John Kavanagh Calls Conor McGregor Situation With UFC ‘Weird’ | The MMA Hour

John Kavanagh and Rich Chou discuss the latest about Train Alta, Chou’s journey after Bellator, the program and how it works, the goals, new-look Bellator, Scott Coker’s new promotion, Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, recent retirements, Conor McGregor’s absence from the UFC, and more.

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Gentlemen time now to say hello to our in studio guests how great is this two of my favorite people in MMA together in studio fresh off the plane Fresh Off Their trips to JFK I believe we’ve got John cavan on Rich Chow this is a real treat hello gentlemen how are you John

Good to see you good to see you look at this guy Mr corporate with the jacket look at this this is amazing what about this what about what do you well the weekend well I suppose the weekend’s over now but we can’t do it too late no

I appreciate it yeah New York has a hangover when I was driving through never show up empty-handed right you can put that up later it’s a little gift from appreciate it you Lads ATA I’ll be like a real like workout guy you show up with your protein shake thank you so

Much uh this is from St Pats do you know St Pats course they do they gifted me this St Patrick my son just was born Patrick yes yes yes is this your Club do you know well I guess it is now I’m not not a big football guy all right this is

Lovely look at these guys well done well done I’m uh this is a big deal for me this was old hat for John yeah this is old hat for John but you’ve never been in studio he wasn’t very he was excited or impressed I got just another trip to Studio after all

These years this is actually my my first time my first visit first time in studio you’ve been on the show before uh We’ve interviewed but never but even all the times we’ve had events in the city just for one reason or another never made it in here so this is well you’ve always

Been invited I think you’ve kind of chosen in the past to be behind theen I wouldn’t say that scheduling conf just you are a little bit the guy in the background fa um John comes begrudgingly by the way like you almost have to drag him in kicking scre there’s a few a few

Zingers here and there prior but uh we make it happen so this is a big week for you guys yes uh you’re rocking the shirt yes uh so explain to the people because I think well obviously on this show uh wimp to Warrior was something that we

Talked about because our own Casey Casey Leiden had his match and I actually think that there’s a way we can work together but I will tell you about that in a moment tell us why this is a big week for now it’s called train Alta you

Guys transitioned over to a new name you rebranded right yes why is this a big week for you guys and bring us up to speed on what you guys are doing so I guess the big the big one is we’re listing on the the stock exchange you

Know underneath the the terer MMA which I really love that is wild yeah and uh our mission is simple there’s over half a billion MMA fans worldwide and the states alone there’s 45,000 martial arts gyms which is going to be going up to I think it’s 60,000 in

The next year or so and then worldwide it’s a multiple of that and we want to help them come together encourage more people to get the in gym experience I know what martial arts has done for my life same as same as rich and we know

What it’s done for so many people out there and these great organizations create all these all this interest in this Sport and that’s been the last decade has been the interest in watching the sport has exploded in the last decade and we feel the next decade it’s

Going to be participation in the sport that’s going to explode and that’s right from whether it’s looking at some content online right up into going into the gym and that’s ultimately what we want to try and do we want to get as many people in the ma MMA gyms as

Possible martial arts gyms as possible I know how tough it is to run a martial arts gym I also have a fight team most people don’t um get to the stage of having a very you know large professional fight team that’s part of it but really it’s the the mom and dad’s

Coming in to do some kickboxing some Jiu-Jitsu some MMA the kids coming in and we want to just make that as a easy on ramp as possible for as many people interested in the sport as possible so rich when we lasted uh an interview was 2021 you were leaving Bellator and the

Main thing that you were jumping into was this yeah three almost to the day three years ago yes crazy years when I was uh when you you know gave me the opportunity to come on and talk about the the big transition and this is uh it’s only fitting to be back to share

This this moment with you and it’s a pretty big milestone for us we’re extremely excited um there’s a lot of work to be done in in many ways it feels like um it’s just beginning in some ways like this three years has flown by and we’ve had our ups and downs in certain

Times never thought we we’d get here but the scrappy little startup has has made it and uh at least you know to the NYSC and in fact that’s where we’re going right after uh the show is to present there and uh we’re on track to uh to

List next week wow that is wild by the way how did you guys get MMA as the uh the three letters that’s we still haven’t quite figured that out we’re not asking questions we’re just thank uh it was kind of somewhat presented to us and

It was like oh would you be yeah we’ll that so um just worked out really well that if you want to invest in MMA you can literally invest in MMA so you mentioned the the three years like the ups and downs right how how was

It difficult and how was it how was this journey maybe different than you expected when you leave matchmaking and VP of talent relations and you’re helping to run a promotion as opposed to more of a Grassroots type of job right things that you didn’t no I think the

Challenge came from still embracing the Grassroots like I still love going in the gyms um connecting with coaches Fighters that I’ve worked with over the last 20 plus years like that’s the Grassroots the Grassroots element that I love but then you know at our core we’re

A tech startup company so I’m having to put myself in some uncomfortable situations as far as learning new things uh spending a lot of time with our you know the the the bankers and our finance team learning about this entire IPO process you know John and I would always

Yeah laugh about being white belts in in in that regard we’re getting close to blue belt now H yeah perhaps after this week yeah we could we could get we could a blue belt if we get a when we list there’s also the whole Tech side of things so it was

Really um trying to balance something I knew very well and was very comfortable a world I was comfortable in and this entirely new world but that’s one of the main reasons why I left to continue to learn and grow and be in that position so it’s uh it’s very surreal but but

We’re here and and we’re we’re yeah we’re thrilled we’re excited about it so I don’t want to take for granted that the audience knows exactly what we’re talking about so like when Rich is talking about the tech side of things what exactly is train Alta and and by

The way would it be Alta or train Alta and by yes that’s that is a gift from the man himself uh what I want to call it the right thing it’s just Alta train ala is the we could get alta.com and then there’s something about the word

About the way it rolls off your tongue train Alta yeah that now it seems to be getting referred to as a train ala all the time okay so I guess that’s it you don’t complain what your customers are saying and but yeah like I said in a nutshell

It’s we want to make that onramp for potential customers for martial arts gyms out there we know how valuable martial arts training is for the average person there there’s people that enjoy going to you know a gym running on a treadmill and stuff I I admire that it’s

I just couldn’t do it I’m too lazy but to go in and learn to be part of this um ecosystem so so to speak whether you’re a fan of the sport you’re doing a bit of to doing a bit of kickboxing um we want to try and help as many of those

Get physically into gyms because like I was saying it’ll only be a very tiny percent of gyms that will have like a professional fight team to the level where they can just make a living off that if we have 45,000 martial artsies in America alone they’re mostly owner

Operated there are guys in in in towns and in cities that are let’s say maybe struggling a little bit to comp to compete marketing wise and Google search ads wise with the local big big box gyms whereas maybe as a team combined we can help them get new customers in um more

Regularly than they are at the moment when I ran my first program back when it was back when I was went to Warrior and that’s when Conor was out of stage of like running through everybody and you know I had a lot of I had a lot of

Interest from you know because of that but still wasn’t really translating to regular people coming in and trying out to class in fact sometimes I felt it was actually holding me back even more having like a very uh big character in the gym in order to while I was trying

To build my kids club and you know just regular members and the first season I ran I had more people join in that week than I had in the previous six months and that was right around the time of Conor knocking out Aldo and um so I think that’s being a challenge for

Martial arts club Owners is that we we know our product is great martial arts coaches they’ll stay on the mats all day seven days a week they they have a real passion for it but maybe need a little bit of help on the background Stuff how

To attract new members how to hold on to them better ways of monetizing you know if if you’re if you have a building and it’s there seven days a week well for example our our Flagship program um that’s run at 6:00 in the morning where usually there wouldn’t be classes run

Then so yeah it’s to help the that inventory of MMA clubs out there um be as successful as they can so if I’m someone who lives let’s say in ill can I do this on my own or do I have to find a gym that’s affiliated with Ulta

In order to be a part of the program no it’s in gy that particular Pro product so to speak because that that that was the that’s how the company um that’s the roots of the company is the 20 week training program that you mentioned you know that Casey completed and fought at

The end so we’ve since um built off that like it’s a great Foundation to have that that experience and and we’ve since built off that um and earlier when you brought up you know the whole Tech component that’s what train ala the website is is now designed for is to

Help gyms not only gain new members with our program but also through our online community and through um becoming a member of train alta.com so what we hope to do is have and we’re we’re off to a pretty good start with several hundred gyms already but we want to create the

Largest online community of all the best coaches um um trainers gym owners and enthusiasts as well all coming together to celebrate the greatest sport in the world MMA learn train I think there’s a lot of ways to uh to to really get involved I think it all starts with

Going on the site but you can watch instructional videos we just filmed two amazing um Master Class Type series with DC okay and hael Cordo really oh wow I’ve seen him on before and like that’s guys we were just talking about he did an amazing intro to Mu Thai DC obviously

Yeah um has his uh wrestling master class so whether it’s consuming that kind of content to get more familiar with the sport to finding a gym just to take a a class to the 20we training program we’re trying to offer various things to gym owners to be able to um

Get get more members okay I think I think a good proxy for what we do is if you think of like typical strength and conditioning gyms 15 OD years ago there would have been a very intimidating environment for a regular person to go into okay you could go in maybe guys

Were already big and strong they they they’re fine with going in there but women going in younger people people who are not strong already and then crossford come along and made this very appealing onramp and you know you can go into these strength condition gyms and

You get a wide range of people we want to become CrossFit for for martial arts and you know because like I said the perception of training might put some people off like they look at the 0.00001% that are fighting professionally in whether it’s UFC or

Pfl whatever the case may be I was like well I wish I could do that but that that’s not for me and for myself anytime I’m out in Dublin for every hundred people that come up to me to say like oh we should I could do with you but I know

You only train professional fighters like no it’s not that’s a very tiny part of what I do now it’s even easier to say look go on to train ala.com we have season starting all around the country throughout the year sign up get in and you know we’ll be in touch when there’s

One near you and we just want to be able to roll that out that’s what this IPO is about and I’m sure which I can say on all of that but basically to give us that Capital strength where we can employ more people put more into the

Tech put more more into our into our marketing and get as many people on the mass as possible that’s that’s what we’re about how many countries is it currently in 10 10 y 10 count us obviously 10 countries and growing and we just uh last year late last year

We we made a a very um interesting move with a strategic partnership with uh a group in Mexico okay so kager’s gym where yayer several other um Mexican Fighters have uh ties to and the upper agency our strategic partner in Mexico and are going to help us roll out uh in

Latin America so last year was really dedicated to a lot of moves like that that um in anticipation of this IPO in anticipation of this you know hopefully this big growth that we’re going to experience so this is going to be a huge year for us and we we hope to just prove

To everyone that well MMA really is for everybody yeah man woman child age is not uh you know it’s it’s it’s not relevant and everyone can benefit from training and that’s ultimately our goal is to get everyone on the mats so it’s interesting that you made that distinction because I was talking to

Connor back there oh hello I didn’t even realize it was a photographer Here There You Go sir hello hello uh I was so locked in I didn’t even realize we had company uh I was talking to Connor our producer back there we were looking at

Some of the clips before the show um and he’s very fit he’s 30 years old and he’s like I like this I would want to do this he’s starting to get a little bit into you know hitting Ms hitting a heavy bag doing some training stuff but then he

Said like I don’t know about the fight I I don’t know about the fight and I think a lot of people might equate this associate this with the fight at the end like what we were just talking about with Casey you don’t necessarily have to

Do that right no no no I think as time goes on that’ll become less and less important you that might shy people away from well I was shocked at how successful the company had come with that being it’s you know it would have been a little bit easier for the for the

People watching to probably go like a Jiu-Jitsu only angle to do it with MMA straight away yeah I think that’s what proved that this will be very successful when we do have Jiu-Jitsu Pro programs sort of like Fitness style programs based around the martial arts training I

Do think it’s good to have some kind of test at the end of it and you know in martial arts in different styles you can you can do gradings to get your next belts so some technical test which is something we’re rolling out as well because not everybody is going to make

That war right and sometimes with with with with if someone’s doing it in my gym I might encourage them to take a a grappling match at the end of it or like a no head shot match you know so there is different scales different intensities depending on we get a lot of

22y olds coming in and you know they’ve come from previous Sport and they really want to get to maybe go on to fight more regularly in amateur MMA even some of our previous contestants have gone on to fight professional but um that’s not really the point of it the point of it

Is to get people in get them training regular martial arts training if at the end of doing this particular program they want to take the technical test in MMA that’s fine from there we might slot them into maybe they’re more interested in the kickboxing element of it the J

You know most MMA GMS have a kickboxing program a Jiu-Jitsu program and some sort of Fitness element as well so yeah you know kind of what we want to do is just to generate as much noise as possible get like I said the previous 10 years was about getting more eyes on

Watching the professional and on the sport we believe the next 10 years we can get more people physically walking into the gym and seeing MMA style training as a way of staying fit physically I think there’s a big mental health aspect towards fighting that doesn’t quite come from other sport

Paradigms but it is very much part of MMA and yeah just get as Phil Phill gyms Phill gyms to to add to that what you just said earlier the original question yeah it’s a big commitment it takes a lot you’re essentially diving into the deep end with the original Warrior

Program right 20 weeks to the fight and we realize well it is a lot for those who have completed it and want to take on that challenge it’s it’s tremendous um but there are a lot of people that aren’t quite ready for it so we actually

Um piloted a program with UFC JY late late last year to create a different kind of experience it’s a 10-week training camp without a fight at the end but you’re learning all the skills you’re you’re in that fight Camp mentality and you’re being tested at the end so we’re getting we’re getting ready

To roll that out this year as well with the UFC Gym a very big uh uh Initiative for us this year and so far we have uh Cub Swanson wanting to run it at his gym BJ in Hawaii Josh Thompson the pilot program was at his gym in San Jose and I think

Frankie is going to take it on as well at at his gym in New Jersey so that’s a that’s another way that we’ve evolved from just the 20we program again it’s still there we still love it it’s our roots and we embrace it but you know you

Had a great question like what about all the people that aren’t ready for that right and we’re going to try and offer them this along with again just just just just get in a gym how can we help you get in a gym even if it’s a one week

Pass a one month pass that’s our goal cuz we’re confident that once you get in you’ll never leave you’re going to love it what’s uh what’s tougher and more challenging this particular role or matchmaking fights falling through all the drama behind the scenes um it’s different yeah it’s different and the

Funny that like back in the day me Rich might have clashed over some you know because he be matching my guys and sometimes you get into arguments but well I don’t think that’s good match blah blah blah and then a couple years later we’re working together like you

Know but we worked everything out in the mat so we’re all good I I would I never once did I imagine we’d be in this position but and for me that’s that’s been part of this ride of where we’re at now you know I just kind of look at this

Wall here and I recognize so many people that are that are involved with with Alta when I see Izzy you bman oh wow he runs the biggest program the biggest program is that true I’ve ran the second biggest he has me on that one wow so

They’re conly is on the program in his really wow so I see that I see DC is obviously a a major brand ambassador for us he’s he’s also been a coach he’s been very open about his passion for coaching average everyday people um Jesse Clark she’s actually the longest 10e coach in

America what this is crazy I coached the program with her in syic at MMA in Vegas okay many many years ago kind of give Francis uh extreme cure also a ala partner like a Gilbert on you know that guy that’s Conor mcre remember TR some

Gym in Dublin I think with some some guy actually go to the the movie premere tomorrow I will be there too will you yes with my wife nice one yeah yeah nice one I’m looking forward to it have you seen it no okay I wanted to watch it you

Know that setting uh that would be great I can’t you know he unfortunately he’s too big for our little programs we can’t get him on I know he’s in New York I seen the tweet and he was like I’ll see what I’m I was like oh maybe he’ll be on

Before me or Dr it’s okay you know we’re just small potatoes over here uh we don’t have a pot to piss in how times have change how times have change that is a that’s crazy that you went through uh GSP anything in Canada by the way oh

We actually have run the program at TriStar before okay um I actually went to TriStar when they to kind of get that over the line and we have to make our way back to Canada Canada will be back soon is there no is no Canadian Presence

At the moment uh there uh we had to kind of reset after Co yeah ah yes we are but we are going to I I think now’s the I think everything has been a little bit on hold for quite a while now and this weekend this today launching this uh

Road show is really the Kickstart again and we’ve we used that time we had like our first round or two we won like 108 and we were flying out and everybody wanted to run the program then Coba came along that’s round three and four gave

Us a hard time we didn’t tap about we’re going into the fifth round now Championship round and now we’ve now we’re ready now we have the team around us we’re going to have the funding by the end of this and we’re really ready to put the foot down and and and really

Make this how many people work for Ulta what would you say not 25 25 the main the main uh office is in Sydney Nick is the founder right Nick is in town as well going to meet him now after this okay by the way do you guys I I

Should have asked you this off air but I know that’s a big deal do you have a heart out you have to be there at a certain time we’re not that far by the way from know yeah that’s I spr from the airport to get there I was late and or

Was like don’t worry rapael is in studio before you so I was like okay now I have to Sprint from here to get the the the suit on oh gosh and then run down the road into theck change but we’re we’re good okay yeah cuz enjoy this

Want so comfortable here it’s not this is like some bucket list stuff me can I Can I by the way it is kind of crazy that you’re here um this particular week for so many different reasons a I was thinking if you were going to go to the

Premiere tomorrow number one number two St Patrick’s day yesterday is a big deal here in New York obviously much bigger here yeah it seems like it uh but then also Bellator back in Northern Ireland on Friday your connection your connection could I ask what is it like

For you to see this Bellator 2.0 3.0 maybe 4.0 do you have any do you feel feel any sort of connection to it or has it been so long and now that Scott and Company aren’t involved I know Mike is still involved do you feel that like

Disconnected from it how do you feel as it relaunches I went through that already okay yeah so there’s no no I’m I’m still a big fan and supporter and uh I’m anxious to see how things play out you know kind of get that feel but as

Far as um not being involved and kind of being from the outside looking in I’ve kind of gone through that whole process already you’re also on the management side of things too right I just help I just help people out I I I love the sport um I’ve I’ve been able to develop

Some really great relationships over the last 20 plus years and when people reach out in various capacities for help or for advice um I’m always happy to give it so um I just like to stay involved in the sport and just help it grow but I don’t

My focus is uh is Alta and with what we’re doing here but know if it’s an old friend that’s calling um I’ll pick up and and and we’ll talk about what they’re going through okay now I presume you’re going to go back right cuz KL Moore that’s right among others yeah it

Was funny with like you said like Mike Hogan was messaging me on Sunday oh I’m in Belfast for for St Patrick’s weekend you know and I’m like oh I’m fling New York in the morning so we we kind of just miss each other but yeah I I leave Wednesday evening get into Dublin

Thursday morning get the bus straight to Belfast and uh I’ll just miss the I might actually be there for the wayin might be a little bit late for the weighin and then the big fights on Friday yeah World title fight how do you feel about you know uh as as a gym owner

And as a coach I I think it’s interesting what’s happening here but let’s be honest there’s one less place for guys to sign with right Bellator was a Hu bellor was number two number three has swallowed up number two that’s maybe cool for fans we get these super cards but for the

Fighters it’s one less spot right to take your talents to negotiate how do you feel about and I know it’s kind of new and we how still new and I still I still hard me to give a really good answer on it like I can say so far my

Experience has being very positive I just I hit it off a piece you know CEO pfl which is great then Mike Hogan my you know brother in arms he gets taken on as well so that gave me a big feel of familiarity especially with on the Bellator side of things now I’ve got

Like let’s say one of my Fighters for example Nate Kelly that’s on the the show on Belfast he’s he’s fighting on Bellator but he’s a pfl fighter so there’s there’s an example of a fighter getting an extra fight that he wouldn’t have got if he’d only be with pfl but

Because he can kind of jump around a bit he’s getting a fight on Bellator and Belfast so so far I’d have to say for myself it’s been quite positive there was a little bit pain there there was a few a few guys that got that got

Released which is never easy um but I think as time goes on and you know I’m very close with like Dan Hardy for example and I speak to them about their plans for going into you know whether it’s the middle east Australia um the rest of Europe so you

Know UFC has always been very very us Centric whereas Bellator and now pfl they seem to be quite open to doing shows around the rest of the world and my mat is quite International I have a lot of guys from around the place so um yeah you know change is always a bit

Painful change is always resisted but I’m trying to look at it and see well what angle can I take on this where I’ll still be able to keep my guys busy how how do you feel about the current state of MMA in Ireland very positive yeah very positive

Um feels like we’re back like there’s ups and downs and now we’re like back on an up am I crazy um I I suppose I look in it in ways of are are the teams busy and it would seem all the pros are getting good opportunities there’s a lot

Of fans out there that are like well if it’s not the UFC it’s not happening whereas I’ve you know most of my fighting has being outside of the UFC with Bellator and pfl and um I’m very happy with with how the guys are doing I I probably at this stage have a little

Bit different way of looking at it than most people I I I I joke saying or I count my success now and many of my guys can buy a house and that’s been pretty good number and uh you know it’s kind of like those a lot of my fight team I

Picture in in their in their 40s maybe invite me around to their to the barbecue and and being um you know seeing seeing then what I’m trying to do now with with more of them and the more people I can get with their mortgages paid off the more I’ll see

That being successful yeah that’s a great uh a great litmus if you will we just the bels are great the ti are great and we of course chase down we have a world Title Fight Friday night I think it’s our fourth attempt at a Bellator World title so fingers crossed we get it

This time but maybe with age or whatever it is different things start to become important that other things maybe were were more so at a different time in my life and we had uh Gilbert on earlier and he’s getting into the promotional game with Scott yeah uh in an area that

You know very well the Bay Area outside I was like what SC back and then over it’s great it’s crazy how do you feel about this cuz it feel like there was once a time I remember going to those shows in San Jose there was nothing

Better than those shows and it was like the best kept secret in America or maybe the world as far as MMA and you were closely linked obviously with Scott so many so many years how do you feel about this and I know this is a little bit more like lower level they’re building

It up but still it’s still exciting love to see it actually I was in the Bay Area last week we had the road show in the Bay Area and uh got a chance to connect with both of them and so I knew it was coming but um to see the response being

As positive as it is I it’s great I think we need more more events as you mentioned earlier and even if it’s small you know I know those two will uh work their way up and I’m expecting big things out of them you going to join

Them are you going to come back to I will always support him those are my guys I mean Gil started fighting I started working with him even before like he fought for us in Hawaii and rumble on the Rock so we go way back and you know obviously you know my history

With Scott and you know how I feel about them so I’m always going to root for them and I’m rooting for everybody I’m very optimistic about the pfl um and and this new era change is always tough right yeah you know in in the beginning everyone’s venting everyone’s you know publicly privately

Everyone’s nervous but I think I uh think things are going to be all right and there’s always going to be new players coming out I mean how many times have we seen this over the years organizations you know go away one way or another in fact I didn’t you just

Post the strike force uh acquisition it oh yeah not that long ago 13y year anniversary yeah last week you crazy right you know business as usual but this industry as we know it’s it’s unpredictable and it’s uh it’s wild but um I love it and I I I believe in it and

We’re seeing more and more people want to want to get involved so um I’m excited for the future and that just creates more opportunities in in many areas including you know for us over at Alta so as as a coach as a practitioner as a lifelong fight Enthusiast Mike Tyson Jake Paul your

Feelings we just had HL talk about it and he was very positive about it yeah well I suppose he’s got a lot more dealings with and sure like I don’t know whether there’s a wink and a odd behind the stage is Tyson going to be 60 58 58 full force

Blows to the head of 58 no that’s not a no matter who you are no matter who you are you you don’t need to be doing that um it was kind of exhibition and they you know kind of sparring great because I was asked about not necessarily just

Mike but this kind of YouTube boxing stuff and my take on it now rather being snobby about it is like I just love anything that get more kids involved in sport great if it’s Combat Sports whether it’s boxing wrestling mix Mar Arts whatever the case may be and if

Jake Paul is doing a good job of filling local boxing gyms is you know it’s a little bit of what we’re trying to do yeah um brilliant you know there’s a thing I’m not into the whole whatever else he’s doing particularly on that about I don’t think someone approaching

60 um needs to be fighting you know would appear Jake hits hard you know he’s knocked out a few guys so I just hope that it it is what it is it’s kind of an entertainment thing they move around the ring um and you know kind of

Spar so as long as it’s that thumbs up how do you feel about it it’s just such a Hot Topic right now by the way 80,000 people on Netflix it’s not like it’s happening behind you know like yeah 80 million people well no 80,000 people in the stadium which is absurd right it’s

Happening where the Dallas Cowboys play at AT&T Stadium which is one of the biggest venues in America uh not to mention the 280 million subscribers on Netflix who will get this for free if they’re just subscribers so it’s I understand what you’re saying but like can they put on a sparring session like

In front of that many people I don’t know I just think the majority of those people are not going to be really high level boxing like what are they really watching for they want to see a good press conference maybe a bit of shoving and shouting whatever else they put on

They’ll want to see a spectacular event you know lighting and fireworks great walkouts but once it goes click they don’t really know what they’re looking at or they’re not going to have massive interest and I don’t I think as well their stomach wouldn’t be able foreing

So you know really hard fighting right I guess the point of making is I just think the majority of people watching this is going to be for the entertainment s so put on an entertaining show how do you feel about it uh I’m I’m conflicted and torn like

Many out there uh the promoter in me um totally gets it yeah and look I’m i’ I’ve been a part of some quote unquote circus acts myself over the years and they’ve had their you know we’ve learned from them and we’ve seen some good and and some bad come from those the purest

In me you know doesn’t feels really uncomfortable because I think we all love Mike Tyson uh he’s you know the the Beloved badass of Our Generation and none of us want to see him get hurt um adore Rafael you know he’s a partner and and a friend

And yeah I just don’t want to see anything bad happen to Mike but as a promoter I totally get it I mean look at all this all of this uh uh uh chatter out there right I mean they announced it what over a week ago and people are

Still talking about it those videos of him hitting mits it’s kind of terrifying for a 58 yearold to look like that I I don’t disagree with anything you said but like it’s just kind of mind-blowing that he’s still even if it’s like a 10-second clip right yeah that’s not

Look he’s he could go out there and Spark Jake does yeah but there’s a reality of the there’s a reason why there’s not too many people approaching 60 fighting profession no no you know um I was George Forman was up there maybe late 40s he looked he didn’t look he didn’t

Look like a big AB but like he was still yeah you know in the he had that style where he didn’t have to move too much but Tyson is it’s a lot of movement but yeah look I I you know he’s saying it’s a promoter he gets and I will say as a

Gym owner I think great if this generates a lot of interest in the sport of boxing and if gets a couple of thousand kids to go to the local gym because and maybe a few kids that never heard of Mike Tyson to appreciate him yeah look back at look back at him in

The 80s and 90s um you know I’m trying to drag the positivity out of because I just certainly wouldn’t like to see like a t uh who was he Tyrone Woodley yeah you know something like that you know hero like that of of AR yeah getting

Badly knocked down you know you’re in an interesting spot because uh obviously you had no greater influencer for lack of a better word in your gym right Conor and there’s there’s a trickle down effect right Ian Gary is probably like the best example of someone who saw

Connor said I want to do that and now look at what he’s become but I’m just wondering do because I always hear like oh and I believe it to a degree the Jake Pauls of the world the ksis of the world they get younger kids who look up to

Them like my kids are 12 10 your your son is around the same and they know who those guys are more than the fighters are do you see young kids coming to you saying I want to be like them is is that a thing at your gym or because you have

Connor there’s no one bigger no bigger influence than him so you don’t really need those guys to get people in the I I’m more here it from boxing gym owners that are getting an influx of kids that they may be surprised by like oh this is

A nice Rush of new members yeah that we can that maybe got a little spark of Interest through watching some influencer but it’s not obviously what’s going to keep them training there for weeks months years at a time so yeah I do think it’s had a trickle down effect

In getting a few uh people who may not have walked into a boxing gym the the YouTube boxing side of things um YouTube boxing seems to be much bigger than YouTube MMA you know there’s not too many celebrities doing like it’s MMA about I suppose there’s less to learn

You know you can just BR gloves and swing a bit um but yeah look my my way of looking at all these things the entertainment side of things is hey it’s great if that local struggling gym owner gets 20 new members out of it I’m for it

Yeah no I I I I know it’s not for MMA specifically but you know some kid or mom says hey here’s a gym let’s just go be like Jake Paul or KSI or whomever I uh I hear of this thing that they keep telling us that there’s a trickle down

Effect and so I was wondering if you feel it your son’s around that age right you know what I uh I see your son cracking the MS by the way yes not bad we have fun we have fun with it um wrestling training 11 12 he’s nine going

On 10 golly so we have a rule in my house you have to train you can’t be out there encouraging the world to train a good point and then we don’t train at my house so uh yeah we try to live it and and breathe it and I think as as a whole

As a company it’s kind of a for the People by the people type of um Vibe but uh Jake Paul Connor these names even Kimbo to to this day those are that’s the water cooler talk that’s the barbeq chat I’m meeting parents at PTA meetings dads when they find out you know

Background and what I’m doing they want to you know those are the first few names that usually pop up you know depending how old they are so um I think creating the awareness going back to that right the the positivity people are talking about Combat Sports and it’s you know you have to

Take the good with the bad but I think overall to be in the discussion you know these days um I mean there’s so many of these crossover fights happening um there’s a ton of you know really great MMA and I know Fighters that are um you know they feel uh when

They get overshadowed by it all I understand why they don’t like it and they’re a little bitter about it but I think overall it’s better to be part of the discussion at that mainstream level because you hope like you said someone will find it someone will take that

Interest and then do a little more research and realize man there’s a whole whole world of really great Fighters I haven’t discovered yet so I think you got to take the good with the bad and and to me ultimately that is kind of the

Um kind of the gateway to the to the two sports right by the way for Alta is there um an age restriction or like is it available by by like say Ireland you know you can’t be you have to be over 18 to do amateur MMA fight I should say I

Should say you have to be over 18 to do an amateur MMA fight with head shots we do have under 18’s MMA as well but we don’t allow head shot so it’s just done by region New York might have different rules than Ireland will have different rules than Sydney right so whatever

Region you’re in we’re going to operate underneath that real system okay now something we’re working on um is a is a little Warriors program oh love it obviously they’re not going to fight at the end but uh I think combining the positivity of you know martial arts the

Discipline you know the the tremendous physical um attributes you know getting them more athletic just being on the mat is just a really great thing you learn these movements and coordination that’ll help you in any sport and also um integrating an anti-bullying component I think you know so we’re we’re working on

A lot of different things again to bring it to the masses not everyone has to fight again that’s there if you want it but whether it’s you know a fitness-based program to learn the sport or in this case bringing it to kids and teaching them a lot of positive things

That’ll help them as they get older we we just want to be involved because I it sounds so cliche it’s kind of cheesy but if if but it’s true if more people in the world trained the world might be a better place that’s kind of how we

Healthier yes yeah by the way who’s the youngest person that you’ve ever had like I was thinking of Nate the Great Kelly who I remember on his dad’s shoulders at the uh press conference and then we see him in the uh in the cage not that long ago who’s the youngest

Person that you’ve had that now’s become a pro like you’ve been you’ve been around long enough to I feel like you can not to age you but uh like Nate was like what nine or 10 when he did that he he he was but he’s still amateur I think

Lee Hammond is a good example I think he might have been 11 or 12 then he goes becomes an IMF amateur world champion switches to Pro does well on the season of tough and now he’s whatever he is five and oneish and we’re getting old that’s wild but it’s that total uh that

Constant like what’s that the Harry Cletus heric Cletus River where it’s you know you can never step in the same river twice so I kind of had this constant stream for the last 20 years of of guys you know what are starting in the kids program being very young and

Then getting invites to weddings now and then I going to baptisms of their children so it’s it’s it’s it’s great to see you know it’s great to see I kind of have my first wave of guys now racing towards 40 that are retiring or getting close to retirement and then there’s the

Next 15 16 17 year old so it’s it’s it’s never ending do do you guys feel this way cuz we’re all kind of around the same age and I feel like from my chair my chair this perspective is different than yours and yours right you were always on the promotional side coaching

Side media side but like last week I was I was feeling this um when I spoke to Joanne wood AKA Calderwood and there’s something about I was talking about on the show and I don’t even know if I expressed it the right way but I always feel this sort of guilt when the

Fighters especially the ones from like 07 08 09 when I came in have to say goodbye and I know they’re going to be around and and and she’s with Syndicate and her husband and they’re doing great but like she has to say goodbye and I

Get to still sit here and talk about the next event the next event and I was just wondering if that was something that’s just unique to me with my Jewish guilt or that you guys understand you know what I mean like I just I I always feel

Every time I fighter retires from that era and now they’re all you know they’re coming to the end now from that 09 10 11 there’s I feel guilty that I get to stay and they don’t you know what I mean it doesn’t feel right you know what I’m

Talking about totally and to take that a step further in my you know with my background I mean there was moments where I I grew up like as a fan of a fighter and you’re having to make tough business decisions around the promotion so yes I’ve

Totally had to kind of grapple with that you know internally like man this is wild I’m working with this guy one minute that I kind of came up watching and always respected and admired and now you know we have to you know it’s it’s a tough business as we know and and so

I’ve been putting that position a lot you know to deal with that guilt and now yeah I see it guys coming going and um yeah it’s uh it’s a tough sport that hurt business it’s a tough somehow drag this back towards train ala I’ll say yes yes please please like if we’re being

Realistic like I’ve known one guy to make retirement type money out of fighting there probably for mixed martial arts there’s probably only been a handful in the game really that you know know in mid to late 30s will’ll never have to work again that’s pretty rare in

MMA so what I really love about the the train Alta program in in terms of our gym owners is that we’re giving them hopefully giving them a little helping hand a little boost because what a majority of MMA fighters X MMA fighters going on to do probably coach right you

Know some might get into media like yourself or or promoting but a hell of a lot of them will be um reliant on running a gym or being working in a gym um unless they’ve kind of worked on the skill set while they were coming which

Is what I’m spending more and more of my time encouraging young fighters to do now is not just to get you know locked in on MMA training try to network try to improve your communication skills maybe you can pick up a degree while you’re training um but again some of them will

End up running MMA gyms and they in their late 30s maybe didn’t study business maybe didn’t study marketing advertising will Coach all day we get on the M 9:00 a.m. and be there till 9:00 p.m. but not maybe understand or have the relevant training and how to attract

People hold on to them expand and be able to make a good Liv and doing a good thing for their community and that’s that’s something that gives me a real Buzz for for trying Al to like nothing else I’m involved in at the moment to be

Honest do you spend more time on this now than SBG is that possible well I I’m pretty good at like what whatever I’m doing I’m doing 100 % so Monday to Friday 11:00 a.m. I’m on the mats with the guys and it’s full attention for the

Two hours okay whatever the time may be chatting with with promoter setting up fights then I’m on for that but then when I’m working on a train alter program or if I’m coaching it myself or I’m talking with the guys about expansion Etc so I try to block lock out

My day that I don’t if I’m talking to you here I’m not daydreaming about a fight coming up it’s like I’m talking to Mr helani so whatever I’m doing I’m doing 100% not to mention two young kids two young kids young Patrick yes uh is

He one so uh Connell is three and a half he’s four in August and then Patrick is um two two weeks old now two weeks old that’s right I just I just wished you why did he look so much bigger in the photo uh Patrick yeah the photo that you

Posted yesterday I feel like he look like he was like six seven eight months maybe I’m crazy you know what he’s actually longish like he was a little bit small he was 52 lb 2 and 1/2 kilos for the Europeans okay yeah and um uh but like lengthwise okay he he’s he’s

He’s kind of longish wow so you’re right in you you you’re right in the thick of it here well I’m sure I’m sure at the moment delighted that you’re in New York yeah and this morning like woke up this morning to race to the airport and what

Did Patrick have runny nose his first freaking cold so sorry sweetheart or’s back there looking after him and hi Patrick he should be in bed yeah um yeah 9 so uh yeah that’s that’s that’s an experience as well it’s you know with conell now being three and a half it’s

Just what you’re saying about the kids like about like in this house we have to train I I love that but in when I walk into my house I have no chance I have no choice other than training because he straight away is looking at me and he’s

Johnny Walker yeah and he runs at me and hits me or single leg or whatever the case may be know it’s kind of Transformers so um yeah I think what is it was it Dana that said fighting is our DN in DNA so it’s it’s always going to

Be there and we just want to maybe help the industry aggregate itself a little bit better so that we can compete with the other big um Fitness modules out there so as we can get more people involved in this than than currently here so are you guys

Going to be like ringing the bell and all that next week is it that famous shot up there is that going to be you guys won’t be next week we will get uh we’ll get listed next week okay um we’ll be available you know you can go and and

Start yeah crazy buying stock uh again the ticker MMA under the ticker MMA when you say next week like when Monday like we’re going to find out heading straight to the exchange right from here and we’re going to spend the week um ironing out all the details with the bankers and

Our exec team and uh but they are saying next week so and this is not a matter of if but when this is going to happen and this is happening and um yeah we’re going to when does the Bell thing I I want that shot of you guys up

There they say that usually happens like a month and a half or so later it doesn’t actually happen immediately but that will happen yes that’s wild yes yeah so we’ll we we’ll have to come back and we’re going to bring some other uh people that uh that I know you’re very

Fond of in the sports it’s going to be a big celebration that’s W so you’re G to be up that’s incredible amazing that’s a huge yeah that’s a huge huge deal I could be on the ground with like the little piece of paper be like I know

Those guys they’re gonna be there could I was disappointed that my memory of like anything in the stock exchange was guys G wild oh now it’s so like calm and it’s all it’s still I mean it’s a beautiful old building um so it’s it’s still incredible to walk around it but yeah I

Did think when we got we got we got a tour a couple of months ago and I was waiting for just like you know something like a fight like you trying to catch attention but now it’s all oh it’s real quiet and I was like oh times have

Changed just like we’ll create a bit of noise when I remember when you were wrestling with this idea leaving the the promotional game and you know oh yeah I talked to you about it quite yes yes it’s all worked out it has it has amazing uh and here we are we’ve talked

For almost an hour and I’ve not asked you one question about Conor McGregor how about that how about that isn’t that amazing isn’t that amazing I was saying I I did a bunch of interviews for for the Bellator show next weekend and every reporter just as the time is running out

They kind of look down they go so I have to kind of ask and I’m like it’s okay all I know that’s why you guys talk to me so when’s his next fight and what’s coming up can I just say it’s it’s it’s it’s one of the to me I’m not putting

Words in your mouth this is me Ariel saying it I I think it’s a travesty what is happening I think that he’s being iced out and I love to see Nate speak on his behalf I don’t know if you saw his TW how about that Nate saying free Conor

And I know there’s more to it and I know he has a lot going on but to me comparing it to the world of boxing Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury don’t say I hope I get the call he needs to be shown greater respect he decides if if there’s

No if there’s no 302 301 303 on that date make a make a number make a show for him he has done so much for this sport it blows my mind I see him I saw the interview today with talk Sport and it’s like I can feel the frustration I

Know he’s being a company guy and he’s very fond of the UFC but like the greatest of all time the biggest draw the biggest star shouldn’t be treated this way this is me you could agree or disagree but I I I it gets me mad to see

That because I think he deserves much better than that and I say this with him not even coming on my show while in New York City that’s that’s me keeping it real it is it is agree disagree the blueberries day yeah um yeah look I won’t pretend to know the politics and

What’s going on with legal stuff in the background all I know is like it it seems odd that we’re not getting more but like I said I really am speaking from a position of ignorance because I I actually tried to purposely avoid all that all the end the team they do all

That and they go back forward with Hunter and the U team um but yeah it’s it’s it’s it’s weird to me that if for someone to be the star he is and not get more opportuni he should have fought at 300 yeah and he’s you know he should fight on on

629 June 29th and now that day is rapidly approaching right International fight we I know you guys do it differently uh with the the the months and the days six of the 29th yes uh yeah no I know what you’re saying yeah June 29th um yeah look I’m going to meet him

Um either this evening or certainly tomorrow for the movie and uh trust me I that’s why I I half jokingly say to the journalists you know as much as me they always think go on tell me the inside sco I’m say I’m seen the same Clips pop

Up that you guys do yeah you know Conor’s traveling so much and my head’s down so much with what’s happening day to date like I’m not really every day on the Conor hey what I seen an interview just leave him be yeah of course he’ll come to me when when the fight’s

Announced but um but but I will be asking him right come on up let’s let’s get to the best your knowledge he’s ready to go right yes he looks it yes I see the training obviously we don’t but like let’s go what are we waiting for

Rich can you put in a good word I’m try my best you’re friends with those guys I just want to see him fight yeah I want to just like everybody else I want to see Conor McGregor fight Michael Chandler that’s your guy yeah he is wait

Are you rooting for Chandler what I I just want to see him fight I just want to see him fight and trying to create a wedge between this this that’s what you do all the time like I’ve never experienc that why do people speak about he’s such a nice guy like you haven’t

Seen him in AC I mean you kind of you built up Michael Chandler to the point Chandler is great I think he deserves that fight th% and the fans want to see it and hopefully we can get it sooner than later but I’ll be rooting for you

Know I’ll be rooting for John and also rooting for Mike like just hoping for something crazy and fun to happen in there which I think will if they can get in there soon absolutely all right so where can people find out more about what you guys are doing I’m guessing

It’s that URL there it is train ala.com go click on it but especially like you know you’re maybe MMA gym owner go on I’ll have a click around see if there’s anything we can do to help to help you promote your your gym get you some extra

Members that’s what we’re about and um for anybody interested in doing the program still the same train ala.com get on there and and let us know where you are we’ll then partner up with gyms in that area and help them PR our programs and let’s get the world training and

Peace through violence yes we will help you start your journey uh maybe we could have uh Dylan danis involved right so we huh we could get PLO my guy PLO I love PLO you know Pino Cruz uh uh Alex Perez coach in New York um what a legend he is

So there’s a lot of possibilities in in this area alone obviously um but I love what you guys are doing we have the website right over here train alta.com you have the uh Warrior training program The Academy in Gym training I see DC here lest we forget Laura Sano Laura

We’re to meet her now oh she’s here as well she’s here as well is DC here too no no but he uh we were together last week I saw you guys he was eating at the Kitty table and yes well they weren’t big enough for the investor table um

What you mean they were on the investor table no they were sitting off to the side eating by it was on his thing I saw it and them eating on the Kitty table it just it just played out that way cuz uh DC was uh there were so many people and

DC was running late cuz he had to coach there was a big tournament last weekend which I believe uh danan his son W but you know we we totally understood and you know coach you know coaching’s the priority and once he got done with with

That he shot it over with Bob so they were running a little late so they were you know banished to the kids table I love the story well you hear he was talking about like his I think it his first fight oh yeah his first fight and he was telling the potential investors

Who were at the dinner and DC is such a great Storyteller Master he basically says he was just getting ready to walk out and and cook was beside him B cook and he said he could see that he was nervous he’s looking at this guy that was just a wrestler and yeah Gary

Frasier is that was his Strike Force Challengers that’s why you’re best that’s why you’re the best and he turned he turned to Bob and said don’t worry and Bob was like oh what you mean he said don’t worry he goes why cuz I’m a gamer and he goes well was he went out

He said seven minutes later I was what don’t know yeah it was just a great story I remember that there’s a great esterlin photo of him uh punching Gary Frasier very hard and then he went on that run I think he went to Australia at

One point to fight he won the king of the cage title yeah yeah like they flew there for like 20 hours just Australia to fight who was it was it uh Tony Johnson yeah who became a training partner later yeah crazy you know that fight just a quick note because I

Brought it up when I introduced him Bob and I had a good laugh about that first fight like that night you wouldn’t think this is gu going to be a Hall of Famer one of the greatest of all time but I guess just goes to show it’s not how you

Start but how you finish right he didn’t necessarily look the part not at all not at all he says right right uh I love it well I wish you guys the best congratulations on making it to this point and what’s to come this week here

In New York and uh yeah I will be watching with a big smile on my face when you’re up there with the the ding ding ding and whatever you do up there I don’t know what people do up there but you physically ring you actually physically it’s incredible you’re going

To be there though okay I’ll be there as a uh maybe as a as a friend of the family A friend of the program something like that uh go check it out train ala.com is where you can learn everything about what these two fine G

What I’m doing shout out to Nick who’s a great guy as well the founder of the company and everyone involved Laura DC and all the people behind the scenes thanks for watching we appreciate it very much hey if you like this video give us the old thumbs up subscribe as

Well you can get many more of these videos on the channel so please do that we would love you forever if you did so