George Hillyard: From “Losing It All” to BKB 34 Bout
George Hillyard tests skills with Rolando Dy at BKB 34 on September 16th.
George Hillyard
You’re readying to go to war at BKB 34 facing someone who’s an ex-kickboxing champion, MMA champion as well, and they call him the KO King.
What were your onset thoughts when this bout offer came your way?
“I wasn’t studying him (Rolando Dy) at all. I think because after, I was meant to fight the American boy on the BYB on the last show (Robert Serna at BYB 18). Ended up pulling out. It was bad, I had torn a muscle in my back. So I thought Jim (Freeman) and Joe (Brown), they were like alright we’ll give him this fight now. It’s one of them. It’s just you’ve got to take it or leave it basically. You’ve got to prove yourself. So here I am, I’m going to prove myself.”
BKB 34
In regard to your own combative career progression, I was seeing an interview that was more focused on gloved boxing years ago and it was talking about achievements you’d like to have before retiring.
You were mentioning being a world champion as an express goal. Does the focus there get redirected to becoming a champion within BKB now? Is that the ultimate capstone goal here I suppose?
“I’d like to think that right now my loyalty is with Jim (Freeman) and Joe (Brown). Because they’ve looked after me in the last two fights. Then even with the last show of me pulling out with my back. The stuff that went on prior to that, after sorry, of people over social media being keyboard warriors. Jim and Joe were like listen; your health is more important to us than anything else. So, it’s like go and get your back sorted out and we’ll go for the next show.”
George Hillyard continued, “So when it’s an injury in it and in this sport, you can’t have an injury and still fight, you can’t. They were understanding and they supported me a billion percent on it. So now it speaks for itself. They put me on this show and another hard fight with an ex-MMA world champion world champion, kickboxing world champion, and yeah as you said they call him the KO King. So, it’s a chance for me to show just how good I am, and I will show just how good I am.”
George Hillyard vs Rolando Dy
We mentioned Dy’s background across a myriad of combat sports really. But he does have albeit a pretty brief bare-knuckle fight there. He fought on that BKFC Thailand 4 card and had a knockout 42 seconds into the first round and did so last December.
I mean not much to tape study off of per se but was that a fight that you kind of checked out just because it was like bare-knuckle specific experience your opponent had?
“If I’m honest, I didn’t see the BKFC. I ain’t seen no bare-knuckle. I’ve only watched him in the cage in the MMA. So yeah (laughs), I ain’t seen no bare knuckle. So if I’m totally honest without sounding cocky or rude, all I have to worry about is myself. If I train hard and work hard and do everything correct, then that’s enough. I haven’t got to worry about anyone else. I’ve just got to worry about myself. So making sure I’m in the best shape, mentally and physically.”
BKB
Combat sports has also taken you from a place of being depressed and overweight to where you’re at now, being 2-0 in a newer combat sport as BKB 34 looms closer.
So, can you kind of touch on that a little bit? I think that’s very uplifting and inspirational.
“When I lost my license in 2010-2011, it was; I didn’t just lose my license, I lost everything. Like the mother of my kids. I had all this money, next minute I had nothing. So, I was losing everything around me. I was losing it all. So, and it was just; it was a hard, hard thing to take. So, all I did was find comfort in a bottle of Jack Daniels and Coke.”
Bare Knuckle Boxing
George Hillyard continued, “So I was doing a bottle, maybe two bottles a day of Jack Daniels and Coke. Remember I’m not very big, I’m only five foot nine. So going from 11 stone to like 16 and a half stone, I was a big, man (laughs). So yeah, and it weren’t good for my health. But yeah, it was my oldest son that was like; obviously when the medical said that I had a minor stroke and things like that. So, I said to my son, don’t ever give up in my life. If you want something, you go out and you get it.”
“His words were to me was then why did you give up, Dad? So yeah, he said why did you give up? So yeah, and it’s weird because I looked at him for a split-second thinking, I could punch you right in the face right now (laughs). Yeah, the only reason is because he was telling the truth. Then I just thought do you know what? I’m about to do my medicals again. Then when I had done all my medicals, I passed them all again and then I thought this is it. I want to chase my dream and that’s what I did.”
