Amy Kaplan: Resilience, Recovery, and Redefining Media in MMA

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hello, and welcome to the getsfitz podcast with your host, Breezy. Today's guest is Amy Kaplan. A powerhouse, should we call it, in MMA journalism? It's really good to have you. You're just back from a trip from Georgia, right? [00:00:15] Speaker B: Yes, Georgia the country. I always have to specify because everyone thinks I just went to Georgia the state, and they're like, that's not that exciting. [00:00:23] Speaker A: So how do they compare? Have you been to both Georgia the state and Georgia the country? [00:00:27] Speaker B: I had. They're very different culturally. Very, very different. [00:00:32] Speaker A: I can imagine. What was. What was. I suppose some of the highlights from your trip to Georgia, and was there anything new that you learned about the kind of. The culture there? [00:00:39] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, everything. Because, you know, I've been twice. So this was my second trip. The first time I went, I went to, like, the big city Tbilisi, which is where a lot of the tourists go. That's their capital. And it was just like a big city, like New York. Everywhere else, you know, of course, there was different culture. But this time, we went out into the country about four hours away from Tbilisi. So I think I really got the real Georgia this time, which was really interesting. You know, we went to some museums and, like, these. We went on this rafting trip down the most beautiful river I've ever seen in my life. I mean, just, like, crazy. The thing with Georgia is, like, you can't explain it till you're there, but it really is one of the most beautiful, friendly places I've ever been in my life. [00:01:24] Speaker A: It's. It is a strange one, because I've never, ever considered, like, visiting there as, like, a holiday. It's not one of those people, like, places that I go, yeah, let's go on holiday there. It's. It's. Yeah. But with the likes of Murab and Ilya making a map, that's a stamp on the map for the country. They're a lot more prominent. I was. Sorry. [00:01:44] Speaker B: No, I was just gonna say, like, we were driving, and there were, like, you know, gas stations along the side of the freeway, and there were, like, billboards with Merab on it, which was really weir. I was like, oh. But I was going too fast to take pictures, but. And then I went into a cab, and the guy had, like, an air freshener that had Ilia and Rob on it and said, like, UFC champion. So, like, they're so proud of them there. You. I mean, everywhere I went, people were, you know, when they realized why I was there and that I would work for the ufc, and stuff like that, or with the ufc. People were asking me about them, and. And it was. They're just so proud. And they're proud of their country, too. That's one thing. They just want to. They want you to have the most amazing time there. Like, they'll bend over backwards to make it great for you. [00:02:23] Speaker A: Oh, that's so good. I remember seeing the clip or the video of Morab on the bus when he came back, and, like, the whole streets were just absolutely swarmed with people. So it's really cool to see a sport like that taking off. I was doing my research, I was looking through, and I saw that you'd also visited the uk where I'm from. [00:02:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:02:41] Speaker A: And one thing that quite fascinated me, she posted a picture on Instagram with. With a few books in the Tudor period. And I. Oh, yeah, I got that as something that you're probably quite interested in, because I think during your trip, you. You kind of focused a little bit around seeing some of those things. [00:02:56] Speaker B: Yes, I. I'm a big tutors buff. I mean, like, I have. You can't see, but back there, I have about, like, four bookshelves, and three of them are full of tutor books. [00:03:07] Speaker A: Oh, really? [00:03:08] Speaker B: Okay. [00:03:08] Speaker A: I didn't realize it was quite that deep. [00:03:10] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, it's deep. It's very deep. I actually have a King Henry VIII tattoo. [00:03:15] Speaker A: Oh, really? [00:03:16] Speaker B: Yeah. On the back of my neck, I have the Roman numeral 8. [00:03:19] Speaker A: Which question I think is perfect for you? The Tudor period, as you know, is filled with dramatic figures and power struggles. If you could sit down with anyone from the Tudors for a candid, no hold barred conversation, whether it be Henry viii, Elizabeth the first, or maybe someone less talked about, like Mary Tudor, who would it be? And what burning question would you want to ask them about their reign or life? [00:03:43] Speaker B: Oh, my God. I think it would be Anne Boleyn. And I would just want to ask how much of everything was her idea and how much of it were the men, the men in her life forcing her to do things, you know, because I think she got a bad rap. And I wonder, like, how I know, because part of me is like, maybe she did really want to do everything that she did, you know, that she. That later happened. But then part of me is like, was she just a pawn? You know? So I want. I would. I wanted to know, like, what her. Her role in it really was. [00:04:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I love that one. I was quite excited. I'm happy you had that reaction, because sometimes you have it and people go. [00:04:26] Speaker B: You really did your research. Wow. Nobody's ever asked me that. I would. I would love to. I've always wanted to write a book, but I feel like I've read so much that I'm like, what story could I tell from that time period? And so I sort of, like, gone outside, outside, outside. And I want to write now a novel about a alleged affair that the late Queen's. Queen Elizabeth's husband allegedly had. And, like, the aftermath of that. So, like, with an actress. So it's a. It's a historical novel. Kind of imagine, like, what I think happened. So that's what I'm working on now. [00:05:02] Speaker A: Where did your interest in kind of, like, the British monarchy kind of come from? [00:05:07] Speaker B: You know, I don't really know. Like, I don't remember. I remember seeing. Or either I either saw the Anne Boleyn movie or read the Anne Boleyn book. I don't remember which one came first. And then I wanted to know more about, like, what happened next. And then I realized, wow, there's a lot more that happened before and then after. And then you know, all. Just the. You know, even before King Henry, because it was like my obsession with King Henry viii and then all the wives. And then I was like, well, how did he come into power? And then realizing he wasn't supposed to be king? So then I wanted to read, like, what happened before that and that king, you know, all these. So then it got into the Cousins War, and it was like all this stuff. So I've just kind of, like, branched out before and after. I just like to know things. So when I have a question, I want to go into, like, what it. What else is there? And there was. There's an author called Philippa Gregory who would just love everything she's written. So that's kind of what started. It was really her books. [00:06:05] Speaker A: As someone who's clearly passionate about books, imagine you could spend a day inside the world of any novel ever created. What literature universe would you choose to live in? And what would be the first thing you'd do once you got there? [00:06:18] Speaker B: My gosh. That is such a hard question. Oh, my God. I read a lot of historical fiction, so it would be more like a time period, I think, rather than like a fictional world. I don't really read much fantasy or anything like that, but. Oh, my gosh. Oh, that's so hard. I mean, the first thing that jumps into my mind is, like, Pride and Prejudice, like, living in that time and seeing what everything was like then. That time period. Be cool. [00:06:55] Speaker A: Yeah, I'M gonna be honest, I've seen that there's loads of, like, series and there's a few books, but I've never watched it myself. [00:07:03] Speaker B: Oh, you can't. You have to watch the Keira Knightley version. [00:07:07] Speaker A: Okay. What's the difference between that and other versions? [00:07:10] Speaker B: I think that one's just more. Well, it's a movie rather than a miniseries, because usually they're miniseries and so they take longer. And this one is more. It's not modern, but it's, like, definitely more current. So a lot of the other ones are much older. And so it's just. It's an. It's a beautiful movie. There's a lot of really pretty scenes in it. [00:07:34] Speaker A: I saw as well that you're quite into your. Your punk music. And punk is all about, like, rebellion, raw energy and authenticity. If you could go back in time and be front row at any iconic punk show, whether it's the Clash, the Ramones, or a more underground band, who would it be and why? [00:07:48] Speaker B: You know, I'm gonna. I'm gonna throw a loop. It wouldn't be punk, it would be the Beatles. Yeah, I'm obsessed with the Beatles as well. That's my other obsession. The other half of the bookshelf is all Beatles books. So it had to be a Beatles, but it would have to be like Cavern Club Beatles. Like, right at the beginning, I think. Yeah. Or right at the end when everything was, like, going to shit. Then I could just watch all the drama unfold. [00:08:13] Speaker A: How would you say the Beatles is, like, influenced your outlook on life and your approach to what you do? Obviously, I can see the key ring, as we mentioned. [00:08:21] Speaker B: But, yeah, I think. I think the fact that they were able to remain popular through so many different changes and styles, you know, they started out very, you know, poppy and happy and whatever, and then they ended up in this very, like, psychedelic experimental thing. And it's like. But they remain popular the whole time. And they were able to. I mean, of course, I wasn't alive during the time, so I don't know what people were talking about, but, like, it felt very organic and it felt like it made sense, you know, and they were able to remain themselves the whole time. [00:08:56] Speaker A: What's your favorite Beatles song? [00:08:59] Speaker B: Let It Be. [00:09:01] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, I like that one quite tune also as a real random one. But when I was. When I was growing up in school, there was a conversation once which was talking about Lucy in the sky with Diamonds and everyone was arguing, and you might actually know if you know the Beatles really well. Everyone used to say it was about LSD because it's quite a hypnotic, chancey thing. But then everyone else said you it wasn't. So I never really knew if it is about LSD or not. [00:09:28] Speaker B: They've said it wasn't about it, but I think. I think it is. You know what I mean? Like, I think that the person gonna say no, they're not gonna be like, yeah, it was about lsd. I feel like they. They say. They say no, but yeah, why not? If that's a. If that's the interpretation that so many people got from it, then who cares what the actual point of it was? If that's the way that people took it, you know, like, that's the message people got from it. [00:09:55] Speaker A: So MMA isn't just the sport, the only sport that you're into. I saw that you're quite a big Dodgers fan, which comes with its fair share of highs and lows. If you could relive one unforgettable Dodgers moment, which one would it be and why? [00:10:12] Speaker B: Well, I know exactly what. This is. So easy. Sean Green, and I forget the exact details. Sean Green, I believe, hit four home runs in one game, or five home runs in one game, something like that. And I remember I wasn't at the game. I was driving in a car. We were listening to it on the radio. So I feel like I would want to see it because I got to hear it and live it that way, but I would love to see it for. In person. [00:10:37] Speaker A: That is brilliant. Yeah, I really like that one. [00:10:39] Speaker B: Really? [00:10:39] Speaker A: Yeah, that's brilliant. I've never really got into baseball myself. We've got like, cricket, which is like a quintessentially British kind of sport. [00:10:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:49] Speaker A: And I know they're similar, but the idea of trying to hit the ball. Yeah. I can't do it. [00:10:56] Speaker B: You know, I suppose it's funny because here it's very controversial too, because a lot of people think it's boring, and I understand that it probably is boring for people. I. You have to fall in love with it in person, I think, before you can really watch it on tv. Because it's hard to watch on TV if you're not, like, already into it. It's not exciting. But I like sports. That. And I think MMA is like this where, like, it's one moment that can change the whole turn of it, where so you're holding your breath, waiting for that moment, and it's like that with baseball, you know, it's like. And with something like basketball, which I don't like, it's so much scoring that it doesn't get exciting till they're right at the end. When it's like, that's when those scores matter where, like the whole point, the whole game, you're like, well, you can score like 100 more times before the end of the game. So it's like not exciting to me. Whereas people, there are people that love that because it's so fast and they don't like baseball because there's not enough action. It's like you, you like one or the other. [00:11:54] Speaker A: I like that because we've got. A lot of people can find it boring. We've got a contrast here between soccer or football, as we call it, and rugby. Whereas rugby is like a really fast paced, action packed, kind of hitting contact sport. And football is. Can be quite a slow game sometimes, but it's the suspense and the build up that leads to the goal which provides the excitement. And I guess baseball's the same where you're waiting for someone to hit the ball and you're watching it go and then it goes. And everyone goes. Goes mental, right? [00:12:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. That's how it is with baseball because you watch it fly and they're like, is it going to go out? Is it going to be a foul? Is it going to be a home run? Like, what is it? You know, so that's exciting. [00:12:35] Speaker A: I love that you've been covering MMA for a while now. Do you remember the first ever fight you ever watched and how did it make you feel? [00:12:44] Speaker B: Yes, I remember because I did not watch before I started covering it. So I never saw it on tv. Never saw a single thing. Never. I didn't even. I mean, I was still when I walked into a fight. So I went to Bellator 131. It was Tito versus Stefan Bonner, I believe. And I didn't know who either. Those people were. Like, their names meant nothing to me. I didn't. I thought the rules were that there were no rules. Like, I really believed everything that the stereotype was. And so I walked in and I had a photo pass, but I didn't know. I was really. I didn't know what to expect. So I, I sat for a little bit in the media row and I watched and I was. It was really hard for me to watch. I didn't like it. It was too much. I was like, oh, I don't like this. This is scary. Like, everyone's getting hurt. But I knew. I'm like, well, I'm gonna try to take some photos. So I took A few photos. And I realized that taking the photos, like, separated me from a little bit, so it didn't feel as scary or uncomfortable to me. So that's how I started really getting into it. And I remember distinctly, I think it was Melvin Manoff. I could be wrong about this name, Melvin Manoff. And Joe Schilling came out, and I remember looking at them and being like, well, there's no way this Joe's guy is going to win. Like, he's like this scrawny looking, like, whatever. And he knocked him out cold. Like, out cold. And then I was like, okay, this is interesting. And then I went home and Googled, like a documentary on the sport because I just wanted to learn more. And then I saw the whole weight cut thing and I was like, they did this after doing that, like, so that's how I fell in love with it. And I just, like I said, like, if I get into something, I really get into it and I get obsessive. And that's how I was with mma. I just started watching every documentary, asking all my friends what fights should I watch. And then I went back and watched some old fights and I just fell in love with it. [00:14:31] Speaker A: As someone that kind of sits between the two, what's the most unexpected thing you've kind of learned from a comparison, I suppose, between MMA fighters and celebrities in that kind of entertainment industry? [00:14:43] Speaker B: I mean, the accessibility to MMA fighters is crazy. The fact that I could just DM1 and they're gonna respond most likely. I mean, obviously not like Conor McGregor, but actually he did respond to one DM and I was like, what? But, but yeah, just that the way the fans have access to fighters more than a celebrity, I think is really unique. And even other, other athletes, you can't, you know, you're not going to walk through a casino and see fighters, like, walking out. I mean, you're going to go in a casino and watch fighters walking around after their fight, but you're not going to go to a casino and watch, like, see NFL players like, walking around after the game. Like, everyone goes into hiding, you know. So I think that accessibility was something that really surprised me, was how easy it was to just interact with the fighters, which I think is really unique. [00:15:31] Speaker A: Yeah. And your, your front row to those fighters once they've won the event. So energies can be super high or super depleted, depending on how the fight went. And they're full of, you know, endorphins and, and what's the word I'm looking for when you Adrenaline there we Go. [00:15:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:48] Speaker A: And it could be quite chaotic. What's. What's the wildest thing that's happened to you whilst cage side? [00:15:54] Speaker B: Hmm. I mean, I remember a fighter one time after the fight, came to me and was like, did you see me wink at you? And I'm like, no, why are you winking at me? Like, Like, I saw you out there and I winked at you and I'm like, you're fighting. So I didn't see it, but he had said that, and I thought that would. If I had seen that, that'd been really wild. There was a. You know, John Silva, he had a fight recently in Denver, and I was sitting front row and he kept, like, mimic, like, doing things like, like interacting with me between rounds because I was right there by his corner. So, like before the, you know, when the corners left and before, like the few seconds before it starts, he would like, wave or like, do like a weird little like. And I'm like, what are you doing? Why are you. You know. So that was kind of wild. And he would, like, he would point. Like, he was doing like the hallway thing where he would, like, he was pointing. It's like, I'm gonna get him down, I'm gonna get him down. You know, like, to me, I'm like, what do you. It was just. It was weird that it was like that I was so close that I could have that interaction. And the whole. I remember he waved the first time and I turned around, I was like, who's he waving at? And there was nobody behind me. Oh, it's me. So that was really. That was a really cool, fun experience. [00:17:06] Speaker A: Yeah, that's super cool. I like that. It's quite a crazy story as well. And you've also got another crazy story with Chris Cyborg, one of them. Oh, yeah. Fighters in the mma. There's this wild moment that I saw that really. I mean, it might change the dynamic between you two, but I think you had quite a good relationship prior to this. You had a car accident, didn't you, where she ended up driving you home afterwards. What happened that day and how did that experience kind of relate, like, shape your relationship with her? [00:17:36] Speaker B: Well, I knew Chris from the pink belt that she does. She. I don't think she has done one in a while, but she has. Has, like this group where she has real girls that don't train. You know, some of them do, but for the most part, just normal girls that come together and they have a weekend and we sleep in the gym and sleeping bags and we train and we have, like team building things and we go have dinner and, you know, Chris stays and she sleeps there with us. Like, it's a very. It was a very fun, like, girls thing. I remember we did one for Halloween. We all dressed up and then did like a dance class, like in costumes and stuff. So that's how I knew her. And, like, we have a group chat with all the girls that have done it so she'll like, tell us her fights before they get announced or like, hey. And so we'll all go together and watch the fights and that sort of thing. So it's very much like a girlfriend, like, secret little club, you know, not secret, but, you know, little club of us. And I had gone to. I driven to San Diego. So we. She lives in Orange County, I live in Orange County. And San Diego is about a two hour drive. Where I was was about a two hour drive. And I was going to interview Liz Car mooch. And I was just getting off the freeway and I spun out in the rain, had been raining. I hit the side of the freeway, head on, bounced off, spun around and hit it again, and then landed facing the opposite direction in like the. Like, the grass was terrifying. And. Yeah. And I'm sitting in the car and I tweet, I think I put something on Facebook. And I said, because I had a lot of friends in San Diego. I said, is there anyone around that I can go sit with while I wait for a ride? Because I was gonna just have my mom come get me. And I mean, within seconds, her. I call him her husband. But Ray LB is her boyfriend, her fiance. He messaged me, texted me and said, where are you? Chris is on her way. I mean, she had already gotten in the car and started driving. So she. I end up getting towed. And then I got an Uber to where she was. She was getting her hair done. So I sat there and got, you know, while she got her hair done, and it was really cute. She put a wig on when I got there that had. At the time I had bangs. So she got this wig that had bangs and she's like, look, I look like you. And we took a selfie with two bangs, you know, and then she drove me home and she had me. She had lunch waiting for me. And I mean, it was night. It wasn't even like a. Like, do you want me to do this? It was like, I'm doing this. This is what's happening. Like, you're coming with me now. Like, it was just like. It wasn't even a. It wasn't even a thought to her, you know, to, like, not do that. [00:20:09] Speaker A: It's incredible because we. Especially with the work you do and being a fan myself, like, you kind of, as you say, you get a lot of access to these fighters pre events and stuff like that and after the events. But I've always seen Chris Cyborg because she's such a. A prominent female figure in the MMA scene. Been around for what feels like forever. To have an experience with someone like that, which is so genuine, seems, like incredible. And, yeah, I'm happy that. [00:20:36] Speaker B: Genuine is the perfect word for her. She. She really is one of the nicest people. I. I would safely say the nicest person I've ever met. I mean, she really has a really big heart. I know that sometimes, like, her. Her Twitter account maybe doesn't quite show off that because it's. That's part of the game, you know, that's her. You know, it's fighting. She has to have a little bit of edge. But, yeah, if you ever interact with her in person. I've never heard a single person ever say anything bad about her in person unless it was somebody who was going to fight her. [00:21:06] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, okay. Yeah. From being around the game for so long and from interacting with people that are up and coming all the way, though, all the way to the top. I mean, you've done interviews with the likes of Dana White and stuff like that on the cameras and stuff, but if you could pick one fighter whose career you followed, the closest, who would it be? [00:21:27] Speaker B: Ooh, the closest. I mean, I hate. I kind of hate to say it, but it's probably Connor, because I remember getting into it. Like, I said, my first fight was 130, Bellator 131, which was 2014, I believe, November 2014. So almost 2015. And, like, that was when Connor was becoming really popular. And I remember I hadn't seen a UFC fight still. It was still just Bellator. And I remember watching on tv Connor jump over the cage and go up to Aldo and sorry. And that was the first time I'd seen that because. So, I don't know, Like, I. I hate to say it because it's, like, so cliche. It was such a casual thing to say, but, like, that's the truth, you know? Like, that's. That was the first time I really, like, got excited about the stuff happening outside the cage because I liked the fighting, of course, but that was when I was like, oh, my gosh, what's this? I didn't know who Jose. Jose Aldo was. At the time. [00:22:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:21] Speaker B: I'm like, who's that guy that he's yelling at? Why is he yelling at him? Like, what's going on? So that, so that. I think I followed that career a lot and. Because that was the first fighter that got me excited about it in that way. [00:22:34] Speaker A: I think for a lot of fans or most fans these days, this is exactly the same. Kind of such a big personality, brought so many eyes to the sport that I. I think most people I speak to when we're at like the UFC London events are like, yeah, Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor. [00:22:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:22:50] Speaker A: Fighters are known for their pre fight rituals. Do you have any, like, pre interview rituals or superstitions? [00:23:02] Speaker B: I don't, I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think I do. I. Yeah, I don't think I do. I gotta think about that. Yeah, I don't think I have anything. I mean, I definitely have fighters where, like, if the interview went bad, then I'm like, oh, I don't want to interview them again. Like, more. I'm always really scared. I'm really nervous because I don't. I'm always worried. I still to this day feel like I'm like a fraud. Like I'm. Because I. I feel like I'm brand new to this still. And I feel like they're gonna realize, I don't know, like, I don't know what happened before 2015 or 2014. Like, they're gonna, they're gonna figure me out. I remember the first time I ever did an interview was with this guy named Ian Butler for Bellator. He was on that car 131, and I got an immediate credential. And they, And Bellator messaged me, said, hey, do you want to interview this guy? And I was like, sure. You know, I didn't want to say no, but I didn't know anything about it. And I remember interviewing him and we talked for like an hour, and finally at the end of it, I just admitted to him, like, hey, I don't know what I'm doing. I've never seen a fight before. And he told me, like, I didn't, I couldn't tell. And we're like best friends to this day. Like, he's like my brother now. He actually ended up living with me for a year. We became, like, very close. Yeah, he. He really helped me learn all the rules of fighting. And he taught me, like, the weight classes and all the different rules. And I remember he would, when he was living with me, he would be watching something on his iPad. I'm like, what are you watching? And he said, the MMA hour. And then like, three hours later, what are you watching? The MMA hour. And I thought he was binge watching it. I didn't know. It was like, it really went forever. So just things like that, you know, he really helped me a lot. That was not answering your question at all, but. [00:24:49] Speaker A: No, but, yeah, it was a great answer. [00:24:52] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:24:53] Speaker A: One thing. So we've. We're proactively against the fence, trying to kind of get that press media credentials, and we've spoken to the relevant people now and we've got coverage. Well, hopefully we'll have someone present at UFC London next year. Would you have any kind of, like, tips or advice? Because that's like, you. That's like. You've done that a hell of a lot, been in that situation where you're behind the scenes, the fight's just finished. Would you have any tips for us potentially or anyone else that wants to do it? [00:25:21] Speaker B: Yeah, I think for me, it took me a while to kind of realize, like, the process of it. There's a very. The UFC is very organized and they're very rigid in. In a way that is unlike any other promotion, which is good and bad. It's good because you know exactly what kind of content you can get going into it, but it's bad because you can't be as creative as, say, like a Bellator. They'll let you do a little bit more. The ufc, you kind of have to decide if you're only one person, you kind of have to decide what you want to get. Do you want cage side, you know, the videos of them walking in and out? Do you want it? Do you really want to experience the front row fight, or do you want me be in the back talking to the fighters? Because it's hard to do both. I got to the point where I was kind of. I don't want to say over it, but I really enjoyed talking to the fighters more than just sitting there and watching the fights. I've done it enough at this point. It's not special and exciting to me anymore. I still do go out there occasionally when there's a fight I really want to see, but for the most part, I really enjoy just sitting in the back. I can watch it on tv and then, because you don't know when the fighter is going to come back, they can just come back when they're done with medicals or done with their interviews, and then I get to interact with them that way. I really Enjoy that part. So you kind of have to decide which one you want to do and then. And you can go back and forth, but for the most part, I try to choose one or the other for an event. [00:26:42] Speaker A: Do you. Do you normally do it yourself as an individual? [00:26:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't have any help. I've always done it by myself. [00:26:49] Speaker A: I mean, that's bonkers thinking about it, because we've been given the potential credential for one person and to think, like, getting. Setting up, taking the video, editing the video, putting the video out, like, it's quite a lot for such a short time. Time frame. [00:27:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:05] Speaker A: Is there anything very simple, potentially, that you've got on, like your laptop or something like that that sped it up or may change the process for you massively? [00:27:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I wouldn't say. Well, I. I sit next to. I'm going to shout him out because he has helped me so much. Kenny Hathaway. He is MMA junkies, videographer. He always sits next to me. That's one thing is you'll get an assigned seat. So I'm always assigned next to him. We joke that we hate it. We, like, argue like an old married couple. It's funny. But we sit next to each other at every event. But he helps me so much, so he's helped me to kind of streamline my process. He's helped me, like, find the right microphones and the right cords and the right programs on my laptop. Like, everything is done by Kenny. So anything I'm going to tell you now is all Kenny's. Kenny's doing. But generally what I do is I have two or three memory cards. I'll hit record. I have the tripod. I'll hit record at the beginning of the interview. As soon as they're off the stage, I take that out, put it in, put the next fresh memory card in. And then there's usually enough time to do the editing between the next fight. But you have to remember next time the guy comes in. But you have to remember you're also still trying to watch the fights. So it's. You really have to use your ears and not your eyes, which is one thing that people. When I tweet, sometimes I'll say something and then they'll be like, oh, my God, I can't believe you said that. I'm thinking, like, I'm only listening. I'm not saying this. So sometimes I'll get stuff wrong. Because if you're hearing it and you're hearing the commentary, sometimes it's not correct or so you have to really learn to multitask. And then while. While the fight's going on, I'll be editing get it up on YouTube. I have templates where I just toss the lower third on there with the person's name, and I have the templates made ahead of time for every fight on the card. And then I just pop in whoever the winner is, and then I just pop it on YouTube. I try not to be. Kenny would hate this, but I don't do, like, the audio. I don't check to make sure the levels are this and that. I just put it up, you know, so that's what I do. [00:29:01] Speaker A: The. The social media part of kind of growing yourself as a brand, as an individual can come with a lot of pros and cons. And recently, you faced some really tough moments online with online bullying. What's been inspiring to me is the way that you've handled it and then the outpour of support you've received. Big names in the industry. Can you talk about how this experience has impacted you personally and professionally? [00:29:27] Speaker B: Yeah. Online bullying. I mean, I was. I've been bullied my entire life. You know, it's not anything new. I don't. I don't. I just say this carefully. It's. Of course I care what people say about me. Everybody does. You're lying if you say you don't. The average Joe on Twitter tweeting that I'm ugly or fat or stupid or a whore or whatever it is they want to say, that doesn't really bother me. I don't know who you are. I don't care about you. Whatever. It's when the bullying goes to a level that is like, MMA guru. It's not that I care what he says, but he has a platform of millions of people. And then it's like, the amount of bullying at one time is really hard because you get the people that react to him texting me or, you know, messaging me, saying, I should die, you know, saying things about my child. Like, it's. It's not. It's the mass volume of it. It's not what they're saying, because I don't care. I know I'm fat. Like, hello, I have a mirror. Like, I don't think that that's a bad thing. You know, like, it's just. It's my body. It's how I was. This is how I was made. Like, that's just how it is. You know, I'm 43 years old. I've always been fat. I think I was not fat for, like, one year in, like, 2019. So, like, that was, you know, so it's. And I'm happy. I'm happy. Like, I don't care what people think about me. But seeing. Also seeing the support was really. That really meant a lot to me. Like, when Bisping tweeted about it, I was. I mean, Florida. It's just. It's because I got a lot of dms from fighters supporting me. But it's one thing to, like, support me in private and then to support me publicly like they did. That's another thing, because I'm getting bullied in public. And so my support in public is really. Really meant a lot to me. You know, the Nina thing, a lot of people said that, you know, she made it worse. I don't think that she did. She made it better for me. It made me feel really good that there's a little bit of a backstory there that I haven't really said. I said. I think I commented one time on a post about it. But the reason she stood up for me, a lot of people think it was to, you know, draw attention to her. And that was not. I didn't feel like that at all. Nina was so. That day that I did that in that press conference. I don't speak at the press conferences that often. Most mostly, the reason is because of where I'm sitting. I usually sit right in the middle so I can get the best photo shot. So it's hard to get out of my seat to ask questions. But also because I don't want to be on camera. You know, I choose usually to not be on camera for this reason. You know, I don't want to be. I don't want to put myself out there, you know, so I just avoid it. But that day, there wasn't as much media. The UFC came to me, asked if I would ask a question. I'm not going to say no to them. They have helped me out a lot. So I said yes. I told. I told the guy who asked me. I'm like, I'm very nervous. I just. I had a feeling like, you know, I had that feeling, a woman's intuition. Something bad was going to happen. And I was sitting there with Nina, and she could tell I was nervous. And so I said to her, I'm really nervous. I don't want to do this. I'm worried about the. The fans are going to say about me. I mean, I literally said to her exactly what ended up happening. I said, people are going to criticize Me, I don't want to be out in public. And she really encouraged me and made me feel better so that when I got up and did it, I felt like, I can do this because Nina's behind me, you know, And I did it, and I sat back down, and she's like, you did great. You did awesome. Whatever. And I was like, that's great. And then I got my Uber back to my room, and I saw it, and I was like, really? Like, within hours. Like, not maybe an hour. I was like, I couldn't even be happy and confident for an hour, you know, And I think that that's why, when she saw that, she knew what I had gone through the moments before, and so that's why she spoke up, you know, she. I don't think she did it for herself. Sure, maybe she. Maybe she did get some followers from it or get whatever. Who cares? I don't care. You know, I felt really good in that moment that she did that for me. [00:33:26] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's like you said earlier that doing it via the DM and doing it publicly are two very different things, because you open yourself up also to be a target in ways, I suppose. And someone like Nina, who people are already opinionated on right then. Then putting herself across, it just. It's just really heartbreaking for me to, like, have it where you were having that conversation with it before, and then straight away it's happened. Like, that's. Yeah, it's absolutely horrible. There's a lot of people that are also aspiring to kind of do the same role as you and be in that. What message would you want to share with others, especially those in particular? Should we just say the media rather than content creators who might face similar changes, challenges? [00:34:11] Speaker B: I think the biggest challenge is that you have to be prepared to not make any money doing it. It's very hard to make a living doing it. So as long as you do it because you love it, then the money, I mean, of course we all have to make money, but it's. It makes it worth it, you know, do it because you love it, not because you want to make money and do it because you love it, not because you want to be known and famous for it and be. Be ready for. You know, I got this advice a long time when I first started. Someone told me I can't read exactly what he said. He said something like, nobody is your friend in this sport. You know, the other media may pretend to be friends, but everybody behind your back is going to try to get your job or Whatever. And I thought at the time, I was like, God, that's so sad. But that's how he thinks. Because I was like, that is not what it's like. But now that I've been in it almost 20 years, it. That is what it's like. And you have to be prepared for that. And there obviously are really good people, but you have to remember, like, you have to do this for yourself. Like, you. You take the opportunity. Don't worry about, you know, just fight for yourself. Be. You have to be cutthroat a little bit. Like, don't be rude, don't be mean, don't steal jobs. But, like, be. But, you know, like, this is. This is. You don't. Don't turn down a job because you think it's gonna, like, hurt someone's feelings or like, oh, well, my friend also interviewed for it. And I don't want to, you know, take the job. If you're offered the job, take the job, you know, but the good things about it is that it's very easy. It's a lot easier than people think to make. To accomplish your goals. If you really just work for it. If you really, really work for it, if you want it, you can make it happen. You can. Look at what I did. I wasn't even a fan. I never watched before. Be yourself. Be authentic. Don't try to be a character because the characters don't last. Be yourself. And also, another good thing is to learn a lot of tools. Don't just write. Don't just do video, don't just do photography. Do. Do a little bit of everything, because that's going to help you get the job if you can have a lot of skills. [00:36:23] Speaker A: I write these questions in a way which is like, to portray to people that might want to do this or are doing this as well, but I think they're actually just for me at this point. [00:36:33] Speaker B: Well, you're doing great. I mean, just. Yeah, just keep doing it. That's the thing is just keep doing it. Even if you have one, One follower, one viewer, keep doing it. Because you just never know when that thing will pop off. [00:36:44] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And then, you know, and then it runs. Yeah, right. That's the. That's the, like, really kind of nitty, gritty, sad bit out of the way. Because I don't want to get this to, like, you know, the levels go down. So, yeah, get off of it. If you were ever to host your own fight night, which two fighters from any era would you have mainline the main headline? [00:37:05] Speaker B: The main Event Cyborg versus Ronda Rousey. [00:37:09] Speaker A: Okay. [00:37:10] Speaker B: It was the first thing that came to my mind quick. [00:37:13] Speaker A: I love that. [00:37:14] Speaker B: Yeah. I thought that would be a pay per view, though. Would not be a fight night. [00:37:18] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, good point. Good point. What's something about Amy Catlin that even your most loyal followers might not know? [00:37:30] Speaker B: I think people don't realize that I'm very shy. [00:37:35] Speaker A: Okay. [00:37:35] Speaker B: Like, I'm very shy. I think people. I. Obviously on Twitter, I'm not. Because I'm not talking to people. Like, I get very nervous interacting with fighters. It's. It's even, like I said, like, with Nina, I was like, I'm scared. I'm nervous. I don't want to do this. So, like, I'm very. I've stage fright, you know? Like, I think people don't. They think it comes easy to me or that I don't, but it's not. I'm terrified of it. And I'm. Like I said, I'm terrified that people will think I'm a fraud and, like, somebody will figure me out. Like, I don't know what I'm talking about. Like, that kind of thing. Even though I do know what I'm talking about. But I just feel like I'm gonna say something stupid and everyone's gonna be like, why. Why are you here? What are you doing? You know? [00:38:13] Speaker A: So, yeah, it's. It's. They go. It's imposter syndrome, right? [00:38:18] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:38:19] Speaker A: That kind of feeling, like, you shouldn't be there, but. And I used to get that a lot. And the way that I coped with it was I used to. I changed the way I thought about imposter syndrome. And I changed it. Changed it into making it. It into a mindset, which means that I'm growing myself because I'm not comfortable where I am. And that helped me massively kind of progress through that stage. If I ever have that. I think rather than thinking, oh, shit. And I think, right, this is where we grow. And it kind of helped me. It's random, but. Yeah, yeah, totally. [00:38:49] Speaker B: That's how. Well, that's how I was when I first started covering the fights. And, like, during the pandemic. And they had, like, the. Because before, they would have the fighters all. Like, for me, today, they have them all in a chair, and you could go to each one individually and interview them, whatever. And that was fine because I would just go to the ones that I knew or the ones that, like, I looked nice or, like, the ones I wasn't afraid of. So it didn't push me at all because I could just do what I what felt comfortable. But then when the pandemic happened and everybody's just at a table and we're all interviewing at the same time, I just sat there quiet. I'm like, well, I'm just not going to interview them. I'll let everybody else do it. And it was probably weeks and weeks and weeks. And Kenny, I remember Kenny said, you're going to, you're going to ask a question today and we're not going to say anything. So if you don't ask this question, we're going to sit here really awkwardly silent with the spider up there. And so I was like, oh my God. So I asked a question. I was like, oh, okay, I did it. And then I'm like, let me do the next one. So then it became now I asked like, if John's not there, I asked the first question at every post fight because I'm like, I don't want to stop doing that or I'm going to fall back into where I'm afraid. So now it's like naturally, like people like everybody in the, in the media room just know, like, okay, she's going to start it. So like now they're relying on me. Now it's like, well, now I have to do it. [00:40:03] Speaker A: You know, I'm going to take that as your pre interview ritual is that you've got to be first. [00:40:09] Speaker B: There you go. That is true. I don't like to go second or third because I'm afraid that all the good questions are going to be gone and then I'm like, I don't have anything to say. So now I have to go first. Maybe second. If John's, I'll go second or third or like if Oscar from that lives there, I'll go second. [00:40:22] Speaker A: But yeah, shout out to Oscar. Yeah. As someone that's been doing this for what, about nine, nine, 10 years, particularly like the UFC side, the media's grown side by side with the ufc. Where do you see MMA media evolving in say the next five to 10 years? Especially with so many platforms and personalities entering the space? [00:40:43] Speaker B: I unfortunately I see it going to a lot of content creators. I feel like it's going to be less and less media and more and more content creation because that's just the way everything is going in media. Everything is going to those, those quick clips on, on Instagram. That's what I'm saying. Like you gotta be a jack of all trades. Like they always say that. That's, you know, Jack of all trades, master of none. Like, I. That saying is stupid, because in this. At least in this situation, like, you need to be able to adapt because there's people that don't write at all, and they're fine because it's video now, but imagine there was somebody who only wrote and doesn't know how to edit a video or doesn't have a social media following or doesn't know how to take a decent picture or, like, have a good. You know, like, you need to be able to adapt to wherever the industry's going. And right now, it's all video. It's all short clips. Like podcasting. Podcasting has become really big. It wasn't really big when I first started. If I wasn't, you know, you'd have to be able to adapt to that kind of stuff. [00:41:41] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think in the last year or two as well, the one thing I've noticed is the amount of fighters or ex fighters that are now podcasting. I mean, Demetrius Johnson's got a podcast. Henry Cejudo is now on with the Usman and stuff. You've got the Show Me the Money podcast. They're everywhere. I'm slightly jealous of their production values. [00:42:03] Speaker B: Well, you know, I. I really want to do a podcast. Not mma, really. Well, now I have an idea. MMA related. But I just. I'm such a perfectionist that I don't want to do it until I feel like it's perfect, and then that just means I'll never do it because it's never going to be perfect, So I just have to do it eventually. But, yeah, I get jealous, too, when I see that kind of stuff, and I'm like, oh, look at how great that is. Like. Like the Schmo's podcast, he's got, like, this whole setup and a desk, and I'm like, oh, I want that. [00:42:29] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But even, like, the dynamic of a McMalley podcast, where he's got, like, Glover and Mike Perry, like, it's such a weird dynamic, those three personalities, that it works so well, that I kind of love that kind of thing. [00:42:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:45] Speaker A: Say you finished your career within mma. What would you want to look back and the people that do tune into you kind of week in, week out, when you're doing your press conferences and social media, how would you want them to remember you? [00:43:00] Speaker B: I would want them to remember me as being someone who didn't. Who didn't just conform. Like, I want to be known as somebody who was true to herself. And even though I may piss People off my opinions. I never backed down and I, I want people to know that, that I helped more women get. Get into the industry and help, you know, with me, the media side, obviously. [00:43:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:26] Speaker B: Because it's really hard. I'm almost always the only woman in the room. Almost always. There's a few women that come to the pay per views, but overall there's no other girls there. So it's. Anytime I see a girl, I'm like, oh, there's a girl here. Yay. You know, I. So I want to, I want people to, to know me as like the one that, like, I want to be a girls girl. I want people to. To know that like, I helped women. [00:43:47] Speaker A: Mm. Yeah. I love that. [00:43:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:43:50] Speaker A: Last question. If you had to step in the obstacle yourself and cover one round of fighting or never cover. Mmma again, what would you choose? [00:44:01] Speaker B: Do I get to pick my opponent? Oh, because I would pick a man that I know wouldn't hit me and then I would do that. [00:44:12] Speaker A: Let's go with. Let's make it scary. Let's go for Poetan. [00:44:17] Speaker B: Oh, no, he wouldn't hit me. He wouldn't hit me. He would not, he would not hit a woman. So I would pick that. No, I mean, I think Jojo. Who? Jojo. Oh, he would definitely hit me mostly because he actually doesn't. Legitimately doesn't like me too. That's the other thing. [00:44:37] Speaker A: I really. [00:44:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, you didn't see that? Yeah, he DM me and told me I looked like a witch and that I should off. [00:44:44] Speaker A: Oh, I think I have seen that actually. [00:44:46] Speaker B: Yeah, that was fun. That was a couple years ago. That was fun. [00:44:49] Speaker A: Where'd that come from? [00:44:50] Speaker B: So it was, it was during the time when he had been arrested for the, you know, the Vegas hall of Fame thing and he had tweeted. I had kept my mouth shut about the whole thing because, like, I just didn't want to. Just didn't want to ruffle the feathers. I was like, you know what? It's fine. Like everybody else is saying it. I don't need to say it, you know? [00:45:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:45:11] Speaker B: Yeah. And then he said he tweeted something about like the. So the police report had come out that revealed that his daughter had requested the police to come. That, that, that detail, nobody really knew until that point. And I was like, oh, as a mom, I was like, this is not good. So again, I still, I kept my mouth shut even though I was like, oh my gosh, I want to say something so bad. And then he tweeted something along the lines of, like, my daughters didn't know what happened. They didn't wake up till it was over, is what he said. And so I. Seeing that I didn't. I didn't quote, tweet it or anything. I just tweeted, maybe I did quote, tweet it, I don't remember. But I said, jon Jones's girls are going to grow up thinking that this is how men treat women. Because, like, that's what. That's the fact. That's just what happens, you know, obviously not every woman, but, like, that's a. Statistically that does happen. And that's what he was replying to, so. But he DM'd me. He didn't. He didn't do it. Like, he didn't reply to it publicly. So he DM me. I remember sitting there, speaking of Oscar, I remember sitting there at weighins, at the apex when I got the dm and I was like, oscar, come here. And Oscar looked at it and read it. He's like, is that really him? And so we checked it to make sure it was his real account. And he said, please share that. Because I was like, I don't know if I want to share it. Like, what do I do? He's like, please share that. So I shared it and like, of course all hell broke loose, but, you know, you can't like, DM me in secret like that and pretend like. And it was like, right after, he's like, I'm a changed man. And it's like, whatever. [00:46:42] Speaker A: Yeah. It's the one thing for me that always rules them out of that goat conversation. Like, MMA being the kind of sport is. You've got to be a role model, man. [00:46:51] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I agree. [00:46:53] Speaker A: Tom Aspinall. Come on, son. Amy, thank you so much. I've genuinely. I've really, really enjoyed this. Thanks for your time. I appreciate it. Massive. [00:47:06] Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me on. I really appreciate it too. This was fun because I thought we were gonna talk about fights and I'm like, oh, I'm not really good at that. So I'm glad. This is fun. [00:47:13] Speaker A: Yeah, I quite. I quite pride myself on trying to take a different angle, to kind of learn more about the individual rather than just kind of USC 310 is coming up. [00:47:24] Speaker B: I appreciate it. Really fun. [00:47:26] Speaker A: Good. I'm going to drop all your links below. I'm sure most people that are watching this already follow you, but. Yeah, they're down there. Thank you so much and we'll see you in the next one. [00:47:36] Speaker B: Thank you so much.