'Belal Muhammad is delulu' - Leon Edwards on Dagestan, Ian Garry, Michael Venom Page #UFC304

Summary

In this interview, a fighter discusses his preparation and confidence for an upcoming match, dismissing his opponent's confidence as deluded. He reflects on his past training with notable fighters like Islam and Khabib, but emphasizes that his success comes from his own skills. The fighter also provides insights on a potential fight between MVP and Me Gar, and humorously names Kamaru as the toughest past opponent who would emerge victorious in a hypothetical battle royale of his former adversaries.

Takeaways

• 💪 Camp is going well with hard work and progress.
• 🤨 Bow's confidence is seen as deluded and he's been inactive for over a year.
• 👊 The speaker believes Bow will face a tough fight in Manchester.
• 🔍 The first fight went in the speaker's favor until an eye poke occurred.
• 🏋️ Bow is perceived as too slow, predictable, and flat-footed.
• 🤔 There's a history with Dagestani fighters, including training with Islam and Khabib.
• 🤷 The speaker doesn't think having Khabib in Bow's corner will make a difference.
• 🛡️ Training at AKA involved following the gym's general schedule.
• 🥋 Sparring with Islam was brief and happened over eight years ago.
• 🧠 The speaker respects the Dagestani wrestling style but believes in their own MMA skills.
• 🤼 The upcoming MVP vs. Me Gar fight is intriguing due to their similar styles and striking focus.
• 🤔 The speaker expects the MVP vs. Me Gar fight to either be a cautious bout or a striking clinic.
• 🗣️ A fun hypothetical question reveals Kamaru as the toughest past opponent.

Q & A

How does the speaker feel about their camp preparation?

The speaker feels good about their camp preparation, mentioning that it is hard work and their first proper hard spar back with big boys. They feel they are just where they should be seven weeks out from the fight.

What is the speaker's opinion on their opponent Bow's confidence?

The speaker believes Bow's confidence is deluded and that he talks a lot of trash. The speaker thinks Bow needs to be able to back up his talk, especially since he has been off for over a year.

What does the speaker think about Bow's performance in their first fight?

The speaker thinks Bow is deluded for talking as if he was winning the first fight. The speaker believes the first round went comfortably their way until the eye poke happened, and they found Bow too slow, predictable, and flat-footed.

How does the speaker view the past, present, and future interactions with Dagestani fighters?

The speaker acknowledges past training with Islam and Khabib at AKA, the present fight with Bow who might have Khabib in his corner, and a possible future match-up with Islam. However, the speaker doesn't place much significance on these connections, focusing instead on the skills and fight night performance.

Does the speaker think having Khabib in Bow's corner will affect the fight?

The speaker doesn't believe having Khabib in Bow's corner will make a difference. They focus on the individual skills and performance during the fight rather than who is in the opponent's corner.

What was the speaker's experience training at AKA with Islam and Khabib?

The speaker trained at AKA under the same schedule as coach Javier Mendez, DC, and others. They didn't specifically go to Dagestan, and their training was part of AKA's overall regimen.

How does the speaker regard their sparring session with Islam?

The speaker recalls sparring with Islam only once, and it was just one round. They don't have a detailed memory of it and see Islam and Khabib as colleagues at work.

What is the speaker's opinion on the greatness of Islam and Khabib?

The speaker appreciates their approach to fighting and their wrestling-heavy style but believes that mixed martial arts is broader than just that style. They take pride in proving themselves as one of the best in the world without AKA.

What is the speaker's breakdown of the MVP vs. Me Gar fight?

The speaker thinks the MVP vs. Me Gar fight might be a cautious one, with both fighters trying to find range and being hesitant to commit first. They describe both as similar, striker-heavy fighters with kickboxing styles and not very great at grappling. The speaker is interested in seeing how the fight plays out.

Who does the speaker think would come out if all their past opponents were put in a room?

The speaker believes Kamaru would come out of the room as he was the top-ranked guy in the world when the speaker beat him. The speaker describes Kamaru as well-rounded, strong, and powerful.

Outlines

00:00

🥊 Fighter's Preparation and Outlook on Upcoming Match

The fighter discusses his training camp experience, emphasizing the hard work involved and his readiness for a significant fight against seasoned opponents. He mentions his confidence in facing Bow, who has been talking confidently despite being inactive for over a year. The fighter also reflects on a past fight with Bow, where he believes he had the upper hand before an eye poke incident. He dismisses the idea that having Khabib in Bow's corner for the upcoming fight will make a significant difference, stating that it will come down to Bow's skills on fight night.

Keywords

💡Camp

In the context of the video, 'camp' refers to the training period and regimen that a fighter undergoes in preparation for an upcoming fight. The speaker mentions that it involves hard work and includes sparring with high-level opponents, indicating the intensity and focus required during this period.

💡Spar

'Spar' refers to practice fighting or training with a partner to simulate real fight conditions. The speaker notes that this is his first 'proper hard spar' back with experienced fighters, highlighting its importance in his preparation and conditioning.

💡Confidence

'Confidence' in this context relates to the self-assurance and mental state of a fighter leading up to a match. The speaker discusses his opponent Bow's confidence, describing it as 'deluded,' which implies overconfidence or unrealistic belief in his abilities.

💡Eye poke

An 'eye poke' is an accidental or intentional action during a fight where a finger pokes the opponent's eye, potentially causing injury. The speaker mentions an eye poke occurring in the first round of their previous fight, which affected the outcome and dynamics of the match.

💡Flat footed

'Flat footed' describes a fighter's lack of agility and movement in the ring. The speaker criticizes his opponent for being too slow, predictable, and flat-footed, suggesting that these weaknesses will be exploited in their upcoming fight.

💡Dagestani fighters

Dagestani fighters, like Islam and Khabib, are known for their exceptional wrestling and grappling skills. The speaker refers to his past and potential future encounters with these fighters, acknowledging their high-level techniques and the strategic significance of having such opponents.

💡AKA (American Kickboxing Academy)

AKA is a renowned mixed martial arts (MMA) gym where top fighters, including Khabib and Islam, train. The speaker mentions training at AKA, which suggests exposure to elite training environments and techniques that have shaped his skills and career.

💡Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

Mixed Martial Arts is a full-contact combat sport that incorporates techniques from various martial arts disciplines. The speaker emphasizes that despite the different styles and strengths of fighters, MMA requires a well-rounded skill set, which he believes he possesses.

💡Khabib

Khabib Nurmagomedov is a retired undefeated MMA fighter known for his dominance in the lightweight division and exceptional grappling skills. The speaker speculates on Khabib's involvement in his opponent's corner and the potential tactical insights this might offer.

💡MVP (Michael 'Venom' Page)

MVP is a well-known MMA fighter recognized for his striking and unorthodox fighting style. The speaker discusses a potential matchup involving MVP, analyzing their similar striking-focused approaches and the strategic nuances such a fight would entail.

Highlights

Discussing the rigorous training and hard sparring sessions in preparation for the upcoming fight.

The interviewee mentions the confidence of his opponent, labeling it as deluded and expressing skepticism.

Commentary on the opponent's long hiatus from fighting and underestimating the difficulty of the upcoming match.

Reflection on the previous fight where an eye poke disrupted the momentum.

Analyzing the opponent's fighting style as slow, predictable, and flat-footed.

Considering the significance of having a prominent figure like Khabib in the opponent's corner.

Downplaying the strategic advantage of Khabib's presence, emphasizing personal skill over corner support.

Recounting past training experiences with fighters like Islam and Khabib at AKA.

Appreciation for the wrestling-heavy style of Khabib and Islam, despite diverging career paths.

Insight into the upcoming MVP fight, predicting a cautious and range-finding approach.

Comparison of the striking styles of MVP and Gegard, anticipating a strategic striking match.

Expressing curiosity about the grappling capabilities of both MVP and Gegard.

Personal experience training with both MVP and Gegard, adding depth to the fight analysis.

Hypothetical scenario of past opponents in a room, selecting Kamaru as the strongest competitor.

Recognition of Kamaru's well-rounded skills and past status as a top fighter.

Transcripts

so start with the boring question how is

Camp going for b um as you can see um

hard work you know um this is my first

um proper hard Spar back um with big

boys so yeah feeling good seven weeks

out I feel like just where I should be

you know what do you make to Bow's

confidence ahead of this fight um

deluded you know um he's talking a lot

of [ __ ] so make sure you can back it up

you know like I said he's um been off

over a year um going through F six years

old fight

in the first the way he talks it's like

he was winning the first fight you know

so bit deluded but like I said he he

best be ready you know it's going to be

a hard long hard tough fight for him in

in Manchester so it's going good what do

you think he've taken from that fight I

don't know I don't know like I said the

fight the round round one went my way

comfortably I was just getting started

and then the eye poke happen obviously

um H him in the first round yeah I feel

it just be too slow for me too slow too

predictable um too flat footed so let's

see let's see there's a story here past

present and future with the dagy stanes

that I'm not sure if you've noticed yeah

in the past you've trained with Islam

and I believe khabib AKA yeah in the

present you've got a fight with bell

who's most likely going to have khabib

in his corner and in the future you've

got a possible match up with Islam yeah

have you thought about this at all and

is it possible khabib will be using bow

to reap some tactical information ahead

of a possible Islam fight um possible

possible you know like I said I don't

look I don't look too much into it you

know like I said just ch doesn't make

him you know I mean I feel like if

that's what he's banking on having a man

in his Corner that that makes a

difference to me you know when it comes

Fight Night his skills his skills and

the way he fights for the last how many

years is the way he fights you know so

um let's see like I said I don't give a

to [ __ ] he's in his corner or he's

training with you know when it's come

fight night so me and him alone in a

cage and he's got a lot to an for you

know and I don't want to make this all

about the Dag

as a

ands I am always fasinated by the levels

in this game and how high they actually

go up so I was curious when you did get

to train with Isam and khabib did you

notice anything profound in what they

were doing that shows to why um I was

tring on AKA you know it weren't really

like I went to Dagan it's more like

whatever AKA schedule was was kind of

all under the same um schedule as um

coach jaier and DC and everybody else

you know so um it difficult to say like

I said it was on the AK B Banner soever

they select their SE their sessions and

stuff um yeah it's difficult to say to

spar with Islam right and I know that

was a while ago both you have grown

since then eight years over eight years

ago um was SP I can't remember The Spar

um Spar together one round um that was

it really do you kind of acknowledge

their greatness or is it just like

they're just colleagues at my

work um I think appreciate the way

approach a fight um they wrestling heavy

style that they got and stuff like that

but like I said mixed martial arts is

mixed martial arts you know I've I've

went on to prove that I am one of the

best in the world um with without AKA

you know I mean I feel like uh it is

what it is give me your breakdown on MVP

me gar uh it's interesting right cuz I

feel like it might be like a little

offensive fight where they both like

trying to find range they want to could

they both like kind of car punches so I

don't know whether or not want boring

fights so the both trying to find range

and not no nobody wants to commit first

you know

or um a nice striking Clinic probably

I'm interested to see it you know I've

been thinking about how how would they

approach it but they're both similar

both ly Strikers kickboxers kind of

style not very great at grappling um so

I'm I'm interested to see it a few weeks

right so yeah I'm interested to see how

how the both approach it you know I've

trained both of them I've spot both of

them um so I'm I'm interested to see how

it plays out a bit of a fun question to

end it um if all of your past opponents

got put in a room and only one was

allowed out who's coming out uh Pro

kamaru yeah Pro kamaru I feel like uh

he's he was a p one guy in the world at

the time when I beat him um he's well

well-rounded strong powerful um yeah so

probably putar in up

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apprciate

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