Liam Desmond: “Fight night is here and I just want to get in there now!”
The training has gone brilliantly for my next fight and I feel really good, I just want to get in there now! The amount of training that you have to do just for one night’s performance is unbelievable but I’m glad that the hard work is done now.
I really can’t fault anything in my preparations so I’ve got no excuse to lose. I’m currently undefeated in all four fights but I’ve got a very tough test in my fifth outing against a seasoned professional in Chris Jenkinson. He’s been in with, and beaten, some top fighters.
When the fight week rolls around, the fight is literally all I can think about when I’m running, when I’m training, when I’m doing anything.
However, I can’t stand people around me during the last few days! It’s mainly down to making the weight as I can’t eat as much so I’m hungry all week and that’s the main thing that can make you angry.
It does irritate but I’ve learnt to cope with it now and I don’t struggle with my weight, fortunately, but you do have to eat less and it’s draining, both physically and mentally.
I’m just three or four pounds over my limit which I’ll lose easily with a couple of runs and a bit of pad work down the gym so it’s all good.
The last week is about getting the sharpness and the timing right. The final sparring session was last week and you taper off on the punching which is beneficial because it makes you more eager to get in there and do it.
If anyone ever says that they’re not nervous during fight night then they’re not human. The three minutes before I walk out in front of everyone, that’s when I really get nervous but the closer that you get to the ring, the more the nerves subside and the more confident you start to feel.
You can’t go in all guns blazing in the first round, you’ve got to check him out and you can’t expect it to go the way that you planned, different styles makes different fights and you have to adapt to what’s in front of you.
When your hand gets lifted up at the end, it’s the best feeling ever. Throughout all of the next day, people are ringing you up and congratulating you and you feel like you’re on cloud nine all week long.
Immediately after the fight is over, I’ll probably go out with a few of my mates to celebrate. I’m having a holiday afterwards as it’s important to rest after a fight but I never allow myself to go back to zero on the fitness scale so I’ll be keeping up the training and will always be ticking over in between fights.
I just want to keep improving myself all of the time now and getting better and better. I’m doing a lot more strength and conditioning work so it’s all going in my favour and I’ll be looking to do six rounds next, hopefully in September.
I don’t want to take backwards steps, I want to progress and I want the hard fights because it makes you learn more. Thanks to everyone for their support this Saturday.
To follow Liam Desmond on Twitter click here @liam_desmond
Liam would like to thank his sponsors Sealtite Sealants Luminous Design David Islip Photography Impulse Leisure and PR Manager Tim Rickson
