...what do you think?
Was it staged?
Strength & Conditioning for Athletes involved in high impact sports.
Sunday, 7 August 2011
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Laura Howarth- MMA fighter commences training camp with Christian Vila
Keep an eye out for the release of these videos each week, which will show in depth footage of how a female fighter preparers for a fight. This will include interviews with Laura, her trainer Christian and others.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Oli Thompson signs with the UFC....
...., set to debut against Phil De Fries on November 5th in Birmingham
I've just got off the phone and Oli Thompson has confirmed he has signed a contract with the UFC!
From MMABay....
MMABay can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that Wolfslair MMA Academy heavyweight, Oli Thompson has been snapped up by the UFC and will be making his octagon debut at UFC 138 on November 5th in Birmingham, England against undefeated prospect, Phil De Fries.
News of the fight was passed along to MMABay.co.uk earlier today by a source close to one of the two men. Thompson signed with the UFC earlier today and inked his bout agreement at the same time.
Thompson has blazed a trail on the UK scene since making the move to MMA back in April 2009, amassing an impressive 9-2 record thus far. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak and recently submitted Mark Potter via rear-naked choke in the very first round at UCMMA 21.
MMABay broke news of Thompson signing with the Wolfslair MMA Academy only earlier today, a smart move as they have been instrumental in making major things happen for their fighters over the past couple of years.
De Fries is currently 7-0-1 in his MMA career and has become known as somewhat of a finisher over the past couple of years, submitting all of his opponents, six in the first round. Stay tuned to MMABay for more news on this one as we get it.
I've just got off the phone and Oli Thompson has confirmed he has signed a contract with the UFC!
From MMABay....
MMABay can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that Wolfslair MMA Academy heavyweight, Oli Thompson has been snapped up by the UFC and will be making his octagon debut at UFC 138 on November 5th in Birmingham, England against undefeated prospect, Phil De Fries.
News of the fight was passed along to MMABay.co.uk earlier today by a source close to one of the two men. Thompson signed with the UFC earlier today and inked his bout agreement at the same time.
Thompson has blazed a trail on the UK scene since making the move to MMA back in April 2009, amassing an impressive 9-2 record thus far. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak and recently submitted Mark Potter via rear-naked choke in the very first round at UCMMA 21.
MMABay broke news of Thompson signing with the Wolfslair MMA Academy only earlier today, a smart move as they have been instrumental in making major things happen for their fighters over the past couple of years.
De Fries is currently 7-0-1 in his MMA career and has become known as somewhat of a finisher over the past couple of years, submitting all of his opponents, six in the first round. Stay tuned to MMABay for more news on this one as we get it.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Oli Thompson vs Mark Potter: Video....
For those that missed Oli's last fight where he defeated Mark Potter to defend his UCMMA Heavyweight Title.....
Question is, what will be next for Oli Thompson?
Question is, what will be next for Oli Thompson?
Friday, 8 July 2011
'Chippendale' Marquardt 'had it coming' - Hardy
Following on from the last post regarding the new worrying trend in MMA, here is an interview with Dan Hardy where he speaks to Dan Blackmore regarding Nate Marquadt who was recently sacked by the UFC following his testing positive for high levels of testosterone.
"What is he, 31 or 32?" Hardy said to ESPN. "I don't want to kick a man when he's down but what's he doing needing testosterone therapy anyway at that age?
"I'm not that far behind him and I certainly don't need any!
"The thing that annoyed me is that he has tested positive for nandrolone in the past, people are aware of that, and now he's saying he needs Hormone Replacement. Maybe he wouldn't have needed Hormone Replacement if he hadn't been using something in the first place.
"On the bright side, he'll always have a job as a Chippendale."
Hardy admits he has always appreciated the talents of Marquardt, and found him to be a personable guy, which made the American's criticisms so much more difficult to understand.
"It's weird, I see him around occasionally - I saw him at the Fighter Summit in Vegas - and he always seems like a real quiet, nice, friendly guy," Hardy said.
"I don't know what the deal is. In the build-up to my GSP fight he made some comments, fair enough, he's GSP's coach and best friend. But he really had no place talking all the trash he did.
"He wasn't the guy getting in there and fighting me and unfortunately now it doesn't look like he is ever going to. I was looking forward to having a scrap with him at some point because he's another one who I think has got it coming.
"It's his battle to fight now. He's got some owning up to do and he's got to get himself back on track. There's nothing to say he can't get back on track and I hope he does because he's got a lot of talent.
"He needs to realise it's all about hard work in the gym."
(Source: ESPN.com)
I have to say...I'm inclined to agree with Hardy.
"What is he, 31 or 32?" Hardy said to ESPN. "I don't want to kick a man when he's down but what's he doing needing testosterone therapy anyway at that age?
"I'm not that far behind him and I certainly don't need any!
"The thing that annoyed me is that he has tested positive for nandrolone in the past, people are aware of that, and now he's saying he needs Hormone Replacement. Maybe he wouldn't have needed Hormone Replacement if he hadn't been using something in the first place.
"On the bright side, he'll always have a job as a Chippendale."
Hardy admits he has always appreciated the talents of Marquardt, and found him to be a personable guy, which made the American's criticisms so much more difficult to understand.
"It's weird, I see him around occasionally - I saw him at the Fighter Summit in Vegas - and he always seems like a real quiet, nice, friendly guy," Hardy said.
"I don't know what the deal is. In the build-up to my GSP fight he made some comments, fair enough, he's GSP's coach and best friend. But he really had no place talking all the trash he did.
"He wasn't the guy getting in there and fighting me and unfortunately now it doesn't look like he is ever going to. I was looking forward to having a scrap with him at some point because he's another one who I think has got it coming.
"It's his battle to fight now. He's got some owning up to do and he's got to get himself back on track. There's nothing to say he can't get back on track and I hope he does because he's got a lot of talent.
"He needs to realise it's all about hard work in the gym."
(Source: ESPN.com)
I have to say...I'm inclined to agree with Hardy.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
New trend in fighting: Is Hormone Replacement Therapy really needed?
Hey guys! There's a new trend out there!
......STACKED fighters are claiming they have low test levels requiring Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)...perhaps they should address the real issue behind their low levels?
Nate Marquadt now joins the ever increasing list of fighters not cleared to fight due to high levels of testosterone level in his blood sample.
See Marquadt coming clean in this interview:
Marquadt comes clean...
I'm not contesting wether or not they have low testosterone levels, but the REAL reason for this should be explored before a fighter commences HRT!
This could be:
- Overtraining
- Poor diet
- Excessive use of P.E.D's (Performance Enhancing Drugs)
- Not resting enough- not enough sleep.
- Adrenal overload
- Excessive use of stimulants
- Excessive stress
- Poor supplementation strategy.
Question is....where the above examined and addressed before giving Marquardt HRT?
Nate now joins the ever increasing list of fighters getting busted for Testosterone use. Recently we had Thiago Silva and James Irvin in 2011, and the high profile Chael Sonnen last year!
This seems to be becoming more common place each year.....
Steroid busts by year:
’02: 1
’03: 1
’04: 1
’05: 1
’06: 4
’07: 14 (!)
’08: 5
’09: 4
’10: 2
’11: 2
Steroid busts by commission:
NSAC: 10
CSAC: 22
UFC’s independent testing: 3
Personally I would like to see these fighters exploring other avenues to get their hormone level up naturally, by addressing the above issues and working with professionals such as Mike Mahler who specialises in natural Hormone optimisation.
I always monitor my fighter's diet, work:rest ratio according to how their feeling, and ensure they do not show signs of excessive fatigue or injury.
If you're a fighter and have any of the following signs, you may have hormone issues:
There's a lot you can do before you go down the route of the needle!
Christian Vila.
......STACKED fighters are claiming they have low test levels requiring Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)...perhaps they should address the real issue behind their low levels?
Nate Marquadt now joins the ever increasing list of fighters not cleared to fight due to high levels of testosterone level in his blood sample.
See Marquadt coming clean in this interview:
Marquadt comes clean...
I'm not contesting wether or not they have low testosterone levels, but the REAL reason for this should be explored before a fighter commences HRT!
This could be:
- Overtraining
- Poor diet
- Excessive use of P.E.D's (Performance Enhancing Drugs)
- Not resting enough- not enough sleep.
- Adrenal overload
- Excessive use of stimulants
- Excessive stress
- Poor supplementation strategy.
Question is....where the above examined and addressed before giving Marquardt HRT?
Nate now joins the ever increasing list of fighters getting busted for Testosterone use. Recently we had Thiago Silva and James Irvin in 2011, and the high profile Chael Sonnen last year!
This seems to be becoming more common place each year.....
Steroid busts by year:
’02: 1
’03: 1
’04: 1
’05: 1
’06: 4
’07: 14 (!)
’08: 5
’09: 4
’10: 2
’11: 2
Steroid busts by commission:
NSAC: 10
CSAC: 22
UFC’s independent testing: 3
Personally I would like to see these fighters exploring other avenues to get their hormone level up naturally, by addressing the above issues and working with professionals such as Mike Mahler who specialises in natural Hormone optimisation.
I always monitor my fighter's diet, work:rest ratio according to how their feeling, and ensure they do not show signs of excessive fatigue or injury.
If you're a fighter and have any of the following signs, you may have hormone issues:
- Lethargy- constant fatigue
- Lack of sex drive
- Insomnia
- Poor performance in training and fights
- Weight gain
- High stress levels
- Constantly injured
- Rapid weight loss
If you're showing any of the above signs, you should have your diet dialled in by a professional, and re- assess your training.
Remember REST is important too- so plan that in to your training schedule. In my experience fighters are more likely to over-train, than under-train.
There's a lot you can do before you go down the route of the needle!
Christian Vila.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Oli Thompson retains title against Mark Potter!
Oli Thompson will wake up today, safe in the knowledge his is the top Heavyweight MMA fighter in the U.K!
Having beaten Mark Potter in the first round last night at UCMMA at the Troxy, London- Oli was buzzing, but calm as always!
Oli managed 2-3 double leg takedowns within the first two minutes, he was just too strong for
Potter who actually came in 2kg heavier than Oli!
Interestingly Potter did not connect with any of his punches...he seemed slower than usual, or
at least very wary of commiting himself.
In the end Oli secured the final takedown near the side of the cage, put his head against the
cage and rained down a few punches, one which cut Potter.
As Potter tried to stand back up, Oli retained wrist control, whilst managing to stay busy on
Potter's face.
Finally with just over a minute left in the first round, Oli took his back and wrapped in the now
notorious Rear Naked choke (which also submitted his last opponant Ben Smith). Potter
quickly tapped out before Oli even had hooks in.
Both fighters where very respectful of each other, with Potter showing great sportsmanship
after the fight, even posing for photos together behind the scenes.
Having beaten Mark Potter in the first round last night at UCMMA at the Troxy, London- Oli was buzzing, but calm as always!
Game face.
Oli managed 2-3 double leg takedowns within the first two minutes, he was just too strong for
Potter who actually came in 2kg heavier than Oli!
Oli in top position.
Interestingly Potter did not connect with any of his punches...he seemed slower than usual, or
at least very wary of commiting himself.
In the end Oli secured the final takedown near the side of the cage, put his head against the
cage and rained down a few punches, one which cut Potter.
As Potter tried to stand back up, Oli retained wrist control, whilst managing to stay busy on
Potter's face.
Finally with just over a minute left in the first round, Oli took his back and wrapped in the now
notorious Rear Naked choke (which also submitted his last opponant Ben Smith). Potter
quickly tapped out before Oli even had hooks in.
The winning combo.
Both fighters where very respectful of each other, with Potter showing great sportsmanship
after the fight, even posing for photos together behind the scenes.
Oli with Christian Vila and Kenny Moyston (Kenshiro)
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Tonight! Oli Thompson defending UCMMA title!
After a perfect twelve week training camp, UCMMA Heavyweight Champion, Oli Thompson is ready to defend his title at the Troxy in London this evening against Mark Potter.
In preparation for this fight, Oli sandwiched his training with Christian Vila, with a filler of five weeks training in Huntington beach California, U.S.A.
Here he trained alongside sparring partner Cheik Congo, who is also fighting this weekend at UFC Live, against Pat Barry (http://uk.ufc.com/event/UFCLive4#/fight).
Supported by a great team including Dave Jackson and coach Dan Marino, Oli evolved his fighting skills further with hours of sparring with top level fighters at the Huntington Beach Ultimate Training Centre.
Oli with coach Dan Marino and Cheik Congo.
Having returned from his U.S.A training camp, sharper and fitter than ever, Oli then continued his training with Christian Vila who pushed his cardio further using Hurricanes and relentless combat circuits.
See how Oli prepared for this fight in the following video:
In short this has been the best training camp yet, with Oli fitter, stronger and more skilled than ever.
Mark Potter will be facing the best Oli Thompson yet- who is evolving as a fighter with each training camp.
The bout will be televised on Sky Sports 3 this Wednesday evening.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
yourMMA.tv interviews Christian Vila
Christian Vila from Combat Ready Training talks to yourMMA.tv regarding training UCMMA Heavyweight Champion, Oli Thompson.
http://www.yourmma.tv/training/details.asp/c/1/id/83/christian-vila-oli-thompson-strength-and-conditioning-q-and-a.htm
http://www.yourmma.tv/training/details.asp/c/1/id/83/christian-vila-oli-thompson-strength-and-conditioning-q-and-a.htm
Check out the interview here:
http://www.yourmma.tv/training/details.asp/c/1/id/83/christian-vila-oli-thompson-strength-and-conditioning-q-and-a.htm
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Don't neglect your Strength training!
At the last UFC 130, Heavyweight Roy Nelson was dominated by a far stronger and fitter Frank Mir.
Roy Nelson said: "I gotta get bigger, stronger and faster"...showing he may have neglected these important aspects of his game.
Roy Nelson said: "I gotta get bigger, stronger and faster"...showing he may have neglected these important aspects of his game.
There is nothing worse than coming up against an opponant who is stronger than you. It feels like you're fighting against someone of a higher weight category!
As my good friend and mentor JC Santana says:
"Strength can overcome skill"
In my experience fighters focus too much on cardiovascular endurance in fear of putting on unwanted muscle.
At Combat Ready Training, each athlete is put through at least four-weeks of Strength training.
ZT Fighters Aftab Miah and Ryan Roe-Barnett deadlifting for superior pulling strength.
Read how we do this in our next blog post next week.
You can now subscribe via e-mail using the Follow via e-mail box on the right.--------------->
Monday, 9 May 2011
Oli Thompson finishes Strength phase of training!
Oli Thompson has again enlisted the services of Strength & Conditioning coach, Christian Vila from Combat Ready Training, in preparation for his title defence against Mark Potter.
Having worked together on previous training camps, Christian now has a very good understanding of Oli's needs, abilities and motivations.
Knowing exactly what makes an athlete tick is an important weapon in a trainer's arsenal. It has proved very effective in the last four weeks where Christian and Oli focused on boosting Oli's already formidable strength.
Oli has also received confirmation he will flying out to California in May for a month-long training camp with Cheik Congo at the Huntingdon Beach Ultimate Training Centre.
Having worked together on previous training camps, Christian now has a very good understanding of Oli's needs, abilities and motivations.
Knowing exactly what makes an athlete tick is an important weapon in a trainer's arsenal. It has proved very effective in the last four weeks where Christian and Oli focused on boosting Oli's already formidable strength.
Oli has also received confirmation he will flying out to California in May for a month-long training camp with Cheik Congo at the Huntingdon Beach Ultimate Training Centre.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Oli Thompson and Combat Ready Training on Warrior Creed.
 |
Taken from www.warriorcreed.com Recently on Warrior Creed, we have introduced an advertising scheme to help promote ourselves and to help others with their promotion needs. We advertised our new scheme through our various social networks and we have been inundated with a lot of responses. One that definitely caught our eye was an email from Christian Vila at Combat Ready Training & ZT Fight School. This one particularly grabbed our attention because Combat Ready Training is where current UCMMA Heavyweight Champion, Oli Thompson trains at. Christian is Oli’s Strength & Conditioning coach and an expert in personal fitness. After his win at the last UCMMA event, you can definitely tell that Thompson was at his physically (and mentally) best. We welcome this new advertising agreement with Christian & Combat Ready Training and hope to see them very soon.Don’t forget you can see Oli Thompson defend his UCMMA Heavyweight Title at the next MMA event after May.Take a look at Combat Ready Training’s Blog, for great tips, updates and videos.  Big thanks to Warrior Creed for their shout out....be sure to check them out! WARRIOR CREED |
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
See Oli Thompson beat Ben Smith at UCMMA: Lights Out!
How they say it could've gone either way? Oli shows amazing strength and power in both rounds, with plenty of cardio spare!
See for yourself.....Oli vs Ben
Count the takedowns baby! 110kg ripped and slammed over and over!
We've now started preparing Oli for his next opponent, Mark Potter.
See for yourself.....Oli vs Ben
Count the takedowns baby! 110kg ripped and slammed over and over!
We've now started preparing Oli for his next opponent, Mark Potter.
Sam Watling- ZT Fight Skool trains Strength and Power with Christian Vila.
Sam Watling is preparing for BAMMA 6 with Strength & Conditioning coaches Alex Backhouse and Christian Vila.
Here he takes on the tyre and prowler outside ZT Fight Skool in Hove for maximum power and strength.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
UCMMA champion Oli Thompson to face former Pro boxer Mark Potter
from MMAMail.com
Knockout artist Mark Potter to meet Oli Thompson for Heavyweight
title matchup at UCMMA
Fortuna PR's own Mark Potter will take on UCMMA champion and former
Britain's Strongest man Oli Thompson on June 25th at UCMMA "Stand your
Ground" in London. Mark Potter has made massive waves in the UK
domestic scene with his crisp combinations and knockout power.
Thompson recently claimed the Heavyweight belt in impressive fashion
beating Ben Smith at UCMMA "Lights out".
Mark Potter started out in professional boxing gaining a Pro record of
21-5-0 before heading into the unlicensed boxing scene. Potter would
accumulate an impressive 25-0 record in unlicensed boxing becoming the
EBF champion, finishing all of his opponents inside the distance.
Since hitting the MMA Heavyweight ranks Potter (nicknamed "The Great
White Shark") has finished 4 out of his 5 opponents, an unfortunate
disqualification being his only loss. The manner of the victory's has
led to Potter being singled out as one to watch for the future, making
the respected American web site Bloody Elbow's worldwide top ten
scouting list of Heavyweights. In Thompson, Potter faces the toughest
test of his MMA career and his preparations for the bout are already
under way.
Oli today said:
"So i am defending my UCMMA belt against former pro boxer Mark Potter, 25th June! For the record he is number one contender as confirmed to me by UCMMA before my fight with Ben, a fight that i agreed i would take...i will happily fight Ben again but it was never going to be first defence?
And i dont make match ups anyway. The fight was very one sided, i found the best way to bounce back from defeat last year to Big Rob was to train harder and learn from it, not to disrespect your opponent".
Oli today said:
"So i am defending my UCMMA belt against former pro boxer Mark Potter, 25th June! For the record he is number one contender as confirmed to me by UCMMA before my fight with Ben, a fight that i agreed i would take...i will happily fight Ben again but it was never going to be first defence?
And i dont make match ups anyway. The fight was very one sided, i found the best way to bounce back from defeat last year to Big Rob was to train harder and learn from it, not to disrespect your opponent".
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
CRT teams up with Alex Backhouse (ZT Ultimate Trainer) for a kick ass Power Workout!
Big thanks to Alex Backhouse for putting together an awesome Power Workout routine for MMA!
Download your free mag here:http://combatnetworkshop.net/FREEMagazine.aspx
Go to page 44-46.
Download your free mag here:http://combatnetworkshop.net/FREEMagazine.aspx
Go to page 44-46.
Intro words: Christian Vila
Workout by Alex Backhouse: ZT Ultimate Training.
Fighter: UCMMA Heavyweight Champion, Oli Thompson.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
UCMMA 19 Fight report on PureMMA.com
From www.puremma.com
Oli Thompson crowned Heavyweight Champion at UCMMA 19.
Oli Thompson crowned Heavyweight Champion at UCMMA 19.
An entertaining night of fights climaxed with a Heavyweight Championship fight between challenger Oli Thompson and champion Ben Smith, last night at The Troxy, London, for UCMMA 19: Light’s Out.
The action was thick and fast and up until the headliner only one fight had seen the second round.
The main event was the fight of the night, featuring Oli Thompson (8-2) from ZT Fight Skool challenging for Ben Smith’s (8-4) heavyweight crown.
Both men looked in incredible shape and they wasted no time to lock horns. After a few strikes on the feet, Oli took no time to execute his game plan and tied up Ben in a clinch and subsequently got a take down.
Ben was game. He scrambled back to his feet and landed some good punches on the feet. Oli stayed calm, completed a second takedown and won the round.
Cardio was always going to be the biggest factor if the fight went past the second round. Oli pulled off another takedown against the fence, landed some good solid strikes, including a crunching knee to the body and ended the fight with a rear choke. Ben Smith was out of a gas, Oli Thompson didn’t need the hooks in to complete the submission.
Oli Thompson improves every fight. His ground game was very impressive and he had complete control over Ben Smith.
After the fight both men agreed to a rematch, something the promoter Dave O’Donnell i’m sure would like too.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Oli Thompson- Interview with PureMMA.com
Taken from PureMMA.com
Ultimate Challenge MMA (UCMMA) is primed for their 19th event: Lights Out, which takes place on 26th March at the Troxy in London.
Topping the card is a heavyweight championship showdown between Oli Thompson and Champion Ben Smith. The Ultimate Challenge Bantam Weight title is also on the line, for the second time in four months. Former British Judo champion, James Lutman will be defending his recent title against the undefeated and relentlessly aggressive, Giorgio Andrews
Oli Thompson is one of the brightest heavyweight prospects in British MMA. Thompson (6-2) lives in East Sussex and trains primarily out of the ZT Fight Skool in Eastbourne. He played Rugby Union at English county level and was crowned Britain’s Strongest Man in 2006.
We catch up with Oli as he prepares to fight for UCMMA’s heavyweight belt, currently around the waist of Ben Smith:
PureMMA.com: How did you first get into MMA?
Oli Thompson: I got into MMA after I decided to retire from Strongman after ‘World’s Strongest Man 2008′. I decided that I was going to stop while I was still out in West Virginia. My best friend Tolly (1st generation bjj) Plested had always been telling me stories about grappling, wrestling etc and it sounded like something I thought I could do, so I began training with him in Jan ’09.
Oli Thompson: I got into MMA after I decided to retire from Strongman after ‘World’s Strongest Man 2008′. I decided that I was going to stop while I was still out in West Virginia. My best friend Tolly (1st generation bjj) Plested had always been telling me stories about grappling, wrestling etc and it sounded like something I thought I could do, so I began training with him in Jan ’09.
PureMMA: Who are you biggest influences in MMA?
Oli: I look up to the guys that are so well rounded, that can do it all, have speed, power and can fight in every area… eg GSP, Frankie Edgar.
Oli: I look up to the guys that are so well rounded, that can do it all, have speed, power and can fight in every area… eg GSP, Frankie Edgar.
PureMMA: How does training for an MMA fight compare to training for a Strongman competition?
Oli: The training is totally different, both have to be the toughest sports in the world, Strongman training I would just train so hard every day to the point where I feel like I am falling apart. With MMA training I can apply the same hard work but it’s more intelligent, and there is so much to work on. I go home still thinking about aspects of my technique, so its non stop.
Oli: The training is totally different, both have to be the toughest sports in the world, Strongman training I would just train so hard every day to the point where I feel like I am falling apart. With MMA training I can apply the same hard work but it’s more intelligent, and there is so much to work on. I go home still thinking about aspects of my technique, so its non stop.
PureMMA: What has been your favourite fight (you’ve been in)?
Oli: I guess it has to be the ZT Tournament final with Rob Broughton, not because of my performance but because it was fun to go in with the UK no1 and go 15 mins after we had both already fought twice that night.
Oli: I guess it has to be the ZT Tournament final with Rob Broughton, not because of my performance but because it was fun to go in with the UK no1 and go 15 mins after we had both already fought twice that night.
PureMMA: What do you see as your biggest strengths as a fighter?
Oli: I train very hard to be a complete fighter that can take the fight on my feet, the ground or wherever.
Oli: I train very hard to be a complete fighter that can take the fight on my feet, the ground or wherever.
PureMMA: Do you think your strongman background has helped your MMA game/skills?
Oli: The main benifit would be the work ethic, and winning mentality, also many of the Strongman events are now used as part of top MMA fighters conditioning.
Oli: The main benifit would be the work ethic, and winning mentality, also many of the Strongman events are now used as part of top MMA fighters conditioning.
PureMMA: How was your experience with Bisping and the Wolfslair gym? And how have they helped you train for the Ben Smith fight?
Oli: Was a great experience and am hoping to make a few more trips ASAP. Getting rounds in with Mike, Kongo etc def. raised my levels and confidence.
Oli: Was a great experience and am hoping to make a few more trips ASAP. Getting rounds in with Mike, Kongo etc def. raised my levels and confidence.
PureMMA: How do you see the fight at UCMMA 19 against Ben Smith playing out?
Oli: We usually fight in a fairly similar way, I will need to showcase my full range of skills to bring the belt home and thats what I will do. Don’t miss this fight!
Oli: We usually fight in a fairly similar way, I will need to showcase my full range of skills to bring the belt home and thats what I will do. Don’t miss this fight!
PureMMA: What’s next after this fight?
Oli: 26th March is all that matters.
Oli: 26th March is all that matters.
PureMMA: Who would you like to thank for preparation for this fight?
Oli: Thanks to 1st Generation BJJ, ZT Fight Skool, Combat Ready Training, I Am Senshi, Cherry Active and everyone else who has helped out.
Oli: Thanks to 1st Generation BJJ, ZT Fight Skool, Combat Ready Training, I Am Senshi, Cherry Active and everyone else who has helped out.
PureMMA would like to thank Oli for taking the time out of his training for this interview and to HaloPRfor hooking us up.
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