Craig Horan stated that those in attendance and tuning into his official debut on pay-per-view can expect ‘fireworks’ at the Rainton Arena.
Calm, cool and collected in preparation, Horan feels now his maturity levels are where they need to be in order to compete. With consistently training and falling in love with the sport, the Goliath MMA fighter is ready to kick things off with a bang.
We had the pleasure to speak with Horan about all things MMA before he makes the walk on Saturday against fellow debutant Connor McGreary at Rise and Conquer 10.
Interview With Craig Horan
It’s fight week and your first at that. How are the emotions leading up to your first fight night? A mixture of emotions, I imagine?
To be honest, mate, I’m feeling pretty calm and collected. I thought I’d have been a bit nervous, but the nerves will kick in on the day, which is totally normal. I’ve put in a lot of hard work since joining back at Goliath in November and am confident in myself.
Talk to me a bit about your journey into MMA. How long have you been training? Was the plan always to compete, or did you join the gym just to get fit and try it out? How did it all come about for you?
I started training MMA when I was maybe 17/18 but was still young, immature and not interested enough in it, and I only did it for a couple of months here and there. I would come a few days a week, and then Harris wouldn’t see me again for months. It’s always been in my head to compete, and I knew I had the skills to do it just wasn’t the right time back then. I left Goliath in 2019 and only just went back in November 2021. Since then, I’ve grown up and been 100% dedicated and fell in love with the sport.
Craig Horan Talks Expectations
Making your debut can be daunting but extremely exciting. What are the expectations ahead of the fight, and always the expectations you’ve set for yourself?
It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I absolutely love training and sparring with all the boys. I’m going in there on Saturday with high expectations, everybody wants the win, but most importantly, I’m going in to make myself better as a fighter and to enjoy myself.
Steven is really turning Goliath MMA into something special. Can you just explain the team atmosphere at the minute and much that benefits you in terms of the team morale when preparing for a fight? The gym continues to go from strength to strength.
It’s absolutely unbelievable the setup that steven has built for all the lads at Goliath. We’ve got one of the best and biggest facilities in Scotland. There’s a group of about 15 of us all in the fight team, some more experienced and some waiting for debuts like myself. He’s also got pro fighters and legends coming in every other month for seminars which is unreal help for all the boys. The buzz about the gym at the minute is surreal, and there’s not a gym about that’s got better team spirit than us, like one big family.
Preparation Ahead of Connor McGreary
Saturday night, you will meet Connor McGreary. What do you know about your opponent if anything? Is it a case of focussing on yourself and getting the first fight under your belt?
I know absolutely nothing about him apart from his age and weight, and I’m not interested. If I’m honest, we’re both making our debuts on Saturday, so there’s nothing to go by in terms of analysing my opponent. I’m just focused on myself.
Sunderland’s not too far away for your family and friends to make the trip. Can we expect to see a handful travelling down to get behind you? Just sum up what that means to you?
I’ve got my mum, stepdad and brother travelling down. That’s the only family. The rest will be watching the live. Also, a few friends, you can expect 25+ down there on Saturday to watch. It would mean the world to me to come away with the win.
Lastly, you have the opportunity to go in there as a blank canvas and show people what you’re all about and what you’ve been working on. What can we expect to see from Craig Horan at Rise and Conquer?
Fireworks.
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Featured image credits to Helen Elder
