The feud between Wolfslair's Mick Bowman and Sapphire MMA's Ian Entwistle may have quitened down in the run up to their fight at OMMAC 13, but that doesn't mean the same desire isn't there for both men.

Bowman, a TUF participant that featured on The Ultimate Fighter 13, returns to action for the first time since June of 2011, but his next matchup is one that has been brewing for a long time.

Following some online back and forth, largely on the Cage Warriors Forum, Bowman and Entwistle finally got matched up at OMMAC 13: Destiny.

On March 3rd, both men have a chance to lay it on the line and do combat in person rather than online. Bowman revealed to us that he was relishing the prospect.

 

YourMMA.tv: This fight with Enty has been a long time in the making. How glad are you that it's finally going to happen? Did you ever think it might not happen?

Mick Bowman: I'm absolutely made up it's finally here y'know. I always knew it would happen though. With the way he ran his mouth I had no option to chase the fight with him did I really?

YourMMA.tv: When you have a genuine dislike for your opponent, does it make training easier? How have your preparations been going for this fight?

MB: Yeah, it's a lot easier to get out of bed to go do a run or do those extra rounds of sparring when you dislike the opponent, of course it is. This camp's going really well. I feel like I've improved in every area since my last fight so I'm just wanting to get in there right now and show everyone!

YourMMA.tv: Enty hasn't been talking online as much as before. Do you think he has changed at all, or do you think the Wheeler fight just dented his confidence?

MB: No, I don't think he's changed at all. We both know why the online shit has stopped but that's between the two of us and our teams. He seemed back to his usual self for the Andy Green fight so I'm sure his confidence is back to normal. I will say the forum's not as good without him mouthing off at everyone, though some of the stuff he used to come out with didn't half tickle me.

YourMMA.tv: Aside from all the online bickering, what is your honest assessment of Enty as a fighter? What strengths do you think he has?

MB: Well first off I don't think he's anywhere near as good as he thinks he is, but he does have skills obviously or he wouldn't have won so many fights would he. I'd say his main strength is his aggression, but I feel if he doesn't finish the fight fast then he starts to run out of ideas and he doesn't seem to like it when people fight back.

YourMMA.tv: Where do you expect to win the fight?

MB: I see myself winning the fight wherever it goes. I feel I'm better than him everywhere and I know for a fact I've got a bigger heart than him.

YourMMA.tv: The crowd is expected to be quite strongly in your favour. Do you think that will affect him?

MB: I'll have a lot of people there yeah, but he only lives up the motorway and he trains in Liverpool now so I'm sure he'll have a good bit of support with him too, so I'm not sure if it'll affect him. It's only the two of us in there though isn't it at the end of the day? That's how I see it.

YourMMA.tv: We see quite a lot of grudge matches take place and then the fighters embrace afterwards and become friends to some degree. Is there any chance of that happening?

MB: Well this has all started from him wanting to fight me so I don't see the point in holding any grudges after we've had the fight. I'm not into all that.

YourMMA.tv: You probably get asked about TUF a lot, but just to briefly mention it - looking back, how good was that experience and what lessons did you learn?

MB: Being on TUF was amazing and I'd do it again in the blink of an eye. I learnt a lot about myself being in there. I had a few things on my mind the months leading up to it but being in there helped me sort them out. I'd like to think it changed me as a person as well as a fighter.

The best lesson I learnt from it though was to not put too many expectations and pressure on myself for a fight because when it was time to go all of that just turned into nerves and I fought like absolute shit. That's why I looked so relaxed for my fight against Kieran Malone, because before it I was just thinking 'it's only a fight, all I have to do is perform'.

In the grand scheme of things the people in my life who matter to me are still gonna be there for me no matter how I do aren't they, so thinking like that keeps me relaxed which is obviously when the best of me comes out!

 

Bowman and Entwistle put the talk behind them and get into action on March 3rd at The Olympia in Liverpool.

Visit www.OMMAC.tv for more information and to get tickets to the must-see main event.

Stay tuned to YourMMA.tv on Twitter and Facebook for all the coverage on the card, and the interview with Ian Entwistle.

OMMAC 13 Destiny Fight Card

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