Landry Ward enters this Friday’s LFA 169 main event in an interesting scenario. On one hand, he’s the main event for one of the US’ biggest regional organizations – one that regularly serves as a feeder system for the UFC. On the other, the fight is not yet for the title in the featherweight division, where champion Javier Garcia is still unsigned as well.
Despite no belt being on the line this Friday, Ward still feels that this fight will lead to him getting that big phone call.
“I believe so. I believe my last win, if I would have – I don’t know if you saw it, but I dropped him in the first round – if I had finished there in the first round, I believe I would have gotten the call,” Ward recalls. “Things happen for a reason and I learned a lot from that experience and that fight.”
Of the things that Ward learned in that fight is both how to deal with adversity and how to fight late into the fight. While he takes those lessons with him, he hopes to not have to deal with either of those things this time.
“I’m a better fight and better man for having gone through that three-round fight that I had,” he said. “I think it’s just setting up for a spectacular performance this Friday night.”
Should he score the spectacular finish he’s expecting, he thinks the UFC call will happen. Not only does he have his eyes on that contract, but he’s already looking for what card he wants to make that debut at.
“I think they’re talking about the UFC, that Minnesota card possibly being in Texas or Florida,” Ward pointed out. “Stars are aligning, so lets dot those stars with a Lonestar.”
First, he’ll have to get past Alfred Walker. That fight is the main event of this Friday’s LFA 169. The fight card begins at 9pm EST on UFC Fight Pass.
You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 24:42.
