| Mark
'Judgement' Day 
Mark
Day battles Paul McInness at
MB4 Intro:
Mark Day is one of
the toughest fighters around. Famous for his wars with Gaz Roriston, Paul
McInnes & Alex Reid at the Millennium Brawls, Day
has forged himself a quick reputation for being a great spectators' fighter. With
Day you get fireworks - Rocky-style slugging, huge body throws, Sakuraba cartwheels
& technical submissions. Hence, he's secured himself a place on the most anticipated
event of 2003 Extreme Force - Having a rematch with Gaz Roriston in what promoter,
Marios Demetriades calls "a repeat of the face swelling" first war.
If you've not seen Mark Day fight you should. 19
May 2003
Stats:
Background
info: I
have been doing Judo for 12 years and I thought that was the best thing since
sliced Bread, Then I saw the first UFC and was blown away, I had to do this!!
I then gave the video to my mate (Robbie Oliver) his opinion was the same and
from then we wanted to improve our skills, thinking that our throws and groundwork
was OK we started Thai Boxing to help with our stand up. There
was not many clubs around that was doing MMA at that time. One day Rob said to
me that he had found a website called SFUK and that on the clublist there was
a club called Cambridge Free Fight run by a guy called Gerald Colville. Cambridge
being only a few miles away we decided to go and see what the club was like. We
thought this is what we have been looking for. 3 Months later I got my first fight
on Jungle Wars. Training
schedule: - Monday
Judo 90mins Ground Work 30mins Standing Gi and No Gi
- Tuesday
Thai 90mins padwork
- Wednesday
Cuircit Training 1hr Run 45mins
- Thurday
Judo 90mins Groundwork Gi and No Gi
-
Friday OFF
- Saturday
30 mins run 60mins Thai Padwork 60mins Sub Wrestling
- Sunday
60mins Sub Wrestling
SFUK:
My own observations of your fighting style are part slugger, part technical showboater
and part strongman :+) How would you describe your fighting style? Mark
Day : I would like to say that I have a plan for all of my fights,
but I don't. I really like standing up and just slugging it out - the only thing
I'm not very good at it. So then I take people down and work either ground and
pound or subs. As for a fighting style I would call it Sakuraba style.
SFUK: And is this style of fighting something part of your gameplan or is it the
CFF style?...or is there no gameplan at all, and it's just the way you are? Mark
Day : At
CFF most of our fighters train the same but fight completly different. You have
got Robbie Oliver who is a ground and pound monster with subs from anywhere. Shain
Tovell who is the submission king and never get in his thai clinch, Then for Gerrald
Coville never stand with him never go to ground. SFUK:
Extreme Brawl promoter, Andy Jardine has recently described you as "a champion
without a belt" - what's your reaction to this statement? Mark
Day : Give me a shot at the title at my correct weight. I was trying
to get up to 85kg for Alex Reid but only made it to 82.5kg. But I want a shot
at the title at 81.9kg.
(note from SFUK currently holding the belt at 82.1 kg Super Light Heavy weight
/ champion is Matt Ewin, from Mark Weir's Range Fighting club, with Andy Cooper
holding the belt at 79. 4kg Light Heavy weight ) SFUK
: Ironically, you have mentioned that "Jardine's belts are the only one's that
mean anything" - care to explain that statement? Mark
Day : No disrespect for other shows in the UK but Andy's show have
been the best for quite a while now, with great fighters and some of the best
fights I have ever seen in the UK. Therefore if you fight and win a title on his
shows that means something.
SFUK : Talking of promoters, congratulations for getting onto the Extreme
Force 1 fight card. I know that the promoters were inundated with fighters
wanting to be on this show. Matchmaker Paul Ivens speaks very highly of you saying
you're "great value for money" for spectators. He however also thinks you would
do much better if you dropped to around 75kgs. What do you say to that? Mark
Day : He's right I would be best at that weight. I have got some fights
lined up at my weight at the moment, then I will be trying to lost the weight
with the help of the slave driver (Robbie) 
Gaz
Roriston goes for Day's leg at MB3 SFUK
: You're set to fight Gaz Roriston
in a rematch after you both had an absolute war at MB3 and fought to a draw. What's
your predictions this time? Are you doing anything special in preparation for
this one? Mark
Day : When I fought Gaz last time it was my second fight and being
inexperienced I gassed in the second round and had a hard time. This time the
weight is better for me at 80kg and this time I'm out to win. I have been concentrating
on my stand up because I have not yet won standing. SFUK
: Got any words you want to say to Gaz pre-fight?
Mark Day : Its Judgement Day bring it on.
Only joking good luck mate.
SFUK : I've talked to people who have fought you and they all say that you're
very, very strong. Surprisingly strong. What's your secret? Being a vet do you
give yourself horse steroids LOL? Mark
Day : Firstly I'm not a Veterinary Surgeon but a Veterinary Assistant
that means that I assist with surgical precedures during general anaesthetics
in horses. And NO I don't take any horse steroids, its just training with guys
at the club, taking the right supplements and training hard. SFUK
: You were also a protagonist in the worse injury I've ever seen sustained in
a MMA show - Jahwad Khan's popped knee at Lee Hasdell's Combat
Evo 2. Ironically, this wasn't fighting MMA but in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style
submissions match. Can you describe what exactly happened? Mark
Day : Firstly I would like to send all my best to Jahwad for a speedy
recovery. But what happened was, I went back for a heel hook and as I applied
the hold Jahwad sat up trying to push the leg through but the hold was already
on and with him sitting up it put a lot my pressure onto his knee and it popped.
I knew what had happend and tried to kept him still to avoid further trauma. SFUK
: Onto your club Cambridge Free Fight - It's really made an impact recently. How
would you rate your club in the context of a UK pecking order? Mark
Day : No but we are one of the busiest club in the uk you will see
us at most of the shows. But we have got to be somewhere near the top with fighters
like Robbie, Shain and Gerrard SFUK
: Talking of Robbie Oliver , what's he like, how do you rate him etc. Mark
Day : He is a monster, incredibly strong and one of the best lightweights
in the uk. He trains me harder than anyone and one of my best mates. He is also
very short!
SFUK : You recently fought Alex Reid to a virtual standstill at EB2. Another huge
war (which was uncannily like your epic with Paul McInnes at MB4). Reid won on
a stoppage right at the end of the last round. There's been a bit of controversy
about this fight - what's you take on it? Mark
Day : MMA is mixed martial arts therefore it is stand up and the ground
game. If I wanted to fight stand up I would fight thai boxing. I think Pride has
the right idea and if there are any stopages on the ground it goes back down to
the ground. Alex took everything I could give standing up so I went to the ground,
but got stood up time and again. SFUK:
Thanks. Alex is damn fine fighter, skilled and resilient. Bear with me on this
next one :+) OK, you are voting for the UK MMA Oscars 2003. What's Mark Day's
nomination for the following? (for the past 12 months) Best
Fighter
Best Fight Best
Event Best
Promoter Best
Team/Club Best
Newcomer
Mark
Day : - Best
Fighter Jean Silva
-
Best Fight Jess Liaudin
and Paul Taylor
- Best
Event Extreme Brawl
- Best
Promoter Andy Jardine
- Best
Team Other than Cambridge Free Fight - London
Shootfighters
- Best
Newcomer Jess Liaudin :o)
SFUK:
Multiple choice round. Choose one: (Mark's
answers are in italics) SFUK:
Future ambitions? Mark
Day : I want a MB title and who ever has got sorry I'm having it.
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