Bellator 185's Jordan Young wants to go viral with a knockout

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Jordan Young’s training camp for Bellator 185 was just the same as previous ones – save for the giant hurricane that forced him out of town.

Young, an Iowa native who relocated to South Florida to train at American Top Team, found his schedule disrupted by Hurricane Irma.

In the middle of camp, he returned home to work with his old training partners in Iowa. As it turned out, they were happy to see the kid who left town for greener pastures.

“It was good to feel that energy,” Young (7-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) told MMAjunkie. “Everybody’s happy for me and where I’m at in my career.”

At 22, the undefeated Young is anxious to climb the middleweight ladder, taking on bigger names until he reaches the top. He doubts his upcoming opponent, Alec Hooben (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), has worked with the same level of talent while working his way up the ladder.

Young might not have gotten the same number of hours at American Top Team this time around, but he’s confident in the base he’s built.

Before he steps into the cage against Hooben, he already has his eye on bigger oppontents, citing Chris Honeycutt, a veteran who’s been dismissive on Twitter, as a bridge to opportunity.

“He doesn’t want to do that, at least yet, so I’m going to go out here and go my part, and the rest will happen,” he said.

Young stops short of calling his history with Honeycutt, because, he said, “where I’m from, if there’s beef, somebody has to die about it.”

“This is just social media,” he added. “I’m a fighter, and I’m young at that. I see him eating, and I’m trying to take his lunch. That’s all.”

The best way to keep eating, of course, is to deliver a spectacular performance. Young sees his colleagues getting famous with impressive knockouts, and wants to get one of his own.

“I’m looking to expand and show more of myself,” he said. “Knockouts these days are how people are going viral and making a name for themselves. That’d be awesome.”

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