Dale Hardiman’s BAMMA diary part three

Training has been going great, I’m feeling excellent and my weight is looking good.

This week I was lucky enough to spend my Sunday cornering my fellow Storm Gym fighters as they competed at a local show. Nine fighters on the card were from the Storm Gym family and we walked away with a respectable total of six wins - three by KO, one by submission and a couple by decision.

The losses all came via tightly contested decisions.

Out of the six wins we also managed to bag four British Titles, once again proving why Storm Gym is beginning to make waves in the UK domestic Martial Arts scene.

Congratulations to Dave Willmott, Nigel Thomas, Tristan Tate and Anthony Edwards for becoming British champions.

Matt Walker and Matt Anderton also deserve an honourable mention for outstanding finishes against extremely tough opponents.

It is one thing having nerves as a fighter building up to the fight but for me the nerves are far worse when it is a friend and training partner getting in to the ring or cage.

Although you are there for them in their corner, the sense of the fight being out of your hands is a daunting prospect.

Not so much fear for what your training partner is capable of, because if they weren’t competent they would not be in the ring. It is more for the fact that you want to see them do well and achieve what their true potential.

I know what a loss feels like and it is not nice!

It is amazing how much more you can see when you are cornering compared to being in the ring or cage.

When competing, you are consumed by the fight. Your body is working at an exponential rate in order to cope with the physical and mental stress you are putting it under.

Therefore it becomes hard to see and take advantage of every small opportunity thrown your way and that is the job of the corner men to prompt you.

From the outside looking in everything is clear. You can see exactly what your fighter is doing wrong, what the opponents weak areas are, and can give clear advice on how to exploit these weaknesses. 

This experience outside of the ring is quickly becoming a crucial part of my development as a fighter.

Simply be observing and giving advice I am flagging up weaknesses in my own game and correcting them.

As daft as it may sound, just by watching a fight whether that be at home, live or from a corner mans prospective, improvements in your own game can be made.

In the MMA world you have to take advantage of every opportunity to evolve as a fighter.

Complacency and content will leave you with nothing but black eyes, a poor record and a damaged ego.

I feel like every day I am taking the right steps to become great and come March 24th I will be ready to show it.