A fighter from Carlisle has stressed that he wants to enjoy the journey as he looks to fulfill his dream of making it to the UFC. 

Charlie Walker won his first featherweight title belt last weekend with a first-round victory over Liam Hardy, which extended his perfect winning record in amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to five.

Top scouts were in attendance in Darlington and will have kept a close eye on Charlie as he sealed another impressive victory, but the 21-year-old has no plans to rush into a professional career. 

He told the News & Star: "The dream is to get to the top but I don’t really focus on that now. I just want to enjoy the journey and enjoy what I’m doing now. I like winning fights and making it look easy.

"It will come one day, but I’m not rushing to go anywhere. I want to get as much amateur experience as I can to take into a professional career. Then when I do get bigger fights, I can keep my head and keep winning."

Charlie discovered his passion for MMA around three years ago, and some serious hard work and training have quickly seen him become one of the brightest young talents in the sport. 

He said: "I had my first fight after about a year of training and ever since then, I’ve absolutely loved it. I couldn’t imagine my life any other way. I was originally a boxer a few years back, but I lost interest in it. I needed to put my skills into something else.

"I think it’s when you have a passion for something. When you enjoy doing something that much, why not put all your time into it? The more you put in, the more you get out.

"If I’m working harder than all my opponents, I’ve got a better chance of winning early on in the rounds. It just comes down to the training."

Charlie trains at Tapout Knockout Carlisle and was keen to pay tribute to his coaches Michael, Connor, and Brad Tedham for all their help, support, and training after winning his first title belt.

They help the part-time joiner prepare for each opponent and offer advice on particular fight styles and weaknesses for him to target. 

He said: "You obviously go in with a game plan, but sometimes they don’t come off. It’s just about thinking on your feet, winning the rounds, and then winning the fight. People at the club who I trust and train with will tell me little bits of what they think will happen but you have to expect the unexpected.

"It’s all about going into your fights calm and collected. You can’t lose your head when you’re in the cage because a lot of people do that in the MMA.

"You can’t go 100 per cent from the bell because there’s not a chance you could stay 100 per cent for five rounds if it lasts that long."

Charlie expects to have another fight or two before the end of the year but for this week at least, he will spend time with family and friends and allow his body to recover after 12 brutal weeks of training and sparring, which 'definitely knocked out a few brain cells.'