Ellis Pilkington is heading into his third amateur fight with the hope of being a part of a back and forth war when he faces off with Harry Smith at Budo Fighting Championships 48.
Budo FC 48 takes place this Saturday at The Grangemouth Town Hall, Scotland. Many Scottish gyms will see their fighters make the walk with the hope of putting their hard work on the mats into practice.
As per the Budo FC Facebook, fourteen fights are currently scheduled to go down. Among those is Griphouse fighter Ellis Pilkington who I had the pleasure of speaking with before his bout on Saturday.
Interview with Ellis Pilkington
It’s fight week Ellis, and we approach your second outing of 2022. How are you feeling physically and mentally ahead of this one?
I’m feeling really good. Training’s been brilliant. I feel sharp and fit, looking forward to putting on a show.
You’re coming off a split decision victory over Jack Foote at Evolution of Combat 11. How important was getting your first victory under the belt? Did it take some pressure off your shoulders in any way?
It definitely felt good to get a win. I try not to think too much about the result and focus more on having a good fight, but having a losing record was still something I didn’t want at all, and it was a weight off my shoulders to fix that.
Ellis Pilkington Talks Lessons Learnt
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt thus far from your two outings in the early stages of your amateur career?
The biggest lesson is that you’re only going to do what you train the most. It’s much higher stakes than in the gym, so everything is instinct, and I felt I barely had time to think.
You’ve made a good start in 2022 in terms of competition. Did you set yourself any goals at the beginning of the year? If so, what were they?
The goal is to be as active as possible and have good, hard fights. Trying to prepare for fighting at the highest level one day.
The Griphouse is obviously one of the most well-respected gyms in the country, always producing new young talent. What’s the morale been like in the Gym prepping for this one? Who have been your main training partners to help you prepare for Harry Smith?
The atmosphere in the Griphouse is always brilliant, Stephen Mcbride and James Docherty have been the main training partners, but there are loads of guys who have helped me prepare for this.
Thoughts on Smith as an Opponent?
Speaking of Harry Smith, who you’ll square off with on the night. I believe he will be making his debut. What do you know about your opponent, if anything? Has it been a case of sharpening your own skills instead of focussing on him purely down to the fact there’s no previous tape to go by?
I don’t know much about him, to be honest, but I’m prepared for anything. Mostly just been refining my own skills and trying to become as well rounded as possible.
Sell it to us. Why should people buy a ticket or tune into the PPV to watch Ellis Pilkington and Harry Smith battle it out? What can we expect?
I’m hoping for an exciting fight. I would love to have a proper war and give the audience their money’s worth. I’d be disappointed with anything less.
Follow me on Twitter at @LewisSimpsonMMA, and follow us at Combat Sports UK for more exclusive content!
Featured image credits to Ellis Pilkington
