Juan Adams, ‘found my groove at Jackson Wink’ leading to winning streak
Heavyweight Juan Adams has realized immense success since leaving the UFC, much of which can be traced back to his decision to begin training at Jackson Wink Academy. On Nov. 21, Adams will put his Fury FC belt on the line.
In this interview with Adams, he describes what lead to his recent winning streak, how he plans to seize victory at Fury FC 54, what his current goals are, and more.
After a contract-earning knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series, Adams signed to the UFC and immediately made a splash in his debut. Unfortunately, he would lose his following three bouts, resulting in his release. Since then, the 29-year-old has tallied three straight victories (all stoppages) en route to becoming Fury FC’s heavyweight champ.
Juan Adams Interview
“Yeah it really had a lot to do with the preparation aspect,” he began. “When I was in the UFC, I was in the wrong headspace. I was really caught up in being a professional athlete and I was fighting for all the wrong reasons. Afterward, with COVID and everything, it forced a pause and I really took a deep look at my life. I reprioritized things in my life, became more of a minimalist, and really found my groove out in Albuquerque at Jackson Wink.”
Adams has been able to find comfort in the fact that fighting isn’t everything and it doesn’t have to be all that he’s known for. The Texas native is a natural when it comes to helping others. He plans for that to carry over in the form of behavioral health once he’s finished fighting.
“I’m actually doing a temporary contract to work in behavioral health, a field I’ve started working in, and I hope I’ll be able to make it a career after fighting,” Adams said. “It allows me to combine two things I love. I love working with children and I also just like helping people. That’s a field I really do enjoy doing. Once I’m done fighting I might go get another degree or two and set myself up to be a caseworker type. It’s helped me realize that this (fighting) is what I’m choosing to do, but it’s not something that I need to do to get that validation.”
Fury FC 54 Title Defense
In his first headlining slot for Fury FC, Adams will attempt to make his first title defense against Florida’s Austen Lane. Adams is seeking his fourth win of 2021.
“Austen presents a challenge that very few opponents can in that he’s very athletic and long,” Adams replied. “But at the end of the day I know he’s not as strong as me. I know he’s not gonna be as grappling sound as I am. And I don’t think he’s as technically sound fighting-wise as me. He’s competed as 205 (lbs) before so I’ll have a size advantage because I cannot make 205. I have a lot of confidence going into this and it’s also in my hometown so that’ll be fun.”
“I know I can get him offline and force him to start moving back,” he continued. “If I take away his forward momentum it will significantly decrease his chances of victory.”
Current Goals & Aspirations
Every fighter has his/her own goals pertaining to their career. Oftentimes circumstances and outcomes force athletes to adjust their aspirations. As for Juan Adams, his mindset is focused on being successful in what he loves.
“My biggest goal right now is to get back to a major promotion to where I can make enough fighting and kind of explore this career path outside of fighting,” Adams explained. “I’m more of a volunteer basis where I don’t have to worry about the money or anything and I can get back to doing it because that’s what I love. Not worrying about my hours, being more accessible and able to volunteer to where I’m not tied to one thing.”
“Ultimately I would like to get back to the UFC,” he confirmed. “Because that’s the only thing in my life I’ve ever done that I can’t call it a success. I wanna go back and at the very least finish with a .500 record in that promotion. Right now my goal is to go out and beat up Austen Lane.”
Make sure to watch Juan Adams on Nov. 21 as he tries to defend his Fury FC heavyweight belt for the first time against Austen Lane.
Also, if you enjoyed this conversation, check back here for more exclusive conversations with the world’s greatest mixed martial artists.
