Our own Nick Baldwin recently interviewed three TKO Major League MMA Bantamweight fighters all coming off of losses with something to prove who are appearing at this coming weekend’s TKO 48 ‘Sousa vs Gané’ event on Friday, May 24, 2019, in Gatineau, Quebec.
Our own Nick Baldwin recently interviewed three TKO Major League MMA Bantamweight fighters all coming off of losses with something to prove who are appearing at this coming weekend’s TKO 48 ‘Sousa vs Gané’ event on Friday, May 24, 2019, in Gatineau, Quebec.
Nick speaks with former TKO Bantamweight Champion, Jesse Arnett and his opponent, Josh Hill, and rounding out our series of interviews is a discussion with TKO Bantamweight Champion, Nathan Maness, defending his title against Taylor Lapilus.
Last bout stats:
1. Nathan Maness last fought Jesse Arnett at TKO 44 via Punches at 2:53 R2
2. Jesse Arnett last fight was the one above with Nathan Maness at TKO 44, loss due to punches.
3. Josh Hill last fought Taylor Lapilus at TKO 45: Jourdain vs Morgan, loss via Split Decision.
Upcoming bouts confirmed for TKO 48:
1. Nathan Maness, 10-0-0 vs Taylor Lapilus, 14-3-0, Bantamweight Title Fight
2. Jesse Arnett, 15-5-0 vs Josh Hill, 16-3-0
1st – ‘Nate Maness says TKO 48 title defense could be last fight for the promotion’:
TKO bantamweight champion Nate Maness speaks with Nick Baldwin about his upcoming title defense against UFC veteran Taylor Lapilus at TKO 48 on May 24 in Gatineau, Quebec, his injury that delayed the fight a couple months, whether there is pressure on him now that he holds the title, the Lapilus fight being the last on his TKO contract, whether he hopes to fight for the UFC in the near future, his title win over Jesse Arnett, Arnett’s upcoming fight against Josh Hill, and more…
Discussion points:
0:35 – What was the story with your recent ACL injury?
1:40 – Did fights being cancelled, being off since September affect you?
2:20 – Knowing about this fight for awhile have you had plenty of time to think/prepare?
2:59 – How did you get in with TKO, are you liking your time with them?
4:30 – Being TKO Champ is there added pressure?
5:58 – How many fights remain on your TKO contract?
6:24 – Is fighting in the UFC your ultimate goal?
6:42 – What do you want to achieve in MMA over the next year?
7:30 – Could this be your last fight with TKO?
7:54 – Is it important not to think about what happens if you win or lose the fight?
8:44 – What are your thoughts on the fight between Arnett vs Hill?
9:38 – Is a Title Bout Rematch in your future vs Arnett after this weekend?
9:58 – Would you prefer that fight be with Hill?
10:20 – Was the stoppage against Arnett premature or clean?
11:18 – How will you get the job done against Taylor Lapilus?
2nd – ‘TKO 48’s Jesse Arnett explains why Josh Hill ‘grudge match’ hasn’t come together until now’:
Former TKO bantamweight champion Jesse Arnett speaks with Nick Baldwin about his upcoming bout against Josh Hill at TKO 48 on May 24, why the fight hasn’t happened until now, what’s at stake in the contest, losing his 135-pound title to Nate Maness in his last fight, how much longer Arnett has in the sport, and more…
Discussion points:
0:28 – Has this fight been brewing for a long time for you?
0:57 – Do you see this fight as being between the top two bantamweights in Canada?
1:22 – Do you feel the stakes are fairly high over this fight?
2:22 – What is your strategy to make Josh Hill ‘come to the fight’?
3:25 – Why do you think it took so long for this fight to come together?
4:40 – What do you recall about fighting with Zeb Promotions, then signing with TKO?
5:23 – When do you think the perfect time for this fight is, now? – Why?
5:54 – Is this one of the most anticipated fights in Canadian MMA history?
6:54 – Do you consider this to be a grudge match, do you have anything against him?
7:52 – Talk about losing the belt and your 12-fight winning streak to Nate Maness
9:15 – Did losing that winning streak mess with your mental invincibility?
10:35 – Was your time off since September intentional?
11:35 – Does your loss to Maness affect your approach going into this fight?
12:04 – If you get past Josh do you fight to get your belt back?
12:43 – Would you rather fight Nate again or fight Taylor?
13:19 – How many fights do you have left on your TKO contract, will you resign?
13:54 – At 34, what are your longer term goals in the sport, looking at the UFC?
15:00 – How many more years do you think you have left in the sport?
15:48 – How do you get it done against Josh Hill this Friday night?
3rd – ‘Josh Hill says he liked training at Team Alpha Male when Duane Ludwig was head coach’:
TKO bantamweight Josh Hill speaks with Nick Baldwin about his upcoming bout against Jesse Arnett at TKO 48 on May 24 in Gatineau, Quebec, fighting for the title with a win over Arnett, training at Team Alpha Male, whether he still thinks about fighting in the UFC one day, and more…
Discussion points:
0:25 – Has this fight been brewing for a long time?
0:40 – Why do you feel it’s taken so long for this bout to come together?
1:29 – Is now the right time for this fight?
3:01 – What gave you a rejuvenated feeling towards fighting, time off?
4:09 – Do you work with a mental coach or work on your own?
4:42 – Why are you taking online college courses, life after fighting?
5:31 – What would you like to do after ending your fight career?
6:22 – Is this one of the most anticipated fights in Canadian MMA history?
7:43 – Do you consider this a grudge match?
8:29 – How much time ahead of this fight did you spend with Team Alpha Male?
9:27 – Do you like training at Team Alpha Male as much as you initially did in the past?
10:38 – Has TKO told you the winner of you and Arnett will go for the title? Do you prefer who you would fight for the Title, Maness or Lapilus?
11:58 – How many fights do you have left on your TKO contract?
13:32 – Do you want to re-sign with TKO when your contact expires, happy with them?
14:45 – For your longer term goals, is the UFC still on your mind?
16:41 – How do you get the job done against Josh Hill at TKO 48?
Here’s a look at the TKO 48 card out of Gatineau, Quebec as it stands right now, via Tapology.com:
TKO 48 Friday, May 24, 2019, 6PM ET
MAIN CARD:
Roggers Souza vs Cyril Gané
Taylor Lapilus vs Nathan Maness
Mandy Böhm vs Jade Masson-Wong
Jesse Arnett vs Josh Hill
Khurshed Kakhorov vs Matea Vogel
Pierre-Olivier Bouffard vs Isaac Blais
Alex O’Neil vs Cédric Mongeon
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels vs Corinne Laframboise
PRELIMS:
Yan Jacolin vs Guillaume Poulin
Marc Jhingran vs Terry Lemaire
Mattia Loi-Fonda vs Nicolas Pednault
Curtis Richard vs Vincent Houle
Brad Sullivan vs Mathieu Charette
Alexandre Gomes vs Serge Dancos
Andrew Thomas vs Cole Crosswaithe
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