I needed a new challenge and bare knuckle fighting has always fascinated me. Yes, you are throwing punches, but your opponent will come at you a lot faster than boxing.
The stance is different and you can even hold and hit, so I had to get used to the grappling part.
When you throw a punch, you have to make sure you are making a tight fist so as not to hurt your hand when you land.
Accuracy is so important too. You do not want to land knuckle on elbow – bone on bone – although inevitably that is what happens.
Financially, it is much better for me than boxing. Just like the UFC, there are opportunities to increase your purse with fight-of-the-night and knockout bonuses.
A lot of it is down to former UFC champion Conor McGregor, who is a part owner of BKFC. His involvement has really blown the sport up.
People judge him on being loud, lairy and full on but McGregor is so obsessed about all combat sports and his energy is infectious. It is not just for the cameras. He is working non-stop, 24/7, promoting BKFC.
He was messaging me throughout my camp to see how my training was going, and he gave me a big hug after the fight, telling me I was a warrior. I was worried my cut was going to bleed on his very expensive shirt.
