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Since making his pro debut in October of 2021, heavyweight Austin Green has been on a tear.
Over the course of the first year of his career, Green has gone undefeated in three bouts, finishing all three of his opponents and spending less than seven minutes total in the cage during his fights.
“It’s been good,” Green told MMAWeekly.com. “It’s been pretty much perfect for me. I couldn’t ask for a better start.
“My first opponent was a state champion wrestler out of Virginia, so it was a really good test for me. Then my second opponent was a Bellator veteran. Coming off those two wins I went into my third fight against a guy who was undefeated as an amateur and as a pro and was able to get the win in like 21 seconds.”
Since making his pro debut last year, Green feels like he’s made big strides in his game and is a far more complete fighter today than he was then.
“I feel where I’m at today I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last year,” said Green. “This past year I’ve worked on a lot of different stuff with my coaches.
“I’ve done a lot of film study of a lot of fighters I like to watch, learning what they use, seeing the stuff they use to be successful, and I’ve been able to pick apart other fighters’ game and develop my own style.”
This Friday in Atlanta, Georgia, Green (3-0) will look to add a title to his resume when he faces Cameron Graham (5-9) in the heavyweight championship main event of NFC 149.
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“(Graham) has a lot of experience in the fight game, so the key to win to is just doing what I’ve been doing – pushing the pace, staying active,” Green said.
“I think this guy is more of a striker than a grappler, so I’ll get to work a little more on my striking. If I get a chance to get it to the ground I’ll be able to work on my ground game that I’ve been working on so much this year.”
Being an undefeated fighter with a lot of momentum behind him, Green could easily buy into the hype surrounding him, but instead chooses to just focus on the task at hand as he moves through his career.
“I’d say it’s a little pressure but to be honest I don’t try to look past any opponent,” said Green. “I focus on the fight I have in front of me.
“After the fight I’ll get more pressure because I don’t know what I’m going to do next. Right now I’m just focused on the task at hand, taking this guy out, then seeing what the next move is.”