As the anticipation builds for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event in Sturgis on August 3rd, heavyweight contender Josh “Stay Down” Watson opens up about his preparation and mindset leading up to the fight against Roundstone.
In a recent interview, Watson shared insights into his training regimen, highlighting a shift in focus from previous camps. “No, no, no routines. You know, like swapped out some things, you know, like for [Greg] Hardy, because he was much larger than me, we did a lot more strength and conditioning. Whereas in this one, it was a lot more just conditioning in general. My strength has always been there, so it’s not really much of a worry for me. It’s more so the cardio and the skills.”
Watson’s transition from mixed martial arts (MMA) to bare-knuckle boxing has been a significant journey, one that has required continuous adaptation and skill refinement. “Over the years, switching from MMA to boxing, I’ve had to learn to become a boxer. And… now I’ve been doing it for a few years. When we have camps like this, it’s no longer about learning a skill. We’re kind of, you know, brushing up on it and just, you know, polishing off what I already have and just making it better.”
When asked about his strategy and the predictability of his fighting style, Watson remained confident. “If you watch my fights, you kind of see, you know, what my weapons are and, you know, what I tend to throw. It’s just one of those things that it’s not a mystery, but they’ve always been there. So they’ve always been there and they’re always still landing, so it’s not that big of a deal. They’ll still hit.”
As for his expectations in the upcoming fight, Watson was candid about his predictions. “It’s either the end of the first or second round. Ruben’s pretty tough. He’s not really, I haven’t seen any of his videos, him getting flat out dropped. In his last fight, he got, you know, he went down because of getting his nose or orbital cracked or something like that. He went down, but he ain’t been dropped. So when that happens, it’ll be the second round.”
Looking ahead, Watson expressed his hopes for the future, particularly regarding a potential fight in his hometown of Las Vegas. “This ain’t going to be the last one. This one doesn’t have enough meaning behind it to stop on. Still waiting on Vegas to get sanctioned so that I can have a fight in my home crowd and fight in front of friends, especially since Sturgis is going to be so difficult for people to get to.”
The logistics of fighting in Sturgis during the motorcycle rally have posed challenges for Watson’s supporters. “A lot of people trying to come out for it, and they realize because of the motorcycle rally, travel expenses are kind of through the roof, so not very many people are going to be able to come up to it who aren’t already at the campground.”
Despite the obstacles, Watson remains focused and ready for the challenge ahead. Fans eagerly await what promises to be an intense showdown in the BKFC ring.
