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Liam Shannon returns at Cage Contender V
13 Jul 2010
By Chris Shanks
Your next fight is on the 24th in Dublin, against Cathel Pendred. What type of threat does he pose?
He has a very big physical presence, they all say he is the biggest Welterweight in the UK. So I am expecting him to try and bully me but I have fought at heavyweight all the way down. I think I can match his physical strength and I think my technique will win through on the day.
Because of Pendred strength, are you planning on taking it to the ground?
I have trained for all areas. I don't really care where it goes, I know that he likes to clinch a lot and go to the ground. As he is from John Kavanagh's club in Dublin. I have trained for all areas.
You are fighting for a Welterweight Title, what will this mean to you if you get the victory?
I have not fought in a few years because I got married and other things. I have fought in the biggest shows across the water (UK) and was hoping for a quite way back in, with a few smaller fights. I was training for a fight in Ultimate Combat against Richard Gory. Unfortunately he pulled out and I wanted to keep the momentum going because I was training hard and there is only a few weeks left. Hopefully this is a stepping stone to bigger things in the UK again.
You have not fought in over 2 years, do you think that's going to be a factor in the fight?
Yeah, no doubt that it will be a big factor in the fight. My sharpness may not be as good as if I was more active. But in terms of fitness and strength, I have had a lot of MMA fights, I have been there and done that. I may be a bit rusty at the start of the fight but I am expecting my fitness to take over because I have been training a hell of a lot harder for this fight, because I know that there may be a dump.
Do you think that its going to go all 3 rounds?
No, No! It will not go all three rounds. I am training for it to go all the way but I know that it won't. I know that I have all the tools, its just a matter of putting them together on the night.
I want to talk to you about your coaching role, you are training a lot of young fighters. How important is it for you to be a coach after you have been in the fight game for many years?
I have trained with Davey Patterson for a number of years and he would always be in there with us. It doesn't matter what the boys would be doing be it striking, conditioning or rolling I am going to be in there doing it with them. I want them to look up to me, I am not one of these coaches that sits there and tells them what to do. My next fight is not just for me, it's more for the club.
Is there anyone in your club, that you could say is going to move on to the international promotions , Strikeforce or the UFC for example?
We just had someone come back from for Hitsquad with Matt Hughes, Joe Clarke is an amazing talent I knew when he walked through the door that he was going to be good. He is currently 11-1 his only defeat was in his second fight. He didn't realise the fitness aspect of MMA he came to training and didn't use it to the full potential. Now he realises that you need the full game. He took a fight in America on two days noticed and choked the fella' out in the first round. He is young two and has no real constants, he has the opportunity to go away and train with the Hit squad or whoever else.
Declan Dalton, if he gets a run at it he will be something else. But you have to keep the ball rolling with Declan, if his head is in the right place he can make major waves. The guys with the talent its not far off the top level.
Is there a lot of people that come to you because they want to try the MMA thing?
Everyone is talking about it, it's the fastest growing sport in the world. You know by the time that they walk through the door if the can stick it or not. I would take the more advanced classes and you can tell by their commitment of actually going to the classes or sometimes even by their facial expressions, if they have it or not.
I remember the very first day that I went to Davey Patterson of the EFR gym. I came out of that sessions, my ears were black and blue, my nose was busted, eyes were busted and I had two black eyes that was on a Saturday. I came back on the Tuesday and had a fight in two weeks. It was purely down to the fact that he knew I was tough and I could take it. Some people just do it to keep fit and have no intention of fighting or they will have a couple of fights, just to say “I done it” I think that a coaches role is not to push a person into fights and let them come to you.
Cage Contender V Full Card
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