KANE MOUSAH – THE MAN BEHIND THE BRAND
The inspiration and driving force behind BADR Sport is Manchester born MMA fighter, Kane ‘The Danger’ Mousah. Described by Brendan Loughnane as a ‘grab hold of you and suck the life out of you’ kind of fighter, Kane is building a reputation as a force to be reckoned with.
After a difficult childhood and involvement in gang crime as a young adult, Kane made the decision to turn his life around and now hopes that he can be an inspiration to boys and young men tempted by gang culture and crime. He is dedicated to giving back to the community and helping children choose a different path than he did.
Kane is currently in training for his upcoming Bellator 230 fight against Brazilian fighter Rafael Macedo, drafted in as a replacement for Daniele Scatizzi who has withdrawn since suffering a broken jaw.
Training
Refining his training regime over the years means that Kane now knows exactly what his body needs to prepare for a big fight. Walking around at 167lbs, cutting weight to 155lbs to qualify for his lightweight category means that nutrition and hydration are tightly controlled in the run up to the weigh in.
Having tried various approaches and regimes including saunas, food bans, cutting carbs and restricting fluids, Kane now believes that his body type just doesn’t perform well after an extreme level of restriction. He has honed his method of cutting weight whilst retaining maximum performance in the ring.
At 76kgs, Kane knows that coming up against bigger opponents is par for the course and factors this into his training approach.
“When I’m on the mat, I’m always looking for the bigger guys.” says Kane.
“You’re going to be coming against these guys that are walking around at 82kgs anyway, and I never struggle – even when I get lighter, I actually perform better.”.
After six years of intense training and fighting, Kane has his fitness regime worked out. Explosive work on the track, bag work, striking technique, wrestling and yoga all feature heavily in his weekly routine.
Mindset
The sharpness and grit needed to make it as an MMA fighter means that mindset is just as important as physical training in the lead up to a big fight. Kane talks openly about a particularly challenging experience that happened during a bout with fellow UK fighter, Lewis Monarch.
In an intense scramble exchange, Monarch trapped Kane’s arm, pulling it into such a position that his arm ligaments were tearing. Sheer determination saw Kane dig deep and pull through, continuing to fight his opponent, when in the third round, Monarch went on to target that same arm again, leading to further ligament damage for Kane.
Recalling the mental strength that got him through those moments, Kane says “I felt all the ligaments tearing. I was close to the point… I looked up and thought ‘No way’”.
Kane went on to defeat Monarch, winning after three rounds.
The mental strength needed to face a strong opponent can be the difference between a win or a loss. With some fighters big on trash-talk in the build up to a fight, Kane’s approach is to let his opponent take the lead. “We’re going to fight anyway. If the guy’s humble, you won’t hear me say a thing about him. I respect my opponent. But if someone’s giving it… I’ll go at it, and it leads to a great build up to a fight.” says Kane.
Finding Balance
Kane is the proud father to three boys and admits that it can be tricky finding the balance between his gruelling MMA schedule and parenthood.
Despite the demands of a successful MMA career, Kane is committed to being around his boys as much as he can. Eager to be a hands-on father, he does, however, acknowledge that if his training is suffering due to tiredness, he will take time off from the night feeds to make sure he catches up on sleep so he can maintain his energy and performance levels.
Kane’s Top Rated
Despite his busy schedule, Kane makes time to watch the fighters that he highly rates, naming Yoel Romero as one of his favourites. Kane credits his consistent energy and ability to go the distance in a fight, alongside his drive and love for the sport, as qualities he admires.
When it comes to actions outside the ring, Nate Dias provides the best entertainment value for Kane, who says “You can’t match him for character.”, particularly in his verbal sparring with Conor McGregor during their pre-fight build up.
Don’t miss the big fight; Mousah vs Macedo, Saturday 12th October. Showing on Channel 5 at 10pm.