Joseph Valtellini (@BazookaJoeV) will be making his Las Vegas debut when he
takes on Gregory Choplin at Lion Fight Muay Thai 7 (@LFPLasVegas) on October 13th
at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Valtellini has made his name fighting on the
east coast under the Friday Night Fights Muay Thai banner and will now be
looking to impress a new set of fans with his skill and power. Joseph took some
time from his training schedule to answer a few questions for Muay Thai
Authority about his upcoming fight.
MTA: Joseph you have the biggest fight of
your career coming up at Lion Fight Muay Thai 7 against Gregory Choplin. How
has training been going?
Joseph: Training has been going amazing. I
haven’t competed since my bout with Shawn Yarborough in March, so I’ve had a
lot of time to improve all aspects of my game. I’m excited to be back in the ring and showcase
my skill set to a new audience in Las
Vegas.
Joseph: I’m not too familiar with Gregory. His name has popped up a few times on the
internet. It wasn’t until I heard I was
matched up with him that I watched a few of his fights.
MTA: The man has 11x the pro experience you have, as a fighter what do you think when you look at your opponents record and see that?
Joseph: To me, I just see another human
being. I don’t really look at a record
when I’m matched with an opponent. Most
of the time, you can see someone’s experience through the maturity of their
technique. I may only have 6
professional fights, but I’m confident in my technique and training that I can
compete with anyone, regardless of what it says on a piece of paper. That’s why big fights like this motivate me
and my team.
MTA: You have been slowly working your way up the ranks. For fans of the sport that have not seen you fight before, what can they expect come fight night?
Joseph: They can expect a lot of action and
technical power. I train for all my fights the same way, regardless of my
opponent or their experience. My aim is to finish. To me, that’s the beauty of martial arts, and
a big indicator of someone’s experience and skill.
MTA: Where do you think your strength will lie in the bout against Choplin?
Joseph: My strength in the bout will be my technical
skills and being well-rounded in all aspects of my game.
MTA: Can we get a prediction for the fight with Gregory?
Joseph: I don’t like to give predictions on
how and when the fight will end. However,
I’m confident that my hand will be raised at the end.
MTA: A lot of people that have been watching you fight are looking at this as a legitimacy test. They think if you can get past someone like Choplin then you’re definitely the real deal. Does that play in the back of your mind knowing that a win against the likes of Choplin would really boost your reputation?
Joseph: That hasn’t crossed my mind. My goal is to be the best Martial Artist I
can be, and Gregory is the next step of that journey. I want to continually take bouts with fighters
who are more experienced. It gives me
and my team the extra motivation to train all year round and to continually
improve.
MTA: You recently helped corner your training partner Troy Sheridan to a single night 8 man tournament win in New York. What’s more nerve wrecking stepping into the ring to fight or cornering a friend of yours?
Joseph: Cornering Troy Sheridan was way
more nerve wracking. It’s like driving a
car; you’re always more nervous when you’re not in control and in the passenger
seat. But Troy is an amazing athlete, and I was
confident that he would win all 3 fights.
MTA: Any words for your supporters?
Joseph: I’d like to thank all my supporters. I
really appreciate the support and love you’ve given me through my entire
journey. I’d like to give special thanks to my coach Paul Minhas, my main
training partners Troy Sheridan and Matt Speciale from Team Ultimate, my
strength and conditioning coach Costa Kladianos at Tempus Performance, the entire
team at Ultimate Martial Arts, and my family (especially my mother and father).
I may be alone in the ring, but it’s definitely a team effort. Thanks to Muay
Thai Authority for this interview and thanks everyone for your support.
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