Reflecting on a terrifying moment during the fight, Lewis McGrillen stated: “I could see the canvas slowly getting dark. Because I was slowly losing consciousness.”
McGrillen emerged victorious from one of the most spectacular fights MMA has ever witnessed when he defeated Dean Garnett last year.
In this astonishing clash, the two competitors exchanged a remarkable total of 14 knockdowns. McGrillen notably escaped a dangerous chokehold before ultimately securing the win by knocking Garnett out with a single punch.
Speaking about his approach, McGrillen explained, “If you watch my fighting style, it`s very chaotic, in a way, and I just feel like I`m a very chaotic person. So when it comes to that sort of chaos, I thrive underneath that.”
He is scheduled to return to action this Saturday against Alan Philpott. McGrillen expressed his anticipation, saying, “The world`s going to get to see me more. This is the perfect fight to showcase what I`m capable of.”
McGrillen solidified his standing by winning the PFL Europe bantamweight title last year, following that extraordinary and hard-fought battle against Garnett.
Recalling the intense bout, McGrillen admitted, “I knew it would be a task [against Garnett] but I didn`t know it would be that much of a task, how it escalated into a war. He has a seasoned veteran style, it kept him durable in the fight.”
He added, “I`m fighting a crafty veteran, I felt I excelled in that moment. Because when it comes to that moment, when the time gets tough, your true character comes out and I feel like my true character came out in that fight. Where I`m bleeding I`m not bothered, I`ll keep coming forward. I thrive underneath that.”
He detailed the dramatic turning point where he had to fight his way back from the brink of defeat.
“I dropped him a handful of times,” McGrillen recounted. “As it was looking all good for me, he clips me. I go down, I come back up, he grabs hold of me, gets hold of my neck, wraps himself round me and nearly chokes me out unconscious.”
He described his mindset in that critical moment: “I just remember being in that moment when I was kicking trying to get out, I was like this is your moment here. Either you go to sleep or you fight through it.”
“I was kicking for dear life,” he continued. “I wasn`t giving in, as soon as I came up and I got that gasp of air, I knew I`m in for a war here. In a way I accepted what will be will be.”
For McGrillen, the decisive knockout blow was the ideal conclusion to the intense fight.
He explained his strategy: “That was one of my signature moves. Not just the one punch KO but I let people chase and when they chase me I will catch them.”
Concluding his thoughts on the chaotic nature of the fight, he said, “It`s so chaotic. It`s like a life and death situation in a way. It`s a full-on primitive thing… that`s the mode you get to. You go into a completely different body experience.”
Marcus Bellamy