It was a cold, dark Wednesday night-- January of 2004. Nine year old Tucker Lutz walked out of the brick confines of Owings Mills High School, his father Stephen by his side. Snow trickling down, sweat from a session of hard work freezing to the tips of his hair as he heads toward Dad's blue Silverado. Off to a hot shower and small portion of whatever his mother Erin made for dinner, all in preparation for a weight cut for the big regional tournament that upcoming weekend.
Such a moment seemed so fleeting at the time; just another day in the life of a young, athletic boy. School, practice, dinner, bed, repeat. Lost in the hustle was the foundation being laid for a career; a commitment to excellence, a penchant for the grind, an unwavering focus on victory. To quote his coach Kevin Redding, "this is only fun if you win." Words that changed a mindset and were vehemently embraced by the kid.
Fast forward eight and a half years and across town to the spring sports ceremony at Franklin High. Tucker, the now-senior, just days away from graduation, was being recognized after the completion of his final season of varsity lacrosse. In the process, he had officially earned his twelve-season athlete award-- a prestigious honor requiring as much mental stamina as physical prowess.
Franklin was and is a football powerhouse, consistently making deep runs in the playoffs that eliminated the potential for any meaningful break before wrasslin' kicked in. Competing at Cole Field House for the Maryland State championships often led right into lacrosse season. For years, downtime wasn't a thing for Lutz until the end of May, which even then was conveniently occupied by golf course maintenance 25-40 hours weekly. A physically demanding childhood, setting the tone for an even more rigorous future.
Despite all of the team accolades, true success was difficult to come by for Tucker. He played sparingly on the elite football teams he was a member of, mainly on special teams. While he did qualify for the wrestling state tournament twice, the trips to University of Maryland were shorter lived than preferred. Even as a starting goalie for the lacrosse team bared mixed results for the young man. The search for a true niche was on, one where he could passionately set his roots, evolve as an individual as well as athlete and thrive in the real world.
In the spring of 2012, that niche was discovered MMA under the tutelage of Rob McCraw at a small Carroll County gym, about twenty minutes from home. Leaning on his wrestling background, Tucker grew quickly in the grappling aspect of the sport, notching suffocating victories over Will Leone, Jon Best and Alejandro Dominguez to start his amateur career. While still visibly one-sided, it was clear that he was a cut above his opponents.
And like that, Top Gun Tucker Lutz was born. Contrary to popular belief, the nickname was not derived from the popular Tom Cruise film, but rather from a hat worn by Adam DeMamp in the Comedy Central show Workaholics. Always a fun talking point.
Slowly but surely, the hands and kicks began to come around, as the 155er rounded out his game and ascended to the top of the Stellar Fights organization-- topping Albert Alvarez, brother of UFC vet Eddie, for the organization's lightweight title. In the process, Lutz's skill began to outgrow the small, Eldersburg gym. After a defense against Latra Collick, he made his move over to Ground Control Owings Mills, conveniently located in town.
The move returned immediate dividends. He successfully defended the title twice before a decisive victory in OO Fights and capturing the vacant Cagezilla featherweight belt over Oscar Ramirez in an action-packed battle. 7-0, two belts and the all important eye test showed that he was ready for the next step. That opportunity would come from Shogun Fights.
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| Tapology.com |
The Baltimore based MMA organization, ran by MMA pioneer John Rallo, brought the two-division amateur champion in for his professional debut in October of 2015. A strong first round against opponent Alvin Mercer was followed by a sluggish second, ultimately ending in a TKO loss in the final frame; the first of his career. It would be the last time he'd experience such a thing for six years. Clean Work Only.
From the ashes of defeat came a wave of momentum that carried the then 21 year-old into the regional spotlight. Three consecutive victories, all by finish, propelled him into a title shot for Shogun fights. Come April of 2018, Lutz challenged featherweight champion Francisco Isata for the belt. It was a competitive scrap in front of a packed Royal Farms Arena, ending in a unanimous win for the new Shogun Fights Featherweight champion.
Over the next year and a half, Tucker went on to defend this belt three times, all by KO/TKO. Along the way, he popped over to the Johnathan Ogden Foundation to pick up another dub, this time by ref stoppage. With an 8-1 professional record and multiple title defenses, it was apparent that this big fish was ready for a bigger pond.
Dana White agreed, and in September of 2020, the Contender Series came calling. With the COVID epidemic raging internationally, it made for a much more isolated training and trip out to Las Vegas than Lutz had endured in previous organizations. A select group of individuals sat in the near-silent UFC Apex to watch his battle against Chase Gibson. Every punch, breath and slam onto the mat was as audible as ever-- a vibe closer to a training session than career-altering opportunity.
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| Photo by Chris Unger- ZUFFA LLC |
The verdict was a win by unanimous decision, but it wasn't the performance White expected from the up and coming prospect. Instead of being offered a UFC contract, he extended some encouraging words and a second opportunity to come onto the Contender Series and prove his worth. Two and a half months later, Lutz would do exactly that.
Sherrad Blackledge was the next on the docket. For the first time in his pro career, the kid from Baltimore entered the octagon as a slight underdog. Blackledge was a lanky foe with a diverse style and an impressive 5-0 record to match. Despite the credentials, he was handled throughout this fight, outside of a few fleeting moments of hope. While it didn't end in a finish like many had hoped, Daddy Dana had seen enough to offer up a very deserved contract for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Just like that, a monumental goal in the dream had been accomplished. This was no time to sit back in revelation at the achievement however, it was simply the first step in the next chapter. The largest, most climactic chapter, where dreams and motivations turned into reality and expectations. A standard of greatness was set; the mission was now to uphold it.
In May of 2021, Houston would be the site of Tucker's UFC debut, with veteran martial artist Kevin Aguilar as the first victim for the company. Boasting a 17-4 record, "The Angel of Death" was a perfect inaugural opponent: a well-rounded veteran of the game, willing to engage in all areas of the fight. A true litmus test for the rookie. Anyone who watched the fight could see that this was where he belonged at this point in his career. A unanimous decision from the judges conferred that belief. The moment was not too big, it was just right.
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| Photo by Troy Taormina- USA Today Sports |
A bout versus Lando Vannata was set for November, but got cancelled due to injury. Pat Sabatini stepped up to the plate for a scrap a week after the Vannata fight was scheduled, thoroughly controlling Lutz for the duration of a decision victory. Minimal damage was absorbed in the loss, but the domination was apparent. As was the need to get back to the lab.
A minor back ailment sidelined Top Gun for much of 2022, but fortunately surgery was avoided, priming the now 29 year-old for a big 2023. He'll be taking on Daniel Pineda (27-14) in San Antonio, Texas in exactly one month, looking to get back into the win column. Camps been great so far-- in the best shape of his life with his eyes locked on the target.
In exactly one month on March 25th, the future at featherweight steps back into the ring. Make sure to tune in.
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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