Athletes
Jordan Wright Is Enjoying The Process
Middleweight Finisher Jordan Wright Is Excited About The Opportunity To Show HIs Skills At UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs Dumont
Win or lose, you can always find Jordan Wright enjoying the process.
“I never stop training; I’m always in the gym,” Wright said ahead of his middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs Dumont. “Even after the Buckley loss I was in the gym working on new things…it’s just the lifestyle. You do your best, you put the work in the gym, and you want to win and sometimes you do and other times you don’t.”
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs Dumont
Wright suffered his first career loss last November to Joaquin Buckley but was able to bounce back earlier this year at UFC 262 with an impressive TKO victory over Jamie Pickett at 1:04 of the first round.
Getting finishes early is a specialty of the 30-year-old. All but one of Wright’s victories have come before the end of the first round. Through his career, Wright has registered a 12-1, 1 NC record that includes seven wins by knockout and five by submission, never going to the judges’ scorecards.
“I just kind of go in and I feel in the moment what gets presented to me,” Wright said. “Even in the last one with Pickett I remember being in there and thinking that it could go to a decision and that’s fine, but then he opened up and I was like, “Thank you,” and went for it.”
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Fighters sometimes express how difficult it can be to learn when you are constantly winning. That isn’t the case for Wright, who has looked at his victories as a way to grow even more.
“A win can expose you, as well,” Wright said. “But I believe if you truly get exposed in a certain aspect, it’s just another process to learn.”
This weekend will be another chance for Wright to show his dominant skills as he takes on 31-year-old Julian Marquez, who has already registered two finishes earlier this year over Maki Pitolo and Sam Alvey. And while Wright will enter the fight with a five-inch reach advantage, Marquez still presents a variety of challenges. “The Cuban Missile Crisis” has secured six victories by knockout and three by submission so far in his professional career.
With the two middleweights looking to get the job done early, this fight is bound to bring the fireworks.
“He is an incredibly tough opponent, and he is definitely a big test for me,” Wright said. “I embrace it with open arms. I can’t wait to show the world I can do.”
In fact, Wright has already mentioned that he has been testing out some new skills that he is excited to show off.
“Ninja stuff is always a secret,” Wright said. “We learned some new secret stuff we can’t wait to show on Saturday.”
Like most fighters gearing up for Saturday’s matchup, Wright is just focused on shutting down Marquez; however, it is not far-fetched to say that another impressive win for “The Beverly Hills Ninja” could push him one step closer to the rankings and ultimately every fighter’s dream.
“There are opponents that I look at but, at the end of the day, I just look at the now,” Wright said. “I don’t get lost in what could be - I want to be focused. The title is what I want, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to get it.”
Don't miss an action-packed card this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs Dumont live from the UFC APEX on ESPN+. Prelims begin at 4pm ET/1pm PT. Main card begins at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
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