Following the first loss of his career to close out 2016, lightweight up and comer Chris Stone rebounded with a strong 2017 that saw him win two straight fights.
“2017 went about as good as I could have hoped as far as fights went,” Stone told MMAWeekly.com. “I picked up the quick first round submission over Wyatt (Gonzalez in October at CageSport 47), so it was good to get in and out quick in that fight without any injuries or anything.
“Then I had a quick turnaround to fight Dex (Montenegro at CageSport 48 in December). I got a couple 10-8 rounds and got three full rounds of experience was good for me.”
After having spent a couple years in the amateur ranks before turning pro in 2016, Stone doesn’t feel like he’s had to make major changes to his game since the transition as he had already worked out what was best for him prior to the move up.
“I don’t see any major changes,” said Stone. “It’s mostly smaller stuff and sharpening up a few areas I thought I had holes in. I’m not making any big changes, but more just tightening up some details.
“It’s definitely essential to get a couple years of amateur experience. You get to test everything out; what’s working for you and what’s not working for you; in a place where consequences aren’t so big. You can figure things out as an amateur, that way when you turn pro you can have confidence in your techniques.”
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On Saturday in Tacoma, Wash., Stone (4-1) will look to continue his good fortune from last year when he takes on Patrick Benson (4-3) in a main card 155-pound bout at CageSport 50.
“I’ve got to stay composed,” Stone said. “(Benson is) a little bit taller than me and is bigger frame-wise, but I’ve always been kind of a small 155er. I’m used to fighting guys a little bit bigger.
“He comes forward with a lot of pressure, so I’ve got to stay composed and not give him any opportunities to exploit some holes. I’ve just got to keep my arms, my neck safe and work my grappling instead of let him build momentum.”
As he continues to build his career, the next step for Stone is to get an opportunity to travel outside of Washington and gain some national exposure.
“I like to take it fight by fight and not plan too far out, because you’ll never know what’s going to happen,” said Stone. “But in 2018 I wouldn’t mind doing some traveling and fighting out of state and fight in front of crowds that might not be on my side. So I’d definitely like to fight out of town for sure.”