Josh LeBlanc (2-1) makes his return to the amateur ranks this weekend, lining up for a highly anticipated amateur lightweight showdown against Luc De Ste Croix (3-0) on the card for FLA 5 on Saturday night.
Behind the scenes, LeBlanc has made some major adjustments for this camp—most notably walking away from his full-time job to commit fully to his mixed martial arts career.
"I've sacrificed a lot and put in the work," LeBlanc told MMA Empire.
"This is the dream, the enjoyable part every fighter chases. All that effort is finally paying off. Honestly, I just quit my job—I spent five years there and I wanted to dive even deeper into MMA."
The transition wasn't easy. While LeBlanc managed his training schedule during his employment, he found fight camps especially grueling. Getting home, hitting the gym, prepping meals, then doing it all over again the next day left him feeling perpetually behind. That exhaustion pushed him toward going full-time.
"I had time to train, and I trained hard. But fight camp is when things got real tight. I'd get home, train, meal prep, train some more, then sleep and repeat," he explained. "Being full-time lets me train without limits. My job always made me feel behind, but now I can push myself further than ever."
Entering his fourth amateur contest, LeBlanc isn't rushing to turn professional.
He expects the switch will happen eventually, but sees no urgency. He's taking a measured approach to his development, understanding that the next milestone doesn't have to arrive right away.
"I'm thinking at least two or three more amateur bouts," LeBlanc shared.
"Amateur fighting shows you who you truly are as a competitor. Once you go pro, that record is permanent. Amateurs let you take smart risks and experiment. I'm figuring out weight cuts, finding my ideal weight, fine-tuning everything so that when I make the leap I'll be completely prepared."
De Ste Croix hasn't been a new name on LeBlanc's radar—he's been circling for some time as a natural future matchup.
Part of LeBlanc's amateur philosophy involves challenging elite competition.
"I've tracked him for years. One of those names I knew would cross my path eventually. I sat ringside for his match against Jesse Heartz, figuring one of them would be my next opponent—Jesse turned pro. I want to sharpen my craft and reach the top level. He's a grappler, and that's pushed me to elevate my own wrestling," LeBlanc noted.
"Ultimately, I'm going after beating him across the board. It's less about him and more about me—this is me trying to be the best version of myself. Nothing personal, just pure competition. We'll find out who walks away victorious."
Keep up with LeBlanc on social media: INSTAGRAM
