Austin Lutchen discusses Pro debut ahead of LFA 70
LFA 70 kicks off Friday with a stacked card of seasoned vets and eager ammys. In the mix are two local favorites. Squaring off for their pro debuts are Austin Lutchen and Andrew Kauzlaric. Lutchen is undefeated in his amateur career, while Kauzlaric has only suffered one loss. Lutchen is known for his striking style, but don’t sleep on his ground game. In addition to hellish hard and quick strikes, he is also a talented bjj artist. Kauzlaric is no slouch himself, a strong grappler with a solid wrestling background he’s sure to provide a challenge for Lutchen.
Wrestler vs striker match ups generally make for high action fights as both sides compete to maneuver the fight to their advantage. While both men have their specialties neither is one dimensional. This fight promises to be energetic no matter where it ends up in the cage. Lutchen fills in MyMMANews about his future MMA plans as well as why he’s unfazed by Kauzlaric.
How do you feel about making your professional debut?
“I feel great. I knew after my last fight I was ready for the next step. I feel I’ve been ready for awhile, but it’s about finding the right match ups and having the right mindset going in. I’m in a good position with both of those right now.”
You’re known for your striking, how do you feel about facing off against a seasoned wrestler?
“It doesn’t really bug me honestly. I don’t really know much about this guy. I know he was a pretty good wrestler and from what I understand his striking is alright as well. He may be a better wrestler than my last opponent. My last opponent wrestled at Point and he couldn’t take me down. I don’t think this guy is going to be able to take me down or that he even really wants to do that. I’m ready for wherever the fight goes.”
What are your professional MMA career goals?
“That’s a great question. I think that I’m pretty talented and could go a long way if I wanted too. I don’t want to stick around and fight a bunch of low-level professional fights for a couple thousand dollars and that be the only thing in my career. You know if I can make it to the big show I will, but I’m also not going to take a ton of fights just to take them and do damage to my body in order to get there. So, we’ll see. TBD, come back and we’ll discuss. I think this fight is going to go well, but you never know. Shit happens.”
What can the fans expect to see this Friday?
“I think my style tends to be more of a flashy and fun style to watch. I plan to put on a good show. The fans will just have to come and see to find out.”
My MMA News will provide a full recap of the fights, but it’s always better to see the athletes clash in person. If you’re in the Madison area this is a fight you won’t want to miss.
