UK MMA is littered with wannabes. Guys who like to flex at the gym, but go running when a real punch is heading their way. More often than not, a few beatings into proceedings they decide that MMA isn’t for them after all. Some stick it out a bit longer, some even notch up a few wins before they throw in the towel.

The fact is, to be an MMA athlete takes a lot of dedication. The sacrifices just aren’t worth it for many people – and who can blame them? The training eats up your social life, the money isn’t going to get you very far, and well, it’s highly likely that at some point you’re going to get beaten up.

If there was ever an injury that was going to put you off being an MMA fighter, Sam Spencer has the goods. In terms of car crash, wanna-look-away-but-can’t injuries, Spencer has one that is hot on the heels of Silva’s shin or Cyborg’s skull.

But the broken jaw that Spencer took home after FCC 15 back in March hasn’t dulled his drive. Far from it, the Sam Spencer we caught up with this week was incredibly focussed, ambitious and still raring to go.

A swift left hook from Brian Creighton is what did the damage – two breaks to his mandible and a dislocation under his ear. “Looking back at the footage, I disguised the trouble I was in pretty well, but the injury was pretty severe nonetheless,” he tells us, “I realised instantly that my only chance of survival was to stay on my bike and not let him crack me again. So that’s exactly what I did for the last 12 minutes of the fight.”

It was enough to secure him the victory, which no doubt dulled the pain a little! Spencer is no stranger to taking a knock, having suffered a fractured shin, a broken collar bone, and a broken thumb in the past. Hazards of the job perhaps, but it’s a job that’s most definitely not for everybody, which Spencer acknowledges.

“I understand that most people on the outside looking in will think surely there’s an easier way to make a living, and they would be right to think that, there is, but to me, this is all I have wanted to do from the moment I first stepped into an MMA gym, at the age of 15.”

But even the most hardened of combatants would be forgiven for having some hesitance when it comes to stepping back in the cage after such a gruesome injury. Surely there were some second thoughts?

“There has never been a moment in my career where I have thought that enough is enough, I believe that I’ve been put on this earth to do martial arts and compete at the highest level. Nothing in the world catches my interest like martial arts and combat sports do, I couldn’t imagine my life without MMA, so no, I’ve never given calling it a day a second thought.”

Whilst Spencer is unwavering, the same can’t always be said for his potential opponents. This weekend, he’ll face Ionut Raducanu at FCC 17, but Raducanu is the third man slated to take on Spencer. So, what’s with all the opponent changes?

“I was slated to fight Brent Crawley on FCC 17 originally, contract issues on his and the promotions end led to that fight being pulled, FCC found me a replacement, then a week later the replacement phoned FCC and said he had been watching some training footage of mine and didn’t fancy the fight anymore! You have to respect his honesty, haha!”

But now he has an opponent, Spencer hopes Raducanu can “take a dig and is up for it, cause I’ve got six months of serious improvement I want to showcase.” He describes it as “kinda flattering” that his peers are shying away from taking him on but knows that he needs those fights – the tougher the better – to be able to progress in his career.

Sam Spencer Article
One eye has been – and we suspect always will be – on his career, and indeed on our rankings. Spencer is keen to start collecting belts and “wouldn’t mind fighting for that FCC bantamweight title some time soon.” He also “wouldn’t mind beating up Joe Rice,” somebody Spencer feels ducked him when they were supposed to meet at FCC 17, but don’t even think about mentioning a certain Javonne Morrison…

“I’m bored of talking about Javonne now, everybody asks me about him because of the bit of beef we had online after my last fight, and because we have been matched twice already. We both pulled out of a fight each (him at amateur, me at pro), so I guess it is unfinished business.

“He got beat on the last FCC by Joe Rice. I asked for whoever won that fight for FCC 17, Joe won that fight, he wasn’t available. Javonne beat a journeyman on Tanko, then wasn’t available for FCC 17. I’ll happily punch his head off if he fancies it, but from what I can tell, he’s doing everything in his power to stay away. People think that me and him make for a good fight, if you ask me, or anyone who has trained with us both, it makes for a one sided beatdown.”

Come Saturday night, we’ll see where Sam Spencer is at now and how the time off has impacted upon his career. If you ask him (and we did), it’s been a positive experience, allowing the Predators MMA standout time to build on his skill set and come back even stronger. Oh, and make his mark on those rankings of ours. “I’m coming out of this break from competition in better shape than I ever have been, with new weapons in my arsenal and the same unwavering love for this game that I have always had. If all goes to plan, which I’m pretty sure it will, expect me to put a stamp on my arrival back on the bantamweight scene. Maybe I will even break into those Sprawl bantamweight rankings at some point soon, eh? Hint, hint.”

“Quick thanks to Gav Boardman, my coach at Manchester Predators MMA, and all my training partners/brothers at the gym. Paulino Silva at Moston Collyhurst boxing club, who helps me with my hands, and all my sponsors for their ongoing support, Moore Muscle Treatment, Rossendale Defenders and Full Motion Physiotherapy.

“Also massive thanks to all my friends and family who have bought tickets for the 24th, and those who have been mega supportive over these past couple of weeks especially, you know who you are.”

FCC 17 takes place on tomorrow, September 24 at Event City, Manchester.

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