Photo via @bybextreme on Twitter
Jessica Link on BYB 11, Ross Puritty work, and More
Jessica Link clashes with 12-3 pro boxer Kallia Kourouni who makes her bare-knuckle debut and this goes at BYB 11 on August 27th in the co-main event.
Link appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts for the first time and we covered multiple topics during our chat. Excerpts from our conversation are below.
Jessica Link
The compact dimensions of the BYB Mighty Trigon and how that will inform Link’s game here
“I’m really excited for the Trigon. Like I said, this is not my first bare-knuckle but this is my first experience with BYB. I’m very excited for the Trigon because prior to getting with my current boxing coach and strictly just kind of focusing on boxing, my main practice was Muay Thai. The clinch is where I’ve done almost all of my damage in my previous fights. The cuts I’ve inflicted, the damage I’ve done. Most of it came from the clinch. So I’m very excited. I enjoy clinching, it’s second nature to me.”
“To be in there with someone who, I’m sure she’s been working on clinch work obviously. She knows what she’s getting into, she knows clinch is an option. But it’s not what she’s worked on. That’s just not been her sport. So for me, I’m very excited because you get in those tight corners, that’s where a lot of the clinch work comes in. So I’m very excited to try it out. It might be awesome, it might be terrible. I don’t know but I’m excited to find out.”
BYB 11
The great work had with Ross Puritty as well as Lorenzo Hunt and Elvin Brito in Puerto Rico
“Ross has made the biggest difference in my game. From my first bare knuckle fight with Charisa Sigala to my fight with Crystal Pittman, that was were I made that transition in coaches. Ross was with me at that first fight but he hadn’t yet really taken over as my main coach. Then after that fight I realized, my coaches at the time were still friends, I just realized ok, if I’m going to progress and get better in this sport, I need someone who’s main focus is this sport, not a wrestler. My coach was a wrestler, he did wrestling, he coached wrestling.
“He’s a high level jiu jitsu artist. He’s great at what he does, that just does not translate to bare knuckle. I mean he’s a good striker. But I don’t need a good striker who’s a great wrestler in my corner. I need one of the highest level boxers and then I have a secondary coach where I get my clinch work, my strength and conditioning. I’ve kind of hand-picked my team because my coaches don’t work at the same gym. They’re not affiliated at all. But they’ve come together to work together for the sake of being my team and it’s worked out really well.”
