Lewis Urquhart makes the walk into the Octagon for the very first time this Saturday at MACSimum Fight Night 2 as he makes the transition into MMA.
The HMAC fighter enters the contest with a background in K1 and boxing and is confident that his ground game’s progression will be enough to defeat Fraser Patterson this weekend.
MACSimum Fight Night 2 takes to the Fraserburgh Leisure Centre for its second instalment. Fight promoter Dannie Duthie has put together a fight card consisting of MMA, boxing, K1 and grappling contests. Plenty for any combat sports fanatics to get stuck into.
We had the opportunity to catch up with Lewis Urquhart pre-fight to see how he’s feeling ahead of his debut. Read the full interview below.
Interview With Lewis Urquhart
It’s fight week and a big one for you at that. You’ll make your MMA debut. What was the reasoning behind transitioning into MMA, and how much are you looking forward to Saturday night?
There are a couple of reasons why I decided to make the change to MMA. Before lockdown, I was boxing and hadn’t considered making the change, but when the boxing gym closed down for Covid, I was still able to train with my brother at home, and I was intrigued by all of the new things to learn in the grappling side of things. I also looked forward to facing new challenges and new competition.
With the K1 and boxing experience in your locker. What do you feel is the hardest part has been trying to put all the disciplines of martial arts together?
The hardest part of combining all of the martial arts was definitely at the beginning when I had done no grappling and was unable to stop takedowns effectively or stand back up to my feet.
Lewis Urquhart Talks Opponent
You’ll meet Fraser Paterson on the night, who comes from a respectable gym in Aberdeen and has had three bouts already. Although this is your debut, do you feel your experience in K1/boxing is going to make up for the three fights he has already had?
Absolutely, I know that my level of experience is going to make up for the MMA contests that he has had. Although it may be my MMA debut, I’ve been competing in different martial arts since I was seven years old. The nerves are all the same, and I believe that there are many advantages that come with the amount of experience I’ve had, especially against other top-level competitors.
How long have you been actively training all the martial arts and combining them together, and why have you felt now the time is right?
I’ve been training with all of the martial arts combined since the beginning of lockdown. I had planned on making my debut sooner, but there were issues which stopped me from doing so. I feel now is a good time to make my debut as I am confident in my ability to keep the fight standing which is where I can find great success.
Fraser Paterson is a tough outing for your first fight. Having watched his previous fights back? What are your thoughts? Break him down for us?
I’ve only seen a short clip of Fraser from one of his recent fights. He’s a decent grappler from what I’ve seen, which is why I was keen to take the fight. I haven’t really analysed or paid attention to anything in particular. I already know what type of plan he’s going to be trying to execute on the night, and I’m ready to stop him from doing that.
Expectations
What do you expect from Fraser on fight night? Do you think he will stand and bang with you, or are you anticipating he will take a grappling-heavy approach? Perhaps believing that’s his key to victory?
I imagine Fraser will come out trying to force the grappling exchanges and continue to try to do so for as long as the fight lasts.
Saturday, 27th August, at the Fraserburgh Leisure Centre, what would it mean to you to get your first MMA win under your belt?
A win on Saturday would be a successful start to what I envision to be a long journey. A win against Fraser will also show that I’m ready to fight against the grapplers and not just the strikers.
Lastly, can we get an official fight prediction? How do you envision your fight with Fraser going down?
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. In the small gloves and no shin pads, along with the 24ft cage, I will be able to create distance to discourage takedowns or give me enough time to see them coming and stop them. I can see myself landing clean, hard, precise shots and coming away with a win.
Featured image credits to Lewis Urquhart
