INTERVIEW | BAMMA 7: Fraser Opie

Opening the upcoming BAMMA 7 card at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham is a light heavyweight tilt that promises certain fireworks, as former pro kickboxer Fraser Opie takes on once beaten judo specialist Robert Krecicki in a classic striker vs. grappler contest.
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A pro for the last two years, Fraser is surely one of the most prolific fighters on the card, having fought twelve times since 2009, notching up a record of 7-5. An ex bodybuilder, Fraser took up kickboxing at Lee Asdale’s SSJ Gym in Milton Keynes in 2006 to improve his cardiovascular conditioning.

“I only got into fighting four or five years ago, originally it wasn’t something I saw myself doing. While doing the kickboxing I realised I actually really like doing this and ended up with a record of 15-1, so I thought I’d give MMA a go and realised I like it a lot more.”

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Fraser likes to channel that kickboxing experience in his MMA bouts, with none of his seven professional wins going the distance, with 6 KO’s or TKO’s on his record.

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“It’s mainly aggression, I put it on them right from the beginning. You’ll see exactly the same thing in September, I’m just a bit more wary of the guillotine this time!”

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Fraser’s last two defeats have come via a guillotine choke, a fact that is not lost on him, and one that does not sit too well with him either.

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“My weak points were definitely my BJJ and wrestling, so I brought in (submission specialist) Danny Batten with regard to that and I’m working a lot more on my ground game. With the fights that I lost I put myself in the losing position, I’ve given it to them rather than they’ve taken it from me.”

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Despite the hard work he is putting in on his grappling, Fraser would definitely prefer to face BAMMA debutant and judoka Krecicki standing, but is not worried about his takedowns.

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“That’s what I’ve been working on. I used to fight their fights, now I fight my fights. His judo will be a test, but will he be able to handle the pressure of being punched hard? Everyone’s good at what they do, but when they get rocked it’s a different story.”

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Usually training out of the Immortal MMA gym in Milton Keynes, Fraser has been faced with unusual circumstances for his training camp due to his base being refurbished. This has actually proved helpful due to the necessity of him travelling to other gyms to face a wide variety of sparring partners and trainers, broadening his skill set to far more than just striking.

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Despite his wider array of skills, however, as you would expect, Fraser is aiming for an early knockout finish on the night, letting his fists do the talking when he steps in the cage.

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“Only one fight I’ve had went outside the first round, so I’m going for a first round ground and pound TKO.”

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Fraser is not shy about expressing his admiration for his current employers.
“For me they’re a league above anyone else, top promotion in Europe I’d say. Hands down the best promotion in England. I’m definitely looking forward to being a title holder for BAMMA someday.”

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You can follow Fraser on Twitter @THE_OMEN13

Interview by Toby Smith

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GoDaddy.com presents BAMMA 7 in association with Lonsdale and PKR.com Saturday September 10th at The National Indoor Arena, Birmingham. Buy Tickets from www.bamma.com  and www.theticketfactory.com.

Watch it live and exclusive on Syfy (UK) at 9pm GMT and worldwide at www.bamma.com at 4pm ET / 1pm PT

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