Alex Lohoré, a seasoned and previously polarising figure in the UK mixed martial arts scene, is closer than he’s been in a while to holding a recognisable strap above his head. On March 9th he will face UFC veteran Nicolas Dalby in a battle for the interim Cage Warriors welterweight title at CW103 in Denmark.
With his signing to a new promotion it would seem Lohoré has also brought out an unseen side to himself, a more mellow version of the personality that loomed large on the UK scene. Explaining his new outlook he said, “All the bad energy I had before I don’t bring it outside the cage anymore. I just release it now inside the cage. I’m all about business. I’m going in there to fight, to kill and to win.” With the new personality there also appears to be a prioritisation of his reasons for fighting too.
“When I signed for Cage Warriors I didn’t sign for the money, I signed because I wanted to be on one of the best shows in Europe. Unless you are in the big leagues like the UFC or Bellator you aint gonna get paid that much. It’s a struggle man, I do it for the love for the sport.”
It appears that whilst he has been a fixture on many of the UK based fight promotions you could care to mention. This isn’t the first time Cage Warriors has been an option for him to take as he explains, “Before I went to BAMMA I was approached at the same time by Cage Warriors. I went with BAMMA as they offered more money. Now look at how BAMMA have ended up, they haven’t ended up the right way. We didn’t finish on good terms either. For me it’s not about the money it’s about the legacy.”
After making his first two opponents he was assigned slow their proverbial roll it’s clear that ‘Da Killa Kid’ is hell bent on giving fighters every opportunity to reconsider their career choice. Laughing he said, “If you are fighting me and your intention is to go to the UFC, you are in trouble.”
It’s unclear at this moment why this fight is for an interim title, many are speculating that Houston, having opened up a new gym, may have his hands full with business matters. Having told Peter Carroll of MMA Fighting that ‘It’s ridiculous. I ain’t traveling all the way to Denmark to fight Nicolas Dalby.’ it’s clear Houston has dug his heels in. Regardless, the match up has been well received and for good reason. When you look at the calibre of both men this clash would not be out of place on a UFC card, a point not missed by Alex Lohoré.
“This fight is actually on a UFC level. I’m ranked on the European scene and Dalby’s ranked on a world level. That’s the kind of opponent I want to fight. The fight ends with ‘Da Killa Kid’ being the real welterweight champion. This for me is the real welterweight championship fight. Houston is a good guy but he has a lot to learn he’s not on the level that we are. When I finish Dalby, Houston will have a problem.”
Alex is keen to remain composed and keep his eye on the task at hand but it’s clear that he has his eye firmly on his progression.
“I’m focusing on Dalby first then I’ll focus on Houston after. I’m going into Dalby’s house in Denmark and I’ll enjoy getting new fans. For me Houston will be a step down. But he has the belt so I have to fight him. Before I saw him fight I didn’t know who Houston was I didn’t even know he was a fighter.”
CW103 tickets are available now.