Editors Note: This episode was originally distributed through TWiP – This Week in Photo, and the YouTube Video above is through the TWiP YouTube Page. Please be sure to subscribe to their YouTube page, and visit their site to check out all of the TWiP shows.

I first met combat sports photographer Scott Hirano when I was photographing a friend’s Muay Thai fight. I had not done much photography in this genre, and in all honesty was nervous as could be, but after introducing myself to Scott he was so kind. He was there shooting for a media outlet and it was great to have someone to chat with, not to mention to watch and study. Combat sports does have a lot in common with my normal area of Concert Photography – they are both fast action, low light photography.

Over the years I have watched Scott develop into one of the premier photographers in that world, and he has moved from shooting for media outlets to shooting for the top promotions. He was on the photography team for the Showtime event that covered Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, he has photographed Glory in multiple countries, and he’s a master at getting behind the scenes shots that most people would miss.

Scott has been shooting fights for a while now, including MMA, kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, and Jiu Jitsu. He told me he’s been lucky enough to find himself in some cool experiences within the combat sports world, but I would argue that luck has little to do with it. Combat sports has a lot of photographic talent available to document it, and Scott’s rise in the game is surely because of his talent, but also because of his work ethic. Constantly working on his craft, he continues to try to improve his skill set on all levels. That work ethic shows when you watch him work, or when you see that he managed to get an amazing shot, a shot that tells a unique story, even though the room was full of people, cameras, family and clutter.

I wasn’t sure Scott would be able to discuss one of his most recent jobs, the Mayweather vs McGregor fight for Showtime, but here we are.

Join Combat Sports photographer Scott Hirano and me as we discuss one of his behind the scenes shots of Conor McGregor following his loss to Floyd Mayweather in what many saw as the Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History.

Personal: scotthirano.com