He might not be the biggest man in mixed martial arts, but Peter Clinch has not let that stop him. Jack Salter speaks to the one they call The Bear.
But when the cage door closes, Peter Clinch turns into a mixed martial arts maestro.
Aided by a solid stand-up game and an even more impressive ground game, Clinch has a record of five fights for five wins, all by way of submission.
The 30-year-old Dunedin man is hoping that trend will continue when he enters the cage on March 24 and fights for the Supremacy Fighting Championship middleweight title.
The Auckland event will see Clinch fight Napier man Dan "The Gravedigger" Digby over three five-minute rounds in what is shaping as a torrid battle between two of the best middleweights in the country.
Clinch, fighting out of New Zealand Fight and Fitness Academy, said he was feeling "fit and ready".
"I'm coming home with the belt, there's no doubt about that. You've got to be confident in this game and without backing yourself, you may as well go home."
In preparation, he has been training "two to three hours, six days a week" in boxing, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu.
He said, due to injuries, his opponent for the fight had been "changed a couple of times", but he was expecting Digby, who has a record of 17 fights for 14 wins and three losses, to be one of the toughest opponents he has faced.
Clinch began mixed martial arts two to three years ago from a background in Brazilian jiu jitsu, so he was "very strong on the ground" but had to put a lot of work into his punching and kicking.
Supremacy Fighting Championship promoter Karl Webber said Clinch had earned his title shot and was the top contender.
"He's definitely the man for the job, and Dan will certainly test him."
If Clinch wins the fight, "he would undoubtedly be the best middleweight in the country and doors could open up in Australia and even further afield", Webber said.
NZFFA owner Ryan Henry said Clinch was a committed trainer and dedicated to improving his skills.
"His attention to detail for skill when it comes to applying a move or escaping one is second to none," Henry said.
Clinch said a tight group of trainers and friends, such as Nick Taylor (kickboxing), brother Ashley (Brazilian jiu jitsu), and Henry (boxing), had been a "massive help" in his preparation.
Clinch and wife Wendy have two children, Zachary (5) and Beth (20 months), and as well as helping run a family business he is also in his final year of a science degree at the University of Otago.
He said he had huge support from his family, who wanted him to go as far as he could in the sport.
"It's really hard when some days I come home and I only see the kids for a couple of hours or may not see them at all.
"There were times when I thought about stopping, but my wife has said to me, 'You're only young once, so do it while you can."'
He fights because of the "amazing feeling and adrenaline rush", but also because he wants to prove that "you don't need to be a thug to get into the sport".
He wants to take his career as far as he can, but knows providing for his family is his No 1 priority.
When he fights at Supremacy he said he will not only be fighting for himself, fellow club members and family, but also for Dan Wadsworth, who was a fellow NZFFA member and a close friend before he died last year.
Many Supremacy title holders have gone on to successful careers in Australia, Hong Kong and the United States.
