Issue 040
August 2008
If boxer Wayne McCullough had his time again chances are you’d still see the same gutsy, granite-jawed, indefatigable Irishman throwing his fists in fury. The one difference may be that you’d see him doing his thing in an Octagon rather than a boxing ring.
“I’d have loved to have done mixed martial arts,” beamed Belfast’s McCullough, a former WBC bantamweight champion. “My elbows are like razorblades. If I’d been able to use those little gloves, I’d have caused some trouble. When I turned pro as a boxer in 1993 the UFC was just starting and was seen as a blood sport and called human cockfighting by a lot of people. I only wish I’d known more about it back then and maybe been a couple of inches taller.”
Nicknamed ‘The Pocket Rocket’ in reference to his busy style and lack of height, McCullough won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics before embarking on a 15-year pro career. He’s faced such boxing luminaries as ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, Erik Morales, Johnny Bredahl, Oscar Larios, Daniel Zaragoza and Scott Harrison. Renowned for possessing an incredible ability to withstand punishment, McCullough was never one to shirk a challenge.
“I remember the first time I watched the UFC on television,” Wayne continued. “I turned round to my wife with my mouth open and she asked me ‘what are you watching?’ We were both intrigued by it. As soon as they shut that cage I got that feeling I used to get before my own fights. I love that rush. It strips everything down – smaller gloves, the cage is locked and the two guys in the cage decide the fight. It’s rarely decided by the referee or judges. I love the gladiatorial aspect to it.”
Such was McCullough’s enthusiasm for MMA, it didn’t take him long to accept the role of ‘official spokesperson’ for the UFC when long-time friend Dana White offered him the job. McCullough is now in a key position to discuss the pros and cons of the sport he devoted his life to – boxing - and the new sport in his life, MMA.
“They’re two very different sports,” said McCullough. “There’s a lot of stuff in MMA that you really need to watch a lot of to appreciate. Things like submission moves, kimuras, chokes, and guillotines – boxing people don’t even take the time to recognise what these things are. A lot of boxing people just think MMA is two people beating on each other, but it’s really not. It’s a tactical sport and one that is really difficult to do. There are certain holds and situations that these guys can put you in that are impossible to get out of.”
McCullough sees more differences than similarities between the two sports from a promotional standpoint, too. “You lose a fight in boxing and they think you’re nothing,” he explained. “You can lose two or three fights in the UFC and you’ll be given slots on cards to build yourself up again. Boxing promoters care about their business and if you don’t have the record to make them money you’ll be out of work.
“Everything’s promoted right with the UFC. Fans learn to care about each and every fight on the card. At press conferences they let all the undercard guys talk and then at the weigh-ins they’re all given their slot. It’s an event rather than just a fight.”
The Las Vegas-based McCullough also used his newfound expertise in MMA to help Danish fighter Martin Kampmann with his stand-up skills. “Martin works out at the gym,” Wayne said. “He lives pretty close and is always around. I figured I’d help him out with his boxing skills and some stuff on his feet. I’d love to do more work with MMA guys in the future.”
Don’t be under the impression McCullough’s fallen out of love with boxing. One of the finest ambassadors for the sport in the modern era, McCullough will fight boxing’s corner way beyond the moment he finally hangs up the gloves.
“Boxing’s a great sport and a sport I will always love,” admitted Wayne. “I’ve been involved with boxing for 30 years and would never run it down. I’m just saying what I’m seeing at the moment. Boxing needs new stars and new promoters with fresh ideas and ways of promoting the sport. The boxing business has been in a mess for a while now.”
McCullough, now 37, continued: “Boxing will always have its crowd and it will always appeal to people. I just think the 12 and 13 year olds of today are talking about MMA. 10 years ago that wouldn’t have happened. Now they’re talking about UFC events at school. There were a bunch of kids at our gym the other day – from London actually – and they were all talking about the UFC 85 event in London. It was amazing. I definitely see the UFC as the future and in 10 years time it’s going to be massive everywhere.”
