Every martial arts fighter wants a chance to prove themselves and make it to the big stage in promotions like UFC, PFL or ONE. However, getting the opportunity is a long and hard road.
Local fighter Tommy “King” Nabity took the first of the many concrete steps it takes to achieve this goal by signing to major promotion feeder organization Legacy Fight Alliance (LFA). Champions like Brandon Moreno, Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman and countless others made their name winning LFA belts before signing to their major promotions.
Another significant thing about the LFA is the broadcasting of the events on UFC Fight Pass. This gives Nabity the opportunity to introduce himself to diehard fans of the sport.
Nabity, originally from Houston, Texas, was a college wrestler at Iowa Western, so the transition to martial arts was easy and to him was always expected. He commented that he “grew up fighting so it’s natural to me”.
Even though Nabity is a wrestler, he plans to use effective wrestling to keep the match on the feet instead of taking it to the ground. He knows in terms of striking, he can trade blows with anyone.
When asked about his opponent’s wrestling career, he laughed off any doubts of being outwrestled in his upcoming bout.
“He was a college wrestler, I was a college wrestler too,” Nabity said.
Coach Andrew Sommers, the head coach of the Calculated Violence team and owner/promoter of the Violence Fight League, emphasized the effect that this recent signing has had on the team itself. Seeing someone they know they’re on an equal level with peers gives the team a new sense of determination to become the next fighter signed by a major promotion. And as the first fighter to wear the Calculated Violence logo, Nabity is ready to put on a show.
Tommy signed to LFA at the perfect time, and here’s why. He’s sharing the card with College NCAA champion Gable Steveson, making his amateur MMA debut and bringing millions of eyes to this card, including promotion owners like Dana White, Donn Davis and any other promotion looking to sign valuable pros to their commission.
In particular, the LFA is known for being a main feeder league for the UFC, with around 22% of the UFC active roster being LFA alumni.
This match is also special because, depending on the outcome, Nabity believes this could be a fast track to entering his professional career as an MMA fighter. With the sanctioning of bare-knuckle fighting recently, Nabity wants to test his skills in the ring as a bare-knuckle fighter.
The past two weeks of camp were all about Nabity and the attempt to emulate his opponent. Nabity’s opponent Judge is a specialized wrestler who Nabity thinks shouldn’t be any problem at all.
Nabity’s upcoming fight will be on Sept. 12, where he plans to pull out an incredible and entertaining win in front of the Minnesota crowd and cement his place as a serious LFA title contender.
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