After his recent breakthrough armbar submission win against UFC veteran, Curtis Stout, Zelg Galesic from the Trojan Gym was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions via e-mail.
How long have you been living and training in the UK?
I have been commuting between Croatia and England since 2002. I joined Trojan Free Fighters near the beginning of 2005.
What's it like training at the Trojan gym?
You get the full package. I have evolved in every aspect of the game; it doesn't matter if you're a striker, grappler or wrestler, you will always learn some new skills there. We have top coaches including Tony Myers, Paul Sutherland, Italo Ferrero and Charlie Joseph, among others. The team members are like a big family, we all look out for each other.
Have Martial Arts always been a part of your life?
Yes, for as long as I can remember, I was always competing in martial arts. My first fight was at 10 years of age. I competed in boxing, kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do. I fought around 300 matches before moving on to MMA.
Do you see an MMA bout as more of a fight, or as a sporting contest?
I see it as a sporting contest. I think if you take it seriously and look at MMA as a sport and think technically, you can achieve a lot more in the sport than if you are just in there to fight.
Fighting in pro MMA is a hard way to pay the bills – do you have a second job?
I do, I teach at an MMA club in Croatia when I'm there. I also work in security part time. I give Tae Kwon Do seminars, as I am a 4th degree Black Belt and multiple European and World champion.
All of your wins come in the first round, how would you explain that?
I train on my physical and mental conditioning. I want to be ready to take any chance that my opponent gives me at any second. Me winning all my fights in the first round, simply means that I took my chances early on.
Your Cage Rage debut was the impressive destruction of Michael "Rocky" Holmes which surprised many people – what do you remember of the whole experience?
Rocky was there for war and he wasn't afraid to trade with me. Unluckily for him, I was ready for that, technically and physically. It was a good fight for me to show my skills to the viewers who follow this well known organisation.
You looked very confident at the weigh in before fighting Curtis, which was a big step up in class - what mental preparation did you do for the fight?
I love this sport and fully enjoy it, so sharing the cage with someone of Curtis' level was an exciting prospect. To me, it's not about winning or losing, the most important thing is how you perform in the fight. I know I will always give 100% of myself and I step into the arena with this attitude.
Did you train anything specifically for Curtis?
Of course, mainly combinations against his left hook and I worked my footwork a lot.
How did the fight go, from your perspective?
I imagined that it would be very different to how it was. I knew Curtis may go for the shoot, but I was not expecting it so early. When we went to the ground, for one second he left his right arm, thinking to control my head so he could punish me with his left hook, but I took the chance and luckily managed to pull out an armbar.
Your next opponent, James Evans Nicholle, what do you know about him/what challenges does he present for you?
He is an all round fighter, who seems to take the fight as it comes. He is a tough guy and remains very composed in the fight.
There has also been talk of fighting Mark Weir down the line – what kind of fight would that be?
You never know with MMA, however, we are both technical and explosive strikers and both Tae Kwon Do champions. I think that the crowd would like this match up. I'm sure there would be some fast exchanges.
Are there any other middleweights out there that you want to face?
Everybody who is rated better than me and, for now, there's a big choice.
What do you think about the relationship between Cage Rage and Pride?
It's a good thing for everybody involved. It gives a greater variety of match ups and opportunities for the fighters. There are no easy pay days for the Pride fighters any more because British MMA has evolved immensely of late!
What are your ambitions in MMA?
I want to go all the way! Of course, there are millions of others who want the same thing, so it's going to be hard task.
Have you got anything to add – or anyone to thank?
I want to thank my wife, Angela, who always supports and encourages me. Also my friends, James Thompson and Charlie Joseph and all my mates from the Trojan Gym for believing in me.
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MMA Universe
