EP #76 - Kick Boxer - Daniel 'The Phantom' Ruwanga

I had an awesome chat with Daniel Ruwanga. This guy is the definition of relentless if you have seen his fights! Daniel is a kickboxer who fights out of Strike Force and is based out of Auckland, New Zealand. Daniel has competed at the highest level of NZ Kick Boxing, fighting  in two King in the Rings in and getting to the finals of both the welterweight and middleweight divisions and he recently fought in the Kun Khmer. We yarned about Daniel's entry into kickboxing, staying fit and healthy, balancing being an engineer and a fighter, his love of anime, and much more! 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

And I'm here with Daniel, the Phantom Ruiner. What's going on, bro? Oh no much. Just had a fight on the weekend just before. You did. You did. I did check that out. You win uh unfortunately to go to a decision, not your not your way, but that looked like a brutal pretty brutal fight, the big test. Yeah, I was just bludgeon that fight. Yeah, you were ready to yeah, that I I just saw some clips of it and stuff, and like you and um what was the fella's name you were fighting? From Cambodia? From Cambodia? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I would like to know with that experience, because it was this your first proper Muay Thai fight, or is this you this hammer?

SPEAKER_00 0:41

This one was called Kunkumur. Kung Kumur. That's that's the martial art, yeah. The Cambodian style, yep. With elbows, a fight with elbows. This would be my third.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Third, third one. Third one. So that's like um but are the are the rules are quite different from standard kickboxing, right? Like, as in like the clinch, you can be in the clinch for longer, you know, you can throw more knees, yeah, things like that. How did you find how'd you find that?

SPEAKER_00 1:07

I definitely gotta up my clinching game. I think in the last few rounds he just kept sweep um swooping me quite a bit. Um but I think with elbows, yeah, it does it does make things a lot different because you can't throw like typical kickboxing punch combos, you just get counted uh like straight up elbow or something, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Yeah, right down the middle, right down the middle. Interesting. Yeah, I guess now that I think about the mechanics of it, if you're like opening up like the the guard and like throwing a punch as and like maybe like hooks and stuff, yeah. You are really like the chin is there and yeah, straight down the middle.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

So, did you how many hit how many of those did you get hit with? Oh well, you were right. I think I got hit with one like right on the top of my head. Oh, yeah, yeah, but I was I was just hoping it didn't cause any blood. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That would have woken you up for sure. Taking an elbow. Especially when you when it gets in your eyes, it's like it's quite hard to see.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Oh, yeah, because you because they cut as well. They cut you up a little bit, yeah. Yeah, I did.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Oh yeah, I see a little cut above your um yeah, your this one was from a head clash. A head clash, I remember him headbutt, like it was an accidental headbutt, and I was just like, Yeah, I know this is gonna bleed soon. Shit, an access to was that in the clinch? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

In the clinch? That's quite hard to con to to control. Um how how how long are you allowed to clinch with the kungur rules?

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Do they have like a rule set for that? I don't think there's like a specific time that you guys can clinch. I think it's after it becomes like a stalemate and no one's really doing anything, then the ref will break it up.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Right. But if you're like actively like throwing like knees and yeah, they'll just try to like carry it.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Can you throw them to the ground?

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Yep, yep. Those um those get sweeping?

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah, yeah, they get scored quite heavily.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Oh, awesome. Yeah. Yeah. How do you find um obviously because in like kickboxing you can also do that, but how do you find the sweeping? Um You've been probably doing quite a lot of it, I imagine.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Yeah, it's not it's not not too bad. I think I think the main thing that kind of throws me off about Muay Thai is not being able to throw the combos that I'd conventionally train. Combos. Yeah. Yeah. Um, as I said before, like you get you just eat an elbow straight after that. Like there's so many openings, you know, when you throw punch combos. Yes. Just straight down the middle. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

So like would you have to like did you have to like change up your defensive guard quite a bit?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Yeah, yeah. You could see in the fight, like my my guard was a lot different. I was throwing different types of guards. Like, I was elbow blocking quite a bit. Um, whenever his elbows would come, I'd chuck my elbow up to block it.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Yeah. So I I guess like you have to be, yeah, pick, yeah, really pick your shots, right? Yeah, yeah. Exactly. And you you're quite rangy because you got some really cool kicks. I was really cool. But when I was I saw um, I've I've seen Daniel fight twice, so I'm at King of the Ring, welterweight and middleweight, and his uh range and his flexibility of kicks, I'm like, that's cool. That's like, yeah, that reminds me of like Tekken. I'm like, you hit the circle and he's doing those round kicks, I'm like, yeah, yeah. That's cool. I want to learn that stuff, but I'm not flexible. But I'm like, that'd be cool. So yeah, I guess for throwing kicks, um, and again, a difference from like kickboxing, because you you know your range very well. Because when I watched you at King of the Ring, I'm like, obviously, like this guy I can see really knows his how you know he can use his height to his advantage. Yeah, when you're in Kungur and in that environment, do you find did you find you have to like again change how you like thought about your range with your opponent?

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Yeah, um with Cambodians, they fight a little bit different to ties, they actually come forward, they're quite aggressive. Oh, right. Yeah, real 40, like whereas most ties that I've seen, they're typically like on the back foot and they're all patient. But yeah, the whole night, those boys just kept coming forward. Relentless. They're relentless. How many rounds was it? It's five rounds.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Five five rounds, three minutes? Yeah, five threes. Jeez, yeah, yeah, that's that that's some cardio, right? And you went the whole way, well done. Yeah, that's that that's like a mini marathon. Yeah, yeah, by the end of it. But did you um do you find that yeah, with being a forward with with their forward pressure in that, did you find that in the later rounds you could start to see like more openings for yourself? Because they're just trying to like pressure you. So do you do you find that they're like, oh, they're just coming forward for coming forward now? They're not really coming forward with like I don't know, something like a like a uh a move as much. They're just trying to like, I don't know, put like make you panic or something.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Yeah, yeah. I think this guy had quite a lot of experience, so he was able to do a little bit more than just come forward. Like even even when I tried countering him with my like punching or whatever, he would just tape me. Like he'll push kick me and I would get thrown off balance. Yeah, he was he was good at everything.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Yeah, I guess like with the with the push kicks and and and the tape's and stuff, like because you you throw a lot of kicks. Yeah. So d did you find this time like because again I didn't watch the whole fight, I saw bits of it. So if you were throwing your kicks, did you find it quite hard to keep him at bay?

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Like Yeah, somewhat, somewhat. I think I think like as I said, um I think for this fight, I was a little bit too greedy with the elbows, and even when I was like losing in the clinch, I was just I was just trying to land like that final um Hail Mary. Because I noticed like I think second, third round he was caught up quite quite a bit, and I thought maybe I could get a doctor stoppage. So I was I was just desperately looking for like that final blow. And like normally I throw quite a lot of kicks in my fights, but in this one I I just do um low chops. Yeah, just trying to like chop up the legs, just chop at the legs and then you find the elbows.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Yeah, yeah, because I I always find that really interesting to watch guys who like chop up the legs because like the idea is like that you're trying to like you know get them to be like chop up the legs enough so that they like won't even that they can't even check anymore, right? They're like they're struggling to lift up their legs because their legs are so sore.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

So yeah, that's a that's a that's a like I've because I even like guys like UFC, like that are all high levels, they'll do that. You got five rounds, so you're like picking the shots and like consistently trying to slow down their pace or like slow and like reducing uh their movements and what they can do. Yeah, it's uh that's cool. Sore though, but yeah, that what like what what what was it uh anything surprise you with with this guy?

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Something that was really annoying was I did take out his lead leg in orthodox. The problem was this dude is also he doesn't only just fight in orthodox, he's really good at South Paul as well. So even though I took out his other leg, like he just stood in Southpaw, and yeah, it was just a really annoying fight after that. Southpaw, yeah. So yeah, have you do you do have you trained much Southpaw? Um like with other South Paules? Yeah, some somewhat.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

Just in general in the gym, like you're gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

It is way more difficult, I would say. If you're a South Paul, like fighting orthodox fighters is quite like simple. You just because everyone's orthodox.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Yeah, pretty much.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

It just becomes like a simplified, yeah, it becomes quite simplified. But when you're aspiring another southpaw, you're just you're not used to it. Yeah, it's not not a lot of them.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Yeah, they're just the the different uh movements and punches and kicks, it's just like this isn't where you're meant to be prowing from. Yeah, turn around. Exactly. The angles are way different. Yeah, yeah, it it is different, yeah. Um, I I uh when I was watching your King of the Ring, I did notice you like to play around with angles a bit. You you kind of like do like yeah, movements round like that, like rotating around your opponent, which I think is really effective and and really cool. Because um I think there is quite an art form when you like to how to utilize that limited space you've got in the ring. I don't know the exact dimensions, but do you think about that much? Like with how much space you've got in the ring and like how to navigate it and how to use it to your advantage?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Yeah, the way I see it, I I don't think you should just fight center on or like always be like aligned with your opponent. I think there's so many shots you can land when you're like off those little angles, you know, when you take those little angles. Yeah, there's so many things you can land, just opens you up to a whole variety of shots.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Trying to get creative with it, right? Yeah, with what you can throw on the angle. Um, like yeah, yeah, I guess you can throw like a bot, like you can push them over, like throw a body kick, and then you can like line up the right. I mean, hey, I'm just throwing things out there, but like I'm sure there's a lot of things you can do, and like yeah, I um yeah, that's cool. Hell yeah, man. So oh what an experience, Kung Khmer. Would you do it again?

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Yeah, definitely. I would love to. I really want to go to Cambodia and hopefully fight conditions. That would be so cool. That'd be fun. Have you ever traveled and fought yet? No, I haven't. Just been in New Zealand, just been just been in New Zealand. So I I really want to go to Thailand probably this year or next year. Oh, nice, nice.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Yeah, get some training sessions over there. Yeah, fight every week. Would you do that? I would love to, yeah. That'd be so good. I'll get so much experience from that. So much experience, hey. Live at the gym, eat at the gym. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That would be fun. But yeah, hard work though, and the humidity and the heat and and uh the temperature. Yeah, it's something different you've got to think about. As New Zealand would slightly, yeah, generally it's like Auckland temperature is generally pretty pretty sensible, right? It's never like anything too crazy.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Yeah, those guys when they flew, and I saw the Kamboonie team fly out here after wins. Like I saw some of the team like replenishing and they're just having their drinks right after they weighed in. But some of them are like rushing to chuck on clothes, like they're quite cold.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Yeah, so used to the extreme humidity, they're used to fighting. Like, um, yeah, I've heard a few of the guys at like CKB, they'll they they trained in like the Philippines. Oh true. And there's like there's no there's like no air con, there's no nothing in these like sheds that you're just training in, and it just yeah, it's just you're just pouring out sweat, really working. And it's just I'm just like, wow, that does sound tough. It does add another element to but it makes you tough, right? It makes you tougher. It's like you know, like uh in the UFC with the Dagestani fellas and stuff, they'll train up in the mountains, less less uh oxygen, higher altitudes. Yes, yeah that would make a big difference, I'd imagine, as well. So many little things you can do, right? To really try and up your game. Have you got anything um with your cardio and that to last those rounds? You've definitely got it. How what um what has been one of the most helpful exercises or things you've done to try and you know get you through those later rounds?

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

To be honest, I do a variety of things. It's not like one like I know some people like the assault bike, some people just like sprinting at the racetrack. I kind of do everything. Nice like I do sometimes I'll do long distance, sometimes I'll do assault bike, sometimes I'll do like sprints on the um treadmill, a lot of bag work, shadow boxing, yeah. Everything I just add everything into. Skipping. What's that? Sorry? So skipping? Yeah, skipping as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

Nice. So you're trying to bit it do it all. Do you have do you have days where you will like have um you will only focus on cardio? Like today is cardio day. Like I am skipping, I'm sprinting. Yep. Typically on the weekends. On the weekend.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

And I I'll the way I do it is I'll try s I try to do it at the same time that I would probably fight, you know? So it kind of adjusts my body to to that, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

You know?

SPEAKER_00 12:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Yeah, to try, yeah. So I guess yeah, and I guess you've got to adjust to each fight, right? Like I had on I had Michael on here, one of your former opponents, arch rivals now. But I had him on and we were discussing um his preparations for King of the Ring, yeah, and like making it really fight specific. Did you kind of do something like that as well when you trained for it? Did you make it real fight specific with like, okay, I've got this amount of rounds, I've got probably this amount of break time, and I need to like conserve my energy uh, you know, for those later rounds. Yeah, you have to, you have to. But that's also so hard because you're in that first fight. I I I have no idea, but how I don't know how you'd manage that. It's like because you gotta obviously you've got to work in the fight, you've got to put in a lot of uh a lot of effort even to try and get a knockout and that. Um but then but then like you gotta then try and wait for you might you if you want to advance, you gotta, you know, have gas in the tank.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

So how did you prepare for that?

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Man, with King in the Ring, you have to prepare for every type of scenario that that could happen. Like the next guy that you're fighting in the second round could get a knockout. So you gotta have enough gas tank. You gotta be ready that you have enough gas tank. So like you're prepared for a situation like that, you know. And then even the same thing, if you fight in the finals, the dude might have like two finishes, and it's a likely, likely chance, it's happened quite a lot of times. So I think the way you train, like you really gotta up it. Like you really gotta up your cardio, your stamina, your strength. Yeah, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Yeah, yeah. So are you the only person who's got into two finals and two weight classes and then went to the later rounds? I think so. That is like the most like wildest thing I've ever seen. I'm like, like I've I'm sure people who know you know this, but for people who are listening who don't, um Daniel Fort and King of the Ring, and there's two different weight classes, and he got to the both finals, and he went to both later rounds, and unf went to decision. Unfortunately, he didn't get it. And I was just like, Man, uh, the hardest working man. Like, look at him. I'm just like, ah, at least give him something. Um, but that's like I'm just like so impressed that you like that you did it twice. Yeah, like I like at my point, yeah, you win. In my head, you like win in an on a whole nother level.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Yeah, I can't even sometimes it's hard to process. Like, I I try to put it behind me and just not think about it, but it's actually crazy. Sometimes I'm like, I can't believe I did that. Because I've had fights where I took a lot of da like I had I've always wanted to fight on King of the Ring, and then some fights that I had where I came out, I walked out of the ring, I walked back to my changing room. I'm like, fuck, I took so much damage from that, my legs are so sore, and I'm not gonna be able to walk for the rest of the week. How am I supposed to do King of the Ring and fight three times at one night? So yeah, I sometimes I just I can't believe it myself. You so pretty surprised yourself. Yeah, I did.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Yeah, so I guess the the that determination and that mental fortitude, like where did you learn that from? Or does it just come with you just you feel like it just come naturally? Per perseverance, I suppose.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

I think some people comes naturally. I think for me I had to grind for it. I think there's a lot of like adversaries that I faced in life that made me way more mentally stronger. A lot of losses before King of the Ring that I had to go through that made me so much more stronger. Uh like fight losses and like matching. Yeah, even in my personal life, so many losses I've had to go through that just made me like want to push forward even harder.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Yeah, adversity is a privilege, right? It's true. And that makes fighters, I think. It's like it's always sad when I look at this, but there is so much truth in it with a lot of guys who fight and they come from uh you know hard backgrounds or come from tragedy, but it like fuels the fuels it. But then I guess you have to be a bit careful if it's all like I don't know, don't want to be too negative, right? Like can't it can't all be like um I don't know. I was listening to some guy on another podcast talk about this like having adversity always fuel everything, like because otherwise, I don't know, is it like too much negative energy? But it's a good place to put it, but I don't know. Yeah, I guess it is, it is trying to keep it good, trying to keep trying to keep it healthy.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

I think I get exactly what you mean. Yeah, that I think I was self-motivated by that, but I think up until a point recently I I've kind of tried to disengage from that sort of mentality, and the way I see it now, like I want to be the best. It's not like oh I want to prove all these like I want to get back for all the times I got hurt in the past. It's more of like a healthier motivation.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Prove to yourself, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Prove it to myself, you know.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

Rather than yeah, trying to prove it to like oh I'm gonna prove this person wrong. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah, but it doesn't really solve any, it's not really good uh motivation for the future.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

No, it's not healthy, like it's not healthy carrying all of that. I can while it does like propel you, it kind of hurts you a lot. I think so in the long run.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

I think so. Because it also you're fighting almost in a bad in like a negative way for other people, and it's like they don't deserve that. Like you deserve to fight for you and what you want. Yeah, like you, I don't know, that's how I would imagine it, I suppose. I guess I kind of adapt that mindset a little bit into what I do as well with doing the things I'm trying to achieve too. So it's just like I wanna, you know, this is for me, you know, and all for you know, family and whatever, people close to me, people who care and support the real ones or what's whatever. Yeah, rather than like, yeah, like letting like um not just the naysayers or like I guess your own inner darkness kind of decide, like, oh you know, you gotta fight for this reason and whatever. Interesting. So what got you into into wanting to beat people up? I'm joking. Well what what made you want to be uh get in the game of fighting? What made you wanna what what was the moment? You watch a did you watch a uh a match? Did you go to an event? Did you I don't know, see UFC, did you see a kickboxing tournament?

SPEAKER_00 17:46

Um so many things. Like my fa there's a lot of people in my family that are into martial arts and stuff. Yeah, it was it was I don't know, I it's kind of hard to answer that question. I know what motivated me to pursue it, but I think it was the only sport that appealed to me. Like growing up and when growing up when I was in school, um I was like my dad put me into like an athletics club. Um yeah, I just I just wasn't good good at that. I I didn't have any athletic capabilities at all.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Which is crazy for me to hear that because you have a lot of athletic capabilities.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Yeah, no, honestly, like just running and like what high jump high jump, shop, disc discus, um what's that, javelin, everything. Yeah, yeah, I just I wasn't good at any of those. I always came last. And my dad like so disappointed, but he still kept bringing me back. Yeah, it's sad. Like I knew he really wanted me to be um an athlete, like some do some sort of sport growing up. Like I tried, I tried doing cricket, I tried doing rugby, touch, everything. I just I just wasn't good at it. I didn't really have any passion for it either. So I I guess yeah, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

So so when what was the first martial art you did? Kickboxing?

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Yeah, kickboxing.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

So it was kickboxing. When did you first step into the gym?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

I stepped into the gym when I was like 14. And I begged my dad, bro. Oh yeah. I like begged him to pull me into this this gym. Is that strike force? No, it wasn't strikeforce, it was called Jay's Gym in Palmerson North.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Oh right, is that where you grew up in Palmerson North? No, I'm my mum, my mom moved down there for like a few years. Oh, okay. I just moved down there with her, yeah. Oh, okay, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

Yeah, and then you were like, I want to go, well, let me try it. I want to hit pants, it'll be cool. And then when you went in there and you did a class, you were like, This is this is it. Yeah, yeah. That's cool. I loved it. That's yeah. It was just really fun.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

It was so fun. Like this is the first time I actually wanted to do a sport.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Yeah, yeah. So before that, you just yeah, sport was never that interesting to you. It wasn't rugby, rugby, rugby. It's like, nah, I don't want to do that. That's like New Zealand Day, like natural. It's like, yeah. I did like a tiny, tiny little bit of rugby when I was in intermediate school, and I was just like, this isn't really for me. But um, yeah, it's kind of like, yeah, what parents are like, you should go and do this, you should do that. Yeah. Because even in my head, I'm like, man, if I have if I had like a kid's I'm like, they're straight into like jujitsu, and like straight into like this, and they'll be like, I don't want to do that, I want to play football. It's like it's just like yeah, what your parents want you to do, yeah. And they're just like, Yep, and this is the this is what you should follow. Yeah. So went into that, did kickboxing, never looked back. That was like what you wanted to do. Yeah, you never wanted to try any other martial arts, like the MMA stuff wasn't interesting to you.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

I've tried Judisu, but no, it's a it's a bit weird.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Yeah, it's it's a bit crazy. It's a bit of a susport, bro. I'm not gonna lie. You're not wrong, man. You're not wrong. Yeah, it's a it's a weird one. There's something so um I find it very interesting and technical, but it's also like it's it's um it's been the hardest thing I've ever tried sport-wise. My god, it's so difficult. I mean, kickboxing is also hard, but I feel like with kickboxing, you can pick up the combos if you're going like you can kind of pick them up, and then you can know you can you can throw some stuff at pads and yeah, you feel good and stuff, but in jujitsu, it's like you know, it's like a whole different ball game trying to like learn how to control someone's body and that. So it's it's it's it's it is and it looks weird. Like watching it is just like it's kind of it's kind of funny, but like you're just like everyone's butt scooping together, and it's just like this is a sport. Um, but yeah, it's so important in in like the fight world, especially if you want to do that. Yeah, don't get me wrong, it's actually really useful. Yeah, so crucial. I think it's a really good sport in that. And there's lots of different well, grappling's really starting to take off in New Zealand now, I think. Yeah, because when I was younger, um, I never heard of it. It wasn't really around. I heard about wrestling, but I was always like, oh, wrestling, like because everyone, I think for me growing up, when I looked at like first grappling sport, which is wrestling, it was like WWE, and that's just like a performance show. You're not really like it doesn't really seem like a martial art. It's a m it's like uh it's like a do you watch much WWE? You're interested in wrestling or anything like that?

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Have you have you watched it before? I've seen some of it, yeah. I remember in school we used to collect those um WWE cards. Oh cool, yeah. Yeah, like get get like The Rock or like John Cena. If I remember, I think it was similar to the rugby cards in the bluebird. I'm trying to remember. Yeah. Something like that.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

Yeah, because I'm I what I like, because what my um one of my really good friends, he loves it, right? And um I'm a afraid as I was like, oh, it's fake and it's all bullshit and blah blah blah. But then when you watch it, you're like, oh, it's quite like uh it's actually quite an art form because you they have to it's it's very choreographed, but like it's like you have to be they have to be very careful of each other and all the storylines and stuff, and it's like oh it's it's kind of fun. But if you look at it like a martial arts sport, combat sport, it's like it's not you're not meant to look at it like that.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

Um, but it's interesting because I think I heard um I think I heard someone talk about how WWE and that was like born to try and get wrestling popular. Because a lot of those people in the sport, I think be back in the 80s and that, they're all professional wrestlers, highest level. Some guys I think might have gone to the Olympics, like Hulk Hogan and that. I don't know if he went, I think he did go to the Olympics. Don't quote me on that. But anyway, and then I think what happened was they were trying to figure out ways to like grow the sport, and they were like, well, let's make it more entertainment rather than like the actual, like, you know, strict rules of wrestling because no one's really that interested in it. Yeah, and I think um if uh because I follow a bit of grappling with like Craig Jones and stuff, he has like the jujitsu Aussie guy and he's funny as. But again, he's trying to bring that entertainment sort of vibe to jujitsu because if you're a punter and you watch it, it's like it's really hard to know what's going on and it just looks odd and weird. Whereas I feel like with like kickboxing and boxing and stuff, like it would it's easier to digest, I think, for the punter or people who don't understand you don't need as much knowledge, I think. I don't know, which is my my observation. But yeah, if you've ever tried to watch it, some butt scooting. Yeah, yeah. Oh sweet man. So enter the gym, 14. When did you decide you were like, alright, I like the training, now I want to like put it to the test. I want to get into the ring. When did that when was your next stage?

SPEAKER_00 23:54

I actually didn't want to. I never wanted to get in the ring. I don't know. I just I had like a I was quite anxious. I had like massive anxiety back then. I didn't want to I don't want to do any sort of performance in front of people at all.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

Very shy?

SPEAKER_00 24:06

I was really shy. Yeah, I was really shy. Like at the same time a bit confident, like, but yeah, internally I was really shy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

But but when when when was your first like um fight?

SPEAKER_00 24:18

It was 2019.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

2019 was the first one you ever did.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Yep, it was a grass routro against Dion Wilson. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

And how did you find the prep for that, preparing for that?

SPEAKER_00 24:28

I didn't know what I was doing, to be honest. I like I had I had really good talent back then, but I don't think I had like a good structural system to train? To train? Yeah, to train, yeah. I was honestly just doing random stuff, completely random stuff. Yeah. You had some help in the direction, some coaching, like I had I had like there's some fighters at the gym that I was training at at the time, they gave me a bit of direction. I like f I followed it obviously, but yeah, it was just just kind of I don't know. I just didn't get a hang of it until I think my third fight. Yeah. That's when I was like, okay, I kind of know how to train for a fight now.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

Yeah, you know what you need to be working on. Yeah, exactly. What was the thing you think uh in that third fight when you felt like you kind of got it, what was the thing you reckoned that you needed to work on the most?

SPEAKER_00 25:17

I think I think I just needed to watch the example of all the fighters around me and like how they trained. Because um at the time I was training at Oliver MMA and I lost like two fights and then I went back to Strike I went I was in it sorry, so let me get the let me just clarify. I was out of Auckland, I moved back to Auckland, I started training at Strike Force, then I moved to Oliver MMA for a few months, and then I came back to Strike Force after that.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

Yeah. So yeah, once I watched a few fighters in my gym, like trained for fights, I kind of got the hang of it. And like I was watching what they were doing, and I think that's how I kind of prepared going forward, just off their example. Yeah, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 25:59

So just watching kind of how they'd how they prepare prepare prepare for fights, how they would uh what they put that effort into and like weight cutting. How'd you find that?

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Oh no, I didn't even weight cut. That was so dumb. No, I didn't. I literally like I lost my body weight and then made weight like that. Ooh. I know, I was so skinny in that fight. I was just sticking that fight.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Oh yeah, that must have been that you had it, yeah. What did that feel like on fight day? And this episode is sponsored by me. Do you struggle with sleeping and particularly struggle with light and sound while sleeping? I think it's time you get the sleep that you deserve. My business Infinity Sleep specializes in sleep well-being products to enhance your sleep quality. I've been using sleep masks and airplugs for the past three years to help improve my sleep, and I'm so stoked to finally have ones that have been created for my own sleeping needs. If you would like to learn more about my business Infinity Sleep, please visit our website www.infinitysleep.co.nz. By making a purchase, you are directly not only supporting a local Kiwi business, but also this podcast. Use the promo code only scott15% and receive 15% off your first order. Go to www.infinitysleep.co dot nz to get the sleep that you deserve.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

I managed to win, but like Awesome. Wow, crazy. Yeah, but still overcoming the adversity. I think the next one, I um I fought one month later. I lost that fight, but like I came in like probably one and a half kgs underweight. And mind you, this is not water weight, this is literally my body mass that I lost.

SPEAKER_01 27:33

It was like like literally lost muscle.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

I lost muscle, bro. Damn, like there was no strength on me at all.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

Oh man.

SPEAKER_00 27:41

Yeah, I know. I remember I weighed in like 64 points something point five. That's crazy. I think the fight was like 66.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Shit.

SPEAKER_00 27:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:49

All right.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

It was not smart at all.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah. Oh, it's a shame you didn't have anybody around you for some extra direction there.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

Oh, I don't think I asked. I think people just assumed that I knew what I was doing. Oh, okay, right.

SPEAKER_01 28:01

Right, right. Okay. Yeah, because um, yeah, the weight cutting thing I see guys do, and I'm just like, yeah, you get like it's so dangerous. It can be really dangerous, you know. You can really harm like can die, bro. Yeah, exactly. You can harm your internal organs, you can harm, you know, like your body, and uh, you know, you're still, you know, you're 24, right? 24 now. 24, yeah. So you're still young, so your body's not like fully developed yet. So I don't know, yeah. Oh no, yeah, you gotta what yeah, careful of those things. But hey man, you did it. You know, look at you now, crushing it. Yeah, oh crazy, man. So something else I wanted to I want to talk to you about. We'll talk about a lot about fighting, a lot of the things you're doing there. But I also you're also um uh uh an engineer.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

So I got your bachelor's a few years ago.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

Yeah, I did. I did I completed in 2022.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

Nice, and um, yeah, I want to talk to you as so electrical engineer, right? Yeah, that's what that's your day job, that's what you work in today. Yeah, cool, man. So um with like the engineering stuff, like um, I'm just interested because like an electrical stuff, uh, what kind of stuff do you work on?

SPEAKER_00 29:02

Um it's a little bit of everything, but basically I I just do lighting and powerful um buildings. Oh yeah. The power design, lighting design.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

Lighting design, yep, and commercial buildings, private industries.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

Commercial buildings, private and industrial, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Yep. How how have you found like being in it now? Like, I don't know, I don't know if you think about this that much, but because of COVID and where we're at and like country where in, you know, there's not much money and all this stuff, like have you found like because you've just got into the industry and and that have people kind of been talking to you about like, oh man, things are a bit tough, you know, like there's not much money or people aren't, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

I have a lot of friends that work in other um similar, like they're doing similar roles to me. I think overall, like most of the industries are kind of getting hammered right now. There's not really a lot of projects going around.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

No one's got any money, eh?

SPEAKER_00 29:51

No, the government sliced so many projects, bro. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

So many things that are unfinished as well. By the way, we're in Auckland, so there's a lot of things you can.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

Yeah, do you know about CRL in the city?

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Oh, City Railway. Yeah, yeah. Um, I don't know the latest update. Um, but I because of COVID, bro, that slowed it down so much. Oh, yeah, heaps, heaps. I was living in town at the time, and it was just like no one was there. It was incredibly delayed. Yeah, who knows if that's actually gonna get finished? Like oh yeah, well, definitely will this year. This year. Yeah, I guess hopeful. I'm hopeful, I'm hopeful of it. Yeah. All these big plans and that. But yeah, it's like I guess like on in on like in your role in the engineering world and that, it's interesting because I was um I had Luke on here. We were talking about like uh jobs or industries that you'd think you'd all that would always be in demand, there's always gonna be like you know, money or something. And in the current times we're in, it feels like that's not the case. Like, even in the trade world, like construction, uh, uh a lot of tradies, it's tough. And who would have fought? Like, you know, you got guys in these essential roles, and there's like no one. It's hard to find work. Been to Japan? No, you haven't been overseas, sorry. I have I have I went to Japan last year. I went to Japan last year. Oh yeah, how was that?

SPEAKER_00 31:02

It was really cool. That was really cool. Oh me. Yeah, that was the only country I wanted to see. There's a few other ones, like, yeah, but that was the main one that I wanted to see. Yeah. What was uh what was like what was the highlight?

SPEAKER_01 31:14

Did you watch any fights when you're over there?

SPEAKER_00 31:16

I wanted to but we um we saw some family there, like they were they were traveling there at the same time as us, and I think we just lost track and oh man, I was so god because I really want to see a um it was a huge show. I think it was like Ryzen or something.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

Oh yeah, that's the big promotion over there, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

That would have been this huge stadium too, bro. Oh I missed that.

SPEAKER_01 31:33

Yeah, uh Mai Thai and like kickboxing is huge in Japan, eh? Yeah, it's really like is is one championship big in Japan? I think so. Yeah, that's another one, but that's another big kickboxing Mai Thai competition. They do the they do the everything, but uh, they're really big in Asia because all the Mai Thai guys go and fight on that. Yep. Oh man, it's so crazy watching those records pop up when you see those Mai Thai guys, like um who's like one of the really big ones? Um uh uh come on. It's like the guy who fought Mighty Mouse. I always forget his name.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

Is that the Brazilian guy?

SPEAKER_01 32:05

No, no, no. Um it's a um um Mai Thai fighter. Right. Rod Tang. Yeah, and his record is like a hundred and something fights. Like he's I think he fought like 150 times or something. Yeah. It's just those records those guys have are crazy. That's all they do. That's yeah, they just fight from the age of a five, and it's like wild shit, eh? But it's just kind of crazy to like for me, like when I look at it, and like you look like Western, especially like UFC guys, and that I think when you see a record of like 40 fights, oh that's quite a lot, you know? Seems like a lot. And then you see these Mai Thai guys and you're like 200. Yeah, it's fucking crazy. Yeah, imagine doing that many fights and just loving it, and just still being able to do it as they get older. Like um, um uh Senshai, yeah, uh the big fighter, he's still crushing it. I think he's in his 40s, yeah, still looks amazing. Probably had like 400 fights now. He's just like, I don't, I don't get it, but these guys are built different. That's the definition of built different. But yeah, would you ever yeah? So Thailand, that's the goal. You want to go fight there, yeah, uh, maybe try it out a camp, live there for a while. Um, and then yeah, I guess so would the next big goal or the the next thing on the list for you would be go and fight in Thailand or something for a while.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Yeah, Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodian. Australia as well. Australia. Australia. Um I've got a fight in like five weeks in Australia or two. Oh, awesome. Where is it? What's that?

SPEAKER_01 33:21

Sorry, where where in Australia?

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Um, Melbourne.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

Exciting. Yeah. Oh mean, mean. So that's kickboxing?

SPEAKER_00 33:26

No, Muay Thai.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Muay Thai? Muay Thai. Nice. How many rounds? Three rounds. Three rounds. Three rounds. Three rounds, three minutes. Nice, nice. And how uh what's the um promotion called?

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Uh it's called Warriors Way.

SPEAKER_01 33:38

Okay, I haven't heard of it.

SPEAKER_00 33:39

Yeah, yeah. It's my first time hearing of it as well.

SPEAKER_01 33:42

Awesome, that's exciting, man. Like you get to go over there and like, yeah, meet lots of people and network and yeah. You never know what opportunities might come out of it too. I guess what's that that could be that's what could be exciting, right? Yeah, meeting lots of different people.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

I'm keen. I'm keen to do really well on this and then try to get more fights on Australia. That'd be really good.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

I'm sure you will. Yeah. Um coming back to kind of like also like uh you know the balance of the job and the dream. Because uh you obviously uh are working a full-time job and you're also balancing your the the dream of fighting. How do you uh how do you how do you meant how how do you balance it?

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Yeah, it's not easy. Um I think like recently I've been trying to go into office a lot more earlier, so I can just clock off and then like clock off early and then rest rest up at home or whatever, and then yeah, have enough energy for training and do like two, three hours a night. Yeah. It's a bit hard, it's pretty hard.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Because you're training probably like six days a week or maybe seven.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

Yeah, five, five to six.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

Yeah, it's a lot, it's a lot of training.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

It is, it is, it's very demanding, especially with like my the work that I do.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Yeah, it's hard work. I mean engineering, you know, it's very technical, you know, you gotta be sharp. Yeah, you gotta be so sharp. So much details, bro. And if you have a big sparring session the night before and took a few shots to the head, it's like you know, it's like it's like a bit um, yeah, it can be a bit tri I don't know, maybe a bit tricky. But yeah, that's that is very admirable. So I guess, but yeah, I love the what I love talking to guys, um, could be from even like yourself, like pursuing the fight dream, athletic, or business, or people, and it's trying to like the the the middle part of the grind, which I feel like you're probably in right now. Like you know the dream you want, you know you can do well in it. Well you're already doing well, but you know that there's like bigger things you can go after, but you're still like it's unfortunately like the the dream isn't like you know covering the rent, so to speak. So yeah, bro. Yeah, you have to you have to be like uh relentless and determined to be like, nope, I'm on the right track, yeah, and I'm gonna get it. That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 35:43

Yeah, I'm I'm privileged, bro, because the job that I'm working, the role that I have, like it's good pay and stuff, man. But honestly, like like I said, like I don't know how it would go if I was doing something alternative. Because I I don't think most like most average jobs pay like 60k, I think.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

But like it's hard.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Bro, this sport costs a lot of money as well, bro. Especially like at professional level, you gotta pay for like physio, strength and conditioning coach. Sometimes like weekend sessions, you might have to hire someone to do pads for you or something. Yeah, gym sessions, like recovery, sauna, diet. If you hire a dietitian, bro, that's a that's pretty much like your whole fight, PJ gone.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Well, that's the thing as well, is like um with the with any uh athlete lifestyle, but it's like it's not just like the sport, you know, the gear. It's like yeah, the you know, gotta get enough sleep, gotta get enough eat the right food, and it's gotta be healthy, you know, good nutritious food. Luckily we're in New Zealand, so we're we're not too bad, but it's not cheap. Especially nowadays, bro. It's tough out there. I don't know how I don't know how some people do it. I really don't. I'm lucky at my job and kind of what I'm doing, I'm you know, um, but even I'm just like, fuck, like we have to really budget, and you probably do as well. We gotta sit down, probably sit down with your partner and be like, right, like, you know, we got medical bills, we got you know physio, got fighting, I gotta like, you know, pay for this, pay for that, dentist, health insurance, fucking the double life. But it's true, it's like you gotta for that for what you're doing, you've got to be really strict. Yeah, you have to be very strict, very disciplined with it. It's tough. A lot of people I I don't think can do that. I I think you have to because but but you but I think what I admire about guys like you is that you know what you want.

SPEAKER_00 37:21

Yeah. I mean I've come I've come so far. Like you have. Why why stop now?

SPEAKER_01 37:26

You know, but you know what, but you know what you want. Yeah, and I think that will help with like you'll be for example, like when you you have to like you know put money aside for like oh my health and all this stuff, and it's like oh I'd rather like you know, can't I get like a PS5 or something? But it's just like no, like we can't, you know. So just things like that, like the discipline, yeah, you know, with knowing what you want. And that's cool, but it's also a great place to be, I think. I think especially at your age as well, like you know where you want to be and what you're going after. And even like even if for the next few years, you know, you're like, oh, I'll slightly maybe change my direction within fighting or something, like you're still in the in the area of sport or in that place where you where you enjoy and want to be. And I think a lot of people don't always get that. I think a lot of people find it quite hard to find what they really, you know, what they're born to do or what they really want to pursue. So yeah, man, just hope you keep going with it and that and that you um still keep h have the enjoyment and the fulfillment from it. Because um, I mean, fighting, um I can imagine is just probably the most fulfilling thing, one of the most fulfilling things you can do. Super up, super big ups, big downs, like it's all the emotions.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

Yeah. Here's a here's a bit of a uh sensitive question. Have you ever cried after a fight?

SPEAKER_00 38:42

I like my last one, I cried before it. You cried before it? Yeah, it was weird.

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Why is that don't mind me asking?

SPEAKER_00 38:50

It's quite personal. That's okay. We don't need it.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

We don't need to talk about it. But yeah, that's that that's intense.

SPEAKER_00 38:54

Yeah, yeah, it was. So it was it was weird. Like I was in the changing room and um like no one noticed because I was like, I think Saran was fighting. Okay, Saran or the other guy after him. Yeah. Just like started boiling my eyes out. I don't know. Kind of weird. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

So much emotion in doing that though. Yeah, like going. I can only like I can only imagine like going in there and just like, yeah, like light let's sit or let's almost fight to the death. It's like that's kind of what it is. It's crazy. Brutality, brutality, it's brutality, like it's not even a sport. Yeah, when does it become not a sport? That's an I don't know. I sometimes I look at fighting like that and it's uh and it's like, is this a sp is this a sport anymore? Or is this like now we're just like yeah, like primitive fighting to the death?

SPEAKER_00 39:38

I think I think when MME was created, yeah, when you're allowed to knock someone out and just like finish them off with a hammer fist on the fight goes to the ground, it's like alright, the same the same technique anymore.

SPEAKER_01 39:50

That last shot was not necessary. Yeah, it's brutal watching some of those fights though. Some of the knockouts are so horrible. Yeah, and it's scary, man. Make sure you skin crawl. Like someone's already knocked out and you're allowed to like fully deck them again. Yeah. That's when you've got access.

SPEAKER_00 40:04

You can superman punch them when they're on the ground like something.

SPEAKER_01 40:08

They've got to like step in and be like Yeah, I wonder how they don't zone out.

SPEAKER_00 40:13

It's it's kind of buzzy because like they're also a spectator as well.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

You have to just be super focused on like every every and like when the guy is injured. I mean the hardest thing with MMA from what I can see is when guys are in like you know submission positions, and say for example, someone's on top of the other person with like a guillotine or something, yeah, and they're like asleep, but they they but they don't have time to tap. Oh, I've seen so many of those, and they're just like asleep underneath someone, and you're like, huh, and then the ref is like, is he is he out? Because then if you fuck it up, then he might not be out, and then it's like the guy had the dominant position, now we lost it, but it's like whoeah. Robbie Lola and um Ben Askren, did you see that one? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw that one. Yeah, that's a crazy one.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

His thumb was up, like it was like underneath his body.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

Yeah, yeah, it's like ooey, yeah, yeah, that's that's some wild stuff. Yeah, when it goes to the ground, because that wasn't a really I think yeah, it's so interesting now that you know UFC MMA is so big, it's very mainstream, took a long time to get there. But like the idea of like I think people thinking about like ground fighting, and like you know, once the fight goes to the ground, that you know, and boxing and kickboxing, you know, that the fight gets stopped or whatever, and that's kind of what I think, especially from boxing. I think that's what most people are used to. You get the 10 count when you hit the ground and then whatever, but in MMA, it's like keep it going, yeah, yeah, which is crazy. Yeah, but um, yeah. Have you watched those early MMA fights, like the 90s and that? Yeah, like with like um the great Gracies and stuff, and it's like no weight classes, and what was that guy? Drop to the max, yeah. And uh there was another one, um what's his name? The American guy. And uh, I forgot his name. He was like one of the heavyweight guys, and he was versing like a Japanese guy, and they were just like punching each other in the face for like a minute. I think I've seen that. I forgot the guy's name, it's um lost my memory, but I'm just like, God, it's just like that's brutal. And you can like soccer kick people on the ground and stuff. Yeah, the elbows. I think another brutal fight I watched, I remember this is like not quite as far back, was one of like um um Habib's early fights, and he did was doing like elbows on some guy, and then he was just like elbowing him, like going and going, and then eventually the ref broke it up, but I'm like, fuck that guy took like 12 elbows he didn't need to take.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

Bro, those dudes are unpaid, underpaid.

SPEAKER_01 42:36

EFC? Yeah, it's only the top 15 you really get money, right? Yeah, it's only then you really start making money.

SPEAKER_00 42:42

But even someone like the top like 15 to 5, some of the pay they get is like questionable.

SPEAKER_01 42:47

I'd say so. I'd I'd say so. Well, I guess this is like what you gotta I saw like one video of like uh Dana White talking about like uh you gotta like build up your brand, like personal brand, and like look at your name. I mean, yes, he should pay them more, which I agree, but I think you also gotta think about you know who you are as like a you know, like you're a brand, like a business as well.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Yeah, I get that. I I do see that perspective as well.

SPEAKER_01 43:09

But like But yes, you're right.

SPEAKER_00 43:11

I mean, you know, they're a public company, they've like shares in everything.

SPEAKER_01 43:13

Yeah, they've got money. They they've got the money to pay their fighters better. No, I know I and I and I I I can I understand that too.

SPEAKER_00 43:20

Healthcare and stuff. Yeah, some of those old dudes, bro, they're they're cooked for life. Yeah, well that's why we're so cooked for life, bro, when they're in their elderly age.

SPEAKER_01 43:28

Well, that's something else I don't think it's gets spoken about enough or shown.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

That's that's bad.

SPEAKER_01 43:36

Does that scare you? If like, you know, like maybe getting hit in the head too hard and things like that? I mean, this is kind of the game you're in.

SPEAKER_00 43:43

Yeah, yeah, of cour of course. I d no I don't think about it and I try to not think about it.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

No, that's not to get hit. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:50

Like honestly, every fight I have, I try not to get hit. And sometimes I mean you're in a fight, it's inevitable. You are gonna get hit. Um Yeah. I d I don't think I was telling my friend this the other day. Like when I do sparring runs with boxes, bro, I have mad headaches. Like, and it's and I only spar like boxes every like once every seven months or something, six months, or whatever. Like I I barely barely ever spar boxes, bro. But I'm not going to be able to do that because they're going 100%. What's that? Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

Are they going like 100%?

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Not exactly, but I'm just like, if if I'm sparring these guys and I'm already feeling like this, how are they doing that every single day? And like these pro dudes who are like eating, I mean, how many punches are they eating in a fight? Whereas in kickboxing, you get you're eating a leg kick, you're eating a body kick on your arm or whatever. You know, some dudes do get knocked out with head kicks or you know, elbows or whatever. But like compared to boxing, those dudes are eating punches like non-stop.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

Yeah, and then I've talked we'll talk about on here a couple of times on the podcast is when you get like hit you get knocked down and then then you get 10 count and then you come back up and then more repeated head trauma. That's what I find real scary. But even the sparring, like the then the gym, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's scary. It's the guys who also go crazy inspiring. I yeah, I don't understand that. I really don't get it.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:04

Because it's like, why are you having a war in the gym? I don't I don't quite get that. And it's like you want to get in the training, maybe get the feeling of what it's gonna be like in the fight, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 45:14

I think you ought to experience it a few times, but I think a few times after it's not really necessary.

SPEAKER_01 45:18

No, it's just brain damage. Yeah, no, now now now it's just you're hurting yourself, right? Yeah, now it's just you and your teammate, yeah. Unnecessary pain, I suppose. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I remember when I was like real young, I did like a bit of boxing with one of my mates. Oh man, yeah, we definitely laid it on. But then it was at one point I was like, it was kind of dumb. I think this is pretty stupid. Like, but uh yeah, some guys still train like that. That's crazy, that's that's weird. Because yeah, one thing um of sparring, I'm sure you do, it's like technical sparring. You want to like work on do you do much technical sparring stuff? It's a bit of everything. A bit of everything?

SPEAKER_00 45:53

Yeah, yeah. I think I think you do need to spar a bit firm, you know. A bit harder? A bit harder because in a fight it's not gonna be all technical, you know. So much unpredictable stuff that happens.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

Yeah, what's something would you say that would be unpredictable?

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Oh, I mean, sorry, like just intensity. Oh yeah, yeah. The intensity of a fight. It's not the same as like, you know, technical sparring. I yeah, I'm I don't know if I'm super huge fan of just doing technical sparring.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Sure. Yeah. I think as a fighter that's true. I think you can't just rely on that. What do you think of the guys who don't spar? Have you heard about that?

SPEAKER_00 46:29

Um like Max Holloway, yeah, yeah, like those guys, they don't spar. I think I think after a certain amount of fights and a certain amount of experience, you kind of know what you're doing. But yeah, I don't know. I I I I have no judgment to say. Like I think I think they know what they're doing.

SPEAKER_01 46:46

Yeah, it's interesting though.

SPEAKER_00 46:48

I mean, like, bro, Max slip just in cagey, you know. I know. I mean, whatever he's doing is working.

SPEAKER_01 46:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh no, exactly. I'm not I'm not doubting it, but it's just interesting uh thought process because you'd think sparring is the most crucial, most necessary part of any fighter training. That would be like if there's anything that you have to do, it would be sparring.

SPEAKER_00 47:09

I I think as MMA has like that that grappling and wrestling aspect, you can sort of get away with not doing any striking sparring, but I think for kickboxing muay thai you absolutely need to do it. Yeah, yeah, I I guess yeah when you fight so many different styles and so many people have so many different tempos, rhythms, like yeah, you need that sparring, I think. Yeah, you need those rounds.

SPEAKER_01 47:29

You're sparring every week?

SPEAKER_00 47:31

Yeah, every week. Twice a week? Once a week? Yeah, twice a week.

SPEAKER_01 47:34

Twice a week. Yeah, you'd have to. Especially the intensity of like yeah, Kung Kumer, Muay Thai. Yeah, to be sparring all the time. Yeah, it's hard work, man, for sure. Do you find that with um what was I gonna say? It's like with uh with with with Muay Thai, like is it what's sort of like uh when you did when you first tried it, what was something you were like was apart from the elbows, I guess, maybe the knees, you're like, oh there's quite a different rh it's like a different rhythm. Like what was something stuck out to you as like being like quite a challenge with it? I think you said before you said the clinching and stuff, but was there anything else?

SPEAKER_00 48:14

I don't think so. I think I think when you're sparring people, everyone's got like Yeah, everyone's different.

SPEAKER_01 48:20

Everyone's got different ways to fight, different ways to approach.

SPEAKER_00 48:23

And that's one thing I really like about my gym is no one fights the same at all. Like everyone is like quite different.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

That's what you need, different, yeah, also different heights. Different weight classes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:35

Yeah, because I guess like for you when you did like um when you fought uh Michael, um, because the height difference, he's a bit smaller than you as well. Like, because you need to train with guys who are like that too, who can then come in and like because they're gonna just try and cross the void as much as possible, right? Yeah, and get under. But then if you're asking a guy taller than you, then you have to, you know, gotta change your um strategy and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 48:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:58

Yeah. I guess that there's quite a lot to think about. When you when you gotta you gotta yeah, do you yeah. You do think about that. I don't I don't need to ask you that question. Um yeah, that's cool. Sweet. Um I was also Yeah, so balance of that, balance of the job, balance of fighting. Yeah. You do you've done two, yeah. Would you uh do you want to do another King of the Ring?

SPEAKER_00 49:26

Oh no, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_01 49:28

You've done it?

SPEAKER_00 49:30

I think I feel like I ticked off that box. Yeah. Not yeah, I guess it would if I didn't get past one round one, round two, I I would definitely want to, but finals twice. Sorry, finals twice, extension round.

SPEAKER_01 49:42

Yeah, that's enough.

SPEAKER_00 49:43

Yeah, yeah. Stick with just some. I wanna I wanna go I wanna do international jump on the international scene now. That's my goal.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 49:50

Because I I mean in New Zealand, that's like the the highest calibre of kickboxing you can get to. So yeah. Um not trying to sound arrogant arrogant or anything, but I No, you've been doing it for a while. I really want to test myself and go out there.

SPEAKER_01 50:06

So since you started fighting in 2019 and now where you are now, and seeing the combat scene grow, because you must have seen it grow a lot.

SPEAKER_00 50:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:16

Dude, well what what what what do you reckon? I've been asking some fighters on here, what what do you reckon really was a big proponent of the growth of the sport?

SPEAKER_00 50:23

Right now, I I are you talking about like skill-wise and stuff or just popularity. I think CSN. Yeah, I think CSN, bro. Seriously, they took this sport to the next level. I think so. Can you imagine can you imagine how big the sport would be if they were here like 10-15 years ago?

SPEAKER_01 50:36

Oh, massive.

SPEAKER_00 50:37

Bro, like because in like Israel's time when he was like doing still when he was still a kickboxer, um, Brad Riddell and all those guys, bro, the sport would be next level.

SPEAKER_01 50:46

Because back then it was only like TV and Z. It's just TV. It was just on like yeah, some local channels.

SPEAKER_00 50:52

Yeah, King of the Ring, you had to be there. Otherwise, you have to wait like two, three years for the the videos to come out and you Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:58

Or you'd have to like watch it on TV at the time and like record it. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so that has been a big difference. Yeah, I I've I believe it's also CSN in the U.S.

SPEAKER_00 51:06

I think CSN, like honestly, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:08

Yeah, I've um I said this on his podcast before, but I'll say it again. I watched um I forgot the guy who runs it, but he's it started in 2020. I think that's when they started it. And uh I remember him saying this is on actually melding news um podcast, he was saying that he um he saw like a gap in like the combat scene in New Zealand. Like there was no one doing that, like no one was putting light on guys like yourself or up and comers and that who would then later on you know go and fight overseas because there's so many people who are kickboxers, my tie fighters, MMA guys now in New Zealand. There's just so many, and there was just no one shining light on it, yeah. And then uh yes, all the opportunity, which I think is really cool, and I think that's what's really exciting. Like we're in New Zealand now with the combat sports and a lot of things. I think people are like starting to like back themselves more. It's uh I think people are a bit you know, that tall puppy stuff. Can is hope. I'm hoping it gets put more to the side, like getting into the city.

SPEAKER_00 52:02

Bro, there's so much potential in this country.

SPEAKER_01 52:04

So much potential. Yeah, fuck all that fucking noise. So now my language. No, no, go for it. No, but even with like, yeah, I mean, not even just with combat sports, it's same with the artistic scene and like people in the do music, and same with business, like it's the same sort of thing. It's like we do have a lot of potential, and there is a lot of ways to showcase it. And it's the beauty of social media, you know. We can we talk about obviously there's a lot of problems with it, but yeah, it gets it out there. Yeah, we wouldn't know who's trying to fight in what competition. You can learn about all the fighters. I mean, it's crazy, you get to learn about guys down the road in the gym.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

This is all CSN's work, bro. Yeah, honestly, this is all CSN. Uh yeah, they've they've provided the coverage for pretty much like every every event.

SPEAKER_01 52:44

Yeah, hard work, man. A lot of events, a lot of fighters.

SPEAKER_00 52:47

Yeah, they're so dedicated. Yeah, like honestly, respect.

SPEAKER_01 52:49

You have to love it. I don't think they made any money for a while either. I think it was just out of the love and the perseverance of just trying to showcase the sport, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 52:58

I think when it kicks off for them, like money-wise, I think it's gonna kick off big.

SPEAKER_01 53:02

I think it already has, because they do fights in Bali now. They were covering um I think Michael's last fight, they were trying to cover that.

SPEAKER_00 53:08

Unfortunately they didn't go through, but yeah, you know, I um I woke up really early and um I didn't see any like fight posts or anything. It's like really good. I was like, what the hell just happened? Why why isn't that happening?

SPEAKER_01 53:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:18

Was it like a freak accident or something?

SPEAKER_01 53:20

I don't know. I don't know the full I don't know the full story. Yeah. I think um, yeah, I'm I'm not sure of the full story. And then as a count got hacked, I'm like, ah man, it's all going dead. I'm not bad, but it was just a shame. It's a shame. But I was like, yeah, that's tough. I can only imagine like training for that long, doing all the work, making weight, flying over, and then it's like sorry, you can't do it. Yeah, that's hard, that's tough stuff. Yeah, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:50

Especially for overseas fight, you guys are already there at the venue, and then it all gets cancelled.

SPEAKER_01 53:55

Yeah, that's hard work, eh? Yeah, sweet man. Is there any um so it kind of let's uh yeah, dabble off this uh the fighting. I wanna like is there any um any music you love listening to when you're when you're training or when you're getting getting motivated?

SPEAKER_00 54:10

You're a big music guy. I'm a big music guy. I've seen some of your um your guests.

SPEAKER_01 54:14

Ah, thanks.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

I think they're like band members and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 54:16

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's really cool. I love yeah, I love that too. And I know in fighting as well, like we like you know, we love music too, like in the fight scene. So have you got anything that gets your kitchen? Any local artists? I like listening to classical music in the classical music. Yeah, classical music. Awesome! Like are we talking like Beethoven Mozart or like Tchaikovsky? Like Tchaikovsky. Yeah, I've just got a random playlist, I add whatever. Yeah. Dude, that's so badass. I want to come and see it.

SPEAKER_00 54:39

I only play I only play it when I'm by myself in the gym. Really?

SPEAKER_01 54:42

Yeah, it's so cool. Oh, dude, that's fucking cool. It's got almost like hip hop on it. Yeah, yeah. And then there's like straight classical music. Yeah. Oh, cool. Have you watched any orchestras and stuff? Yeah, like check out the ASP. I could go take my fiance there. Yeah, you should Town Hall, man. They always one that has like candles. I don't know if you've seen it. Oh, yeah, candle. I really want to see that one. Yeah, I've been to I've been to a few of those at um at one of the I forgot the name, one of the churches in town. Really cool. They have like choir and stuff. That's so cool. Yeah, man. Oh, cool. That's good music. You're the first person. Really? Yeah, first person who said it on here, even out of all the musos and stuff. You're the first one who says they like the music. Yeah, it's really calming.

SPEAKER_00 55:18

It's really calming. Keeps you sharp? It does. It does. It's not like overstimulating. No, it's not. It's really calm. It helps you focus. Yeah. I I know there's a few like surgeons out there, I forgot who it was, but a lot of them play um, I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong. I think some of them play classical music as well when they're doing operations.

SPEAKER_01 55:37

I have heard that. Yeah. I have heard that. Oh, suck, dude. So yeah, is there any like instrument you really like?

SPEAKER_00 55:43

I can't play any instruments.

SPEAKER_01 55:44

Yeah, yeah. Oh no, but even to listen to it. I think my brother can play a few. Ah, yeah. No, but any instrument you like listening to, if you like in classical music, you know, you've got a lot of big range, or violins, got the woodwinds. Yeah, I guess generic. A good piano? What's that, sorry? A good a good piano player. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love that. Cool, man. Yeah, dude. Highly recommend checking out the like ASO APO stuff at Town Hall. It's really cool. They also do lots of like um, they'll have like they'll do like covering pop music or like rock music stuff, or they'll do like film soundtrack. Yeah, film sounds.

SPEAKER_00 56:14

I've seen some of those.

SPEAKER_01 56:15

Yeah, it's really cool. Like I've I've seen one they did like covering like one of the one of the uh Ghibli films. I think it might have been Spirited Away or one of those. Yeah, I saw the ad for that.

SPEAKER_00 56:24

I think they also did one for Attack on Titan.

SPEAKER_01 56:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:26

Are you an anime fan too? Oh dude!

SPEAKER_01 56:30

Oh, me too though! Oh, that's so cool. Yeah, that's motivating stuff too. I feel like a lot of guys are actually into like combat sports, got onto it because of Goku. Ah, maybe. My brother loves that show though. Yeah, yeah. Dragon Ball Z is a big one. I remember watching that and like uh yeah, like Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z. My favorite anime for me is Dragon Ball when Goku's a kid. So cool, so funny, and it's like the animation is beautiful. Yeah, recommend checking it out. It's real like cheeky as well. And it's not as over the top as Dragon Ball Z. Yeah, it's more like Do you watch it in Dub or um I watched it in I watched the uh Dragon Ball and Dub. Oh, okay. I can't listen to Dub. You can't use the sub? He's a purist. Yeah, nah, nice, nice. I think I struggled with Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z because Goku's voice in the sub is so high pitched. Yeah. So I found that kind of hard to listen to. But that's just my opinion.

SPEAKER_00 57:25

I was gonna say something once here.

SPEAKER_01 57:27

No, that's right. What are you gonna say? I just think the voice actors like the dubs?

SPEAKER_00 57:31

The dubs, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:32

It's too exaggerated. It's too, it's too it's too exaggerated. Oh, exaggerated. Ah, right, right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. Ah, fair enough, fair enough. Yeah, I I I watch um pretty much all sub now. I guess it's also hard for me because I grew up watching when I first watched anime on TV, it was all dub. Yeah, so some of the shows I grew up watching, it's really hard for me to like listen to the subs. Um, Dragon Ball being one of them. Um, but yes, of course, like yeah, like I've watched I watched Demon Slayer and Sub and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, it's so cool. Yeah. That that's some of the best animation we've ever seen. It's incredible. And I outsold um Spirited Away in Japan, that last movie they did. What was it called? Um the one with the train. It came out at the end of last year? Nah, I think the year or two ago, I think two years ago, but it was the one with like uh they had the they were on the train, but I forgot the name of it.

SPEAKER_00 58:22

I haven't seen either Demon Slayer.

SPEAKER_01 58:24

Dude, check it out. You gotta check it out. You'll you'll enjoy it. So the animation is like amazing. Yeah, yeah, really cool. But uh anyway, like yeah, it out outperformed Ghibli's films in Japan, which is crazy. So yeah, yeah. You're a Ghibli fan? Like Spirit Aware?

SPEAKER_00 58:39

He's an artist for Spredit Aware.

SPEAKER_01 58:41

Spirit Aware and um uh How's Moving Castle? Um I've seen that ages ago. There's a there's a there's a there's a lot, there's heaps, yeah. Um and then was the latest one, The Boy and the Heron, that's really good. Yeah, recommend them, man. Really cool. A lot of like deep messages in a lot of them. It's like and like the animation drawing is always like incredible as well. So highly recommend, man. Oh cool. So have you got any um what have you got any like favorite fighters in anime who influence you? I like Gotto from One Punch Man. One Punch Man?

SPEAKER_00 59:12

Yeah, the villain, you know the villain in like the second part? He's the dude with grey hair.

SPEAKER_01 59:18

Oh, I haven't watched it in so long. I've checked. I I think I remember you talking about it. Yeah, yeah. My favorite part about One Punch Man was when I think it was like his sidekick, I forget his name, but he was like, How have you gotten this strong? I don't understand. And then at one point he's like, I will show you my training regime. 100 push-ups. Like I was like, remember that episode. It's so dumb. He just so great. He's just getting beaten up, and he's just like the most it's like that's the most basic workout. Oh, I love that. It's so funny. I love that show. That's a good one. Same, same. Do you read um manga or anything?

SPEAKER_00 59:50

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:52

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 59:52

Was that sorry?

SPEAKER_01 59:53

Oh, I was saying cool. Well, like what like you did you read the One Punch Man manga and stuff like that? Yeah, yeah, I caught up to it. Yeah, oh cool, dude. Yeah, that could. Ah, that's that's great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Us the the fighters, eh? Just a bunch of bunch, a bunch of nerds. I feel like it's pretty common though. Like, I think like you know, like a lot of guys, a lot of fighters. Ah, what's that guy who's um training with mighty train with mighty mouse? Have you seen a death sentence? Have you seen that? Yeah, I've seen that guy. He's got that narrative band. I've been following that a bit. That is so funny. Yeah, it just he came from street beefs, that's right. Which is just that's just I saw some of his quote. Yeah, but mighty mouse and he couldn't figure out the one, two, three. You see that one? Yeah, that's so crack up. And it's just Mighty Mouse trading over then desk and it's like one, two, like the one, two combination is the hardest thing ever. Oh, I love that. So good. Oh, cool, man. It's been really good getting to know you in that. Um, I guess before we go, uh well, wrapping up in that, I'll um just fry through some uh some quick fire questions and then we'll um we'll wrap up.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:59

Um sweet. So first one is uh favorite cheat meal food.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:08

Polly pizza.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:09

Pizza?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:09

Polly pizza.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:10

Any specific type? Pepperoni pizza. Pepperoni pizza from any particular place. Yeah. Good American style pepperoni pizza. Nice, nice, nice. Um favorite uh fighter to follow at the moment?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:28

Good question. So many. I know this is probably a generic question. Oh sorry, generic answer. Toman Chai.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:44

Tonchai?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:45

Yeah, yeah. I You don't know Tom Chai? Tom Chai. One championship.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:50

Ah, he's he's like really like a very tall.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:54

Tall like tall dude.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:55

Oh yes, I know I I I never I know the face. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Ah, cool, yeah, yeah. He's been fighting since he was like what?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:01

He knocked out Superborn. Do you know Superbon?

unknown 1:02:04

No.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:04

I don't follow too much my type. Okay, okay. I don't follow too much. Fairface. I mainly follow like UFC and MMA and stuff, but I do like I will check in on that stuff every now and again. So I know a couple of names, a few faces. Bye, sweet. So that's cool, that's cool. Um what is I can't wait? We kind of already answered that, didn't we? Like about a secret hobby, but anime is kind of your thing. That's cool. Um is there oh uh TV show you're watching right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:33

Black Mirror. Black Mirror?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:35

Yeah, always good.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:37

I've never so I've heard of it. I know I've known that for a while, but I just I literally just started watching it now. I'm just watching random episodes from different seasons. Yeah, it's it's heavy. That's buzzy, bro. It's heavy.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:48

Yeah, afterwards you're just like what is my life? What is my life? Um, here's a random one I wanted to I I want to throw out there. Do you reckon would you be open to ever fighting a uh an AI robot? Would you ever do it? Yeah, you do it?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:09

Yeah, I'll do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:10

But they were like programmed, like you know, high caliber, Muay Thai, Kunkama, kickboxing. Yeah. Human vs Robot. Human vs Robot? Yeah. Do you reckon that'll happen in our lifetime? What's that movie called?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:24

Um Real Steel. Oh, Real Steel. Yeah, yeah. Maybe not our lifetime, but I think the next century.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:31

Dude, imagine a like imagine a promo that was like humans and robots in in the like kickboxing ring. That would be crazy. That's an idea. We claim it. That's a new business idea. Let's go. For future. That's good. Oh yeah, imagine that. Yeah. So you'd do it. You you you would you're back into it. Cool, cool, cool, cool. Cool. Um who's um who's been a big um influence for you for your um fight career so far?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:03

I would say Kane Conlan. Kane Conlan. Uh he's he's one of my teammates. Oh cool. Yeah, bro. He's um he's fought in Kingdom like three times, three, four times. Wow. Yeah, bro. He's been through like he's fought internationally so many times. He I think he was like the first or second Kiwi to fight um Lethway. You know what Lethway is?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:23

I've heard the name.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:24

Lethway is a is a martial art from uh I think Mm.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:30

And I think the rule set with this one is you can headbutt people and you can only win by knockout.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:35

Whoa.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:35

Yeah, bro. So my teammate did that like a few times in Japan. Whoa. Yeah, bro, crazy.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:41

So the rounds just do they just keep going?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:44

If you if you get knocked down, bro, you have to get revived by your corner. They'll like shake you up, like try try everything they can to revive you. The fight goes on after that. I know it's fucked up.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:54

What was it called?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:55

Leathway.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:56

Left way. Yep. That is the most craziest thing I've ever I've never I'm gonna check that out. That's crazy, bro. That sounds wild. You can head butt people. Yeah, that's that's also crazy. Yeah. Wow. And he's done that a few times. He's done that a few times. Yeah, wow, would you ever do that?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:10

I never say never. Never say never. I probably won't, but I don't know what I would say if the opportunity was in front of me.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's crazy. That's wow. Yeah. I've never heard of that. Holy cow.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:25

Yeah, he won the WBC title as well. So he fought he fought someone in King of the Ring, made it to the finals, did an extension. That guy that he did an extension route with, um, he fought for the WBC belt last year, and he beat that guy. Yeah. But he's amazing, bro. I just I don't think he got I don't think he got the how do I say this. I think he deserved more recognition. Way more recognition. Like all those boys from that like generation, bro. Yeah, they're amazing, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:56

Yeah, that's that's another level. Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:59

I was just absorbing knowledge off of him like the whole time he's training with us. Like yeah, I look up to him quite a lot.

unknown 1:06:05

Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:06

Yeah, that sounds insane. His his fight name is insane. Oh, is that well there we go, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:14

That makes sense. Um, uh, where's your nickname from, the Phantom?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:19

Oh, I I thought it came from like speed, like because I was fast back, like I was really fast back then, and like my like evasion, yeah. That's where the name Phantom came.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:29

Oh not from Danny Phantom.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:33

No, we're just guessing. I'm just guessing. Is he a big fan of Danny Phantom? I'm gonna walk out with Silver Hill. That'd be cool. That'd be cool. That'd be cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:44

You should. That's what I thought. I was like, Daniel, and I f I like read your name a few times and I'm like, Daddy, is it from that show? Oh, that's cool. All right, sweet man. Um before we wrap up, is there anything you want to uh promote or any final words?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:57

Yeah, bro. Um, I really want to shout out my sponsor, Troy and Magnitude Performance Institute. Yeah, those are two sponsors I really want to uh promote on this. Cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:05

Uh Magnitude Performance, so what do they do?

SPEAKER_00 1:07:08

Oh uh sorry, so they're a gym out in South Auckland, Amangade, really nice facility and stuff. So if you guys are keen uh training out there, yeah. Sweet, sweet. Yeah, they're also um they're all on Instagram as well. If you guys want to give them a follow too.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:20

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:20

Yeah, really good gym. It's got everything.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:22

Nice, awesome, bro. Um, yeah, anything else you want to promote? I've got a fight happening. Yep, uh, five, five, four, five weeks from away. Four or five weeks away in Australia, first international. Yeah. Oh, second. Second international.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:35

Yeah, last weekend was my first international. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:37

Yeah. Oh, but they were oh fighting someone from international, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:07:40

Oh, over going overseas to fight international. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:43

Yeah, first one to go overseas and fight international.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:45

Hell yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:46

Let's go. It's so exciting. Yeah, very cool, man. Awesome. Oh well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, bro. Really appreciate it. It was really fun, it was cool learning about you, doing so much cool stuff. Love that you love classical music and he's doing, yeah, just keep kicking ass, man. Thanks, bro.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:01

Appreciate it. Hell yeah.