Benjamin Hauser has made his intentions clear ahead of his Battle Arena Northampton bout with Mateusz Mazurowski this Saturday.
Hauser will be making the first outing of his 2023 campaign after just one appearance in the cage last year. Boasting a (2-2) overall record, Hauser has one goal in his mind for Saturday, and that’s to knock his opponent out.
Ahead of battle, we had the opportunity to talk with Benjamin Hauser to hear his thoughts before stepping inside the cage. Hear what he had to say below.
Interview With Benjamin Hauser
Benjamin, we are among the madness of fight week once again. This will be your fifth amateur fight. Are you comfortable and used to the whole process at this stage?
Yes, I’m used to this now. I’ve competed in muay Thai as well, and it’s the same as any other week. I’m just getting colder, more focused and locked in the closer the fight gets.
You made your amateur debut in 2020 and dropped your first two fights. However, since then, you’ve now won your last two fights, with one being a stoppage. What do you think changed for the results to fall in your favour?
Even though I lost my first two fights, it was a close decision against tough opponents with way more experience than myself. I also hurt both guys badly on the feet and was close to a finish, but lack of experience cost me getting the stoppage. I knew that with small adjustments, I would have been able to finish them both. Since then, I have been making massive improvements in the gym in every aspect of my game, as well as being tactically smarter. I’m no longer rushing the finish, but I’m finding my shots naturally. I also had Jordan coaching me for my last two fights, which has been massive.
Benjamin Hauser Talks Background
For the UK readers who may not have watched you fight before, enlighten them about your journey into MMA and a little bit about your background in the sport.
So my journey into MMA started off like most other young boys, wanting to be able to defend myself and feel comfortable in any physical altercation. I started with Muay Thai right after I turned 17. I had played football since I was a little kid, but I always wanted to do martial arts. I trained muay thai for a few months before I started grappling as well, with MMA in mind. From there, everything happened fairly quickly. I knew I wanted to make a career out of this, so I trained twice a day from the beginning. After one year of training, I was offered to train with the professionals, which has been massive for my development. Training among UFC fighters like Jack Hermansson and Emil Meek on a daily basis. Khamzat Chimaev, Jiri Prodhazka, Alistair Overeem and Volkan Ostemir have also been visiting our gym, making it an amazing training environment for a young fighter like myself. Now I’m in the last chapter of my amateur career, looking to capture my first European amateur title.
Training Alongside Jordan Vucenic
Although representing Norway, I know you like to train in the UK alongside former Cage Warriors champ Jordan Vucenic. How motivating is it having guys like Jordan help and guide you, considering he’s been there and done it and was/still is pushing on the doors of the UFC?
Having a guy like Jordan, who is one of the best featherweights in the world, has been game-changing. He is just a standout guy with an amazing mind for MMA. I met him in 2021 backstage before my second fight. Because of the pandemic, I didn’t have a coach. Jordan watched me on the pads, and he liked my boxing. He said he was looking forward to watching me fight. Then after the fight, he told me to keep my head up and that I had great potential. I then asked if he could corner me for my next fight, and he kept his word, and I haven’t lost since. Ever since he has been coaching me for my fights, and I’ve been travelling down to train with him for his fight camps. To have a guy like Jordan, who is world-class and has so much knowledge, is truly a blessing. There is no doubt in my mind that he will get to the UFC and succeed in whatever he puts his mind to.
Improvements
All camp fighters have that one technique, drill, or movement that they just perfect. Whether it be a submission, they continue to hit on the mat or a combo. They master each time on the pads. Where do you feel you’ve made the biggest improvements since your last fight?
I’ve been making improvements everywhere. Jack Hermansson has put a lot of time into improving both my striking and ground game. I am here to show that I’m on a completely different level than before and more dangerous than ever.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned thus far in your amateur career?
It’s hard to say what the biggest lesson is, cause you to take something from every fight. For me personally, I think it has to be to stay cool and sharp even when I hurt people cause I hurt people in every single fight.
I have to ask, the snap with Conor McGregor is the boss and one for the memory books. Tell the viewers how that came around.
I met Conor randomly when I was on holiday with my family. We were eating lunch when we saw his yacht right next to the restaurant. I simply went over to the boat, and as I was approaching, he was leaving the boat. You can call it perfect timing. He was very nice and polite, and he seemed like a great guy. It was obviously surreal to meet him, as he is one of the best to ever do it, if not the best considering the way he did it. We exchanged some words and took some pictures. I also told him he was the one who inspired me to pursue MMA.
Mateusz Mazurowski
Saturday night, you’re faced with Polish international Mateusz Mazurowski, who is a fairly experienced amateur himself. How do you feel about the fight when you look on paper and break down his skillset?
I feel very confident. I have proven that I have knockout power in lightweight as well, and I’m gonna make him feel that. I expect a lot better version of him than what I’ve seen, and he should expect the same from me.
Assuming you’ve gone back and watched the tape on Mateusz’s previous bouts. Where do you feel his biggest strengths are and possible weaknesses?
I think he is good around, and he has some good wrestling. But I simply think I have too many weapons on my feet. I hit hard and precise, and I feel like a loaded weapon.
Saturday night, you look to make it three straight wins. When you envision the fight playing out, what do you see? How does Benjamin Hauser get it done?
I have one goal in mind, and that is to knock him out, and I will. It can happen inside the first 30 seconds, but it might also be when it’s 30 seconds left in the last round while he is gasping for air. Either way, I’m knocking him out.
Featured image credits to Battle Arena
