Athletes
AJ Fletcher Is Searching For An Emphatic Victory
After Suffering His First Professional Loss, AJ Fletcher Is As Motivated As Ever To Get His Hand Raised
There is nothing quite like the confidence of an undefeated fighter. That untouchable, unshakeable swagger hinged on the zero tagged at the end of their record is at times a weapon. However, if, and likely when, that first professional loss comes, the athlete’s response is perhaps a deeper look into their potential. Nothing pushes back quite like the fight game.
With that in mind, AJ Fletcher’s ceiling appears unmoved after he suffered said first professional defeat in his UFC debut against Matthew Semelsberger, in part because of two Ls taken during his amateur days.
Order UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2 | Prelims Air Live On ABC & ESPN!
“Obviously you want to stay undefeated as long as you can,” Fletcher told UFC.com. “But, for me, it was almost like it was almost like, ‘OK, I took a loss. Now, time to really go to work.’ As far as the mindset and me taking those two losses as an amateur and then seeing where my career went from there, it wasn't like this down in the dumps kind of thing. It was OK. We took a loss. We're going to be pulled back a little bit. Now, let's let that spring us forward a good bit. So, (I) just took it as a learning opportunity more than anything.”
The lessons included a solid 15 minutes of work in the Octagon, just the second time “The Ghost” went the distance. And although losses aren’t ever ideal, there are worse people to fall to than Semelsberger, who has only lost to Khaos Williams and Alex Morono through six UFC bouts while picking up two sub-20-second knockouts along the way.
All that said, Fletcher isn’t resting his laurels on any sort of moral victory. He tasted the feeling of achievement that comes with making it to the UFC when he earned his contract on the fifth season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Since then, he put his sights on getting his hand raised in the Octagon with style points to boot.
MORE UFC 278: Reasons To Watch | How To Watch In Your Country | Public Events Schedule
“I'm not here for a participation trophy,” Fletcher said. “I want my first win, and I don't want it just to be a good decision, a good fight or whatever. I want something emphatic, and I'm looking to do that this fight, for sure.”
Fletcher has a willing dance partner on deck in the form of Ange Loosa, who is also searching for his first UFC victory.
AJ Fletcher Fight Week Interview | UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
AJ Fletcher Fight Week Interview | UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2
/
Loosa, who trains with Kill Cliff FC in Florida, also competed on 2021’s Contender Series although he fell to Australian prospect Jack Della Maddalena. After securing another win on the regional scene, he made his Octagon debut against Mounir Lazzez at UFC Fight Night: Luque vs Muhammad 2 and fell via unanimous decision.
With a keen sense of how Loosa might feel coming into their matchup, Fletcher anticipates a steep test, but one he feels fully prepped to pass with flying colors.
“He's athletic, he's explosive, he trains at a really good gym, he’s around a lot of high-level guys, and he's coming off of a loss,” Fletcher said. “He's probably got a little bit of that same spirit I do, and his back's against the wall, and he's looking to fight himself out. I'm expecting that. I'm expecting Ange to come ready, and probably this will be the best version of Ange. That being said, just like everybody in this game, he's got his own openings. He's got certain tendencies he likes to do. He's got certain positions he's not great in, and I'm going to put him in them. I'm going to melt him in this fight.”
Although the loss to Semelsberger is an unerasable blip on Fletcher’s record, he does take a little bit of heart in the fact of that matchup happening in the UFC APEX while this fight comes on a pay-per-view inside Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena.
That, at least, makes it a little sweeter when Fletcher considers racking up his 10th professional victory.
“When you dream up the big UFC dream, you envision that debut happening in front of thousands of people in the crowd going crazy about the win and all that,” Fletcher said. “As far as that, I felt like the APEX experience was cool, but I feel like I'm one of those guys that rises to the occasion when there's a crowd and when there's more electricity in the air a little bit.”
FREE FIGHTS: Usman vs Masivdal 2 | Usman vs Edwards 1 | Costa vs Romero | Rockhold vs Weidman | Edwards vs Diaz | Usman vs Covington 2
The Lafayette native isn’t looking past Loosa by any means. Each walk to the Octagon is met with a stiff test, an occasion upon which your best is called. Although he didn’t clear his first hurdle, Fletcher didn’t stop running toward his goal, and even though that goal is one that marinates in any young fighter’s mind, he’s doing his best to manage his forecasts of the emotions potentially to come.
“I don't want to put too much expectation on it. I've got every scenario I've dreamed of, of how it's going to play out. But really, with this fight and all of them, I kind of just take it for what it is. And I can imagine when I get my hand raised and I get my name said and the crowd goes wild and I see my family and all who are finally going to be able to make it out and see me at this level. But to really put words to it, I can't do it just yet. Maybe I'll be able to after, but it'll be exciting. I know that. So I’m looking forward to that.”
UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2 took place live from the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 20, 2022. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses- and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
Tags
