LFA 73’s Adrian Yanez: “I’m trying to set up the knockout”

Following an unsuccessful attempt to become the LFA bantamweight champion, Adrian Yanez has regrouped with a pair of wins. Now it is time to even the score, in a rematch, with Levi Mowles in the main event of LFA 73.

The first time you two fought was at the beginning of both of your careers. So how big of a factor is the rematch element in this battle?

“It feels like a completely new fight, but it feels like the same fight all in the same breath you know? Because I see, what I saw, whenever I first fought him; but I know he’s gotten extremely better. I know he sees in me what he saw in me, when we first fought. You know? But I’ve gotten extremely better. It’s just the fact we might have fought back in the day. Both our techniques have gotten better. I know he’s more of a jiu jitsu guy. He’s learned some kickboxing and boxing, but I feel that my boxing and kickboxing is better than his. So of course, I’m going to try to exploit that. But yeah, to me it’s almost the same fight, but just that we’re older, more evolved into what styles we are.”

Three of your last four wins are by knockout, his are by submission. How much do you expect your power to play a factor?

“It’s a factor, but the last time I fought him that’s what I was kind of relying on. I thought I could just knock him out with one punch. The first time I thought I was overconfident. I was too cocky. And I went into that fight not in the right mindset. I thought if I just hit him with the overhand right, he was going to hit the floor. It’s a factor, but I’m not leaning to much into it. I know I could put him out with a punch. I just got to find the way to land the punch. I got stuff I need to do, there’s a lot to work into it. It will stop him from committing to anything the first time I do land a good punch on him. I plan to accumulate the punches and accumulate the power and knock him out. Cause the minute I start looking for the knockout, then I’m gonna get caught. I’m not trying to do that. I’m trying to set up the knockout. He has to be worried every single step of the way. If he throws a jab, he has to make sure somethings not coming back. He throws a cross, he has to make sure somethings not coming back. If I throw the jab, he has to be on his P’s & Q’s, cause the combination that comes afterwards might put him out. So, it’s a factor but you know I don’t lean too much on it. It’s always great to stop somebody but at the end of the day the W is what’s needed.”

LFA 73 takes place at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

Check out the full interview at the top of the page.