Shark attack victims words move crowd after witnessing an Australian first in Cairns
It was a night like no other, a night no one knew what to expect but what the crowd came to witness was an incredible fight for survival.
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It was a night like no other, a night no one knew what to expect but what the crowd came to witness was an incredible fight for survival.
Both Glenn Dickson and Buck Cooper have looked death in the eyes before, and on Saturday night in an Australian first, the two amputees came face-to-face in the cage during the Explosive Fight Promotions fight night.
The night started off brilliantly with the first four fights, drinks and food were flowing, crowd was chanting and cheering the fighters on, and it was exciting to see MMA back in Cairns.
Dickson and Coopers fight was the fifth on the night.
Everyone cheered, clapped and chanted as both the fighters walked to the cage along the runway, both looking eager to get this fight under way.
Despite losing the fight, Dickson said he will never stop living like it is his last day on earth.
“I was going for my sixth fight before I got attacked by a shark seven years ago,” Dickson said.
“That nearly ended my life, nearly lost my life sixth times.
“I came back thanks to thinking of my kids and my daughter and my head told me to come back.
“When I flipped back into living again, I thought about it being the fifth round of a fight, you’ve got not much left in the tank.
“It’s time to just go in there, push it and use your heart and finish the job and get there.
“That’s how I live and that’s how I kept going.”
Dickson continued by opening up about the difficulty of being able to fight again.
“Getting to the point where I could finally be stable on my leg, Buck would understand,” Dickson said.
“As an amputee, for us, trying to get in fights, things change a lot, it is not easy to keep these things on.
“It’s not easy to stay stable and I was definitely getting frustrated because he (Cooper) was using a good game plan.
“He was really ducking and weaving away, it was a really good bang, I really enjoyed it and I want to keep going.
“I want to make sure I can get this leg more stable and keep going and keep fighting.”
But to thunderous applause, it was the end of Dickson’s speech that got the crowd the loudest and up out of their chairs for the final time.
“You amputee’s, people with disabilities, you don’t just give up because life gets hard,” Dickson said.
“Challenges are going to come their way no matter what.
“You get up everyday regardless of pain, the s--t you gotta deal with.
“You get up and you bang, you figure it out and you chase your dreams.
“Never settle otherwise you have already given up.”
For five rounds, these two athletes put on a show no one who witnessed it would forget.
Cooper continued to throw the overhand right, while throwing his right leg kick towards Dickson.
While Glenn’s two fists did the damage for him, resulting in breaking Buck’s nose.
The fight ended with nothing less than a standing ovation which is what both those fighters deserved.
Cooper walked away with the win by split decision but both fighters should be holding their heads high.
The man from New South Wales was full of praise for his opponent Glenn Dickson.
”It meant a lot, I haven’t had a day off in a very long time, not one,” Cooper said after winning the fight.
“I train everyday, I work my arse off and I believe in stuff that is not possible, like being the best UFC fighter in the world.
“I have got a great team behind me, good gym, good sponsors, thanks to everybody.
“My family, my dad, my kids, it’s a pretty full on moment and I am going to smash some beers.”
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Originally published as Shark attack victims words move crowd after witnessing an Australian first in Cairns
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