Lewis McGrillen vividly recalls sensing the canvas dimming, a sign he was on the brink of losing consciousness during one of the most incredible fights mixed martial arts has ever witnessed – his victory over Dean Garnett last year.
The astonishing bout saw a remarkable 14 knockdowns exchanged between the two competitors. McGrillen fought his way out of a dangerous chokehold before ultimately securing the win by knocking out Garnett with a single punch.
“If you look at my fighting style, it`s quite chaotic in a way, and I just feel like I`m a very chaotic person. So, when that kind of chaos arises, I thrive in it,” McGrillen explained.
He is scheduled to step back into the cage this Saturday to face Alan Philpott. “The world will get to see more of me,” he stated, adding, “This fight is the perfect opportunity to showcase my abilities.”
McGrillen rose to prominence by claiming the PFL Europe bantamweight title last year, following that memorable clash with Garnett.
“I knew facing Garnett would be a challenge, but I didn`t anticipate how much of a challenge it would become, or how it would escalate into such a war. He has a seasoned veteran`s style, which made him incredibly tough during the fight,” McGrillen commented.
“Facing a cunning veteran, I felt I excelled in that moment. Because when the going gets tough, your true character emerges, and I feel my true character shone through in that fight. I didn`t care about bleeding; I just kept pushing forward. I thrive under that pressure.”
He described the difficult process of fighting his way back from the brink of defeat.
“I knocked him down a few times. Just when things were looking good for me, he caught me. I went down, got back up, and he grabbed me, got a hold of my neck, wrapped himself around me, and almost choked me unconscious,” McGrillen recounted.
“I just remember being in that moment, kicking to escape, and thinking, ‘This is your moment. Either you pass out, or you fight through it.’”
“I was fighting for my life,” he added. “I wasn`t giving up. As soon as I got back up and took that gasp of air, I knew I was in for a war. In a way, I accepted whatever was going to happen.”
For him, the knockout punch was the perfect ending to the intense encounter.
“That`s one of my signature tactics. It`s not just about a one-punch KO, but I let people chase me, and when they pursue, I catch them,” he explained.
“It`s incredibly chaotic. It`s almost like a life-or-death scenario. It`s a totally primitive state… that`s the mode you enter. You experience your body in a completely different way.”
