After having spent six years on the amateur circuit, flyweight Anna Crutchfield is ready to make her pro debut this weekend for B2 Fighting.
Though Crutchfield gained a lot of experience during her time as an amateur, if things had gone the way she wanted, she would have turned pro right out of the gate.
“Honestly I thought I would be professional fighter when I was 18 (following my first amateur fight) but my career has taken many different turns and twists,” Crutchfield told MMAWeekly.com.
“It just got to the point where it was really hard to find opponents, so me and my manager and coaches talked about it and were like now is the time, let’s go.”
During the course of her amateur career, Crutchfield feels like she made the necessary moves to ensure she could be successful at the pro level.
“I feel like a completely different person than the first time I stepped into the cage,” said Crutchfield. “I was more so just a striker, so I had my first amateur MMA fight in 2016 and then my second one in 2018, and between those two fights much changed.
“I moved camps and started training more the grappling and Jiu-Jitsu side, and since then my career has taken off. I feel like my career has definitely developed a lot over the past few years.”
This Saturday in Trussville, Alabama, Crutchfield (0-0) will make her pro debut against Cheyanne Bowers (0-1) in a main card 125-pound bout at B2 Fighting Series 179.
“I know exactly what to expect going in,” Crutchfield said. “I’ve watched some of (Bowers’) fights and some of her interviews and she positions herself as a grappler, so that’s definitely her game plan from what I’ve heard. I know what to expect from there.
“I feel I’ll be able to implement my game plan better, defend the takedowns, and I think I’ll finish it on the feet.”
Though she’s just stepping into the pro ranks, Crutchfield has a clear idea of where she’d like to take things in her 2023.
“I’m definitely someone who likes to plan things out,” said Crutchfield. “My goal this year is to have at least four fights and end the year 4-0.
“I know that’s kind of difficult to get fights, especially for females, it’s a little bit limited, so four might not be realistic, but at least three by the end of the year.”