In April 2021, Wolves Den MMA Athlete Courtney Martin had her ONE Championship debut. Almost 2 months on she reflects back on her experience, thoughts & emotions building up to the fight with Colbey Northcutt. Check out the pages from her diary for a detailed account of her journey before & after taking to the global stage!
We all know the deal with 2020. Everyday life has changed, especially travel. Leaving the bubble that is Perth for Singapore wasn’t a little trip anymore it was a luxury in many ways. With so many unable to travel out or even worse, come home, leaving for a fight was a privilege and it became that much more daunting. We were given a chance to brave the unknown and to finally have the opportunity to compete after signing the ONE Championship contract almost a year and a half ago. So nothing was going to stop it - not even a late notice fight, a weight class change, or an unexpected opponent.
With such short notice, there was a lot to cram into the two weeks before flying out. With minimal time to get ready, we focused on creating a game plan tailored to my opponent. We had spent the year before working hard to stay consistent by dropping weight slowly and getting my fitness to a place where I was able to take short notice fights. Building on top of this we hit the accelerator hard for the two weeks. The two weeks consisted of sharpening up the skills I already possessed, drilling techniques to shut down taller opponents, rehearsing techniques to defend and capitalise on karate styled kicks, and lots of sparring.
With the weight class increase I was already underweight making this camp unique as there was no weight cut. I could focus on training and recovery without expending extra energy to lose the weight. I was anxious through the lead up with the nerves keeping me up at night, this fight came with a lot more pressure as I've not fought since Nov 2019. It had also been a while since I had experienced the adrenaline that comes with it all.
Having said this, as the fly out day arrived to Singapore, everything felt clear. No nerves, no anxiety, just silent confidence and excitement. We faced a speed bump in the days before leaving - our application to leave Perth had been declined, so we had to reapply and luckily we eventually gained approval, so just getting to the airport was a challenge in itself!
Although not empty, Perth airport had an eeriness to it. Even though there was only 30 odd people lining up for check in, it took twice as long as ‘normal’ with the extra paperwork, temperature checks and health screening required in order to leave the country.
Arriving in Singapore was completely different to Perth. Every staff member was decked out head to toe in PPE, it felt like more of a clinic than an airport. There were twice as many checks and protocols to go through than Perth. From departing the plane to getting in the car for the hotel, it probably took us over 2 hours. Once through customs we were taken directly to a testing point attached to the airport where our documents were checked again and new COVID tests were performed. Although it took a while, experiencing how serious everything was treated gave me a sense of security. Singapore was amongst the lucky few that did well dealing with the initial outbreak as well as managing/containing the subsequent cases, and it was easy to see why.
Steve and myself were picked up by a private car and taken to the hotel where we were given separate rooms and directed to not leave until the COVID results returned. The next day once we received the negative result and was able to interact with each other. We were given access to a schedule, which enabled us to book in time slots to use the training rooms, gym and pool. This was limited to two sessions a day, with sessions lasting 45 minutes. Each training room was a single hotel room with all furniture removed and mats put on the floor. Although not the best facilities, it was enough to do pad work, groundwork and light controlled sparring. We had 5 days before fight day. Between morning and night training sessions, the days consisted of medical check ups, interviews, photo shoots, weigh-ins and the face off. The weigh in took place the afternoon after the face offs. It was different to all those I'd experienced in the past. Being a hydrated weight, I was required to give a urine sample which was completed under supervision. The stage fright was real, it took me over 5 minutes to eventually pee. Once the specific gravity of the urine was tested (to confirm I was well hydrated) I was allowed to weigh in. Official weight came up 58.65kg, well under the 60.6kg agreement. I had made no effort to cut weight, but also no effort to gain weight. Being comfortable and confident with where my strength and overall fitness was, I didn’t feel it necessary.
The morning of the fight I woke up at 5.30am in order to have an early breakfast. Being the first morning fight I'd ever experienced I wanted to make sure I was fuelled but with enough time to digest, so as to not to feel sluggish. We were then picked up from the hotel at 6.30 and taken to the stadium. The warm up areas consisted of large conference rooms separated by dividers, and to add to the large number of firsts I was experiencing, officials were provided to all athletes to have their hands wrapped. So for the first time Steve's expert hand wrapping skills were not required. We had about 45 minutes to stretch and warm up before show time.
Waiting behind the stage, ready to make the walk down to the cage, the feeling was electric. I was walking the fence between nervous and excited and with every step I was moving closer to the latter. I was ready more than I'd ever been. Everything felt in place, I knew the plan, I knew what I had to do, I just had to execute. I felt confident and strong and most importantly I believed in myself. Walking down the runway I was proud to represent my gym and with Steve behind me.
However, things don’t always go to plan. After losing the fight we were taken from the cage straight to the awaiting car. Within 15 minutes of the fight finishing we were back in the hotel room. Although overcome with a great amount of emotion, Steve was able to make light of the situation with his always terrible dad jokes until I was prepared to debrief and go over what happened.
Fighting gives us the highest highs, the feeling of victory is next to no other. But when we fall, it's a long way down. Every fighter understands this, you sacrifice so much to prepare only to come away empty handed, but we accept it. Win or lose we always look to the next fight, the next improvements, the next plan. This was no different, Steve and I had already started planning out what we needed to work moving forward. The rest of the day was spent in the hotel room watching hours of movies and playing card games, until it eventually hit 11pm and we were taken for our third COVID test.
The rest of the time in Singapore went quickly. We had three more days til we flew out. Many more card games were played and movies watched. We were allowed out to the gym and pool again only for 45 minute sessions. The fresh air and feeling of just being outside on the pool deck was enough to make it worthwhile. Flight day came, we checked our luggage and had enough time to get a coffee and play a few hands of uno before getting on the plane. Initially we were supposed to return to Perth but due to the temporary lockdown that had occurred, the number of returns had capped so we were redirected to Brisbane. Brisbane airport was being manned by mainly federal police officers. The processes took almost as long as they had in Singapore. We were moved through and put on buses and taken to the hotel we were assigned. Fortunately we were put on the first bus and sat at the front. This meant we were first off once arriving at the hotel. The process of getting off the bus and checked into our rooms took about an hour so I can only imagine how long it took the poor person on the last of the three bus loads. We also got lucky the hotel was able to facilitate an adjoining room for myself and Steve. This meant we had two seperate bedrooms and an adjoining living area, allowing us to train and hang out, but also to have our space when Steve jokes got too terrible. This was the part I was least looking forward to, the idea of two weeks in quarantine was terrifying. I had no idea how I'd respond to it, physically or mentally. I put in place a daily routine that I wanted to achieve to give myself a sense of purpose. This was the biggest help as my days didn’t feel wasted or pointless. Being isolated with Steve meant we were able to get our pads and grappling sessions in. We hired a stationary bike, which helped get a bit of sweat on. I also made a point of hitting a minimum of 7000 steps a day and to work on my mobility which I had never made a priority in my regular training days. As a side note I enjoyed eating outside of my normal nutrition plan and having a few drinks with Steve every few nights. In the end, two weeks ended up flying by.
I never would have expected to be given an opportunity like this one, the whole experience was surreal and I am forever grateful that I have so many amazing people behind me that allowed me to pursue my passion and dreams. In Nov 2019, after winning GAMMA I was able to watch Colbey Northcutt make her One debut live. If I was told then I'd be fighting her for my debut, I never would have believed it! Although it wasn’t the outcome I’d hoped for, overall I was able to gain so much from this fight and I cannot wait to see what myself, my coach, and my gym are able to achieve in the next fight! Until next time!
- Courtney 'No Mercy' Martin.
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