Martin Stapleton

Martin Stapleton Interview

 

Hi Martin,

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions:

MMABay - How are you doing?

Martin - I'm doing great.

MMABay - Can you tell us a little bit about your start in martial arts?

Martin - I first started training in MMA specifically in 2005 after watching some UFC DVD’s with a friend. Id boxed and done Thai before that but never done any ground work, I couldn’t believe it the first time I went to do submission wrestling and some 10 stone guy was tapping me out, and from that day I’ve trained pretty much every day possible. I had my first semi pro fight in march 2006 which I won by TKO 18 days after my daughter was born, id gone into that fight (and the next few) pretty green to it all, I was fit and i could fight but I was only just beginning to learn the trade. That first fight was a BIG shock when i realised how tiring it was fighting compared to sparring in the gym, so from then on iv always tried to be the most hard working guy in the gym, always tried to push myself further than anyone else.

MMABay - How do you like to fight? Could you tell us a little bit about your style?

Martin - I like to set a fast pace in my fights, so I know I have to be as fit as possible when I get in the cage. When I first started fighting I used to say "I’m a brawler" or "I’m a fighter" but over the last few years I’ve realised that there is more to it than that so I now see myself as a true Mixed Martial artist and i try to mix the technicalities of the sport in with my natural athleticism.  I don’t really mind where the fights go anymore, I’m happy to stand or go to the ground, obviously depending on my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
 
MMABay - What's been your favourite fight so far?

Martin - My favourite fight so far I have to say was the fight on episode 1 of the Ultimate Fighter. I had been thinking about the fight for days and I kept visualising myself landing a few shots, taking him down, taking his back and choking him out and that’s exactly how it went-it was quite surreal because I had literally visualised the whole fight to a T!

MMABay - How was it training with Bisping and his coaching staff from The Wolfslair?

Martin - Training with Mike, Mario and Dave was awesome. Mike took the lead the whole time, sparring with us every day, doing the circuits with us and everything. So it’s just made me hungrier to succeed in the sport training with someone like Mike every day.

MMABay - If you had to pick one fight of yours you think the fans should go and watch what would it be?

Martin - Fans? I didn’t know I had any!! Ha! I think my most entertaining fight was probably my last fight before TUF, I fought Martin Beggley on a show called Fight zone for their European title, I got some good takedowns in the fight and pretty much the whole fight was me landing some good GNP. In the second round he nearly caught me in a tight arm bar but I managed to escape (after my arm popped 3 times!) and I couldn’t hit with my right arm anymore so I switched tactics and went after the submission.

MMABay - Thanks again Martin.

(An exclusive interview for MMABay.co.uk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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