The Moustache King: Exclusive With UFC’s Patrick Cummins

The majority of UFC fighters these days are guilty of not having much of an identity aside from ‘we like to fight’. In the instance of Patrick Cummins, though, there’s an argument to be made that the 36-year-old is one of the most diverse and fascinating mixed martial artists in the game right now.

The light heavyweight fighter recently sat down to speak with us here at CLICKON Sports, in a 20-minute interview that really opened our eyes to what a charismatic superstar this guy could turn out to be for the UFC.

Not only is he a powerhouse inside of the octagon, but he’s also extremely well spoken out of it and that composure comes across whenever you speak with Patrick. In essence, he’d be a great spokesperson for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but once you see his natural abilities shine through in a fighting environment you start to realise that he could be so much more than that.

“I’m a pretty rare case. I had my first fight when I was 30 years old, so I definitely got a late jump. I was chasing another dream in wrestling and I competed internationally for another six or seven years after school, and trying to make the Olympic team. When I started to realise I’d taken it as far as I could go, I knew I needed to shift that focus.”

Cummins originally went down the route of amateur wrestling, in a decision that took him to the brink of the Olympic Games. Alas, that didn’t come to fruition, and instead, he ended up falling into a new passion – one which came courtesy of a few nudges in the right direction by his friends.

Whilst not lighting the world on fire in the early stages of his UFC tenure, which Patrick himself admits to, this is a guy who is forever improving and he is starting to personify the ‘aging like a fine wine’ stereotype that the likes of Daniel Cormier have been blessed with.

“A lot of people don’t know that I have a fine arts background. In college, I studied ceramics and sculptures, and I know a lot of people go into school and think ‘oh I have to do something on the side to get through school’ but that wasn’t the case for me. I had a passion for it, and I’m really looking forward to getting back into that.”

This complex yet intriguing individual is currently riding a two-fight win streak, which is something that few get the chance to say once they reach the lofty heights of the UFC.

You can tell from his tone that Patrick is about as focused as you can ever hope to be in the build-up to a big-time fight, as he prepares to throw down with fellow contender Corey Anderson at UFC 217.

Cummins has become accustomed to not only fighting in New York as of late but also fighting around the world, so the occasion of Madison Square Garden is something we’re confident that he’ll thrive under instead of crumbling under the pressure.

“My break out performance is coming. I’ve had little flashes of good performances, and that’s what I need more of. I’ve never walked away from a fight and thought that I gave my best effort. I know that’s a very tall order because you never know what’s going to happen, but I’m still waiting for that time and I think it’s coming very soon.”

Of course, these are just words and actions speak louder, but Patrick is the first people who’ll admit that. There’s no massive ego behind this guy in spite of what you think based on his appearance alone, because at heart he’s just someone who wants to succeed at the highest level in whatever he does.

Whether that be in the octagon or through fine art, there’s more than meets the eye with Patrick ‘Durkin’ Cummins.

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