NO-ONE was more disappointed than me when my MMA debut was cancelled at the last minute earlier this month. I’d been set to take on Canadian strongman Mitchell Hooper in my MMA debut and I’d put in a massive amount of preparation for the big clash in Qatar. In essence that had been the last six months of my life.
Thing is, anything can go wrong right up to the last minute of any fight and this one was no different. Needless to say I was gutted. MMA is something I really want to get into, and when you’ve got family you always want to secure their future by taking part in the biggest contests. I’m really hoping another option will come along quickly, and there are people working behind the scenes to try to make that happen.
For me, I’d been linking up with UFC champion Tom Aspinall, an absolute brute of a fighter, and the last thing I want is for all that work – mine and his – go to waste. A little less enjoyable was the six-foot-nine Russian heavyweight who put me on the floor with a head kick. As I always say, you live and learn. What I was learning was to make my reactions automatic. Give an opponent a tenth of a second in MMA and they’ll make you pay. Hopefully, I can keep those reaction times going until a new MMA challenge comes along.
One thing I’ve learned down the years that if the will is there then you can pretty much guarantee something will happen.
Keep an eye out. I’ll be showing those MMA moves off yet.