Andrew Strode’s BKFC TITLE SHOT Has Much Deeper Meaning As He Fights For His Son’s Memory!

Welcome back everyone to another edition of combat corner powered by. Come on now. The podcast.

I’m your host, Rudy Rodriguez. Show Matt. If you haven’t done so yet, hit the like button, subscribe to the channel, ring the bell, leave a comment.

Let us know your thoughts on the content we’re bringing you as we continue to bring you the best coverage in combat sports. Appreciate y’all continued support of the channel. I’m excited today because I have a guy who’s fighting for the strap next Saturday night in the Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at BKFC 78 undefeated in the BKFC three and O fighting for the interim strap at the flyweight division.

I bring to you ladies and gentlemen, Andrew legend strode in the building. He is at a Denver, Colorado. I’m correct.

Denver. You’re rocking your triple double Jersey right there. Nicola Yoke it’s welcome aboard to the show.

I appreciate you, Andrew, Andrew. What is it like knowing, you know, you’ve had, you’ve had an obviously knowledge now for two months or so about this fight. What is the training been like for you for a week out and what’s going through you? What, how are you feeling right now going into this fight? I’m feeling great.

You know, training been really, really excellent. You know, I’ve been training my ass off every, every day, you know, every second three, four times a day training because I’m doing this full time right now. I do have a job, but I’m really doing this full time.

So it’s been great. You know what I mean? Getting ready for next week. You know, I’m going there and I’m about to ask the cut man and much respect to him, but I’m going to show him what the mall high 20th street market’s like.

You train at altitude. Obviously we’re at sea level. I’m in South Florida and Pompano beach.

So I’m like 10, 15 minutes from the hard rock. So I’ll be in the building next, next week. You can’t wait for it.

It’s a big week, obviously with the champion summit on Thursday night, weigh-ins Friday. Weigh-ins down here are different though. It’s in a club.

Have you been down here yet? Have you been to South Florida? Yeah. I’ve been to South beach and like Bayside and stuff, but I have not been to hard rock yet. It’s going to be, it’s different.

It’s different. Um, I can tell you that you fought in, uh, in Uncasville, um, just a few months back, you went into enemy territory and you had a great performance. Talk about that fight and what that fight was like for you.

Cause I mean, you’re going into enemy territory now you’re doing it again. You’re coming to someone else’s backyard to fight for a title. And, uh, what was that like? And what can you take from that experience fighting, uh, you know, Randall, uh, back in February? Uh, it was a good, it was a good fight.

You know, um, uh, it was different for me, uh, uh, fighting somebody with that kind of style, but I got, I got used to it after like the second round. I also, people didn’t know I broke my hand in this beginning of the second round and wasn’t be able to throw it really as much. So I was just jabbing.

So, and also I was like, I don’t know what it was, no excuses, but I was like low key tired before the fight. So it was like a, just one of those, one of those off nights. That’s why I thought my performance was like a D or C plus, but, um, I’m really ready for this, this next fight.

You know what I mean? Randall was a great fight and I’m ready to show the world, uh, show everybody that I’m the next one 25 King and, and, uh, and everybody will see it. And hopefully I’ll see John Dodson out there. And, and after this fight, we can get it going after too.

You’re fighting a G the cut man Perez. He’s the VKFC Cutman. I know he knows you.

He told, I’ve talked, I talked to him actually today a little earlier and he’s cornered you with four cuts. What is that? What is that like for you as a fighter who’s now going to compete against him? And how the circle is in which, yeah, he’s, he takes care of your cuts and, and then you’re going to fight him next week. Yeah.

I guess he’d been getting the front row of every single of my fights, you know what I mean? Watching me and getting, getting all the clues. And cause he actually, my last fight, when I fought Randall, he was in the opposite corner with Randall. So, so I could tell he was scouting me out before you never know, scout me out, but it’s okay.

You know what I mean? I fight different every fight. You know, much respect to him, but I’m going to go in there and I’m going to go in there and put these hands on him. He’s not, he straight out of Denver has led this left and this right.

That’s what’s going to win the fight. This left and this right. You train, you train with Marcus Edwards and Chris Camozzi, correct? Yeah.

Yeah. I trained at the Genesis Gym and I, with a couple of MMA fighters, good boxers, all types versatile. So anything he wants to bring, I’ll be ready for it.

Talk about training with guys like that. I mean, I’ve talked to Marcus, a great dude, and I hope he gets his opportunity in the next few months. But talk about training with guys like that.

These, you know, championship level fighters, top of the division and what that does for you in your career. Yeah, I’ve been training Genesis for about like six, seven years with all of them. It just gives me motivation to know where the professional stage is.

But also I’ve been training at this level back in the, like back in the day in 2017, 18, I was training with the TNT Gym with Floyd Mayweather and I was actually staying with Floyd Mayweather Sr. You know what I mean? I was hitting the mitts with all them. I used to spar T. Ephimo and Devin Haney was at the gym all the time. And so I’ve been around, I’ve been around the game for a long time, like using these hands and sparred the best, like Terrence Crawford.

I sparred him like three times in Colorado Springs. Like I’ve been around the game. I’ve been boxing for 20 years.

All the top fighters that are professionally and world titles, I actually fought them a couple of people. So I’ve just been around, you know what I mean? And I’m ready to show the world that all this last 20 years prepared me for this fight. You know, you mentioned Devin Haney.

I’m going to ask you this. This is completely off of BKFC, but what went into, did you ever ask him why he wore those joggers to fight Ryan Garcia? They look like they’re his damn shorts on earth. I mean, we all seen it.

We’re in essentials and they’re thick. They’re heavy. Waterlogged.

I mean, what went into that outfit? I don’t know. I don’t know. I would never wear no stuff like that.

That is crazy. And then he didn’t really look that good either. So it’s like, yeah, he has to rethink his clothing or talk to his somebody, whoever makes his outfits for him.

Because I would never accept that. I know that people want to look good. They feel good.

They look good or whatever. But I want to, I’m more worried about winning than looking good. Just let me win.

I’ll fight in some Speedos if I have to. That’s what makes me win. I’ve always wondered that.

What is it like sparring against someone like Terrence Crawford? And in fact, you know, he’s going to fight Canelo in September at 168 pounds. This dude is going to put on 20 more pounds to fight. I mean, Crawford’s a thick dude.

I mean, you know, what is it like sparring as a guy like that? And what do you learn from sparring a guy like Terrence Crawford? I sparred Terrence Crawford back in like probably 2017. And then I recently like around 20 during COVID, pre-COVID and pre-COVID like 2020. So it was like a great experience.

He did hit me with a couple shots that, you know what I mean? 40 pounds lighter than him. And he was like, we’re working on some shit. But he’s probably the best person I ever sparred or fought ever in my life.

And I sparred top champions right now that are world champions and stuff. But I feel like he’s literally legit. And I never sparred Canelo.

So I wouldn’t know how good he is. But I’m sure over legacy and what he’s been carrying this generation behind Floyd Mayweather and boxing-wise. So I just feel like it’s a 50-50 fight to me.

You know what I mean? You never know. Styles make fights. You know what I mean? So I would want to.

Talk about the style of this fight. And what have you seen from G Perez and things that you think you can go after? I mean, you do have the longest arms on earth for a guy who’s 5’8″. 74 inches.

I mean, you have the reach of a six-foot-two person. I mean, that obviously helps. It lets you pop a jab for sure.

I mean, talk about what you’ve seen from him. And obviously, you don’t have to reveal your secrets or what have you. But anything that you’ve seen when you’re watching his fights, what your thoughts are? Honestly, I know he comes from a boxing background.

So he’s been boxing for maybe 20, 30 years. And I know I’ve seen it all in amateur and learning the pros. I’ve seen all types of punches.

And I feel like he’s a great boxer. And he has good power. But I just feel like me, I outspeed everybody.

You know what I mean? That’s where I work. Speed equals power. A lot of people don’t know that.

And I try to use speed to my advantage. Because I’m already quicker than 95% of the people. So I try to be even quicker than myself.

You try to be quicker than yourself? How do you do that? Just every day, I try to be a little quicker than I was yesterday. Are you in a mirror looking at yourself? I got to get this combo out faster now. Something like that.

What brought you into BKFC? I mean, you’re a boxer, you mentioned. What brought you into BKFC and making that shift in your career? Honestly, I wanted more. I tell everybody what made me join BKFC.

I feel like boxing was like… After I went 6-3, I felt like it was nothing there for me. Unless I would honestly fight on the road and B-side my whole career. And I just felt like I’d rather fight something that I know I’m better at.

Because I feel like I’m a better bare-knuckle fighter than I am a boxer. Because of the style and how it is. I just feel like I’m really aggressive and savage for bare-knuckle than boxing.

I can sit there and get hit because it’d be too easy for me to sit there. In bare-knuckle, you can’t sit there. I’m always elusive and watching out for every punch.

So you found yourself maybe getting lazy in boxing? That you’re just taking shots at you because you don’t feel like moving? Or because you can take the shot and it doesn’t do anything to you? Yeah, yeah. I just felt like it was too easy for me. I know people would be like, boxing’s never easy.

No combat sports easy. I just felt like I came to… Because I was 6-0 when I got my first loss. And all my fights, if you look on BoxRec and everything, I fought on other people’s promotion, beating their guy, and they were undefeated.

I just felt like it got a little bit too easy where I was not pushing myself. And now I know I got bare-knuckle and I got a new combat sport where hopefully in 10 years I could be somebody kids could look up to and follow in my footsteps as I’m following the people before me in 2018 with the start of BKFC. So I just want to be a future legend, like I say my nickname is, and give people hope and be one of the greats at this and hopefully have people talk about me in 10 years.

When you got in that first fight in BKFC, was there a feeling process in that fight? Or did you just automatically feel real comfortable? Because you talk to guys where their first fight when they come over from boxing, sometimes they’ve thought about it some way and then they get in there like, oh no, this is different. Because if you’re moving backwards in BKFC to me, you’re largely losing. I know there’s the chance that you can land that counter, but it’s more often than not when you’re moving the wrong direction, you’re losing that fight in BKFC.

What was that experience for you moving over from boxing to BKFC? Honestly, my manager Bushman Sports here, he just was like, hey man, I know you’ve been boxing, but I got this new thing bare-knuckle going on. And I know like Mike Alvarado during the, I think it was a 47 in Denver, one of them the year before I made my debut where Mike Perry and Conor was in the ring together. But honestly, I did not have no idea what the fuck was going on when I signed up for it.

I was like, oh, we’re fighting and we can use hands and we could do the half clinch and half style clinch. I’m like, no elbows, no knees, no takedowns. I’m like, that’s perfect.

Because my whole life I’ve been fighting in and out of the ring. So it’s like, this would be like perfect for me. And at first I did not know what was going on.

My parents were there. My parents, my family was there because they didn’t have any idea what was going on. And we’re just there and I just fought.

And I was like, after I fell in love with it, I was like, oh, this is like a new experience to me. But I had no idea what the fuck was going on at first. So you thought you weren’t going to get taken down and then you got double-legged by Chancey Wilson, where he picks you up over his shoulder and drops you on your back.

It looked like it hurt. But you dropped him six times in this fight. We’re talking about that experience.

I mean, you’re fighting a guy and you’re whooping his ass. And then, I mean, and then what happens? He tries to take you down, go MMA style. Honestly, I was like hyped the whole fight because he was barking at me backstage and talking and getting me all hyped.

So I came in the fight hyped. And then I knew it was going to be one of those banger fights where we’re going at it or somebody was going to go down because it was that intensity. But once he slammed me, I was like, OK, OK, you want to slam me? And I got really mad.

But it doesn’t show on the video, but like my facial expression. But I was really mad after that. I was like, I got to stop him because there’s no way he’s just going to slam me like WWE and get away with it.

And then did it hurt? Yeah, it stung a little bit at first and then it went away. And I was like, OK, I’m ready. I’m ready.

I’m ready. Because you see, I mean, you see guys and a lot of times when, you know, something like that happens, I’ve seen it of late more than I’m used to guys looking for a way out. But you’re whooping, you’re winning big.

And it’s like you’re you dropped him multiple times in this fight. And it’s almost like this is the only thing he can resort to to to try to get to you or some which way or what have you and and so forth. But, you know, you fight.

I mean, I’ve looked things up on you. And obviously, I’ve learned about your story from watching some other stuff. You’re you fight for different reasons than a lot of people, I’m presuming.

I mean, the things that you’ve gone through in your life, I don’t know that any man could ever understand. What is it like for you? You know, and obviously, if you want to talk about it, I don’t know if you do or not. But, you know, losing your child, your son and the mother of your child, and how that has shaped your life and how you have overcome, you know, because you’re never going to get over it, but you how you overcome to get to this point, because that’s only three years ago from what I saw, which is, you know, I have children, I understand.

I can’t even imagine. Yeah, it’s been real hard for me. I have also two children besides that.

But so I got to be a motivator. Yeah, it’s the last three years been really hard, you know, every day. It’s been hard, you know, going through what I go through.

That’s why I fight. You know, I mean, I want to motivate people because I’m not the only one that lost a child. I’m not the only one that’s going through crazy stuff during this time.

So I just want to be a motivator and push people like anything’s possible. I know everybody says that, but like, I’m really showing people like I was literally three years ago sitting on the couch drinking beer. And, you know, I mean, after I lost my son and my mother, my child, I was just sitting there and I was like, damn, what is next? Do I just continue with life or do I just sit in it, sit in this whole depression hole and get out of it? So, you know, it’s been hard every day.

You know, I think about him all the time. And this is why I’m going to win the belt for it. And this is why I do this.

And my story is just going to continue because I just feel like this is the start of it. And this is my legacy. You know, you know, stuff happens for a reason.

You know what I mean? I can’t really like I can’t really keep bringing it up. You know, I got to live past that because I also have other kids on the way and loved ones and family members and everybody watching that to show them, you know, I’m stronger than this, you know, no matter what. Yeah, it’s hard.

But you got to continue with life because they’re still watching over me. You have you have a daughter I saw on your Instagram as well. I knew a young how she even a year old yet.

Yeah, she’s just turned a year old. What was her birthday? June 6. She just turned. My son just turned a year old on June 1st.

So they’re five days apart. Yeah. Thank you.

We were both sitting in a hospital, I guess, about the same time. Yeah, I don’t like those hospital beds for couch beds. There’s like a it’s like a piece of wood for a couch.

But, you know, talk about with that with your newborn baby and the newborn daughter and so forth. You have another child besides it as well. Yeah, I got one on the way.

Oh, on the way. So I said you want to come in. So what is the due date for your next baby? August.

So that’ll be a good surprise for the belt and stuff. We’re not surprised that we get welcome for two girls. Another girl.

OK, so so I mean, what is it like? You know, you have now your baby girls, one now and one come out on the way. And you’re fighting in the biggest fight of your life, literally a month before that, before having another baby. Yes, it’s a dream come true, you know, like I said, I never thought this would happen three years ago.

But I’m more than thankful for the opportunity and grateful. So I got to make the best of it. And I’m just here to like besides winning the belt, I know that’s everybody’s goal.

I just want to give everybody a good show and and be a household name and be KFC so I can make a living off of it. Because, you know, I don’t really have like a main job. I do, you know what I mean? Like out like for work.

So I just want to my whole life, I’ve just been training to train and box. So that’s what I want to do. Hopefully after this fight, I could become the second second champ from Denver and become full time in this stuff.

So I could just go to the sky’s the limit after this. You know, I mean, if I if I really trained full time without like working a regular job, you know, I’ll be ten times better than what I am now. You know what I mean? So yeah, you know, David, David Mundell told me after he he’s basically he quit his job finally going into this last fight or the fight before where he’s finally been able to just focus on training only.

So obviously, it definitely makes a difference for every fighter, I’m sure, to because I mean, that has to that can wear you out. I’m sure working a full time job and training hours and hours and hours, looking at the BKFC from when you started in the BKFC to now, you have this big event next week with Conor McGregor, this champion summit, every champion is there. You’ll be there, I’m sure watching it.

And while you’re in your weight cut, and, you know, Dodson, where are you at? You know, I mean, it’s gonna be it’s gonna be fire, I’m sure. And then, you know, Conor McGregor brings an energy that I’ve never seen anything like this guy. Yeah.

What do you what are your thoughts of where the BKFC is at now in comparison to when you got to the BKFC? Because in three years, it’s been it’s gone. It’s gone through the roof. Yeah, when I started is like, just I feel like it was like them bringing in fighters and trying it out.

But now like, I seem like the final product project, and like the final stuff. And I just feel like this is like, really great for us. And for me and for BKFC, because look how fast he grown and how much like, a lot of people like some of my friends didn’t even know what BKFC was when I started.

But now everybody’s like, Oh, I know what that is. I watch it and like half of them watches. So it’s like, imagine in five years, you know, I mean, it’s gonna be really big.

I feel like it’s gonna surpass UFC and boxing because honestly, for me, I know, no talking shit to boxing, but I just been really dying down really like it’s not. It’s always like, you know, what they want and what they politics, you know, bare knuckle is like, you can’t play politics in that because bare knuckle like boxing, you can match somebody with 20, 20, you know, fighting one, eight and 15 fighter, you know, he’s gonna win. But bare knuckle from eight and 15 fighter fights at 20, you know, you never know.

Yeah, I’m glad you brought that up, actually, because when you, you as a former boxer, can you watch a boxing card from beginning to end without going to sleep? And I love boxing, but I don’t think anyone cares about the four round fight at four o’clock in the afternoon, and or the eight round fight. And now you got six different fights. Then now we’re getting to the main card.

Okay, now we have, we all want to watch. We’re here to watch the one fight of the two fights, you know, on that card. I’m in BKFC.

If you don’t turn that thing on in the first fight, you might miss the greatest knockout you’ve ever seen in your life. And that’s what I think is such a draw. It’s a draw for me because I love boxing.

I just, but am I going to watch the fights on the Canelo Crawford card under that fight? Probably not. I’ll wait for Canelo and Crawford and then I’ll turn that shit on. When you look at MMA, I think MMA now I’m a huge UFC fan, but I think people have grown a little tired of the hugging on the ground.

Especially when it’s wrestling where no one’s trying, the person’s not trying to finish the fight, keeping position. You don’t get that in BKFC. BKFC, you better come out ready to fight or you’re going to get knocked out in 10 seconds.

You know, you saw the fight. Did you see that Jose Nilda, Jose, Jose Nilda, whatever, whatever his name is. So Jose Naldo, whatever his name was, the fight where he got dropped three times, then hits this shot from another planet and knocks the dude out and he’s getting his ass kicked.

You see the Bobby Henry fight a couple of weeks back. He’s losing four and a half rounds and he lands this uppercut and this guy goes to sleep. Is that what drew you to, what draws you so much to BKFC and what people need to understand? You’re going to get high paced action.

Yeah, and that’s why I do, you know what I mean? People don’t know, like I’m a very, very offensive fighter. People only see the defense because how good I am and I’ve been working towards my defense forever. So I always, like this fight is definitely going to be a banger with me and Cutman because I feel like he comes forward and he’s not going to back down.

And I’m definitely, like I tell everybody, he’s going to have to kill me to get the belt because I’ve been through pain, all types of pain and nothing, no body shots, no face punches, no nothing’s going to stop me from not getting that belt. Are you going to cry if you win? Yeah, definitely. It’s going to be a dream.

That’s going to be the ultimate emotion, winning a championship with all you’ve been through, for sure. I have no doubt about it. Do you have any plans after this fight? Are you going to stay in South Florida for a few days? Are you going right back to Denver? The goal is to stay in South Florida a couple of days and enjoy the beach because before my fight and during my fight, I’m really focused on business, making sure I’m on weight, making sure I’m well rested and ready to go because there’s going to be no excuses July 12th.

How’s your weight coming along right now? I’m good. I’m like 134. I flex your weight.

I flex weight from 135 to all the way down to like 128. It depends. I sometimes be on weight.

It just depends. Yeah. Your weight cuts easy then.

Yeah, it’s weight cuts easy. I don’t got to eat salads and leaves and seeds to make weight. I’m good.

Could you fight at 35 also? Yeah, yeah. That’s the plan after this. After this fight, we’ll really lock in to see what it is.

If we’re going to fight John Dodson because that’s the goal after this. No, never overlooking G. It’s going to be a good fight. But that’s the goal to fight Dodson.

And if not, then I’ll move up to 135. Who corners you for these fights? Do any of the fighters corner you? Do you have just the coaching staff or how? Yeah, my dad. My dad actually been my trainer for my whole life since I was eight for boxing.

He’s been training me and getting me ready for this fight. And also Jake from Genesis has been helping out and other coaches. You know what I mean? I’m big in Denver for fighting.

Everybody knows who Team Strode is. They help. Shout out to Denver.

Shout out to all my sponsors, CD Wings, GMB, KO Roofing, and DSM. Thank you for everything. I’m going to show what the mile high gets down and how we get down.

Are you selling tickets for this fight? I mean, it’s tougher because you’re not down here and people are traveling. I mean, do you have tickets for sale? I’ll definitely include your Instagram in the description of the video if people want to reach out to you for tickets. I’m not selling tickets, but I do have like 40 people, 50 people going down with me from Colorado, so we’re going to be ready.

But they should have some tickets on sale. It’s almost sold out if I’m not mistaken because it’s like they had to add an extra section up there because I already know it’s going to be big. Yeah, they’re selling this thing out for sure.

And I know all these guys down here in South Florida sell tickets like crazy. I mean, they go out like hotcakes here. But man, I appreciate your time.

Any final messages for your fans, for this fight, to your opponent? What do you have for them? Because this is the fight of your life, the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, chance to make your dreams come true. I mean, what are your comments to your thoughts and comments to your fans and your opponent? First off, I want to say thank you, Combat Corner, really for having me on. I really appreciate it.

It’s been a blessing to be on. And also for all my fans and the Cutman, be ready because it’s the Strode Show, baby. And we’re going down to Miami, and we will be bringing the belt home, the 125.

And this is just the start of greatness, you know what I mean? I’m really going to put belt to ass and knowing that I’m going to knock him out and show the world who I am. Well, I appreciate you. Andrew Legend Strode, folks.

Again, this is Andrew Legend Strode. His Instagram will be in the description if you want to go follow him over there. Looking forward to seeing this fight next week.

It’s the co-main event on the card. Don’t want to miss this fight, ladies and gentlemen. Again, once again, I appreciate you, Andrew.

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