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ZuffaKiller- Posts : 4178
Join date : 2011-11-19
Hong Kong’s Eddie Ng on Beating Arnaud Lepont and a Possible ONE FC Title Shot
Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:42 pm
Eddie Ng spent almost 12 months on the sidelines after injuring his shoulder last year but the Hong Kong native is back on track after beating Arnaud Lepont in a ‘Fight of the Night’ contender at ONE FC: ‘Kings & Champions’ last weekend.
The win takes Ng up to 6-1 overall and 3-0 inside the ONE FC cage making him the most successful fighter in the promotion, in terms of record, alongside fellow lightweight Peter Davis.
The 27 year old has always been highly rated and he showcased his world class grappling game against Lepont, submitting the French fighter in the final moments of the second round.
The finish to the fight was so fast that many fans were left wondering exactly what happened so we got Ng to talk us through it, at the same time as discussing potential future fights, life at Evolve MMA and how it felt to be back in the cage after a year out injured…
Can you talk us through the ending to the fight?
When someone gives their back, the first attack that people will often go for is the rear naked choke. I was trying to position my right arm underneath the chin but I didn’t quite have the right position. When Arnaud turned his back he immediately lifted up his base to try to shake me off, this is what made it difficult to get the choke because my actual position was being threatened. Had I continued to attack the choke I would have ended up losing the position and ending up on the bottom, I heard from my corner that the round was almost finished and so I decided to attack the arm that was being used to support his tripod base.
The second round didn’t seem to be going your way, were you worried that Arnaud was going to overwhelm you?
No not really, there is never a time that during a fight that I would ever question myself. My coaches at Evolve MMA put me through my paces each and every day, they had me prepared for a hard and grueling fight.
Did the fight go as you expected it would?
Very rarely does a fight go exactly as planned or expected, that is the nature and excitement of MMA, fights are so dynamic and unpredictable that you never truly know what will happen. What was expected prior to the fight, was that Arnaud is a tough guy that has a huge heart and will not just lie down for anyone.
How did it feel being back in the cage after such a long time and was cage rust a factor?
I don’t believe that cage rust was a factor, in the past I have often fought with year long breaks inbetween fights so it is somewhat “normal” for me to fight with such time off. If I was a fighter that was used to fighting every few months, then yes it would have been a concern.
Did anything which Arnaud did surprise you?
Not really, we’ve all seen him fight many times before, he will fight you standing or on the ground, he has a huge warrior spirit and loves to put on a show for all the fans!
Would you fight Aoki for the title if ONE FC asked you to?
No, we are team mates at Evolve MMA, we would never fight any of our own team mates. On top of being team mates and training partners, I consider Shinya and all the other members of the Evolve Fight Team as my friends.
Are you hoping to be back in action again soon?
There are a few issues that I had going into the fight that need addressing first but yes I hope to be back in action again this year.
Your team went 5-0 on the night, how much of a boost is it to everyone at Evolve MMA to come away with such a high win ratio?
It is a testament to all the hard work and sacrifice that the coaches here at Evolve MMA put into us with the training camp beforehand. MMA is very much a team sport, it is often easy to forget that because only one person is getting their hand raised at the end of the fight. It is impossible to prepare for a fight alone and all the success from the night goes to all the fighters, coaches, staff and students.
Did you feel any additional pressure knowing that three of your team mates had already won that night and you were up next?
No, I tend to disregard and not give any thought to the previous fights of the night. Fighting is mentally very stressful as it is without having to worry about other things, I have a job to do and it is important that I always remain focused on that.
The crowd seemed to really get behind you, were you aware of them chanting your name while you were fighting and if so did it give you a boost?
I actually didn’t realize that the crowd were behind me or chanting until I was told after the fight! During the fight, I have very selective hearing, I can only hear the voices of my cornermen. I heard their voices every single day in training and during the fight, that is the only thing that I could hear. The relationship you build up with your corner men in the training camp before a fight is extremely important, it is not just a matter of someone shouting out advice. It is knowing that someone you fully trust is guiding you.
You and Peter Davis are both 3-0 for ONE FC, have you ever seen him fight before and if so what do you think of him as a fighter and how do you think he would match up against you?
Peter Davis is a solid and well rounded fighter, I’ve seen him win fights via strikes and submissions. I would have to make sure that I come prepared to fight standing or on the ground as he has the ability to finish from anywhere.
http://combat-asia.com/index.php/hong-kongs-eddie-ng-on-beating-arnaud-lepont-and-a-possible-one-fc-title-shot/
The win takes Ng up to 6-1 overall and 3-0 inside the ONE FC cage making him the most successful fighter in the promotion, in terms of record, alongside fellow lightweight Peter Davis.
The 27 year old has always been highly rated and he showcased his world class grappling game against Lepont, submitting the French fighter in the final moments of the second round.
The finish to the fight was so fast that many fans were left wondering exactly what happened so we got Ng to talk us through it, at the same time as discussing potential future fights, life at Evolve MMA and how it felt to be back in the cage after a year out injured…
Can you talk us through the ending to the fight?
When someone gives their back, the first attack that people will often go for is the rear naked choke. I was trying to position my right arm underneath the chin but I didn’t quite have the right position. When Arnaud turned his back he immediately lifted up his base to try to shake me off, this is what made it difficult to get the choke because my actual position was being threatened. Had I continued to attack the choke I would have ended up losing the position and ending up on the bottom, I heard from my corner that the round was almost finished and so I decided to attack the arm that was being used to support his tripod base.
The second round didn’t seem to be going your way, were you worried that Arnaud was going to overwhelm you?
No not really, there is never a time that during a fight that I would ever question myself. My coaches at Evolve MMA put me through my paces each and every day, they had me prepared for a hard and grueling fight.
Did the fight go as you expected it would?
Very rarely does a fight go exactly as planned or expected, that is the nature and excitement of MMA, fights are so dynamic and unpredictable that you never truly know what will happen. What was expected prior to the fight, was that Arnaud is a tough guy that has a huge heart and will not just lie down for anyone.
How did it feel being back in the cage after such a long time and was cage rust a factor?
I don’t believe that cage rust was a factor, in the past I have often fought with year long breaks inbetween fights so it is somewhat “normal” for me to fight with such time off. If I was a fighter that was used to fighting every few months, then yes it would have been a concern.
Did anything which Arnaud did surprise you?
Not really, we’ve all seen him fight many times before, he will fight you standing or on the ground, he has a huge warrior spirit and loves to put on a show for all the fans!
Would you fight Aoki for the title if ONE FC asked you to?
No, we are team mates at Evolve MMA, we would never fight any of our own team mates. On top of being team mates and training partners, I consider Shinya and all the other members of the Evolve Fight Team as my friends.
Are you hoping to be back in action again soon?
There are a few issues that I had going into the fight that need addressing first but yes I hope to be back in action again this year.
Your team went 5-0 on the night, how much of a boost is it to everyone at Evolve MMA to come away with such a high win ratio?
It is a testament to all the hard work and sacrifice that the coaches here at Evolve MMA put into us with the training camp beforehand. MMA is very much a team sport, it is often easy to forget that because only one person is getting their hand raised at the end of the fight. It is impossible to prepare for a fight alone and all the success from the night goes to all the fighters, coaches, staff and students.
Did you feel any additional pressure knowing that three of your team mates had already won that night and you were up next?
No, I tend to disregard and not give any thought to the previous fights of the night. Fighting is mentally very stressful as it is without having to worry about other things, I have a job to do and it is important that I always remain focused on that.
The crowd seemed to really get behind you, were you aware of them chanting your name while you were fighting and if so did it give you a boost?
I actually didn’t realize that the crowd were behind me or chanting until I was told after the fight! During the fight, I have very selective hearing, I can only hear the voices of my cornermen. I heard their voices every single day in training and during the fight, that is the only thing that I could hear. The relationship you build up with your corner men in the training camp before a fight is extremely important, it is not just a matter of someone shouting out advice. It is knowing that someone you fully trust is guiding you.
You and Peter Davis are both 3-0 for ONE FC, have you ever seen him fight before and if so what do you think of him as a fighter and how do you think he would match up against you?
Peter Davis is a solid and well rounded fighter, I’ve seen him win fights via strikes and submissions. I would have to make sure that I come prepared to fight standing or on the ground as he has the ability to finish from anywhere.
http://combat-asia.com/index.php/hong-kongs-eddie-ng-on-beating-arnaud-lepont-and-a-possible-one-fc-title-shot/
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