Fighter expected 'stick' over Taylor Swift name

An amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter said he "should have got more stick" for sharing a name with a famous singer.

Ten million people worldwide attended The Eras Tour, but what many Cheltenham residents might not realise is they may have walked past Taylor Swift on the street.

The 21-year-old fighter said he first became aware of what he and the US singer had in common when he was "about 10".

Despite trying to make a name for himself in his sport, Mr Swift has no problem sharing the name with Ms Swift, and is now "used to" people noticing the connection.

A name isn't the only thing the fighter has in common with the singer.

Earlier in her career, Ms Swift confessed she suffered from stage fright.

Cheltenham's Mr Swift told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that getting in the cage for an MMA fight - which is "cage-fighting, a bit of boxing, a bit of Brazilian jiu jitsu, and wrestling" - is "nerve wracking".

"The adrenaline gives you a massive buzz, especially when you're winning, it's a great feeling," he said.

"There's the chance of being seriously injured, but if you go in thinking like that, it's not going to end well."

"I'm quite lucky in Cheltenham, we've got a really solid team with two solid coaches, we've got seven or eight lads who are always fighting and we're always pushing each other to become better," Mr Swift said.

"The build up is the most nerve-wracking, once you're actually in there and the first round goes, all the nerves go to an extent because when someone's trying to punch your head in, you don't really have time to think about it."

As for his name, Mr Swift said he had been accustomed to the raised eyebrows and bemused looks.

"To be fair, I didn't really get a lot of stick for it, I should have definitely got more," Mr Swift said.

He added: "I've lived with the name for 21 years now, so I've always been used to it.

"Ever since I was about ten, that was when I first heard about her, but obviously she's a lot bigger these days, probably the most famous woman in the world.

"All publicity is good publicity so hopefully it should do me a load of good."

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