As far as I am concerned I lost that belt when I lost to Mark [Godbeer]
BAMMA Lonsdale heavyweight champion (and UK MMA No. 4 ranked heavyweight), Stuart Austin is champion no more. Well, as far as he’s concerned, anyway.
“I specifically asked for both belts to be on the line in the run up to the fight. It was not my decision,” Austin explained.
And it’s not just because Austin no longer considers himself the promotion’s British top dog, the Team Titan representative is turning his back on the heavyweight division and kickstarting his career at 205lbs.
“It was always my plan to drop to 205lbs, after the last fight it seemed like a fresh start would be good for me,” said Austin. “Maintaining my body weight during camp is a massive effort for me, I train three times a day, five days a week and I struggle to remain above 230lbs – out of camp I am around 240lb.”
Having come up short in a champion vs. champion bout against BAMMA heavyweight title holder, Mark Godbeer, it’s the jump start that Austin thinks he needs to get himself back on a winning track. Looking back at that loss, Austin has had a chance to reflect on the performance and what went wrong: “I think my lack of forward pressure and aggression cost me the fight. Whenever I moved forwards I was winning and landing good punches, kicks and knees, whenever Mark came forwards I was losing. I think I was probably edging the fight on points but Mark was the busier fighter.
“Ultimately, you can’t give a dangerous fighter that many chances to set things up. I will not make the same mistakes again.”
Since then, the Brit has had no shortage of opportunities to put the loss behind him. So why fledgling promotion, Euro FC for his light-heavyweight reimagining?
“I have had offers from a few promotions over the last few months many of them more than generous. However, Euro FC offered me opponents with deeper and more successful records, I’m not looking to hide, I want to go around and fight people all over the place!”
Austin recently became a free-agent, a position more and more fighters are becoming savvy of these days, and intends to test the waters.
“My contract with BAMMA has expired and I spoke to them about fighting elsewhere, this fight with Euro FC is a one fight deal and once I have won I’d like to see my options.
“I am still on good terms with BAMMA and I remain open to fighting for them in the future.”
Looking ahead, the future appears to be at light-heavyweight, and the immediate future is a bout with Nills van Noord at Euro FC on October 1. Clearly it’s a fight Austin is expecting to walk away from victorious: “After I win, I’d like to fight again before the end of the year and then hopefully get four fights in next year.
“I want to stay busy and become a top light heavyweight prospect.”
Euro FC takes place on October 1 at the Metro Areena in Espoo, Finland. Tickets are available HERE.
