Mark Uracs Ali Storm interview on gold and WBC ambitions

In the Mark Uracs Ali Storm interview for FightTalk.mt on MILLIONS, the Muay Thai fighter discussed winning three fights in three days for a gold medal, how teaching beginners has improved his own technique, and his hopes of earning a WBC belt, fighting in Rajadamnern World Series and securing a ONE Championship contract. Uracs also spoke about the support he gets from Sean and his team.

How did Mark Uracs win three fights in three days for a gold medal?

Mark Uracs entered the tournament believing he could win gold, despite not having trained in Muay Thai for long. He won three fights across three days and said he walked into the third feeling almost fresh. He credited adrenaline with helping him through the demanding schedule.

Uracs said his confidence came from the work he had put in and from encouragement at home. He had told himself he would leave with gold, and his family had been telling him the same thing. He did not claim to have been certain of the outcome, but he expected to win a medal.

By the final fight, the effort of the preceding days had not felt as heavy as he might have expected. Uracs said adrenaline kept him going and meant he did not really feel it when he walked in for the third bout. The gold medal was the result of that three-fight run, not a result he said he had taken for granted.

What does Mark Uracs enjoy about Muay Thai?

Mark Uracs said competition pushes him to improve every day. He likes the drive to be better than the person across from him, a feeling he compared with trying to finish first in swimming. He also enjoys the physical exchange of fighting, including the chance to respond after being hit.

That competitive feeling is not limited to a particular opponent. For Uracs, wanting to do better gives training a continuing purpose: each session is another opportunity to become a better version of himself. He spoke about the motivation in straightforward terms rather than presenting it as something unique to Muay Thai.

He was equally direct about the part of fighting that might sound less appealing to someone outside the sport. Uracs said he enjoys getting hit and then being able to kick back. It is part of the experience he likes, alongside the challenge of measuring his progress.

How have Sean and teaching beginners helped Mark Uracs in Muay Thai?

Mark Uracs credited Sean and his wider support system with helping him through the past two and a half to three years of training. He said teaching beginners has also made him a better fighter: explaining basic techniques sends him back to details he still needs to practise himself.

Sean’s coaching and support

Uracs described Sean as demanding when focus slips, while acknowledging that their personalities differ. Uracs likes to joke around and keep things light, but said he intends to be tough as a teacher too. He considers himself fortunate to have been chosen to train under Sean and spoke warmly of the help he receives when he fights.

One piece of advice before a final suited Uracs particularly well: he recalled being told to go in and have fun rather than being pressed with more instructions. The message calmed him, and he said he did have fun. He also named Esther, Stefan and the fighting team as part of the group that helps its members.

Returning to the jab and cross

Beginner classes were not Uracs’s first experience teaching. He had already led fitness classes and private classes outside the gym. A sponsor also asked him to make videos and post more often online. Working through fundamentals with others reinforced his view that going back to basics is what makes a fighter good; he singled out the mechanics of throwing a jab and a cross.

What did Mark Uracs say about Control and barbecuing in Malta?

Mark Uracs said he was replaying Control after completing it fully, and he discussed Control Resonance as another part of the game. Away from gaming, his favorite barbecue spot in Malta is his own balcony. He buys meat from Meets and Eats in Nashar and prefers cooking it at home.

Replaying Control

Uracs called Control a cool game and said he had already finished it completely before starting it again. His mention of Control Resonance came while explaining what he was playing at the time, a brief detour from the conversation about training and teaching.

Meat from Meets and Eats

On the grill, Uracs singled out Australian top sirloin, USDA top sirloin and picanha, the Brazilian cut. He also talked about making ćevapi at home. Although he mentioned Vulcan Barbecue, he said he does not generally go out for barbecue because he enjoys making it himself.

Uracs readily accepted the idea of a barbecue competition with other fighters. Food is a genuine interest for him, not simply a break from talking about Muay Thai, and his own balcony was his immediate answer when asked for a favorite barbecue spot.

How has Mark Uracs changed his diet and approach to improvement?

Mark Uracs said he had changed his whole diet while improving as a fighter over the past two and a half years. He has also experimented with sweets made from pumpkin and squash, including chocolate cakes. In training and fights, he judges progress against his earlier self rather than against other people.

The diet changes have not ended his interest in food. Uracs said the sweets he has been making still taste good, even when their ingredients differ from what a reader might expect in a chocolate cake. His enthusiasm for barbecue and his attention to what he eats both came through in the conversation.

Every fight gives Uracs something new to work on, he said. Rather than treating a bout as a final verdict on his ability, he looks for what it reveals about where he can improve. Uracs summed up the standard he uses for that progress:

I don't compare myself to others. I always compare myself to myself how I was yesterday.

What did Mark Uracs say about his MTB teammates?

Mark Uracs described MTB as a supportive team whose members help one another. He picked Jesus as possibly its funniest person and identified Sean, Stefan and Kyle as difficult sparring partners for different reasons. He spoke about them as people he trains alongside, not as opponents he was calling out.

Jesus stood out to Uracs for his quick replies and humor, even though English is not his first language. In harder sparring, Uracs named Sean as particularly good and said Stefan hits hard. He added that getting through Stefan’s first rounds makes the rest more manageable because of Stefan’s cardio.

Kyle presents a different problem: Uracs warned about his kicks and long legs. When asked whether a punch in the face or Sean shouting at him was worse, he chose the punch. He treats Sean’s criticism as a sign that he needs to do a better job.

What are Mark Uracs’s goals for a WBC belt, RWS and ONE Championship?

Mark Uracs hopes to have a WBC belt, an opportunity to fight in Rajadamnern World Series and, further ahead, a ONE Championship contract. These are goals, not scheduled fights or confirmed deals. He also said he had tentative plans to visit Thailand next year and would like to fight there.

Asked what he would want to celebrate in a year or five years, Uracs named the belt, an RWS fight and a future ONE Championship contract. He described the ambitions as part of dreaming big. He did not give a date for a title attempt or identify an opponent.

Thailand is part of that outlook, but the travel plan is not settled. Uracs said he had some plans to go, possibly next year, and would see how they developed. He was unequivocal about wanting to fight there, while leaving the timing open.