William 'ACE' O'Keefe Gonzalez Media TV interview on Ali Kuro

The William 'ACE' O'Keefe Gonzalez Media TV interview on Millions covered his disappointment over Team Canada boxing selection, the move to Aether MMA in Calgary and his approach to facing Ali Kuro at Havoc FC 23 on November 6. O'Keefe said he intends to challenge Kuro rather than spend the fight avoiding takedowns. He also spoke about fighting in memory of his late friend Lachlan.

What did William 'ACE' O'Keefe say about Team Canada selection and leaving boxing for MMA?

William 'ACE' O'Keefe said frustration with boxing helped push him toward MMA. He said he beat Team Canada boxers over a month and a half but was not selected for the team. Although he continued boxing afterward, the experience wore on him, and he eventually found fresh enthusiasm in a different sport.

His account of the Team Canada selection

O'Keefe had 60 amateur boxing fights and competed around the world. Describing the period when COVID arrived, he said he beat the Team Canada fighters he faced and asked for a place on the team. He said he was not selected. That result followed a stretch of work he had found both rewarding and tiring: proving himself against other boxers had not brought a chance to rest, and the selection decision felt like a further setback.

He attributed part of his departure to what he saw as corruption in boxing. He did not say that the selection decision immediately ended his boxing career; he continued after it, but said the sport no longer felt the same.

Leaving the past behind

Rather than make his former standing as a boxer the center of his MMA career, O'Keefe said he uses the disappointment as motivation. He described his current ability, not what he had previously achieved, as his main concern. O'Keefe put that change in outlook this way:

Who am I now? That's that's my biggest main focus.

He said MMA brought back his love of fighting. For O'Keefe, the move is a chance to build a new path and show skills beyond those that made him a leading boxer in Canada.

How did William 'ACE' O'Keefe discover MMA and balance it with construction work?

William 'ACE' O'Keefe watched MMA long before he trained in it. He said UFC was familiar to him when he was about six, though he began training in boxing at 16. After taking a break from boxing, he chose to try MMA instead of following the other career paths he had considered.

From watching UFC to trying MMA

Fighting had been part of O'Keefe's life for years, but watching MMA and entering the sport were separate decisions. When he stepped away from boxing, he considered joining the military or working in the trades. He decided to give MMA a try and said he is grateful that the choice lets him continue doing what he loves.

He did not portray the transition as effortless. O'Keefe said pursuing a fight can be terrifying, but he is excited to do it. His focus is on putting in enough work that, whatever happens, he can say he gave the opportunity his all.

Construction shifts and evening training

Outside the gym, O'Keefe works in construction and sometimes makes deliveries. He described a workday running from seven to four, followed by training that can run from five to eight-thirty. He also said he works five days a week and can train for three to five hours a day.

He framed the job as a way to pay his bills while pursuing fighting. Ahead of the November 6 bout, that routine meant working, training and trying to stay consistent rather than talking extensively about the matchup.

What did William 'ACE' O'Keefe say about training at Aether MMA?

William 'ACE' O'Keefe said training at Aether MMA in Calgary has helped him become a looser, better fighter. The hardest adjustment was setting aside the pressure and ego he carried from boxing. He credited head coach Dan Kovalchuk and the gym with helping him change how he approaches training.

Letting go of his boxing habits

O'Keefe remembered boxing gyms as serious places where achievement determined a fighter's standing. He said he often felt tense and drove himself relentlessly in training. If a session went badly or he failed to get something right, he would be hard on himself rather than step back from it.

His transition required more than adding MMA skills. According to O'Keefe, becoming willing to relax was difficult precisely because his old approach had been so ingrained. He said the change has improved him as a fighter and made him eager to show a different version of himself at Havoc FC 23.

Dan Kovalchuk and a small Calgary gym

O'Keefe credited Kovalchuk and the people at Aether MMA with telling him that his new sport did not have to feel like his previous boxing gym. Their message was to let that old pressure go. He described Aether MMA as a small gym, not a super team, and spoke highly of the knowledge its coaches and fighters share and build over time.

His confidence in the gym is personal: he said its approach has changed the way he trains. That support also matters to him as he prepares to enter the cage against Kuro.

How will William 'ACE' O'Keefe approach Ali Kuro at Havoc FC 23?

William 'ACE' O'Keefe said he plans to challenge Ali Kuro at Havoc FC 23 on November 6 rather than circle away to avoid takedowns. Describing his opponent as a wrestler, O'Keefe said he wants to make Kuro fight and test himself in the matchup, not rely on evasion.

Facing a wrestler without avoiding the exchange

O'Keefe did not offer a prediction of a finish or a result. His stated intention was to engage: he said he would not spend the bout running around the cage to stay clear of takedowns. He wants the fight to reveal which athlete can impose himself when they meet.

That approach fits the change he described at Aether MMA. O'Keefe believes he has become less tense and more willing to let his skills work, while still acknowledging the challenge of moving from boxing into a sport with wrestling. He said he was excited to show what that work has produced.

The matchup was also one of the first times he had spoken publicly about the fight. Until then, he said, he had kept his head down and concentrated on his work and training.

Who did William 'ACE' O'Keefe thank ahead of Havoc FC 23?

William 'ACE' O'Keefe thanked his mother, father, friends, Aether MMA and sponsors as he prepared for Havoc FC 23. He gave particular meaning to the bout by saying he is fighting for Lachlan, a friend from boxing who died. O'Keefe said Lachlan's memory gives him strength.

Family, friends and the gym

O'Keefe said his mother has supported him when he has felt low and helped him stay focused. He also thanked his father, his best friend Marshall, Tristan and Aether MMA. Those acknowledgments came after he had described the demands of holding a construction job while preparing to fight.

Fighting in memory of Lachlan

He named Crown Movement and Lachlan's Light among his sponsors. Lachlan, he explained, was a friend of his in boxing who had passed away. O'Keefe said he is fighting for him and believes that remembering his friend will help carry him into the bout.

O'Keefe's reasons for fighting therefore extend beyond proving that a boxer can adapt to MMA. He spoke about the people who helped him through difficult periods, the team he trains with now and the friend he wants to honor when he faces Kuro.

Who is William 'ACE' O'Keefe?

William 'ACE' O'Keefe is a former number-one-ranked boxer in Canada who had 60 amateur fights against international competition. He is transitioning to MMA and trains at Aether MMA in Calgary, developing his skills across combat sports.