Issue 015
July 2006
By Grant Waterman
Most of the time I get asked questions about my observations within the Octagon or ring. This month I’m going to have a rant about something else- something that has bugged me outside the Cage for a long time.
Just looking at the UK, the sport of MMA has evolved at an exceptional rate in a very short space of time. Shows such as Cage Rage are considered to be among the top five events in the world, and many UK fighters across the board are competing at international level. There is unfortunately a severe lack of professionalism by some so-called corner men at these events. I see inexperienced fighters turning up to shows with a couple of mates in jeans and t-shirts who’ve come to ‘do’ the corner. They don’t even have a towel with them. Some of them don’t train. They walk around the weigh-in room like scared schoolboys, and then sit at the back of the rules meeting frightened to ask any questions. They don’t know how to warm a fighter up, and turn up at cage side without even a bucket or any basic equipment, such as a towel, scissors, tape, Vaseline, ice, swelling iron, water, etc.
Now before anyone feels that I’m disrespecting them, I’d like to say that there are some very good corner teams over here. Paul Marchment from Peacocks is one of (if not the best) cuts and wraps man in the country. Alexis Demetriades from London Shootfighters is trusted by the likes of Lee Murray, Mark Epstein, Alex Reid and many more, and there are plenty of others who really do a good job. Let’s also bear in mind that being a great fighter or trainer doesn’t automatically mean that you will be of any use when it comes to working someone’s corner in a fight.
If you are reading this and you are not a fighter, put your ego aside for a minute and think about what a fighter has to go through after he signs the contract to fight. We can all talk a good fight (I defeat multiple opponents on a nightly basis in my dreams), but that moment when you agree to a fight something strange happens to you. It’s now become REAL. Now you can get nervous, the adrenalin can start to flow, and if it’s your first big fight, boy your mind can play tricks with you. This is where your corner team should start work, not just as the bell goes for the end of round one.
Seriously, a good corner team will know what happens to a fighter mentally and physically in the weeks leading up to a fight, and they can make a massive difference in helping a fighter to maintain and build his confidence, keeping negative thoughts from sapping his energy, assisting him with his nutrition and even being at the end of the phone for a chat when it’s needed.
On fight day, a good corner team can make the difference between a fighter turning up as a confident Tyrannosaurus Rex of a man or a nervous wreck. From the minute the fighter gets to the venue he should be looked after by his team. He shouldn’t be the one asking all the questions about where to go and what time is so-and-so and has his opponent weighed in yet and all that stuff. His opponent may be trying to psyche him out as well, which needs dealing with. I’ve seen fighters in a right mess even at this late stage of a show. Is the fighter hydrated? Has he eaten his carbs? Does he require a nap? All issues a corner team should be monitoring.
It’s very lonely in the ring and when it’s time to fight, I see some corners just saying nothing. Look at all the top teams, they are talking and building their fighter up right up to the bell. During a fight they are giving advice and encouragement. What use is it to shout “come on, come on, knock ‘im out”? Between rounds a good corner man will know just how much water to give his fighter, he’ll add a bit of Vaseline if needed, cool him down with the towel, and give him some strong advice about what happened during the round, and what to do in the next.
Having witnessed all sorts of things happen to a fighter because of what I’ve said above, I strongly believe that a good corner team can, on occasions, tip the balance between a fighter winning or losing. So if you are considering working a fighters corner, ask yourself if you are actually of any benefit. If not, step down or go and ask for some advice from some one who’s been in the game a while and has earned some respect. This is one area that I think everyone in MMA can learn a lot from the boxing community, because they, through experience, know the value of a good corner man.
