Ahead of his mixed martial arts debut, Frank Hyslop says he’s not overly concerned about focusing on results. Instead, he’s motivated by getting better, seeking challenges and activity.
Hyslop will make the walk for the first time this Saturday at the Dunfermline Glen Pavilion at Goliath Fight Series 5. The Griphouse fighter will take on Connor Kelly in a challenge he warmly welcomes.
We caught up with Frank Hyslop ahead of fight night in Fife. Hear what he had to say below.
Interview With Frank Hyslop
Frank, it’s fight week and your first fight week at that. How are you dealing with the nerves, anxiety, and excitement levels that fight week brings?
I feel good and excited more than anything at the moment. I’m sure the nerves will kick in Friday and Saturday, most likely. I have just been enjoying training up to now, but I will finish up tomorrow morning and rest until the fight.
For those who will be reading and don’t know you, tell them a bit about yourself, your background, how you found MMA and ultimately, why you walked through the Griphouse doors for the first time.
I don’t really have a background in any martial arts. I just decided to give it a go when looking for something fun to do at the back end of 2021 as a way to get fit again and lose the COVID-19 fat, to be honest.
I really only chose the Griphouse because they were running a programme for beginners at the time, and I just went for it. I’m glad I did, knowing now the level of coaching and training I’m getting.
How long have you been actively training at the Griphouse, and how did you and Dean know the time was right to take a fight and test the skills you’ve attained while training?
That’s been roughly two years since I first turned up. Maybe just shy of. And it’s flown in.
Dean always says to anyone just to be consistent and work hard, and opportunities will come, so I just spent this year concentrating on being consistent, improving/taking in as much as I can from the experienced guys and coaches and being a good teammate as much as possible, rather than knocking on Dean’s door asking for fights. And after a good solid first half of the year, he asked if I was up for a fight towards the end, and here we are.
Frank Hyslop Talks Expectations
Having never competed before, you’re essentially walking into the unknown. What expectations do you have for yourself?
I’m generally calm in nature under pressure. I know it’ll be a different level when locked in there on Sunday, but I’m right up for it for sure.
As long as I bring the best version of me, I’m confident I’ll get the win.
The Grip is famously known for producing top-tier talent. Who’s been helping you the most get ready for this debut, and have any of the more experienced guys given you any advice in the lead-up?
There’s no point trying to pick any one or two names. Everyone’s been brilliant in the lead-up, helping me in all different ways. It’s a really good team of guys to train with and push me to be the best I can be. No matter the experience of any of the guys, they’ve all taken time at some point to help me in the lead-up to this. I just need to soak up all I can from them.
Facing Connor Kelly
Your opponent, Connor Kelly, will also be making his MMA debut. However, he has competed in boxing at the start of the year. Did you take any notice and watch that, or given it being a different sport, was it irrelevant?
I had a quick search of my opponent to see, and he looks like he’s got a fair bit of experience for a young lad. Fair play to him. I’m glad he’ll be a tough opponent, but to be honest, yeah, it’s pretty irrelevant. I’m not looking at or thinking too much about him. My primary focus is performing to the best of my abilities.
Finally, highlight what it would mean to kickstart your amateur career with a victory.
It would be cool to get the win to top off a good year for me personally; I’m really just looking forward to competing and challenging myself without overthinking the outcome. As I said earlier, if I bring the best version of myself on Sunday, I’m confident the win will present itself.
