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<\/p>\nMMA star Frans Mlambo is juggling a career in the cage with a landscaping job on the side – but he has the chance to "change everything." <\/p>\n
Mlambo has been a fixture of Irish MMA in recent years and helped Conor McGregor prepare for some of his biggest fights.<\/p>\n
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But the bantamweight suffered on the sidelines having gone TWO YEARS without a bout before signing with the Professional Fighters League.<\/p>\n
Thankfully for Mlambo, he was able to find a landscaping job with a friend in the gym which he continues with in between training sessions.<\/p>\n
He told SunSport: \u201cI started landscaping a few years ago. That is what I\u2019m still doing now. <\/p>\n
"There is a guy in the gym, Shane that is awesome, and has a landscaping company and I work with him. <\/p>\n
"Because he is in the gym he understands my situation, it\u2019s kind of perfect for me as well that I can come in and out of training any time I need too.<\/p>\n "So I think I\u2019m blessed in that way, but I don\u2019t think everybody has that. I know of lads that don\u2019t have what I have, and I didn\u2019t before. <\/p>\n "I do it around training and don\u2019t work during camps.\u201d <\/p>\n Mlambo has had a front row seat to watch the boom of MMA thanks largely to training partner McGregor.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS<\/strong><\/p>\n And he has seen more and more young hopefuls walk into the gym wanting to be the next Notorious. <\/p>\n He said: "With Conor as well, everybody now thinks they can come in and do that. <\/p>\n "We are always talking about it in the gym as well, it\u2019s a big thing when you\u2019re in it but before you get there you don\u2019t hear much about it. <\/p>\n "I actually remember this little kid, he must have been like 13, teenager, saying he wants to be a professional fighter and if I had any advice. <\/p>\n "The advice I gave him was, 'Look pay attention in school\u2019, because I always knew I was going to be a fighter since I was really young.<\/p>\n "So I never really took school that seriously and that is one of my biggest regrets. <\/p>\n "This whole time doing the training would have been good to have another profession that would\u2019ve been able to financially support me. <\/p>\n "That is definitely something I feel needs to be taught alongside the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n That is what I\u2019m looking at, that\u2019s my goal right now. If I get to that, that will obviously change everything. <\/p>\n Mlambo this year signed with the PFL and he is now into the semi-final of their three-stage knockout tournament.<\/p>\n Winning it all earns him not only $100,000 but the chance to enter their $1m global season next year.<\/p>\n Mlambo said: \u201cWinning the $100k and qualifying won\u2019t really change as much as I would like it too but winning the million…. <\/p>\n "That is what I\u2019m looking at, that\u2019s my goal right now. If I get to that, that will obviously change everything. <\/p>\n "I think it\u2019ll bring me to where I wanted to be about four years ago. I\u2019m a bit behind on getting my life together, so this is a good chance now to take this on and make sure we don\u2019t lose!" <\/p>\n Standing in the way of Mlambo and the PFL Europe final on December 8 is Francesco Nuzzi this Saturday in Paris.<\/p>\n Mlambo said: \u201cI saw him fight in Berlin, after my fight. I was privileged to sit down and watch him, and he was good. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/DD-whatsapp-group-instructions-v2_COMP.jpg\")
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