Louis Clarke got his second straight first-round finish this weekend at Battle Arena Wolverhampton, looking impressive in doing so. The Rough Diamonds fighter beat Sam Mastropierto by guillotine choke to top off an assertive performance. We caught up with MMA talent following the victory.
Clarke Submits Masteopierto at Battle Arena
Louis Clarke Interview
Hi Louis, congrats on the big win. How are you feeling a few days after?
Hi Jordan. Thanks for the write-up. I’m still buzzing this week after Saturday’s fight.
It was a short and sweet victory. How do you rate your performance?
I felt really pleased with the performance. I went in there the same as every fight, nice and relaxed.
Although it wasn’t stopped with strikes, you set the tone by forcing him to fight at your range using kicks and long punches. Was that the game plan going in?
Everything we’d planned prior to the fight, such as long straight shots to use my range and closing the distance, all worked well. I managed to dictate the pace of this fight and generally kept my opponent around the edge of the cage.
Clarke Gives His Thoughts on the Fight
When he presented his neck, you never let it go again. How quickly into the guillotine attempt did you know you had it?
As soon as I caught his head in the scramble, I was taking that guillotine. At first, I didn’t quite have the grip, so I switched it from the conventional type. Luckily I had my coach Steve Riformato right behind me. He reminded me to apply more pressure with my shoulder, and once that was there, the tap came straight after.
So what’s next? That’s two straight first-round stoppages in a row for you. Does an amateur title shot sound good, or are you leaning towards the pro ranks?
I would love a chance at a belt, and I’d be more than up for a title shot either next up or at some point this year.
Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Is there anyone in your gym that we should be looking out for in the near future?
There’s plenty of talent to look out for at Rough Diamonds. We have a strong team of both MMA and Thai fighters. A few will be making debuts at some point this year, and a class full of kids and teenagers will do the same in the future.
Big Three
Favourite fighter? – Anderson Silva
Favourite fight? – Any Nate Diaz Fight
G.O.A.T? – Jon Jones
Do you want to see Louis Clarke get a title shot next?
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Featured image credits to Battle Arena
