Ryan Ford Plans To Close Out The Year With A Bang

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Ryan Ford

Ryan FordRyan “The Real Deal” Ford made a name for himself as an MMA fighter. He composed a record of 22 wins and 5 losses with 12 KO victories and 8 submission victories. Fight fans know him as “The Real Deal” but who is Ryan Ford really?

“You know, Ryan Ford first and foremost is a family man,” said Ford. “I take care of my family. First comes first. Now Ryan ‘The Real Deal’ Ford, that’s a different person. That’s the guy that everybody sees when I step into the ring or step into the cage and put on a show for the people.”

MMA is part of Ford’s past as well as boxing, but boxing is also his present and his future. It runs in his blood. Ford’s father was Al Ford (55-1, 19 KO’s) was a world ranked fighter and a Canadian Lightweight Champion. His father was his biggest influence in boxing as well as many other old school fighters who brought just like Ryan it when it comes to fighting.

“Boxing was always around in my life. Obviously my dad was Canadian ranked and Canadian Lightweight Champion, ranked number three in the world. So you know boxing was always in our household. My dad was my influence for boxing, but so my other biggest influences would be Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Mohammed Ali, Hagler, Hearns, Leonard. Yo now all those old school fighters who brought it.”

Ford made his professional boxing debut in February of 2010. He won his debut against a fighter that had 42 fights under his belt.

“I was fighting MMA when I took that fight (Ford’s pro debut in boxing). I believe I had about seven or eight mixed martial arts fights, and then I had two amateur fights that didn’t go my way, so I was like ‘OK. I’m in the pro game now.’ The pro game was more my style. I took a fight against a tough opponent and won a majority decision.”

It would be five years before Ford stepped foot back in the boxing ring as a pro. He returned to MMA and to say he did very well for himself would be an understatement. Unfortunately, an injury would force him to step away from the cage which in turn brought him back to his roots, boxing.

“I had an injury in mixed martial arts that was kind of making it hard for me to train in the way that every mixed martial artist trains. Also, just being stuck in one organisation. Everybody wants to fight the best, but you know when the best don’t want you, how can you fight the best if they say the best is there. I took it over to boxing here, and boxing is more of a global sport and I can go all around the world and win belts and make a lot more money than in mixed martial arts.”

There have been many fighters from MMA that have tried their hand and boxing and boxing fighters that have tried crossing over to MMA. The ratio of those fighters succeeding in the other sport have been slim but what about Ryan Ford is different? The fact that he’s been around it his whole life is a big factor but if you ask him, he will tell you it’s because he is the real deal, and it has shown when he fights.

“I’m different than everyone else! I’m the real deal! Boxing I was brought up on it. It’s in my blood. That’s the thing with mixed martial arts. Nobody wanted to stand with me. As soon as I hit them they wanted to take me down because they knew that Jujitsu was my weakness. As you can tell from my last couple fights, returning to the boxing ring against guys that had fifteen pro boxing fights, I am here to stay.”

Ford returned to the ring back in September and had kept busy fighting once in October. He had planned to fight once again in November, but that fell through. He is open to taking on any fights in November should any opportunity arises as long as it does not conflict with his December 4th fight in Edmonton. He would love to by 4-0 by the end of the year but if he has to go 3-0 so be it. It will not stop his plans for 2016 to fight for a Canadian super middleweight title.

“This year, if I can get a fight in November I want to be 4-0. Next year I want to fight for a Canadian title, super middleweight title. From there the sky is the limit.”