Exclusive interview: Cian Cowley out to prove himself as a complete fighter on the 27th February

BAMMA announced Tuesday morning that Cian Cowley would make his MMA debut against Jay Moogan on the 27th February at BAMMA 24. It is one of the most highly anticipated debuts in Irish MMA. Having had a hugely successful pro career in Thai boxing Cian made the transition into MMA under the tutelage of John Kavanagh at Straight Blast Gym (SBG). Now he is ready to step inside the octagon and prove his doubters wrong. This will be no normal debut, Cian brings with him an army of fans and it is sure to be one of the most exciting fights on the night.

Cian reflected on the announcement by saying, “I didn’t know that it was going to get that much feedback when it was announced today. Facebook and all my social media is after blowing up! I’m delighted and I can’t wait for it now. Everyone is buzzing for the fight. They’re all excited to see the outcome. My opponent is no push over either so it’s not like I’m guaranteed the win but it’ll be a great fight.”

The fight will follow amateur rules, something which BAMMA don’t normally do but Cian’s reputation convinced them to put the fight on the card. The decision to fight at amateur was something which Cian and John Kavanagh discussed in the build up to his first fight.

“John thinks it’s good for me to get a couple of warm up fights as an amateur back to back. I’m already booked for another fight after BAMMA 24. Over the next six months I plan on having a lot of amateur fights so I can get use to MMA. Due the quick turnover from Thai boxing it’s better to take it slower. I know everyone thinks that I’m going pro but you have to realise that there’s a lot of ground work that needs to be learned and I need to get comfortable on the mat before I turn pro,” he said.

Jay Moogan will not be an easy opponent and it’s obvious that Cowley shows a lot of respect to him.

Cian said, “He’s 4-2 as an amateur in MMA and comes from a pro boxing background where he notched up a lot of fights. Even though I’m very experienced from Thai boxing it’s not as if I’ll have the advantage; he’s got ten years of experience on me so it’ll be an even contest. Nobody has really heard of him but I’ve watched a few of his fights and he looks to have a good submission game too. He’s not just a striker that’s going to stand and bang with me. I’d say that we’ll have a few grappling exchanges as well.”

“I don’t know what way the fight will go. He’s got heavy hands but I don’t know whether he’ll come out and trade shots or try and take me down straight away. I’m not going to say that I’ll go out and knock him out straight away; I want to enjoy the experience and whatever happen, happens.”

Some people have been quick to attack his lack of experience in Jiu-Jitsu however this is not something which Cowley believes will be a problem for the fight.

“I’m rolling with best in the world every day in SBG. The guys who I train with are at a way higher level than the level I’ll be fighting at BAMMA. Training with them each day and working with John has made my transition easier. I’m only in this a wet day and I’m fighting already but John wouldn’t have put me forward if he didn’t think that I was ready. I’ll be ready to go on the 27th.”

“If it goes to the ground I’m going to use my Jitsu and show everyone what I have to offer. I’m not just going to scramble and try to get back to my feet every time. I want to show that I’m a complete fighter. Muay Thai isn’t the only side to my game and I’ll prove that on the night. One of the main things that I want to prove is that I can mix it up and don’t rely on my striking,” said Cowley.

Training alongside the likes of Conor McGregor and rolling with Gunnar Nelson has been hugely beneficial to Cowley. He admitted that he’s ‘picked up a lot’ from sparring with McGregor and he’s ‘adapted to new styles’.

There aren’t many fighters in the UK and Ireland who could book their first MMA fight on a card at the 3 Arena but Cian admits that it ‘suits him’.

“Everyone thought that my first fight would be in a GAA hall or a small venue. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to fight in the 3 Arena. People wish to fight in it their whole career and I get to do it for my very first MMA fight. I couldn’t see myself fighting in a small venue, I don’t want to look arrogant but I think I’m too big of a draw for anything smaller,” he said.

Since the announcement his fans have flooded social media with their support, something which humbles Cian. He’s adamant that they’ll make a lot of noise on the 27th February.

“If anyone has ever been to any of my other fights they’ll know that I always come in numbers. I’ve always had a big fan base. There’ll be a couple of hundred people in the arena and I’ve been getting lots of new fans too. Genuine MMA fans are beginning to support me on the journey so I’ll probably have the whole arena behind me.”

2016 will be a big year for Cowley. He wants to ‘get a couple of fights’ under his belt and become known as ‘an MMA fighter’. It’s also a priority of his to achieve a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

“After this fight I’ll start doing Jitsu competitions and work my way up the grades. I want to end the year with a blue belt so I can go into the pro ranks next year. The pro record is what I want keep clean so I’ll use my amateur fights to learn as a much as possible.”

“I want to say thanks to my sponsors especially Fightstore Ireland who are looking after me for the fight. I’m very grateful to all the guys in Warriors that run the gym for me when I’m training for my fights. That’s been a huge help to me when I’m getting ready.”

“I’d also like to thank all the people who’ve had faith in me and supported me and all the guys in SBG that have put time into me. They’ve gone out of their way to help me and I really feel like part of the family. I’m going to prove all my doubters wrong on the 27th February. I’ll show everyone that I’m a complete fighter,” he ended.

You can find Cian Cowley on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.