After making his professional MMA debut early last year at Fury FC 56, Kody Steele had z quick run up the ranks in mind. He cruised to a decisive decision win in his debut bout, and he turned up the temperature at the end of the year with a main event finish at the Fury Challenger Series.
He opened and closed the year with a bang, but thanks to a knee injury, there was nothing in between. He might have been able to push himself to compete, but at only 27 years old, Steele wisely rested up and prepared to run the table in 2023.
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“This year I feel like I’m in a good place,” Steele said. “I know how to play the game better. Everybody’s dangerous, so I feel like I know everybody’s capable of winning. I’m going to start taking one fight at a time and start finishing dudes and see what kind of offers I can get. All my doors are open to everything, and if I stay healthy, I’d like to stay as busy as possible. I have this fight, and if I take no damage I’d like a quick turnaround.”
KODY STEELE CALLOUT ALERT!!!#FuryFC68 pic.twitter.com/BkFGabCIAX
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Despite his reputation in the Jiu jitsu world, Steele views himself as a well-rounded fighter with the ability to push a fighter to deep waters and sink them when they show weakness.
“My style is to have a good gas tank and constant pressure going forward, so it’s like I force the person to fight me,” Steele explained. “I either gas them out and take him out on the feet or I take him down and beat on him and he gives me a submission. At this point, I take whatever they give me.”
Steele is looking to take it one fight at a time but knows that with a busy, successful year, combined with his growing star power, it won’t be long until all the right eyes are on his fights. But that hasn’t – and won’t – interfere with gameplan or training. There’s always an opponent looking to make a name for themselves when they agree to fight him and he never forgets that.
“I don’t feel pressure or anything,” Steele said. “I train every day all day. I don’t drink my own Kool-Aid or anything like that. I just train hard, I work hard, and that’s where I get my confidence. When I have fun I feel like I’m a dangerous person.”
Slip+ Kody Steele strike#FuryCS pic.twitter.com/eAitq7xfjq
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A jump straight from Fury FC to the UFC would obviously be ideal, but Steele knows that Dana White’s Contender Series might be his ticket to the big show.
The trip to stealing the show at DWCS like Bo Nickal did last year begins with a big outing at Fury FC 73.
“Contender’s good publicity and everything,” Steele said. “It’s a good way to get a good test, too. If I win these next couple fights, I’m looking at Contender Series. Contender Series, there’s a lot of tough guys there now. I think that’d be a good way for me to break into tough competition and get a fight in front of Dana. It would be a good test.”
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