After struggling in 2021 and 2022 having lost five fights in a row, former UFC welterweight Anthony Ivy rebounded with a third round submission victory over Austin Jones this past January for Fury FC.
While Ivy is elated to have picked up the win over Jones, it’s more of a comfort for Ivy knowing that he has stopped his slide and is putting his career back on the right path.
“Of course the wins feel good, but I’m sure as everybody knows I’d been on kind of a down streak, losing five in a row, and now to get that win just feels good,” Ivy told MMAWeekly.com. “It feels like a huge relief.”
The win over Jones also helps establish Ivy as a better-rounded fighter, which is something he has strived to become and continues to work on as he moves his career forward.
“It’s one of those things where I feel like I’m going to grow and continue to grow throughout the year and so forth,” said Ivy. “As far as my performance, I’m getting better at my striking, grappling, my jitz, and I feel like I’m becoming more of a complete fighter and not just a one-dimensional fighter.”
Ivy (9-7) will look to pick up his second win in a row when he faces Victor Reyna (11-5) in the 170-pound championship main event of XKO 61 in Arlington, Texas, on April 7.
“I feel way more confident, and I’m going to just go out there and exhaust (Reyna) and smother him,” Ivy said.
“Whether I showcase the striking a little more than usually do or if it goes to the ground we know what’s going to happen – I’m going to smash him and beat his ass. I’m definitely going to go out and showcase my striking, and if it goes to the ground it goes to the ground.”
While Ivy does have an overall goal for the year and for his career, he also likes to take things slowly to ensure that those long term goals do come true.
“I always set goals for myself, but sometimes I go day by day because you never know when something’s going to pop up and surprise you,” said Ivy. “The goal for me for this year is to get back on a winning streak and be very active. I want to get five fights now and win all of them.
“The biggest goal is to get back to the UFC and stay there, not just get there and get out. But right now just get on a winning streak and continue to do that.”
Anthony Ivy looking to ‘smother’ Victor Reyna in XKO 61 title bout
