Haye draws parrallels between McGregor and a young Prince Naseem

Former Boxing Heavyweight Champion David Haye on all things MMA: I see parallels between McGregor and a young Naseem Hamed

Jonathan Shrager: It’s well-documented that you have an appreciation for Mixed Martial Arts, reinforced by your recent BAMMA commentary role. I was wondering whether you’d ever trained in certain elements of martial arts?

David Haye: Yes, I trained martial arts from the age of 3 until 10. My dad was a karate instructor. That was my first experience in combat. I was also a big fan of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan. So whilst other kids were watching Tom and Jerry, I was watching Enter The Dragon. I’ve always had a love for martial arts in all forms. 

I was taught the art of self defence from a young age. But I wanted to get stuck in, so I started boxing when I was 10 years old. It was definitely more for me at the time. Also, when I was growing up, Mixed Martial Arts academies were less commonplace, but now the sport is rapidly developing a history, and kids are commencing their training in MMA. Some of the current champions started out training jiu-jitsu, karate or judo. But now kids at the age of 5 are learning BJJ, Judo, Boxing, Muay Thai from the offset. So they’re growing up well-rounded, with MMA becoming its own art form over the last decade.

I originally picked up on MMA in the mid-90s, and I’d get video tapes sent over from Russia, when it wasn’t really regulated. There were no gloves, you could kick a guy in the nuts. It was brutal. It wasn’t quite a sport, but rather a fight. But now it’s a proper sport with specific rules, not a freak show. You rarely get pure experts in one facet of MMA nowadays. Generally, the fighters are proficient in all aspects. You get these guys that will be decorated in multiple disciplines; the same person may have won an amateur boxing title, whilst being a black belt in karate and BJJ. You can really see that, especially at an elite show like BAMMA.

The BAMMA matchmakers are big fans of standup, so they encourage the fighters to remain on their feet and give the crowd value for money; a punch-up. People want to see a punch-up, in its rawest form. I’m a big fan of BJJ, but I know how hard it is, and I realise I could never excel at it at the age of 35. With my recent shoulder injury, I’d probably get my shoulder torn to bits. Personally I enjoy seeing a stand-up affair, which is why I gravitated towards BAMMA and their matchmakers. This was evidenced at the recent card in Dublin, with some toe-to-toe ding-dongs, and so many fights ending in first round KOs. It was explosive. Big punches were thrown. Maybe it’s not the best tactically from the fighters, but it was certainly entertaining from the crowd. It was fun to be involved in.

JS: So this is a longstanding passion of yours, as opposed to a recent interest?

DH: Yes, I’ve always been a fan of MMA. I used to like watching Royce Gracie, and I’ve been to a couple of seminars. Georges St Pierre is a good friend of mine. I love MMA; it’s a great sport, one of the fasting growing. There are some fantastic promotional companies doing some great stuff. Look at Ronda Rousey; one of the highest grossing mixed martial artists is now a female, which is great to see, and suggests that women are tuning in. I can’t see that happening in boxing for a long, long time.

Teenage girls are tuning in wanting to be the next Ronda Rousey. BAMMA are now incorporating a lot of females onto their cards, which is great to see. I wish boxing would follow suit. Many years ago, some people didn’t want to see females playing tennis. They perceived it to be a mans’ sport. Serena Williams would whoop them right now. In boxing, Britain’s Nicola Adams won the gold medal. I was with her the other night at the MOBO awards, handing out a prize. She’s a huge star, and it’s nice to see females getting their just dues. I hope it encourages more boxing promoters to consider featuring women on their cards.

JS: Absolutely. You alluded to it earlier, your appreciation of the nuances of a martial art such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You must have to do some research on certain aspects for your commentary role with BAMMA? Do you have an MMA mentor who assists you in the learning process?

DH: Yes, I’m always down at London Shootfighters, one of the premier MMA gyms in the UK. Marius and Alex are always talking me through the finer points when I’m watching the sparring and grappling sessions to help me better understand. Although I’ve dabbled in the grappling elements, I’m not that well-versed in the intricacies. It’s crazy how much science goes into it. I think the uninitiated probably underestimate the level of dedication and expertise that’s required to reach that level. My former Strength and Conditioning guy Bobby Rich was a Judo guy for England, and a black belt in jiu-jitsu. He always used to tell me that it’s a whole different energy system that a person requires to grapple, than to box. We used to do some basic grappling, and it physically drained me, and I’d consider myself a very good athlete. So I can only imagine what type of fantastic athlete is able to grapple, then transition onto the feet and remain sharp. These guys are absolute beasts. 

JS: And what’s your opinion on those that have endeavoured to transition from boxing into MMA, most notably James Toney taking on Randy Couture in the UFC?

DH: I believe they’re getting into it to cash out, for a payday, when their boxing value is at an all-time low. They’ll step inside the Octagon, let an MMA guy beat them up, tap out quickly to avoid any serious damage, it doesn’t affect their boxing record and they get a few hundred thousand dollars in the bank. If they were really serious about making the transition, they’d have to spend years upon years training and sparring in numerous forms of martial arts. I don’t think anyone has really done that yet. You simply can’t learn how to compete in MMA within one solitary training camp. Even after a few years you’d struggle versus a fully-fledged mixed martial artist with decades’ worth of experience. I think it’s going to be a long time before we see a world champion boxer convert to MMA and win a proper title. I can’t think of anyone who could do it.

JS: And some years ago, prior to his defeats to Chris Weidman, it was touted that Anderson Silva may compete against Roy Jones Jr in a pure boxing fight. How do you think he would’ve fared?

DH: Anderson Silva had previously had some professional boxing matches, and he’s very, very handy. There are a few mixed martial artists with a similar style to Anderson Silva; a guy called Michael Paige. I’ve seen him spar professional boxers and give a very good account of himself. So there are a few special MMA guys out there, most likely with a kickboxing background, with quick reflexes and great timing, who could transition into boxing.

But it’s very hard for most MMA fighters to transition to pure boxing, when they’re only spending 20% of their time on the craft. It’s not impossible, but invariably you’d back the pure boxer. 

JS: Your old pal Tyson Fury once stated he could topple former UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in either a ring or a cage. What are your thoughts?

DH: Yes, it’s one thing to say something, it’s another thing to do something. You know, I could say I’d beat Usain Bolt at a 100 metre sprint, but it doesn’t mean I could do it. It’s easy to make big, bold claims in order to try and get headlines. I’m sure reporters would quote me if I claimed I could actually beat Usain Bolt. But I’m sure in a cage that Cain Velasquez would put Tyson in a very uncomfortable position.

JS: And one last thing; you’ve always been renowned for being as fast with your mouth outside the ring as with your hands inside it. What do you make of Conor McGregor’s oratory skills? And also his boxing skills?

DH: I think he’s a pure fighting machine. Every ounce of his being is designed to fight; his fast-twitch muscles, his balance, he’s all heart and balls. And he’s great for MMA, and all sports in fact. He’s an entertaining character; I see parallels between Conor and a young Naseem Hamed who broke onto the boxing scene in the mid-90s. Both men have captured the public’s imagination. He’s got fantastic ambition, and he excites the younger generations. When I was in Ireland for the recent BAMMA card, I saw how many kids have copied his haircut. It’s really nice to see that the people are behind him. He’s great for Ireland. He’s a credit to his team and his country. I’m a big fan, and I’m looking forward to seeing him fight live one day.

JS: David, thanks for the time today, and best of luck with your imminent boxing return, January 2016 in London.