Greg Penaloza - Post Fight

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Category: Greg Penaloza

We caught up with MMA fighter Greg Penaloza after his victory on the weekend.

Matt: First off congrats on the win!

Greg: Thank you. I owe all the thanks to my team Integrated MMA for getting me prepared for the fight; my trainers Dan Higgins, Adrian Pang and Steve Compton; my manager Tony Green and all my training partners for beating me into shape.

Matt: You won the fight via rear naked choke, take us through the fight?

Greg: My main goal was to keep the hands high (I didn’t want to cop any of those big punches to the head) use straight punches and look for the takedown and most of all listen to my corner. They can see things from outside the cage that I can’t and whenever I heard them yell things I tried to follow them as best I could.

I could sense towards the end he was feeling tired (and hoped he’d be too tired to defend submission) and I was kind of in a position to take his back so I did. I had to make a few adjustments to get his back securely and sink in the choke. Thankfully everything worked out well and I was able to get the tap in the end.

Matt: Did you look much into Craig style before the fight?

Greg: Not too much. I did google his name and look him up on Sherdog, but I didn’t watch any of the videos out there because I didn’t want to psyche myself out or overanalyze the situation.

One of my teammates, Michael Roger, had fought him before and beat him so was able to pass on some advice. I definitely wasn’t taking this fight lightly though as I knew Craig was strong guy and comes out hard at the start of fights and it only takes one punch to end a fight. He’s a very, very tough guy and I have a lot of respect for him and I wish him all the best in the future.

Matt: You took this fight on short notice, how long did it take you to switch into gear?

Greg: I think I had about 3 weeks notice. But I’d already been picking up my training and joining in on some circuits and conditioning with the other guys a couple weeks before in an effort to get up to shape. Mentally though as soon as I got offered the fight I started thinking about it and all the training I needed to do to get the job done.

Matt: You were coming back from an elbow dislocation was that in your mind at all leading into the fight?

Greg: It crossed my mind a few times, especially in wrestling with the big takedowns and all. But in training once I was warm and “in the zone” it really didn’t cross my mind at all and I never thought about it.

Matt: How do you keep yourself calm backstage and not waste energy?

Greg: I visualise about all the positive things I’ll do in the fight. Sometimes I also think that I could be in worse situations in life. That I’m lucky to have a full functional body, family and friends that care for me, and that I’m able to participate in something I love.

Matt: What goes through your head during the walk out?

Greg: Sometimes it’s a bit surreal, because you’re about to hop in a cage and punch on with a guy you have no ill feelings towards and try knock him while he’s trying to do the same to you; all for “sport.” Sometimes you start thinking “WTF? Am I doing here” or “I should of stuck to basketball” but then you remember all the effort and struggles you went through in training and the reason you’re there and to just focus on the task at hand.

Matt: How do you cope with the stripping part of the pre fight prep?

Greg: Hahaha it’s no biggy. It’s all part of the game so you learn to deal with it.

Matt: What does it mean to you to be a part of Integrated MMA?

Greg: I’m a quite guy and probably don’t say or show my thanks enough, but I’m very grateful and proud to be a part of the team and to have been accepted as a part of the Fighters class. It’s like being part of a family and the camaraderie developed there through all the sweat, blood and tears you’ve shed together is amazing. Whenever one of the guys you train with wins it feels like you’ve won too.

Training is hard and there are days when things just don’t go your way and can leave you feeling a bit down. But everyone there looks after you and they all have your best interest at heart. No one has a chip on their shoulder or a big head and if anyone ever does start to go that way they’ll be humbled pretty quick.

Matt: Where to from here for you?

Greg: I’m going to rest up a bit this week and take a couple days off training while taking it easy the other days I’m there. Then I’ll be back in the gym working on my skills and techniques trying to be best version of myself I can be.

Once again I’d like to thank everyone from my team: Integrated MMA. My trainers Dan Higgins, Adrian Pang and Steve Compton; my manager Tony Green and all my training partners that helped me get there. I’d also like to thank sponsors Tapout Australia, Fairtex, All Type Cabinets, ASN Southport, MMA Sports Mag & QA Signs.

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