The Wild Thing is set to enter the Unified MMA cage for the very first time.
Unified MMA had grown into one of Western Canada's premier promotions — the Edmonton-based outfit ran the region's most polished cards and attracted the country's deeper talent pool, making a Unified debut a real step up for a fighter who'd built his name on the Alberta circuit.
In one of the main card’s most anticipated fights, Lethbridge Alta.’s Lucas Neufeld (6-1) will square off with Edmonton, Alta.’s Neal Anderson (10-4) in featherweight action at Unified MMA 43 on Friday night.
Neufeld has made quite a bit of noise across Canada while living up to his ‘Wild Thing’ nickname. The 28-year-old has jumped out to a solid record and has done so in entertaining fashion.
The records tell the story — Neufeld at 6-1 is the hot prospect, Anderson at 10-4 is the proven veteran who's seen every kind of style the division produces. For a prospect's résumé, beating a double-digit-win veteran is worth more than three wins over debutantes.
The 'Wild Thing' persona fits the regional circuit perfectly — promotions need fighters who are memorable as much as they need fighters who win, and Neufeld's willingness to brawl made him exactly the kind of name that sells tickets in Lethbridge and beyond.
“My last fight I tried to not get into a brawl. Not to show my hand or anything, but those are my instincts,” Neufeld said in an interview with MMA Empire.
“That’s what a fight is for me. I have a hard time being the guy who sits back and lets things unfold in front of him. I’m the guy who makes s**t happen. I’m the guy moving forward and making sure the judges get the next few minutes off.”
The aggression problem is a real one in MMA — the fighters who can't help but press forward are the same ones who give fans their money's worth, but it's also how records get damaged. At 6-1 Neufeld had found a way to be wild and effective at the same time, which is the harder trick.
Not only does Neufeld look to push the pace and constantly move forward, he’s also known for finding unconventional ways to hurt his opponent.
With a plethora of spinning attacks and off-tempo techniques, Neufeld feels well-equipped to deal with the textbook style of Anderson.
Anderson's 14-fight record meant he'd been through everything — wars, decisions, bad nights — and veterans like that tend to be unbothered by chaos. The contrast between a wild prospect and a seasoned linear striker is the kind of fight that exposes whichever game plan wasn't honest about itself.
Unorthodox strikers are the hardest opponents to prepare for — Anderson's tape would show a conventional, fundamentally sound featherweight, but there's no sparring partner who can replicate what a creative fighter improvises in real time. That's the entire edge Neufeld is banking on.
“I feel like my dynamic style is exactly what’s going to be the kryptonite for Neal because he’s Mr. Linear,” Neufeld said.
“He’s the guy who’s going to be throwing a lot of straight punches and I know I have to be careful of those long punches and that long knee up the middle. He’s just a long opponent in general, but I’m ready for it.”
Although the wild style is part of what makes Neufeld so successful, there’s plenty of technique that goes into setting those shots up.
As he keeps growing in the sport, Neufeld keeps adding to his game and if all goes to plan Friday night it will be the best performance of his young career.
The self-awareness is the interesting part — at 28 and 6-1, Neufeld knows each fight is an audition for something bigger, and sloppy wins don't advance a career the way clean ones do. The technical refinement he's describing is the difference between a regional attraction and a real prospect.
“There’s a couple funky little strikes I’m playing with. I’m also just working at tightening everything up and being as technically sound as possible because overall it just increases your percentages,” Neufeld said.
“I know what I have to look out for, but at the end of the day it comes down to my style being as sharp and refined as possible and then whatever I encounter I’m good. If I go out there and do what I’ve been working on in camp, I win. I turn the lights out on Neal Anderson.”
On paper, this matchup is shaping up to be the toughest of Neufeld’s career, but it’s one he feels he’s more than ready for.
After a big win on a stacked card full of Canadian champions and former UFC talent, Neufeld has his sights set on either a Canadian title or a particular Tuesday night showdown.
Unified's cards were genuinely deep — the promotion regularly featured fighters who'd been through UFC camps and title fights on the regional level, which meant a win there carried more weight than the same result on a smaller show. Neufeld understood the hierarchy.
“Hypothetically, when I win, I have a record of 7-1. That’s a good looking record as a professional. There’s definitely some notable wins,” Neufeld said.
“That absolutely puts me into title contention at Unified or any other Canadian promotion. But then obviously down the line, c’mon, Dana White’s Contender Series. That’s what we’re looking at.”
The ambition is the right target — a Canadian regional title is the credential that gets a fighter onto a Contender Series shortlist, and at 7-1 with a win over a 10-win veteran, Neufeld's case would be hard to argue with.
This matchup will also mark yet another showdown between two of Alberta’s top gyms in Canadian Martial Arts Centre (CMC) and Shaved Bears MMA.
The CMC-Shaved Bears rivalry was one of the best subplots in Alberta MMA — two credible gyms sending fighters at each other across promotions is what keeps a regional scene sharp, and it gave every one of these matchups a little extra institutional pride riding on it.
“These are two great gyms from Alberta and we always seem to do battle because they breed tough fighters who don’t say no, they make weight and show up on fight day. And we’re the same way,” Neufeld said.
“Obviously they’re our adversaries, but we have a ton of admiration and respect for them. It’s exciting to fight someone from such a high-calibre gym. It’s important to put yourself in those positions and try to prove you’re better.”
Neufeld’s shoutouts
“My gym, CMC MMA. My sponsor, OHMY Apparel. My lovely wife and all my friends, family and people who have supported me.” Follow Neufeld on social media: INSTAGRAM
