Forced to the sidelines for 15 long months, Reggie Adams itching to return to cage at CFFC 111
Like many other athletes dealing with lingering injuries, Reggie Adams tried to accelerate his road to recovery. Unfortunately for him, that gamble backfired.
"I would have probably been back sooner, but the reason I was out is the first time I was hurt, I rushed back to practice thinking, 'I'm feeling better, you know? There's no pain,'" Adams recalled. "I went to practice and re-injured myself and had to wait even longer, so I was like, OK, sit down and just wait to heal properly and then let's get back to work.
"It was frustrating because you want to be there. You miss it. You have the itch that can't be scratched, but you've got to do what's right and just wait, and now is the time. I finally get to scratch that itch."
Adams (6-3) returns from a 15-month layoff when steps into the cage at Friday's CFFC 111 event, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Mississippi's Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino. There, he'll face fellow featherweight Justice Lamparez (6-5).
Adams admits he spent more time focusing on his own improvements than extensively studying his opponent's style but is expecting a game adversary.
"I don't know too much about him," Adams admitted. "I have watched some film. It seems like he's a well-rounded individual – got some standup and some ground game – but no matter where the fight goes, I want to be prepared and game, no matter what, so I'm ready."
For Adams, the long-awaited return to action gives him an opportunity to right some wrongs that occurred last time out, when he suffered a decision loss to Jesse Stirn at CFFC 95. "Spider Monkey" is excited to display the improvements that he's made in the time away.
"My last time in the cage, I left unsatisfied, you know, without the result that I wanted," Adams said. "I'm very interested and eager to get back in there and just really showcase what all I've got and the new skillset and talent that I have.
"I looked at my last performance and last time in the cage to see what went wrong and what I could do better and made adjustments to my gameplan. In the end, I just feel like as long as I'm in control and don't let my opponent control any aspect of the fight – you know, if you win each exchange, and if you're in control of every situation throughout the fight, you're winning. You've got to direct and dictate where the fight goes, and that's what I'm planning to do."
If victorious, Adams is hoping to get booked again quickly. He insists he's not looking past Lamparez but is simply hoping to make up for some of the time he lost while forced to the sidelines. An impressive performance would go a long way toward making all those plans become a reality, and that's exactly what he plans to do.
"I don't think this is going to be a 15-minute fight," Adams said. "I plan on finishing this fight. I don't plan on standing there and wasting 15 minutes. I do plan on putting on a good show and just staying dominant and putting on a good performance for the crowd, but whatever he gives me, whatever he shows, once I see it, I'm taking it. I'm getting him out of there. I'm not trying to prolong anything."
