Not many people would consider chess and mixed martial arts to be similar.
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However, for Bendigo fighter David Gillies, they're the same.
"They're both so complicated and there's a lot that goes into them," Gillies said.
"MMA is like chess, there's planning before you make a move, you get a reaction and then you set up your next move.
"You can then figure out how your opponent reacts and then you get them with another move, it's all tactics."
That is Gillies' plan for when he travels back to his second home -Taiwan- later this month to fight Switzerland's Emmanuel Binyet at the Way of the Dragon MMA in Taipei.
"I called him out for the fight," Gillies said.
"Leading up to to the fight I think about him all the time.
"Fighting is my passion and while I'm preparing for fights I think about it 24/7.
"It literally consumes me."
Gillies is no stranger to Taiwan as he went to university there to study education and also speaks fluent Chinese, in addition to Japanese as well.
"That's why I love to fight in those two countries," Gillies said.
"I love going back to Taiwan, it gives me a purpose to go back and I also plan to have more fights in japan."
Another attraction to fighting in Asia is the increased popularity of the sport compared to in Australia.
"In terms of MMA, Asia is where it's at," Gillies said.
Gillies has been a professional for six years, has a background in freestyle Greco-Roman wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing.
"I kind of skipped the amateur level and became a professional, the opportunity came up so I just took it," Gillies said.
Gillies' current record is 1-4, but won his most recent fight against Victor Wang in Taiwan last year.
"I've had a bit of a rough start, skipping amateur made it all a bit harder, but it is what it is," he said.
Win or lose come August 31 in Taiwan, Gillies already knows who he will call out for his next fight, but that he is keeping close to his chest for the time being.
In the lead up to the fight Gillies has been training out of Bendigo's Fit Republic, under the guidance of veteran boxer Garry Austin.
"I started working with David 12 months ago before his last fight," Austin said.
"Since then he is now so much stronger. His punching power is through the roof.
"I have a lot of knowledge on cage fighting, so I am able to give him scenarios and different positions he might get into."
Austin himself is also preparing for an imminent fight at the Fitlife Boxing Cup in September.
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