8. APRIL 2010: FATHERHOOD!
At 23.55 on the 7. April, my beloved Linda gave birth to a beautiful girl. She weighed 3340 grams and was 50 cm long, and will be named Lilia Helén.
25. MARCH 2010: ELIAS DANIEL VS DANIEL NORDÅS, SM SUPERFIGHT 5*3 MIN MUAY THAI RULES
My first real comeback was set to the 7th of March in Uppsala, Sweden. I was given a superfight in the Swedish Thaiboxing Championships against one of the top Swedish fighters Elias Daniel. In the paragraphs below, I will share some og my thoughts about the event.
Team Nordås arrived in Uppsala on the 6th where we were met at the airport by crew form Perry’s Gym which held the event. After being driven to the hotel, the team (my coach Bård, his wife Claire and myself) went for a walkabout to get to know this little town on the outskirts of Stockholm. We had some coffee and saw the sights before we went to the venue for the weigh-in. The tournament had already started when we arrived, but my fight wasn’t due until the evening the following day. At the venue we were greeted by the promotor and the people from Perry’s. They took us straight down to the weigh-in where Elias was waiting. I shook his hand and nodded to him, and he nodded back.
I weighed 72,6 kilos. The target was 73. Perfect! Someone took a few pictures, and then I managed to catch a few of preliminary matches in the hall.
After a good night’s sleep I woke up ready as ever. I felt good physically and mentally. Bård and Claire left early for the venue to prepare the parcticals and see if there was made any changes regarding my fight. I was supposed to fight around 8 in the evening, but the promotor wanted an earlier start. This suited me perfectly. The last ours before a fight seem like days and is quite tiresome for most fighters, so it is better just to get on with it.
I decided to stay at the hotel until a couple of hours before the fight. Some peace and quiet alone is important for me in order to relax and prepare mentally. It is important to fire up the mind and soul, not just the body, and for me some hours alone works well.
After arriving at the venue, I went for a quick tour around the hall to get the feel of the place. I then had some food at the restaurant before Bård met up with me about an hour before the fight. We went down to the locker room and I started putting on the bandages while Bård rubbed som Thai oil on my back. When the gloves came on I did some pad work to warm up, and I was ready to do my thing. The time was just passed five, and the event was right on schedule. We went up the stairs and waited till the speaker introduced my name. All was set for my debut in a professional thaiboxing fight.
Round 1
I knew that I had to stay active and maintain a high frequency. I suspected that Elias would try to go inside to clinch in order to optimize the use of his knees. My game plan was to stay moving and utilize my prime ability which is my boxing. This worked well for me early in the round, and I hit him well with punch combinations and low kicks. Towards the end of the round I didn’t focus enough on the movement, though, and I was punished with a really tough hook which shook me enough that I recieved a standing count just before the bell.
Round 2
After the blow in the first round, I went in a little bit more cautiously in round 2. I didn’t want another of those hooks. Elias went in according to his game plan, and went continously forward to get inside and clinch. He succeeded with this, but I responded every time with my boxing. Despite the fact that I was puched backwards almost the entire round, I felt more active than in the the previous round and that my boxing was doing the trick and was keeping me ahead on points.
Round 3
In the break between round 2 and 3 I started to feel more secure and comfortable with my tactics. Bård and I agreed to stick to the plan and keep boxing and kicking low. The round itself was similar to the previous, but with an even more aggressive Elias. His knees were becoming dangerous, but so was my counter punches.
Round 4
In this round the intensity was even higher. Elias came rushing towards me with his knees as his primary weapon, and I focused on the plan and doing what I’m best at. But to Elias’ advantage I became more stagnant as the round progressed, and his knees made their mark more frequently. 2 minutes into the round he hit my nose with a knee, and I heard my nose break. This is not the first time it has broken, and it didn’t shake me noticeably and I managed to keep my cool for the rest of the round , but the blood poured out of my nose like a waterfall. I think I still managed to win the round, but it was a close call.
Round 5
In the break before round 5, Bård had to consult the ringside referee wheter it was safe for me to continue or not. The nose still hadn’t stopped bleeding, but the referee told us it was our decision. Despite the nose I felt fine and wanted to continue, and so I did.
I keept to the the same recipe as I had done the previous rounds and hit Elias with some good punches. It became apparent that the nose was causing some problems with its continous bleeding, and the referee had to step in to wipe it. He told Bård that I would get one more chance, but that he most likely would stop the match because of the nose. I knew that it was only a matter of seconds, so I went all in and tried to knock him out. I made some good hits with a couple of uppercuts, but it wasn’t enough. The referee stopped the match, and Elias won on RSC (referee stop contest). Not the best way to end my visit, but still I was pleased.
It might seem odd that I am happy sitting here writing this with several broken ribs, a broken nose and a lost fight under my belt, but I am very proud of my own effort. I went up against one of the best thai boxers in Scandinavia and I held my ground. It is not always the result that counts, but the feeling afterwards of knowing that you did your best. This fight was one of the best fights of my career, and I hold my head high. This is definitely not the last you will see of me in the ring against Europes finest fighters. Stay tuned!
23. Febryary 2010: DANIEL NORDÅS VS DANIEL ELIAS 7th March!
I can now happily announce that I have been given another chance to show the Swedes my capabilities in the ring. After the disappointment i Luleå in the fall of 2008 when I lost to Driton Rama, I am back with a vengeance, this time in Uppsala outside Stockholm. The date is 7th of March. I have been offered a superfight pro in the Swedish Championships in thai boxing against Daniel Elias, a high profiled Swedish fighter with a great record. His record includes North European K-1 MAX Finalist 2006, WKA European Champion Kickboxing 2008, WPMF World Champion Muaythai 2006 and WFCA European Champion Thaiboxing 2005.
Elias is a tough fighter. His style is Dutch, and he will be working hard for the entire 5 rounds. This will be no walk in the park!
As always, I have been preparing well for the fight. I have trained hard, and both my endurance and physical strength is back to where they where before my year off. I have also made a technical and tactical game plan together with my coaches, and I have great confidence in this. If I can manage to stay cool and focus during the match, I really believe it can go my way. It’s going to be a hell of a match no matter what…
20. January 2010: SPRING SCHEDULE
A new year is here, and it’s time to put the gloves to some real use. My first tournament this year will be in the 75 kg. Class in Est Open in Tallin, the capital of Estonia the 30.-31st of January. This is one of Europe’s largest tournaments in kickboxing K1 style and low kick in the WAKO organization. This is also one of three qualifying tournaments for the European Championship K1 style.After training intensely and passionately through Christmas I feel ready for what will be my first match since October 2008. My long sought after comeback is finally here!
After Estonia, I will take part in the Norwegian Cup tournament i Bergen on the 28th og february, and in Irish Open in Dublin on the 6th og march. After this I will take some time off competing due to my child’s expected arrival into this world (the due date is 12th of April), and I want to be home to nurse both my loved ones.
I will still be training hard, though, and I will make a serious attempt to qualify for the Norwegian squad for the European Championships in October/November.
26. September 2009: REPORT FROM COPENHAGEN
We traveled to Copenhagen on friday 25th for the weigh-in and the medical check-up. The tournament the following day was supposed to be a big international event under amateur rules, and I saw a great opportunity to get a few good matches in my oocomeback after almost a year out of the ring. I had already chosen to fight in a heavier weigt class than usual. I didn’t want to go through strainious dieting to get down to my usual weight class of -70 for an amateur tournament, so I weighed in at a comfortable 74,7, perfect for the -75 class.
After the weigh-in came the message I did not want to hear: There were no other fighters in my weight class. The promotors excuse was that the Swedish national team, which originally had entered ten fighters, had withdrawn the entire team the day before. The Swedish team included at least two fighters in my weight class. The promotor had despite this been able to negotiate a fight for me with a Sweed outside the national team who were competing in the -71 weight class, after he had finished his original fight.I was obviously disappointed about this, but one fight is better than none, and the trip would not have been made in vain.
After eight hours of waiting at the venue, it was time for «my» Sweed to fight his original match. He won this quite easily on points, but, as clear evidence of the fact that Murphy was definitely not on my side this weekend, he managed to injure his foot. When I spoke to him after the match, he was uncertain whether he would risk injuring his foot more or if he would save himself for the European Championships in kickboxing only ten days away. After stalling the decision as long as he could, he chose not to risk further injury. So there I was, a long way from home and ready as ever, eager to make my comeback to the ring, only to find myself without an opponent. A disappointment, yes, but there will be other opportunities. I’m here to stay!
21. August 2009: COMEBACK IN SEPTEMBER!
After a 10 month break from competitive kickboxing, I feel ready for a comeback. The motivation and urge is steadily returning, and I have to obey my nature: I am a fighter.
My comeback will take place in the Nordic Open tournament in Copenhagen on the 26. September. It’s an amateur tournament with low-kick rules, and although I’ve been fighting professional matches for the past years, this kind of tournament is a great place to start for an “old” engine that is a bit out of tune.
I have decided to take one match at a time and ease myself into mode. If perform well and win matches, I’m hoping for more professional matches in the future. My team is still in good touch with the K-1 Scandinavia organization, and if they like what they see and want to give me new opportunities and I feel ready for it, I will of course accept. My dream of winning the great K-1 tournament i Stockholm and qualifying for Japan still lives in my heart, and given the opportunity, I will pursue it with all I’ve got.
I’m ready, ready as anybody can be
Now I’m ready for you, I hope you’re ready for me
Muddy Waters
To be continued…
4. march 2009
Since my last match in Sweden I have felt quite empty, and for the first time in my career, a total lack of motivation. I have therefore decided to take a break from fighting at least until this summer. I will then decide if I am to make a comeback or “put the gloves on the shelf”. A fighter needs heart, and heart requires motivation, and as the motivation now is absent, there is no point in doing it half way. But I still train and keep fit and don’t spend my days as a couch potatoe, so if a comeback should happen, I will be as strong and fit as ever.
This page will not be updated until I have decided where my future as a fighter lays.
18. November: Link to interview
Here is the link to Daniel’s interview (in Norwegian): http://www.bt.no/webtv/?id=15009
17. November: Interview with Daniel on Norwegian TV
If you have access, watch the interview with Daniel on BTV (TvNorge) on monday 17th. You can also watch this online on www.bt.no/btv. The specific link will be posted as soon as the program has been aired.
9. November: Report from Luleå
Friday the 31st of October it was again match time, five months after my last fight. My original opponent Marcus Øberg had forfeited a week earlier due to a shoulder injury. The promotor managed to find a new opponent at the last minute. Driton Rama, Swedish thaiboxing champion, is always in good shape, and took the fight on short notice.
Luleå, the host town of the gala, is a realtively small town almost on the Finnish border in the northernmost part of Sweden. The town has about 40.000 inhabitants. In this time of year it is cold up here, about minus 8 degrees celsius, but it felt even colder.
We arrived in Luleå on thusday, the day before the match, and weighed in the same evening. After a good meal, I went to bed early.
At 4 pm. on matchday the busses carried us to the arena with a capasity crowd of 3000 people. An impressive number for such a small town.
We shared a locker room with two other fighters, one Swed on one Dane. The Swed had Larry Lindvall as trainer. Larry won K1 Scandinavia in 02 and 03, and has multiple World Championships in thaiboxing. A very pleasant and humble guy.
At 6 pm. the gala was about to start, and my fight was scheduled as the second fight of the day. After a short warmup and some pad work, I was ready to fight. The physical part of the warmup was good, but I struggled a bit with finding the mental turn on and fighting spirit I usually experience before a match.
Driton Rama had trained with Joachim Karlsson in Stockholm the week prior to the fight, and I suspect he had received some hints on my fighting style and tactics.
When the bell sounded, I tried to put pressure on the sweed from the first moment. I wanted to find the right distance to use my strongest side, the boxing. But Rama had done his homework, and every time I tried this, he countered with low kicks.
I wanted an intensive match, but Rama kept his distance and wanted to pick points. It was definitely not the most spectacular and entertaining fight, but tactically good from Rama. He did what he had to do. He kept his distance, using his legs, and always countering every move with low kicks.
I never found the right timing or distance, and wasn’t able to mount the energy that is needed to win a match at this level. Rama was awarded the victory on a split decision which was fair everything considered. You never win an even fight against a Swed in Sweden. That is just the way it is, and it applys to all countries.
At the moment I am very disappointed by my own effort, and I had a bad day at work to put it mildly. Normally I should beat this kind of fighter.
One thing I am very sure of, is that I have to increase the frequency of fights. I am rusty and need more frequent match practise, if only to get the fighting spirit back.
31. October: Defeat
Daniel lost tonights match against Driton Rama on split decision. Daniel’s own analysis will be published as soon as he returns to Norway.
29. October: Change of opponent
The original opponent in fridays fight, Marcus Øberg, har forfeited. Instead, Daniel will fight Driton Rama, mutiple Swedish Champion in thaiboxing.
Daniels brother Julian Misic has made a fan song to Daniel. The song is published in the gallery of this web site, and on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al32gsR5jaY
15. September: LATEST NEWS FROM DANIEL
On Monday 8th of september I went to Stockholm to train with the Swedish thai and K-1 fighters at VBC Sportcenter which is K-1 Scandinavias official gym in the middle of town. The VBC trainers have produced 3 professional world champions in thaiboxing, 5 amateur world champions and 3 professional world champion kickboxers in the last 15 years. Impressive!
I was very well received by the trainers and other fighters, and was given a a small bedroom above the gym. I shared this room with another thaiboxer from Sweden.
The first workout started at 5 pm the same day. A 10 kilometer run at a high pace as warmup, followed by 5 hard rounds on pads, bag training and tough strength training. This was just a taste of what I had coming.
At 8 am the following day, I was awaken by Joakim Karlsson, one of the best K-1 max fighters in Scandinavia, and whom I lost to at Rumble of the Kings 2006. He wanted me to join him for interval training on the rowing machine, bike riding, and ropes. The workout finished with 5 rounds on pads.
This was their usual routine. Two intensive workouts a day, one at 8 am and one at 5 pm, with plenty of running, intervals and explosive training with tempo changes.
I was supposed to spar with Joakim Karlsson the whole week, but I was unlucky on the second day and got a cut under the eyebrow. Nothing that a couple of stitches couldn’t fix, but this meant no more sparring.
I had the opportunity to speak a great deal with Kasra Ashami, the promotor of K-1 Scandinavia. He is promoting an event in Luleå in the north of Sweden on the 31st of October, and offered me a match against Marcus Øberg, the reigning K-1 Max North European champion. I was thrilled and accepted on the spot. The next day the match was confirmed.
This is the big date in this autums calendar for me, and I am greatly anticipating this match. I am given the opportunity to fight the best and to progress my career further.
On Friday the 12th I got on the plane back home, and could look back on a great week with the Swedes. I really enjoyed my stay, and felt that being away from home in such an inspiring environment was of great benefit. Not only am I able to relax properly between workouts, restitute faster and therebytrain harder, but I am able to concentrate 24 hours a day doing what I love the most: Fighting
I am returning to Stockholm soon, thats for sure.
I really want to thank Kasra and the fighters for a great week!
Due to the fight in Luleå, my reserve status for the fight in Holland is cancelled.
2. September: Status update
On monday 8. september I will travel to Stockhom to train with the Swedish team managed by Kasra Ashami, the promotor of K-1 Scandinavia. The team includes many thai boxers and fighters who participated in this years K-1 gala in Hovet, Stockholm. I was promised by Mr. Ashami that I could eat, sleep and train at their gym.
I am looking forward to spend some time away from my daily routine and getting some new impulses and motivation. Hopefully I will also get the chance to show that I can compete with the best and that I belong in top of K-1 max.
Saturday 20.september I am reserve fighter for Dzabar Askerov (UAE) who is fighting in a 8-man tournament in Gorinchen, Holland. This is a tournament with K-1 rules, and is qualifier for Tokyo. It is promoted by K-1 star Andy Souwer.
The reason why Askerov needs a reserve is that he has a match scheduled only two weeks before the Gorinchen tournament. In case of injury, I will be called in. One never hopes that a fellow fighter will sustain injury, but if so happens I can promise to be in top shape and eager to fight.
26. July: Daniel celebrates his 30th birthday
03. June: Interview with Daniel
- Congratulations on saturdays victory!
Thank you very much. The match went just as I had hoped for. TKO in the second round versus the reigning tsjekk champion in thaiboxing is not bad at all, and I am very pleased. The venue was great, and even though I fought the reserve match, fighting in front of thousands of spectators in such a huge event is a great experience.
- Could you tell the readers a little about your tactics and approach?
I had planned to go out aggessively and put myself in respect from the first moment. It worked great. I had good pressure forward and had my opponent on his heels after some good hits early on. The first round was mine.
- In the second round you had Slustik on the floor twice. Could you tell us about that?
Well, after the strong first round, I felt twice as strong as Slustik, and I just decided to keep hammering on. After about one minute in the second round, I hit him on the chin with a hook and he went down for a count. After 8 he was up and allowed to continue. I kept hitting him with blows to the head and body, and he got a new count. There is no stopping me at this point, and I kept getting in good blows. The doctor eventually threw in the towel, and the match was stopped.
- How do you feel about not getting the chance to fight more matches?
I knew there was a chance of injury or forfeiting by one of the other contenders, and I was ready to step in at any point. Of course, you never hope that any of your colleagues and friends should injure themselves, but I was in great shape and I think I could have made an impression if I had the opportunity to fight in the tournament.
- Do you have any thougts on the next steps of your career?
I dont’t have any matches scheduled for the near future, but after my performance in Sweden, I will hopefully be invited to other large tournaments. I really feel I am getting established in the K-1 sircus now, and I will make every effort possible to to reach my goals. I turn 30 in a few months, but I’m still hungry as a teenager.
31. May: Victory!
Daniel Won on TKO in the second round
30. May: Rumble of the Kings, Stockholm
Tomorrow is the day for the big tournament i Stockholm. Daniel has weighed in at 69,8 kilos, and is in the form of his life. He has been training very good lately, and is eagerly anticipating this day. Stay tuned for more info and words from Daniel himself.
22. april 2008: Training in Holland
Daniel left Bergen today for Breda to train for a week with Golden Glory. He is feeling great, and is eagerly anticipating this springs great goal in Sweden only 6 weeks away
27. march 2008: Latest comment from Daniel
“I have recently been selected for a reserve fight in the K-1 max tournament “Rumble of the Kings” in Stockholm, Sweden on the 31. may. The winner of this match will, in case of injury or forfeit by one of the other competitiors, be called to fight at any stage of the tournament, even in the final. This is a big chance for me to show my skills to a large audience and important promotors. For more info on the tournament, see www.k-1.se
On the 16. march I went to Denmark to fight in the Danish Open. In the final I beat a tough Swedish fighter, and won 3-0 on points. I felt that this was one of my best fights ever, and I am ready to face the best fighters in Europe in Stockholm.”
12. January 2008: Daniel vs Murthel Groenhart
First fight for Golden GloryThe first fight for Team Golden Glory did not go as expected. Daniel was in great shape and eager to perform, but the match was stopped in the first round after Daniel was hit by a knee to the left eyebrow and a large cut led to extensive bleeding. The bleeding could not be stopped (the wound required 7 stitches), and the victory was awarded to his opponent. Daniel is very disappointed, and is eagerly looking forward to the rematch that will be scheduled later on this year. We will return with more information on the rematch as soon as the date is set.
Desember 2007: Signing with Golden Glory
Daniel has signed with the Dutch team Golden Glory, one of Europe’s largest and best professional teams! Daniel is very happy with the signing, and says this is a real milestone in his career, and a very important step in reaching his professional goals.
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