When
Steve Dubeck heads to Edmonton next month to fight at King of the Cage Canada’s
“Stand and Deliver” card on November 16th, the Bowman’s MMA fighter will do so
with momentum on his side. After losing his first three professional bouts
Dubeck has gone 3-1 since, and the Fort McMurray fighter credits his recent
success to more than just an evolving skill set.
“Honestly man, as odd as this might sound, having a kid puts a lot of things into perspective,” said the 27 year-old Dubeck, who also works fulltime as a millwright. “If you’re going to work for somebody it just gives you a different drive. I always use my daughter for a lot motivation in all of my fights. It just changed in that way; staying more positive, staying more focused on certain goals I’m trying to achieve. That’s worked out quite well for me.”
Dubeck
began fighting professionally in 2007, not longer after he began training
seriously in the sport.
“How
I got involved is that in Fort McMurray everyone’s kind of got that tough guy
mentality,” Dubeck relayed. “I did some martial arts as a kid, but nothing
really steady that I stayed with, and really, just again that tough guy
mentality, I got right into it.”
“I
wasn’t training with Sandy (Bowman) and kind of got thrown in blind,” Dubeck
furthered. “I didn’t do so well in the fight but it just made me totally fall
in love with the sport. I got a real eye opener as far as what it takes to be
in there and to be successful...I started training full time and I’ve been
doing pretty good with that since.”
While
Dubeck has been winning more regularly as of late, he’s also been competing at
a much lower weight than when he started.
“I
started out as a 205-er,” the welterweight said. “I wasn’t a 205 fighter; I was
just a heavier guy. I had a different job and a totally different lifestyle. As
I got more into it, I got more athletic and lived a more healthy lifestyle and
now I walk around at 185. 170 is a perfect weight for me.”
Since
Dubeck was stopped by former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor Ryan McGillivray,
he’s scored victories over Curtis Poulin, Dave Logan and most recently Chris
Lauzon. The welterweight’s success story is just one of the latest to come out
of the renowned Boman’s MMA gym.
“I
really feel like when fights get lined up, everyone will hear a name and
they’ll say okay, but then they’ll look into and what we’re really about,”
Dubeck said, while discussing the growing reputation of the gym. “Bowman’s guys
are tough man. Everyone’s there and everyone has a goal and that’s to win. It
shows in the way we train. I’ve definitely noticed that a wider group of people
know who we are and where we come from.”
Dubeck
will look to continue his winning ways on November 16th, at Edmonton’s Mirage
Banquet, when he takes on Cameron Loutitt.
“Honestly,
my last four or five fights I’ve just given up on that,” said Dubeck, when
asked if he’s done any research about Loutitt. “I think we all know the local
scene and guys are dropping fights like steady, or they’re in or out all the
time. I used to focus on particular guys and who I was fighting and that didn’t
really work out for me. Now I hear a name and I say okay.”
“I
don’t really care who it is,” Dubeck added. “I don’t know anything about him
and I like to keep it that way. He’s got to worry about me and what I bring.
I’m not too concerned about the other guy.”
Tickets
for “Stand and Deliver” can be purchased by heading to ClubZone.com or at the
Wild West Shooting Centre.
Photo
via MMANewsCanada.com
