The Future Starts Now for Deron Winn
The Future Starts Now for Deron Winn
Light heavyweight prospect Deron Winn is confident he'll make an impressive debut at Conquer FC 3 on FloCombat.
First impressions mean everything and Deron Winn is looking to do something special this Saturday night at Conquer FC 3 live on FloCombat.
The former 2X Junior College National Champion wrestler and Olympic Trials qualifier will step into the cage for the first time in his professional career to face Mike Morales. Where most fighters making their debut typically seek out a competitor of the same experience range, Winn will be locking up with an opponent who will bring 14 fight's worth of cage time along with him.
And this matters not to Winn. Not even in the slightest.
The only thing the Dethrone Fresno-trained fighter has on his mind this weekend is destruction, and by laying out a seasoned fighter in his first go, plans to send word of his arrival across the MMA landscape.
"It's kind of crazy but I'm ready," Winn told FloCombat. "I've obviously competed thousands of times and I'm taking this like I would any other big competition. I've trained very hard and I'm mentally prepared to go out and get done. I've never fought before inside the cage, but I know this is what I was put on this Earth to do. I honestly think I'll be a better fighter than I was a wrestler.
"I'm so ready, man. I have to calm myself down at night so I can sleep. I'm excited to get in there this weekend and get my career off to a great start."
While Conquer FC 3 will mark the first official MMA fight for Winn, the Missouri native has been throwing his hands for as long as he can remember. A student of the never back down variety, Winn has never been afraid to take a fight head on, and that's an attribute he believes sets him apart from other athletes who come from the honored tradition of wrestling.
"I've always been a fighter," Winn said. "I used to get in a lot of street fights back in the day and used to get in a lot of trouble for it. Getting the opportunity to fight and then to make money doing it; that's like a dream come true.
"The striking aspect of my game is coming along nicely and I'm obsessed with it to be honest. I used to throw my hands a lot in those fights and working on proper technique and combinations has been really interesting and fun work. Once you get the basics down then you start working on blending them in with your takedowns. It's been a really natural progression for me.
"I have the personality for MMA," he added. "Wrestling has such a rich tradition and proper background built on respect, where there's a ton of sh*t talking in MMA. I know I can back it up and I'm quick on my feet. I'm a perfect fit for this sport and it's going to be a lot of fun now that the ball is rolling."
Winn will make his professional debut in the light heavyweight ranks, but sees his future competing in middleweight waters. The immediate reason his first fight will take place at 205 is due to difficulty finding a dance partner, but when it comes to the road his future will travel, things get a bit murky.
He has full confidence a big stage will call before too long, but Winn is adamant his selection will be a specific one for reasons he was quick to define.
"I know this can be a big year for me, but my management and I want to take a different route," Winn said. "I'd love to fight for Bellator but two of my teammates and training partners in Ed Ruth and Chris Honeycutt are both fighting 185 pounds for Bellator. That's the weight I'm going to be fighting at. The only reason this one will be at 205 is because it was really hard to find a fight. We had a lot of guys agree to the fight and back out, so taking at the fight at 205 was the best option to get this first fight in.
"I coming in to knock this dude out and that's what I'm going to be known for. I don't want to be known as a wrestler who goes in and lays and prays. I want to make this sh*t exciting and that will make people want to watch me fight. I want to get this fight out of the way and get a few more before the end of the year. The goal is to win and do so in exciting fashion, but we are going to take things one fight at a time.
"I know what I'm capable of and I'm confident I can fight in any of the major promotions," he added. "I'm not just here for this debut. This is just the start to making all my dreams come true. I don't give a f*** who is standing in my way or who they put across from me. I'm just getting started but I have so much to offer and it's going to be a lot of fun going out there and proving what I can do time and time again."
Conquer Fighting Championships 3 comes LIVE to FloCombat Saturday, March 18, bringing a stacked deck of top-level veterans and prospects alike right to your favorite device.
In the main event, former The Ultimate Fighter winner and 12-fight UFC veteran Efrain Escudero faces 21-4 Bellator veteran Fabricio Guerreiro.
Also on the card is two-time All-American wrestler and Bellator vet Shawn Bunch and the MMA debut of three-time college All-American wrestler Deron Winn.
On TV: Now Available on Roku & Apple TV 4
STREAMING: Available only on FloCombat. Sign up today for $20 monthly or $150 yearly. Yearly FloPRO access gets you premium content and events from ALL FloSports sites, including FloWrestling, FloBoxing, and FloGrappling.
The former 2X Junior College National Champion wrestler and Olympic Trials qualifier will step into the cage for the first time in his professional career to face Mike Morales. Where most fighters making their debut typically seek out a competitor of the same experience range, Winn will be locking up with an opponent who will bring 14 fight's worth of cage time along with him.
And this matters not to Winn. Not even in the slightest.
The only thing the Dethrone Fresno-trained fighter has on his mind this weekend is destruction, and by laying out a seasoned fighter in his first go, plans to send word of his arrival across the MMA landscape.
"It's kind of crazy but I'm ready," Winn told FloCombat. "I've obviously competed thousands of times and I'm taking this like I would any other big competition. I've trained very hard and I'm mentally prepared to go out and get done. I've never fought before inside the cage, but I know this is what I was put on this Earth to do. I honestly think I'll be a better fighter than I was a wrestler.
"I'm so ready, man. I have to calm myself down at night so I can sleep. I'm excited to get in there this weekend and get my career off to a great start."
While Conquer FC 3 will mark the first official MMA fight for Winn, the Missouri native has been throwing his hands for as long as he can remember. A student of the never back down variety, Winn has never been afraid to take a fight head on, and that's an attribute he believes sets him apart from other athletes who come from the honored tradition of wrestling.
"I've always been a fighter," Winn said. "I used to get in a lot of street fights back in the day and used to get in a lot of trouble for it. Getting the opportunity to fight and then to make money doing it; that's like a dream come true.
"The striking aspect of my game is coming along nicely and I'm obsessed with it to be honest. I used to throw my hands a lot in those fights and working on proper technique and combinations has been really interesting and fun work. Once you get the basics down then you start working on blending them in with your takedowns. It's been a really natural progression for me.
"I have the personality for MMA," he added. "Wrestling has such a rich tradition and proper background built on respect, where there's a ton of sh*t talking in MMA. I know I can back it up and I'm quick on my feet. I'm a perfect fit for this sport and it's going to be a lot of fun now that the ball is rolling."
Winn will make his professional debut in the light heavyweight ranks, but sees his future competing in middleweight waters. The immediate reason his first fight will take place at 205 is due to difficulty finding a dance partner, but when it comes to the road his future will travel, things get a bit murky.
He has full confidence a big stage will call before too long, but Winn is adamant his selection will be a specific one for reasons he was quick to define.
"I know this can be a big year for me, but my management and I want to take a different route," Winn said. "I'd love to fight for Bellator but two of my teammates and training partners in Ed Ruth and Chris Honeycutt are both fighting 185 pounds for Bellator. That's the weight I'm going to be fighting at. The only reason this one will be at 205 is because it was really hard to find a fight. We had a lot of guys agree to the fight and back out, so taking at the fight at 205 was the best option to get this first fight in.
"I coming in to knock this dude out and that's what I'm going to be known for. I don't want to be known as a wrestler who goes in and lays and prays. I want to make this sh*t exciting and that will make people want to watch me fight. I want to get this fight out of the way and get a few more before the end of the year. The goal is to win and do so in exciting fashion, but we are going to take things one fight at a time.
"I know what I'm capable of and I'm confident I can fight in any of the major promotions," he added. "I'm not just here for this debut. This is just the start to making all my dreams come true. I don't give a f*** who is standing in my way or who they put across from me. I'm just getting started but I have so much to offer and it's going to be a lot of fun going out there and proving what I can do time and time again."
Conquer Fighting Championships 3 comes LIVE to FloCombat Saturday, March 18, bringing a stacked deck of top-level veterans and prospects alike right to your favorite device.
In the main event, former The Ultimate Fighter winner and 12-fight UFC veteran Efrain Escudero faces 21-4 Bellator veteran Fabricio Guerreiro.
Also on the card is two-time All-American wrestler and Bellator vet Shawn Bunch and the MMA debut of three-time college All-American wrestler Deron Winn.
How to Watch Conquer Fighting Championships 3
On TV: Now Available on Roku & Apple TV 4
STREAMING: Available only on FloCombat. Sign up today for $20 monthly or $150 yearly. Yearly FloPRO access gets you premium content and events from ALL FloSports sites, including FloWrestling, FloBoxing, and FloGrappling.