Time to go Pro?
By Abel CarvGoing pro (proffessional) is a very important part of a fighter's career. Once he or she goes pro, he or she cannot turn back and thus is either benefitting from a great decision, or suffering from premature advancement. There is no set formula or set time to go pro, but there are five important factors which I like to call the "Fundamental Five", momentum, confidence, skills, experience, and support, to consider before going pro. I will go in depth about each one, but you must keep in mind that they interlap and web. MomentumIdeally, a fighter's career should flow, but in real life this is not the case. Sometimes fighters have events in their lives or injuries which takes them out of the game either physically or mentally. These could include change of camp or maybe even a hiatus. After these breaks either mentally or physically, a fighter needs to make sure that his or her body is and mind is completely in the game and that they are not trying to go to a higher level without being sure that they are ready. A fighter should go pro on a current win streak with positive momentum, not off a hiatus and definitely not coming off a losing streak.
ConfidenceA fighter's mind is as important as his or her body. If a fighter is second guessing him or herself, then problems may arise. It is the fighter, not outside influences that will be the pro, so the fighter's confidence is the only person's confidence that matters. Without confidence he or she increase his or her risk of injury which could halt his or her career indefintely.
SkillsWhile this may seem obvious, lots of fighters actually go pro without having their skills honed. They may go in because they want to achieve certain milestones by certain time or because they have a certain amount of wins, but they do not realize that wins do not always equate skills or superiority. It's possible that all the wins were won using your stand-up gain. Maybe all using your grappling prowess. This may, though its unlikely, get you through your career as an amateur, but you will be stopped short as a pro. You cannot rely on just bjj. You cannot rely on just wrestling. You cannot rely on just boxing. You need a healthy mix of some of everything. You need a dynamic stand-up game AND a dynamic ground game so that you can compete both effectively. All these skills need to be acquired as an amateur, because as a pro, you are expected to be at a high level and will not have the time to suddenly add a new style.
ExperienceAs an ammy (amateur), you should have won by different methods as well as have experienced some losses. Many fighters understand the need to have wins, and maybe the need to have experienced actually competing in rings and cages over just sparring, but some often overlook losing. If you have never been in a situation risking injury where you have no choice to tap or have been never knocked out, how will you know how to react? How will you be able to recover quickly and effectively for your next fight when it matters, when you are a pro, if you've never done so before? Why not lose as an amateur when it doesn't matter when your record will be reset anyways? These are important questions that every fighter must ask him or herself before going pro.
SupportLast, but not least, support is very important to when someone goes pro. While a fighter should be going pro for him or herself, lack of support form his or her family, friends, and lovers could lead to a compromised mental state which could compromise the fighter. A fighter also should have the support of his or her team and/or sponsors to have reassurance and a sence of comraderie. Most importantly, a fighter needs the support of his or her coach. Nobody should know a fighter's abilities more than his or her coach, so this person should be the one to make the final decision of whether or not to proceed with going pro; not your family, not your team-mates, not your sponsors, and not your fans. If this is not the case, then clearly you are not quite ready to become a pro, you need to work on your coach-fighter relationship and/or fix your priorities.
This is about your career and you are what's important. The good fights, the titles, the sponsors, and the fans will come in time, but you should be in love with this game and what you're doing. Only go to the next level when you are 100% ready. If you or someone you know needs a manager whether they are an amateur or a pro, have them contact me, Abel Carv, at 504-322-6363 or abelcarv1990@gmail.com and I'll either personally manage you or help you find another manager who realizes all these important things and is willing to help you be happy with your MMA career.
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