Fraser Paterson is looking to make it back-to-back wins in a matter of weeks at MACSimum Fight Night 2 this Saturday.
MACSimum Fight Night 2 is an action-packed night of action filled with MMA, boxing, K1 and grappling contests for combat sports fans to get stuck into. The event will take place at the Fraserburgh Leisure Centre.
We had the pleasure of catching up with Fraser Paterson, who welcomes Lewis Urquhart to the world of MMA. Read the full exclusive interview below.
Interview With Fraser Paterson
A very quick turnaround after winning just last week. Taking back-to-back fights sometimes is a risk. How are you feeling after last weekend? Is the body all good?
I’m feeling great. Really didn’t take any damage in that fight, so I still managed to get a hard week of training last week, which allowed me to fix a few mistakes from the previous fight and work on some things specifically for the fight this Saturday.
Touching on the round two TKO over Matthew Dickson, have you even had time to digest the victory and overall performance? How satisfied were you?
Obviously, it’s always great to get the win, and a stoppage is even better. However, I feel I didn’t perform to my full ability. I made plenty of mistakes and missed a few opportunities – but that’s a part of the learning process, and with more and more experience, I’ll be able to show a more accurate version of my skill set.
Since your first loss on your debut, that’s now two straight wins by stoppage. Where do you feel you’ve developed the most in your game since then?
I feel I’ve developed into a well-rounded mixed martial artist. When I fought Adil, I thought I was a striker and that I could simply rely on my takedown defence, which resulted in being out-wrestled for most of the fight. Since then, I’ve massively increased my training load, with a big emphasis on offensive wrestling and grappling. I’ve also made film study a key component of my training which has allowed me to learn at a much faster rate, reinforce what I’m learning in the gym and take details on techniques from some of the best fighters in the world.
Fraser Paterson Talks Lewis Urquhart Fight
Your opponent on the night is Lewis Urquhart, who is making his debut. What are your overall thoughts on the matchup?
Lewis comes from a good gym in HMAC, so you can only expect he is well prepared. He’s also fought in both K1 and boxing, which means he has plenty of in-fight experience.
Is it hard to prepare for someone who’s making their debut, and do you look into his previous K1 and boxing bouts, or is that irrelevant?
Of course, the fights are relevant. I think anyone who doesn’t study their opponents is missing a big opportunity to gain a significant advantage. I’ve watched and studied his recent K1 fight, and his striking looks good. However, I’ve picked out some bad habits and areas of weakness that I am confident I can use to my advantage.
Preparation
Considering you just fought, has it been difficult to prepare for two different opponents and styles just a few weeks apart?
Not really. There was no footage or information available on Matthew Dixon to base a game plan on. I was confident I would be much more skilled than him, and as a result, training just focused on continuing to develop new skills and build off aspects of my game that are already a strength.
When speaking to Lewis, he said the following: “My composure and striking ability will be too much for Fraser, and I think he will quickly realise that he needs to force the grappling exchanges. I have been grappling with very solid grapplers at HMAC, and I believe he will be shocked by my defensive grappling and find little to no success.” . Do you have a response to that?
I expected Lewis to be confident in both his striking offence and takedown defence. I feel he will be under-rating my striking ability, and he will have a much harder time landing strikes than he thinks, but of course, I will test his grappling, and I don’t think he can match my level of wrestling and BJJ.
What type of fight are you expecting on Saturday night?
I believe I will surprise Lewis with my level of striking. When the opportunity presents itself, I will take him down. I think after being put on his back for the first time in a fight, he will lose his ‘composure’. From there, I will dominate the fight.
Lastly, can we get your official fight prediction?
I expect to get another finish. Whether on the feet or the ground. Ultimately the variety of my skillset and understanding of fighting will defeat his limited skillset.
Featured image credits to DN4 Photography
