Champion Ready to Step Up: ‘Do What You Gotta Do’

Getty UFC's Octagon during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 13, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) crowned a new middleweight king on March 12 and now he’s ready to start a run in the UFC.

Aaron Jeffery (10-2) became the 185-pound champion by defeating Colin Huckbody via unanimous decision at CFFC 93. Fans have come accustomed to seeing Jeffery finish his opponents, with seven wins coming via KO/TKO and one by submission. However this time around, Jeffery put his skills to the test for all four rounds.

It was a gritty performance by the Canadian who controlled Huckbody against the cage for most of the contest. With the grueling pressure, he left no question in the judges’ minds.

Heavy’s Stephen McCaugherty spoke with the 28-year-old champion about his big win and his aspirations to become a UFC fighter. You can watch the full interview below:

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Jeffery Suffered a Knee Injury a Few Weeks Before His Bout With Huckbody

Jeffery revealed that he was dealing with a knee injury he sustained two to three weeks before his March 12 fight with Huckbody. The LCL injury reduced the amount of work he could do in the gym leading up to the fight, including sparring.

“I did some rehab leading up to the fight. I kept it braced,” Jeffery said. “I did no live work. For a week I was pretty much just riding a bike and then slowly started hitting pads. It feels okay right now and I have the two weeks quarantine to rest. So we’ll see what it’s like when I get back in the gym after that.”

When asked if his match with Huckybody went the way he thought it would, Jeffery answered, “Yes and no. I knew he was going to be looking to grapple and I figured I was gonna be able to stuff his takedowns, and I did that very well.”

Jeffery admitted that although the injury was in his head, he was prepared to adapt.

“I knew that I’m strong in the clinch against the wall and I figured I was going to be stronger than him and able to win those scenarios,” Jeffery said. “I knew I would be able to win a fight like that if I had to. I thought I could get it finished. I thought I’d be able to wear him out on the wall and then get it finished in a later round.”

Although the fight wasn’t as exciting as fans had hoped it would be, Jeffery is still happy with his performance. That, coupled with his three TKO finishes in a row leading into CFFC 93, he’s ready to accept a fight from the UFC.

“I know the UFC really loves exciting fighters,” Jeffery said. “And I see some people talking on social media about the fight, maybe saying it wasn’t the most exciting. But yeah, I won all four rounds. I pretty much took no damage. I don’t think I let him do anything he wanted to do, so I’m very happy with the win and coming off three knockouts before that.”

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Jeffery Is Prepared to Accept a Short-Notice Fight to Get Into the UFC

When Jeffery was 6-1, he competed on Dana White’s Contender Series for a chance to earn a UFC contract. The fight didn’t go Jeffery’s way, however, losing via first-round rear-naked choke to Brendan Allen. The loss sent Jeffery back to the drawing board and since then, he’s rattled off four victories including his championship effort at CFFC 93.

He’s confident that the victory on March 12 will earn him a spot in the UFC, however he’s expecting it to come in the way of a short-notice fight. During the interview, Jeffery confirmed he’s happy with where his knee is at right now and that he would be willing to accept a fight on short notice to get into the UFC.

“Obviously not ideal,” Jeffery said on receiving a short-notice UFC fight. “I don’t think most fighters like taking a short notice fight, especially if it’s going to be your UFC debut. But if that’s the only way it’s gonna happen, then you gotta do what you gotta do.”

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