Picture – cutman Joe Clifford (centre, right) alongside AIBA colleagues in Rio Veteran cutman Joe Clifford brought IMMAF up to date on his 2016 Olympic experience in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Travelling to Rio with the AIBA International Boxing Association team, Joe has served as a cutman throughout the 2016 Olympic Amateur Boxing competition over the past week. Joe’s dedication has seen him become a respected cutman in boxing, where he first began, and later with the UFC. In 2016 Joe has been the architect and leader of IMMAF’s official Cutman Certification Course, hosting the educational program around the world.
“Driving through Rio is like being on a movie set,” Joe explained. “It’s stunning. I really can’t believe I’m here! “The people that attend the Olympics, mostly Brazilian, are so vocal and amazing. They raise the roof off the stadium regardless of which nationality is boxing. It’s so uplifting to see so many amazing people in the same place having so much fun, more importantly, celebrating sport. “There are Rio lanes for traffic so we can be transported from A to B. On the route you can see thousands of people making their way to various sports along the shoreline or coming from trains and buses. The days are long but very rewarding. To be a part of the Olympic family is definitely a personal career high, a bucket list box ticked.” ]]>