A mixed martial arts fighter from Hantsport is training for his debut in the pro ring.
The debut will come a couple weeks shy of the anniversary of Jon Foster’s first serious injury in a cage match.
“I actually fought an amateur fight in January this year and ended up breaking an arm blocking a kick and lost the decision. It was my only loss, and it was up a weight class, but I planned to go pro after that fight regardless,” Foster said in a recent phone interview.
Foster won the first round of the fight, broke his arm in the second, but managed to take his opponent to three rounds.
“I just kept fighting and we went to the decision and I lost.”
The loss was Foster’s first defeat as an amateur fighter. He went into the fight with four wins under his belt.
The bantamweight fighter will face his first pro opponent at the Casino in Moncton, N.B., Jan. 19. He started tailoring his training routine for the upcoming fight in November.
“I’m working on drilling specific techniques based on what I’ve seen of my opponent,” Foster said.
“He’s aSouthpawfighter so I’ve been working with some guys that fightSouthpaw.”
In the pro ring, Foster, the manager of Abhaya Mixed Martial Arts in Greenwich,will endure longer rounds and fewer regulations.
“In amateur, you’re not allowed to elbow or knee and on the ground, you’re only allowed straight punches from mount. In pro, you can do full ground and pound.”
This, Foster says, means both fighters have to be aware of more attack techniques, but it also gives the competitors more offensive options.
“I think it’s actually going to be an advantage for me.”
Foster says professional fighters are paid to compete, and a win earns a fighter double the compensation offered for a showing. Foster is confident he’ll prove he’s ready to transition to pro on Jan. 19.
“I expect to take the fight where I want… to finish him off in the first or the second round.”
Tickets for the fight, which can be viewed online via a live pay per view mixed martial arts website, can be purchased at Abhaya.
