Bellator Spotlight: Alex Lohore Discusses His Career & Offers Advice to a Young Man Or Woman Wanting to Break Into Mixed Marital Arts
“…believe in yourself, don’t be scared to try new stuff at training, ask a lot of questions and always put yourself in the worst condition at training; because training is where you learn, get to try again and understand moves, positions etc properly”. —Alex Lohore
Alex “Da Kid” Lohore is a mixed martial artist; welterweight division, with a professional record of 11-1. Nine of his victories have come inside of the distance. Alex is a very versatile fighter whose stock is on the rise. He made his Bellator debut on February 24th, with a submission victory; rear-naked choke, over veteran Colin “Freakshow” Fletcher.
Alex recently took part in a candid Q&A for Ringside Report; where he discussed his MMA origins, the value of training and why he was ‘The Best Man’ on February 24th.
AG: Welcome to Ringside Report Alex. First tell us how you became interested in mixed martial arts.
Hello Ringside Report and thanks for speaking to me. You know I was always interested in combat sports but never really seen it as a job or carrier for me until my good friend, James Burke, convinced me to try MMA. He believed in me more than I did. He saw something in me that I did not see and he was correct from the first day I went I never left. I fell in love with the sport.
AG: Like most MMA fighters you began fighting as an amateur. Explain the differences between amateur and professional fighting.
To me the difference is that the shots selection is restricted and the rounds are shorter. I think amateur is actually harder than pro, as there is less weapons that can be used. But the good thing is that you less likely to get injured and can fight every month no problem.
AG: Provide us with a self-evaluation of Alex Lohore MMA fighter. Your style? Strengths? Weaknesses?
Alex Lohore the MMA fighter is a rising star who as no particular style, but has a favorite art which is Muai Thai, but I like all of the arts. My strength is my mind. My weakness is sweets, chocolates and good food.
AG: When you decided to turn pro, what was involved in the decision?
The decision to turn pro was more because I wanted to start getting paid and make MMA my full-time job. I had 8 semi pro fights won 6 lost 2 in just over a year. I thought that was enough experience. It would be harder to get good fights, so it was time to step up.
AG: Your last victory over Colin Fletcher was your Bellator debut. Explain the differences fighting for Bellator as compared to some of the other organizations you have fought for.
The differences are clear. International crowed, bigger audience (tv, social media, advertising etc) and fighters gets well looked after. Bellator is one of the biggest organizations in the world of MMA. So, I guess they have to keep the standard high.
AG: Take us through the Fletcher fight. How did you prepare? Was their added pressure fighting for Bellator in front of a large crowd and TV audience?
The way I prepared for the Fletcher fight was simple. We knew he had good ground game and was unorthodox with his subs specially D’Arce choke. So, we worked my choke defense and work on some combos. Nothing to hard, it was more fun than anything else. It was my cousins wedding on the same day, so that added a lot of pressure. I was supposed to be best man. There was no way I was losing that fight. I did experience a big adrenaline dump during the first round, but after the first-round I was fine. I don’t think that will happen again (the adrenaline dump), as I enjoyed the experience so much.
AG: You are associated with New Wave Academy. How did you get involved with them? How has being associated with that organization enhanced your skills?
New Wave Academy (NWA) has always been my home. I learned most of the stuff I know there, but I also do a lot of self-study.
New Wave has opened a new training center in south London last year. Since then, my skills have doubled, as they have provided me with a key; I can go train anytime I want wish. which is a massive bonus. The center is only a 5-minute jog from my house, but I rather drive, it takes 2 minutes (laughs).
AG: What kind of a fighter do you prefer to be matched up against, a striker, a wrestler, a grappler etc?
To be honest, I don’t have a preferred type of fighter to fight. I study the fighter, look at what he does good, what he does bad, and work from there.
AG: You are a pretty versatile fighter, you own 5 TKO victories and 4 submission victories, do you get more satisfaction with one method of victory over the other?
I am satisfied with any finish. TKO or a submission, no difference.I like to beat my opponents fair and square (no judges) so that they can’t back talk after the fight.
AG: Your only blemish came against Carl Booth in your fifth fight. What happened in that fight? Did you feel confident going into that fight? How often, if ever, do you think about avenging that loss?
My fight against Carl Both was a mistake for me. I did not look into him well and underestimated his power. He was way more experienced then me at the time. yes, I think about the rematch often, but it has to be worth it. I am not sure what Carl booth is doing, but I want a rematch one day. I learned a lot from that fight a lot.
AG: What advice can you provide to young men and women who aspire to become mixed martial artists?
The advice I can give the young men and women is take your time to learn what you like, believe in yourself, don’t be scared to try new stuff at training, ask a lot of questions and always put yourself in the worst condition at training; because training is where you learn, get to try again and understand moves, positions ect properly.
AG: When can we expect to see you in the cage again, and who are the possible opponents?
If it was up to me, I would be fighting asap, but I have a contract with BAMMA; the biggest European show in my eyes. I am waiting to hear from them and when the next show is. I think it will be in May. I am already back training. I really cannot say much, but I think my next fight is going to be big. I hope it’s in London, so I can bring my Army of supporters (laughs). London is an easy destination for all my fans so we are waiting to see.
AG: Where does Alex Lohore see himself in three years?
I see myself as one of the biggest name in MMA in 3 years. Fighting for one of the biggest organization in the world and holding the title there. #thebeltcollector
Zutes Boxing Talk & Zutes MMA Talk are podcasts that bring you the world of combat sports straight up with no twists. In each episode, “Zute” calls upon the best boxing & MMA minds in the business to talk about the current state of the fight game, and interviews some of the best fighters in the world of combat sports. Carlos Palomino, Mikey Garcia Sergey Kovalev, Shonie Carter and Jeremy Horn are among the guests that have been featured on the podcast.
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