Jimmy Flick is an mixed martial artist competing in the Flyweight division of Legacy Fighting Alliance. The former FCF Flyweight Champion will be competing for the LFA Flyweight belt on July 24.
Transcript
Jimmy Flick: So uh how? How is quarantine been for you and the the family? It’S really weird times. Yes, man, it’s been tough, I don’t know it’s been tough man, my job, I’m in the plastic industry, so I’ve been real busy at work. My wife was going to school to be an ell technician and when the Corona hit she had to start doing online classes at home and my little girl got out of school early and we had to do online schooling. So it’s been kind of crazy, been at home a lot lately we’re finally breaking out been able to get to the gym a lot more and you know getting back to normal how’s that been for training. Obviously you just said you were going you’re getting back to the gym now, but throat, the throat, the entire thing, I’m sure you were doing a lot of cardio. What sorts of things were you doing stay stay in shape. I live out in the country, so I like to run the roads a lot, but I also have my own little gym out here and my father-in-law’s garage up. Above it. He has an open area and I put up some puzzle mats. I got some boxing back. Our punching bags up there and kind of some friends come out and train with me. Why I can stay active. I was hoping to fight a lot sooner. I was even trying to get on the July 10th card, which is next week for LFA when they finally reach to back out to me. They offered me the July 24th one and I took it so they’re like throughout the entire thing, was there ever a doubt. We really a part of you that said, you know what I should wait, this out, wait until all this pandemic bullcrap is done with and then I’ll take the fight or was it just man? Let’S just give me a fight. My job asked me as well. If I would kind of stop training a little bit and try to stay away from people, because there’s a lot of older people at my job that were high-risk, so they did ask me to stop training and I started getting that. Quarantine. Wait – and I did not like it so I started trying to put a lot of work in on the road up here in Oklahoma. Sand Springs Oklahoma, where I’m from it’s really hot. So I’ve been getting a lot of running in getting that road work to keep. My weight down so I wanted to fight. I was actually rallying for the UFC if, if possible, but I know my win streaks, not really big right now, I’m three and one in my last four, my last three fights that I did win were all at 125 and I finished all three of my opponents And then I have one loss at 135, which was to Ray Rodriguez, and I lost my 135 title to him and I bounced back with another win at 125 and got the FCF 125 title. So I was hoping to keep that momentum going to rally for the UFC and we had a minor setback with this, but now we’re back on the right Road and this LF a title is gon na get me one shot closer that UFC yeah it’s weird, because That 125, even in the UFC, there’s not a whole lot of talent. You know there may be 20 guys or so at most. So you really like 13 and 5 18 18 fights as a flyweight is very unusual. Like there’s only a handful of guys. I could think of you sean santel, a — guys outside the UFC. That really could be a fight, fight or two away. So this is there’s a lot of them along going into this fight. Does it add any pressure, knowing that not only is there a title at stake, there’s potential to be in the UFC as well. Yes said, I’m three and one in my last for a loss here could really determine where I go in my career. So I’m very motivated to get this win, I’m very motivated to get that LF a title. Brandon Brandon Royale was the last one to hold the title and we’ve seen him fight Tim Elliott in the UFC, who was number 10 in the UFC, and he picked up that win and got the submission. So now I seen him as a ranked opponent in the UFC and that’s the opportunity I want. So I want to go win this LF a title, I’m to know an LFA one fight at 135 against UFC vet, Johnny Bedford, which I was a huge underdog in, and I put him to sleep in the third round. Then I stepped up on two weeks notice against the number one ring guy in Texas, CJ Hamilton, the guy was also on the Tuesday night contender show he Kaycee Kinning, which is making a heck of around the sea in case he only beat him by a decision. I’M finishing these guys only one 125 er has I have I never finished, and that was the one that knocked me out. So any of these 120 fibers that I fight I get my hands on them and I’m a strong 125 I’m not a very big 130 fiber, but I’m a big strong, 125 er I’ve been cutting weight. Since I was about 8 years old, I started in wrestling when I was really young, so the weight cuts, not a problem, get down to 125, I like to be the bigger stronger guy and this fight right here is a huge one for me and if I Can go in there and finish Greg Fischer, who has never been finished with the ten-in-one record, it’s gon na really do a lot for my career. What so, what’s the preparation been like, knowing that this could go five rounds? You’Ve never gotten past the third round. So it’s a there’s a you know if it gets to the fourth and fifth round what sorts of adjustments have you been making in your training to prepare for that? Actually, I have been in one fight, but it was early in my career in Texas when I third profile I’ve fought for a 125 title for I I except a against Humberto DeLeon, and it was the second time I fought him. I fought him in Bellator he’s actually, the only opponent, I’ve never finished at 125. I have two wins over in my decision, but they made us fight three-minute rounds at that time. So it’s not the same, but this is my third world title in a row. Five five-minute rounds and we haven’t been there yet, but the preparation is more than ready to get us there. I’Ve been working hard, I trained CrossFit three times a week. In the morning I’ve been running my Sprint’s to push my cardio. I do my Muay Thai. I do my Jiu Jitsu I’ve been doing everything I can to push myself to be able to go five five-minute rounds, especially fighting a guy like Greg Fischer. That’S never been finished. So if I can’t finish him, I want to dominate him in every aspect of the game, so I want to be ready and I’ve been pushing really hard for this I’d like to take a little bit – I guess and and do like a little throwback. So you wrestled a lot. What was what was the transition into the into MMA as well as why did you end up transitioning into MMA? I love the transition, as you can see. Well, I’m a brown belt in jujitsu, but unfortunately I’ve been a brown belt for eight years yesterday, marked eight years as a brown belt. Shortly after getting my brown belt, I moved back to Sand, Springs Oklahoma, let’s say: okay, so at 17 years old I started making bad decisions in school and my dad didn’t like it. So I dropped out of school. I moved to Corpus, Christi, Texas, Texas and I started training under Hector the a-train Munoz. He also works Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, with Donald cowboy Cerrone out in Albuquerque New Mexico, and I was with him for multiple years. I went seven and I was an amateur with all submissions at two different weight classes 125 and 135 before turning pro in Bellator 20. So I just I made some bad decisions and ended up down there in Corpus. Christi Texas started doing that jiu-jitsu and, as you can see, I have seven submission wins as an amateur. I have eleven submissions as a pro and I have a phenomenal wrestling that game growing up at 3 years old is when I started wrestling. I’Ve wrestled my whole life. I was a five-time state runner-up, so I’ve been in the game a long time I transitioned into Jitsu really good with my wrestling and unlike most wrestlers, I’m really good off my back, I’m comfortable off my back and my last fight. Bazi created a scramble and Bazzi got on top of me and I armed barred him from my bag. I have triangles from my back. I got finishes from top from head and arm to the Vaughn flick. Most people know it as the bomb flu choke, but I have four wins bias, so we call it the Bond flick, Cho, put multiple people to sleep with it and I loved doing it man. So I feel like I’m one of the very few wrestlers that can actually be on my back and get the submission. So we talked a little bit about Brandon Roy Allen and his success in the UFC and how he jumped in there and took out a guy like very experienced guy, like Tim Elliott, but one of the things he said afterwards was he just wanted to quit his Job so badly, he got that little bonus and the first thing he did was was quit long term. You still see guys, like Jim Miller, who still works. T pay me Oh Chaz. She still does his firefighting. If all goes well and the UFC dream happens is quitting your job, something you want to do or is it like? I love what I do and I’d like to keep doing, that my job will ever be an option for a really long time, based on my job offers a 401k it offers benefits. I’Ve been there for almost five years. My job does sponsor me and since they sponsor me, they allow me to take hours off. I usually work forty to forty five hours a week and with as much as I train. They allow me to take time off, but we are in the plastic industry. I work for Tulsa plastic, so the plexiglass has been really keeping me busy, but my job really works with me and I really enjoyed my job and, like I said, the 401k is really what would make it really hard for me to quit my job. I got to walk, I got two girls and a wife. I got a family to take care of, but hopefully, if I can rally get three four wins in the UFC. Maybe I’d be making enough money to pay for my own 401k and quit my job yeah. You see a lot of guys like especially now that the pandemic, guys like Henry cejudo, Jorge Masvidal John Jones. A lot of these guys are complaining about pay, which is unusual because they’re the guys at the top. But you aren’t hearing guys up and coming who just want a shot at the UFC complaining about it. They just want that shot, and I think that goes a long way. Just like you know when you’re at the bottom. All you want is an opportunity to showcase your skills where once you get there, it all becomes about the financial part of it. Yes, sir, like I said, we don’t make a lot of money on these lower circuits. I sell five six thousand dollars in tickets and still take home less than $ 3,000. I beat UFC Johnny Bedford in the main event, LFC LF a 16 and still took home less than $ 3,000. So a ten thousand and ten thousand for the UFC would make my day a lot is a lot has been happening now. In the MMA world there was a three month standstill or nothing happened. The UFC jumped the gun made some stuff happen, made some moves as a fighter. What was your thoughts on what the UFC did and being the frontrunner and getting the sports back back on TV? Oh, it was amazing honestly. I wish I had a big win streak and one of them big, big managers at that time, because all these guys that are in the UFC don’t want to take the fights right now they have the option as guys that are trying to get there on the Ufc, like Brandon Roy Val, we’re taking the fight on a couple weeks notice it doesn’t matter. We need that opportunity. We need that money. We need that chance. A lot of these guys that has have already had it that they can wait. It out, like Dana, said and they’re not gon na lose their job. Unfortunately, for some of us we need that money and we need that opportunity so to see it all happen, that’s what really motivated me to get back out there. I was supposed to fight for this LFA title back in April 17th, first number, one ranked guy in the u.s. outside of the UFC Sydney Bice. I don’t know if Sydney Bisons going to the Tuesday night contender show that’s my guess, since I’m not fighting Sydney Bice and he is from South Dakota. So when they called me and told me, I had a title fight. That’S who I thought I was gon na fight when they offered me Greg Fischer. I didn’t know much about him. I looked him up and I see he’s a solid opponent and he has a really great manager. So I see why he got the opportunity and I just found out recently he moved down to Greg Jackson’s camp for this fight. So that motivates me even more for to be fighting a guy. That’S got the opportunity to go fight out at the camp like that. Has that sup in something you’ve considered moving to like a look a place like that, like an ATT, an aka any of those big gyms, or are you just happy where you’re at my second pro fight, I trained out of Albuquerque New Mexico? I dream you know took me down there. I’Ve lived with Donald cowboy sharone out of his ranch. I’Ve lived there on his house and I stayed with him for two camps, but I only fought for one camp, and that was my second Pro fight. When I fought Anthony sessions, I was fighting in El Paso Texas, where the altitude was high, so we moved out there to Albuquerque, and I had a four week camp out in Albuquerque New Mexico that was before I had two kids that was before I had a Wife and that’s before I had responsibilities now, with all my responsibilities, isn’t everything I got to do I like to stay here, I’m like Bryce Mitchell man. I don’t feel like. I have to go out there and get all that. I got a amazing muy Thai coach. I have an awesome, jiu-jitsu coach, Thomas Longacre Leo is my Muay Thai coach and if you look up my last kickboxing fight, which is on UFC fight pass as well, my highlight reels got over 22,000 views on social media and people know me as a jiu-jitsu guy. So I’ve changed my game a lot because it goes with my nickname, the brick. My game is solid all over like a brick and that’s what I look to showcase and show everybody on July 24th live on USC bypass yeah. I can’t wait man, I’m looking really really forward to that for people who have never seen you fight. Is there one fight if they have like ten minutes to watch any fight of yours, which one would you point out? I would say me and Jamie’s: Jameson saw Dido, it’s also on UFC fight pass. It was my first fight back at 125 pounds in a couple years and the first round I came out and dominated. I do what I usually do. I take my opponent down. I beat them up round two, I came out and I fell down on the ground, throwing a head kick and he just kept punching me and elbowing me and punching me an elbow and me and punch him and I counted over 80 punches that he had landed Or even threw for over three minutes before I recovered switched, the position got on top and I got that bomb, flicked choke and he’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and I choked him out. It was one of the most toughest fights I had mentally tough, physically tough, and it really helped me know what I can and can’t do when I’m fighting and how much I know, I can push myself to still be able to get that finish, no matter how Tired, I am there’s uh, there’s I’ll, get I’ll, ask a couple, more questions and then I’ll then I’ll. Let you go. There’S there’s three big fights coming up: fine Island. The main event is Gilbert Burns versus komaru Guzman, two teammates fighting. I guess. What’S your prediction for the fight and what’s your take on two teammates competing for the belt that yeah that’s a real tough one man cuz, I’m curious how long they’ve been how long they’ve been away from each other? You know I don’t know. Kumar Eastman has moved his training camp and I’m just curious to see how it plays, because I’m pretty sure that he knows the jujitsu that Gilbert burned. It has, but I’m almost positive that Eastman’s wrestling is 10 times better, so I’m pretty sure osomon thinks he can solidify the position. Take him down and dominate. I don’t think we’ll ever see, osomons stand with anybody like he did with kobe covington. You know, I think Colby Covington and him stood up, because neither one of them wanted to wear themselves out with the wrestling they both have high-level wrestling and I think that’s why we’ve seen a stand-up fight with the Gilbert Burns fight. I don’t see anything different happening. Besides lucemon going back to his normal game plan of trying to ground and pound and grind and grind on Gilbert burns and try to wear him out, especially since Gilbert Burns has bought a lot of his career at 155 pounds I’ll ask you I’ll ask you the Same thing for the for the 135 pound belt there with poto, jaan and jose aldo, it’s a division, you’ve competed in, so I got to get your opinion on it. It’S interesting. You know, based on Hosea, coming off that last wormans. He looked really great, but he did not get the decision when so that is, I think, one of the first times we’re gon na see somebody fight for a title that is coming off of the loss. I like Peter Yan man he’s got awesome boxing. We’Ve never seen anybody really do Uriah Faber the way he did and honestly, I think he’s gon na knock, Jose Aldo out in the first or second round, and I really like Peter Yan and I would love to see Peter Yan verse, aljahmeir sterling, because aljahmeir Sterling’s Jiu Jitsu is amazing, he’s really long for a 135 pounder and he’s been in the game a long time. What and one last question non MMA related. I can see that you were being pulled in so many different directions. What sorts of things have you been doing throughout the pandemic? Non training related to keep your mind occupied um besides spending time with my family? That’S what a lot is, what I do a lot. I’Ve been playing a lot of cornholes with my buddy. We like to play cornhole, horseshoes and stuff like that, but through the pandemic I’ve been working. A lot like I said I deal with Plexiglas, so we’ve been making these shields left and right. I’Ve been putting hours in prior to getting back to the gym. So I’ve just been trying to enjoy time with my family, because when I take these fights and I have six to eight week – training camps – I really commit to these training camps, and I spend a lot of time away from my family trying to put that work In that gym to earn that extra money to be able to earn my shot in the UFC all right man all the best. Thank you so much for taking the time and good luck on July 24th. It’S a tough fight, but I’m rooting for you, men and hopefully we’ll see you in the UFC hey. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it and thank you for your time. All right, all the best stay safe, keep washing your hands yeah! Yes, sir
