Combat Company

GB: Hi Wez thank you for taking the time out for this chat.

WL: No problem

GB: What made want to step up to semi pro?

WL: To be honest I have only fought amatuer once and hated it as generally you are not allowed to throw headshots at all, and being primarily a striker this takes away any chance I have of getting the KO and plays right into the grapplers hands.

GB: How did you feel after your fight?

WL: I was disappointed that I got submitted, but it was a good learning curve and highlighted just how much work my submission game needs!

I enjoy the larger shows and love competing so much win lose or draw I feel I can take a lot from most fights.

GB: Talk us through the bout

WL: We squared up, we clashed legs as we both went for leg kicks at the same time! (now I have the worlds largest bruise on my shin)

We worked into a clinch and we ended up in ground, he tried to take my back and I swept him into guard as I postured up for ground n pound he caught me in a really nice triangle and I couldn’t escape so I thought to myself well either a tap out or a hospital visit!

GB: you seemed to be in the triangle for sometime, what was going through your mind?

WL: well mainly “shit I cant see” but I was going through the escapes and such in my head but with the restriction of blood and oxygen quickly taking hold I couldn’t get my body to do what I wanted it to! I tried to punch my way out but that rarely works, caught a few nice shots though!

GB: What kind of preparation do you do for your fights?

WL: 3 times a week I do a 15 round circuit with my team, due to the nature of the fight I was working my ground but just not drilling enough basics to keep them fresh, I have been kickboxing for so long now It is second nature to me, Brazillian Jujitsu (BJJ)however is still a steep learning curve for me and for my next one I have committed to training 6 hours per week purly in BJJ and wrestling just to make sure I am moving those skills forward.

GB: So we may see some submission wins in the future?

WL: Maybe! I am still a striker at the core of it all. I would like to be able to dominate the floor better so I can focus on letting my hands and feet go with no fear of getting put on the floor!

GB: In you opinion what is the main difference between competing against a fighter who is a grappler and a fighter who is a striker?

WL: The main difference is that if I am fighting a striker generally if I make a mistake or miss time something and I get caught with a shot I might get rocked, but generally I can deal with it in a grapplers game if you make a mistake before you know it you are in a submission hold. There is no “brawling out” with ground work, 5mm makes all the difference in submission technique.

GB: Who do you train with at the moment?

WL: Well that is quite a list! For my kickboxing I train twice a week with my original coach Master Curtis Page ( of British Lau ) and Michael Page ( Team Top Ten ) the sessions I do with those guys is always tough I am pretty sure Master Pgae has some kind of diffculty switch he throws as no matter how fit I get I always find his sessions very demanding!

I also run Pro-Am prep sessions that run three times a week and I work with my team at the academy with occasional guest apprearances from top internationals which is great.

I work my BJJ with pro MMA fighter Dan Edwards he has a really strong all round game but his ground work is exceptional. I also work my wrestling skills with Helena martin (H.I.T. Squad) and Keith pavlick a former USA international division 1 wrestler there is no one in the uk who can touch his skill for pure wrestling.

I am very fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best guys in the country. I get to test myself against the likes of Ultimate challenge and K-1 fighter Galore Bofando, legengary ITF tae kwon do fighter turned K-1 pro Zakk Espi, 2 time world and british kickboxing champion Helena Martin who will be exploding onto the MMA scene this year after drilling over in USA with Matt Hughes and the H.I.T. Squad, not to mention my younger brother Dan Lucas who has always had a good stand up game and tight ground work, he has been invaluable in my training his knowledge far out weighs that of many.

GB: That is quite a list! Whats on the cards for Wez Lucas for2010?

WL: Well I have another MMA fight for Pro-Kumite in Croydon on april 10th. My opponent likes to stand up which I am looking forward to.

I want another crack at that Pro-Am title. I lost to the current champion Chris Dejelanii in December and have been itching to have another crack at him.

I am looking to fight as much as I can this year raise the profile of my team and keep turning out strong fighters.

As far as business goes we are opening an MMA collage at Richmond martial arts catering for those who wish to make a career out of MMA or just want to be able to compete. I would like to get more kids in the schools kickboxing side as it is a fantastic discipline and an amazing lifestyle. Other than that there are rumours floating about that I may make a high profile return to the music industry….watch this space!

GB: We certainly shall! Well thank you for your time Wez and good luck in your upcoming fights!

WL: Thank you