Spiros Karidis Hank Russell interview on his last amateur fight

The Spiros Karidis Hank Russell interview on The Hank Russell Invitation brought a clear possibility: his November 21 Shamrock FC bout in St. Charles, Missouri, could be his last as an amateur. Karidis told Hank Russell that he wants to turn professional but does not see the UFC as his goal. He also explained why a year without a fight has not meant a year away from training.

Where is Spiros Karidis’s next fight?

Spiros Karidis’s next fight is scheduled for November 21 at 125 pounds on a Shamrock FC card at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri, just outside St. Louis. Born and raised in St. Louis, Karidis sees the trip as a chance to fight near home and catch up with people he rarely gets to see.

Returning to St. Louis

Karidis now lives in Dallas, Texas, and said he also spent a short time living in Greece. He fought for Shamrock FC on a previous visit to St. Louis and enjoys being able to combine a fight with seeing people there. He told Russell he does not get back often.

The bout is also significant for his career plans. Karidis said it may be his final amateur appearance, though he has not made that decision definite. He told Russell that the November 21 fight would be streamed on Millions.

What did Spiros Karidis say about turning pro and retirement?

Spiros Karidis expects to turn professional after his amateur career, but he described a short run rather than a pursuit of the UFC. His tentative plan is to have one or two professional fights and then stop competing so he can give more attention to his career and the family he hopes to have.

From boxing to MMA

His route into MMA began with boxing, followed by kickboxing. Karidis placed his first fight around 2018 and his first MMA fight around 2022. He remains an amateur and said the upcoming bout could be his last at that level.

Fighting matters to him beyond a possible professional paycheck. He said he enjoys it and that it makes him a better person, but he does not think the sport’s earnings are as substantial as some people outside it assume. Turning pro appeals to him; building his entire future around fighting does not.

Karidis put the tension between those ambitions plainly:

I want to have a family and I want to be successful.

He did not give a date for retirement. His idea of fighting professionally once or twice, then focusing on his career, remains a plan rather than a fixed schedule.

Why has Spiros Karidis gone a year without fighting?

Spiros Karidis said he had been out of competition for about a year because proposed fights fell through or came at the wrong time, not because he stopped training. Apart from brief breaks after his previous fight, for an ankle issue and for travel, he said he kept preparing.

Fights that did not come together

After his previous bout, Karidis took roughly a week and a half off. He also described about a week away because of an ankle issue and two weeks off during a summer trip abroad. Otherwise, he said, training continued while he tried to arrange another fight.

In August, he went to a Shamrock FC show to corner a teammate and told the promotion he wanted to fight whenever it could get him on a card. When the November 21 opportunity arrived, he felt prepared to accept it. He said his weight was in a good place and summed up his approach: “I stay ready.”

What did Spiros Karidis say about starting a family?

Spiros Karidis said he has no wife or children but hopes to have both in the future. He would like to start a family after he stops fighting, when he feels better able to provide the life he wants for his children. That goal is part of why he envisions a limited professional career.

At the time he spoke with Russell, Karidis was 28 and said he would turn 29 in February. He described himself as still young and still growing. Rather than treating marriage or children as immediate steps, he said he wants the timing to be right.

His family plans also give context to his comments about fighting money. He expects somewhat more pay as a professional, but said people can overestimate what fighters actually earn. For Karidis, success outside competition is not a fallback he mentioned casually; it is a reason he is thinking about when to leave the sport.

What did Spiros Karidis say about his walkout song?

Spiros Karidis said he has recently walked out to “Infierno” by Tornillo, a song he kept using after it accompanied a short-notice fight that became, in his words, “a absolute war.” He has not decided whether he will use it again for the November 21 bout.

The songs before “Infierno”

Karidis said earlier walkout choices included “All Eyes on Me” by Tupac Shakur, which he used a couple of times while boxing, and “Put On” by Jeezy. He is flexible about his music, but “Infierno” stayed with him after his coach felt it matched the intensity of that short-notice fight.

He said people approached him afterward to praise the Tornillo track even when they did not understand its lyrics. That response helped reinforce the choice, though Karidis told Russell he might still change songs for his next entrance.

How is Spiros Karidis preparing at Fortas MMA for 125 pounds?

Spiros Karidis credited his work at Fortas MMA and with strength and conditioning coach Rob for his preparation at 125 pounds. He said that, two weeks before the fight, his weight was lower than it had ever been at that stage, while his energy and conditioning felt better than before.

Coaching and the weight cut

Karidis thanked his Fortas MMA teammates and coach safe for the knowledge and daily work they share with him. He also singled out coach Rob, whom he began working with after coming to Dallas, for helping him feel ready for this fight.

His previous cut to 125 pounds had been fairly easy by his standards, although he said the final pounds were still difficult. Starting this cut at a substantially lower weight made him think the next one would be easier. He planned to fly from Dallas with his two corners on the Thursday before the St. Charles event.