On the 5th March 2022, the MECCA in Swindon is playing host to Gary Turland’s Raged UK. We catch up with Craig Rawlins who meets Lewis Jackson on the night. Check out Craig Rawlins’s thoughts on the bout below.
Craig Rawlins Interview
Hi Craig, hope you are well buddy, how’s prep going for your fight this Saturday?
Yeah, it’s been great! Changed a few things from my last few camps, and it’s worked great! Sparring has been great, been getting the rounds in, been travelling training as well, really looking forward to Saturday showing what I can do!
Everyone has a story, what got you into fighting?
I had always been a football guy then just got fed up playing when I was 16. One of the first fights I watched was brock vs Overeem! Then a few months later wanted to lose weight! One of my mates Alex Brunnen said to me to come along to an MMA class! 10 years later I’m still going.
What’s your favourite part of MMA? Stand up or the grappling game?
I’m from a kickboxing gym so I feel great standing up and do love boxing! Even got my boxing coach licence but wrestling is my thing! Love wrestling, no work ethic and fitness like it!
Who’s your inspiration and how have they influenced your own fight game, if at all?
You’ve got people like GSP, McGregor and the Diaz brother, who love their own unique fight styles! I was lucky enough to meet McGregor a few times over SBG and go to Vegas to watch Diaz vs Silva! Fought some tops lads over the years and only made me better!
How do you approach each fight? All the same or do you treat each one different?
To be fair I don’t really watch much of my opponents, I used to all the time, who doesn’t! But over the years I stopped and focus on myself, improve my own game and wherever the fight happens I’m comfortable with it!
Tell us about your team and any shoutouts?
I’m fighting out of scorpion kickboxing gym and also at Gracie Swindon. Got a great ground of lads there! Kent Kauppinen, Phil well, Alex Brunnen all season pros with head coach Dan Hughes, We have great grapplers, like Tom Enstone, Gary Trevett, Simon Lowe all big boys and great lads!
Also, massive heads up to team Kaobon up Liverpool! They’ve been great and very welcome! The last few months up there sparing and wrestling! When your share the mats with talent like that really pushes you! So I can’t thank enough all my sponsors, training partner and coaches!
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Featured image credits to Callum Knowles
