Damon Begg has set his sights on a massive year in 2019, and it all begins this Friday.
Begg, hailing from Vancouver and holding a 3-4 record (Begg (3-4)), will step inside the cage against Vernon's Kenny Pope (3-5) to challenge for the AMA amateur welterweight championship. The bout takes place Friday night at AMA 33 in Vancouver, B.C.
With just one fight under his belt in 2018, the 26-year-old has already charted an ambitious roadmap for 2019 that could culminate in a professional MMA debut—assuming everything falls into place.
"I'm 100 per cent focused on winning this welterweight belt," Begg said during an interview. "From there, I'll drop back down to 155 pounds and pursue a title in that division too, then make the leap into pro."
"Walking into the professional ranks with two championship belts across different weight classes—that's a solid plan."
Begg opened his amateur career with three consecutive defeats, but has since flipped the script by claiming three wins in his last four bouts, all ending inside the distance.
He views each of those early losses as invaluable lessons—exactly what amateur fighting is meant to provide. Those setbacks came against formidable competition, including current BFL bantamweight champion Cole Smith, Mac Laursen, and Omar Stefanini.
"I'm not the type to shy away from anyone who throws down. If a fight gets offered to me, I'll accept it," Begg explained.
"I don't categorize matchups as easy or difficult. A fight is a fight, period."
Of course, Begg can't look past the present obstacle: Pope.
Begg anticipates a well-rounded, challenging matchup and hopes to deliver a performance worth remembering for the crowd.
"My goal is simple—I want to put on a great show. These guys are entertainers, and that's why we step in there: to give the fans something exciting to watch," Begg said.
"I'm ready to leave my mark in that cage."
Begg's Shoutouts
"I want to give a special thank you to my sponsor Himalayan Hydration Drink Co., my coach Kru Williams, and the entire crew at Stand Up Muay Thai. My dad passed away just before my first MMA fight, so I want to dedicate this match to him—I'm taking this title and making sure he'd be proud of the way I carry myself going forward."
