Athletes
Jamal Pogues Won't Forget How Far He's Come
UFC Heavyweight Jamal Pogues Won't Stop Grinding Until He's Proven Himself Right And That Next Step Comes At UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs Imavov
Jamal Pogues couldn’t wait to get to London for his July bout with Mick Parkin. And even though things didn’t go the way he expected them to that night, he’s looking at the big picture when it comes to his second UFC fight.
“I was able to enjoy it because, finally, I got to be there,” Pogues said of his first trip outside of the United States. “I got to go out of the country and see a lot of things, so the experience, as a whole, was good. I didn't get the results I wanted, but I definitely can't wait to go back.”
That’s called perspective. It’s a gift too many don’t have, especially in the world of professional sports. Sure, winning matters, but showing up, giving your best and enjoying everything surrounding game day or fight night matters just as much. Getting to this point has been a long process for the 28-year-old heavyweight, who meets UFC newcomer Thomas Petersen on Saturday in Las Vegas, where he now makes his home.
READ: Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs Imavov
“It's one of the hardest things I had to learn in my career, and I think I learned it more moving out here to Vegas,” said Pogues. “I always was taught that you work harder than everybody and you get there faster. And it wasn't always the case. I feel like I missed out on a lot of experiences in life, and you realize that life is a little bit more than just fighting. Mind you, I love fighting and I love what I do, but it's those times when I'm not fighting that allow you to miss it. And it's kind of hard to miss something when you're always doing it. So, let's go have that break. That mental break. Is one thing I never really gave myself over the years.”
So while he admits to being stung by the decision loss to Parkin for a bit, when he shook off his first defeat since 2020, he got the break he needed.
“The fight didn't go my way, and it took me a couple weeks to get back into it,” said Pogues, who put in a 14-week camp for Parkin. “I was broken for a little bit, but then I went to have fun. I told everybody, ‘Hey, look, I love you guys, bur just give me some time.’ And I felt that was probably one of the biggest things. I'm glad that my teammates, my family and my friends supported that.”
Then it was back to work and a matchup with another veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series in Petersen, who sports an 8-1 pro record heading into Saturday’s matchup. The energy of Pogues, who went 2-0 in his two DWCS appearances, is high as he attempts to return to the win column, and he’s training smarter, not harder, for this pivotal bout.
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“A lot of things fell into place and I'm excited,” he said. “It’s funny how everything slowly just comes together. So the camp was good.”
And when those days get tough, he takes a breath and remembers that this is what he always wanted.
Jamal Pogues, Part 2 | Dana White’s Contender Series: Next Level
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Jamal Pogues, Part 2 | Dana White’s Contender Series: Next Level
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“Sometimes I’ll be stressed out, like, man, this is hard, this is tough,” he said. “And then I look back and I'll be like, that young kid would be so proud to be right here. I’ve always got to remind myself that the kid in me wanted this so bad and you have to enjoy it while it's here.”
Pogues is enjoying it, and he realized that he had to at precisely the right time. He’s in the UFC, he hasn’t reached 30 years old yet, and he’s got the opportunity to make some moves in 2024. But what about 2014? What about the version of Jamal Pogues that he wrote in his UFC bio will be his hero. What does that guy look like?
“Jamal Pogues in 10 years is proving that little kid right - that he was going to be great,” he said. “I didn't know what I was going to be great at. I grew up in a tough environment with rough people, and that’s an understatement. And I guess you would say I stuck out like a sore thumb because I felt like the life that was given to me wasn't good enough, even though everyone told me, ‘You're crazy as hell; you need to slow down.’ Blah, blah, blah, I've heard everything you can think of, and I just didn't accept that as an answer. I can tell you one thing: I've been scared every single step of the way, but Jamal in 10 years is going to prove that kid right. And that's one thing I keep fighting for. On the days where it gets tough, where I feel like I'm not good enough and feel like I should just quit and not do this at all, I walk in there and I'm like, damn, this is why I love this sport. This is why I love what I do. Jamal in 10 years is going to be proud of himself for not giving up.”
UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs Imavov took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 3, 2024. See the final Main Card & Prelim Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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