Issue 155

June 2017

An amateur world champion that’s ready for the pros.

Patience is a virtue. A lot of fighters are in a hurry to turn pro and get to the UFC as quickly as possible. Not Will Starks. He took his time at the amateur level, won two IMMAF world championships and set himself up perfectly

to succeed at the next level. “I think guys like myself are a step ahead of our current generation in MMA,” he says. “To get that look in competition, the pressure of the event and the experience, in general, prepares you to easily transition into the next stage of your career.”

Though his background is in wrestling, Starks didn’t look like a mere converted grappler in his pro debut at Titan FC 43. It was all there. His movement from the floor to the feet in finishing Jose Cortes in round one was seamless.

Greater challenges await in the Fight Pass promotion, but the Missouri native expects to be well prepared in his new home of Texas, where he trains alongside former UFC champion Johny Hendricks. You can expect great things at that level before he steps up to the elite level.

“Every fighter who takes their career seriously wants to make it to the UFC,” he says. “If I look up, it’s there, but I stay focused on the medium term. I want to establish myself incredibly here at Titan FC. Lex (McMahon, COO) and my head coach Stephen Wright are working hard to make sure I’m exposed to every type of athlete with every kind of skill set I need. I don’t just want to make it to the UFC. I want to make sure I’m set up for success.”