Rick Glenn (photo via Score Fighting Series)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Rick Glenn headed to Sarnia, Ontario recently to extend his undefeated streak to 10 and continue his rise up the featherweight ranks. While the Roufusport prospect has certainly faced adversity before, Glenn had more on his mind than normal heading into his Score Fighting Series bout with Lyndon Whitlock.

“It’s really important to win every fight for me,” said Glenn, who went on to stop Whitlock to record his 12th pro win. “Every fight gets a little tougher I suppose, but it just depends on what’s going on outside the gym as well. My Dad had a stroke the week before I fought, so there were some issues with that–he’s doing alright–but that kind of scared me a  little bit. But he’s doing good, so right after I fought I went back to Iowa, then I went to a wedding; it was a pretty busy weekend.”

While some people may have been understandably distracted by the situation, Glenn reports that it allowed him to focus even more so on what needed to be accomplished.

“I just used it as extra motivation,” said “The Gladiator”, who has recorded four stoppage wins in his last five victories. “I just wanted to beat him quick and get back home so I could see him.”

Although Glenn was hoping for a brief night, he ended up battling Whitlock into the third round, before he was able to stop the Iron Tiger Muay Thai fighter at the 2:34 mark.

“It surprised me how tough he was,” said Glenn (12-2). “He took a beating, and I guess I thought he was going to strike a lot more, but he was waiting for me to make mistakes. When I dropped him he bounced right back up and kept fighting pretty good. It was a good fight.”

The win was Glenn’s second under The Score Fighting Series banner, as in August, he scored a second TKO win over Tristan Johnson. The promotion was created to provide MMA content for the Canadian sports network The Score, but now, the events are also broadcast by AXS TV.

“I’m really happy with all the exposure,” said Glenn, while discussing whether SFS has brought a new spotlight to his promising career. “It’s nice going outside of the country, checking out a new place and Canada’s really nice. Lot’s of training up there so it’s pretty cool.”

Rick Glenn kicking Tristan Johnson (photo by Peter Chatterton)

Due to Glenn’s successes, and the fact he hails from a renowned gym like Roufusport, the featherweight could be headed to an even larger promotion sometime next year.

“I thought I’d be in the UFC sooner, but I guess I’m glad I’m not there yet,” Glenn noted. “I’m a lot better now than I was just a year ago. I definitely want to be in the UFC soon. Whenever they want me I’ll be there for them. That’s my goal.”

While Glenn hopes to enter the Octagon, and sometime soon, the prospect hasn’t closed the door to other major promotions like Bellator.

“If I could do a tournament like that, that would be cool,” Glenn added.

The 23 year-old Glenn began fighting in 2006, after he began training with Roufusport, when the boxing gym he was attending closed during high school. The team’s list of accomplished fighters includes names like Anthony Pettis, Ben Askren, Erik Koch and Chico Camus among others.

“Duke’s an awesome coach,” Glenn said about the renowned striking coach Roufus. “Scott Cushman is a great coach too. I always say they’re like mad scientists. It’s crazy the detail and emphasis they put on things that other coaches don’t know about. They’re amazing.”