While making the transition from the amateur ranks to the pros is not always easy for fighters, for bantamweight Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels, the move has actually made her a more effective fighter.
Since turning pro in 2018, Wessels has picked up three straight wins, with finishes in all three of her bouts.
“I never had finished a fight, it’s always going to a decision as an amateur, but as a pro I’ve kind of turned a page and I’ve got extra tools that I can use and have been able to finish every fight,” Wessels told MMAWeekly.com. “For me, turning professional has really helped me evolve as an MMA fighter.”
Initially starting out as a stand-up specialist, Wessels feels that the fighter she is in 2020 is far more balanced and complete than she’s ever been before.
“I kind of started out as a striker, and striking was always my forte, but as I’ve gone through these fight and as I’ve seen the footage, I’ve seen myself develop into a more well-rounded athlete,” said Wessels.
“I don’t mind either (standing) or (grappling), my style has changed so much in this last little bit, I’m a completely different version of myself, and I’m excited to showcase what I’ve done (in the gym) and how far I’ve come from the first fight until now.”
On Saturday in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, Wessels (3-0) will look to add a title to her resume when she faces Jade Masson-Wong (3-1) in the 135-pound championship co-main event of BFL 65.
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“So this fight is against somebody I would say more of a boxer and a stand-in-the-pocket-type person,” Wessels said of Masson-Wong. “For me I’m always a little bit longer than my opponents, so it’s always a gamble of range and deciding where the fight is going to be.
“She’s going to want to put me on my heels and push forward, and that’s fine, I’d gladly take that. I know it’s going to be all the way in or all the way out. I’m comfortable anywhere this fight ends up.”
For Wessels, when it comes to her third year as a pro, she wants to take things one step at a time and not get too caught up in where she could find herself as the year progresses.
“I know a lot of people like to foresee the future, and make huge plans going forward, and I’m not one to do either,” said Wessels. “I like to focus on the task at hand and what I’m doing at that time.
“Right now it’s just getting this win, getting this belt, and if anything bigger comes my way that’s fine, but right now I’m just focused on my job and what I’ve got to do right here.”