Mr. Gamboa after hearing what Ambrus Themis had to say about the fight, what is your response to his comments?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
Man, it's all good. Have you heard his sisters on the mic? They sound mad annoying so the fact that he can put his sentences together without screeching, moaning and bitching about everything means he's already the best Themis we got. Come on man you all know that the only reason that boy is connected with ya'll right now is because he's so excited to fight me. The kid is an absolute flop in the GCC so far but got uptight because I cracked a joke on him on the social media act.
Kevin Wilson | MMAWORLD.COM
Do you feel that Ambrus Themis has properly prepared for this fight with you?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
That's between him and the man above my man. To me, it doesn't matter how hard he's prepared for this because his best isn't going to be good enough. This man is being sacrificed right now and is too stupid to realize it. He just got his limb fed to a new guy who hit it and quit it after one fight. This is what you call resume building and I just needed something to keep me busy.
Michelle Balmer | MMACORE.COM
Ambrus Themis mentioned that you have similar records and are on equal footing heading into this fight.
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
That's funny man. I disagree. On paper you can say that we both only have one win but I have only had one fight. He's already been beaten twice and barely squeaked out a win over some bum named McPeak. I came in off the jump and fought Leon Young, a guy who pushed the current middleweight champion to the third round and was winning the fight. The man isn't cut out for this. He doesn't have the heart I got and he will lose this fight. There is not a doubt in my mind.
Michelle Balmer | MMACORE.COM
And your skill sets?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
We are completely different fighters, you just got to trust me on that. You will see when we enter the cage together. I don't care what the scouting reports say or what you guys in the media think, I am the better striker. I am the better fighter. There are levels to this game and he isn't on mine.''
Nancy Holton | CageRage.com
Manuel you sound very confident heading into this fight, how do you see this ending?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
Violently.
Carlos Machado | Blogger
And then what's next?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
We'll see. I think Tim MCcarthy is a name I wouldn't mind adding to my resume. I heard Paul Rossi is making the jump to middleweight so if he feels like he's big enough, he can catch an ass whooping too. It's all good man, I know I am going to be getting some crazy offers after I baptize this man live on splat television.
That guy was tough. I underestimated him. I was down two rounds going into the third round and I knew it was now or never, so I fired myself up, went out, and earned the submission.
On his rematch with Erik Malkasian:
I have been excited about this ever since it got signed. He is the reason I wasn't the first ever heavyweight champion. GCC 3 was a devastating night for me, and that loss still gives me a sour taste in my mouth.
I feel like this is the start of redemption. If I can go out there tomorrow night and win decisively I feel this whole part of my career will be behind me.
Future opportunities:
Right now my whole attention is given to Erik Malkasian, if I do win tomorrow night I will address the media backstage.
"Ms. Shadows, is it true you've recently signed with Alpha Pro Wrestling?""I guess we're going straight to the good stuff today, I'm cool with that. Yes, I did. I just didn't want to debut this weekend, because this fight is important to me and I've made sure to clear my schedule for it."
"You're also active in Outlaw Pro Wrestling, and were previously a network liason before competing. Do you worry about stretching yourself too thin?""I've been in pro wrestling since 2006. In GCC, we get weeks to train before a big fight, so that we're able to do our best and not just flop around sucking air two rounds in. In pro wrestling, we have to figure out a game plan while also trying to figure out how to get to the next town tomorrow night. I've had weeks where I wrestled almost every day of the week before. MMA is hard on the body, but wrestling is a different kind of animal. Both of them will bite you if you're not careful. As long as I make sure to make time for my training, I'll be successful in either sport.""Do you feel like you're better than anyone else?""Absolutely not. I've just done this a little bit longer than most. I'm not going to be able to get another two decades out of myself. Until last year, I'd never had a serious injury or medical condition in my life. I've trained since I was old enough to hit a heavy bag, I've wrestled since the day I could legally sign a contract for myself, and there's countless videos of my matches and fights throughout the last fifteen years that show you what I can do. But even then, I could still lose on any given night and if I ever forget that, that night's gonna come sooner than I think.""Cinzia Rossi has great strength, and is also a kickboxing expert. Will you change your gameplan when against her?""She's not Akira Young or Leah Wilkins. Both of those ladies were quick. Cinzia Rossi can punch through a brick if you made her mad enough. No human being on this planet can take three rounds' worth of shots from her. Thankfully, I've got the fastest feet in the world and if anyone can get away from her, it's me. I don't care to try and break the brick in one shot. That's how you break your hand. I'd rather just take a chisel and hammer, and tap it lightly as many times I have to until the brick disintegrates into dust and I don't have to put Neosporin on my knuckles. I'm looking forward to this challenge, if I lose I know what to work on...and if I win, well I guess we'll see what happens with the Bantamweight Title next. One fight at a time, one round at a time. That's how I approach things.""Any words for your opponent directly?""Good fight, good night. Much love, but don't go easy on me. I can't afford to go easy on you."
"Is there any truth to the rumors?""What rumors?""That you are involved in a relationship with GCC-?""What did you say? I think your signal is breaking up.."
".e.........-.....i..-.......r.-..i...?"
"Yeah, this is probably a great time to end this. See ya at the fights!"
Hello, my name is Svetlana Oblonsky. I'm sorry Anastasia does not speak English very well, but I will be happy to answer all questions.
Anastasia is well known as a sambo national champion. Why the switch to mixed martial arts?
For every athlete there will come a time to move on when feeling there is no more to be done. That is how Anastasia felt, but she was not ready to stop competing.
She has been a big fan of fighters such as Aleksandr Baranov' and Nika Kosov. She is inspired by their success and wanted to follow in their footsteps.
How do you feel her sambo abilities will translate to the cage?
Her family has a long lineage of combat sports competitors, dating back 115 years. She is also an expert wrestler. Her grappling abilities will shine in the cage, as they have shined in the gym.
What are Anastasia's expectations for her mixed martial arts career?
Anastasia puts 100% in everything. She will do her best, she will be constantly training, and she dreams of not only one day being the women's bantamweight champion of GCC, but to show that unequivocally she is the best in the world.
She will do this by putting in the hard work, while she climbs up the mountainside to meet the champion at the top.
We do not say this will come easy or to come quickly. We do say that by the end of her mixed martial arts competitive career she will have proven to be the best.
How has Anastasia trained for Kijara?
Anastasia has trained very hard, and we foresee a victory in her future.
Kijara is a great fighter, and a challenge like this is what Anastasia needs to get her career off to a good start.
The silence on the line is a sign that no more questions will come.
I want to thank everybody and the GCC for allowing us to join in on the conference call, and we want to thank Kijara for accepting the fight with Anastasia.
High praise from Mr. Khan, Ambrus. The Themis name doesn't seem to be getting a lot of that lately. Rumor is your cousin is burning bridges faster than they can be built and she isn't winning Themis Palaestra a ton of respect. Has Atara's antics been a distraction to your training for this bout. Or any Themis fighter for that matter?
First, I appreciate the high opinion Mr. Khan and hope not to disappoint. As to the question, I suggest it be retracted. I'm pretty sure she's watching thumbs ready to tweet us all into oblivion.
But no, an annoyance, but not distraction. Eros doesn't allow distraction in the gym. Any side project or commitment that doesn't involve the cage is banned and my uncle isn't a biased man. If she was a distraction you would be reporting on her moving to another gym.
About GUF, how much faith do have in the guys representing Themis Palaestra?
The one kid I don't even fucking know man. Don't think I have ever seen him. Themis Palaestra may not be at the top of some leaderboard, may not be harvesting fighters left and right, but trust me, people know it across the Mediterranean. There's a reason this guy wasn't on the pro team and I hope he corrects it before embarrassing us on television. It won't be pretty whenever sets foot in those doors. A lot of deserving guys were skipped over.
Arius though. Keep him fed, keep him happy, and keep him chained. Once he gets loose a lot of limbs and throats are being scattered over that house. Dude's a beast and like inflicting pain. I have no doubt he has got this in the bag.
Fucking Sisyphus on the mat. Just as soon as you think your free or standing, it's right back down.
Ambrus, you're not seen much outside of these conferences and honestly it's nice to see you breaking that shell, can we expect to see more you of after this fight as a more public face for Global Champ?
I'm not a mouthpiece man. Subscriber counts don't make me a better fighter. Don't determine my wins or losses, just the size of my check. Honest opinion, if I'm being bothered to promote my training is being hampered and I am not putting on the best fight I can. I will say this in regards to the GCC hype machines and Twitter warriors. Gaia Galanos is not the best fighter in Greece. Never was, never will be. Post that.
How do feel about how you compare to your opponent.
He has one win. I have one win, seems pretty even. We both can stand and bang. He doesn't like the ground, so I suppose that's the end all be all. Since you guys are so high on shit talk though…
A hand full of fighters fought there last fight against a Themis at GCC. Gamboa may want to consider his future after the cage.
Your brother also fights this week. Are you guys excited to head into the new month both with wins?
It's a shame really, would like to be there to support him but hey, if it happens, after party at his place.
What's the plan after fight if you get the win.
Get another one, climb the ranks, take the belt. It's a process, I respect the process and dont think one win is or should catapult me ahead of anyone.
The following events in this thread occur on August, 27th 2020 so no references or statements should be made on social media regarding this event until August 27th 2020. Due to COVID-19 the press conference will be held via ZOOM.
On COVID-19 and fans returning
''We have been working on this over the past few months and we have finally come up with a plan to put the fans back into our seats again. We will have to remain cautious but we expect to have fans in a limited capacity by October. There will be a lot of trail and error along the way but we wanted to ensure the safety of our fans and fighters. We will remain in Abu Dhabi during the trial run and eventually expand our operations internationally again in accordance to the host countries guidelines. As a result of the outbreak our plans to expand to North America will be halted for the remainder of the year and the foreseeable future.
On GUF debuting on Saturday
''I am extremely excited for the show. As it was announced on twitter, the stakes have been raised for specifically the lightweight contestants as the winner will go on to fight Rob Jones for the lightweight before the new year. In the meantime, GCC lightweights will continue to otherwise fight and look to move up the rankings. With the way everything has been setup, I think there is a lot of pride on the line with all the contestants representing their gyms and I expect to see some fun, some great fights.''
On the GFN fight Khan is most excited to see
''I mean our main events are always something you don't want to miss but I think a real sleeper pick on this card is going to be Manuel Gamboa and Ambrus Themis. I know Ambrus Themis has had issues with consistency inside the GCC cage but I think the match up against Manuel Gamboa has lit a fire in the pit of his belly. It's a good thing too because Manuel Gamboa is an absolute pitbull.''
On the GFN 12 main event
''I felt that at this time, this was the match up to make. Ariel Shadows has been on a tear since her debut in fact her entire gym has and I think makes a very interesting match up against Sammie Ward. Cinzia Rossi on the other hand has fought Ward once before but I think anyone who watched that fight realized that Cinzia Rossi was not herself and did not fight up to her potential. I think most fans realize that a potential second bout between those two would look very different the second time around. Both of these women are deserving of this marquee match up and I can't wait to get the winner back into the cage against Sammie Ward as soon as possible.''
On the GCC bantamweight champion Sammie Ward
''I know she's been in the gym daily at TW Combat Sports just waiting for that phone call. We appreciate her patience and I know that as the first women's bantamweight champion she's looking forward to successfully defending her title when the time comes. At such a young age, Sammie Ward has already performed far beyond her expectations and the sky is limit for that girl as long as she remains focused and dedicated to her art.''
Kevin Wilson | MMAWORLD.COM
Mr. Gamboa after hearing what Ambrus Themis had to say about the fight, what is your response to his comments?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
Man, it's all good. Have you heard his sisters on the mic? They sound mad annoying so the fact that he can put his sentences together without screeching, moaning and bitching about everything means he's already the best Themis we got. Come on man you all know that the only reason that boy is connected with ya'll right now is because he's so excited to fight me. The kid is an absolute flop in the GCC so far but got uptight because I cracked a joke on him on the social media act.
Kevin Wilson | MMAWORLD.COM
Do you feel that Ambrus Themis has properly prepared for this fight with you?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
That's between him and the man above my man. To me, it doesn't matter how hard he's prepared for this because his best isn't going to be good enough. This man is being sacrificed right now and is too stupid to realize it. He just got his limb fed to a new guy who hit it and quit it after one fight. This is what you call resume building and I just needed something to keep me busy.
Michelle Balmer | MMACORE.COM
Ambrus Themis mentioned that you have similar records and are on equal footing heading into this fight.
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
That's funny man. I disagree. On paper you can say that we both only have one win but I have only had one fight. He's already been beaten twice and barely squeaked out a win over some bum named McPeak. I came in off the jump and fought Leon Young, a guy who pushed the current middleweight champion to the third round and was winning the fight. The man isn't cut out for this. He doesn't have the heart I got and he will lose this fight. There is not a doubt in my mind.
Michelle Balmer | MMACORE.COM
And your skill sets?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
We are completely different fighters, you just got to trust me on that. You will see when we enter the cage together. I don't care what the scouting reports say or what you guys in the media think, I am the better striker. I am the better fighter. There are levels to this game and he isn't on mine.''
Nancy Holton | CageRage.com
Manuel you sound very confident heading into this fight, how do you see this ending?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
Violently.
Carlos Machado | Blogger
And then what's next?
Manuel Gamboa | THE THOROUGHBRED
We'll see. I think Tim MCcarthy is a name I wouldn't mind adding to my resume. I heard Paul Rossi is making the jump to middleweight so if he feels like he's big enough, he can catch an ass whooping too. It's all good man, I know I am going to be getting some crazy offers after I baptize this man live on splat television.
On his win over Ronan:
That guy was tough. I underestimated him. I was down two rounds going into the third round and I knew it was now or never, so I fired myself up, went out, and earned the submission.
On his rematch with Erik Malkasian:
I have been excited about this ever since it got signed. He is the reason I wasn't the first ever heavyweight champion. GCC 3 was a devastating night for me, and that loss still gives me a sour taste in my mouth.
I feel like this is the start of redemption. If I can go out there tomorrow night and win decisively I feel this whole part of my career will be behind me.
Future opportunities:
Right now my whole attention is given to Erik Malkasian, if I do win tomorrow night I will address the media backstage.
"Ms. Shadows, is it true you've recently signed with Alpha Pro Wrestling?" "I guess we're going straight to the good stuff today, I'm cool with that. Yes, I did. I just didn't want to debut this weekend, because this fight is important to me and I've made sure to clear my schedule for it."
"You're also active in Outlaw Pro Wrestling, and were previously a network liason before competing. Do you worry about stretching yourself too thin?" "I've been in pro wrestling since 2006. In GCC, we get weeks to train before a big fight, so that we're able to do our best and not just flop around sucking air two rounds in. In pro wrestling, we have to figure out a game plan while also trying to figure out how to get to the next town tomorrow night. I've had weeks where I wrestled almost every day of the week before. MMA is hard on the body, but wrestling is a different kind of animal. Both of them will bite you if you're not careful. As long as I make sure to make time for my training, I'll be successful in either sport." "Do you feel like you're better than anyone else?" "Absolutely not. I've just done this a little bit longer than most. I'm not going to be able to get another two decades out of myself. Until last year, I'd never had a serious injury or medical condition in my life. I've trained since I was old enough to hit a heavy bag, I've wrestled since the day I could legally sign a contract for myself, and there's countless videos of my matches and fights throughout the last fifteen years that show you what I can do. But even then, I could still lose on any given night and if I ever forget that, that night's gonna come sooner than I think." "Cinzia Rossi has great strength, and is also a kickboxing expert. Will you change your gameplan when against her?" "She's not Akira Young or Leah Wilkins. Both of those ladies were quick. Cinzia Rossi can punch through a brick if you made her mad enough. No human being on this planet can take three rounds' worth of shots from her. Thankfully, I've got the fastest feet in the world and if anyone can get away from her, it's me. I don't care to try and break the brick in one shot. That's how you break your hand. I'd rather just take a chisel and hammer, and tap it lightly as many times I have to until the brick disintegrates into dust and I don't have to put Neosporin on my knuckles. I'm looking forward to this challenge, if I lose I know what to work on...and if I win, well I guess we'll see what happens with the Bantamweight Title next. One fight at a time, one round at a time. That's how I approach things." "Any words for your opponent directly?" "Good fight, good night. Much love, but don't go easy on me. I can't afford to go easy on you."
"Is there any truth to the rumors?" "What rumors?" "That you are involved in a relationship with GCC-?" "What did you say? I think your signal is breaking up.."
".e.........-.....i..-.......r.-..i...?"
"Yeah, this is probably a great time to end this. See ya at the fights!"
Hello, my name is Svetlana Oblonsky. I'm sorry Anastasia does not speak English very well, but I will be happy to answer all questions.
Anastasia is well known as a sambo national champion. Why the switch to mixed martial arts?
For every athlete there will come a time to move on when feeling there is no more to be done. That is how Anastasia felt, but she was not ready to stop competing.
She has been a big fan of fighters such as Aleksandr Baranov' and Nika Kosov. She is inspired by their success and wanted to follow in their footsteps.
How do you feel her sambo abilities will translate to the cage?
Her family has a long lineage of combat sports competitors, dating back 115 years. She is also an expert wrestler. Her grappling abilities will shine in the cage, as they have shined in the gym.
What are Anastasia's expectations for her mixed martial arts career?
Anastasia puts 100% in everything. She will do her best, she will be constantly training, and she dreams of not only one day being the women's bantamweight champion of GCC, but to show that unequivocally she is the best in the world.
She will do this by putting in the hard work, while she climbs up the mountainside to meet the champion at the top.
We do not say this will come easy or to come quickly. We do say that by the end of her mixed martial arts competitive career she will have proven to be the best.
How has Anastasia trained for Kijara?
Anastasia has trained very hard, and we foresee a victory in her future.
Kijara is a great fighter, and a challenge like this is what Anastasia needs to get her career off to a good start.
The silence on the line is a sign that no more questions will come.
I want to thank everybody and the GCC for allowing us to join in on the conference call, and we want to thank Kijara for accepting the fight with Anastasia.
''We have been working on this over the past few months and we have finally come up with a plan to put the fans back into our seats again. We will have to remain cautious but we expect to have fans in a limited capacity by October. There will be a lot of trail and error along the way but we wanted to ensure the safety of our fans and fighters. We will remain in Abu Dhabi during the trial run and eventually expand our operations internationally again in accordance to the host countries guidelines. As a result of the outbreak our plans to expand to North America will be halted for the remainder of the year and the foreseeable future.
''I am extremely excited for the show. As it was announced on twitter, the stakes have been raised for specifically the lightweight contestants as the winner will go on to fight Rob Jones for the lightweight before the new year. In the meantime, GCC lightweights will continue to otherwise fight and look to move up the rankings. With the way everything has been setup, I think there is a lot of pride on the line with all the contestants representing their gyms and I expect to see some fun, some great fights.''
''I mean our main events are always something you don't want to miss but I think a real sleeper pick on this card is going to be Manuel Gamboa and Ambrus Themis. I know Ambrus Themis has had issues with consistency inside the GCC cage but I think the match up against Manuel Gamboa has lit a fire in the pit of his belly. It's a good thing too because Manuel Gamboa is an absolute pitbull.''
''I felt that at this time, this was the match up to make. Ariel Shadows has been on a tear since her debut in fact her entire gym has and I think makes a very interesting match up against Sammie Ward. Cinzia Rossi on the other hand has fought Ward once before but I think anyone who watched that fight realized that Cinzia Rossi was not herself and did not fight up to her potential. I think most fans realize that a potential second bout between those two would look very different the second time around. Both of these women are deserving of this marquee match up and I can't wait to get the winner back into the cage against Sammie Ward as soon as possible.''
''I know she's been in the gym daily at TW Combat Sports just waiting for that phone call. We appreciate her patience and I know that as the first women's bantamweight champion she's looking forward to successfully defending her title when the time comes. At such a young age, Sammie Ward has already performed far beyond her expectations and the sky is limit for that girl as long as she remains focused and dedicated to her art.''