Raymond Daniels Talks Spinning Sh*t, Stephen Thompson Rematch
Raymond Daniels Talks Spinning Sh*t, Stephen Thompson Rematch
Bellator kickboxing star Raymond Daniels takes a look at the state of his sport and thinks ahead to a dream rematch.
Raymond Daniels is on a mission larger than just winning kickboxing fights and world titles. The California native, and world-renowned talent, is looking to kick the sport he's dedicated his life to up a notch. And Bellator just happens to be the perfect place to make that happen.
In addition to a full schedule of MMA shows, the Los Angeles-based promotion has made a huge push to display kickboxing talent from around the globe. Bellator's efforts have opened doors for some of the biggest names in kickboxing to walk through, and Daniels is more than happy to showcase the flash and destruction he can bring under their banner.
"It's been a great ride so far and Bellator really takes care of their athletes," Daniels told FloCombat. "It's been awesome to be a part of and be a pioneer of Bellator bringing in kickboxing. They've obviously done a great job with MMA, and they have their pay-per-view coming up soon in New York shows where things are going. They've done a great job of growing the brand and I'm excited to be a part of it.
"I honestly feel [exposure] is what kickboxing has been missing all along. When you have the right athletes in there I honestly believe it is the one of the most exciting in all of combat sports. I'm not tooting my own horn because my goal is to go out there and win my fights, but I'm going out there to put together a highlight reel of knockouts."
When it comes to the knockout there is arguably no more consistent producer of the crisp, brutal starching than kickboxing. Daniels and his peers have delivered some of the most electric, soul-snatching moments in combat sports over the past decade, and that's why he believes kickboxing will always resonate with fight fans.
People tune in to see two fighters square up and one get leveled. Knockouts are what they want because that's what they know.
Photo Credit: Bellator MMA
"Kickboxing knockouts are different than any other fans are going to see because they have so many tools they can use," Daniels said. "That's what fans want to see because that's what they understand. I know there are some good things that happen on the ground in MMA, but knockouts are what get people excited. In kickboxing two fighters are standing mano a mano, one person falls down and the other wins. That's what people understand.
"You'll see someone working up against the cage or working their jiu-jitsu on the ground, and even though it is highly technical work you are seeing, it doesn't always translate with fans. They mostly understand the standup side of it and that's why most of their favorite fighters are strikers."
Anyone who has laid eyes on a Daniels fight understands somewhere along the lines a spinning attack is coming, and the beauty of it all is the smoothness and precision in which he does so. That said, thanks to Nick Diaz's now infamous line inside the cage against Carlos Condit, fans and fighters alike are prone to labeling such moves spinning sh*t.
And while the label is a simplification, it's something Daniels certainly understands. He knows most fighters leave those attacks alone because they are difficult to pull off and Daniels believes they're right to do so.
Daniels on the other hand plans to keep bringing the amazing inside the cage.
"A lot of fighters leave the spinning stuff out but it's because they don't understand it or know how to do it," Daniels said. "It's great for me and I love it. My goal when I go out there is to not only show the fans a showcase of my skill set, but I want to give them something they've never seen before, or something they've only seen in movies.
"I want them to be saying, 'Did that man just jump up in the air, spin around and kick that other man in the head?'
"The reason people don't do it is because they haven't taken the time to put in the work and figure out the motion, technique and distance," he added. "You see a lot of people in MMA who have an area of strength but are more of a jack of all trades, but aren't necessarily the master of a specific trade in their martial arts. It takes years upon years to master. I've seen the motion, I've seen the technique to understand it then to go out there and pull it off.
"I've done those techniques so many times over and over, but repetition is the master of success."
Photo Credit: Bellator MMA
Daniels will put his years of mastery to work when he steps in against Gyorfi Csaba this weekend at Bellator Kickboxing 6 in Budapest, Hungary. The event is yet another hybrid collaboration for the promotion featuring both MMA and kickboxing bouts, as Bellator 177 will take place on the same night inside the same venue.
Always the game fighter, Daniels is looking forward to putting Csaba's skills to the test once the referee steps aside.
"This guy is pretty good," Daniels said in regard to his upcoming opponent. "He's ranked really high and he has good movement. He seems to understand distance well and appears to have really strong hands. I'm really looking forward to getting in there and seeing what he has.
"Speed, power and distance seem to be his strongest attributes, but the only problem is those are my strongest attributes as well. I believe mine will supercede his because of my better understanding of distance and being able to close that gap."
With Daniels' striking prowess firmly established it's no accident he's been tapped to train with UFC champions and contenders in their respective camps, but his history against Stephen Thompson makes him the go-to person to imitate "Wonderboy" inside the gym.
The two kickboxing powerhouses squared off once long ago, but an injury suffered by Thompson in the early goings forced the fight into a "No Contest." And while Daniels has nothing but the utmost respect for the former UFC welterweight title challenger, he'd be more than happy to step through the ropes to run things back.
Daniels is also aware of how contracts keep things from being easy, but should the opportunity come to pass, a rematch under the Bellator kickboxing banner would be awesome.
"That would be great," Daniels answered. "I think [Stephen] Thompson is a great champion and all that, but I would love to get down with him again. That was one of those fights that I had, but unfortunately, as fate would have it, he blew his knee out at the beginning of the fight and we didn't get a chance to finish. I would definitely love that opportunity to go at it with him again and see who the true master is of this style of fighting."
In addition to a full schedule of MMA shows, the Los Angeles-based promotion has made a huge push to display kickboxing talent from around the globe. Bellator's efforts have opened doors for some of the biggest names in kickboxing to walk through, and Daniels is more than happy to showcase the flash and destruction he can bring under their banner.
"It's been a great ride so far and Bellator really takes care of their athletes," Daniels told FloCombat. "It's been awesome to be a part of and be a pioneer of Bellator bringing in kickboxing. They've obviously done a great job with MMA, and they have their pay-per-view coming up soon in New York shows where things are going. They've done a great job of growing the brand and I'm excited to be a part of it.
"I honestly feel [exposure] is what kickboxing has been missing all along. When you have the right athletes in there I honestly believe it is the one of the most exciting in all of combat sports. I'm not tooting my own horn because my goal is to go out there and win my fights, but I'm going out there to put together a highlight reel of knockouts."
When it comes to the knockout there is arguably no more consistent producer of the crisp, brutal starching than kickboxing. Daniels and his peers have delivered some of the most electric, soul-snatching moments in combat sports over the past decade, and that's why he believes kickboxing will always resonate with fight fans.
People tune in to see two fighters square up and one get leveled. Knockouts are what they want because that's what they know.
Photo Credit: Bellator MMA
"Kickboxing knockouts are different than any other fans are going to see because they have so many tools they can use," Daniels said. "That's what fans want to see because that's what they understand. I know there are some good things that happen on the ground in MMA, but knockouts are what get people excited. In kickboxing two fighters are standing mano a mano, one person falls down and the other wins. That's what people understand.
"You'll see someone working up against the cage or working their jiu-jitsu on the ground, and even though it is highly technical work you are seeing, it doesn't always translate with fans. They mostly understand the standup side of it and that's why most of their favorite fighters are strikers."
Anyone who has laid eyes on a Daniels fight understands somewhere along the lines a spinning attack is coming, and the beauty of it all is the smoothness and precision in which he does so. That said, thanks to Nick Diaz's now infamous line inside the cage against Carlos Condit, fans and fighters alike are prone to labeling such moves spinning sh*t.
And while the label is a simplification, it's something Daniels certainly understands. He knows most fighters leave those attacks alone because they are difficult to pull off and Daniels believes they're right to do so.
Daniels on the other hand plans to keep bringing the amazing inside the cage.
"A lot of fighters leave the spinning stuff out but it's because they don't understand it or know how to do it," Daniels said. "It's great for me and I love it. My goal when I go out there is to not only show the fans a showcase of my skill set, but I want to give them something they've never seen before, or something they've only seen in movies.
"I want them to be saying, 'Did that man just jump up in the air, spin around and kick that other man in the head?'
"The reason people don't do it is because they haven't taken the time to put in the work and figure out the motion, technique and distance," he added. "You see a lot of people in MMA who have an area of strength but are more of a jack of all trades, but aren't necessarily the master of a specific trade in their martial arts. It takes years upon years to master. I've seen the motion, I've seen the technique to understand it then to go out there and pull it off.
"I've done those techniques so many times over and over, but repetition is the master of success."
Photo Credit: Bellator MMA
Daniels will put his years of mastery to work when he steps in against Gyorfi Csaba this weekend at Bellator Kickboxing 6 in Budapest, Hungary. The event is yet another hybrid collaboration for the promotion featuring both MMA and kickboxing bouts, as Bellator 177 will take place on the same night inside the same venue.
Always the game fighter, Daniels is looking forward to putting Csaba's skills to the test once the referee steps aside.
"This guy is pretty good," Daniels said in regard to his upcoming opponent. "He's ranked really high and he has good movement. He seems to understand distance well and appears to have really strong hands. I'm really looking forward to getting in there and seeing what he has.
"Speed, power and distance seem to be his strongest attributes, but the only problem is those are my strongest attributes as well. I believe mine will supercede his because of my better understanding of distance and being able to close that gap."
With Daniels' striking prowess firmly established it's no accident he's been tapped to train with UFC champions and contenders in their respective camps, but his history against Stephen Thompson makes him the go-to person to imitate "Wonderboy" inside the gym.
The two kickboxing powerhouses squared off once long ago, but an injury suffered by Thompson in the early goings forced the fight into a "No Contest." And while Daniels has nothing but the utmost respect for the former UFC welterweight title challenger, he'd be more than happy to step through the ropes to run things back.
Daniels is also aware of how contracts keep things from being easy, but should the opportunity come to pass, a rematch under the Bellator kickboxing banner would be awesome.
"That would be great," Daniels answered. "I think [Stephen] Thompson is a great champion and all that, but I would love to get down with him again. That was one of those fights that I had, but unfortunately, as fate would have it, he blew his knee out at the beginning of the fight and we didn't get a chance to finish. I would definitely love that opportunity to go at it with him again and see who the true master is of this style of fighting."