With a first-round TKO at LXF 4, Arut Pogosjan claimed the Lights Out title, something he considers the culmination of twelve years of hard work.
Burbank, CA —LXF 4 was a big show for the fledgling promotion, with a trio of champions crowned. Among them, Arut Pogosjan, who defeated Joshua Jones to lay claim to the 155lb championship in Lights Out XF.
Speaking to Cageside Press post-fight about how it felt to win the title with a first round knockout, Pogosjan said that “it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. It’s the culmination of all my hard work throughout the last 12 years, since I started my MMA career. And finally this is the ultimate validation.”
“For somebody that doesn’t fight, they wouldn’t understand what a scary feeling it is to go in there, be locked inside a cage with another trained killer, who’s trying to take your head off,” he continued. “You gotta stay cool and collected under all of that pressure and perform to the best of your ability and when you do succeed, because it is so difficult, such a scary daunting challenge, the high, it’s the sweetest feeling in the world.”
Fighting has been a sacrifice, in terms of commitment, time, and winning the belt is the payoff. “This is going to be a gift to my father, you know he’s been an example of strength for me throughout all of my life,” said Pogosjan. An example of “strong spirit, physically, mentally, everything. I’m so proud of my father and I’m so happy that I can make him proud and give him this belt.”
Pogosjan’s ruthless aggression was a factor in the bout, which even he believed would go the distance. “I thought it was going to be a three round war,” he admitted. “But I knew I have dynamite in my hands, if I land it’s a rough night for everybody. If I land clean especially with my right hand it’s a rough night. I was prepared for a war bro, I was happy to take the KO. He was landing really good leg kicks, I was checking them but it was still hurting me, soI knew I had to hurt him too. Luckily I hurt him and finished him with elbows.”
As for his first title defense, Pogosjan is looking to “either January of February. I definitely don’t like taking long layoffs, I like to be back-to-back-to-back. Four times a year is the optimum fight number for me.”
Watch our full post-fight interview with Arut Pogosjan at LXF 4 above!
