Hugh Pulley has a new fighting moniker, and the Cage Fury FC welterweight contender hopes the change will mark the start of a new chapter in his MMA career.
Pulley is set to take on Collin Lubberts at CFFC 119 on Thursday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Florida. The event streams live globally on UFC Fight Pass.
It’s a bout that could propel the winner toward a shot at the promotion’s 170-pound title, held by newly-crowned champion Charles “Chuck Buffalo” Radtke, and Pulley hopes to prove his worth with a strong performance against tough opposition.
“He’s pretty strong everywhere,” Pulley told CFFC.tv.
“This is kind of what I wanted to fight him for because I wasn’t seeing weak points anywhere. I like those types of opponents.
“When I do see a weakness upon the time of the fight, I can find it. He’s pretty solid everywhere – good boxing, good takedown offense, good takedowns, good kicks.
“Everybody that I’m going against now is supposed to be UFC-worthy or going towards the UFC. I trained over the top this time.”
The bout will also see Pulley debut his new nickname. Previously he was known as “The Wolverine,” but now he wants to be announced as “The Preacher.” It’s a change that he said reflects his new outlook on life.
“‘The Preacher’ is just my step up in faith,” Pulley said.
“It just represents me going out there knowing that I have a greater purpose, knowing that I have a greater platform to reach out.”
Pulley’s faith plays a big role in his life, and he wants it to play a big role in his fights, too. But that doesn’t mean he’ll rely on divine intervention to progress his career. Instead, he plans to use to the fullest the gifts he’s been given.
“Sometimes people try to use God as a genie and stuff like that, but sometimes he gives you the skills you need to use; you’ve just gotta go out there and do the job,” he said.
“I feel like the last couple fights, I didn’t do that. I was just kind of contingent on God to work, but God already instilled things in me over time.”
With a fresh outlook, and a new moniker, Pulley hopes to push himself to the very top of the Cage Fury Fighting Championships welterweight division. He knows that the promotion has produced a host of fighters that have gone on to compete in the UFC and, like those fighters, he wants to earn his stripes under the CFFC banner.
“The goal is always to get the belt,” he said.
“And for a long time, I’d been fighting kind of in circles and with no leadership and no areas to point to. (Fighting for) CFFC is just acknowledgement that I’m in the right place and going to the right places.”
CFFC 119: Confirmed bouts
- Donovan Beard vs. Gregg Ellis – for middleweight title
- Collin Lubberts vs. Hugh Pulley
- Tyler Keating vs. William Rentz
- Emiliano Calderon vs. Robert Varricchio
- Will Spann III vs. Shamel Findley
- Jomal Rodriguez vs. Brandon Lopez
- Gus D’Angelo vs. Jesus Hernandez
- Alvin Welch vs. Max Quinones
- Chad Ritter vs. Morquez Forest
- Isaiah Sackey-El vs. Kareem Kline