James “LyonHeart” Lyons on his pro career: “I want to put my foot on the gas and beat some ass!”
One of the nation’s top 145-pound amateur fighters, James “LyonHeart” Lyons is finally set to make his pro debut in just under a week. Broadcast exclusively on UFC Fight Pass, Lyons will be stepping into the cage as a professional for the first time at CFFC 94, this Thursday, April 1st.
“I’m ready to get the ball rolling and have a good amount of fights this year,” says Lyons. “Training is going well! Next week is fight week. I’m ready to get in there,” the 145-pound submission technician says.
Standing across the cage from “LyonHeart” will be New York’s, Cody Zappone.
“He’s game! There’s nowhere Cody sucks,” Lyons credits Zappone. “He’s not a bum at all! He’s a great opponent,” emphasizes the submission ace, Lyons.
This fight will be the first time both fighters have been in action since 2019. Given the pandemic played such a drastic role in putting a halt to most live events, Lyons spent his time off making a huge transition in training. Moving camp to Philadelphia’s, John Marquez and Daniel Gracie’s Fight Team. A whole new fit that works well for the featherweight prospect.
“Time off was good”, Lyons says about his time away from the cage. Continuing, “I needed a mental reset. I also needed a physical reset. Recollecting, “I fought 10 MMA fights in 26 months.”
Touching on the adjustments made, Lyons says, “It’s great,” he relishes. “I got John (Marquez) and Daniel (Gracie) really helping me every single day watching my rounds, critiquing me, and making me the best possible fighter I can be,” he says about the transition. “We got a ton of guys,” Lyons continues. “A lot of guys my size to work with. I don’t have to play around with people to get the right partners,” he says. “I can’t express how much better I’ve gotten in these past 6 months,” Lyons emphasizes. “It’s cool to always have guys above me!”
When asked about how “LyonHeart” goes 1-0 as a pro, he confidently says, “I think I’ll submit him. We’ll see how the fight goes. On the feet, I think it’s going to be pretty competitive. And I think on the ground it’s going to be competitive but I think I finish it on the ground.”
Tune in above to hear the full interview as James “LyonHeart” Lyons sits down with MyMMANews, once again to discuss his upcoming bout. We go in-depth about his new surroundings in fight camp, and how he sees this bout playing out.
Be sure to tune in live, Thursday, April 1st on UFC Fight Pass to see Lyons vs. Zappone go down at CFFC 94: Hafez vs Cutts.
