It’s been a long time coming for UK featherweight and The Sprawl contributor, Jonny Saville, but tomorrow night at FightStar Championships 6 marks the beginning of a new stage in his MMA career – his first fight as a professional.
“The decision to turn pro was an easy one to make,” commented Saville. “After 10 amateur fights I figured it was due, and on top of that I turn 30 this October. That makes me feel like it’s time to shit or get off the pot. I’ve always dreamed of being a professional athlete, so this will be a life goal ticked off.”
For many sports, the amateur route is something of a no-brainer, but for the brutal world of MMA, putting everything on the line for very little can seem like a curious career choice – so why take that particular path?
“I started as an amateur because I was learning my craft while plying it in the cage. I knew I wanted to fight in a cage, however at first it was more of a hobby. That’s obviously changed over the years, and who doesn’t want to get paid for their hobby?”
Electing to compete as an amateur should always be a considered decision, one that comes with its pros and cons.
“Over those fights I’ve rounded my game out, really figured out what my strengths are and had shit loads of fun,” explained Saville. “Cutting weight isn’t fun, giving up time with the family is rubbish and doing my 9-5 with black eyes and cuts is never fun.”
The last time we saw Jonny Saville stepped onto the combat sports arena, it was an away day. Swapping the cage for the ring, Saville found himself trading the 4oz gloves for some with a bit more padding…
“The boxing was fun, it gave me a confidence boost in what I can do. Not gonna lie, I’m looking forward to being able to use my entire skill set and I’m certain that at some point I’ll go for some sort of highlight reel worthy takedown.”
For those of us lucky enough to live up north, the opportunity to see Saville compete in the flesh can be taken for granted, but what about his fans down in the miserable south? Can we expect to see him slumming it round our way any time soon?
“The north is my home, I’ve never fought anywhere outside of Yorkshire (except Norway, that’s really far away from Yorkshire) but as a pro, I guess I have a little more leeway where I could pick up fights.”
“I’d love to get on a show down there, UCMMA, WFS, Cage Warriors, Rise of Champions – anything at all really. Hopefully one or more promoters come across this and make an enquiry.”
Promoters, you heard the man!
Jonny Saville would like to thank everyone at AVT, XSGuard gumshields and The Sprawl
Jonny Saville competes at FightStar Championships 6 tomorrow night at the North Bridge Lesiure Centre in Halifax. Tickets are available on the door.
Follow Mr Saville on Twitter and Facebook.
