September 20th 2025 was one of those nights that reminded me exactly why I do this. COGA 88 at the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, Washington. Three rounds against Charon Spain. A unanimous decision that pushed my win streak to three in a row.
But I never look at a win as just a win. There is always more going on beneath the surface than what people see from ringside or through a phone screen. I want to break this one down properly because I think there are real lessons in it for any fighter who follows my journey or is on their own path in combat sports.
The Buildup Into COGA 88
This camp was different from anything I had done before. After the Tyrell Pless fight in November 2024 I knew I wanted to stay active, keep the streak going, and keep building on what we had been developing at 10Kicks with Coach Stanly Phan. The work we put in over those months was honestly some of the best training I have had in my career. Every day had a purpose. Every session had a goal. I was not just getting miles in. I was getting better at specific things that I knew would show up in a three round fight.
We identified early in camp that Spain was a tough, physical fighter who liked to press forward and make it ugly. He is not someone who wilts under pressure. He is someone who gets stronger when you back up. So we made a decision early that we were going to dictate where the fight happened and control the pace from the very beginning. That became the backbone of everything we did for eight weeks.
I put in more rounds of wrestling and clinch work for this camp than I have for any fight in my career. Coach Stanly had me drilling collar ties, trips from the fence, and body lock defense probably five days a week. At first it felt repetitive. By the end of camp those movements were automatic. That is what drilling does. It removes the thinking so the doing can happen on instinct.
Round One: Setting the Tone
The first round I was focused on reading him. I wanted to see how he moved, how he reacted to pressure, and where his habits lived. In any fight you spend some time studying the real version of your opponent, not just the film version. Film tells you tendencies. The actual cage tells you how those tendencies feel under pressure.
I established my jab early and started working the body in the first ninety seconds. Working the body is something I believe in deeply. It is a long game investment. You do not always see the payoff in the first round but by round two and three the interest starts to collect. I caught him with three clean body shots in the first round that I felt land well. He winced on the second one and that told me something.
I also used my wrestling to control the round. I did not go for takedowns recklessly but I used my clinch presence to dictate position and slow the pace when I needed to. That is something I have developed over the years. You do not have to finish every takedown. Sometimes the threat of the takedown is enough to reshape how your opponent moves and what they commit to on the feet.
Round Two: Finding My Rhythm
By round two I could feel myself finding the fight. There is a moment in most fights where the noise settles and your training just starts to flow. Round two was that moment for me. I was moving cleaner, throwing combinations with more conviction, and landing at a consistent rate.
I had a moment in the second round where I had him hurt briefly and I want to be honest about what happened. I did not pull the trigger aggressively enough. I measured when I should have committed. That is something I am still developing as a fighter. The instinct to finish when someone is hurt is something you build over time through experience. I left points and potentially a finish on the table in that moment and I have thought about it since.
That said I controlled the round. My conditioning felt strong. Coach Stanly had me doing some brutal cardio sessions in camp, including hill sprints and long distance hiking in addition to our gym work, and it absolutely showed in how I felt through round two.
Round Three: Closing It Out
The third round I wanted to be disciplined and smart. I did not need a finish to win. My job was to continue what was working, stay sharp, and not give him anything to change the momentum of the fight. That is a mental skill that does not get talked about enough. Knowing when to be calculated rather than reckless is what separates experienced fighters from guys who blow leads.
I used my jab, I continued to work the body, I stayed active in the clinch, and I made him work every second of that third round. By the final minute I could feel that the decision was mine if I stayed composed. I stayed composed. The judges scored it unanimously in my favor and I will take that all day.
What I Am Still Working On
I made a point after the fight to sit with Coach Stanly and go through the tape before I did anything else. Not to criticize myself but to learn. The things I want to sharpen going into the next fight are my finishing instincts when someone is hurt, my lateral movement off the cage, and my output consistency in the second half of rounds. Those are three specific areas and I am already working on all of them.
I also want to be more aggressive in setting up submissions from the clinch. My BJJ background from training at Marcelo Alonso BJJ and now at 10Kicks gives me tools that I am not always using to their full potential in MMA. That is something Coach Stanly and I are prioritizing going forward.
Three in a Row
Three wins in a row after losing three in a row means something to me. It is not just a stat. It is a statement about what kind of person and fighter I am. Adversity either breaks you or it makes you more dangerous. I chose to let it make me more dangerous. The journey is not over. It is just getting started. Stay locked in at @jn_blacklightning for everything that comes next.
