From MMA to BKFC: Exploring Rico Disciullo's Transition

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00:00And, of course, you know, you were on Team McGregor there.

00:02Now you're with the BKFC.

00:03You know, what was that connection like in bringing you over?

00:06You had a great MMA record.

00:08What was the connection with Conor like for you as your coach there

00:11and now as your boss with the BKFC?

00:13Yeah, so it was really cool.

00:15I got in touch with Conor a lot through social media, through Instagram.

00:20We connected a lot outside of once I was done with the Ultimate Fighter

00:23and whatnot.

00:23I actually lost.

00:24I'm in the words of trying to get my social media stuff back with Instagram.

00:28But I talked to him a lot.

00:29He would just reach out and, like, give me just pretty much, like, tips on

00:32for the next fight, like prepping for whatever.

00:35But guys kept coming up to me.

00:37You know, I was going to do – I had a couple different options.

00:39When I came back from the Ultimate Fighter, I ended up tearing my knee.

00:42So I tore my knee again, and it kind of put things – you know,

00:46it kind of made me start to realize, man, I don't want to go through rehab again

00:50and do everything.

00:51And so it kind of – you know, BKFC, it was weird because that side was –

00:57you know, MMA was – you know, the training camps are, you know, grueling.

01:01You've got to go through wrestling.

01:02You've got to go through everything.

01:03And it's just – that is – I feel like BKFC, the style of what I've got to do,

01:08like, to prep for the fights are a lot easier for me with my knee injury.

01:13And it's just, like, pretty much showcases everything that I can do

01:16and what I like to do anyway.

01:17Like, I like to go out there.

01:18I have a really, really diverse striking style.

01:20You know what I mean?

01:21All these guys – I fought, like, and trained with some of the best strikers

01:26on the planet.

01:26I've always done very, very well.

01:28I feel like I could honestly be, in this type of format, a world champion.

01:33You know, I really, really seriously doubt there's anybody at 135, 45,

01:37or even 55 that could – you know, that – obviously the top five guys,

01:41once you get to the elite level guys, you know, it's going to be, you know,

01:45a little challenging, but I truly believe in my skill set,

01:47especially in this format.

01:49You know, I think that I have a huge advantage with the knowledge

01:53and background that I have with the dirty boxing, the clinch work, all this.

01:56You know, I've been doing Muay Thai for years, which I'm comfortable getting dirty,

01:59but I also have a different style.

02:01Like, I don't really fight conventionally like a lot of these guys do.

02:04They're very, like, conventional, just like boxers.

02:08I have – I know how to blend all different types of striking into this

02:12and make it to my benefit, you know.

02:14So, I feel like I could be a problem for anybody in any style.

02:18And, of course, you know, Conor, not the only connection you have to the BKSC show.

02:22And we're like a guy that you worked with as a commentator, you know,

02:25in your time while you're out with an injury.

02:27You're trying the other side of things, seeing things from a different angle.

02:30How does that help you, you know, as you've been coming back

02:32and working off that injury to, you know, take that time outside the cage

02:36and, you know, be the guy calling the fights

02:38and, you know, seeing what's in the action from that outside the cage perspective,

02:42from that commentator perspective, like you did with Sean?

02:45Yeah, so it was funky, like I said.

02:47So, I came out of the Ultimate Fighter and, you know, I started doing – you know, I hurt my knee.

02:52And then – so, I started thinking of, like, you know, other things.

02:55I was coaching a little bit.

02:56I was trying to get back into MMA and whatnot and then talk to Sean.

03:00I did Combat FC with Sean, you know, Whalock, which he knows me from my pro debut

03:04when I fought for Bellator years ago.

03:07So, that's how me and him met.

03:09And – which I wish I had that video because that was even more of an outrageous knockout

03:14on my debut for Bellator, but probably one of the best knockouts I've ever had.

03:18But – so, I've known Sean for a while.

03:20So, he kept telling me, listen, your style is perfect for BKFC.

03:24You know, talk to the guys over there or let me talk – you know,

03:27see if we can get you connected over there, blah, blah, blah.

03:29And I was still trying to figure things out because, obviously, I've had my career.

03:33You know, I've been doing MMA for so long.

03:34You know what I mean?

03:35I was thinking bare knuckle.

03:36It's kind of gnarly.

03:37You know what I mean?

03:38You've got to kind of prep yourself and train specifically for that.

03:41That's what I think people don't really understand.

03:42It's like, you know, you've got to be very, very technical.

03:45You've got to be smart about where you place your punches and everything you can do.

03:48You're not just going out there and brawling.

03:49I don't think that's the best way to go about it.

03:50I think the smarter guys are the guys that are going to go out there

03:54and obviously try to finish, but they're also going to be very smart

03:58and calculated about where they place their punches,

04:01how much power they put in, what they do, because, you know, you're bare knuckle.

04:04You know, you can beat up – you can finish guys with a jab if you know what you're doing.

04:07You know, you can set up things, but also you punch the wrong way.

04:10You land on the top of the head.

04:11You're breaking your hand.

04:12So I think you have to be a lot more intelligent and crafty

04:16about how you approach things bare knuckle, and that's why I love it.

04:18I'm honestly like – after my first fight, I really – it's, you know, like –

04:23first of all, it's the biggest growing sport there is right now.

04:26You know, it's second to the UFC, which I think it's going to start catapulting

04:29like the UFC did back when it first started.

04:31And I truly am – I just think it's like the rawest form of –

04:35the rawest – like it's the wildest form of fighting.

04:38It's true fighting.

04:39You know what I mean?

04:40You're bare knuckle.

04:41There's – you can't really stall.

04:43You know what I mean?

04:44You can fight in the clinch.

04:45It's – I'm just – I just love everything about it, to be honest.

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