Coach Greg Jackson described Tom Duquesnoy as ‘something special’ after his Bantamweight title win at BAMMA 25.
The Featherweight champion fought against 135lb title holder Shay Walsh in Birmingham on Saturday.
It took “Firekid” just over a minute of the fight to get the finish. A short right elbow sent Walsh crashing to the canvas. The win crowned the 22 year-old Frenchman the promotion’s first two-weight champion.
Speaking to MMA PLUS, JacksonWink head coach Greg Jackson spoke about the growth of Duquesnoy. As well as the importance of his training in both Paris, France and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He said: “It’s a real pleasure because you can really see him with a lot of good sparring partners, a lot of good coaching. He has good coaching in France as well. So he comes from very good coaching and then having a lot of different coaches and a lot of different sparring partners from all over the world really elevates your level. So it’s fun to watch him grow from where he was to where he is and then to know as he continues to grow, where he will be.”
This fight was the first full training camp Duquesnoy spent in New Mexico. Jackson also made his inaugural trip to corner the Frenchman. The 2010 Coach of the Year spoke about his admiration of Duquesnoy and why his humility continues to make him such a ‘special’ fighter.
“He’s in good company, there’s a lot of guys like that in there,” said Jackson. “What sets him a apart is the intelligence in which he trains, not just in training, because there are a lot of smart guys there, but the way in which he handles his career, the way he thinks about things. He loves opera, I love opera. So there are a lot there that I really like about him, which is one of the reasons I am out here. I really believe in his future, obviously he is something special and guys like that don’t come along everyday.
“Always, everybody asks me ‘what makes a champion?’ and it’s such a combination of different elements, you have to be able to have physical talent, coachable, handle your life outside the cage and intelligently always want to grow to and progress. So many elements that you have to have and Tom has all those.
From humble beginnings, Duquesnoy remains grounded despite his growing notoriety. It is that quality which Jackson believes sets the duel-weight champion apart from many other fighters.
“It’s good for kids and stuff to see that [role model] but also practically, it elongates their career. If you’re going to party all the time and having a great time all the time then your career will be short. Nobody believes it while you’re doing but then suddenly it hits you. What Tom is doing is very smart, he’s going to have a very long career a safe career and it’s really a nice benefit that in edition to all those things, practically, it’s nice that the kids have someone to look up to who is a really nice person.
Following his win, there is huge speculation over the future of Duquesnoy. The “Firekid” candidly called out BAMMA Lonsdale champion Alan Philpott after his victory on Saturday. The fight would be his last contractual obligation for the promotion.
With one bout remaining on his current deal, the anticipation for Duquesnoy to make the move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship increases. A division currently championed by Dominick Cruz, coach Jackson believes Duquesnoy can rise to the top of the 135lb ladder if he decides to fight in the UFC.
“It’s the best of the best there and I think he’s going to stack up just fine. I have a lot of belief in him, I think he can go all the way to the top if continues to do what he does. BAMMA’s been great to him, I’m glad it’s his home, I like it here as well. So, we’ll see what he wants to do but he can definitely compete with the best in the world.”
Jackson clarified, as long as Duquesnoy still wants him around, he hopes to play a huge part in his continued progression in MMA.
The world renowned MMA coach also applauded BAMMA as a pivotal proving ground for British mixed martial artists. He commended the work BAMMA are doing to grow the sport in the UK and Europe.
“It’s fun because our gym [Jackson-Wink] has so many other countries including lots of British fighters that come to the gym. So, you get a real sense of the depth and talent from everywhere: Australia, Japan, Norway, Chechnya, Dagestan, the UK, France, you really get the gauge of how it is becoming a world sport.
“I’m very happy to say that the British fighters are right in there, they’re not being left behind, they’re innovating and pushing and it’s important that shows like BAMMA exists. You have to farm your talent and build people up and I think it’s very important. I hope BAMMA stays around for a long time because it’s very important.”
