When looking back over his 2020, featherweight Isaac Dulgarian ended up having the kind of year that most fighters only plan for but don’t fully realize.
After missing the first half of the year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Dulgarian got right to work in the second half of 2020, recording three straight victories to close out his amateur career undefeated.
“For me 2020 was an awesome year,” Dulgarian told MMAWeekly.com. “As soon as Covid stuff started happening and everyone was freaking out I had more time to put into my craft. The hardest part was finding fights, but I had three and they all went well for me, so 2020 was one of the best years of my life so far.”
Having conquered the amateur circuit, Dulgarian turns his attention to the pro ranks in 2021. Now that he’s making a step up in competition he knows he’ll have to further develop his game to continue his success in the transition.
“All my fights as an amateur were fairly one-sided,” said Dulgarian. “I barely made it out of the first round or I didn’t at all. I did an awesome job staying comfortable and learning.
“Now that I’m a pro the biggest thing I need to focus on is making sure my striking is well-rounded and I’m being creative with it and blending it with my grappling and everything. I’m already fairly good at it but there are always improvements that are coming.”
This Friday in Kansas City, Missouri, Dulgarian (0-0) makes his pro debut versus Sam Hernandez (2-2) in a main card 145-pound bout at FAC 7.
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“For me, my keys to victory are doing what I do every day: if I fight at my pace and fight wherever I want the rest will take care of itself,” Dulgarian said. “I’ll be the one determining if we’re standing up or on the ground. I’m okay going anywhere with (Hernandez).
“He’s a scrappy fighter, he’s tough, he’s not going to back down, so that’s exciting to me.”
Now that he’s begun his pro journey, Dulgarian has a clear idea of where he’d like to find himself by year’s end.
“I have the goal to be 3-0 by the end of the year,” said Dulgarian. “If I can get three fights, hopefully three finishes, next year I can look at getting on the Contender Series.”