Back in late 2021 and early 2022, Dakota Bush had a short two-fight stint in the UFC. After being released by the organization, he immediately went to work trying to pick up some victories. While he won a few straight right out of the gate, he was not putting together the performances he felt he needed to get back to the top of the game – and there was a clear reason for that.
“I feel like when I was fighting on the regional scene after being cut from the UFC, I had like a lot of pressure I put on myself just to win,” Bush admitted. “I was more focusing on not losing than I was on having my best performance or going out there and just trying to win.”
However, after putting a few wins together, he headed back down to Florida with American Top Team and started getting the work in. Once he did, the experience really helped him relax and put the best work in.
“Since getting signed with the PFL and [moving] down here at American Top Team, I trained with the best guys in the world, the best team in the world. So it’s really easy to go out there and just be free now,” he said. “Just let all my work take care of itself and really just focus on having my best performance every time I step into the cage.”
It wasn’t just the work at American Top Team that helped him relax and get back to being himself, but the signing with another major organization. After putting pen to paper with PFL, the load was lightened yet again.
“I knew like once I signed with the PFL, all the pressure was gone. I can be free. I don’t have to worry about stacking up wins so I can make it to the next level again,” Bush said. “Once I signed with them and all that weight was lifted off my shoulders. I can really just focus on having my best performance I can possibly have. I think you guys are going to see that like here moving forward every single time I step in the cage – I’m going to be adding new tools and just being exciting, having fun and not really caring about the outcome.”
The results of that new relaxed state have been clear. He picked up a 34-second win in his debut with the promotion against a former CFFC champion in Robert Watley. Now he’ll look to add to that against another CFFC champion when he faces Morquez Forest this Saturday at PFL Tampa. That fight will take place as part of the prelim portion of the card. It will start at 6:30pm EST and airs on ESPN and ESPN+.
