Image via CES MMA
Record: 6-2
Age: 23
Weight class: Welterweight
Height: 5’10″
Birthplace: Connecticut
Next Fight: April 1 vs. Justin Sumter (8-4) at CES MMA 66 in Hartford, Conn. (UFC Fight Pass)
Background: Like many other fighters, Billy Goff is rooted in his wrestling beginnings. At 8, Goff started wrestling and continued with it all the way through wrestling. Despite some bigger collegiate wrestling offers, Goff elected to stay closer to home and go to community college. Lack of competition had Goff antsy. He started training again and the passion for combat sports competition became greater than ever. Goff thrived. Eventually, he turned amateur. Shortly thereafter, he went professional. Goff had mixed results early, but history shows even in his defeats, he was ahead of many fighters of a similar experience level. Following back-to-back defeats, Goff is currently on a four-fight winning streak which includes CES MMA and Cage Titans championship clinches – and a win in Bellator over a member of the Gracie family.
The Skinny: Sure, his record might not jump off the page at you. But 6-2 doesn’t tell you the whole picture. His two losses came early in his career. One was stopped on cuts. The other was a close decision loss to future “The Ultimate Fighter” competitor Kemran Lachinov, a tough out, who was exponentially more experienced at the time. Since then, Goff has shown glimpses of greatness, mixed with the raw, unharvested talent that makes viewers think his potential ceiling is sky high. His offensive striking is powerful, especially his elbows. Defensively, he can improve but his chin is solid. His grappling is strong as are his mic skills. With a third New England title around his waist should he win at CES MMA 66, Goff could be a slick addition to Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.
In his own words: “I think I’m already ready for the next level without this fight. This is just a bonus. This just changes how I enter. This just makes my stock worth a lot more. I don’t think this affects where I’m going. I already think I’ve shown what I can do. I’ve done it in an exciting fashion. I think I’ve already done what I’ve needed to, to be ready for the next level. Now, does that mean I’m going to get there right away? Does that mean I’m going to get there when I want to? Not necessarily. I think it should, but things always go some type of way. So you never know.”
“… If the UFC called me tomorrow, and said, ‘Hey, you want to fight Kamaru Usman?’ What am I going to say? ‘No’? Of course, I’m going to say yes. Sometimes great opportunities present themselves and you’ve got to be ready to take them even when it’s not the perfect situation. I think taking this fight on seven days’ notice, going up a weight class, this is the sh*t Dana White loves to see.”
“… I think I’m going to be the best in the world. I’m not at my peak. I’m not as good as I’m going to be. But I know I’m going to be the best. I know. I’ve watched the guys in the UFC and I know I can beat them. It’s not like, ‘Oh, man. They’re so far away from me. I’ve got to get better.’ It’s like, ‘No, I’m going to get better and then be a lot better than them.’ I know I can beat them.”
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