Amateur featherweight fighter Harry Edwards is willing to do more than most to leave with a victory this Saturday.
This Saturday, Almighty Fighting Championship make Barnsley, England, their home for the evening with a 23-bouts set to go down. As always, you can expect well-matched contests from amateur to pro-level with an Almighty FC fight card.
Headlining the evening of action are amateur flyweights Shawon Choudhury and Joe Fields. The pairing will battle it out for the official number one UK ranking, as well as flyweight gold. This thriller is worth the ticket money alone.
Ahead of fight night, we had the opportunity to speak with Harry Edwards to see how he feels about the fight. Read the full exclusive interview below.
Interview Harry Edwards
Eight days out from your second fight of the year. How are you feeling mentally and physically ahead of battle?
Fantastic! Physically I am in phenomenal shape, pushing an intensity in training that I’ve never pushed before, but mentally I think I have a killer instinct for this fight that will be the deciding factor. I am driven to an extent I’ve never felt before leading up to a fight, and I’m willing to die to get the win.
You will return to the Almighty Octagon for the second time in six months, aiming to right the wrong. Talk to me briefly about last time out with Daniel Ward. How do you feel it went, and what went from your standpoint?
I think that my last fight was a really important learning experience in all aspects. There are positives to take away, but ultimately I was not as switched on in the fight and not as adaptable as I needed to be. I have taken the time to identify the areas I needed to improve, and I’ve given my all to coming in as the best Endgame Edwards I can be.
Harry Edwards Talks Preparation
Have you taken any different measures in camp this time round to ensure you get the result you want?
I’ve focused on spending time, particularly live rounds and sparring, with the best fighters I can. This has not only upped my level, but when you’re getting rounds in with guys like George Staines, Charlie Lynch Spence and Malik Basahel, you come into the fight knowing there’s nothing that your opponent can show you that you haven’t already felt with your team. This is the biggest provider of confidence for me coming into this fight.
I like to ask some fighters I have never spoken with before how they got into the sport and their earliest memory of the sport. You are fresh to the sport, but do you have any interesting stories in that aspect?
I started martial arts when I was young through my mum, who was a black belt in taekwondo. She introduced me to fighting and got me interested in contact sports. After a brief stint playing rugby union, I started training BJJ and Muay Thai at Nova Forca under Ricardo Da Silva, and I’ve never looked back. MMA is all I am passionate about, and I have given every part of myself to pursue my dreams in this sport.
Kayne Holmes Fight
You square off with Kayne Holmes on Aug 20 in Barnsley. What were your thoughts when Ray Thompson offered you this matchup?
I was just excited to have a fight! Leading up to this match-up, I was meant to fight on Caged Steel which was postponed and then I had two different pullouts for the Almighty show. So when Kayne accepted the fight, I was gassed, both to have a fight and to show the level that I’m at.
Do you like to watch tape on your opposition in preparation? Off-course you’re not going to giveaway weaknesses you’ve identified, but where do you feel his strengths lie, if any?
Absolutely! Kayne is a really solid, well-rounded opponent. He’s got skills in every range and is good at controlling opponents on the floor. Fortunately, this is exactly the kind of style I’ve been preparing for, tall opponents with pressure grappling. So I’m going to turn that pressure right back on him, whether it’s on the feet or the ground.
You leave the AFC cage victorious next weekend. How does Harry Edwards celebrate a victory?
I’m going to find my family, who I haven’t seen in far too long, give them a huge hug and then go and eat some of the foods I’ve been missing through a fight camp. But by Monday, I’ll be back in the gym because, ultimately, I love training and getting better more than I love celebrating the wins or the milestones.
Featured image credits to Harry Edwards
