Shrugging off opponent changes, Julia Budd is ready to prove that she is ready for a shot at the Invicta FC World Featherweight Title.
Opposite Budd in the Invicta FC cage on December 7th will be fellow Canadian kickboxer, Charmaine Tweet. Comfortable and confident as a complete mixed martial artist, Budd is ready to adapt to anything her opponent throws at her at Invicta FC 7.
Corey Smith: You are returning to the Invicta FC cage for the fourth time December 7th. How has the experience been so far with the company?
Julia Budd: It’s been amazing. I love fighting for them, and it’s been a good road with them. They treat us really professionally, and even though I’ve said this before working with all women is a nice change from Strikeforce. It’s cool when you are fighting with a whole bunch of other girls.
CS: What does having a family of martial artists do for your overall game? Are there any challenges being married to fellow martial artist?
JB: Absolutely. There is no separation. We work together, we go home together, so sometimes it’s hard. It’s tough when the gym carries over to the rest of your life. But I think the bottom line is we love each other and we want the best for one another. So at the end of the day I don’t think there is a way better than this because I know that he wants the best for me. He cares for my overall game more than just a regular coach that I see once or twice a week to work on a certain thing. We know what to work on, and he knows me so well. I’ve been training at Gibson’s MMA for close to thirteen years, so he has watched me through my amateur career, my kickboxing career, and into my MMA career. He knows me so well at this point it’s great because the gameplan we come up with and what I need to work on are catered specifically for me.
CS: With training camp injuries a common occurrence in MMA, how do you balance getting the full amount of training that you require but still guarding against injury? What does a typical day of training camp entail for you?
JB: That’s the other thing, is adequate rest time, when to take days off. Especially for this camp, we made sure to know when to fall back. I have a tendency to keep going, going and going. That’s just my personality. So this time we have paid attention to it. I had to pull out of my last fight with a neck injury, so I rehabbed that properly, which was an ongoing thing. So this is the first time I have gone into a training camp one hundred percent healthy. I don’t think that I have ever felt better, so now I can train harder.
JB: Usually I break it down and I do either sparring or wrestling, a technical session. And then there is a conditioning session, a run or something. Three sessions a day, two technical and then a cardio or conditioning session.
CS: Your kickboxing career took you all over the world, from Thailand to Europe, and of course in the United States and Canada. Was there any country or travel situation that was more difficult than the others?
JB: When I fought in Amsterdam, I think I flew in the night before weigh in. It was a really tough weight cut, and I flew in very late, and then I had to weigh in and fight right after. That was very tough for me because of the time difference. I tend to hold on to water, so flying and a weight cut was not fun.
CS: After alternating wins and losses over the first four fights of your career, you are now on a 3 fight win streak heading into Invicta FC 7. What do you believe is leading to this type of consistency?
JB: I think it’s figuring out MMA altogether, piecing it all together. Getting comfortable with what to do in every situation. When I first started I was sort of this kickboxer that got thrown in there and I was ok with whatever happens happens, and I would just hope that it went my way. But now it’s really strategic, and I feel confident in all aspects, and I’ve worked on everything equally now. I’ve figured out what works for my body, what my fighting style is, and who I am as a mixed martial artist. Instead of just being a Muay Thai kickboxer who transferred over.
CS: Opponent changes seem to have happened to you frequently over the past couple of fights. How do opponent changes affect your overall preparedness?
JB: Yeah I think that last two changes were like a week before the fight. I feel like it was good, because I am just prepared mentally if anything happens I am ready one hundred percent. Whoever I fight I am ready to fight whoever and impose my will on them. At the end of the day a fight is a fight, I can prepare specifically for an opponent, but I have to have the mentality that if I ran into someone on the street somewhere I would have to fight and win as well. You have to keep the overall perspective; if it changes it changes but a fight is a fight. If my conditioning is good and I’ve trained all aspects, I can adapt to any situation.
CS: After a fight, how much do you go back and rewatch it? And for what purpose?
JB: I watch it, but I have a hard time watching it. We watch it and go over what we need to work on. I’m told what I did wrong, what worked, what went well and then we adapt and move on from there and work on it when I go back to the gym. It’s hard to watch yourself.
CS: On December 7th at Invicta FC 7, you will be facing Charmaine Tweet. How familiar are you with her game? What do you think is the key to a win against Tweet?
JB: The key to a win against her is to use my athleticism. Use my overall game as a mixed martial artist and impose my will on her. Use all my skills. That’s why I am so excited about this fight; I can use all the skills I have been working on. I have so many goals for this fight, and I want to show that I am the top of the 145lb division. I deserve to be fighting the best of the best at our weight category and show Invicta that I deserve the next title shot.
JB: Against Charmaine, I’ve watched her in kickboxing and I’ve known about her for years. It’s interesting that we are meeting each other at this time in our lives, because we were supposed to fight before. She’s from Canada as well, and it’s cool. I’m excited to fight her.
CS: You stated that you are focused on getting a shot at the Featherweight title. Where do you think a win against Charmaine Tweet would put you in the proverbial line?
JB: It’s interesting. I think that another win is what I need obviously, and I don’t think it needs to be against Tweet necessarily. I think it puts me right in contention though. The whole way through, I feel like I’ve been right there, and then there is another opponent. All I know is that I need to put on a hundred percent performance and that will answer questions on if I deserve it or not.
CS: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
JB: Be open for anything to happen. Don’t get your heart set on what you think is going to happen in a fight. Be open to anything happening. Sometimes you put limits on yourself; you don’t accept that you could put on an even more spectacular performance. Believe that the impossible is possible.
CS: After one of your fights is over, what do you want the fans to remember win or lose?
JB: Julia Budd is a phenomenal athlete.
CS: Finally, MMA is as much a team sport as it is an individual one. Who would you like to thank?
JB: I want to thank Lance Gibson Sr., Lance Gibson Jr., all my training partners at Gibson MMA, and my family.
JB: And Shannon Knapp and Invicta for having me on there and giving me a stage to showcase my skills.
JB: Tune in December 7th to Invicta Fights and watch us put on a great show!