Kyle Pufahl steps into the spotlight at LFA 223 on Friday night, carrying momentum, maturity, and a growing sense of urgency as he prepares to face fellow prospect Steve Collins in a matchup that could shape the next chapter of his rise.
Pufahl (6-2) is a natural finisher, with four of his six wins coming by knockout. In his most recent outing, he went the distance in a hard-fought decision over Kevin Carrier, proving that the 26-year-old doesn’t chase finishes, he capitalizes on them when the moment is there.
“I think it’s all about reading situations and stuff. Instead of just going right in the fire, which isn’t probably the best thing unless you’re down in rounds and stuff, but early on you got to be calculated,” Pufahl told Cageside Press.
“If you’re landing shots, see what his reactions are, what it could set something up. That’s how I really stay patient. Reading body language, and how he reacts to whatever I’m doing.”
Pufahl isn’t the type of fighter who backs out easily, even when his body gives him every reason to. He made it clear that once he’s committed, he’ll do everything in his power to make sure the fight happens. He suffered a rib injury right before the fight with Carrier, but refused to withdraw from the fight.
“I don’t think there was any thought that I wasn’t going to fight. Prior to that night fighting Kevin, we were booked originally in Niagara, and that got canceled. When that situation happened, my rib popped out, I was like, “No f*cking way I’m pulling out,” he said.
“That’d suck for me, that’d suck for Kevin because he put in all that work for two camps too.”
At LFA 223 he takes on the undefeated Steve Collins who is 3-0 in LFA with two TKO finishes to his name in that span. Pufahl has spent time studying Collins, and the first thing that stood out was the pace he brings. He sees Collins as the kind of fighter who refuses to slow down, no matter the moment.
“He’s got a good tank man. He just keeps throwing and throwing. Good pressure, he brings a competitive aggression to it too when he’s fighting and stuff. That’s what I see the most. There’s other stuff too. He’s a good skillful fighter,” he said.
“Good competitive spirit that comes forward and pushes.”
“You never want wars. I mean, maybe you do, but you want to just save your brain as much as you can until you get into a war in the higher rankings or in the UFC. A quick finish would be cool, that’d be great, get the fan base up a little bit,” said Pufahl.
For Pufahl, the long game is just as important as the fight in front of him. Every training session and every win is part of a bigger picture he’s constantly replaying in his mind. The goal of getting to the UFC is never far from thought.
“I think about it all the time. I always have it on my mind thinking about it,” he said.
“Visualizing the process to getting to the fight or in the fight itself. Like the finish, the steps you need afterwards, winning the next couple fights to wherever you need to get into the UFC.”
Watch the entire interview with Kyle Pufahl above. He takes on Steve Collins at LFA 223 this Friday night Nov. 21 from the Seneca Niagara Falls Resort and Casino.
