Issue 157
August 2017
Stevie Ray had a rough first round against Joe Lauzon at UFC Fight Night 108. He was taken down and beaten badly. Most people thought he was down 10-8 on the cards and the odds were stacked against him coming back to get a result.
But the fight turned after some great corner instruction from the head coach of the Dinky Ninja Fight Team and Higher Level Martial Arts in Scotland, James Doolan. “No more kicks, we’re boxing now,” he told ‘Braveheart’. “You threw a wee jab and he brought that shell up. Boxing. He took you down off a kick. No more kicks. Cool? We’re boxing for two rounds now. He tires after a round. No more kicks. He’s looking for you to kick.” The second round was much better for the Scot. He moved, he boxed and he didn’t kick. It was a clear 10-9 in his favor and now Lauzon was tired, but the fight wasn’t salvaged yet.
Back to Doolan in the corner: “That was an excellent round. He can’t handle your boxing. I need you to move your feet. You don’t need to hit him hard, just hit him. The shots will come... No kicks. I don’t care if you see it, don’t throw it. The first round might be a 10-8 so we definitely need this round. Are you listening? What have you got to do?”
“Stop him,” Ray replied. “Box,” laughed Doolan. “You’ve got to box.”
Ray listened, stuck to his punches and landed more than five times the number of significant strikes. It was a 10-8 round on most peoples’ cards and an unlikely come-from-behind win.
Doolan says the key was to calm his fighter down and give him technical advice. He didn’t need to fire Ray up by shouting at him or tell him anything other than the facts.
“Honesty is the best policy. With the 10-8 round, it imparts a sense of urgency in Stevie that the next round couldn’t be close. I wanted him to be decisive to win the round.”
Listening to wisdom your mentor imparts is essential. Even though Ray is a prove finisher, the strategy was to stay continue to be calculated and not over commit and risk making a mistake. The Scot’s natural instinct is to go for it, but when a fighter trusts their coach, they’ll listen and the results can be great.
Doolan speaks from experience. “I was terrible can remember my cornermen telling me stuff and me not listening at all. It cost me in fights, but the process of me learning has helped me coach guys now.”
Braveheart’s Tribute
James is one of these guys who I believe is one of the best coaches in the world. His IQ for fighting is second to none. He was spot on with the game plan he gave me… (Before the final round) I thought he was giving me that sort of spiel: do or die. He said, ‘No, you’re going to box him.’ That was perfect really.”
James Doolan's Corner Tips:
Focus on strengths
- “I don’t like telling fighters not to do stuff. I like to With Stevie, it was to box, instead of saying don’t kick too much.”
Keep instructions simple
- “Their heart rate’s raised, they’re hot, they’re not relaxed. Make sure they’re focused on you. You should be able to give them enough instructions in 20 seconds.”
Use positive reinforcement
- “Remind them what’s worked well or say they’re not tired. Even clichéd stuff like saying their opponent is tired.”
Don’t have too many voices
- “I talk, one guy has the bucket and the other keeps time. You’ve seen corners where there’s pandemonium and it seeps into the fighter. Three sharing advice isn’t the best.”
Ask questions
- “You can tell they’re listening and taking on board what you’re saying. The adrenaline might give them tunnel vision. Some kind of engagement is good.”
