"I don't dwell on what happens after the bell rings—the Contender Series, the LFA championship, or any of that. My mind stays locked on this week and stepping back into the cage," Leblanc explained.
"Of course I want to keep pushing forward once this is behind me, but I'm genuinely thankful to be standing on one of the biggest stages short of UFC and Bellator. You put in the work, stay resilient, and the right moments find you."
Even though Leblanc's attention is squarely on the challenge ahead, he hasn't abandoned his longer-term vision for where he wants to end up in the sport.
Last month, while standing in the corner of fellow Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault during his UFC 260 bout inside the UFC Apex, Leblanc caught himself imagining his own name on that card.
UFC or DWCS, Leblanc told himself, he'd be out there.
"I told myself 'next season, I'm there.' That's the plan. I'm not looking past Joel or past this fight—I'm not blind to what's in front of me—but in my head, I believe it'll take more than a single victory. It's been far too long since I stepped between the ropes," Leblanc said.
"When I picture myself there, I know it's possible, and I know it will happen."
Training out of Jackson Wink MMA, Leblanc acknowledged Friday night's matchup against Bauman will be a serious test.
Bauman's shown himself to be a dangerous stand-up fighter, but Leblanc expects his opponent to gravitate toward grappling—a direction he's spent considerable time preparing for.
"I'm calling it: he's going to look for takedowns pretty quick because I know my striking game is strong. He might pull up footage of my last fight, even though it's over two years old now—no excuses attached. That bout happened at 170 pounds, and the weight cut left me feeling terrible. I got taken down eleven times in that contest, so he's probably banking on that and playing it safe by shooting early," Leblanc said.
"I've put in heavy work on my wrestling here, and I've seen every angle. I want to dictate the pace, but I know tonight isn't going to be comfortable—and that's not the kind of comeback I envisioned for myself."
Leblanc's Shoutouts
"I owe Martin Patenaude and Patrick Marcil a huge thank-you. And I need to recognize my wife—this camp simply wouldn't have been the same without her unwavering support." Follow Leblanc on social media: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
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