Dan McAleer is all set to make his mixed martial arts debut this Saturday at Goliath Fight Series 4 in Alloa, Scotland.
McAleer will make the walk for the first time and is hopeful of kickstarting his amateur journey with a victory. He was scheduled to face Judah Milne. However, a late opponent switch has meant McAleer will now face Tyler Vance.
Ahead of the fight night, we had the chance to catch up with Dan McAleer, who is excited to showcase a well-rounded version of himself.
Interview With Dan McAleer
Dan, it’s fight week, and I believe you make the walk for the first time in your career. How are you feeling physically and mentally before you make the walk?
Physically I’m feeling great; I had a good training camp with no major injuries during it; I put in a lot of hard work, so I am feeling calm and confident for the fight.
Just give the readers a brief background on yourself and your introduction to mixed martial arts. What was it that enticed you to walk through the doors of a gym and try it out?
I’ve been a fan of MMA for a few years now – first discovering the sport in 2015. I then trained in Tae Kwon Do for a couple of years as well as doing little bits of other martial arts. Last year after moving to Glasgow, I decided to give the Griphouse’s MMA sessions a go and haven’t looked back since.
Debuts can be a daunting thing. What guys in the gym have been helping you the most in the lead-up to your big day?
I’d say the biggest help I’ve received from my teammates is that they are high-level training partners who push me in every session.
McAleer Talks Time Training
From the first day you stepped in the gym until Saturday night at Goliath Fight Series 4, how long had you been training for, and how did you know the time was right?
I’ve been training for a year and a half now, and I knew the time was right after my head coach brought up the possibility of getting on this card. Dean has coached a lot of good fighters, so I took a lot of confidence from him, believing that the time was right for me.
Win, lose or draw, the experience is the most important thing as getting that first fight under your belt, but what expectations have you set for yourself?
I expect to go out there and showcase the skills that I’ve learned and make a good account of myself as a martial artist.
Your opponent Judah Milne has had one fight under his belt, so be it last year. Did you manage to watch that back, and can you take anything from a fight over a year ago?
So there’s actually been a change of opponent, and I’m now fighting Tyler Vance. I’ve not found any footage of him, but I expect him to be a tough opponent on Saturday.
Finally, what can your friends, family, and teammates expect from you on Saturday night?
People can expect to see a well-rounded fighter. I try to keep a good pace and am confident in my abilities in many different scenarios during a fight.
