Danny Roberts talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his Cage Warriors 57 fight
by Ben Heather @benheather
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| Photo: Dolly Clew/ Cage Warriors |
Ben: On Monday it was announced that your opponent has changed and you are now fighting Cassata. how will that change things on the final week before the fight?
Roberts: I've done all the hard training so there is not much I can change. I'm now in the final week so its all about studying my new opponent and doing as much homework as I can to be prepared for what he's going to bring on the night. The mental side of things and the game plan will have to change but other than that I'm physically ready as always to go the full 3 rounds.
Ben: Did you have a specific game plan for Chimento and will that now change due to the change of opponent?
Roberts: Chimento is a world class Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, whereas my new opponent is more of a striker and wrestler so I will mentally adapt more of an offensive game, I will be fast and accurate, watch for the big shots and take downs. At Next Generation throughout our fight camps we train every area of our game to the highest level so we're ready for whatever our opponent brings on the night, no matter who they are or when it is.
Ben: Are you pleased that Cage Warriors were able to find you a new opponent at such short notice?
Roberts: I had all faith that Cage Warriors would find me a new opponent, they're Europe's premier MMA organisation and this is one of the reasons why they can still find top level opponents at the drop of a hat and always promise exciting match-ups.
Ben: What do you know about your new opponent Aldric Cassata and do you like the new match up?
Roberts: I've done some research over the last week which will continue up until the fight. He's a little bit shorter than me, a striker and wrestler with a good ground game. He's seems to prefer to strike and likes to load up with his power. He has got strength and a bit of an unorthodox style but I see many holes in his game, a lot of areas open for me to exploit.
Ben: Are you disappointed that you can't fight Chimento the opponent you had been training to fight? And do you hope you can fight him in the future?
Roberts: No not really, Chimento was just another fighter stopping me from getting where I want to be. There was no bad blood between us, so no real hatred or reason to want to fight him in the future. I am disappointed about the fact that I've had a big fight camp and me and my team have game planned for this particular fight so it can throw you off mentally. But these things happen and you have to accept the fact and deal with it mentally, because you know you are physically ready, its just a frame of mind to overcome.
Ben: How has the camp been?
Roberts: I've done a 10 week fight camp now, pretty much straight of the back of my last one. The training camp has gone really well from start to finish, I've had good training partners to make my training more diverse and to work on different parts of my game and learn more as well as sharpen up the tools that I've already got. I've been lucky to get top level guys like Jack Mason, Luke Barnett and Leeroy Barnes to mix it up with so it's been an enjoyable 10 weeks with a difference.
Ben: Last time out you fought in a big arena in Cardiff and now another in Liverpool. Are you getting used to fighting in big arenas now?
Roberts: Coming into every fight I get the same nerves and feel the same way about my opponent and what lies ahead whether it be in front of a small crowd or thousands. Initially the build up to the fight ie ticket sales, interviews, filming and the overall publicity around the event creates a good buzz and gets me mentally pumped and ready but whatever the show, big or small, I go in with the same frame of mind and keep telling myself that this person is trying to take something away from me.
Ben: Coming from Liverpool is it a dream come true to be fighting in the Echo Arena in front of your home town?
Roberts: I've watched the Echo Arena being built and have always known like everyone else that Liverpool is a great fighting city, so for any professional athlete to be able to perform in Liverpool's Echo Arena in front of thousands on a massive stage like Cage Warriors is a dream come true.
Ben: Have you got a lot more family and friends that will be coming to the fight this weekend that maybe haven't been able to make some of your past fights?
Roberts: Throughout my career I've always had a good turn out and a good following, and I'm very grateful for the support that I have so it has made it easier for a lot people to know its on their door step in a major arena like the Echo. The positive attitude and vibe I get off my friends and family always helps and in their own individual way it helps to push me towards success and that's why having a big following to this fight will be special to me.
Ben: This card is a massive card for UKMMA have you heard/ felt a buzz for this card that has differed to some of your previous fights?
Roberts: Fighting out of a Liverpool based gym with loads of local lads on the card in a major arena has had the city talking. There is always a lot of conversations about the Cage Warriors event in the Echo, the advertising and the publicity has been bigger than any other I've fought on so far. Its a credit to Cage Warriors and shows their ambition in being a top MMA show in putting on such a high level card with some of the UK's top prospects going head to head.
Ben: Do you think a win here puts you next in line for a title shot? You have won your last two, both times stopping your opponents and one of those wins was against another title contender Jack Mason.
Roberts: I believe that when the time is right a title shot will come. Right at this moment in time I'm concentrating on taking one fight at a time, progressing to the top level and entertaining on the way up. But ye I do think another win wont put me far off.
Ben: What's going to happen on Saturday night? How do you expect to get the win?
Roberts: Saturday night will be a tough, awkward fight at a very fast pace. I do not see it going the distance and however the win may come, I don't see it making the 3rd round.
Ben: Would you like to say thank you to anyone?
Roberts: Yes a big thank you to my team at Next Generation Liverpool and @NolimitsGym_, my head coach Paul Rimmer, my sponsors; @Keneticasports for providing me with the right supplements to help me through my fight camp, @fuelshakes for helping me in every way they can and Les Oulton at Livewire Dynamic for making it all possible.
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