Even though strawweight prospect Kali Robbins won her August bout against Sharon Jacobson at Invicta FC 25 in just 42 seconds, she isn’t 100-percent happy with her performance.
For Robbins, the main culprit of her dissatisfaction was the fact she wasn’t able to initially fight like she wanted to. Whether it was time off she had, or the pressure of fighting for Invicta, by Robbins’ own admission it took a bit for her to finally do what she wanted to in the bout.
“I’m happy with the win and to get the finish, but I definitely feel I froze out there,” Robbins told MMAWeekly.com. “It’d been like a year and a half since I fought. Maybe it was because it was Invicta. I just remember just not reacting as much as I wanted to.
“As soon as it hit the ground, I was fine, so it took a trip to the ground for that happen. I’m happy to get a win over someone like her, who is a tough fighter with a really good wrestling pedigree, but I’m definitely not happy with the first 20-30 seconds of the fight.”
Now with the experience of fighting on the national stage with Invicta and a fight under her belt within the last several months, Robbins is feeling more positive heading into her first bout of 2018.
“It was super stressful going into camp last time,” said Robbins. “I was so obsessive about the fight and stuff like that. This time I’m not paying attention to social media that much. My weight is better. I’m happy. I’m content. I’m having fun.
“Not every day is a party, but I’m having a good time doing what I’m doing. I feel ready. I feel confident. I feel 100% mentally better than I did last time.”
On Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah, Robbins (5-0) faces veteran Pearl Gonzalez (6-3) in an Invicta FC 28 main card 115-pound bout.
“I kind of always thought we were going to fight,” Robbins said of Gonzalez. “I knew she was from the Midwest and things like that, so I kind of figured we’d cross paths at some point. I’m glad that I get an opportunity to fight someone like her.
“I think that whatever I mentally do as a fighter is going to work. I’m just walking around super-confident. I have knockout power. I have finishes in all five of my pro fights. I feel confident. Even if it goes the distance, I feel I can get the W. I feel like I’m ready for someone like her.”
Having come close to the UFC before, Robbins would like to make the move up this year, but she’s not fretting it, but rather looking to enjoy the process as she moves forward.
“The ultimate goal is to the UFC,” said Robbins. “I’ve tried to get there for a while. I’ve tried out for The Ultimate Fighter twice, made it all the way through last time, and I still have my fingers crossed. I’m just trying to enjoy the ride and try not to put so much pressure on myself and make this not fun.”
