For most mixed martial artists, there is a firm fixation over forging the quickest path possible to the limelight of the UFC. But on the eve of his pro debut, 22-year-old Aidan James reflects on the rise of his contemporaries, offering an alternative approach on how to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
James (13-3 Amateur) will feature on the main card of Adrenalin: At The Grand from the elegant Swansea Grand Theatre where he faces fellow Welshman Ashley Williams.
The event broadcast – which is hosted by current UFC bantamweight Brett Johns – will be shown on Welsh channel S4C, next Wednesday.
Having competed in two major international MMA tournaments; the IMMAF European and World Championships, James has constantly looked for opportunities to make the most out of his amateur experience, showing an almost fearless approach. And why wouldn’t he? As James put it himself, a fighter’s record conveniently resets when they turn pro, meaning that any athlete serious about their longevity should make the most of their amateur inception.
After successfully defending his Warriors Fight Series amateur featherweight championship against Kingsley Crawford in March, James (alongside head trainer Chris Reese) decided the time was now to advance to the pro ranks.
Explaining the decision to move on as a professional fighter, James told MMA Plus: “The way we looked at things, I had a lot of amateur fights starting off, I had nine fights in my first 12 months competing as an amateur, for most people that’s enough to go pro straight away. But for us we looked at it, it’s nine fights and I had one or two losses but most of my wins were first round or second round and they were finishes. But I’m not taking any credit away from the guys I was fighting at all, they were good guys. My last three fights have all be decisions, which you would look at that as maybe I’m not performing as well but the reality is they were the top, top UK guys.
“I sat down with my coaches and they said 16 fights is a lot, amateur championships, [IMMAF] World Championships and European Championships, so it’s good to go out there now and hopefully test the pro ranks and see what I can do.”
Additionally, James used counterpart Jose Torres as an influence for staying at amateur. American Torres was the first man to win back-to-back amateur world championships under IMMAF, and it is a feat which has helped gain him notoriety much quicker now that he is pro. In just his third professional fight, Torres fought for (and won) the Titan FC flyweight championship, further denoting the weight his 26 fight amateur career held for professional MMA matchmakers.
Aidan James has an unconventional outlook on the best way to reach the UFC
For a lot of fighters, their big ambition is to someday make it into the ranks of the UFC, the world’s premier fighting organisation. Few make it, and even fewer stay there, and it’s with that tumultuous track record which James admitted made him think outside of the box when it comes to molding his career in anticipation of that occasion.
“My own take on what you get with a lot of guys, it’s not the fault of any organisaiton, it’s just the fact there’s no money outside the UFC,” said James. “Some organisations pay a little bit better but in reality, there’s no companies paying what the UFC are paying. For a lot of guys [the money] that’s a big motivator, but for myself, I really hope if I get to the point where the offer comes to me and I’m not ready skills wise, I’m hoping I’ll make the right decision and say no, because it’s not about the money. Getting a win on the UFC in your first fight and then losing the next two, that 24k is not going to be worth anything unless you hone your skills, jump back in two, three years later and pick up the bigger pay days.”
Subsequently, despite only being 22, James showed great maturity in his outlook, advocating the importance of following the unconventional route. The UK MMA scene is generally a small fish, big pond scenario, with lots of talented fighters vying for limited spots in the UFC. Even for James’s close friend Brett Johns, he had to venture to America to gain recognition before being called up to the UFC last November.
That is why ahead of his debut at Adrenalin Fight Nights, James is weary of the journey ahead, and although he is not overlooking opponent Williams, he is already mapping out his potential avenue to the big show.
“You’ve got two approaches to it, the more like Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett where you talk, and you build a lot of hype from the stuff you say, but the problem is I don’t think I’m witty enough to get away with that,” said James. “My own approach is, build myself and see where we can go, but I’d like to got to a market that you haven’t got a British guy at the moment. Like they don’t have any guys in Asia really, and if you want to be signed by a big organisation, if you’ve got a fanbase that they haven’t already tapped, I think that’s a good pulling power of you, so I like the idea of the Asia route.”
