LAS VEGAS – One of the newest members of the UFC roster, Jordan Leavitt has a message for any potential opponent who is thinking about testing his ground skills.
Shortly after earning a UFC contract as a result of his first-round submission of Luke Flores at DWCS 27 on Tuesday, Leavitt (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) voiced a mix of emotions in the post-fight news conference.
“It’s a lot of emotions,” Leavitt told MMA Junkie. “It’s very hard to put into words. I guess ‘happy’ is the first one. ‘Nervous’ is the second one. ‘Excited’ is the third one. I’m excited to have made it, I guess.
Leavitt’s ground game is his forte. In six pro victories, Leavitt has finished four of his wins by submission. Leavitt said it doesn’t matter who he’s fighting; he’ll like his odds on the ground regardless of opponent.
“I’m not afraid of anyone on the ground,” Leavitt said. “I train with great black belts. I’ve been training with great black belts since I was 15 years old. I’m not afraid of anybody, especially when it comes to on the ground. There’s no chance of you knocking me out there. There’s no chance of you getting lucky. You have to be really good to tap me. That was the gameplan, 100 percent.”
Leavitt, 25, said he doesn’t have an opponent or date in mind for his UFC debut. He did say, however, that he’d like longer than three weeks in between fights. Leavitt won two bouts in 18 days en route to his UFC deal.
“A little bit longer than three weeks, but soon,” Leavitt said.
When asked what he hopes to accomplish in his UFC tenure, Leavitt didn’t mention a UFC title – although that could very well be a byproduct of his ultimate goal: making money.
“My future (in the UFC) I’m going to make a bunch of money and get out of here,” Leavitt said. “That’s the plan. I’m going to pay these bills.”
DWCS 27 took place Tuesday at the UFC Apex. The four-fight card streamed live on ESPN+.
To hear more from Leavitt, check out the video above.
DWCS 27 winner Jordan Leavitt unafraid to grapple anyone: 'You have to be really good to tap me'
