Well my first week of fight camp is done, and I’m feeling great already. I am about a month away from my fight; my striking is crisp, my ground game is as good as it’s ever been and I have more than ten guys coming in everyday to help me get to where I need to be. As of right now, I’m not in a big gym with big-name fighters, but what I do have is a great bunch of guys who show up everyday wanting to work as hard as they can and make each other better. Sometimes this kind of camp is better for a young pro because like the old wrestling saying goes “iron sharpens iron.”
This weekend there is a local MMA show near my hometown, and three of my training partners are fighting. Being one of only two professional fighters in a town of only about 2,500 people, every guy who wants to fight wants you to help them. I enjoy training them, but I absolutely hate cornering the guys I have been helping get ready. If you know me, I am completely calm when I fight. I love to fight, and I have a great time doing it, but when it comes to cornering friends I feel like I’m going to vomit the entire day before the fight. I start shaking while they are walking out. The whole experience is quite agonizing, but to watch a friend go into the cage and walk out the victor is almost better than me actually doing it.
Also one of my training partners from West Coast BJJ in Port Coquitlam, Shawn Albretch, is fighting this weekend on Battlefield Fight League 15 against the guy I made my pro debut against. Not being up there to help him get ready and support him at the fight is killing me, to say the least. I know what Shawn is capable of, and when he is on his game he is one of the toughest featherweights in the Pacific Northwest.
On another note, if you have been following this season of The Ultimate Fighter LIVE you may have seen a guy by the name of Sam Sicilia. Sam and I met last summer for a professional title fight in Yakima, WA. Although it is on neither of our Sherdog records, I came out on top finishing him in the first round by rear naked choke. His record on the show says 10-0 but I know Sam and I know he does not claim to be undefeated. I have the up most respect for Sam and wish him the best on the show. I honestly hope he wins the whole thing. But if he wins the show you can bet I am going to be begging who ever I can to give him a chance to avenge his loss in the big show.
Thanks to MMASucka.com, Dominant Ground, Drako, Klench Kustom Mouth Guards, West Coast BJJ, Kombat Nation, Nuckle Apparel, all of my training partners, my amazing girlfriend, and my mom. Also I want to say good luck to the guys I’ll be cornering this weekend: Josh Mills, Jimmy Ward and Robert Todd, also Good luck to Shawn Albretch tonight I wish I was there man.
Read Daniel’s blog #1 here.
