Former UFC heavyweight champion Shane Carwin may be the most notable wrestler from Western Colorado State to transition to MMA so far, but light-heavyweight prospect Cody Mumma is looking to change that.
Over the last four years, Mumma has worked hard to go from Division II wrestler to MMA fighter, amassing an overall 9-3 record as an amateur and pro.
“I trained to transition to MMA for a couple of years before having my first amateur fight in 2010 and since then I’ve grown as a fighter and have been picking up on my striking and jiu-jitsu and have become a pretty well-rounded fighter now,” Mumma told MMAWeekly.com.
”The fights I’ve won I feel like I’ve performed well, and in the fights I didn’t win I feel I definitely learned something and it helped me grow as a fighter. All in all, I feel like I’ve done pretty well so far.”
After having built himself on local shows in Colorado, Mumma will take a step up to a larger stage when he makes his RFA debut on Friday.
“I have some pretty lofty goals in MMA and this is definitely a stepping stone in the right direction,” said Mumma of fighting in the RFA. “I want to take this opportunity and capitalize on it.”
Mumma (5-2) will make his promotional debut at RFA 20 in Broomfield, Colo., against veteran Colton Vaughan (6-4) in a feature 205-pound bout.
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“Colton’s a good opponent, but I don’t have to change up my game plan a lot for his particular style,” said Mumma. “I’m going to go in there with the same game plan I usually do: just swing with him a little bit, put him on the cage, and then put him on the ground. I want to overpower him and do what I can.”
Having made the move to a larger show, Mumma hopes it will open opportunities for him to go from local star to a more nationally recognized talent.
“I feel like (a win in the RFA) will give me a lot of exposure and hopefully give me a couple more fights with the RFA and maybe get me a couple of out of town fights and help me get a good winning streak going on more of a national level,” said Mumma.
