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Ep. #35 – Marcel Dorff

Marcel Dorff is co-owner of MMA DNA which is the lead news source for everything related to MMA in the Netherlands. His fight reporting is one of the quickest and most accurate in the sport.

Transcript

Marcel Dorff: So how are things there with the pandemic? Yeah? It’S it’s like a semi lockdown right! So it’s it’s like like sporting events or something can cannot be done before 1 September, 1st, the the. How do you say the gyms can be open that July 1st again for us, it was September, but they did change it to July and since, like in two or three days like more public places will go open and stuff. But it’s still like how do you say that social, distancing and all kind of that, but yeah you’re, right you’re in the Netherlands right yeah, I’m in Canada? It’S very similar here, like gyms, are opening up gyms open up on on the 5th June 5th they open up yeah, but same sort of thing like 6 feet apart. I don’t really know how it’s gon na gon na all happen, but it’s it’s crazy. It’S weird! Yeah, it’s it’s. I mean you mean, that’s that’s the social distancing thing man, people try, but it’s hard man when you when you’re I shop where I I deliver mail. Also in a shopping mall, you know, and I shopping mall is full with people you know, and those people try to social distance, but when you’re walking with your cart, which are how do you say that when you’re walking in the in the end is in the Store when you’re? What’S your basket, you know you’re walking and you cross each other. It’S still not social distancing. So it’s hard. You know you pretty much, can’t control that so yeah it it’s weird. It’S especially weird in the anime world, like you, think about how fighters it’s there’s nothing more personal than two guys getting in there and fighting. Thank you like there’s, no social distancing going on there. How do you feel about the UFC doing what they did? I mean obviously as a fan. I love it, but I guess from someone on the other side of the world, I haven’t. I’Ve never had a chance to speak with someone who’s experiencing it in Europe. What what’s your take on it? And I guess, what’s the take of the MMA community in Europe as a whole, on what the UFC is doing sort of a mind, change about it, man first, I was against it. I was like now. This is probably not good. It’S too early, but man I mean you can see now like even sport. Leagues like that we have, the soccer is coming back. You know even the German, the Bundesliga and Germany already started already of three three three weeks or two weeks but three. How do you say that games three games already done yeah? So the I don’t know man we over here. We we stopped. The competition won’t be any more soccer until September first, but I know what’s going to happen and what what I think, I’m not against it. Right now at the moment, because there are too many questions, you know people say like is bad, but nobody exactly knows what’s going on, you know, that’s that’s pretty much it and to say you have to wait, though we have, we have something something to do to Handle the virus – I don’t know man, I mean that can take years and do we have to stop everything for years? I don’t think that’s a good idea, so if you can do it safe do it, you know I have the feeling the USA’s the UFC tries to do everything safe. The fighters are happy about it. You know what can I say, you know I’m also a big fan, so I’m happy with it, but a man I mean even one Florida without the UFC is pretty shady Saturday. Sometimes sorry if I can say that an offense – but you know I love MMA, so we have also tightened they later. You know so I’m happy yeah. I agree with you. I mean obviously huge anime fan too, and you know I had the only reason I started this was because there was no UFC on TV right. So I was like. I need to talk to some some some people. I never thought it would take off. I never thought I’d have the chance to speak with people. I admired in the MMA world and I always thought you were one of the best at leaking information, getting information out, quick and timely, and that’s why I wanted to have you on. I had Farah haneun, who I also thought was really really good at it. So thanks for your thanks again for taking the time – and I really appreciate it thanks for having me man, I’m honored, you said that man I mean – I don’t see myself as a as as decorator and anything, which is what you said, but man I’m happy to Be on Farah is great by the way she’s one of my favorites for years. So I’m really happy she’s know I haven’t made Joong Ki because she really she really deserves that man I mean she has done. She has done so much and I think she was really underappreciated first. You know not many people know about her. They know, I’m you, se news alerts, but they don’t know that person behind and although some people are like was that was this dude from my new or USA news alerts, and this is a girl, you know and she’s really good. So I’m happy for her she’s one of the best, definitely one so yeah. I agree especially like you think about it. There’S not many people, there’s not many girls that are involved in it and then there’s not anybody from the Middle East. So she kind of you know she’s the only one and and really something to to admire. What’S one of the questioning questions I have, I guess I had something similar for her too, but Dutch oven Mei is obviously you have guys like Alistair, Overeem, bas, Rutten, but there’s not many fighters. I mean the ones that are out. There are massive huge drawers and I think a lot of them are kickboxers. What do you think it’ll take before anime in the Netherlands kicks off? The thing is here in another one, it’s very focused on stand up. You know on stand up like cake box. In k1, the Dutch were probably the best k1 fighters back in the day. You know and that’s still something man. Okay, one hour of kickboxing is very popular. Still you see in glory how many Dutch fighters are there even in one championship now you we have forgot this named tariqa Baba’s the champion right now, which I forgot this name, which is great Elias and the Hachi there you have it. So we have some good fighters, you know, but many are focused on on kickboxing. You have a very good westling gym and Amsterdam, which is Cobbs gym and you have guys like Musashi trains. They’Re often Costello Francine is also Bellator guy. I think even what’s his name again Douglas Lima, even trained there, you know he trained with Mousasi. They are now they’re, probably gon, na fight each other. They was supposed to fight each other already, but due to this bandana, it’s been canceled, but I mean that. That’S that’s a really strong wrestling gym and that’s probably in my opinion, is the best wrestling gym in the Netherlands and you have for any derailleur petaboys both are at one championship. They also trained often there but they’re, mostly based in Breda, which is more its. How do you say that it’s it’s not close to to Amsterdam? It’S like a two-hour or one half hour drive, that’s not close for us. I know for Americans and Canadians one hour of our two hour. Drive is closed for us. That’S not close so yeah in Europe, it’s different in an hour you’re like four countries here in an hour, I’m still in the same same province, yeah, that’s pretty much, because people are like yeah. People are always like if you’re from Europe you are for. You are back in all of Europe, you know, but that’s not really true, we’re different countries. All you know. I respect everything: everybody from Europe, no and no disrespect, but we’re different countries. Man, it doesn’t mean like it’s not like the USA. You know your USAF 50 states and it’s like it’s one country, but it’s still 50 states. You know, and Canada is also part of in UF. For example, give me some states, man, you know backgrounds exactly so. Those are also, though, this one country, but everything is separate as well. You know, and it’s over here as well, so yeah, that’s pretty much it, but we we have some good fire does a thing, but the the basics are have to be good. You know you have run near the red and now is like ten and no well think he’s in one championship close to the gold over there. You know and he’s very good at the odd jujitsu. Yes, his own school come abroad. Us we be BJJ acting or MMA so, and we have some upcoming sale on the local circuit. Whoever we need some push, you know, but we’ll see, what’s gon na happen. Man, I mean – I think kickboxing will always be number one over here, because the kick boxers are still very popular. People are more into kickboxing still than to Emma Mayen and that one’s over here personally I love him. The Maine Warden kickboxing, but that’s my opinion. You know what yeah that’s pretty, basically it I think yeah I think, like Stefan Struve, it’s probably the only kind of good example of someone who’s kind of excelled at submissions, where even the even the kick boxers from Netherlands, Alistair Overeem Germain to random e. They all have a stand-up bass, so I think Stefan Struve is the exception. Do you think something like The Ultimate Fighter or something like that in the Netherlands or even in Europe as a general, would would entice people to transition into MMA? I don’t know man, it pretty much depends who ville uncle. You know I mean if you have an ultimate. We had to go the letti Ultimate Fighter with what was that worth long? I was at the corner against Faber again and it was like a European versus versus Americans and actually to to Dutch guys tried out for that. One actually made the elimination rounds, but they got both eliminated. They got eliminated by Sol Rogers and by I don’t know the against who else who got eliminated so Rogers would probably possibly even in the final. You know he wasn’t the final until he got. He got taken off that final because he lied on his application form or something but yeah. I don’t know man I mean. Maybe I don’t know, but it’s hard to say it’s hard to say man. It’S really not saying what do you think about what did you think about Alistair Overeem’s performance a couple of weeks ago? Obviously, a lot of lot of emotions due to Walt heiresses, either tragedy and whatnot. So I was rooting for Walt because of that. I’M a huge fan of Alistair Overeem. How did you think he looked? I mean he got rock and he came back and he looked incredible. Yeah man, I mean, I think many people were working on. The listen. Alistair also always gets bashed here over ear, and then that was Horace Chen. You know and manage and hold up pretty well man and not fight. You know, and he came back second round. Wolf was happily gasps, I think from from the first party. He took it all out on him and over him, but he actually the referee could have stepped in though nobody would have complained, probably also every not, but he didn’t, and over in the perfect man. He came back perfect win for him back on track. Pretty much and listen on over in those pretty well, I think I mean he lost her roses Clark, but he was winning that fight man. He would have won that 50 45 if he wasn’t getting knocked out at that moment. So it’s hard to say: what’s going to happen next for him, I don’t know. I think he still has that that that feeling to get for the title once once again, last last run for the title, and I seen I like to see him getting matched up with Derek Louise. I think that that’s a fight to make definitely now folk of a still met with Curtis blades, but they still don’t have a date for that one. So yeah I like that fight, for example, and for world Harris man there was stuff to watch man. You know I mean we’re all human beings, we all have to have feelings about about certain things and that’s probably the worst thing that can happen to a person. You know, and personally you know I’m from the Netherlands, but I would have found a greater world. I would have won you know. I really thought that we’ve been great, but man listen for me as a Dutch as a Dutch guy. No I’m happy over in one but man. I feel bad for Harris as well, but thank God both guys were cool about it. After that thing over him, probably the perfect guy, if you want against Harris how we handled that, indicates perfectly man if a veteran great guy and yeah, let’s see what happens next man yeah, I mean that divisions kind of weird, with everything going on with steepen and Cormier and obviously Overeem has fought everybody that exists heavyweight, so it’s really hard to match him up and Derrick Lewis is pretty much the only guy there that he hasn’t fought. So I like that fight to. I think I think it makes a lot of sense. What do you think about this weekend’s card? I mean, I think, it’s probably since the pandemic, it’s probably the weakest card. In my opinion, I mean other than the main event and komané. It’S there’s not a whole lot of excitement there, like you, look back at 2:49 and every card on every fight on that card could have been a main event pretty much. I’M so excited to watch it. I love it, but how do you how you kind of like explain to tune on you see fans like yeah, you know it’s not as great yeah man I mean. Do you see the thing? Is it’s it’s a finite right, so you you already know and it’s during a pandemic, and you have to also see the UFC has to find fighters who wan na fight during the pandemic and they have to come from the US or have to live in the Us because they can’t get somebody from outside, so it’s hard it’s hard for me to I’m very critical on the UFC all the time. So, but at this time it’s hard for me to criticize the u.s. see, I’m already happy we have in card. You know, I think there are some sneaky good fights on that man you have like build occur until again, spike Carlyle, that’s a fun fight. I think the parameters were filed against the MDL. It is a fun fight, Louis smoke against Casey. Can you see a fun fight besides the main event, the main event is great and my opinion are really looking forward to it. I mean what Li, if Woodley is it would lead, turns out Woodley. He is great, you know, and Burns has done so great since this senses a transition to welterweight. You know, so I’m really looking forward to that part as well, and it’s just and I even think, Antonina against Caitlyn shock egg in that fight man. It’S it’s like number, two against number. Thirteen, but Antonina is such a good kickboxer Muay Thai fighter and Kaitlyn’s also a stand up fighter. So I’m really intrigued by that one. I will mute the TV for that one for sure, but I’m definitely kind of watch it because man that’s gon na that’s gon na hurt my ears man. That’S why I’m sure about that. Sir Valentina’s yelling is gon na be yeah yeah. It’S gon na be interesting, especially because Kaitlyn’s fighting sisters back-to-back – I don’t, I don’t – think that’s ever really happened where someone’s fighting both siblings. So, even when you think about the Diaz brothers, I don’t think anyone’s fought both of them yeah, Japanese and if they have, if they have it’s, not it wasn’t back to back to you know it’s it’s very very unusual, but I mean it’s. It’S gon na be exciting because it’s gon na be a tough fight, and I really like that one. So I think that’s gon na be a good fight, but I mean overall, I think the card is, like you said, a lot of exciting fights, but not big names yeah. What think about fight Island? I mean obviously there’s a lot of talk about it, but I think I think something needs to be done. Like you said, a lot of these guys can’t get into the u.s. Leon Edwards, possibly losing a title shot because of it. I think it’s important. Do you think the fight islands necessary or you think you just wait a couple weeks and let it go the thing, is we don’t know when this stops? You know so I like to back up along with the fight Island. You know I don’t know whether what they’re gon na do but man, but what Othman said man come on he’s like yeah Atlas is the most deserving guy he said, but he can get into the US or something this. Let’S do Connor, but Connor was also not in the u.s. he’s in Ireland as far as I’m concerned. So it’s pretty pretty much the same thing you know. So if you want to make the alkoxide the rematch between komaru and AdWords, you can do it on Fire. Island, you know, but I probably prefer the Comoros McMaster delaford, because I think that’s the one they should do right now and afterwards they can still do afterwards. Man, I mean I have no problem with. I still think edward has to maybe fight some guy. I like covington against Edwards, for example man. I mean that would be great. You know, I don’t want to say. Edward still needs a name before the title shot, but I actually feel that way, but it’s pretty much unfair because he should have fought Woodley earlier in March in England. So that’s pretty much suck for him that I felt through too little to go of it. But yeah I’m looking forward to fight Island. I think you as well, so I want to know where it is. I was going to be. They just saw the Jurassic Park and throw like somebody did yeah. I want to know where it is, but it would also become a neat if they never told us like this mysterious island, where they just flew people in and out, but no one ever knew yeah, but they will never kick. I keep the other secret. You knew you remember when, when the tachi palace was almost, how do you say that you want to keep that a secret? What they’ve also didn’t came true, so yeah it’ll come out. It’Ll eventually get out. It would be neat if it was just like this mysterious island. What got you into the podcast? I mean it’s it’s it’s kind of cool to see a podcast mmm, a podcast from from the Netherlands. A lot of the ones I follow are from here. What got you ended into doing it? I actually think we haven’t done a podcast in a long time anymore, but the do you want to know what get me the podcast are into MMA in general. I guess both in the podcasting and anime and into MMA. It’S more like I started with watching kickboxing. You know that what like I said, it’s popular in the Netherlands. It was on TV and I remember when I was watching kickboxing and you’re gon na watch more. You know on YouTube, you’re gon na watch more and then out of the sudden I yeah I bought all k12 and ones in the in the store. You know, and I watch them all and there was a fight on like Frank, Shamrock against Elvis silicic. I think was also – and it was a k1 but wasn’t MMA fight. So it’s like okay, great love. Let me check this out, and then I saw a DVD, which was very cheap, was the USD 63 BJ Penn against Matthews in the store. So I bought that one as well, and I was watching back then with my dad and he’s like this is fun man and then GSP came inside the cases like I’m not impressed by your performance. You know that kind of thing, so I’ve done that my dad is like dude. I have to see this fight between GSP and Matthews. Can you get it? It’S like I’m going to destroy the next day and I saw USC 65 over there and I got that all that. Well, Sarah watching and that’s how it got rolling and I really started to watch life all around UFC 87. I think – and that was like John Jones debut against Andrew goose now so that that was pretty far only before the against John Fitch. I think who were tough for Florian, I’m last North hiring. So that’s one. I pretty much started to watch The OC life and now for how do you say that and then keep watching you know and start watching more, not only you see starting watching Bellator standing watching ACA now as well. Tighten all these all these one championship. All these organizations, you know, and not what a median a with a few guys, seven guys we’re doing them a DNA we’re very and we’ve we really like it. You know I mean it’s kind of it was a hobby, it’s still a hobby, you know, but we have. I were serious about it. You know we have some serious groups now and then so we’re very serious about it and yeah. That’S pretty much how it got all we got rolling. You know my and my love for MMA, and actually I love kickboxing first then ever made, but that was really like MMA 95 % kickboxing three or five percent and the podcast is yeah. We didn’t do too much podcast anymore, for some reason I didn’t know actually why I always enjoy that, but I still do podcast at the AMA diver made with max treatment and with Stevie Ray, not the Stevie Ray fighter, but another guy yeah. I, like Stevie Ray at the fighter, I wanted. I wanted it’s cool that people like I mean I started this very. Similarly, it was I love MMA. They took it away from me with a pandemic, so I was like you know what I’m just gon na gon na reach out there to people. I admire fighters, organization, owners and stuff like that and very similar, and I think the message here is just kind of like if it’s something you love and just go out there and do something with it doesn’t have to be about making money. It’S just it’s just fun. I won’t person to do you. What do you love boys as well? Yeah, yeah soccer soccer fan and hockey fan as well. Those are my two, the three main ones: MMA soccer and hockey, but yeah. What about you so current. I mean me there’s a to the the World Cup 2010. How did that feel? I mean everybody is, is still salty about it. I actually wasn’t. You know, in my opinion, the Netherlands, that whole tournament, I hope nobody hears me they sucked besides the Brazil. Second, half the Brazil sake. Thought was great, you know, but after that they kind of got lucky against Uruguay, because Uruguay wasn’t that much less than them and then if then they I want to say they fought. Then they they battled against Spain and everybody’s, like they were better than Spain. In my opinion, they weren’t better than Spain, but they got a huge chance with arjen robben with Casillas wettest. Oh, we took that you took that bowl out, but I wasn’t salty about them and I’m much more a fan of my club. You know I’m a huge. I expand, that’s my team, you know and that’s more important than everything else. Then that’s. That’S hardly say that the national country, I asked my club yeah, I’m from Spain, originally Spanish, so that World Cup felt great. I was in Spain for it, so the celebrations were crazy and I’m a Barcelona fan more yeah. This is great yeah. We should we steal a lot of your players. We have Frankie, do young are on our team now, so very similar styles academies are very similar. Their philosophies are very similar. I have a lot of respect for IX as well awesome, but then let me ask you one more question. June 30. 30. 2014: Spain, against the Netherlands in Brazil, yeah. That was when we lost badly was yeah. What’S his name, not? Are you the other guy van Persie van Persie’s, for that crazy header, yeah yeah? It didn’t feel as good, but you know what I’m okay with winning a final. I think that was the fourth 100 %. I agree with you. It was a much bigger win and I was I was very, very happy with that yeah and you guys had a great team back. Then man absolutely wanted, probably that that whole period of the Spain, like the 2008 still 2014, the that era was amazing for Spain. I think an absolute great team back then so yeah, no shame in losing to you guys after extra time but sucks to have lost three times in the World Cup final. So yeah it was just the third time was supposed to be the charm. I was scared. I was like I thought well, it was a very weird final because I didn’t think Spain, Spain, didn’t play their game and I think Netherlands did a really good job of making Spain play poorly like there was a lot of aggression and Spain doesn’t play that way. So I thought, Netherlands did a really good job of taking Spain out of their comfort zone, so I was really scared going into the the extra time because I thought, if, if it went to penalties, I thought Netherlands we’re gon na win it. I mean everything with penalties. I thought it was the Netherlands best chance to win. It was in penalties and I was so happy when Iniesta scored. I want crazy people here as well, but not for the same reasons, and I I think thank you very much for coming on. I really like your stuff. I’Ve always followed your pages. I think you’re one of the best at getting stuff out frequently, and so if anyone wants to find fights quickly, he’s they got ta follow. So thanks again for the time in and how do you, how do you? How do you even manage to stay up like you’d have to stay up to like 5:00 a.m. for some of these Civic reports? Some of these fights so anyway, thanks for having me and yeah III, normally sleep between like 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. those are non sleeping times you know, so I can do that because my work starts at like 11:00 11:30. So, that’s why I can do it, but sometimes it’s hard sometimes, and I’m not gon na lie before. For example, when we had like there was, there was a card announcement on at 4 a.m. and I just wanted to step into my bed. You know further up and I see it it’s like no way and I have to work for a long time tomorrow and I can’t put it up early. I can’t ask the other guys, but you have to work as well, so I was like. Oh no. I just start my computer again, I start typing and was like 5:30 when I gots to sleep so yeah whatever you know sometimes sometimes I do it sometimes not, but it’s it’s kind of stressing. Sometimes now I’m not going to lie man, I mean you want to do it good, but you want to do it quite as well, because you want to do some other stuff as well. So sometimes it’s kind, the man sometimes again crazy man like when was it last week when we get like. I was writing some articles, four or five announcements. Okay, now I’m done there’s another one, then we’re adding either go and I’m done Oh to not around. Then I got screwed, then I got to scoop myself, so I have to write an article as well, so you know you keep you keep being busy sometimes, and then you have sometimes days. There’S nothing really almost nothing to do you know, so I don’t know, but I guess that’s it. You know yeah you’ve. Always I mean you’ve been really. I find that you’re really quick on it and not only quick. I think it’s accurate and I think that’s key. A lot of people will just hear something and then they fire it out and then the fight doesn’t happen. I think when it comes to being fast and accurate, I thought I always think you fara Nolan. I think you three are the some of the best when it comes to reporting things quickly and that’s how I like started following you. I was like I like that so like because I like to know stuff ahead of time and as quickly as possible, and I thought I thought I think you’re one of the best at doing that. Thanks man, I really appreciate it. My my yeah really appreciate it III. I pretty much get a headache man, sometimes with the USC. Where there’s events you know, I I keep getting that fight night. You know you see, does you see on ESPN Plus, but I prefer doing just the fight night. Ufc Fight Night, 172, 173 and then out of a sudden, they changed it to USC on ESPN nine, that’s like! Oh, my god and I have to change everything again. You know so I’m pretty much stopped with calling it Fight Night, but I just adjusted after they announced it. You know because it’s get messy and people is like why you call it like this. When it’s like this yeah, I don’t know man did they change it. All the time you know with the broadcasting, so I don’t know what’s happening yeah and on top of that there’s been they’ve, cancelled events, they’ve, renamed events, there’s a pandemic, so everything’s been shifted yeah they they they, they actually canceled. Three fight nights, in fact they say, cancel they didn’t say postponed. They said cancelled on their friend on their website. So I was like it’s like. 172 is canceled, 173 and 174, so we starting again with 175 and out of a sudden. This 172, like so, was postponed, not canceled, you know, so they don’t know what they are doing themselves. I guess, but you know I you have to you – have to apply their rules because they otherwise you’re you’re wrong. You know all right man thanks for the time, and I know it’s late there but, like you said you stay up till 4:00 a.m. anyway, but thanks for thanks for taking the time I know uh. I know it’s late, so all the best man keep in touch. I really like your stuff and your content so well. We’Ll have to do this again soon for sure man, thanks for having me and if you want to do, is again just hit me up um I’ll reply, asap then yeah you’re, really quick. It replies up and thank you all the best best of us walnut. Yes, it stays safe over there. Dude

Sergio Pineiro

Sergio Pineiro is the Founder of FighterPath.com and host of the Quarantinecast podcast. Based in Canada he is both a sports journalist and MMA enthusiast. He practices the sport but has a passion for the individual stories of training, fighting and living the fighting lifestyle.

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