Former Bellator and PFL fighter Will Fleury currently holds a record of 11-3. Come 20th April he is set to take on Daniel Škvor at OKTAGON 56. While he has been preparing for this fight. Will has taken time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his career.
Will Fleury Has Used Injury Heartbreak to Improve His Skillset
Every fighter is going to have to deal with injuries at some point in their career. It is about being able to take advantage of the injuries and improving your overall game. Will was able to speak about the overall highs and lows fighters experience during their career. While talking about this he explains the joy fighters receive when they get the victory. While victories are always the joy of the fighting game. He also talks about the feelings he has received during defeats. He spoke about how he gets frustrated after each and every defeat due to him knowing he could have done better.
“My goal is to become the best martial artist possible. You get satisfaction from winning fights and you also get satisfaction from becoming a better martial artist as well, and you can feel when that is happening. If you can’t win fights, you get your kicks from becoming better. There are times when I frustrate myself and I feel like I could be doing more. I have to ask myself if I am following the right path to be as good as I could be.”
“That is a constant question that annoys the f*** out of me sometimes but the pleasure of knowing you are progressing is really rewarding. In this period where I haven’t been able to have many fights, the goal is always to be the best and keep getting better. You can feel it adding up over time and I wish I had done this earlier in my career, where I instead was just worried about having as many fights as possible. Now I feel like the opponent isn’t the important bit, it’s all about the skillset long term.”
At the end of the day, the goal for every fighter is to get their hands on a championship belt. This will be the same goal for Will Fleury. Every fighter will get annoyed when he is not able to get his raised as it is another setback. However, they are only setbacks and Fleury will get back into the gym to learn how to fix his mistakes. When he is able to see the improvements it gives him pleasure in seeing how far he is coming. Previously, Will was just trying to stay as active as possible. Whereas now it isn’t about the opponent it is about the skillset he will come away with.
Will Can’t Afford to Lose Another Fight
Fleury expanded on the financial side of fighting. He also explained how defeats are affecting that. Will went on to say how while he has only lost 3 times. These have had an impact on his potential.
“MMA used to be the kind of sport where you could have a couple of losses and it wouldn’t be the end of the world. If you really want to go places now, you can’t afford these losses. I’ve had three losses in my career and I feel like all of them have effectively ended the potential I had.
“Now I’m back on a five-fight win streak and I have no intention of losing at all. I’ve done my learning in my gym and I want to use that in my next fights.”
While Fleury is always learning and improving his skills after each defeat. This is to make sure the same mistakes are never made again. However, not only does it affect his record but it is also affecting any potential in the sport. Will believes if you are to go anywhere in the sport while in the past defeats were not affecting that. He now believes each defeat is closing the door for these opportunities much more now than in the past.
Will Fleury Used to Hate Fighting
While some fighters may have always wanted to be in the octagon right from the start. Other fighters do have other paths just like Will Fleury. Will was never a big fan of going into the octagon at the very start of his career. The first time was meant to be the first and only time however, it has since transitioned into a career. Remembering the first time he stepped into the cage and the feelings he thought Will revealed;
“The first few times I used to think, ‘what on earth am I doing in a cage?’ I planned on doing it one time and then never again! It was a Saturday evening and I could have been at home with my family doing something nice with my family, instead I was locked in a cage.
“By the time I got to pro level, I was completely at ease. I just love being in front of a big crowd as well now, the crowd gives me a buzz and a real energy. That’s why I want this stadium fight in Prague in June because I am a perfect fit for it.”
“I get massive energy off them and I vibe with them, even in between rounds, because I genuinely just love to fight. I really enjoy fighting, even in the middle of my most intense spars I think the week won’t get any better than this. It’s where you find out what you’re all about.
Changing the Emotional State of Fighting
“In those situations I probably had too much emotion in the past and tried to be too aggressive., Now, I’m more playful and focus on just being in the zone and ready for things to happen organically instead of forcing it. The intensity is something I really enjoy.”
“It sucks that I may only get to do this another 10 or 15 times because it is probably the most alive I will ever feel. I appreciate it every time I do it, even though I used to be so confused when I heard other fighters talk about how much they looked forward to fighting when I was younger.
“It’s funny how it goes, I love the buzz of fighting and being in an arena and I want to do this for as long as I can and as many times as I can. Even if the crowd is screaming for me to get smashed, I love it. I just think, ‘I am here to f* up your day you c*s.'”
While he was never a fan of fighting at the start of his fighting career. He stuck with it and has fallen in love with the sport. Not only is getting the victory the best feeling for Will. He also loves fighting against the crowd. This is because he is able to score the upset and be able to prove the doubters wrong.
Cain Velazquez Inspiration
Just like other fighters like Tom Crosby and even Alexander Volaknovski. Will is another fighter who has transitioned to MMA world from Rugby. While transitioning from Rugby Will admitted that former UFC Champion Matt Hughes was his first inspiration. Everyone has that person they look up to in the fighting community as the person who got them into MMA. One of the people that Will was able to watch and got him into the sport was Matt Hughes. Not only him it was also Cain Velazquez who inspired him when he fought Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight championship.
“Matt Hughes was the first fighter I really looked up to when I started and just that wrestling-orientated style. I used to play rugby, so I thought I could use that to smash people there as well. But then I started to watch GSP around 2008 and he dismantled Matt Hughes and his composure really stuck with me in the chaos of battle. I hadn’t fought at that stage, but he would have been one of the first guys that really impressed me with his skill set.
“I started properly training MMA in 2010 and watching Cain Velazquez beat up Brock Lesnar was really interesting. That really opened my eyes and made me realise it was not about being an absolute tank. Before that, I was just obsessed with being strong and beating the s* out of guys. Cain Velazquez just showed me how technical it was because he was so mobile and able to deal with whatever Lesnar was able to throw at him and he just beat the s* out of him.
“It took a while for it to click for me, that you want to be the smart guy and not the tank.”
Cain showed Will that he didn’t need to be a tank in the sport to be able to be successful. Will was able to watch Cain get the victory over Brock Lesnar. Will before this fight hadn’t seen someone get the victory by being more technical. This then gave Will more inspiration as it showed he didn’t need to be a tank to be able to get a victory. This will then allow Will to take advantage of this to use in his fights which are coming up. The way a technical fighter was able to beat a tank allowed Will to see that it was possible.
Will Fleury Expects to “Smash” Daniel ŠKvor
The next for Fleury will be against Daniel Škvor at OKTAGON 56 on 20th April 2024 in Birmingham, England. Fleury knows he will get his hand raised as the winner in the next fight. While he does have respect for his opponent he will do his best to get the victory.
“If you can understand how someone is about to move, you’re a step ahead of them. I’ve watched a lot of Daniel, even before this fight was announced and confirmed, I started watching his fights because I just love to watch fights.
“I get the impression he is not mad for this fight, so I would not be surprised if he decides to pull out in the build up. At the same time, I’m already drilling patterns in the gym to deal with some of the things he is doing. There are certain things he doesn’t do very well, but other things he does really well.
“I respect his skillset, but I know the f* level I am at and I am really excited to get in there and smash a guy and show you all what I am.”
While he believes there is a good chance of his opponent pulling out of this fight. Will is still giving his respect by saying his opponent has some skills he is able to do very well. Will believes he knows exactly how his opponent will move in the octagon and knows what he is going to try. This means he will have the upper hand when they fight as he will know what he will do.
Training at SBG With UFC Contender Johnny Walker and Karl Moore
For the last 4 months, Will has been able to train at SBG with some big-name fighters. UFC Fighter Johnny Walker and Bellator Light-Heavyweight Title Contender Karl Moore are some of these names. Will believes that being able to train with these fighters has had a big impact on his ability. They have been able to help improve his skillset and make him a better overall fighter.
“Johnny Walker, Karl Moore and myself have been training together for about four years now and dealing with those guys has made me a lot more technical because I couldn’t just get away with being bigger and trying to use my size as I didn’t have those advantages. That made me a much better fighter technically, plus it also made my reaction speed a lot better as well because I had to move more and outlast those guys by chaining things together much faster.”
“I’m really grateful for having two high-level big guys help me out, plus I help them by breaking things down for them in ways that perhaps they wouldn’t think about for themselves. They are amazing athletes, but I just get things in a way most people don’t.”
“I know the level I am at and this is why I am so excited to go out there and show the fans of OKTAGON what I am about. After I smash Daniel, I want the Prague card and I want something significant to prove I am not some mid-level European guy. I’m something special here and I’ve been in a good place mentally for a while now. My ability to achieve something special in this sport is there, so give me a platform and I will deliver.”
Will believes that they have been able to help with his career and make him a better fighter. He believes he has also been able to do the same for them. This is because Will is able to go and watch the fights of his training partners. Not only this but also their opposition. While he watches these fights back he may notice some stuff they are able to take advantage of. Not only of the opposition but help improve any weaknesses they may have already. Being able to train with these top-level fighters will only be an advantage for Fleury. If he is able to take advantage of their knowledge that will only help him in the future.
Karlos vémola Beats Attila Végh
Karlos Vémola is currently the light-heavyweight champion in OKTAGON. He is coming off of a defeat to Samuel Krištofič in the first round. While he lost that fight last time out it was, however, competed in the middleweight division. This next fight will be back at his normal weight class which is the light heavyweight. Will is hoping that Karlos is able to defend his championship. Hopefully, after a win in April in Birmingham he will be able to go and compete against the champion.
“Attila is not that young either, so age won’t be that much of an issue. Karlos has had more on the line recently, he’s more active and in the sport. I just see him as being more ready for this fight and I would expect him to win.”
“I hope he does because it means I am more likely to fight him next.”
Will believes that Karlos does hold the advantage as Attila is not that young and hasn’t fought since 2019. Karlos however, has stayed active and kept fighting and Will believes this will help him in getting the victory. Will believes if Karlos is able to leave as the light heavyweight champion then he is next.
Prediction for His Upcoming Fight
As we are getting ever closer to the fight between Will Fleury and Daniel Škvor people are getting their predictions in. The first prediction comes from Will himself as he predicts how the fight is going to finish;
“It will be a late first-round TKO and it will be from a distance. He uses his lead keep a lot and I think that will be undoing. We’ve got eight weeks to go and I might see something else I like, but right now that is where I see myself capitalising and providing a sensational stoppage, something that goes viral on social media.”
Fleury is backing himself to make a statement that evening by getting the early finish. If Will is able to back up his talk on the night it will be a big statement to make. It will also push him in line for a title shot against Karlos Vémola.
OKTAGON Coming Over to Ireland in Six Months?
Will is predicting he will be the man to get OKTAGON to come over to Ireland for a fight card. However, he wants to make that happen as soon as he can. He does realise there is a lot of work he is going to have to do.
“It is a gradual building process in order to get OKTAGON to come to Ireland, it’s not just going to happen by the summer. Get me a few fights; I will fight in Prague, I will fight in Germany, and I can show people what I am. Then the home fans over there will realise I am just built different from these other guys. Then get me the very best guy you think you have, let me smash him in front of his home fans, then they can come to my home for the rematch and that is how we can deliver a massive Ireland card.”
“You know Irish fans are incredible for getting behind their own lads because we are the best fans in the world. Give me the opportunity to show how good I am and then we can come back to my house for the real show. Give it six months and we can do something special, something really big, and that is real talk. I’m so excited about OKTAGON because I see the way they promote things and it is smart because they do a damn good job at creating storylines and narratives.”
“If you do that, you have a huge opportunity to build something massive in Ireland. You can create visceral emotional reactions to me fighting away from home and then bringing the noise back to Ireland. Allow me to do that and I can show you the level of Irish MMA and what Will Fleury is all about.”
While he is predicting he will be able to get them over to Ireland. Will realises he will have to get in the work. If he is able to get the championship and keep winning then we may have a card in Ireland soon. If the card does go over to Ireland. Will Fleury will definitely try and get on to the card even if he can’t headline it. To see Will Fleury get the victory and take a step in the right direction you can get tickets for the event at https://www.theticketfactory.com/tickets/events/oktagon-56-mma-tickets/
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
