Bowkes Talking Bouts

Devon Lozej takes on Albaraa Atmeh at BTC 11. This bantamweight bout goes down Sunday, August 15th in Edmonton, Alberta. Lozej came on BTB to cover several subjects including: -Getting from Thunder Bay to Edmonton -Leading Edge MMA being his primary gym in Northern Ontario and his growth there -Being part of the Lakehead Wrestling team and wanting to parlay that into an MMA career -The influence of Matt Veal and Matt Richer in his progression as a combatant -Getting in work at Tristar as well as Roufusport in past training trips and learning from GSP -The amateur MMA run and why it felt like the appropriate time to turn pro for this one -Linking up with Dodge Sports and the benefits of that management team -Performing for a growing organization like BTC Fight Promotions -BTC 11 being at River Cree Resort and Casino as well as the rich Canadian MMA history of past MFC shows and Unified MMA shows (past and present) there -Foreseeing a sequence playing out where he outpaces Albaraa Atmeh in this fight -Living "The Dream" and why that informs his nickname as a mixed martial artist -Looking at some of the Ontario-based BTC cards for later in the calendar year -Being a sushi aficionado, pro wrestling fandom as a kid, music he trains to, and so much more

Roxanne Modafferi is lined up to compete at UFC 266 in September. The Happy Warrior was supposed to fight Tatiana Suarez at the time of our conversation. But Suarez has subsequently dropped out due to injury and they're looking to secure another flyweight opponent for Modafferi. Modafferi covered several subjects with me: -this upcoming MMA fight cementing her as having the most mixed martial arts contests of any woman in the sport's history -recording her knee rehab and Modafferi's regular social media documenting of the progress -some of her best friends nowadays starting as fans and the unique loyalty to Modafferi's fanbase -the MMA On Point video that compared her to Goku and the Goku rash guard -Serena DeJesus being her best friend and the growth that they have had over the years -the myriad of funny quotes Modafferi gets from reaching her kids' jiu-jitsu classes -being about 75 percent of the way through writing her memoir continuation -the joy of Modafferi's piano playing and wanting to serenade her jiu-jitsu boyfriend -her Fusion Fight League grappling contest on July 31st and appearing on previous submission grappling circuits

Gabriel Varga has held Kickboxing world titles at featherweight in Bellator and Glory. Varga is exploring free agency and covered several subjects with me such as: -getting back into the gym for the first time sparring in 8 months and feeling the soreness from it -recuperation techniques for when he's feeling sore but also enjoying aspects of the soreness -the status of where Varga is at in his processes exploring free agency so far -pandemic hurdles with figuring out his next fight and whether it will be kickboxing or MMA -viewing MMA as something to keep him busy between kickboxing bouts and being able to meaningfully retain jiu-jitsu knowledge throughout the pandemic with focused grappling training -what he learned from his first MMA loss to TeeJay Britton last time out with Bellator MMA -his family-centric training history in Victoria, BC and fighters scouring the globe for the ultimate camp -the nuanced technique breakdowns on his Youtube channel and the benefits of teaching for refined expression of your physical tools -dynamics of weight cut difficulties existing with the UFC's approach versus ONE Championship's approach with the hydration testing -there being Glory and K-1 possibilities being on the radar to an extent as well for Varga -piano playing efforts and the appreciation he has for playing music

Arlene Blencowe takes on Dayana Silva at Bellator 262. The featherweight fight goes down on Friday, July 16th live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Blencowe came on BTB to discuss multiple topics including: -the Australian boxing scene being hot -a possible return to boxing being possible with Bellator MMA's Showtime broadcasts as of late -having to pay to fight when she captured a pair of world championship titles in boxing -her last MMA bout with Cris Cyborg and that second bid for the Bellator MMA featherweight belt -training at Jackson Wink w/ fellow Boxing/ MMA crossovers like Claressa Shields and Holly Holm -her first time inside a cage being when she stepped in to compete during her MMA debut -her surprise Muay Thai debut and the redemptive nature of her second Muay Thai contest -fighting three opponents in a single night for $100 during an MMA event in 2013 -wanting a bantamweight class within Bellator MMA and the respectful fight idea at 135 pounds with Ilima-Lei Macfarlane that was suggested between the two several months ago -the myriad of serious injuries Blencowe has had throughout her combative career -what aspects of her fighting approach and demeanor has endeared her to Bellator MMA fans