Shem Rock: Cops are scum, I want to save kids from the streets and crime, I’m going to knock Malach out! What does he like about the Oktagon and what does he say to the critics?

Shem Rock was introduced as a big star. His almost cinematic story deserved a promo in the form of a documentary. But he only drew the first match, his performance fell short of expectations. Fans perceived him as a brash, big-talker. In an interview with Ruik, the Oktagon fighter spoke not only about the criticism, but also about the dispute with Jaroslav Pokorny, the fight with Jan Malach and satisfaction with the Oktagon.

You have a fight with Jan Malach, however, in the Czech Republic there is still a lot of discussion about your conflict with Jaroslav Pokorny. How did the whole feud start?

He was offered to us like many other fighters who refused to fight me. But for some reason he felt it was necessary to talk about me publicly, even though he refused to fight me. He doesn’t think much of it, he doesn’t realize it just doesn’t work that way.

In the course of the argument it was said that you don’t like policemen, and Pokorný is a policeman. You’ve made no secret of the fact that you’d like to beat him. What’s behind your “hatred” of the police?

Cops, guards, traffic cops… They’re absolute scum. If you ask me what kind of person grows up wanting to be a minimum wage snitch, I’ll tell you it’s Pokorny.

You used the word “hate”, but there’s no one in the world I hate in that sense. I wouldn’t stoop to that. Guys are just crazy. Either don’t say your name or sign the contract. It’s as simple as that. I’m not the one who ran away from the fight.

As mentioned, you had an offer to fight Pokorny. But he says he’s injured. Besides, he refers to you as a junkie and human waste, saying you called him at 3:00 in the morning drunk and your friends texted him. What do you think?

Yes, there was an offer. He says he’s hurt, but then he shared a story where he was running. He had a contract on the table for two weeks before he turned me down. Let’s be honest. He turned me down because he knew in his heart he couldn’t beat me. He has a weak mentality.

I’ll fight anybody. I believe I can beat anybody. And as for calling me a junkie? He obviously didn’t do any research on me. My body is a temple. I don’t even drink alcohol, I’ve never taken a drug in my life. I eat clean all year round, I work out 3 times a day, I’m in the gym 6 days a week, whether it’s my birthday, Christmas or New Year’s.

I’m in bed early every day. Humble is just creating his own false narrative, but making a fool of himself. I never text him at 3:00 in the morning. He’s a liar. And as for the people who write to him… I’m a fair guy. You think I’m encouraging my friends to message him on my behalf?

I have better things to do with my time. At most, I have fans who would obviously love to embarrass a cop, but who the hell wouldn’t want to do that?

Do you believe the Pokorny fight will happen? He says he could be fit in the fall.

He had his chance and he turned it down. That’s why the media’s making such a big deal about it. He knows I’m the draw, but he didn’t want to fight because he knows what I’d do to him. I’m a great fighter, I have better jiu-jitsu, I’d take him down any day of the week.

The guy can’t even kick, he rushes right into the clinch. Honestly, what would he do if he was in the cage with me? He wouldn’t beat me on my worst day. Even though he beat John Malacho, I believe Malacho is the bigger threat to me. He’s coming to fight, not to sniff my crotch.

Malach took the fight, I believe we’ll have great exchanges on the feet. He took the fight that Pokorny turned down, so I respect him. But there are no friends in this business, I’m gonna go kill him.

In the documentary that Octagon made about your past, we know at least part of your history. But what is the current Shem Rock like? What do you do in your spare time? What’s your dream, your mission in life? In the documentary, you mentioned that you would like to train kids not to go through what you went through on the streets.

First of all, for anyone who hasn’t seen the documentary, it’s available for anyone to watch on YouTube. It’s a brief insight into my story, but of course it’s not all about me. Shem Rock is so much more.

Now I spend my days obsessing over martial arts, that’s the main thing. It’s all I watch, it’s all I do. I train every day. If I’m not recovering or sleeping, I’m just training, watching and studying the best fighters in the world, fighters I believe I might run into one day. I take notes all the time, I enjoy it maybe even more than fighting and winning.

But after my career, I have a clear ambition. To have my own gym where I can teach kids and teenagers from similar backgrounds to mine. My dream is to keep them away from crime, to put something positive in their lives. I believe I’m a great coach. One day, I will embark on this journey.

But for now, that’s why I need to be as selfish as possible. I need to have the best possible fighting career and build the best possible platform I can. Because I understand that the better I get, the more I can do in the future.

The Czechoslovakian fans doubt your qualities because of the first fight that ended in a draw, your performance was insufficient for them. They say you talk more than you show. How do you see the match in retrospect? And how do you feel about the criticism?

I’ve grown up around doubters and bullies all my life, and look at me. I know those same people are fans. I don’t care about the opinions of laymen who have never done combat sports. Instead they just sit back and watch the greats like me do it.

Lima was a tough opponent, he was a guy who in my opinion could beat 90% of the fighters at lightweight. Plus I had 2 blocked ribs, I couldn’t get out of bed for 6 weeks. I only trained for 3 weeks, but it’s not in my nature to give up fights. I’m a real fighter. No matter what anyone says, I won the fight. I won two rounds, he won the first, but definitely not 10-8.

It’s unfortunate that it came down to scoring. I always go for the finish. But if the fight had been untimed, I would have killed it as time went on. As time went on, he was fading, I was getting better. That night, the judges spared him. At the end of the fight, I celebrated like I won, he looked sad. But that’s sport.

I could have gone another five rounds. While he had to go to the hospital, I was backstage doing media interviews. Just no draw. Records are for DJs, not fighters

But now to the present. You’ve got a fight with Malacho coming up. How do you feel about him as an opponent? How do you like this fight?

I always ask for only the best opponents, but every idiot on the list turned me down. But he took a step forward and accepted the fight, so I respect him. But all respect disappears in the cage, I’m gonna come rip his head off.

How do you rate your preparation for the fight? Is it special?

Compared to my preparation for the last fight, this one is much better because I’m not injured and bedridden. Yes, I left part of the training camp for the filming of the Octagon Challenge, it wasn’t exactly ideal, but it gave me time to recover a bit, I came back to training fresh and even more motivated.

I will be much bigger and stronger for this fight. I think you’ll see it in the cage on my physique. I’m only going to do what I’m good at in the match. I’m going to impose my style on my opponent.

You train with UFC star Paddy Pimblett, for example. How does he help you in your preparation? And what is it like for you to have a fighter of that quality helping you?

Yes, Paddy is one of my training partners. He may have a different style than Malach, he is one of the best grapplers in the world, but he is also great in the stand-up. But so are a few of my other teammates, for example Adam Cullen, Gav Hughes and Luke Riley are great stand-up guys who constantly create pressure, have a better punch than Malach and are more dangerous.

I’m not planning too many tactics for this game, I’ll leave that to the coaches. I just go into the cage with the mindset that I’m going to do what I’m best at. I’m confident in every fight, you’ll see a different version of Shem Rock in every fight. Styles decide matches. I’ll put Malacho on his ass with a good knockout.

Otherwise, my tactics are the same for every fight: Get in the cage, don’t get hit, hit a good bomb and walk out with a bag full of money.

What’s your motivation? Is your motivation even higher than last time because of the result of the last game?

My motivation is always high, I always try to improve my performance. I’m still trying to be better than the Shem I was yesterday in training, I’m still trying to improve my skills in all areas.

What are your ambitions in the Octagon and in your career in general? What would you like to achieve?

I always want to be the best in the world and fight the absolute best, reach the top with my performances and change not only my life but also the life of my family with the help of Oktagon, Pavol Neruda and Ondrej Novotny.

It’s no secret that I’m a valued fighter, I fight for money. Whether I can fulfill my ambitions is up to me. I have to go for it.

You already mentioned that you had a break in your training because of the reality show Oktagon Challenge, in which you were a trainer. The fans and media haven’t seen the final result yet, but how did you enjoy the experience? How do you like this project?

It’s one of the best experiences of my life. I really can’t wait for everyone to see it. I’m so excited to see it. It’s going to be great, everyone’s going to love it. I could show people a different side of me.

Being a trainer is different than being a fighter. You have to give so much more. As a fighter, you have to be more selfish and focus on yourself.

In the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany, the Octagon Challenge was a huge success. Do you believe it will succeed in the UK market?

I think the Irish and the people of Liverpool will stand up for themselves. They will love this show. As for the rest of the UK, I think they’ll love it too, but first and foremost I have to speak for my people.

As an English fighter, what do you think of Octagon’s expansion into the UK market? How do you see its chances of success? Can Oktagon become number one in the UK market?

I’m a Liverpool man, not an Englishman. Let’s be clear about that. But expanding into England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland is a massive step for the sport in that region, but equally it’s a massive step for Oktagon. I know we can become number one.

Octagon is still a relatively new and young organization, but it’s growing fast. How do you rate it? How satisfied are you with the organization? Is there anything the owners could improve?

I have fought in many organizations over the years, but Oktagon is by far the best and biggest brand in Europe. It sells out stadiums like no other, delivers awesome fights and grows every year.

I am honored to be a member of the Oktagon. Together we will achieve great things. I love the way the Octagon promotes its fighters. I like how open and ambitious the owners are.

When it comes to making some improvements, Oktagon is two steps ahead. Me, Pavol, Ondrej and the Oktagon team know exactly that the sky is our limit.

Source: Ruik