Aidan James: The Welsh Wonder

James made his professional debut in his home country competing at Adrenalin Fight Nights in Swansea. He fought his way to a finish, and as revealed in the interview below, you will see how he earned the opportunity to travel the world, in global promotion Brave CF.

He became a force in the Brave bantamweight division, producing three finishes inside his first three fights in the promotion. From knockouts to submissions, James has it all. With two defeats in a row for James, he is looking to bounce back from his losing streak, with a sour taste in his mouth after a split decision loss against Hamza Kooheji last time out.

The Welshman is now ready to make a statement towards the other fighters in the stacked bantamweight division Cage Warriors has to offer.

I had the pleasure of speaking to James ahead of his bout on Cage Warriors 128.

The Interview

So, Aidan, we’re edging closer to fight week, how are you feeling right now?

Aidan James – I feel great, training is just about to start tapering down, and weight is solid. Can’t wait to go to London.

Being from Wales, MMA is on the rise here in the UK, how and when did you become interested in MMA?

Aidan James – Welsh MMA is definitely on the rise, I believe it’s already quite established how well rounded Welsh fighters are. I’ve always struggled with sleep and when I was younger my mother would be watching the UFC on TV early hours in the morning; I would go down and watch with her and fell in love with the sport.

You were very active throughout your amateur career, do you feel having the number of fights you had, helped you become the fighter you are today?

Aidan James – Yes I had a great and active amateur career, I was always in the gym (still am) so would take short notice bouts and would fight anyone. The amateur career has given me a huge variety of different situations when it comes to fighting, besides opponent styles, other changes like travelling, miss haps, weight cutting and so on. It’s just more experience in the bag.

From fighting in Swansea, straight to travelling the world competing for Brave! How did signing for Brave come about, and how did you feel when you signed the contract?

Aidan James – I signed for Brave by putting a call out on my Instagram. A Brave CF athlete relations manager saw the video and really liked it. He gave me an opportunity and took a short notice fight At featherweight, so they signed me I was ecstatic to sign with Brave, I also had a performance of the night bonus in my debut too!

How much have you enjoyed the experience of travelling the world with Brave and do you have a favourite?

Aidan James – I loved being with Brave, it was a truly VIP experience, very similar to how UFC fighters are treated, I would do a full fight week with poster signing, media, interviews and so forth. The travelling was my favourite part, I love seeing the world, it’s part of why I do why I do, because of the doors this sport can open. My favourite would be Jordan, it’s a beautiful country, and I had a huge crowd booing me as I walked out. I loved it!

What happened with Brave in the end, you were looking like a force in the division with three opening wins and two defeats set you back but we didn’t see you return?

Aidan James – I chose to leave brave as I wanted to be more active, they have a huge roster and I felt that I needed more fights, I love to compete – cage warriors are extremely active so it’s the right fit for me right now.

It’s been over a year since we saw you in the cage, has training been a struggle with the likes of Covid? And has it been hard to find a fight?

Aidan James – I’ve trained the entire time since I last fought, even with the broken hand from the fight I still trained – I did a lot of sneaky training during lockdown (*insert laughing face*).

We haven’t seen you in the yellow gloves since your amateur days, how much are you looking forward to being back with Cage Warriors?

Aidan James – I last fought for cage warriors as an amateur 7 years ago, it was my 20th birthday too. I took a short notice fight, cut 7kg for a same day weigh in too. I absolutely loved it.

Finally, do you have any thoughts on Philippe Rouch and any predictions for the fight?

Aidan James – Phillippe is a solid opponent, has good BJJ, long striking, and can scramble. Very similar to me, I believe the key will be implementing my own unique style on him. I don’t have a prediction but I want a finish, I want to put on a performance and impress my new boss’s.

Follow me on Twitter @JakeBroderick98 for more combat sports news and discussions. Also, make sure to follow @OT_Heroics for all of your sporting needs. Don’t forget OTHeroicsMMA for all things MMA.

Featured Image Credits to Cage Warriors.