Ricky Goodall is one of those rare breed of fighters who views the sport of MMA as not only a means of putting food on the table, but also as an inherent part of his overall make-up, and one of the reasons why he’ll be throwing down in the main event at Aggression AMMA 9 this Saturday weekend.
Following an injury sustained to Tyson Steele, Goodall was ushered in to fill the void, albeit at short notice (less than two weeks) and is now slated to lock horns with Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford.
The aforementioned situation is akin to Michael Bisping supplanting Mark Munoz in the co-main event at UFC on Fox 2. However, according to Goodall, it’s just another day at the office.
“I stay in shape and take my training very seriously; I would be ready to go at a moment’s notice,” Goodall told Bleacher Report.
This won’t be the first time that the Canadian denizen has had to compete in an event following an opponent pulling out due to an injury.
Back in May of 2011, Goodall, promoting his second MMA event under his company name East Coast Fight Productions, stepped in as a replacement when the main attraction of ECFP ll: Resurgence, Jaret MacIntosh was dropped from the card due to illness.
He went on to win the bout, defeating MacIntosh’s original opponent, Lenny Wheeler via first-round TKO. Goodall (9-4-1NC) accomplished that feat with less than two weeks preparation.
“I have fought twice in the last three months and have sustained no injuries, my store is located inside my MMA club so I eat, sleep and breathe this sport.”
So what is the motivation behind his frame of mind?
“I love the sport, inside and out. I’m lucky enough to have a disconnection to it emotionally in any way that hinders me and a strong emotional connection in all the ways that help me.”
Whilst Goodall has three apiece with regards to TKO’s, submissions and decisions in his win column, his opponent, fellow Canadian Ford, holds a record of 16-4 (eight stoppages and seven submissions), nevertheless, that has done nothing to deter or cause him any anxiety whatsoever.
“He’s human like anyone else.”
Though, that said, Goodall doesn’t even have a game plan heading into the bout, except for doing what his métier suggests—fight.
“I expect the bell to ring, the fight to start and two guys going to work until the jobs done. I’ve seen most of Ryan’s fights as I’m sure he’s seen mine, the game plan is to fight.”
If the fight goes in Goodall’s favor, he has two potential fights in the offing.
“I have a title fight with Extreme Cage Combat in Halifax in April and am signed for one more fight with Instinct MMA.”
As earlier mentioned, Goodall owns ECFP, but he also owns a relatively new combat sports store, called Collision Sports which is also his other pursuit.
“My store is my passion outside of fighting.”
So the 170-pounder is a fighter, promoter and entrepreneur all in one, something that most would find an arduous task, but that isn’t the case with Goodall when asked how he manages to juggle all three.
“The same way fighters with full time jobs and families do it; a passionate, make-no-excuses attitude. If you love it, it’s never work.”
Goodall continues “Fighting pays my bills.”
It’s highly admirably the way he goes about his life and business with a fervent viewpoint, something akin to “no mountain is insurmountable” and a “life is what you make it” outlook.
It shows he’s made of sterner stuff—he knows where he’s going and knows what he wants.
Though at present, Goodall, who turned 28 just yesterday would like two things—to promote shows in his hometown of Halifax as well as the promotion of one of his training partners at Titans MMA.
“I like having the small shows in my home town to bring MMA to smaller areas where it wouldn’t otherwise reach.”
“Gavin Tucker, one of my teammates is by far one of the most entertaining, high energy, focused fighters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting or training with. You’ll see his name in lights one day.”
Goodall, who began his professional mixed martial arts career in September of 2007, is currently riding a three-fight win streak; a win on Saturday could garner him interest from other organizations as was the case with Sean Pierson who defeated Goodall back in 2010—the UFC came calling.
Goodall also harbors ambitions of one day making it big in the MMA world, and he isn’t fussy about which organization he’s signed to in order to realize that dream, however, his answer was an affirmative “Yes” when the subject of crossing to the UFC was mentioned.
“My plan is to be at the top of any organization I fight for and to one day live financially free.”
Whenever a debate arises surrounding who the pound-for-pound king of the MMA realm is, two names are most likely to crop up—Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Georges “Rush” St-Pierre.
Goodall’s take on the matter is somewhat different.
“I think that’s hard to peg, I’m not so sure records prove who the best is, but Jon Jones is definitely at the top.”
That said, Jones ranks alongside Wanderlei Silva, Nate Marquardt and Matt Hughes as Goodall’s favorite fighters.
During a fighter’s career, some fights are both won and loss, however, the defeats are sometimes the hardest to swallow, especially when the combatant in question feels he was cheated out of a victory or at worst a draw.
That happened to Goodall when he faced off against Travis Briere at Unified MMA 5, losing via unanimous decision, a result that hasn’t sat too well with the Canadian; to such a degree that if there was one fighter he’d loved to throw down with, it would have to be Briere.
“We fought 5 rounds, with him being deemed the winner by one point, and he’s avoided the rematch ever since.”
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