Trinity MMA’s Anthony Bynoe has gone 3-1 since returning from a horror run of injuries, taking his career record to a healthy 7-2. Bynoe, who headlines Diamondback 3 against Tasmania’s Ethan Duniam (7-4), was champing at the bit as he watched from the sidelines for two years between 2014 and 2016.
“I went back to back to back with three pretty severe injuries in a row, only getting back into training for a couple of weeks [before getting injured again] but I filled the void a little bit with coaching and putting all my support behind my friends but not being able to get in there myself was frustrating and disappointing. I was seeing others in the division rising up the ranks.”
While his body is now a little older, Bynoe believes that he is now much wiser with his training regime.
“I probably had a history of over training a little bit, and that’s when I was getting injuries from being fatigued and injuring myself in sparring or rolling; so I think my body is in better shape than what it was a few years ago.”
During his hiatus, Bynoe coached mate and former opponent, fellow South Australian Myles Simpson. Bynoe explains how his friendship with his former in-ring foe developed.
“We knew each other [before our fight] and talked but we assumed that being the two only lightweights in Adelaide at the time actively fighting that we’d probably have to fight each other so we never trained together or anything; but straight after we fought, we organised to start training and sparring together.”
Ethan Duniam defeated Simpson last year at Brace 49, adding extra flavour to the DFC 3 main event. Bynoe has well scouted his unorthodox opponent from across Bass Strait.
“He’s very fit, he’s athletic, he’s good at scrambling, he doesn’t concede position very well, he’s unorthodox with his striking, so he’s got some different techniques that I probably haven’t had thrown at me in a live fight before which will be a different challenge and he’s pretty durable. You see him come back from bad situations and win and he can push the pace as well so I’m expecting a pretty tough fight for 15 minutes. I feel like being prepared to beat him pretty much everywhere.”
Fighting before his hometown fans was one of Bynoe’s dreams while he nursed his injuries, and he is thankful that he has gained this opportunity through the thriving Diamondback promotion.
“I’ve coached guys at the first two Diamondbacks and I’ve been at the shows, I’ve been backstage cornering and I think they put on a really good show: the venues good, they’ve had really good crowds and it seems to be getting a bit of hype behind it so to get the opportunity to get to fight on it, let alone headline it is always very exciting.”
Now that he has put together a consistent run, Bynoe has his sights set on some belts in the long term.
“I would like to win a championship in Brace or Hex or if Diamondback decide to put on a lightweight championship, I’d like to fight for that. I’d like to have a championship or two to hang my hat on before I end my career.”
Diamondback 3 will take place in the William Magarey Room of Adelaide Oval on July 16. A live stream of the event will be available right here at Fight News Australia.
