For Ron Stallings, Victory FC Title Shot is Next Step to UFC Return | MMAWeekly.com

Following his release from the UFC in late 2015, middleweight veteran Ron Stallings spent much of the next year trying to get back to fighting, but did not have much luck.

It wasn’t until this past August that Stallings was able to have his first fight in 11 months. Still, Stallings made the most of the opportunity, picking up a split-decision win over Rashaun Spencer at Titan FC 40.

“It felt good to be in the cage,” Stallings told MMAWeekly.com. “The fight itself, it was a little different being that my opponent, Rashaun, he evaded for most of the fight and then would blitz in and hold me against the cage. But there was no damage. I didn’t get damaged at all.

“I remember coming into the third thinking how I needed to get a finish, get a knockout, so I tried my hardest, and I almost had it, but he withstood the attack.”

Looking back on the win over Spencer, Stallings understands why it could have been as close in the eyes of some people and not so much for others.

“I’ll be honest with you, it depends on what you look for in a fight,” said Stallings. “Inside, I was saying for sure I had it because I had all the significant strikes – anything with power that would cause damage – that was me.

“But some people I guess score holding up against the cage heavy. He held me against the cage, but he didn’t do anything. But when you take the elements of fighting, I won that.”

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Back on the winning track, Stallings (14-7) gets an opportunity to challenge for the Victory FC middleweight title in a main event bout on Wednesday in Waterloo, Iowa, against reigning champion Mike “Biggie” Rhodes (10-4), live on UFC Fight Pass.

“I’m pretty sure he’s a very talented fighter, and comes from a good camp, which I view as an indicator of the opposition that I’m going up against, so I’m expecting to have to bring out my very best to get the finish,” Stallings said of facing Rhodes.

“I always go to end it, so the judges have a fight off. They can just stick around and enjoy the fight.”

Having missed a good amount of time of late, Stallings wants to pick things up in 2017 and work his way up towards the big stage of MMA once again.

“We’ve been trying to be active ever since we got the pink slip from the UFC,” said Stallings. “We had a handful of fights where (promotions) said they would bring me on, but the fight fell through. Before that first fight back with Titan, like three or four fights had fallen through.

“I’m just getting into my prime, physically and skill-wise, and I want to build on that. I want to show some of my gifts on the big stage again. I still believe I should be there, but I’m working my way back.”

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