WC Interview: Devin Jaqquard

Fighter profile of Devin Jaqquard by Shtaaf Reimish

I got the chance to sit down with WCC bantamweight contender Devin Jaqquard and we had an awesome conversation about his time as a professional MMA fighter and his upcoming headline fight against Derrick Jon. Enjoy!

Reimish - Its good to be sitting down with you, how's life in the World Combat Championships treated you so far?

Jaqquard - It’s been great actually. I couldn’t ask for a better home.
The owner Mr. Tycooner made me feel wanted from the beginning. He liked my potential and expressed his desire to invest in my career.
He’s actually the reason why I opted to fight here in New York, instead of my hometown Montreal.
Coming in, I had a lot of expectations partly due to the success WC had in the island, and so far the org has exceeded all of it.
One thing I hear about WC before I signed here was that the org is very generous towards its fighters, and I must say, the rumors are really true.
Aside from the huge payday there’s more amazing things about the org. Everyone is engaged, the staff is great and very accommodating.
Plus the competition gets better every day which means you can’t drag on your training or you’ll get left behind fast.

Reimish - You moved around a lot on the Island, fighting fairly well in each of the organizations, how would you explain your smooth transitions from organization to organization?

Jaqquard - Well, it’s not always as smooth as it seems. I mean its hard moving around from time to time but one thing I learned to understand over the years is the business aspect of the fight game.
You can’t take everything personally. I’ve lost my job over orgs that closed down due to financial troubles or their owners losing interest in the game.
My last org had a shift in their priorities towards their future and most of the time you just gotta man up and move on.
I do this for the love of fighting and it doesn’t really matter where I end up doing it, as long as I continue to test myself everyday.

Reimish - You've been able to win fights a number of ways, 3 (T)KOs, 2 subs and 2 decisions, how would you summarize your game?

Jaqquard - I take great pride in the fact that I am a well-rounded fighter. My versatility is definitely one of my best qualities. I mean, this is MMA. You can’t just be good on one or two disciplines.
You have to be able to have that chance of winning a fight wherever it goes.
I still have long ways to go in reaching my full potential. And admittedly my Muay Thai and BJJ game is not at all where I want it to be at the moment, but I’m working hard everyday just trying to get better.

Reimish - Coming to the WCC, you were first given the chance to fight then 5-1 Ville Ahokas whose only loss until that point was against former WCC bantamweight champ Bobby Bob Bob; how did that fight go for you?

Jaqquard - It went great for me obviously I won, hahaha.
But seriously, I worked my ass of while preparing for that fight. He had crisp hands, KO power and a smooth boxing game, but I had confidence in my stand-up as well.
I even managed to sneak in a few hard leg kicks in there which I rarely do. The game plan for him was to continue pressuring him and bring him to deep waters and make him quit.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to finish him but I’m very pleased with that performance.
I started slow and kinda just felt him out in the first round, try to gage his power and his technique, but after that I had him all figured out.
Also, not many people know this but I actually made a rookie mistake of not knowing that I’ll be fighting him for 5 rounds. I just figured it out during the fight itself haha. Luckily those long hours at the gym working on my conditioning payed off and I didn’t gas despite fighting for 5 rounds for the first time in my career.

Reimish - Currently ranked at #3 in the WCC's bantamweight division, this upcoming fight against #2 Derrick Jon is a big one for you.

Jaqquard - Oh yeah, absolutely. This is my biggest fight against the highest-profile opponent I’ve ever faced so far, and I’m ready for this challenge. I’m hungry especially knowing I’m this close to the top of the mountain in the division.
The name Derick Jon rings a bell to a lot of guys, but not many know who Devin Jaqquard is and after this fight, after I make a statement, these people would remember my name.

Reimish - Any smack talk you've got for him?

Jaqquard - Haha, I know you’d ask that eventually. Same thing I said in the smack talk page.
Jon is a great fighter and I respect what he has done so far, he is a young guy like myself but I believe he has already reach the peak of his career and had his chance at the spotlight.
Props to him for beating a former champ at a higher weight class but that’s all in the past. The reality now is I am better than him wherever this fight goes.
My punches will be crisper and heavier, I’ll be a step quicker and I’ll always be a step ahead of him come fight time.
I mean, enough bark I’m just gonna show it to you guys come April 22nd.

Reimish - And I'm assuming you're after the title when you're done with Jon?

Jaqquard - I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. The fight with Jon is still my number 1 priority at the moment, but of course that’s the ultimate goal of any fighter. To fight for a championship and WIN the strap to be recognized as the best in your weight class.
Right now Bob and Fitzgerald are gonna fight for that belt and I wish the best of luck to both men. You guys better watch out, this young Silverback is coming for you.

Reimish - Spoken like a class act, I must say. Well, we look forward to seeing your bout with Jon at WC: Dirty Boxing 1 on April 22nd! Good luck to you as you prepare for that fight!

Jaqquard - Thank you very much Shtaaf for interviewing me. It’s also been a pleasure to sit down with the best writer in all of MMA TYCOON.

To all the fans, I urge you to come see WC: Dirty Boxing 1 on April 22nd. I’ll be headlining the fight with Derick Jon. It’s gonna be a war so don’t miss it. We’re gonna entertain you guys with a good old fashion scrap!

Reimish - Thanks a bunch for your time!

There you have it folks! Devin Jaqquard: the co-headliner of April 22nd's WC: Dirty Boxing 1 along side his dancing partner Derrick Jon!
After chatting with him, I'm looking forward even more to that fight! Hope to see you there!

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