Issue 157
August 2017
Tom Duquesnoy is relaxing in his Paris apartment on a bright spring morning. The ‘Fire Kid’ has just returned from a successful Octagon debut in which he eviscerated Patrick Williams with elbows and punches. Finally, after years of waiting, the whole world got to see what he showed Europe during his run to become a two-division BAMMA champion.
The 23-year-old has been on matchmakers’ radars for years, but repeatedly turned down the advances of the biggest organizations – until now. Now he’s jumped to the big show and is blazing a trail to help MMA become recognized as a legitimate sport in his home country.
How did you start MMA training in a country where it’s banned?
Sounds kind of hard, right? I started fight sport with sambo combat at the age of 11 or 12. At that time, I rented some DVDs from Pride and UFC events and I was fascinated. I was looking at it with my dad and we got very passionate about Fedor Emelianenko. As MMA was prohibited before the age of 18, the goal was to become as complete an MMA fighter as possible by then.
What disciplines did you train?
I got five national sambo titles. I had probably 100 wrestling matches and went to the national podium three times. I practiced grappling, jiu-jitsu, had 35 fights in Muay Thai, boxing, savate and full-contact, which is the equivalent of American boxing. At 18 I got a degree and left for Paris, where France’s best level of MMA is.
Was it difficult not being able to fight in France?
That was a good thing, because it forced me to learn new languages and cultures, discover new countries, meet new people and go out of my comfort zone fighting against strangers in their home at local shows. If you didn’t win by knockout you’d probably lose by decision, so you need to be the fighter I am – someone who’s trying the best he can to finish the fight. That’s the only way to work.
Are fighters in the UFC important to help get MMA legalized in France?
It shows that we have a high level. Right now, thanks to the election, new opportunities may be possible. We’re working every day to make it legal and I will do everything I can. Hopefully one day we can do a UFC in Paris and I’m pretty sure I will fill the whole arena. In France, we were suffering from a bad image but people are getting smarter about it and see me and Francis Ngannou doing an amazing job. They start to understand it’s a good sport. Are there a lot of talented French fighters coming through? When I was training in France, there was high-level judo, wrestling, boxing and Muay Thai. We are a little bit late about the transition, but it’s getting better little by little. All the stuff makes us one of the greatest countries in Europe for MMA. Trust me, France will have high-level competitors.
How did you meet your coach Bourama Traore, aka ‘The Man of Shadow?’
We met five months before my BAMMA debut and something just clicked. We have a deep connection on life and in our way of thinking. He’s someone who likes travel, who sees himself as an artist, and he considers life as the way to deliver a performance by art. He’s like me. He’s a worker, he likes to be very calm, very quiet and working more than the trash talking. These are the values I’m sharing with him. Before everything else, we are good friends.
What made you decide to turn down an offer from the UFC aged 19?
Since the very beginning of my career I’ve always made decisions by myself because I’m the only person to feel the things inside me. I always take advice from the people closest around me and it gives me another way to think of things. Even though I take decisions my myself, Bourama, my father and people I’m surrounded by also help inform me.
How many offers did you have?
It started the first time I got my world title at 145lb. I was receiving offers from everywhere in the world, so that was really tempting. But the goal at that time was to get as much experience as I could to get to my best level and I was really focused on the UFC. I said it was just a question of time. I was telling them: “I won’t sign anywhere else, let me do my thing and as soon as I am ready, we’ll talk about a fight.”
How did you start training at Jackson-Wink MMA?
If you want to do Muay Thai, you go to Bangkok. If you want to do high-level jiu-jitsu, you go to Brazil. I was doing a two-month trip to look for a team where I would establish myself. I went to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and I finished my trip with two weeks in Albuquerque. Once again, something just clicked.
Why was it the right place for you?
I have a working visa there now, so I can stay over there constantly. Guys like Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn have coached hundreds of fights. It’s important for me to be with people who have a lot of experience. From the very beginning when I was watching UFC, I always noticed Greg Jackson was doing an excellent job. It was a dream to head to Albuquerque. ‘The Man of Shadow’ joins me two months before each fight, so it makes it even better. Right now, we are trying to do craftsmanship, a piece of artwork.
Does your experience as a two-weight champion and your training mean you’re at a higher level than most UFC newcomers?
Year by year, camp by camp, day after day, I’m a better fighter and that’s the goal. It’s just a process of trying to be the best. When you’re ready to be a professional, you can turn amateur; when you’re ready to be in the UFC, you can turn professional; and when you’re ready for the title of the UFC, you can go to the UFC. I always keep that in mind. Right now, I’m not that far from the level of the top fighters.
Do you think you can win the title within two years, like Cody Garbrandt?
I think it’s possible. If I wasn’t confident about holding the UFC title, I wouldn’t make it. Now it’s a question of process. I’m still young so I want to take my time so I’m able to have a good life at the same time – focus on the destination, but the journey is just as important. Cody is a very high-level fighter: very smart, very strong, a high-level wrestler and that right hand that makes such a difference. I respect that guy a lot – very
inspiring performances – and I hope if we get in a title fight against each other, I will win. Two years is pretty impressive. I hope to get the title in a fast timeframe like him, but I will do it at my rhythm. There’s no rush.
What do you think of the nickname ‘The Crown Prince of Violence’ some people have given you?
It’s a good name to call me. That’s funny. I like it. It must have been coined by a very good journalist!
Your offensive skills have been hailed, but your defense has been criticized by some people. Is that fair?
It is positive criticism. I’m very aggressive. It can be by weakness, but for the moment it’s more my strength because I win every fight. The defense is something I’m really focused on, but for the moment nobody tries to go forward against me – I mean, they try, but I always get the center of the Octagon and impose my style. I’m ready to defend, I’m improving my ground game every day. For the moment, in order deliver a good performance, it’s natural for me to do a lot of striking. I will improve it, I will try to make the weakness even smaller, but my style is my style. I won’t change it. I will evolve, but other than that, it’s good.
