Photo credit: Phil Lambert, BKFC
Andy Nguyen on Nekah Dmitriyeva “A good fight for both of us”
Andy Nguyen clashes with Nekah Dmitriyeva at BKFC 35: Cedeno vs. Slaveski on January 27th.
Nguyen appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to discuss the differences between various bare-knuckle combat disciplines, this being a home-state fight for the first time, plus so much more. Excerpts from our chat are below.
Andy Nguyen
Being pleasantly surprised at South Carolina legalizing bare-knuckle boxing
“South Carolina, we’re super slow. I’m just surprised like they would be down for something like that. But I mean I’m glad. I haven’t fought (here) as a professional and this is where I started was in Myrtle Beach. So that’s kind of cool.
A little bit nerve-wracking but kind of cool.”
Bare-knuckle kickboxing talks that Nguyen has had with Feldman and if she would like to do that
“Oh my god, I would. There’s already a combat sport that does bare knuckle with Muay Thai. But then you can headbutt and I don’t like the headbutting thing. I don’t think that there’s any talent with that at all; any known skillset. So it would be kickboxing with bare-knuckle. I did bring that up to David Feldman. I was like hey, what do you think about this?”
“If you don’t do it whenever I retire, I want to open a promotion and do this because I want to. I would love to do bare-knuckle kickboxing. Why not? I don’t see why. They already have bare-knuckle MMA, they already have boxing. Listen, why not have the kickboxing, you know? I think it would interest a lot of people. I think a lot of the Muay Thai people would merge over also.”
BKFC 35
Nguyen’s thoughts on her upcoming opponent Nekah Dmitriyeva
“I already was watching BKFC. I have the app and everything. Was already watching. So I already saw that fight with her; her debut with Jenny Savage. I do know that she just won her pro boxing match probably about three/ four weeks ago. So she’s getting better. She’s interested in only boxing because she came from MMA also. So I know it’s not going to be an easy fight, no fight’s easy. Shouldn’t come into the fight thinking like that just because she’s 0-1 and I’m 1-0. But I think she just didn’t have time to, you know, get comfortable with the bare knuckle right away.”
“Especially for her first pro fight. I think it’ll be a good fight for both of us. I think we’re the same height. There’s no video of her last pro boxing match. So I have no idea, I just know that she won and good for her. That’s about it and I don’t want to go into it thinking too much. Because I don’t want it to be like my last fight in Calgary. Her stance was totally different than what she changed it up (to) when she fought me. It was like two different girls and we were training for a person that was a fighter that was six/eight months ago.”
“I’m a totally different fighter from even like six months ago or even a year ago. That’s why I love mixed martial arts and all the combat sports because it’s always evolving. Always learning, I never feel like I learn enough. Everybody keeps saying that you’re a vet, you’re a vet. I’m like don’t say that (laughs). I’m not done, I’m still learning. That’s how I feel.”
