Training Center in London. Do
1:50:05
you have any other of the of your your
1:50:07
uh your your coowners of Adrenaline? Are
1:50:09
they with you in Rising Stars?
1:50:10
>> Yeah. So definitely uh it's myself, Mark
1:50:13
Dominic, Sam Stout here in Adrenaline.
1:50:16
We're collaborating with Reno Belcastro
1:50:17
at the Maximal Training Center in
1:50:20
Windsor, Ontario. We have a lot of
1:50:22
people, you know, that work with us such
1:50:23
as Gino Bellardes. Um, and yeah, it was
1:50:27
it it's kind of this, you know, meshing
1:50:30
of our minds and and you know, making
1:50:32
something great. Um, we bu l literally
1:50:35
we've built this from like a little club
1:50:38
shows and we just kept turning it up,
1:50:40
kept turning it up, kept cranking it up.
1:50:42
We basically outgrew the gym and that's
1:50:44
why we're, you know, it was time to make
1:50:45
that move, make that leap into the the
1:50:48
sanction shows. The Ontario Athletic
1:50:51
Commission was wicked to work with. uh
1:50:53
all the guys there, we've had we've
1:50:55
known them from a a personal level. Most
1:50:57
of them have trained with us or have
1:50:58
worked with us, either being our
1:51:00
officials or being our training partners
1:51:02
or being our referees. So, um yeah, it
1:51:06
was definitely uh team work, but but we
1:51:09
made the dream work.
1:51:11
>> Nice. Now, I know I saw a list of all
1:51:14
the upcoming Rising Stars events. You
1:51:15
have a handful more scheduled for the
1:51:17
year, and I do have them listed on my
1:51:18
website, mmma.ca. Uh just refresh our
1:51:21
memory though, when's the next one
1:51:22
happening in London for you?
1:51:24
>> Yeah, so next up we're we're back on the
1:51:26
road this time. Uh we're hitting Brford
1:51:29
collaborating with Cage Dragon and Todd
1:51:32
Weather. We're doing another hybrid
1:51:34
kickboxing slash in a cage/ mixed
1:51:36
martial arts card in Brford, Ontario,
1:51:39
which is really exciting. Um a city like
1:51:42
that, kind of a midpoint between London
1:51:44
and Toronto. So, a lot of people, you
1:51:47
know, from the 416 will be making the
1:51:49
trip down and uh yeah, just looking to
1:51:51
make another exciting card. Same thing
1:51:53
from uh from the fans perspective, from
1:51:56
the viewers at home, and as well as for
1:51:58
the athletes.
1:52:00
>> That's awesome. Well, Chris, uh I'm
1:52:02
really happy for you. It's it's a shame
1:52:04
I couldn't attend, but uh the UFC was
1:52:06
the same night in Winnipeg, and I was
1:52:07
there for that, but I sincerely hope I'm
1:52:09
I can be at one of the next rising
1:52:10
stars, and I'm looking forward to seeing
1:52:12
what uh what you're bringing to the
1:52:14
table. No, I appreciate that, Andy. Uh,
1:52:16
yeah, it's it was great. You know, even
1:52:18
though
1:52:20
like local boys like Mike Malad was was
1:52:22
was taking over and climbing up the
1:52:24
ranks of the UFC, if you ask anybody in
1:52:26
London, Ontario, uh, last Saturday what
1:52:28
the hottest night in, uh, in the country
1:52:30
was, they'd tell you that it was the
1:52:32
rising stars. So, we're hoping to keep
1:52:33
that momentum. And we'll see everybody
1:52:34
May 30th at Brford.
1:52:37
>> Awesome. Well, Chris Hardeski, thanks
1:52:38
again, my friend. It's always great to
1:52:40
talk with you, and I'm sure we'll chat
1:52:41
again very soon. Take care guys.