Andy Ogle talks to Supplement Judge

Andy Ogle, also known as “The Little Axe” was kind enough to give us a moment of his time to answer a few questions about what he does! He’s a mixed martial artist currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their featherweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2009.

What attracted you to mixed martial arts, have you always been a fighter at heart?

MMA found me. As a young boy I started kickboxing to protect myself. I loved it and got hooked straight away. I then started judo because I was seeking more competition. My friend then told me his mate had found a MMA gym and I should give it a go. I went along to try it out and the rest is history.

You’ve trained all over the world but where do feel you’ve learnt the most and why?

Kaobon is the best gym I have trained at hands down. When you’re having a bad day these guys can sense it. They are like predators and are relentless. But when they are having a bad day you make sure to return the favour. At kaobon nobody is above the rest. When I left the TUF show it didn’t matter at the gym. I was still just Andy. When Evander Holyfield came into our gym training didn’t stop. Nobody is the big dog because everybody in the gym is aiming to be the top dog. This place is the best….fact!

Training every day at such a high intensity must take its toll, how do you keep fresh and ready for the next day of training?

Fitness is sport specific. I never run. My joints take a lot of strain through the high demand in competitive rounds in all areas of MMA. I gain my fitness through competition during training, pads and my strength and conditioning.

Can you explain a week’s typical training session?

Monday: Grapple (morning), stand up and pad work (night)
Tuesday: Spar/ drill (morning), grapple (night)
Wednesday: Grapple (morning), stand up/pad work (night)
Thursday: Spar/drill (morning), grapple (night)
Friday: Grapple (morning), run (night)
Saturday: Strength and conditioning

Sunday: Rest Day

 

MMA and the UFC® are growing rapidly, but there are still doubters who think the sport is too dangerous, what do you say to those people?

I believe MMA is less dangerous than football. MMA competitors know that if we switch off that we can get hurt. There is always a perceived risk of danger whereas in football the players regularly get tackled and blindsided, which results in injury a lot of the time.

If you could fight anyone in the world who would it be?

I think the average man tries his hardest to not get into a fight. If he did have to fight he would pick the easiest fight out there. I just want the fights that are going to teach me the most about myself and let me develop along the way.

You keep a very lean and muscular physique all year round and obviously have to make weight for your fights, any tips for those looking to cut weight?

My best tip for dieting is figure out what works for you. I have found that fish helps me keep slimmer than eating chicken, beef and lamb. Everybody is different. Find what works for you. Also if you do want to have a little treat make a day for it. It tastes so much sweeter when you make a day for it in the week/month. Chocolate isn’t good for you every day. It tastes so much sweeter when it’s well deserved.

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

The high of my career so far was definitely getting into the house.  It’s the start of something great and marks the beginning of my long and successful career in the big league.

What are your goals in the sport?

My goal is to keep on improving and tackle the obstacles that the UFC put in front of me.

 

What would you say gives you the edge over your opponents?

My edge over my opponents is my drive and determination. I love MMA so much. I love it so much it hurts. I am determined to succeed in the UFC and I won’t let anyone get in my way.

Are you doing anything different in your training or nutrition now?

I think the main difference in my training has come from reading a Mike Tyson article before my fight camp. I remember reading that when he was a young athlete growing up he was told to “pretend to love the things you hate”. I now do this with everything. I think it has helped me be even more driven.

What’s going to be your ‘walk out’ music and why?

I usually come out to Marvin Gaye featuring Tammy Terrel – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. It makes me think of when my brother sang that song crying himself to sleep when I was five and my dad was going back to work. He works for the merchant navy and works away for a long time. I remember this one time he was home and he sang that song a lot. It just makes me remember the simpler times and my dad. Sometimes he can’t be at my fights because of work. He can be at Nottingham so maybe for my debut I should start a fresh with something new. We shall see.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

My advice for starters is that drillers make killers. But to drill something until it is spot on takes a long, long time, which means it must be fun. If you are not having fun you will not last long. So remember that if you love it you’ll train a lot and the skills will come naturally.

Can you explain a week’s typical nutritional routine?

Nutritional routine can be tough. I try to listen to my body more than anything. When competition nears I don’t usually weigh myself too much. I can tell what weight I am by shading and markings on my body.  As long as I feel good for training and my diet is clean I am happy. I do however cheat every tenth day. I feel cheating on the seventh is too short and in three weeks you have three cheats whereas I have 2 in three weeks, which makes me feel happier.

Any favourite dishes?

Aside from Almond Butter, lol, my favourite food when dieting is peppered mackerel and home-made sweet potato chips….healthy fish and chips. On a cheat day my tastes always change from one fight camp to another. This fight camp I would say I’m in love with almond butter and raspberry jam sandwiches or on rice cakes. I also love chocolate coated Brazil nuts.

Lastly can you talk us through how you prepare for a fight on the day? E.g. do you like to stay calm and listen to music or do you like to get fired up? Any tips, music choices, meal plans…etc?

On the day of the fight I just try to wake as late as possible and have fun. The hard work has been done already. What will happen will happen. Getting nervous uses energy and is pointless. The fight will happen whether you are nervous or not. Enjoy yourself..