Though he’s hit a few small road bumps in his 2019 campaign, bantamweight prospect Dustin Lampros feels like he’s had a very successful year overall.
Following a debut year in 2018 that saw him win both fights, Lampros has kept his momentum going with two more wins in 2019 heading into what looks to be his last fight of the year.
“I had a couple of injuries that kind of held me back, but other than that everything has kind of been going smoothly,” Lampros told MMAWeekly.com. “I’ve been learning a lot, training hard, winning these fights, and hopefully end off 2019 with another win and start 2020 strong.”
Lampros credits his strong start as a pro to the veteran fighters he has around him, as not coming from a combat sports background had him initially playing catch-up with other athletes that had come from other fighting disciplines.
“Not being someone who grew up in martial arts, these past couple years has been huge,” said Lampros. “Being around these pros day in and day out at the gym I train at, listening to them and soaking up everything they do and learning from them is really key for me being successful in my pro career starting off.”
On November 1 in St. Louis, Missouri, Lampros (4-0) looks to keep his undefeated streak going when he faces Lloyd Thornton (5-10) in the 135-pound main event of Shamrock FC 324.
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“I think I’m going to go out there and try to stop it early,” Lampros said. “I’m going to put the pressure on (Thornton). I have good cardio. I’m hungry to fight. I want to get out there and get it going. I’m not one to sit back. If I put the pressure on him early I can get him to break.
“I’ve seen in a couple of his fights when he gets comfortable he gets in a groove, so I can’t let that happen. I’ve got to get out there and set the pace.”
While Lampros has a clear goal in mind to eventually work his way to the top tier of MMA, for now he’s focused on building his career one step at a time.
“That’s something I think about a lot; the future and where I want to be; but when it comes down to it I’ve got to get through the next fight that’s ahead of me,” said Lampros. “That’s kind of where I’m at.
“I’m just worried about this fight. I want to go out and perform to the best of my abilities, and then after that we’ll look forward. Hopefully in the future I’ll be looking to get up to the next level and get up to the big stage of the UFC.”