It’s business as usual for Cochrane mixed martial arts fighter Trent “Slaughter” House – even though he is preparing for his first-ever pro match.
House, who faces Red Deer’s Nathan Wilkins (1-1) in an Aggression Fighting Championship (AFC) lightweight bout March 15 at Telus Convention Centre in Calgary, is confident he can make the jump from amateur to pro. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound striker is 8-3 as an amateur in mixed martial arts (MMA) and Muay Thai disciplines.
“I’m feeling good,” the 24-year-old said. “Right now it’s just trying to make weight. Other than that, I’ve trained hard and prepared hard for this one.”
House’s coach, Brian Bird at Champions Creed Gym in Calgary, is confident House is ready to make the adjustment to the pro ranks.
“He’s looking fantastic,” Bird enthused. “He trains very hard. He’s very focussed. He’s one of the best guys with work ethic in the gym.
“He’s looking sharp.”
House said the only real adjustment going from amateur to pro MMA is the length of rounds (from three, three-minute rounds to three, five-minute rounds) and the importance of winning.
“It’s more important with the record. You’ve got to keep winning because it’s the pro’s record everyone looks at.
“I still train the same amount and everything. I’ve been training hard for this one.”
And it’s his reach advantage, which he used to defeat Medicine Hat’s Mitch Carlson in his final amateur bout last November, that makes him such a dangerous striker. He will engage an opponent on the ground, but prefers standing up and using his feet and hands.
“We prefer to keep it in the striking area,” Bird offered. “We feel his striking is going to be better than Wilkins’, for sure. If we can keep it in the striking area for 90 per cent of the fight, odds are he’s going to win that fight.”
But Bird has been working with the Cochrane fighter to improve his ground game.
“I’ve got the best trainer,” House remarked. “Brian Bird at Champions Creed is the best guy in Western Canada. Definitely been training hard on the ground game. Definitely comfortable with that.”
