paul jenkins mixed martial arts

32-year-old Paul Jenkins is one of the most familiar faces on the UK fight scene. A veteran of almost every promotion around, he has made it his mission to stay as busy as possible in his career.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Paul at the home he shares with his girlfriend in Cardiff. As we sat watching Pride DVDs and talking about his career, it emerged that Paul is a very modest and unassuming guy. Even though the first thing I noticed about him as I met him in Cardiff city centre was the black eye and lump on his forehead (hazards of the trade) Paul is a calm, affable sort, and is very generous. While at his home the doorbell rang numerous times; it was mostly the neighbourhood children, all coming around to borrow Xbox games. Paul explained he looked out for one or two of the kids because their fathers had "gone away".

Paul really isn’t your stereotypical image of a fighter. Intelligent without being necessarily articulate, he is into his spirituality and meditation, and explains how it can combat a little of the anger day to day life can bring. Even his pedigree Japanese Akita Bodhi, bears the name of a Buddhist figurehead.

Paul could be misconstrued as having a "don’t give a f*** attitude", and while this is partly true, this is not through any sense of ignorance or arrogance. It is more through simply letting himself go with the flow, and not allowing himself to be drawn into any cycle of negativity.

After being fed and watered, we made the trip to the club he fights out of in Penarth. A spacious old church hall, it was modestly attended (being Friday night) but the training was hard and good fun. By his own admission he is predominantly a striker, but he has a surprisingly adept ground game (mostly self taught). Also training at the club was a Welsh Commonwealth-Squad Judo player, a friend of Paul’s who also works the doors in Cardiff.

The following interview was conducted at Paul’s home towards the end of last February. Since the interview, Paul has fought in numerous events such as Extreme Brawl, and Ultimate Combat, holding their welterweight title.

Hywel Teague : So tell us a little about you training background.

Paul Jenkins : I started in Judo when I was 7. I started Tae Kwon Do when I was 21, did that for 8 years. I also did boxing and kickboxing at this time. In 1998 I stopped the kickboxing and moved into Kyokushin karate, which is still my favourite style, until I fell out with the coach. Kyokushin- its full contact, no hand strikes to the head but everything else is allowed.

Did you compete much?

Yeah, I won the Welsh amateurs in boxing, got into the Welsh squad. Welsh and UK titles in full contact kickboxing, GB title in international rules as well. TKD Welsh and GB titles, Karate GB and Welsh titles… And then I got into mixed martial arts! Thought I’d give that a go!

How did you get into MMA?

Same as everyone else I expect, saw the videos and liked it. I hooked up with some people with similar interests at a club in Penarth. We’re mostly striker based (as you can probably tell by my style).

You’ve got a rep as a fighter in and out of the ring; you’ve been doing door work for quite some time now…

Yeah, I’ve been a doorman at the same place for 11 years now, head doorman for the last 6. Got called by someone cos they were shorthanded for a Rugby international, they gave me a shirt and I’ve kept it ever since! It’s a good wage, good hours and the lifestyle suits me.

Do you have any memorable stories from your time on the door?

Yeah but its not going on tape! (laughs) I’m not cleaner than clean by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m not into that sort of thing.

Even the "hardman" stories, all the books, never ever got into them. Lifestyle wise, it’s a f***ing job. I’m fighting week in week out, I can’t deny it, but I don’t try to bask in any glory or whatever.

How do you balance the job with your training?

It fits it perfectly. I’ve got my days free, my early evenings free. Its not a hard job physically (most of the time). It couldn’t be better. I reckon you’d find a lot of guys would die for my hours.

I do a morning session, which is mainly cardio and my technique work in the night. I can fit two/three sessions in a day no probs. I train every day bar Saturdays at the moment- shopping day, that is!

Where do you train?

About four gyms at the moment- mainly the Vale Tudo gym in Penarth, a guy called Sam John runs that, he’s got a big striking background as well but hes got more of a feel for the ground game than me. I use the YMCA boxing club in Cardiff to look after my arms, a guy called Gary Pemberton (an ex-pro), he’s brought me on loads.

I use the Roughhouse gym in Gloucester quite a lot, I get up there most weekend, that’s what I do on a Sunday. I rate it as one of the best gyms in the country training-wise. They may not have the guys, but they train hard. They’re one of the only gyms that train properly.

A lot of the MMA gyms I’ve been to… They don’t put the hard work in, like the old-school boxing or kickboxing clubs. Especially the ground game based gyms, I dunno, it seems like they go half-speed all the time. My cardio is my big thing, so I always push the cardio training, for anyone who wants to fight it’s the most important thing. I just don’t think a lot of gyms concentrate on it enough.

And you train with the Welsh Judo Squad as well?

Yep, we’re training with one of them tonight, Craig Ewers. He’s an odd fella (laughs). Limited techniques like most Judo guys but what he has got is superb. His positioning, his strength on the deck is superb. Being Judo, a cracking armbar and that’s about it (chuckles).

OK, so you fought pro in the kickboxing

Yeah, professional as in they pay you, but not a great deal! (laughs)

Sounds familiar, so when you moved into mixed martial arts, did you find your experience helped a lot?

Striking-wise, I was a lot more advanced a lot of other people, the other "novices". Training routines I could slip into better, my learning curve is easier, I’m used to learning. All the backroom stuff, putting up with nerves, getting ready for fights. That’s half the battle in itself.

You must have fought in pretty much every UK event going I reckon.

Yeah. Combat Open Trials, Grapple and Strike, Ultimate Combat, Millennium Brawl, Extreme Brawl, Cage Wars, Cage Warriors. One of the only ones I haven’t fought in is Peter McQueen’s Jungle Wars.

When you were fighting in the amateur events, did you expect MMA to get the stage its at now in this country?

Yeah, when I saw the videos I thought this is gonna mop up. As a spectator sport its superb. It’s the "ultimate" isn’t it? It’s all a question of marketing now.

What did you think of when the UFC came over?

Ummm, yeah it was alright. I didn’t go- I watched it on a chipped box so I didn’t have to pay for it (chuckles). It’s been and gone though hasn’t it.

Do you think it will help raise awareness in the UK and take it to the next level?

I think it will have raised awareness but I think it’s the domestic promoters job to "take it to the next level".

You’re easily one of the busiest fighters going- why do you fight so much?

If I haven’t got a fight lined up I won’t train properly, and I go off the boil really quick. I’ll just keep lining them up as it helps keeps me focused. I just can’t stop training. If I stopped training now, I reckon that’d be the end of me, I’d probably turn into a fat old man!

You worried that you might one day turn into the UK MMA scene’s journeyman?

Nope! If I ever start losing anywhere near what I’m winning, then I’ll knock it on the head. I’m probably more like the Gatekeepers like in Pride- if you’re good enough to beat me, then you’re in, if you’re not, then f*** off! (Laughs)

Out of all the wins that you’ve had, which of the wins sticks out the most?

None of them mean shit to me to be honest. I’m always forward thinking, I fought last week, had a good win, fought two weeks before that and had a bad loss. I can’t have my time again can I, they’re gone, they’ve happened.

I’ve gone out, had cracking fights and lost, and loved every second of it. I’ve had crap fights and won, and hated it. I’m performance-based rather than result-based.

So which fights are you looking forward to?

Ummm... (silence). F*** it, I don’t’ even look forward to fights! I suppose I’m the other way round as well, I’m fighting all the time, I do want to fight, but I don’t care who I fight, who for or what for! I like the silence of it.

I’ve got a hectic schedule in the house (he’s currently doing a lot of DIY work), I just get in the ring or the cage and for ten/twenty minutes I can just be myself. It goes blank in my head, I love it.

You’re quite friendly with a number of fighters, and you’ve fought quite a few. Who do you have respect for out of these guys?

All of the guys at Roughhouse in Gloucester, just because of the regime that Mark puts them through.

Respect wise, I respect anyone, absolutely anyone. It’s not my business to go around judging people.

You’re probably one of the top fighters in the UK

(Interrupts) Doubtful!

If you were given the chance to fight abroad would you go for it?

Yeah I’d love to. I’ll take whatever is offered, I always have done. I’m fighting quite a few foreign opponents over here, less travelling for me.

Well we know you’ve got a busy schedule for the next couple of months- what happens after that?

I carry on as normal. I’m fighting every month or twice a month for the next few months, I’ll just keep making the phone calls to keep busy.

When you do call it a day, will you stay in the sport?

Yeah! Facility wise, we’ve got a really good gym.

So you’ll shift into training others?

We’ll see what happens. I learn through osmosis, rather than being taught. I learn in my fights, so for me to pass that on to someone else is going to be very difficult. I’d rather be the figurehead of a gym and pull in outside coaches. I’ll see if I can keep hold of Craig Ewers, he can look after our ground game. I’ve got Gary Pemberton; I’ll start bringing him down to the Vale Tudo gym as well.

So lets talk about Cagewarriors. It was meant to be held in Penarth, but with problems with the council it was not given the go ahead. What are your thoughts on that?

I understand why from their point of view. They’re not fighters or fight fans. It can be a horrible looking sport at times. People try and brush around that all the time, saying "it’s a skilled art-form, blah-de-blah". Its not, its f***ing fighting in a room. At the end of the day, you can dress it up how you like, with lights cameras and personalities. But it’s still scrapping, and if you’re the council and it’s not your cup of tea, then they can bin it. But, the other angle is that they’re an elected council, and if the people who elected them want it, them its another thing all together. It’s a legal sport, a rough one, but there’s no reason to stop it.

Do you think we will end up with CW in South Wales?

Yeah, we’ve scouted a few places, I reckon it’ll happen sooner or later.

What do you think needs to be done to help change the attitude of the public then? How can we start to get the sport more accepted in this country?

The TV coverage we’ve had now is bringing it on leaps and bounds. Other than that it’s a slow process. As soon as you start ramming it down people’s throats, then they’ll shy away from it.

With fifteen shows this year planned already, I reckon maybe twice as many next year, it might soon just seem normal.

So the TV crew followed you around for a few days.

Yeah they actually got quite excited by the sport. Hopefully we’ll keep stay in contact. I got on really well with them, they though it was quite unusual the way I train, that I’ve got a full-time routine. I had a good couple of days with them, and a corking scrap at the end of it with Gaz Roriston.

They followed me around, home-life, work-life, meeting family and friends. They came to two or three training sessions. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Ok, to wrap up, what can we expect from Paul Jenkins in the future.

Balls to the wall scrapping! If it’s a scrap, I’ll be there for it.

That’s great, thanks a lot mate.

No problem.

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