Climbing the Ladder, CageSport’s Justin Harrington Needs “That Blood and Guts Fight”

Following a successful 2012 campaign that saw him go 3-0 (with one no contest), lightweight up-and-comer Justin Harrington picked up his fourth win in a row this past March against Garry Winslow at ROTR 27 in quick fashion.

“It was kind of quick,” said Harrington of his 57-second submission victory over Winslow.

“With him I wanted to show more of what I’m about and bring a little bit more of my standing game because in my past couple of fights I’ve gotten away from what’s gotten me a lot of my wins, but he made the mistake and I had to capitalize on it.”

As one of the Northwest’s top prospects, Harrington has been given an opportunity to showcase his skills in a feature bout on Saturday’s CageSport 26 event at the Emerald Queen Casino in Fife, Wash., in a rematch against Levi Peaslee of their July bout from last year.

“He came in and did what I believe what their game plan was to do and take me down and take the striking away from me, and he executed it perfectly until his gas tank wore out,” said Harrington of their first bout.

“It’s a hard fight to base anything off of, either one of our performances, because he had my back most of the first and second rounds. I don’t really know what he feels like standing up, but I think he’ll try to take me down again and finish that way.”

Knowing what cost Peaslee the fight in their first bout, Harrington feels that by better executing what he did in the first fight, things shouldn’t be much different in the rematch.

“This time I’m going to come out and put it on him,” said Harrington. “They know I can stand in there and be in the fight until the very end, so I’m going to go out and establish the pace and use everything I have at my disposal.

“If I can put a pace on him that I know he’s not used to, it will definitely break him.”

Having never truly been tested in his previous fights, Harrington told MMAWeekly.com that he’d like to be pushed in his coming bout and see where he’s at in this point in his career.

“By the end of the year I’d like to be just fighting somebody in the Top 10 in Washington,” he said. “I feel like I’ve kind of had some fights that weren’t the best match-up for the other guy or myself, so I just want to fight someone who is going to bring something new out in me.

“I know it’s weird, because who wants to get cut or battle through something, but I feel that’s the only way I’m going to judge the kind of fighter I’m turning into. I need that fight that’s going to push me to train a little bit different, a little harder… I need that blood and guts fight.”

Be sure to Like MMAWeekly.com on Facebook and Follow @MMAWeeklycom on Twitter.