Dylan McGee makes his intentions clear ahead of his upcoming bantamweight title fight with Tamas Jakab at Almighty Fighting Championship 29.
McGee is set to fight for his first amateur title in the Metrodome in Barnsley on February 25th. His opponent, Hungarian-born Jakab, boasts a perfect 5-0 undefeated record.
Both men are no strangers to the Almighty cage, and fans can anticipate a hard back-and-forth gritty contest on fight night. Although McGee respects Jakab out of the cage, when the bell rings, it’s strictly business from his view.
Ahead of Almighty FC 29, we had the opportunity of speaking with a fired-up Dylan McGee.
Interview With Dylan McGee
We are several weeks away from Almighty Fighting Championship 29 and your first outing of 2022. Firstly, I want to touch on your 2022 campaign in competition. Three fights, three wins. You be pleased with that? Talk to me about how you reflected on last year.
I’m very pleased with my progress over the last year. With all my fights going the distance, I was able to rack up lots of experience. With each fight, I was able to gain a lot more confidence and made improvements in my game, so I’m more comfortable each time I step into the cage and, therefore, more dangerous to whoever steps on there with me.
Last year something seemed to just click for you inside the cage. 2021 saw you drop two close fights, and last year, you came back looking clean, gritty, and generally new confidence. What do you put that down to?
In 2022 I had a great year, winning all of my fights. I put this down to not giving up after my two back-to-back losses. These losses destroyed me mentally, and there were some dark days, but instead, I used this as motivation to fuel my workouts and make sure I was on top form for each fight so I don’t have another repeat of this.
Dylan McGee Talks Last Outing on Almighty FC
AFC 28, you went toe-to-toe with Harry Baldwin, and it looked like it was game over for you once caught in the armbar. Rewinding to that moment, what was going through your head, and how much sweeter did the victory feel having overcome that adversity in the fight? That’s a valuable experience to take with you as you progress through your career.
I had a good fight with Hayden Baldwin. I felt his strong ground game as soon as we hit the floor and knew I had to be careful in every scramble we had. He caught me in a triangle which I had to pull out of, and he transitioned to the armbar. The armbar was tight, but at no point was I thinking about tapping. I will nap and snap before I tap. I’ve had two people in armbars in previous fights in which I have felt the opponent’s arm click, and I didn’t get a tap off them. This made me realise the arm can click and still be ok. On top of this, I’m also very flexible, so I felt somewhat safe. I just needed to escape. The experience I gained from that was confidence in myself to know nobody will be able to finish me inside the cage no matter what position they get me in.
Tamas Jakab, The Toughest Test Yet
Your upcoming fight with Tamas Jakab has banger written all over it. It’s such a fun fight for the AFC fans. Would you consider this your toughest test to date in your amateur career?
This fight with tamas is definitely my toughest fight to date, but also his toughest fight to date. I am very happy I have a tough challenge ahead of me because this has fuelled me to train harder than I’ve ever trained before and take my discipline to the next level. For me, the greater the challenge, the more I rise to the occasion. That’s why I see myself performing my best in this fight and showcasing creativity that people haven’t seen before. I’m confident no matter where the fight goes, I think he will try to take me down, and that’s why I’ve been working on my wrestling at Manchester Y club with pure wrestling coaches. After I defend his takedowns attempt, I believe he will start to fade, and I will start to overwhelm him with my unique striking style. He will make a mistake, and I will capitalise and get the finish. I have some sneaky submissions up my sleeve that he will not be ready for.
Attaining Almighty FC Gold
How much more motivation does it give you in camp knowing there’s a shiny gold belt waiting on the other side of AFC 29? Just tell the readers what it would mean to you to capture the title and kickstart your year with a belt and a significant win over Jakab.
This belt means everything to me. It has been the focus of my entire life since the start of the year. I am happy the fight is five rounds so I can fully showcase my skills. I think this also favours me because I believe in my cardio. Realistically, it is easier to defend takedowns than to keep attacking takedowns (which I feel he will do). I believe I’ll have the better striking, especially as we both get tired and I start to find my flow. I do have a solid game plan that I will try to stick to as much as possible come fight night, and it should be obvious if done right. Tamas is a young, hungry fighter with a brother who he can train with, like me. I understand I have a tough challenge in front of me, and I am grateful because it will show the level I’m at after I win. There’s no bad blood between me and Tamas, and I expect a respectful fight, but it’s a fight, so as soon as that bell rings, I’m going to kill.
Featured image credits to Dylan McGee
