Omar Sargent returns to the Octagon this Saturday at Battle Arena Northampton. Sargent has been out for over three years and is eager to make up for a long time.
Sargent leaves the amateur scene behind with a (6-2-1) record, fighting some respectable names along the way. Saturday night, Antonio Louca stands in Sargent’s way of leaving with the pro-debut win, and he realises the challenge he has on his hands.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Omar Sargent in the lead-up to fight night. Hear what he had to say below.
Interview With Omar Sargent
Omar, you are days out from making your pro-debut. Talk us through how you’re feeling as we close in on your MMA return.
Hello, I feel good. Thanks, everything feels on track. I’ve actually enjoyed the process and feel prepared for this weekend. I’ve settled in and got great training at Legends MMA.
You are returning after three years away from the sport. Talk me through the decision to turn straight to the professional ranks without one last amateur fight to ease yourself back in.
I’ve had a lengthy layoff. It’s probably been longer. I don’t really even count my last bout as a fight; I think with my age and experience, it’s about time to just turn pro. I train alongside amateurs and pros. I think it’s my time to move forward. My coaches and teammates support the decision, and at amateur, I can’t really see anything that makes a lot of sense. A fight is a fight, and fighting a good amateur is no different to fighting a pro, so if I’m gonna invest in a fight, I may as well make it a pro fight. Near enough, all my previous opponents are fighting pro and doing well, some even in the UFC, so it’s my time.
On the layoff, were there any reasons for the time away? The sport can evolve and change quickly.
It was a combination of things, I actually wanted to make my pro debut back in 2019, but with bad luck/timing with injuries, lockdowns, being around the wrong people and big changes in my life, it didn’t happen. The sports always evolving, but I feel I’ve evolved over the last few years, too, so I’m not too worried there. I feel like I’m in the right position to take a fight now.
Omar Sargent on Long Break
Have you remained training in the gym for three years or take a long break? Are there any notable changes within the sport/space that you’ve noticed, or does everything feel the same?
I did have some time off injured and resting, but overall I’d say I’ve been doing some form of training. I feel the sport has changed a lot in terms of opportunities. There are a lot more bigger shows abroad that people get to fight on early as a pro, and getting places seems a bit more realistic than it did back then. I think MMA is a more established sport than it was a few years back, and there are better methods of training which have made the level higher. Right now, it does feel the same if I felt like I was behind, I wouldn’t come back. It’s given me a good opportunity to watch the sport and understand it better from the outside.
Are you a believer in ring rust or not?
Not massively. There obviously will be elements, but there are plenty of examples of fighters who took massive layoffs and came back looking phenomenal. I’ve got the confidence I’ve been training and preparing correctly.
Sargent Talks Opponent
You’ll meet Antonio Louca on Saturday night, assuming you’ve broken down his skill set and looked at his past fights. How do you feel about the matchup as your return fight?
I feel this is a great fight. Antonio is an active fighter with a positive amateur record and belts, I could have taken an easier option to ease back into things, but this challenge has got me motivated. He seems up for the fight and brings it. I feel our style and objectives are similar, so we’ll see who is better on the day. This is an opponent that makes sense. We’ve been fighting for a similar amount of time and have a similar amount of fights, both making our pro debuts. I’ll be fighting on his home show. It seems he’s had almost all his fights on Battle Arena. I believe this is his hometown; I’m looking to go back to my old ways and cause the upset.
What would you have to say to an Antonio Louca who expects the same version of you to show up that did in your last amateur outing in 2020?
I don’t believe he thinks that. I’m taking him seriously in preparation, but he can expect whatever he wants. Whether he’s scared or confident makes no difference to me. I’m going to turn up and do my thing. This may even be to my advantage because I’ve been able to watch a recent tape of him, and he doesn’t know what to expect of me. He seems like a good respectful guy, so there’s not too much to say, except I hope training went well and all the best.
Kickstarting With a Win
Just highlight what it would mean to you to get back into the win column on Saturday night and kickstart your pro career with a win.
Winning is great. I’m just glad to be back in the cage fighting. At this stage, a win or loss doesn’t define me; I’ll still continue as usual. Hopefully, I can make a statement, and it’s the support that means a lot to me. A win just gives more confidence to move on to bigger and better things.
Finally, leave us with an official fight prediction. How does Omar Sargent get it done?
With this being our pro debuts and being hungry, I can’t see this fight getting out of the first round.
Featured image credits to Omar Sargent
