“That’s fine with me because I know there’s a ton of people there, but it’s one of those things where if I’m not there by the time you are, I’m planning on going. be there eventually because I’m always in the spirit that if I’m not up to someone’s standards now, I will be,” England said.
The former D-1 wrestler was already on the UFC shortlist earlier in the year before taking a main event spot at FAC 15, a fight he might have been able to avoid.
“They said I was a last-second substitute, like in February, but one of the times I had literally just had laser eye surgery four days before,” England said. “It was just a terrible moment. I think I was on the bubble as a last-second replacement option, but nothing official.
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Missing his opportunity on short notice, England’s new mindset was ‘nothing gets in the way now’.
No eye surgery, no more fights, and no other opportunities will stand in his way again, especially not after a first round, main event stoppage.
“You have opportunities in life and you either get there or you don’t, and so it’s like I’m going to be as prepared as I can be and if I get that opportunity, I want to crush it,” England said.
Winning a UFC call-up is every regional fighter’s dream but, for England, it’s quickly becoming a necessity if he wants to continue his career. He thinks there’s no doubt he’s UFC caliber, but he’s quickly running out of opponents to prove it.
