03/08/2026
Late to the party with this but I've been written off since BMF and haven't posted.
However, it was something that I thought about as soon as Mason's fight was over in Barnsley the other weekend.
Too many people ask, "How many amateur fights should you have before turning pro?"
I don't think the number matters nearly as much as the experiences.
For example, Mason got the win in an epic main event, but what stood out wasn't the result.
He was up against a monster of an opponent, by his own admission got hit the hardest he's ever been hit, and still came through that adversity to get his hand raised.
That's the point of the amateur game. Not just collecting wins, but collecting lessons and finding out about yourself in ways that only hard fights can reveal.
If you've never been pushed, never had to problem-solve under extreme pressure, and never found a way through when things got tough, another five easy wins probably won't prepare you for the professional ranks.
You could put a rough number on things, but it's what within that. Have you experienced everything you need to experience before turning over - styles, situations, pressure?
That's a more important metric than an arbitrary number.
20/07/2026
Black belt promotions now available. All reasonable offers considered 💰
In all honesty though, I got my second degree at the weekend and although these ones are time served, it does say a lot about staying in the game and remaining invested.
This is my 20th year of grappling and it still fascinates me. Granted my focus is mostly on MMA, but they're so intertwined you can't have one without the other and I love both arts.
I actually feel like I'm the worst I've been in years athletically and in terms being able to do what I want to do on the mats - injuries, ailments, coaching, and life can do that.
But since I got my black belt I feel like I've grown massively as a coach as that's been my primary focus.
I've committed lots of time to learning. Studying skill acquisition, coaching methods, MMA, striking, jiu-jitsu, and trying to understand how people actually get better. And also highlighting my blind spots in other areas of coaching.
I think I'm at least twice the coach I was when I tied on a black belt but it's always a work in progress.
The belt marks time but the learning never stops.
Here's to the next 20 years helping people get better...and hopefully getting my arse back in business too.
Thanks for the tape and all my pals at for making it so easy to stick around.
