Tommy Murray - Pre MMA Fight USA

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Category: Tommy Murray

Matt: How has the training trip been going in the USA?

Tommy: Great, I have been training with team alpha male in Sacramento, and I have learnt so many new skills and different ways to train, as I am used to Muay Thai training I haven’t really known how the top athletes train for MMA as it has so many other aspects, and there is hardly enough time to fit them all in.

Matt: What is the main difference in the USA compared to Australia in the MMA scene?

Tommy: I think the main difference would defiantly have to be the wrestling. All the guys here have college wrestling or trained with wrestlers at some point. Also another main difference would defiantly be the way they mix up all the different styles and put it into one form which is what MMA is.

Matt: You are making your move from Muay Thai to MMA how have you found the wrestling training?

Tommy: Back home I wasn’t getting much wrestling training, but had done a little. But since I have been training here at team alpha male I have been getting asked where I wrestled at college! I think the reason why I have picked it up so fast is because my Muay Thai clinch was one of my strong points back when I was competing in Muay Thai and helps transition rather than doing nothing.

Matt: Take us through your training regime whilst you have been in the USA?

Tommy: I have MMA practice with the pro team Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings which we mainly doing sparring or live ground work, and I have wrestling training with the pro team on Tuesday and Thursday where we drill and wrestle. In the afternoons I have the choice in either boxing, Muay Thai, or BJJ, depending on how I’m feeling and what I want to work on.

Matt: What have you most enjoyed about being in the US?

Tommy: Not working and just training. That has defiantly been the main thing, as I used to train in the mornings, go to work and then train in the afternoon. Now I can train in the morning, go home, rest up and then come back for another hard session!

Matt: Your first MMA fight is this weekend, how you feeling physically leading into the fight?

Tommy: I am feeling very strong, in all the aspects of my game, my wrestling has improved so much in the last few months that I am very comfortable in those situations and also all situations on the ground. Right now I am cutting my weight to 125pounds, not too far off now, and then I will bounce my weight back up and ill feel refreshed and ready to punch on!

Matt: Any nerves at all being this will be your first MMA fight?

Tommy: No I haven’t got any nerves, I think I will on the day of the fight when I see the cage and everything happening around me, but until then I’ll be fine, I know I have had much harder battles fighting in Muay Thai and also training in the gym with team alpha male.

Matt: Guy you are fighting is a home town boy and being you are from Aus, is this the first time you have fought without much crowd support?

Tommy: I have fought many times in my home town of Shepparton, and have had heaps of crowd support, and I know that it defiantly helps you when you fight. But I have also fought in my opponent’s home town before and battled it out, it makes it a little harder but I hope to win the crowd over with my skills and will to win!

Matt: What are you expecting from your opponent?

Tommy: I expect my opponent to defiantly come out and be very energetic in the first round, most likely won’t stand with me, so he will try take me down, I’ll be trying to keep him standing and pick him apart with my striking.

Matt: Best of luck Tommy!

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