Last week, the UFC announced it plans to return to St. Louis for a show on May 11. Garrett Armfield, who grew up in St. Louis, wants to get on the show.
Armfield lived in St. Louis until he was 18. He moved to Springfield, Missouri, for a couple of years before leaving for Florida for four years. Now he’s back in Kansas City as of 10 months ago, training at Marathon MMA. He still calls St. Louis home, though.
Armfield, who came up in Shamrock FC, a St. Louis-based regional show, said competing in the UFC in his old hometown would be a “full circle moment.” He recalls fighting at smoker shows in cigarette-filled venues when he first started out. He had kickboxing matches in the city at 8 years old. Now he’s looking to compete in the Octagon there.
“To start at the bottom and make it to the top of the sport and to be able to compete in front of friends and family who were there to support me the entire way, it would be a dream come true,” Armfield told MMASucka. “It would be a great experience. If I don’t get a spot on it, that’s OK. It won’t be the end of the world. I would look forward to whatever’s next.”
Armfield, in his pitch to the UFC, said he has a fan-friendly style and likes to keep it striking.
“I think that’s a big reason why they should put me in front of a live crowd,” he said. “I bring some excitement when I fight. My message to the UFC? If you give me the opportunity, I will not disappoint. I always love to have exciting fights, so fingers crossed.”
He has a couple of dance partners in mind for a bantamweight clash: Marcus McGhee and Brady Hiestand.
“Marcus McGhee would be a cool ass fight,” Armfield said. “He’s one who really gets my ass out of bed in the morning. He’s a tough opponent, and he’s dangerous. I feel like that’s what I’m looking for in the sport: a sense of danger. I don’t want someone who’s going to hug my legs the entire time and not really be effective. I’m ready for that type of fight no matter where it goes. I want to be able to show everybody that I can be just as exciting. Marcus McGhee would be awesome.”
People on social media have been calling for Armfield to fight Hiestand, Armfield said.
“That would be a cool match-up, as well. I think either of those are awesome. Whoever the UFC sends me, the answer is going to be yes.”
Armfield has gone abroad his last two fights: to Singapore to fight Japanese fighter Toshiomi Kazama and to Toronto to fight Canadian Brad Katona. He won both. Armfield said it would be cool to get to be the hometown fighter in the UFC for a change.
“I’m not really deserving of anything in this sport yet. But if they want to let me fight at home since I’ve been abroad twice now my past two fights, I would love that. I don’t mind going elsewhere again. I like to travel. I get to see the world at least.”
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