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Arnold, how we doing, my man? I'm good, mate. How are you? Yeah, I'm all right. Are you back home now? Yeah, I'm I got back in last night. It's like the most jet lagged I've ever been. Good to be back though? Yeah, it's nice. I'm just knackered. Well, you're joining us from Bournemouth's training ground here. We Yeah, we got sent on a job, but we didn't want to miss this opportunity. It's in like a uh It's like a greenhouse dome type thing, and fortunately it isn't one of the hottest days of the year, so this is great.
Good scenery though. Nice. It's lovely. It's It's lovely, and um yeah, spirits are very uh are very high here. Your mob are going to be playing these guys next year, aren't they? Yeah, yeah. That's it. Yeah, we're up. Hopefully we stay up there this season. Be nice to not keep going up, down, up, down. Just stay. Um are you aware We will talk about fighting in a moment, but are you aware of the story that's been developing with Southampton and spy gate and how you lot got involved as well?
Yeah, so I've been seeing some bits. I'm not like fully clued up cuz it was coming out on the fight week, and I wasn't really paying attention, but now people have been filling me in, so it's uh interesting. If somebody was to have spied on you for your last training camp, what would they have uncovered? Pretty much how the fight went, to be honest. Um you know, high volume, a mix of MMA, takedowns thrown in as well. Um pressure, walking forward, blocking kicks, and countering. Yeah, like I would have done exactly that, yeah. I mean, I loved watching it. As you said there, it was real mixed martial arts. You were This doesn't work, I'll try this. If
that doesn't work, I'll try this. It was such an entertaining fight. How was it in there for you? Yeah, it was fun. I had a lot of fun. Uh it kicked me in the body like in the first maybe the first the second kick thrown, I think. And uh we knew this is the kick he knocked out Dan Ige with. It landed right in my stomach and I was just like I was so winded, but no one knew. Like, no I asked a few people if they could tell and like everyone said they didn't notice anything. I just kept walking forward. I was in agony.
I'm going to have to watch it back now. See if I can spot it. No tells? Complete poker face? Yeah, complete poker face, no show. So, I watched it. I was like didn't look that bad. How did you feel going in? Because you've had some defeats recently, but I mean those defeats came in very competitive fights where you still looked really good. So, so how were you feeling going into this one? Yeah, as always I just felt great. Like, I was so excited to get in there and, uh right some wrongs, correct some decisions I thought. I really wanted to put a stamp and take him out, but, um yeah, he was tough and, uh I had a bit of a chest cold
going on, so I was a bit scared to push the pace, but, um yeah. It was, uh, I felt good. Felt When was the chest cold? Uh, probably like Thursday my chest started seizing. I was coughing up phlegm and all that and, uh but it seems to mostly be coming out now. So fortunately it held off a little bit, but, um, yeah, I was if you watch the fight back in between rounds I'm like coughing on the stool and that and, uh yeah, that was a bit annoying. You must be, um, I don't know. Is it is relief the word? I mean, get straight back on track looking forward to the future.
Is that fair? Yeah, it's nice to be always nice to be back on track, but, uh take a couple weeks for injuries to heal and that and, uh, get busy, you know. It's It's going to be an active year. Like, at least three fights, so four is pretty realistic. I don't see why not if everything goes well. Three fights Three more fights this year? So, two more fights this year. So, yeah. Uh With two in, it's not even halfway through the year, so maybe we could get another two. We'll see. See what happens.
Unbelievable. So, have you got some ideas of dates and events? I'm going to take next I'm going to take a few weeks off. I said I got a bit of a cold. I'm a bit My shin's a bit bad. These are superficial. But, um yeah, June. Hopefully, take a few weeks by the end of June, I'll be back at into the swing of things. Did two like consecutive camps back-to-back. So, I'm going to take a couple weeks to not get punched in the head. And, uh yeah, try not to get fat, stay healthy, and we'll see what's up.
What kind of opponent you think we're looking at? Because this was a guy on the rise coming to take your spot. Presumably now, you're looking up. Yeah, it's got to be a I think that's usually how the UFC operate. Um you got Yair sitting up there. He hasn't fought anyone in a year or so. So, he's he's holding a nice ranking spot. We've had a not a history, but we've been matched before, and it's just never come through, so yeah, that's a fight that makes sense. It's very exciting as well. Why do you think that hasn't happened in the past? What's come up?
Uh one time it was offered, I was injured. And then they offered me him, and he was injured, so it's always one of those ones that ain't worked out. Are there any events in particular you're looking at and thinking that'll be a good fit for him, a good fit for me? I think they've got the Nurmagomedov one in September. I mean, that suits him, that's for sure, but like yeah. Suits him all right? Yeah, definitely. Like September, October. That could work. But, yeah. Oof.
Obviously, that's perfect for him. What did you make of Lerone's fight against Evloev? Yeah, it was a great fight. Really close. Uh you know skeptical decision. Um do you think so? Yeah, it was with the point deduction. Um it was very close. I felt like it was the right decision, but I it was really close. All of Mo Salah's fights are like all the opponents that sit there me included saying we won, right? So Yeah, yeah. He's never really like super decisive.
Now, what makes him so difficult to beat though? Just he's so good at the game like the score, you know, uh doing enough with the takedowns, getting enough with the control, and landing enough damage to win the rounds. Just It's almost like maybe he rehearses the rules and the judging and I don't know. I just go out and fight and try and win every moment, but I don't know. And when he gets a takedown, he'll get a big takedown, so it scores bigger and he'll let you up and score little shots. He just plays the rules really good. Yeah, very calculated, I suppose. Yeah, exactly.
Do you think you and Lerone will fight at some point sometime soon, do you reckon, or is that not really on your agenda? Um You don't [snorts] want to fight him? Unless it's for like a title, you know? Like I don't want to fight any British guy. Unless it's for a title. I don't I just want the sport to grow in the UK. We have such a small scene compared to like the US scene, the Russian scene, the Brazilians. It's like why not bring it all up to the top? Why can't we all be at the top and uh you know, if it's a title eliminator, then yeah, that makes sense. Or like
a title fight, then 100% you fight anyone. I'm sure everyone would say the same thing. But you kind of knock a contender off the list and uh kind of make the sport smaller in the UK essentially. Why can't we have loads of stars? If Mo Salah does get the shot, which you know, you say he deserves, how do you think he goes? I think he comes up short against Volk. Volk's just got too much, too good. Uh he's even better calculated. He's even better He's got better skills everywhere.
Better gas tank. Just All the things that Mosvidal won't be able to deal with. I think Volk's got it. I feel like when Volk finally decides to hang it up for good, this division's going to absolutely explode, isn't it? There's so many guys right there. Yeah, absolutely. It's just Yeah, it's like a who's who. Like anyone could be the next guy. How far away do you think you are from a title shot? Uh realistically, one more fight and a good finish. One fight and a good finish. There's some Like I said before, there's some potential rematches out there with like the likes of Silver, the likes of
Mosvidal, you know. And those guys are above me in the ranks, so yeah, I don't see why not. Which one would you want back the most? Uh definitely the Mosvidal one cuz I just that one I was like I felt like I could so much better and like it was a clear-cut decision for me in that one. With Silver, it was close. With Mosvidal, what would you do differently to right that? [snorts] I wouldn't have to change anything now the rules have changed. A knee in the head, I'll win.
Yeah. So, what are you going to do for the next few weeks while you're not getting punched in the head? I don't know. I think about it. Maybe go watch people punch each other in the head. But you're guaranteeing activity because that's what people want. If you're going to push on to the next level, that's what we need to get, right? Yeah, 100%. That's always been my biggest uh biggest issue. So, if we can fix that, then we're good.
