Determination is something that 21-year-old Jake Annette has always shown inside the cage. With his return just days away, he believes we will be seeing the best version of himself to date.
A product of both Celtic Pride and Craig Ewers Academy, Annette is hoping to bounce back from his most recent defeat in March. He’s ready to take on challenger Daniel Newman at Cage Warriors Academy Wales 8 this Saturday.
Return to Action
“The Snake’s” most recent fight came in March of this year. An early guillotine choke in round one saw the Welshman defeated. Now, just days away from his fourth amateur fight, he’s feeling motivated.
“I’m feeling good going into this fight. I’ve had a few injuries interrupting my camp, but I feel like my skills have improved massively over the past six months. I’m really looking forward to showing that off this Saturday.
“Last fight didn’t go as planned at all. I got rocked early and was out on my feet as I started to wrestle. I got caught, and that was that. I’ve cleaned up my striking a fair bit and have fine-tuned my ground game some more. I’m ready for the fight to happen anywhere.”
Fight Preparation
His record currently stands at 1-2. It’s been clear from his bouts up to this point that his greatest strength has been his groundwork. It’s here that Annette feels a finish will be most likely.
“I don’t like to say I’m always searching for a takedown because I feel like I’m becoming quite competent on the feet. But, on the ground is where I am most comfortable, and that’s where my skillset is most polished. I think that’s where a finish is most likely to present itself.”
Despite this, the amateur believes that his striking is beginning to reach new levels. Speaking on his gym, Celtic Pride, he states: “My striking has improved a lot under my coach, Stephen Giffard. And, my MMA-specific game has improved equally working with Greg Creel.
“They both put a lot of effort into us as fighters and I love training there. It’s a team I am proud to represent. I can’t leave out the great work I do at Craig Ewers Academy. Always working my jiu-jitsu hard and getting good BJJ and MMA rounds in there with my training partners.
“Something new I’ve added in since the last fight is I’m now on a strength program with GRIP Strength. I’ve got so much stronger and more athletic since working with Sam. He really is a wizard with this type of stuff. Not just I have seen a difference. I’m a lot leaner now at fight weight. I’ve had people mention how much stronger I am in sparring.”
Training with Ieuan Mackenzie
One of Jake’s main training partners and good friends is amateur triple champ Ieuan Mackenzie. “The Lion” recently won his third title and is seen by many as one of the best amateur featherweights in the country.
“Seeing the dedication Ieuan has always had in training and seeing it pay off for him is always a great motivator for me. To have a live example of him putting in the work and seeing him climb up to being the best featherweight in the UK. More than that, he’s a great teammate as well. Always pushing me further and working me hard in training.”
Jake Annette v Daniel Newman
“The Snake” will be taking on Daniel Newman of Gracie Barra Gym at the Ebbw Vale Sports Centre on Saturday. All three of his fights have been under CWA lights, and he’ll be hoping to create more memories there once again.
“I really don’t know much about my opponent. I’m expecting a decent level of jiu-jitsu. But, at the end of the day, I’m not looking to play his game. I’m going out there to impose my game plan and make it my fight. So, we’ll see how that goes this weekend.”
It’s unclear at this point just how far the Welshman intends to take his fight career. However, it doesn’t the young man from dreaming.
“I think it this early into my fight career. It’s very hard to be setting goals. I could bounce back from my previous loss and go on a 6-fight win streak and win amateur titles. Or, I might not. So, I’m taking it as it comes. I think it’s hard not to have those dreams of making it big. But I think it’s best to stay grounded and focus on short-term goals.
Jake Annette returns to action this Saturday at Cage Warriors Academy Wales 8. We will be covering the entire event here. Stay tuned.
Featured image credits to Cage Warriors Academy Wales
