IT'S 11am on a Thursday morning, you’re at home in Neath having just finished training, and you receive a call asking if you would take an MMA fight in Bulgaria on Saturday night.

The fight is just weeks before you headline a prestigious event, and competing means cutting 11 kilograms (kg) of weight in less than 24 hours, not to mention an overnight drive to London to catch a 6am Friday morning flight.

The obvious response? Thanks, but no thanks.

Unless of course, you’re David Round – who in late September faced this exact scenario when his manager from the Fight Agency, Chris Clarke, contacted him to say there was a fight available against Georgi Valentinov, a Bulgarian MMA fighter and national wrestling champion.

And it was this subject which formed the start of my conversation with Round when we met in Costa Coffee, Haverfordwest, for an interview last week. 

The 29-year-old, regarded as one of the sport’s more colourful characters, is currently taking his first extended break from fighting in eight years (on medical advice). Often portrayed as brash and charismatic, he has never been afraid of self-promotion, especially through his social media accounts. 

And yet, here was Round in philosophical mode. Over the next 60 minutes, I was to get an interesting insight into his views on a wide range of issues in MMA, as well as an explanation behind his insistence that the sport is all about the fans.

“I got hold of my friend and corner man, Sam Clark, about 2pm that Thursday,” he said of his manic trip to Bulgaria.

“Once he agreed to come, I started hot bathing and then went down to the sauna and managed to get most of the weight off.

“They had said I could fight at 80 kg instead of the maximum 77 for a welterweight fight – but when I got there on Friday morning we did the weigh ins and were both bang on 77 kg.”

Remarkably, despite his less than ideal preparation, Round’s fight went the distance of three five minute rounds for only the fourth time in his career.

My suggestion (based on research) that the contest, eventually given to the home fighter on points, had not been without controversy brought a smile to Round’s face.

“In the first round he gouged me twice and bit me, and I showed the bite marks to the local Bulgarian referee who said nothing. When I got back to my corner Sam said there was no way I was going to win it on points, and to just go out there and have some fun.

“I was talking to him the whole fight, telling him he couldn’t knock me out and he had nothing. But when the bell went at the end of the third I knew I wouldn’t get the decision.”

Round’s performance went down well with those in attendance, and he and Sam were mobbed as they left the cage for the safety of the dressing room. However, the consequences of such a mentally and physically draining trip were about to become serious.

“After the fight I spent six hours on an IV drip in hospital, and after we flew back to Wales I was unable to drive or even see straight because my eye was closed up and my vision was blurred.

“For about 10 days after that I was suffering blackouts.”

Thankfully, a recent CT scan has cleared Round of any permanent damage, but he was not alone in returning from Bulgaria wounded.

The fight had taken place outside, amidst the ruins of an old colosseum, and Sam also had to spend time in hospital after it emerged he was bitten on his leg during the night.

“We don’t know if it was a snake or a spider but his leg blew right up,” said Round.

“So the Monday we got back he was looking after me because I couldn’t see and I was looking after him because he couldn’t walk.”

It was there I changed the direction of our conversation. To his credit, Round has never been one to hand pick his fights. His record stands at 17-16-0, although his win ratio is considerably higher when inclusive of kickboxing, K1, and boxing contests.

Indeed, corner man Sam has previously said he has never known a fighter like him for taking any fight at short notice, irrespective of the odds.

I questioned why he took this approach, especially when it often meant severely hampered preparation.

“Because that’s what fighting is about,” Round told me.

“If you can’t take a fight at short notice and be ready for it then you’re not a fighter. 

“You should be able to compete at any level at any time they ask you to. No matter where it is in the world, if they can fly you there, you don’t turn it down.”

He is equally dismissive of win/loss percentages – but his affiliation with supporters and spectators is abundantly clear.

Indeed, Round has often been described as a showman, with a risky, attacking style that is accompanied by extravagant ring entrances.

“People don’t care about your record. In fact, everyone wants to see unbeaten fighters lose.

“If you go in worried about your record or getting hurt then you can’t put on a good fight, and you tend to try and coast it.

“But if you’re not worried, you can just go out there and put on a good show. If you get knocked out, you get knocked out, but the fans want to come and watch you actually fight.

“And it’s all about the fans. If it wasn’t for them we may as well all fight in the gym.”

His next statement, intrigued me the most.

“I would honestly rather put on a 15 minute war and lose, and know I’ve given my best, than coast a fight and win. It’s all about leaving a legacy and no-one will remember you for that.

“I like to put on what I want to see if I was in the crowd. People want to see blood, they want to see knockouts and big shots.”

However, even Round admits he perhaps pushed things too far when, despite still suffering from multiple injuries in Bulgaria, he took on the renowned Billy Beaumont at Rise of Champions in Essex, and suffered an inevitable first round defeat.

“The problem was that was a main event fight that had been lined up for a long time,” he admitted.

“I believe had I not gone to Bulgaria I would have beaten him. But I was fighting with head injuries, and sure enough, with me thinking he didn’t throw head kicks, I walked straight into one.”

You would think the previously mentioned exploits would have been enough to prompt Round to take a break and stick to it, with no fight now due until he takes on former UFC fighter Mick Bowman in March.

And yet, I sensed a man itching to get back into action. The extra rest, has not prompted any thoughts of retirement.

But Round has at least afforded himself the chance to take stock, and after recently returning to live in Milford Haven, plans to re-unite with an old friend.

“I’ll be doing sessions with Graham Brockway.

“Graham’s pad work and the way he trains people is unbelievable. I started with him when I was young and after I left I carried on training the way he taught me.

“But then as I went on to learn other things, like wrestling and judo, I began to forget some of the stuff he taught me. Now it’s time to go back to some old school strike work.”

Round admits he has been fortunate in some respects. At 29, he has managed to avoid what he describes as any ‘serious’ injuries, and claims to be in as good a shape physically as ever.

He still holds the WKBF Welsh Cruiserweight Kickboxing title, and says he would be happy to defend it the moment he’s offered a challenger.

“I will go on as long as I can. I’m nearly up to 50 fights now with MMA, boxing, K1 and kickboxing all included, and I’d love to get to 100 fights.

“I may look at only doing three or four MMA fights a year, and more kickboxing or K1, but as long as I don’t get injured I reckon I’ve got another six or seven good years in me.”

But what of Round’s thoughts on the global state of MMA? The increased exposure and attention the sport is now receiving?

“It’s flying,” he says gleefully.

“It’s everywhere. Four years ago Dana White said he’d never have women fighting in the UFC, and now Ronda Rousey is one of the highest gross MMA athletes in the world. That shows.”

In previews to fights, Round is regularly described as a ‘veteran’ by analysts and promoters. I suspected there would be a hint of bitterness that he started out in the sport long before it was as big as now – and when training facilities and prestigious venues were not readily available.

Far from it.

“I’m proud to be labelled a veteran,” he said.

“I made my way by training in little gyms and fighting in cages in night clubs.

“When BAMMA came along I signed for them and they changed things. But there’s so many good promotions out there now.”

He frequently watches the UFC product as a fan, and firmly believes the UK is still a long way behind America in their approach to the sport.

“I cannot wait to go back to California (where he has previously trained),” he said.

“They are so far ahead. You turn up for training and it’s more relaxed and you learn more. You train over three or four hours, food is pre-prepared for you afterwards.

“Over there you are treated like a fighter. Here a lot of places want you to turn up to a gym just so they can have your membership fee.”

This was a notion that tied in nicely with his answer to my last major question.

What burning ambitions remain in David Round?

“I want to fight in America and in Japan,” he said.

“Those are my two biggest goals. Other than that, it’s just to keep fighting against the best people out there. I’m still ranked 19th in the UK and whoever I’m offered, I will fight.

“I fight more times in a two or three year period than some people do in their whole career. I’ve fought all over Europe, at the top, at the bottom, for different organisations, and in every weight class.

“I don’t know of many, especially in the UK, who can also say they’ve done that.”

It had been an intriguing and interesting interview, as it was the first time I had spoken to Round in a non-training or non-pre or post fight capacity. 

He is confident and self-assured, and yet his love for his sport and its supporters is obvious. Here is not a man motivated by financial rewards, win ratios or records – but a fighter determined to live every last bit of his career to the full.

His parting shot was something I had long worked out beforehand.

“I will never regret anything.

“If I get injured in my next fight and can never compete again, I’ll be disappointed but I will have no regrets as I know I’ve given my all.

“Nothing I do in my career or my life, good or bad, will I ever regret.”

  • David Round added he wanted to thank current sponsors LPA Impact, Granicol Ltd, Bad Boy Supplements, L Greggain & Co Ltd, Steve Evans at Studio 9 Custom Tattoo, and Training Mask.