FWIW, doing a lot of these has made me noticeably lighter on my feet: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVN9als2atU&spfreload=10"]Virtuoses des Tours en l'air - YouTube[/ame]
Just thinking about how I feel reflecting on this fight. I've now fought five times. The change now is that I feel like an actual fighter, although some part of me still feels like it's all pretend, it's a lot smaller than it was. I did not gas, although I was tired. I did not panic. I felt ready to go in the second round. Which I had never felt before.
I had been doing kali quite a bit. I love split entries for stepping off. However it's not coming in and cutting angles that gets me nearly as much as finishing a combo and THEN moving off. It's just a bad habit.
So I hurt myself about 6 weeks out from the fight by falling off a motorbike. For just over three weeks it was agony to even hit pads. I had also gotten into the habit of just standing in front of people. It wasn't the best camp. On fight day I woke up after not eating or drinking for 24 hours. Weighed in at 65.5kg. Felt like death. Not a great weight cut. By the time I had rehydrated and eaten I felt much better. A big part of it was dealing with the nerves though. I honestly believe that I am a better fighter standing and on the ground than most in my weight class and level. I just always worry about cardio because I've never been "athletic". I had been running 5/6km about 3 times a week to make up for the lack of pad hitting and sparring but I just wasn't feeling it. After all the boredom and waiting it was fight time! The nerves were getting pretty bad and I was close to panic. But then the show was stopped! 15 minute delay due to "technical errors" (one of the boards underneath the cage had been moved from a previous slam). It gave me time to collect my wits. By the time it was time to step in the cage I felt good, I felt ready. I got booed on the way in and I got booed when my name was announced. Turns out it didn't bother me in the slightest, I just smiled and laughed, something along the lines of a "bring it then" mentality. Just telling myself "I'd rather die (than lose)". Crazy but there you are. We touch gloves and it's pretty much go time. My legs and feet are so heavy. I know I should be angling but I just couldn't move. Shooting for takedowns and I was amazed at how well he could say on his feet but I didn't let it bother me. Got the first one, he got up, the second one he got away from me and the last take down was the final ten seconds into the round. We basically just relaxed and waited Bell goes, we stand up, and I'm surprised that whilst I am tired, I'm not nearly as bad as all the previous times I've been to the second round. Walking towards my corner and see Stevie Ray watching me, he's maybe 5 metres away and he tells me one word... "distance". He didn't say it quietly or loudly, he just said it as if we were the only people in the room, but it's the only word I heard throughout the whole interval. My corner comes to me with the usual "good work" and "keep those hands up!" but with a few more swear words. One of them puts water in my mouth but I'm still trying to breathe. So water spilled down my front. Seconds out and I have to briefly alert the ref (Marc freaking Goddard!) to the water. He tells my corner to get their act together, grabs a towel and wipes the floor. These few seconds are a god send. I remind myself that after every round of sparring and pads I would stare in the mirror and not look tired. I would start bouncing back and forth like I was ready to go. It broke me once and now it would help me. I think it worked. He hit just as hard though. Don't remember much about the round except that I got a lot more leg kicks in and they felt good. Once I got the hand under the chin I knew it was over. Thank Christ and Buddha.
Fight is up! [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncqVTB_z15w"]OnTop Promotions 'Nemesis' Eddie Cook vs Thomas Hepburn - YouTube[/ame]
