During the first half of his 2015, flyweight up-and-comer Ken “Sensation” Porter has built off the success he had at the end of last year and finds himself with a four-fight winning streak.
Porter chalks up his success to having solid opponents, while also coming into his own as a person and a fighter over the last several months.
“I take every fight as a learning experience,” Porter told MMAWeekly.com. “I went against a couple tough opponents and I learned a lot. They evolved my game. I got put in a bad situation in my last fight, and I learned from it, and I won.
“I’ve also matured. This sport is about maturity. I feel that as you mature as a person, you’ll mature in this sport and go a long ways.”
In particular, Porter feels like assets that have shined the most has been, “My stand-up and my speed. I’m very fast. I’m very unorthodox and do a lot of different stuff. People like to see me stand up and fight.”
His efforts of late have been rewarded, as Porter (8-2) will be making his RFA debut on Friday night in St. Louis, against former titleholder Matt Manzanares (7-5) in a 125-pound feature bout.
“It opens a lot of doors and it shows that I am progressing,” said Porter of joining the RFA. “I’ve been noticed and I’m in a bigger show, so now the sky’s the limit and I’m going to keep pushing forward.
“Matt is a great opponent. He’s tough and very durable. He’s pretty fast and I feel we can put on an exciting fight. I’m happy to have such a game opponent.”
Porter believes that a win over a veteran like Manzanares could be the springboard for his title aspirations in 2015.
“I feel like I’m in a position with how hard I’ve been working and training that I’ve put into this, that if I get an opportunity to fight for a championship, I’ll be ready,” said Porter. “It will be a very big year for me.”
