Bert MMA Ram At The Fights interview: October 17 knockout plan

Bert MMA Ram At The Fights interview brought Robert Tellez together with Ram At The Fights on MILLIONS ahead of an October 17 bout with Taylor's earless at Fight Series Number 10 in El Poria, Mississippi. Tellez predicted a second-round knockout, said a win could lead to a professional debut overseas, and explained why he does not aim for a long UFC career.

What did Bert MMA say about his next fight and turning pro?

Bert MMA said his October 17 fight will be his fifth as an amateur, and that a win would give him enough experience to consider turning professional. He was 4-0 entering the bout and hoped to make his pro debut overseas in January, though he also wanted more time in the cage before making that move.

More time to prepare for Fight Series Number 10

Tellez learned about the fight roughly three weeks before speaking with Ram At The Fights. That was more notice than he had received for any of his previous fights: he said those came together three days, five days or a week beforehand, leaving little time beyond cutting weight and traveling to compete.

This time, he could prepare for a specific opponent. He described finishing a three-hour practice that included hard rounds with training partners at his gym, where a shot knocked his mouthpiece out.

The proposed professional debut

Before competing as an amateur, Tellez trained and fought with protective gear. He set himself a goal of reaching five amateur wins without a loss before turning pro. All four of his amateur wins had come by finish, but he said he hoped the next bout would reach the second or third round so he could gain experience. For a possible January debut, he mentioned an overseas opponent from Thailand or Vietnam with strong striking.

How did training at Raptor MMA in Vietnam help Bert MMA?

Bert MMA said training at Raptor MMA in Vietnam improved the way he combines striking, grappling and ground-and-pound. He spent a little over a month there, practicing around five hours a day, and found that the gym’s sessions kept MMA exchanges in mind even when the focus was jiu-jitsu or striking.

At Raptor MMA, Tellez trained alongside young professionals, including a woman he described as a 2-0 pro with skilled jiu-jitsu. He also mentioned Dan clock. He valued the number of smaller, faster strikers at the gym, saying they made useful partners around the 125- and 135-pound weight classes.

The structure of practice stood out to him. He said jiu-jitsu sessions used MMA gloves and included ground-and-pound, while striking sessions accounted for the possibility of a takedown. In grappling, he had to pursue takedowns and submissions while remaining aware that he could be hit. He credited that approach with improving his movement and his ability to work punches into his jiu-jitsu.

What did Bert MMA say about Taylor's earless?

Bert MMA said he had watched Taylor's earless’s two most recent fights and expected an opponent who would press forward with body kicks and powerful punches. Tellez planned to stand with him, respond with a submission if a takedown came, and pursue a second-round knockout in their October 17 fight.

What Tellez saw in the two fights

Tellez described his opponent as 1-1. He said the first loss came late against a larger, undefeated fighter after Taylor's earless had moved up two weight classes. In the second fight, Tellez saw more of his opponent’s striking, particularly his body kicks and forward pressure. He said he did not view him primarily as a grappler.

The second-round prediction

Three of Tellez’s four amateur wins had come by submission, and the other by knockout. He said he had not attempted a takedown in his previous two fights and did not intend to shoot one this time. Instead, his goal was to hurt his opponent standing, make him consider a takedown, bring him back to his feet and finish the fight with strikes.

Tellez put his approach plainly:

I'm gonna hurt him on the feet if he shoots, I'll choke him out.

He also acknowledged that a fight could change his mind in the moment. If striking proved enjoyable, he said, he might choose to keep the fight standing rather than pursue a submission.

How did Bert MMA build his MMA news account?

Bert MMA said his MMA news accounts began with fight predictions after he watched Kevin Lee face Charles Oliveira in 2020. Years of posting predictions, fight coverage and news turned YouTube and Instagram into his full-time work. He said income from those accounts currently pays his housing, car, gas and food expenses while he is a college student.

Tellez said he was not wrestling, boxing or training jiu-jitsu when he first took an interest in MMA. After watching Oliveira submit Lee, he made a video predicting upcoming fights. He continued posting through middle school and high school, sometimes working until midnight or later.

Over time, that work brought him into contact with UFC fighters and gyms in the United States. He began posting about fighters and breaking UFC news. Keeping the accounts current requires him to watch for developments and post constantly, but he said he enjoys hearing from followers who use his page as their main place for MMA updates. Tellez told Ram At The Fights that he intends to keep doing the work:

I feel like I'm providing a service.

Why does Bert MMA not aim for a long UFC career?

Bert MMA said he wants to see how far he can go as a fighter, but a long UFC career is not his goal. He is concerned about the damage that comes with higher-level competition and would rather coach, train and continue covering MMA than pursue a career he believes may not be right for him physically.

Tellez connected that view partly to a difficult, back-and-forth boxing match. He said the experience left him questioning how well he could take punches. Although he trusts his wrestling and grappling, he also thinks about the effects of taking a hard shot in an MMA fight.

His amateur bouts have deepened his respect for professionals. Cutting weight and competing are difficult at his current level, he said, while professional fighters may be competing to support their families and face opponents capable of doing serious damage. He remains open to progressing, but does not treat reaching the UFC as the measure of whether fighting has been worthwhile.

How did Bert MMA start training, and what was his Halloween walkout idea?

Bert MMA said his route into MMA began with wrestling in high school, followed by boxing and then jiu-jitsu at an MMA gym. He did not switch to full MMA training all at once. For the Halloween-themed October 17 event, he had no costume ready but liked the idea of building a walkout around a temporary nickname.

A first MMA round with Baby Hulk

Tellez said he initially went to different gyms for different disciplines. One of his first full MMA rounds came with Baby Hulk, whom he identified with Street Beefs and said trained at his gym. During the round, Baby Hulk lifted him onto his shoulder and carried him across the mat. They kept working after Tellez got back up, and he remembered how tiring it was.

That round helped show him why MMA was compelling, even as he thought about the importance of avoiding injuries and damage. Wrestling, boxing and jiu-jitsu had gradually come together for him rather than beginning as a single plan to become an MMA fighter.

A costume he could remove before the fight

Asked about the event’s Halloween theme, Tellez said he had not bought anything for a walkout. He suggested making up a nickname for the fight, wearing a costume based on it and removing it before entering the cage, possibly with frightening walkout music. It was an idea, not a confirmed walkout plan.

Who is Robert Tellez?

Robert Tellez hosts the Bert MMA channel, where he covers mixed martial arts news, fighter insights and events. He also competes as Bert MMA and discussed his amateur fighting plans with Ram At The Fights on MILLIONS.