Interview with NewZealandMMA’s Nyra Phillips
the MMA digest had a chance to chat with editor of NewZealandMMA.com, Nyra Phillips.
How’d you get into the sport of MMA?
Oh, I got dragged into it.
Back in Hawaii, my mate Trev kept telling me I should watch MMA but I always said no because whatever it was he was talking about sounded like a blood sport, you know? And I’m not into glorifying violence, blah-blah-blah.
Then another good mate was leaving the island and it was his BIG wish for us all to go to a fight night. You can’t say no to a man’s ‘final wish’. So I went to be part of the crew and figured I’d hate it anyway, so who cares?
Well… we sat soooo far back that night; I couldn’t see enough of anything to hate it! I mean, the seats were terrible!
But I swear, it the best thing that could’ve happened because instead of bitching about the violence? I just sat back, relaxed… enjoyed the company, enjoyed my beer, and soaked up the energy around me.
There were thousands of people at the Blaisdell that night. The place was so much on FIRE I can still remember it – even now!
Which got me wondering what the big deal was, right?
So, after that, if I saw MMA on TV, I’d watch it. And if they talked about the fighters’ backgrounds and how they train, I’d listen. Then I start looking for info myself, until slowly, I started to get what it was all about. Now I’m the one who drags Trev off to fights instead.
What are your impressions of the MMA scene in
I think it’s still very new.
I mean, even though MMA’s been here for over a decade in one form or another, it’s only recently that promoters have started offering 100% MMA shows on a regular basis, with gyms starting to teach it as a complete skill rather than supplementing one martial art with another..
There’s no government legislation, no widely recognised sanctioning body. The major media outlets have a phobia against reporting it, in spite of a strong local boxing and kickboxing fan base. And SkyTV, our only cable provider, has started showing more MMA pay-per-views but it’s still a long way from being accepted by the mainstream.
I guess that’s cool, in a subculture-ish kind of way but not so cool if you’re a fighter trying to pay for training or a promoter who needs to fill seats and find paying sponsors.
Ironically, even though I think it’ll be some years before we catch up with international MMA trends, our women fighters tend to get more attention than the men, thanks largely to Princesses of Pain promoter, Belinda Dunne. She’s been developing an international female fight league here with Australasian, American and soon, Asian fighters and has been very clever in garnering media attention along the way.
So yeah, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us before we catch up but obstacles also means opportunities, and with the talent we’ve got, it makes for an exciting time to be part of the sport here.
How did NewZealandMMA.com come about?
It started as an idea that went through a few stages first.
When I got back from overseas I tried to get a grasp of the local MMA scene but finding info online was very annoying. I mean, it was out there, but it was all over the place.
So, I had an idea that if one site consolidated everything – news, TV programming, events, directories, etc – it would be less frustrating for people to find out what’s going on and more easier to enjoy the sport.
Nothing concrete at that stage, just an idea.
Then I had a chance online meeting with web developers Darren Albert and Kerrie Bracey of www.HerveyBayPages.com who had the expertise to design my site. And because they also trained with at Integrated Martial Arts,
Eventually, after a few months of ‘brainstorming’ my husband, Dave told me to stop dorking around finally convinced me to take the plunge. And I launched NewZealandMMA.com March 21st this year.
You were previous living in
Oh man,
If you check out my gurus at www.Onzuka.com you’ll see there’s always something happening on the islands: fight nights, competitions, seminars, or like this past week,
In the year since I left, I’m shocked at how much it has grown. There are heaps more gyms. Lots more fight nights both big like Elite XC (with UFC coming next year) and small. Heck, there are even four local MMA magazines now, in addition to what already comes out of the mainland!
It’s definitely a hotspot in terms of opportunities for fans to enjoy the sport and fighters to compete. And it’s only getting bigger.
But the best part for me? Is how much
They love the local fighters. Love the Japanese leagues like Dream. Crowds cheer when fighters stand and bang but they also cheer when it goes to the ground. And not just the men either. A big percentage of fans are women and they don’t just know how to look good – they talk mean shop, too!
It’s what makes
I think as our Pacific neighbors, it’s a fantastic opportunity for New Zealand MMA to hook up with a strong international location, that’s got a ton of pportunities and as much love for Aotearoa as we have for the islands.
What have you learned from being involved in the sport?
“If you’re truly passionate about something then it’s worth doing” – I got told that one at one of the first NZ MMA events I ever attended and have remembered it every day since.
Which fighter that you met impressed you the most?
Ha haaaa – BJ Penn, of course!
Some people think he’s too arrogant. They don’t like the way he messes with his opponent’s head before a fight, but it’s all part of his game.
Outside of the cage? He’s awesome.
Proud of where he comes from. Proud to be Hawaiian. Big sense of family and giving back to the community. Spends as much time as fans need to get photos and autographs. It’s a very different persona.
The best thing though, is when he’s cornering his fighters. Sometimes he gets so excited that he stands up and then the people behind him can’t see. I’ve seen some of them come up to him in the middle of the fight, tap him on the shoulder, and tell him to sit down. He always apologizes and quickly does sit down but if it’s a close fight, he’s back up there again… getting another shoulder tap!
Hey, here’s one for The MMA Digest…
Question: In the Hawaii State Capital, what is House Resolution 312 (HR312)?
Answer: It’s the Hawaii State Capitol House Resolution approved and passed in March 2008 “Congratulating BJ Penn the current Lightweight Ultimate Fighting Champion on his successful martial arts career”.
Very cool!
Q&A with Fiona Muxlow
How would you describe your fighting style?
I’m a grappler who likes to kick and punch.
What have you learned from being part of MMA?
Apart from how to ice, strap and rehab almost every part of my body (smiles), there always someone out there that is better than you and that you have to be a complete fighter in order to win. Being really good at only one element, be it ground wrestle or striking doesn’t necessarily make you a good MMA fighter, you have to be able to combine all three elements. The sport is in a constant state of flux, you have to keep learning.
What are you thoughts on you opponent Cindy Hales?
I quite excited to fight her she is a BJJ black belt and a very experienced competitor with and has several MMA fights under her belt. We actually meet last year when we both competed at ADCC but we where in different weight divisions. I have had to drop a weight class to fight her but I think it will be a good match up. Hopefully we can put on an exciting fight for the crowd.
What are you most cherished MMA memory at this point in you career?
I have been really lucky I have so many to pick from both in terms of BJJ and MMA. Just checkout the pictures on my myspace page. Winning at Primetime last year would have to rate up there, as would having lunch with Randy Couture while he and Dan Henderson where teaching a seminar in Sydney. Running into Enson Inoue in the fokai store in Guam was a total blast, and training with Roxy Modafferi in Japan was what made me decide for sure that I wanted to fight MMA. While not MMA the after party for the ADCC would have to be the top. A few of us girls who competed ended up having grapple instead of hanging out at the bar, my ADCC match lasted less than 2 minutes so I was up for getting some mat time in, the mats where gone by then, so it was just the carpeted floor in the ball room of the hotel we where staying in. Walid Ismail came in at one stage and gave us in impromptu lesson in guard passing, then Saulo Ribeiro came in and asked to grapple with me, he flipped me over from guard and a I shot in and took him down, the whole room went silent then Saulo burst out laughing, after that every time someone else came in he was like, “check out what this chick just did to me” and we would recreate it. It was an awesome evening.
What are you goals for the sport?
Personally I want to have fun and do my best; I like to win so if I can keep doing that that would be good. So beating Cindy is high on my list short term. Long term I want to be up there with the best in the world in what I do. I would love to fight MMA in Australia, something I am yet to do and want to get the chance to fight on one of the Big US show such as Bodogfight. Or have Princesses of Pain become the premiere female leagues, that way I only have a short flight to fight.
For the Sport in general I want the people to understand that MMA is just that a sport, there are rules and a ref the participants are trained and skill combat athletes. The aim is not to “bash each other in the head” as I heard one doctor say on TV recently. It is to win using skill, technique and heart. Head blows are just one way, submissions, ref stoppage and decision are far more common. When a fighter cannot intelligently defend themselves the fight is stopped its that simple.
We need to change the way we market fights here in Australia, The cage has already been banded in a few states and we need the public and law makers to understand that the cage far from being a barbaric two men (or women) enter, one man leaves blood feast out of some bad B-grade martial arts movie is actually for fighter safety, you can’t fall out of the cage like you can the ring.
Any sponsors to thank or anything else to say?
I have to give a big thank you to Belinda Dunne for her vision and passion to create the “Princesses of Pain” and build a league for Australasian women as well as Internationals to fight in. To all the Australian Promoters out there… when are you going to add some girl fights onto you shows? I’m ready when you are.
I have to thank my sponsors Kya and the team from Brace Gear.
All the crew at CrossFit North Queensland. The Guys from IMA for letting me come and “play” at their house and of course my Coach Colin Crosby and all the boys at Kickstart Fitness in Townsville for kicking my butt each and every training session.