Fortis MMA hasn’t slowed its production line of UFC-ready prospects.
Saturday night, Austin Lingo steps from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box when he makes his promotional debut at UFC 247. Last week, news surfaced Lingo (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) had joined a dozen of his Fortis MMA teammates on the UFC roster, when he accepted a short-notice bout against fellow newcomer Youssef Zalal.
“I was already ready to fight the first week of March, but I got this call up,” Lingo told MMA Junkie. “I was like, ‘Uhh, yes. Definitely put me in there.’ It’s a blessing. I didn’t know it was coming. It just hit me. It’s still hitting me.”
Lingo credits his gym and coach Sayif Saud for their help in getting him to the next level. The 25-year-old featherweight went as far as to call joining the Dallas-based gym “the best decision” he’s ever made.
“Fortis MMA has been the greatest camp and gym I’ve ever trained with,” Lingo said. “All the guys are great at fighting, but they mentally make you tough. They mentally make you ready at all times. The grind never stops. Fortis is probably the best decision I’ve ever made.”
In 2018 and 2019, Fortis compiled a 35-9 UFC record. It’s the “work hard now, celebrate afterwards” mentality Lingo thinks gives his home base an edge over others.
“We all just put our head down when we’re in the gym,” Lingo said. “We don’t really talk. At the fights or after the fights, that’s when we talk. After we win – that’s when we go out and have fun. On top of that, it’s like (my team) is all mentally there.
“If I ever have a question, it’s like all of them have been through it. All of them have been there already. We have guys that are veterans and guys that are just starting in the UFC. There’s a lot of different mindsets and it’s a good flow.”
The gym is already off to a 1-0 start to 2020, as Diego Ferreira submitted former UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis at UFC 246 in January. Lingo hopes to up the collective record to 2-0 when he faces Zalal (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Saturday.
“We’re going to go out there and you’re going to see a war,” Lingo said. “I’m ready for what he’s going to bring. This is going to be more of a mind game – a chess game. That’s what’s going to go down. It’s going to be a serious, technical war.”
UFC 247 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
UFC 247's Austin Lingo proud to be the latest Fortis MMA standout to make it to the big leagues
