In 2017, middleweight prospect Jordan Wright was able to keep his pattern of success that he had developed over the course of his previous years fighting.
In two bouts against John Stern for Alaska FC in January and April, Wright was able to pick up first round finishes, extending his streak of such wins to eight in a row.
“I performed exactly how I expected to perform (in 2017),” Wright told MMAWeekly.com. “I got two more first round finishes. It’s the culmination of hard work and determination.
“I’ve paid the price. I’ve put in the work. I believe in God. I believe in my friends and family. I believe in myself. I expect these things to happen because I work for it. It’s what being a positive person and a hard working person gets me.”
While his start has helped him make headway in Wright’s career, there have been some drawbacks about building a reputation as a consistent first round finisher.
“That’s the thing, especially coming out of Jackson-Wink MMA, no one wants to fight me,” said Wright. “Certain (promotions like Alaska FC) said if I could get myself out there, they could get me a fight. My fights pay for the ticket pretty much, but as long as I get the experience, that’s pretty good.”
This Friday in Costa Mesa, California, Wright (8-0) makes his national MMA debut when he takes on Craig Wilkerson (7-3) in a 185-pound main card bout at LFA 30.
“Honestly, the opponent doesn’t come into the equation,” Wright said. “It’s you versus you out there, just like it’s you versus you every day in life. I don’t focus on the opponent. I just focus on what I need to do. I keep that mindset going forward to get the job done as always.
“I go out and fight like I normally do. I’ve felt like a world champion ever since I was born. If people feel a certain way about it and they need to make a statement in their eyes, that’s up to them, but I’m just doing me.”
Having just made the next step forward in his career, Wright is just looking to take each opportunity as it comes in 2018 and not get too far ahead of himself.
“I’m just going to see what happens,” said Wright. “There are always a lot of things that happen that you can’t plan for. Whatever happens, happens, so we’ll see what happens with the rest of the year.”
