Champ Robert Watley on life after the belt Daryl Wilson trying to take at LFA 27

Life, Robert Watley will tell you, hasn’t changed much since he became an LFA titleholder

“It’s a cool milestone,” Watley told AXS TV’s Phoenix Carnevale. “But it isn’t who I am. It’s just part of what it is that I do.”

Even after a unanimous decision over Thiago Moises at June’s LFA 17 brought him the promotion’s lightweight belt, Watley remained “just Rob.” But there have been a few things here and there. The gym where he teaches striking, for instance, has gotten some added influx of people trying to train under a world champion.

“Some kid called me ‘Master Rob’ the other day,” Watley said with a laugh. “I was like, ‘No, no, no. Don’t do that. Just Rob.'”

Not to mention the other thing that usually happens whenever fighters become champions: getting one big target on their backs. Not that it’s a problem; if anything, this is exactly the type of thing that keeps Watley motivated to keep improving.

Which he does with some old school, nerdy inspiration.

“I’ve got to continue to bring things to the cage that are going to surprise people and that will keep me on top of the game,” Watley said. “Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, I grew up on all of those films. So of course I’m nerding out. I’m like, ‘I’ve got to take it back to old school, I’ve got to bring some things that nobody’s doing anymore.'”

Tonight, Watley (8-1) will get to test his evolution, as he looks to defend his 155-pound title for the first time. The champion headlines LFA 27 at Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Okla., opposite Oklahoma’s own Daryl Wilson (7-1).

A former wrestler who wanted to keep competing, Wilson had his first amateur fight a few months after he started training MMA – and it was already for a title. He kept an active pace of amateur fights all through 2013 and 2014 before making his pro debut in 2015.

As Watley, himself, assessed, Wilson is a finisher – as a matter of fact, he comes into the bout tonight off a quick knockout over Jarrod Card, which followed another knockout and a submission win.

And that’s exactly the type of result that the challenger wants to keep going tonight.

“I would like a head-kick knockout,” Wilson said. “But it is what it is. Really, I don’t know. I’ve pictured so many ways that it’s hard to really pinpoint one. I’ve just got to start working and somebody’s going to open up and something’s going to land.”

For more on LFA 27, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.