Things changed after I made the decision to part ways with my coach. We realized that we have different paths in life, and sometimes things just can’t stay the same forever. We’re all constantly evolving and improving, and while it’s tough, it’s just the way it is.
During this period of rest, I took the time to explore gyms around England. The first one I visited was Intensity MMA, based in Wolverhampton. It’s a fantastic gym run by Coach Dan Cassell, who’s also the owner. My first encounter with Dan was when I fought at his promotion – Golden Ticket Fighting, which you probably know I’m well known for, being a double champ.
I trained at Intensity for a few days and really enjoyed my time there. I had some great rounds, especially with Callum, who was fantastic to spar with. Another wrestler there, Jacob, told me about a local wrestling club called Wednesfield, so he kindly gave me a lift there. I was really excited to see how a proper wrestling club runs their warm-ups and drills.
I was amazed by the level of skill there, with wrestlers aged 16+ – some of them are part of England, GB, and other national teams. And yes, I definitely got stuck in with them – there were some fun and heated rounds!
I ended my stay in Wolverhampton with some solid sparring on Saturday morning.
A week later, I made my way to the place where UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards was born: Renegade Gym. It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas now, as the holidays are just around the corner. I went to one of their morning sessions, but since it was close to Christmas, there weren’t many people around. While I was training, I ran into my man, Medhi! I’ve known him from Team Underground, where he used to train when he lived near London. It was great to see him again, and it won’t be long before I’m back for another solid week of training.
It wasn’t the best time to train, so I decided to head back home and try out some London gyms for now. I’ll continue my exploration after the New Year.
I wish you all Merry Christmas and have a fat Christmas dinner with whoever’s with you
Stay well and strong