Harvey Park on the benefits of accumulating experience
A trio of consecutive wins, the LFA title around his waist, and as his skills are showing their full potential; “Fightbot” Harvey Park looks to impress Dana White on the Contender Series this Tuesday Night.
Park, a Clovis, New Mexico Sheriff Deputy, will face unbeaten Venezuelan, Omar Morales in the main event of the 2019 Contender Series week 7.
Looking back over the 3-fight win streak in the LFA, what has been the biggest progression you’ve made as a martial artist?
“It’s probably just letting the skills show more. I always say, ‘the more fights you get, and the more experience you get, the more your skills start to show; and sometimes you can do stuff in the gym or you’re good at this, so you’re good at that.’ When you’re in the gym training, you’re calm and you’re thinking. So, it’s the experience and composure that comes with the more fights you get. So, if I had to say anything that’s grown in fighting or as a martial artist, it’s my composure, my experience. Just being able to think more when I’m in there, actually kind of leave the brain on. Be cerebral and not just you out there fighting off of instincts, which you know are still good but it’s could to be in there and actually be thinking while you’re fighting as well.”
How much in those early days were you fighting off an instinct and was in a little bit of it playing into the atmosphere, the crowd, the lights, the moment?
“I’ve always been pretty cerebral, but sometimes you get caught up in it. That’s what fighting is like, you know I feel like earlier in my amateur days you’d get caught up in the moment and you’d just be doing it, just reacting. Now as I’ve got more experience, I’m able to make people do things I want and force them into situations. It’s an actual chess game now, instead of me reacting. Cause and effect kind of thing. I’m making people do stuff.”
Check out the full interview at the top of the page.
Lightweight: Harvey Park (12-2) vs. Omar Morales (7-0)
Women’s Flyweight: Marina Santos (10-2) vs. Lucretia Rita (7-2)
Featherweight: Herbert Burns (8-2) vs. Darrick Minnet (22-9)
Middleweight: Andre Munoz (17-4) vs. Taylor Johnson (5-0)
Bantamweight: Dwight Joseph (9-1) vs. Jay Perrin (9-3)
