Neufeld gets back in the cage tonight
Lucas Neufeld already has one hometown pro fight under his belt.
There’s no way the Lethbridge mixed martial arts fighter is going to miss a second one.
The 24-year-old fighter will get that chance tonight when Fight Night 6 Lethbridge takes the cage at the Enmax Centre starting at 7 p.m.
Following a victory in his professional debut at Rumble In The Cage in Lethbridge, Neufeld hopes for home ring advantage once again as he seeks to move to 2-0 in the pro ranks against Saskatoon’s George Matechuck (1-1) in the Pro Featherweight 145 pound division.
Tonight’s bouts will also feature Lethbridge’s Lee Mein (8-13) taking on Steve Roy (2-2) in the Pro Heavyweight division.
As he scanned the venue Friday night at weigh-in, Neufeld was looking forward to another hometown bout.
“I’m incredibly psyched,” he said. “They’re using the full Enmax Centre. I wasn’t sure if they were going (to use) half of it or use the whole. I really hope we fill this place up. I’m certainly expecting a lot of family and friends to show up. The hunger inside me is building, it’s good. It adds to the whole excitement. In 24 hours, this is where it’s going down and this is where you want to be.”
Neufeld comes into tonight’s bout two months removed from this first pro win.
“I’m hoping to go 2-0, keep the momentum rolling and stay healthy, stay in shape and keep competing, because that’s a huge advantage in fighting, the mental preparedness of it. So if you can stay active, that’s a huge advantage over your opponent,” he said.
He was victorious in his pro debut, but it was also an eye-opener.
“That win surprised me, honestly,” said Neufeld. “My professional debut surprised the heck out of me because it was my fastest and my most successful fight I’ve ever had out of my amateur and exhibition bouts. The professional one went the fastest, I was the most technical, my technique was the best and I took the least damage. It was just a huge blessing and I got to do it in front of my friends and family and my hometown. I hope to do that again and keep the streak going.”
He will seek to do that against Matechuck, an unfamiliar opponent.
“I know almost nothing about him,” said Neufeld. “You want to study your opponent and learn everything you can about them, their tendencies, their weaknesses and their strengths and you cater your fight camp to that. This one was just about being well-rounded and staying healthy and dealing with whatever might happen.”
A total of eight bouts are on the card tonight.