Following a win in his pro debut this past March, featherweight Tom Pagliarulo was looking to keep the ball rolling when he took on Josh Hardy at CES 63 on August 6 and wound up having a better performance in his second go-around.
It took less than two minutes for Pagliarulo to pick up TKO win over Hardy, marking the fourth time in his combined pro and amateur careers that Pagliarulo did not have to go to the second round in a win.
“I think it went exactly as planned,” Pagliarulo told MMAWeekly.com. “The whole game plan is we knew (Hardy) was going to come with something big, whether it be a kick or an overhand, and my coach wanted me coming right down the middle with whatever he threw, so we executed the game plan pretty well.”
Though the fight lasted less than two minutes, Pagliarulo believes there’s always something that can be learned from every fight regardless of length.
“I think you can always take something away from a fight,” said Pagliarulo. “I went back and watched it a few times and really just picking myself apart; just little things. Obviously I expect to grow between fights.
“If you’re not going back and critiquing yourself, you’re doing yourself a disservice, you’re not progressing to the best of your abilities.”
In particular Pagliarulo has been most pleased with the way his stand-up game has developed. This part of his game has grown so much that people often forget that Pagliarulo’s background was in wrestling.
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“So I started wrestling in the fourth grade until my sophomore year of college, so my foundation is always going in there, taking the guy down to the ground, and try to get the TKO or submission,” said Pagliarulo. “I linked up with Rob Font about two years ago to really focus on the striking, and now it’s been going in there, standing with these guys and make them shoot in on me.
“People have kind of forgot about (my wrestling). I think I’m growing leaps and bounds between each fight, and that’s a testament to my team and the work we’ve been putting in.”
Having started off his pro career this year in good fashion, Pagliarulo is looking to finish out the year on a high note before shooting for bigger things come 2022.
“I know my manager has something in the works for me for a quick-turn around, and then another one after that too, so 4-0 for the year is the plan, and then have some big things coming in 2022,” Pagliarulo said.
Tom Pagliarulo expecting quick turnaround following CES 63 win