Fighters of New York: Codie Payne
American Top Team Whitestone’s Codie Payne (1-2 MMA) will be at it again this Saturday, in Queens, NY, at New York Fight Exchange. He is going up against mixed martial artist Yuting Hong in the WKA NY Lightweight (155lb) division. “They say he’s a striker, but I don’t think he wants to stand with me,” said Payne. After a quick camp, and an unexpected loss in February to amateur MMA fighter Joe Solecki, Payne took no break and jumped right into preparation for his upcoming bout. “Last fight didn’t go my way, but honestly I’m just training hard and being smart,” said Payne. “That was an experience — you learn from your experiences and you learn from your mistakes.” This camp, Payne’s regimen includes lots of fine tuning and sharpening of his conditioning and grappling. Inspired by his team, giving up was never a thought in his mind. “I just want to win for myself and for my team,” said Payne.
When it comes to camp, Payne says his favorite part is the end of it. He says it is fun in the
beginning, but after a few weeks it begins to get a bit mundane. “You’re just tired of working out,
tired of training, tired of thinking about the same opponent over and over and over,” said Payne.
He continued, ”it just gets to a point where you want to go out there and kick the guy’s butt, and
that’s what I’m thinking about right now, that’s where my head is right now.”
Payne shared some brief thoughts on the legalization of MMA in NY, and believes it is a great thing
for the state. “I’m excited to see the changes that will happen, but I’ll be ready for whatever,
regardless,” said Payne. Although he does hope to become a pro in the sport one day, he says he is
focused on the fight that is in front of him right now. “I’ve got goals, and in order to reach those goals, I have to win the fight in front of me.”
One thing Payne doesn’t lack is confidence. He says the key is preparation. “I train extremely
hard, and I come from a very good camp and a very good team, so I usually win.” He continued, “I
train hard, I think positive, and I believe in myself.” One of the main things he prides himself on
this time around is his strength, and he believes his advancement in strength and conditioning has
made him a better all-around athlete. “I’m starting to piece together the puzzle of training as a fighter. It takes experience, and I think I’m just starting to hit my stride.”
Painting a picture of this fight, Payne plans to go out and impose his will from round one.
Although he has his predictions, one thing he is betting on is a second round TKO. “I think I’m the
bigger, stronger fighter, and I also know I’m the heavier hitter so I’m just going to go out there,
impose my will and let him know he’s in a dog fight from the beginning of the bell to the end,
if it lasts that long,” said Payne. “I’m going to treat him like a shirt I’m ironing — put the
pressure on him.”
After his upcoming bout at NYFE, Payne will be preparing for WKA Nationals in May, which will also be held in Queens, NY. “You don’t get to pick your opponent, you just go in there and you fight,” said Payne. For this young fighter, fighting is not just a hobby — it’s life. “You know sometimes I say I’m too pretty to be fighting, but this is what God wants me to do. I have so much talent and I know I do, but this is what he wants me to do and this is what I want to do, so it’s a match made in
heaven!”
New York Fight Exchange
Writer: Janah Campbell
Editor: Kyle Antonelli
Photos: Janah Campbell