Following a win to kick off his 2020 over Chris Johnson at Shamrock FC 327 in January, bantamweight Garrett Armfield intended to remain busy, but as spring dawned, the novel coronavirus put those plans on hold.
Continuously optimistic of a return to fighting, Armfield continued to train, and was able to use the downtime to his advantage.
“During all this time I was thinking I would have a fight scheduled, because Covid was a new situation, and we really had no clue what to expect, so I was just staying ready,” Armfield told MMAWeekly.com.
“Months go by and we kind of realized that I’m not going to fight for a minute, so I took the time, the opportunity, to get better at every aspect of my game.”
For Armfield, even if he was still fighting, he is always driven by the desire to improve, so spending all his time in the gym is nothing new.
“I’ve pretty much been in camp since May,” said Armfield. “It’s probably been the longest fight camp of my career, so I’m really looking forward to getting back in there.
“I think with every single fight we notice holes that need to be filled. After each fight I am happy with my performance, but I’m still not happy with where I want to be at. I always treat every training camp as an opportunity to get better, and I’m never satisfied.”
Following nine months off, Armfield (4-1) returns to action to face Kenny Richmond (4-1-1) in a main card 135-pound bout at CFFC 86 on Thursday in Philadelphia.
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“I think to get the win I’m going to have to apply the pressure and strike first and counter first as well,” Armfield said. “(Richmond’s) got great tools to him as well. I’m ready to sit there and fire back.
“I think it’s going to be a great fight. If it goes one round, three rounds, no matter what it’s going to be a war.”
While Armfield is focused on his bout with Richmond, he always keeps an eye out for any opportunity to make the move to the next level.
“You never know if when there’s going to be a drop out in one of the bigger leagues and you’re going to get the call up,” said Armfield. “It can happen at any given time.
“I’m going to go fight by fight, do the best I can, and get my name out there. I’m always trying to better myself and put myself in that position so when that opportunity comes I can take it, seize it.”
Garrett Armfield ready to strike first and fire back at CFFC 86