Mathew Hansen: Welcome to another episode of the empty field podcast man is manning Hansen and today I have a fighter from Ireland it is Raquel Murray Raquel. How are you?
Raquel: I'm very well, how are you?
Mathew Hansen: I'm doing good, doing good. First off, tell us about yourself.
Raquel: name is Raquel. I'm a mom first. ⁓ have a son, Copan Asher. ⁓ five. ⁓ PT and I do nutrition as well. I'm also studying biomedical science, sports performance and psychology.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, keeping yourself busy.
Raquel: Very fricking busy, too much.
Mathew Hansen: What made you get into MMA?
Raquel: ⁓ I've always, I was younger, I'd ⁓ done karate and taekwondo with my dad and I'm always shouting him out here because I love this here, Snoopy aka Rodney McBride. ⁓ So I'd obviously had a keen interest from a young age. ⁓ Mum and dad divorced and whatnot so I stopped fighting but the hunger was always there and I don't know. A lot of people would know these days, but Rhonda Risey days, do you remember those days? ⁓ I was obsessed with her. Every poster and all was on my wall. I just absolutely loved her and I still love her to this day. I love the way her and Travis have performed, et cetera. So I think obviously for being a female within the sport, like we're not really recognized as much as what the meals would get. So I would love to maybe get so much better one day that I would be the women that sort of take over the show.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. What was life like before MMA and fighting?
Raquel: Life like before? Well, when you grew up in Ireland, you don't really not fight. Does that make sense? We grew up rough and ready, do know what I mean? So there was always the fight. Life before, I had quite a chaotic life growing up. I left home at 15. I then started taking drugs, drinking, was just...
Mathew Hansen: Yeah.
Raquel: floating about going from house to house so I had somewhere to stay. I lived in hostels. I know what it's like to be hungry and I think those attributes probably trace into why I need to fight, why I like to fight and why I want to fight. ⁓ So going from there, I changed my life around whenever I was 19. ⁓ Then from 19 right through to my twenties, I just traveled the world, chef when I chef as well and traveled and went about the place. I was literally a nomad for a stage where I was just going from place to place. But then that suited me very well. And then obviously I fell pregnant with Coban when I came home from, I was in Palmanova and came home, fell pregnant with Coban. And my life for those lot of years was just Coban and COVID. COVID and COVID, COVID and COVID. And then I've always, I've always just wanted to be fighting, like literally. So I went through last year, I went through a real hard patch and ⁓ all my pain, I literally just turned it into my power and I just dug deep. I threw myself into training. I said yes to every opportunity that I had going for me. and that is basically where we're at.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, okay. How would you describe your fight style to someone who's never seen you fight before?
Raquel: Chaotic.
Mathew Hansen: Why is that?
Raquel: Chaotic. I've much to learn. Balls deep. Just go in there. I'm a very forward fighter where I think I need to rein that in a bit and maybe calm myself so I can calculate the punches or the kicks and things like that ⁓ a lot more. But very forward fighter, ⁓ I'll be on you. That's just it. On your toes the whole time.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, now let's do some self-reflection. What part of your game are you actively working on?
Raquel: So at the minute I am working, I absolutely love BJJ. So at the minute I'm working a lot more on BJJ, groundwork and kicks. So a lot of my tie been working on. I have, ⁓ and outside of that, see, see, because I fell two days before Christmas and I hurt my elbow, I have another six weeks left of physio. So I can't initially punch properly, I only have one hand. So this is why now that I've just threw my steel into the grappling and the kickboxing and that because my arm is stopping me from throwing punches. So I have to work around that. And if you know me, you know I can't sit still. Like when I hurt my arm there and I was like bandaged up and could hardly move, I had just moved house as well. So I had literally boxes everywhere, fricking broken elbow. kid, Santa's coming, I was like what the heck. So that's why I've got another six weeks left of this physio to do for my arm and then once that's up and acting again I will be balls deep in absolutely everything then.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. ⁓ How important is it to find that discipline when motivation just isn't there?
Raquel: Okay, so I call that point character building. That to me, character building or the way you use it, character.
Mathew Hansen: Okay.
Raquel: character building. It builds your character. So when you feel like you don't want to do it, you feel like you can't or that you're too tired or anything, those are usually the best sessions that you'll ever have because you've literally pulled yourself from the pits to put yourself in and do your hard workout or do your hard session. ⁓ So it's very important motivation. you've got, I've had no one all my life. I've had no one supporting me, I've had no one cheering me on, no one saying you can do this Raquel. Do know what mean? It's been me, me, myself and I in my own head. So I'm the one that has to pull me out of it and I have to think about it right too. So I'm a single mum. My son sees me do everything, he everything. And this is why I'm just not a mum, I'm dad too. Do you know what I mean? So for me, he's my motivation. He's my motivation to do exceedingly abundantly more. And the fact even like I had that bare-knuckle fight, I initially went over to help prep a fighter and to cut weight, et cetera, because she was supposed to be fighting. Her weight wasn't on, mine was. I went, fuck it, let's do it. End up with a pro card. Pro card, a scar on my eyebrow and a big smile. So for me to say that to my son, look. Your mum's on box wreck with Mike Tyson for just saying yes. That's amazing.
Mathew Hansen: Cool. What was going through your head that first time you stepped into the cage?
Raquel: ⁓ my goodness, see the first time I stepped in. I didn't actually initially think it was gonna be as bad as it was, but see whenever I remember, like I was in my corner and I was like looking out and I could hear like the crowd chanting for the other girl. I was like, ⁓ my God. My legs started to shake and I was like, come on you Raquel, you can't do this here, you can't. And that fight that I had took on, it was just a boxing match. It was a semi pro boxing match and I had to put on weight for that. never again in my life will I ever do that. Never. I was like so heavy, it was hard to move. All my punches were slow. So no, it was scary, but see after it, was fucking amazing. Like that feeling, like that drug sex rock and roll doesn't match that feeling. That feeling is what you chase the whole time.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, what does a successful night look like for you inside the cage?
Raquel: successful night inside the cage would be executing your plan, your fight plan, ground and pound, submissions, anything, anything, like even stepping into that ring, regardless of what the outcome will be, there's two warriors on there and they're fighting, they're fighting until one of them leaves with the hand raised and whatnot, do know what I mean? So to get into that ring in itself is a big massive accomplishment. But if you execute your plan well, and if you do everything that your coach or your team have been talking to you about, then sure you're on the money. But even sharing a ring with another fighter, especially a girl fighter, because there's not many of us, it just leaves me so humbled and awed. Do know what I mean? That there's more like-minded people, that we're all hungry for the same thing. It's powerful.
Mathew Hansen: Alright, and I would, I do, we brought it up earlier as we were talking, the fight where there's no ref, there's no rounds, the only way to win is by knockout or submission. Why does one, why does one pick a fight like that?
Raquel: Yeah. I'm a yes girl. I don't think things through, I just say yes. But to me, just, I'm I'm gutted that my elbow, I hurt my elbow because I initially would have loved to do this here. Like this is powerful, but there will be another chance for me to do this later on down the line. For me to do something like that, again, if you just think about it, it's like, I love... the old gladiator style things. love the Viking style things. like they went to war. Shield maidens went to war too. It wasn't just the men. Men don't get to do just these things. Do you know what I mean? And I'm not like a big feminist or bringing out the inner diva or anything like that. I'm not. It's just anything you can do, I can do too. Do you know what I mean? So for me, and to be like the first girl in Ireland to do something like this.
Mathew Hansen: Yeah.
Raquel: And this was to go down in history between me and Rachel. Hopefully one day we'll get there and we'll be able to do it. Shout out Rachel. ⁓ There's just something raw and ready and real authentic about it.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, I'm just, I was just in awe of those rules for this fight and I'm like, what are these two thinking?
Raquel: Yeah, yeah, two crazies, two absolute crazies. I love it. There's something about it. There's just, it makes me excited and it gets my, my blood going.
Mathew Hansen: So is there anybody on standby or you guys just meet up at a random unknown location and be like, all right, it's up to you.
Raquel: So, so, at the point of whenever, obviously we're not doing it now because of my elbow, but, ⁓ the location for like say guests to come and watch it, et cetera, was, all secured. You'll not get like the location on the day. You'll get the, the location of where it's at, coordinates or whatever it is. It's all underground, like very, very illegal, very illegal. ⁓ so. Yeah, I think, I think again, there has to be a part of you has to be a little bit unhinged, right? All my life, I have had to work hard at everything. I've had to struggle. I've had to fight on a daily basis, even fighting to survive food wise and stuff like growing, going from whenever I was younger, like leaving home at 15, like a 15 year old girl leaving home and living in hostels. Like my whole life has been opposition. Do you know what I mean?
Mathew Hansen: Mm-hmm.
Raquel: So I think that's fueled me into the fighter and the character that I carry now. So for me, it's just an all-or-day in the office and over in Ireland, street fights are quite often. I've had plenty of my time between broken noses, fingers, knuckles, you name it.
Mathew Hansen: and hurt elbows from falling.
Raquel: and her elbows from falling down two steps, not even a full set steps, two.
Mathew Hansen: Alright, so this is a part of the rapid fire. I'm gonna ask you a question first thing that comes to your mind when I ask the question. Alright?
Raquel: Right, so.
Mathew Hansen: All right, would you rather do a first round finish or a late round war?
Raquel: Late Rhyme War.
Mathew Hansen: Why a war?
Raquel: Because you both went at it, you've literally emptied your tank, you've put your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into that. Your whole camp, your training, get leading up to that point and you want to be over in first round. No way! You want to entertain people too!
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. Would you rather stick to striking or grappling?
Raquel: ⁓ can I not just say both? No? Okay, grappling.
Mathew Hansen: Grapplin, okay. Are you more aggressive while going in the cage or are you more calm and calculated?
Raquel: Okay, so I surprised myself. I thought I would literally be like really aggressive and cool, calm and collected. Like you could hear a penny drop. I'm like, what's wrong with me? Because on a daily basis, my head is chaotic. But before I get in there, I'm so calm and I'm breathing. Just don't know why, don't know how, just happens.
Mathew Hansen: Okay. Favorite part about Fight Camp.
Raquel: I'm pushing yourself to the limits as in you didn't think you could go anymore but you really could. Like you've dug deep. Like you're not a bitch. You are not a bitch.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, now hardest part about Fight Camp.
Raquel: Food. I love food. You see me before I was even on here, I was eating my orange. I love food. I freaking love food. Go ahead.
Mathew Hansen: What's your go-to food after a fight?
Raquel: Beg durry burger or pizza.
Mathew Hansen: ⁓ One word to describe your fight style.
Raquel: Bummer. Chaotic, that's just it.
Mathew Hansen: And then one word to describe you
Raquel: One word? Just one. Right, okay. Just one. ⁓
Mathew Hansen: Mm-hmm. Just one.
Raquel: Just one. Right, one word to describe me. Resilient.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. All right, Raquel, where can, is there anyone you wanna give a special shout out to?
Raquel: Special shout out, yeah I've got a good few wee people to shout out to. Nicole, my bestie, Miles Ripper, I met him ⁓ during the bare knuckle and me and him have been like that. He's like a brother to me, I just absolutely love him. I want to give a wee shout out to my sponsored athlete, Terry Diamond, she just debuted there to BKFC and won it. So she gives me a lot of pride and lot of honor and just a big shout out to all three of the guys that I've shouted out to. Your work, your graft, your mindset, everything you do is just impeccable and you're my people and I love you.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect, where can everybody find you on social media?
Raquel: Yeah, so my Instagram is RaquelMurrayF7. Facebook's just RaquelMurray. What else? I'm on TikTok. It's again RaquelMurrayF. So TikTok, Instagram, Facebook.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. Well, I appreciate you coming on, talking to us about how you started in fighting and what Ireland looks like for fighting-wise.
Raquel: Thank you. We're all salvage.
Raquel: I'm very well, how are you?
Mathew Hansen: I'm doing good, doing good. First off, tell us about yourself.
Raquel: name is Raquel. I'm a mom first. ⁓ have a son, Copan Asher. ⁓ five. ⁓ PT and I do nutrition as well. I'm also studying biomedical science, sports performance and psychology.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, keeping yourself busy.
Raquel: Very fricking busy, too much.
Mathew Hansen: What made you get into MMA?
Raquel: ⁓ I've always, I was younger, I'd ⁓ done karate and taekwondo with my dad and I'm always shouting him out here because I love this here, Snoopy aka Rodney McBride. ⁓ So I'd obviously had a keen interest from a young age. ⁓ Mum and dad divorced and whatnot so I stopped fighting but the hunger was always there and I don't know. A lot of people would know these days, but Rhonda Risey days, do you remember those days? ⁓ I was obsessed with her. Every poster and all was on my wall. I just absolutely loved her and I still love her to this day. I love the way her and Travis have performed, et cetera. So I think obviously for being a female within the sport, like we're not really recognized as much as what the meals would get. So I would love to maybe get so much better one day that I would be the women that sort of take over the show.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. What was life like before MMA and fighting?
Raquel: Life like before? Well, when you grew up in Ireland, you don't really not fight. Does that make sense? We grew up rough and ready, do know what I mean? So there was always the fight. Life before, I had quite a chaotic life growing up. I left home at 15. I then started taking drugs, drinking, was just...
Mathew Hansen: Yeah.
Raquel: floating about going from house to house so I had somewhere to stay. I lived in hostels. I know what it's like to be hungry and I think those attributes probably trace into why I need to fight, why I like to fight and why I want to fight. ⁓ So going from there, I changed my life around whenever I was 19. ⁓ Then from 19 right through to my twenties, I just traveled the world, chef when I chef as well and traveled and went about the place. I was literally a nomad for a stage where I was just going from place to place. But then that suited me very well. And then obviously I fell pregnant with Coban when I came home from, I was in Palmanova and came home, fell pregnant with Coban. And my life for those lot of years was just Coban and COVID. COVID and COVID, COVID and COVID. And then I've always, I've always just wanted to be fighting, like literally. So I went through last year, I went through a real hard patch and ⁓ all my pain, I literally just turned it into my power and I just dug deep. I threw myself into training. I said yes to every opportunity that I had going for me. and that is basically where we're at.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, okay. How would you describe your fight style to someone who's never seen you fight before?
Raquel: Chaotic.
Mathew Hansen: Why is that?
Raquel: Chaotic. I've much to learn. Balls deep. Just go in there. I'm a very forward fighter where I think I need to rein that in a bit and maybe calm myself so I can calculate the punches or the kicks and things like that ⁓ a lot more. But very forward fighter, ⁓ I'll be on you. That's just it. On your toes the whole time.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, now let's do some self-reflection. What part of your game are you actively working on?
Raquel: So at the minute I am working, I absolutely love BJJ. So at the minute I'm working a lot more on BJJ, groundwork and kicks. So a lot of my tie been working on. I have, ⁓ and outside of that, see, see, because I fell two days before Christmas and I hurt my elbow, I have another six weeks left of physio. So I can't initially punch properly, I only have one hand. So this is why now that I've just threw my steel into the grappling and the kickboxing and that because my arm is stopping me from throwing punches. So I have to work around that. And if you know me, you know I can't sit still. Like when I hurt my arm there and I was like bandaged up and could hardly move, I had just moved house as well. So I had literally boxes everywhere, fricking broken elbow. kid, Santa's coming, I was like what the heck. So that's why I've got another six weeks left of this physio to do for my arm and then once that's up and acting again I will be balls deep in absolutely everything then.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. ⁓ How important is it to find that discipline when motivation just isn't there?
Raquel: Okay, so I call that point character building. That to me, character building or the way you use it, character.
Mathew Hansen: Okay.
Raquel: character building. It builds your character. So when you feel like you don't want to do it, you feel like you can't or that you're too tired or anything, those are usually the best sessions that you'll ever have because you've literally pulled yourself from the pits to put yourself in and do your hard workout or do your hard session. ⁓ So it's very important motivation. you've got, I've had no one all my life. I've had no one supporting me, I've had no one cheering me on, no one saying you can do this Raquel. Do know what mean? It's been me, me, myself and I in my own head. So I'm the one that has to pull me out of it and I have to think about it right too. So I'm a single mum. My son sees me do everything, he everything. And this is why I'm just not a mum, I'm dad too. Do you know what I mean? So for me, he's my motivation. He's my motivation to do exceedingly abundantly more. And the fact even like I had that bare-knuckle fight, I initially went over to help prep a fighter and to cut weight, et cetera, because she was supposed to be fighting. Her weight wasn't on, mine was. I went, fuck it, let's do it. End up with a pro card. Pro card, a scar on my eyebrow and a big smile. So for me to say that to my son, look. Your mum's on box wreck with Mike Tyson for just saying yes. That's amazing.
Mathew Hansen: Cool. What was going through your head that first time you stepped into the cage?
Raquel: ⁓ my goodness, see the first time I stepped in. I didn't actually initially think it was gonna be as bad as it was, but see whenever I remember, like I was in my corner and I was like looking out and I could hear like the crowd chanting for the other girl. I was like, ⁓ my God. My legs started to shake and I was like, come on you Raquel, you can't do this here, you can't. And that fight that I had took on, it was just a boxing match. It was a semi pro boxing match and I had to put on weight for that. never again in my life will I ever do that. Never. I was like so heavy, it was hard to move. All my punches were slow. So no, it was scary, but see after it, was fucking amazing. Like that feeling, like that drug sex rock and roll doesn't match that feeling. That feeling is what you chase the whole time.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, what does a successful night look like for you inside the cage?
Raquel: successful night inside the cage would be executing your plan, your fight plan, ground and pound, submissions, anything, anything, like even stepping into that ring, regardless of what the outcome will be, there's two warriors on there and they're fighting, they're fighting until one of them leaves with the hand raised and whatnot, do know what I mean? So to get into that ring in itself is a big massive accomplishment. But if you execute your plan well, and if you do everything that your coach or your team have been talking to you about, then sure you're on the money. But even sharing a ring with another fighter, especially a girl fighter, because there's not many of us, it just leaves me so humbled and awed. Do know what I mean? That there's more like-minded people, that we're all hungry for the same thing. It's powerful.
Mathew Hansen: Alright, and I would, I do, we brought it up earlier as we were talking, the fight where there's no ref, there's no rounds, the only way to win is by knockout or submission. Why does one, why does one pick a fight like that?
Raquel: Yeah. I'm a yes girl. I don't think things through, I just say yes. But to me, just, I'm I'm gutted that my elbow, I hurt my elbow because I initially would have loved to do this here. Like this is powerful, but there will be another chance for me to do this later on down the line. For me to do something like that, again, if you just think about it, it's like, I love... the old gladiator style things. love the Viking style things. like they went to war. Shield maidens went to war too. It wasn't just the men. Men don't get to do just these things. Do you know what I mean? And I'm not like a big feminist or bringing out the inner diva or anything like that. I'm not. It's just anything you can do, I can do too. Do you know what I mean? So for me, and to be like the first girl in Ireland to do something like this.
Mathew Hansen: Yeah.
Raquel: And this was to go down in history between me and Rachel. Hopefully one day we'll get there and we'll be able to do it. Shout out Rachel. ⁓ There's just something raw and ready and real authentic about it.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, I'm just, I was just in awe of those rules for this fight and I'm like, what are these two thinking?
Raquel: Yeah, yeah, two crazies, two absolute crazies. I love it. There's something about it. There's just, it makes me excited and it gets my, my blood going.
Mathew Hansen: So is there anybody on standby or you guys just meet up at a random unknown location and be like, all right, it's up to you.
Raquel: So, so, at the point of whenever, obviously we're not doing it now because of my elbow, but, ⁓ the location for like say guests to come and watch it, et cetera, was, all secured. You'll not get like the location on the day. You'll get the, the location of where it's at, coordinates or whatever it is. It's all underground, like very, very illegal, very illegal. ⁓ so. Yeah, I think, I think again, there has to be a part of you has to be a little bit unhinged, right? All my life, I have had to work hard at everything. I've had to struggle. I've had to fight on a daily basis, even fighting to survive food wise and stuff like growing, going from whenever I was younger, like leaving home at 15, like a 15 year old girl leaving home and living in hostels. Like my whole life has been opposition. Do you know what I mean?
Mathew Hansen: Mm-hmm.
Raquel: So I think that's fueled me into the fighter and the character that I carry now. So for me, it's just an all-or-day in the office and over in Ireland, street fights are quite often. I've had plenty of my time between broken noses, fingers, knuckles, you name it.
Mathew Hansen: and hurt elbows from falling.
Raquel: and her elbows from falling down two steps, not even a full set steps, two.
Mathew Hansen: Alright, so this is a part of the rapid fire. I'm gonna ask you a question first thing that comes to your mind when I ask the question. Alright?
Raquel: Right, so.
Mathew Hansen: All right, would you rather do a first round finish or a late round war?
Raquel: Late Rhyme War.
Mathew Hansen: Why a war?
Raquel: Because you both went at it, you've literally emptied your tank, you've put your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into that. Your whole camp, your training, get leading up to that point and you want to be over in first round. No way! You want to entertain people too!
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. Would you rather stick to striking or grappling?
Raquel: ⁓ can I not just say both? No? Okay, grappling.
Mathew Hansen: Grapplin, okay. Are you more aggressive while going in the cage or are you more calm and calculated?
Raquel: Okay, so I surprised myself. I thought I would literally be like really aggressive and cool, calm and collected. Like you could hear a penny drop. I'm like, what's wrong with me? Because on a daily basis, my head is chaotic. But before I get in there, I'm so calm and I'm breathing. Just don't know why, don't know how, just happens.
Mathew Hansen: Okay. Favorite part about Fight Camp.
Raquel: I'm pushing yourself to the limits as in you didn't think you could go anymore but you really could. Like you've dug deep. Like you're not a bitch. You are not a bitch.
Mathew Hansen: Okay, now hardest part about Fight Camp.
Raquel: Food. I love food. You see me before I was even on here, I was eating my orange. I love food. I freaking love food. Go ahead.
Mathew Hansen: What's your go-to food after a fight?
Raquel: Beg durry burger or pizza.
Mathew Hansen: ⁓ One word to describe your fight style.
Raquel: Bummer. Chaotic, that's just it.
Mathew Hansen: And then one word to describe you
Raquel: One word? Just one. Right, okay. Just one. ⁓
Mathew Hansen: Mm-hmm. Just one.
Raquel: Just one. Right, one word to describe me. Resilient.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. All right, Raquel, where can, is there anyone you wanna give a special shout out to?
Raquel: Special shout out, yeah I've got a good few wee people to shout out to. Nicole, my bestie, Miles Ripper, I met him ⁓ during the bare knuckle and me and him have been like that. He's like a brother to me, I just absolutely love him. I want to give a wee shout out to my sponsored athlete, Terry Diamond, she just debuted there to BKFC and won it. So she gives me a lot of pride and lot of honor and just a big shout out to all three of the guys that I've shouted out to. Your work, your graft, your mindset, everything you do is just impeccable and you're my people and I love you.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect, where can everybody find you on social media?
Raquel: Yeah, so my Instagram is RaquelMurrayF7. Facebook's just RaquelMurray. What else? I'm on TikTok. It's again RaquelMurrayF. So TikTok, Instagram, Facebook.
Mathew Hansen: Perfect. Well, I appreciate you coming on, talking to us about how you started in fighting and what Ireland looks like for fighting-wise.
Raquel: Thank you. We're all salvage.
