'Mr Bag & Tag'

British fighter Nathan Jones a.k.a Mr Bag & Tag is set to face Umer Kayani in a UK-1 bout at UCMMA 32, which takes place at the Troxy in London on Feb. 2.

The MMA Review (themmareview.co.uk) recently got the chance to catch up with Nathan Jones about his upcoming bout, training, the origins of “Mr Bag & Tag” and more…

Check out the interview:

Jay Cee: ”Hi Nathan, great to have you on themmareview.co.uk. Have you been enjoying the festive period? Did you eat loads of Christmas pudding and chocolate coins or try and stick to a healthy fighters diet?”

Nathan: ”Hi Jay, thank you for having me. Yes, to be honest, I have enjoyed Christmas – I have listened to my body and indulged to the fullest. I have eaten anything and everything and had a good rest over the festive period. Shame it’s just once a year, but at the same time – it’s a good thing! Detox, diet and boot camp have started in January!”

Jay Cee: ”I’ll start by talking about your last fight against Mohammad Ali at UCMMA 31, where you made your pro debut. Unfortunately you lost that fight via submission. Give me your thoughts on the fight? and what you can take from it and improve on for the future?”

Picture taken by Darren Benson

Nathan: ”I loved every moment. The atmosphere and support was amazing. What can I say? there are no excuses I got caught! I am disappointed but hey – win some, lose some. Yes I learned from my mistakes. I will not lose that fight again. That fight was mine for the taking and I had a few chances to finish. My mistake was not! Nonetheless I demonstrated my skill set… I had an armbar, mounted G’n'P, head kick, knee to the grill and I bust him open. I got caught in a guillotine – he was very strong and for this fight, luck was on his side. Thankfully my face was unscathed so I could go to work on the following Monday. I would like to thank Mohammad Ali for being a great sportsman. I stepped up for my pro debut – I never turn down a challenge! Nevertheless it was an exciting fight and I earned fans, gained respect and entertained the crowd – that’s what MMA is about… So it was not the fairy-tale ending… But like I said, it was my debut. My journey has just begun. I will learn more from this loss than if I had won (and no – I will not make a habit of it). Great night and wicked experience. I’ll do it all over again.”

Jay Cee: ”Your next fight will be against Umer Kayani at UCMMA 32 on February 2nd. What are your thoughts on Kayani as an opponent? and how do you see the fight playing out?”

Nathan: ”I respect him as a fighter. Anyone who has the balls to step in the cage with me has my respect. Umer is tough – but who at this level isn’t?  I am told he has power – I cannot wait to find out and show him mine. His fight name is ‘Bullet Tooth’, rather fitting as I am going to send shots to his jaw..wham bam strawberry jam! I am confident, I wouldn’t take the fight if I was not. Umer is in my way- all my opponents are. I got to get past him and then as Jay Z says – ‘on to the next one’. This is a good match up for me as I am sure he will test me. This has the potential to be a great fight.. and also the potential to be a short fight! As I have bad intentions. Once that bell goes I am going to put it on him.. DIFFERENTLY! I believe my head movement and footwork is superior to his and will prove too much for him. He will have his hands full.  I am looking forward to it. This is a chance for me to demonstrate my skills and make a statement. He will need his A game as I have nothing to lose and everything to prove. BAG AND TAG. I am sure after the fight – whatever the outcome we can be friends on Facebook again…”

Jay Cee: ”How is training and preparation going for the fight?”

Nathan: ”Training is good. I have a great camp. I have altered my timetable slightly to prepare for a UK-1 fight. Nonetheless I am still keeping my ground game on point as I am an MMA fighter and that is my preference (If you don’t use it – you lose it!). I am training 5 times a week, around 2-3 hours a day. There is a mixture of boxing, kickboxing, cardio, strength and conditioning, technical and hard sparring. I feel good and I feel ready. On February 2nd I will show you!”

Jay Cee: ”What is life like over at the Combat Company? Tell me about some of the fighters and coaches you work with over there?”

Nathan: ”There is never a dull moment, we are friendly. Combat Company (@combatcompanygb #meanteam) has a strong and diverse team. I am always pushed. It is also really convenient to get to – right on top of Richmond station! In 2011 we have popped up on the scene and 2013 we will be taking it by storm. My head coach and mentor Wez Lucas (@WezLucasGB) has been around and knows my fight game – his support and belief is second to none.. My partner in crime is Chase ‘Illmatic’ Morton – we does this (@illmatickidd). This boot camp we have been going iiiin. He is also on the UCMMA 32 fight card – look out for another highlight reel finish! We also have guys coming through WCMMA shows – look out for Kieran ‘Lights Out’ Leinster (@kieleinster). We have some top notch coaching: Peter Simon – boxing, Gabriel Rainho – BJJ and Judo, Moss Houdini – wrestling, Wez Lucas – K1 and kick boxing, Mike Rosenstock for strength and conditioning and Ashleigh Grimshaw for stringing it all together (If you cannot beat us – join us!).”

Jay Cee: ”You recently signed with Colosseum Sports management, tell me how that all came about? and what it’s like working with Gary Bond?”

Nathan: ”Well it just happened really – Gary was going to sign Chase after UCMMA 30, and Wez was like, ‘do you wanna turn pro?’… And I said Yes (before I could think about it). Gary was impressed with my performance on CSMMA 2 and was happy to sign. It worked out well for both parties – I needed a manager and Colosseum were looking for up and coming fighters. Gary is good to work with – he tells it how it is and wants the best for all of his fighters. This works for me as I am a motivated, hard working guy. You get out what you put in! I am excited to be with Colosseum Sports – it is exciting times for them and for me.”

Jay Cee: ”Tell me a bit about “Bag & Tag” and where it all came from? Is this something you will be promoting as a brand going forward or is it just an alias related to you as a fighter?”

Nathan: ”My fight name is Mr Bag & Tag (as in body bag). It started as a bit of a gimmick – I really wanted a fight name and could not wait to be given one, so I brainstormed… I was inspired by great fight finishes – go with the flow and get the job done – convincingly! BAG and TAG. I did not take the name seriously… until my crowd started shouting it at one of my fights. I was flagging – and it really inspired me because I knew they were calling me! The chants gave me the strength to not only finish the fight, but take control and WIN. It is rather catchy and quirky, so now I have run with it. It stands out and describes my intentions – BAG AND TAG!  You can read a full bio on my website: www.mrbagandtag.com. You can also follow me @da1nath1. It’s still early days for me to say exactly what I am going to do with it but for now it’s my fight name and I am going to promote it. Come find me and cop a Tee.”

Jay Cee: ”What are your plans and goals for 2013? What can we expect to see from Mr Bag & Tag?”

Nathan: ”MMA is a competitive sport so 2013 I am aiming to go bigger and better every time. I am looking to fight about 5 times this year starting at UCMMA 32. I will be promoting myself and building upon my fan base. This year I will be dropping to welterweight – as I believe that this is my natural weight at this competitive level. But for the rest of it, we will see how it goes and where the wind blows. But I can assure you that you’ll see Mr Bag & Tag staying true to the name… Big tings a’Gwarn. 2013 will be unlucky for my opponents!”

Jay Cee: ”Thanks for the time Nathan and good luck in your next fight. Please fell free to give any shout outs to your people and sponsors etc.”

Nathan: ”I would like to thank everyone at Combat Company – Coaches and team mates alike that have got me ready. My people on and off the mats that believe in me come rain or shine. Even to people that have rubbed me up the wrong way this past year because you got me in the zone. Also my management, Colosseum sports and sponsors XCAP Athletic Pharmaceuticals. But mostly I want to thank my girlfriend Sarah, who has been my rock, she has put up with me through thick and thin and kept me sane. Thank you..x”

Thanks again to Nathan Jones for the interview, I appreciate the time.

Picture taken by Darren Benson

Remember that you can follow Nathan Jones a.k.a “Mr Bag & Tag” on TWITTER or FACEBOOK…and you can find out more about him by visiting the following website: www.mrbagandtag.com

Also, make sure you follow The MMA Review on Twitter: @TheMMAReview

You can also follow me on Twitter: @JayCeeMMA

Interview by: Jay Cee  (The MMA Review)