After only having had one fight over the last two years, lightweight Trey Ogden had an opportunity not only to get his career going again and claim a Fury FC championship, but as part of the Looking for a Fight Series, punch his ticket to the UFC when he faced JJ Okanovich at Fury FC 53 on November 14.
As the second round was winding down, Ogden managed to submit Okanovich and impress the UFC management enough to earn a contract with the promotion.
“(The fight with Okanovich) went completely according to plan,” Ogden told MMAWeekly.com. “I couldn’t be happier with my performance. I think it went great.”
While going into his bout with Okanovich, Ogden was coming off his longest period of inactivity, he was able to quickly adjust and get back to fighting like before.
“That was the longest layoff of my career, but I was in the gym, I was coaching fulltime, so I wasn’t rusty technically or tactically, and I did get a full eight-week camp in, so I was in shape, but obviously fight night is different,” said Ogden.
“It’s different with nerves, and I hadn’t been through that process in a while, cutting weight, and hadn’t made 155lbs in two years. That was a little bit different, but I did a little bit of sparring (before the fight) and honestly I felt like I was two rounds in at the start of the fight. There wasn’t any ring rust in the fight at all. It’s actually the best I’ve felt in the cage.”
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With his win on November 14, Ogden earned a spot in the UFC, which he’s still settling into, with great optimism.
“It’s a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction for sure, but it feels like a dream almost,” Ogden said. “It’s starting to really set in now.
“I’ve started to feel like it’s real, and I’m really excited, motivated, and energized to have the opportunity I now have in my hands to change my life and showcase my work on a world stage.”
Onto the next step of his career, Ogden is looking to make his UFC debut early next year and see where it takes him.
“I’d like to fight in February, so that’s what I’m going to ask my management to go for and that’s what we’re going to try to do and see what happens,” said Ogden.
Trey Ogden looking forward to showcasing his skills on the world stage in the UFC
