Stephen McBride is more than happy to give the Goliath Fight Series a Fight of the Night battle when he meets Jack Foote this Saturday in Alloa.
The Scottish promotion continues to go from strength to strength, and their fourth instalment will be the biggest event today. Promoters Chris Duncan and Steven Harris have put together a two-part event consisting of grappling, K1 and MMA.
McBride enters the bout high on confidence after picking up his first amateur win at Goliath Fight Series 3. Hungry for more success, the Griphouse fighter is determined to make it back-to-back wins.
We had the chance to catch up with Stephen McBride ahead of the fight. Hear what he had to say below.
Interview With Stephen McBride
Stephen, you’re all set to return to the cage at Goliath Fight Series 4 after a recent win on their last instalment. How have things been since that win in April?
Things have been very good since my last fight. I was pretty much straight back in the gym making improvements after it, as I knew we were looking to be matched on the next Goliath show.
After four straight losses, you ended up with the first victory of your amateur career. Can you just sum up what that meant to you, and does it take a sense of stress off you that you’ve banked the first one, or was it not really on your mind?
It definitely meant a lot. I had to overcome a lot of mental barriers to get the win. A lot of hard work went into the last fight, physically and mentally, so to finally have that win was a massive confidence boost.
Stephen McBride Talks Seth Milne Victory
Onto the fight with Seth Milne itself, you scored a unanimous decision victory. Having had time to reflect, how satisfied were you with the win? What do you feel you have done well, and what have you identified that you could have done slightly better?
I was definitely very happy. Although I know I made a lot of mistakes that I shouldn’t have during that fight. My wrestling was definitely a massive factor in winning that fight, so I’ve been able to lower the amount of wrestling in this fight camp and work on controlling my opponent on the ground now.
Activity is something you’ve sought this year. You’ll compete for the third time and were only in the Summer. How much better do you feel within yourself and your improving skillset after remaining active?
I feel so much more confident in my abilities. I’ve been doing early morning sessions with Reece McEwan and a couple of others from my gym, making so many improvements to my game and learning loads from Reece, which has been giving me plenty of confidence in the offensive and defensive aspects of my grappling.
Jack Foote
On the 24th, Jack Foote will be the man across the cage from you. What do you know about him, and how do you feel you match up against one another?
I know a lot about his striking as we’ve fought before in K1, where I lost a close decision, although that was over a year ago now and no doubt he’s made improvements. I think it’s a close match in terms of skill and different in terms of styles, but that’s what makes this fight so exciting.
You and Jack have something in common in holding a win over Seth. Did you get the opportunity to watch that fight? If so, what can you take away from it, if anything?
I did watch the fight back once, but there wasn’t much to take from it other than what attacks and defences Jack gravitates towards in the grappling exchanges.
Finally, now seeping of confidence, what can the Goliath crowd expect to see from Stephen McBridge on fight night?
The crowd can expect another exciting fight with high-paced grappling exchanges and meticulous striking battles between us, and I can definitely see us being the fight of the night by the end of it.
