|
|
|
|
Steve O'Keeffe Sure Of Victory Against Vital
29 May 2010
By Dean Parr
On Sunday 6th June at Adrenalin FC: 'Fight Club,' Steve O'Keefe will aim to make the perfect start to his professional career as he takes on London Fight Factory's Diego Vital (3-0), aiming to take home the Adrenalin FC Lightweight Title in the process. For those who haven't seen him fight, O'Keeffe described his fighting style.
"I've been learning Jiu Jitsu for nearly a year now and feel very confident on the ground," he noted. "A year may not sound like a lot to some people but I feel I'm taught to a very good standard and learn very quickly."
Steve continued, "I'm a black belt in Taekwondo and was undefeated since the age of nine. It did help in the change over into MMA. In Taekwondo you have to be very agile, learn how to fight off both legs and be very explosive. With a whole range of kicks to choose from which would be very effective if used intelligently."
For O'Keeffe, the bout with Vital has been a long time coming. "I've been wanting to fight Diego Since I started to learn MMA," admitted Steve. "I saw it as something to aspire to. I've always liked to test myself. I love martial arts. I'm a martial artist, and so is he. He's very technical on the ground, but hasn't been tested standing up yet.
"His strength is his Jiu Jitsu," the Medway Submissions man analysed. "He's won his three fights via Rear Naked Choke and is very good at getting into those positions. He's a nice enough guy and comes from a good camp. He trains hard too, with the same kind of ethic as myself."
However, O'Keeffe is postive he will get the 'W' on the 6th June. "I'm going to win," he asserted. "I've trained too hard, dieted too long and want this too much to walk away with anything less then that belt around my waist. KO or TKO I think. I don't mind when it comes, as long as it does."
While not looking beyond it, Steve has an idea where he'd like to go after this fight. "I'm looking at my next fight being on Ultimate Challange. I want to try to start to really make a name for my self. I want to go all the way; as far as I can possibly go. I like to push myself and test myself to the limit."
Indeed, this ambition is highlighted by him taking such a challenging pro debut, but O'Keeffe insists he will rise to the occassion.
"There are no extra nerves," he stated. "I like to compete. The better the opponent and the bigger the stage, the better I fight and the harder I work. I was 2-0 at semi pro with both fights ending in the first round via submission. One was a 53 second guillotine and the other a 34 second RNC. I think every fighter needs a semi pro career; the longer the better. I know mine hasnt been very long but I have had over a hundred Taekwondo bouts. I'm also a very fast learner. I feel I'm ready to make that step up."
To conclude, Steve asserted he's looking to make a statement in this encounter. "I've been wanting this fight for a long time," he reiterated. "I've trained harder since my last win because I know every fight should be harder then the last if you want to make it in MMA. This will be a real test for me and I think it will be a bigger test for Diego. I see this fight as the next step. Once I've won this then I can progress."
For more information on this card, please visit http://www.adrenalinfc.co.uk
|
|
|
|