Langley's Craig Maclean set for third pro fight as part of Battlefield Fight League 48 card
Raise your hand if you have ever asked a dumb question to your workplace’s IT department.
Craig Maclean laughs when asked if he uses some of those questions as fuel when he gets inside the cage to train.
IT — for those non-computer literate readers — stands for Internet Technology and their role is to handle any technological issues which may arise for a company or business.
By day, Maclean works as an IT specialist and development team leader, helping business coaches resolve their website-related questions or issues.
But when he is not problem-solving, the 29-year-old spends much of his time in his other profession: a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
This Saturday will mark the Langley’s man’s third professional bout as he is part of the Battlefield Fight League (BFL) 48 card at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam.
Maclean, known as ‘The Cookie Monster’ (a nickname from his friends back when he was in high school) is up against Tylor Nicholson.
It is rematch from an amateur fight the two had five years ago, with Maclean prevailing.
Maclean (1-1 as a pro) is currently ranked third in the BFL bantamweight division (135 pounds) and Nicholson, who is making his pro debut, is ranked fifth.
So how did Maclean end up in the ring?
It started when he attended a fight back in high school.
“That very first fight, the first round, I just knew this was something I had to do,” he explained.
The next week, Maclean signed up for the sport and has been training at it ever since, save for a brief one-year hiatus.
He trains and fights with the Revolution Fight Team out of Langley’s Revolution Martial Arts and Fitness and fought for the first time six years ago.
“I have always been kind of a lifelong athlete and played every sport,” Maclean said.
Hockey, soccer, basketball and skateboarding were some of the sports he tried his hand at.
And it’s not like Maclean was the type to get into fights growing up. But the sport appealed to him.
“Fighting is just so pure,” he said. “You have train in a variety of different elements and skill sets and physically, I think it is the most demanding sport to train in.”
To prepare for a bout, he trains six days a week, alternating between wrestling, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, strength and conditioning.
He admits that he doesn’t necessarily look like the stereotypical MMA fighter people expect.
Maclean is five-foot-eight and when not fighting, weighs around 152 pounds. He fights at 135 pounds.
And as he gets more fights under his belt — amateur and professional combined this will be his 11th career fight — Maclean says his confidence grows each time.
At first, Maclean said his emotions would fluctuate.
“It changes every 10 minutes, but my last couple of fights, I feel it is mostly just confidence and excitement when I get in there,” he explained.
“I am aware of what is going on and it is no longer that out-of-body experience — it is almost like a day in the gym, with more intensity.”
The sport does require sacrifice. Thankfully, his job offers some flexibility, especially since he works from home.
But balancing a personal life with work and training requires effort.
“It is tough, especially when you have a fight coming up, you have to sacrifice some personal things,” Maclean said.
“At the end of the day, you have an end goal in mind and you have to be surrounded by people who understand it.”
As for how long or how far he plans on going in the sport, Maclean doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“I think I have a lot of fight left in me,” he said. “What it comes down to is not necessarily your age but the amount of fights on your body.”