Fortune teller
When Josh Fremd retires as a professional fighter, the 2012 graduate of Connellsville Area High School may want to invest in being a soothsayer.
Fremd returned to the cage Friday night in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) event at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C., and delivered a TKO over Jhony Gregory in the second round of their middleweight (185 pounds) bout that was on the event’s main card.
While Fremd’s second finish in as many fights in the PFL was impressive, as he hopes to move up in the PFL’s middleweight rankings from No. 9, the former Falcon football player and wrestler should receive an additional bonus for being nearly spot on with his prediction of how the fight would turn out.
Fremd (13-6, 10 stoppages) stated in an article that was published in the Herald-Standard the day of the fight that he anticipated Gregory (11-6, 9 stoppages) would come out swinging in the opening round, but if he could weather the initial onslaught, the bout would turn in his favor.
Fremd also saw a fire in the eyes of Gregory the week leading up to the fight, as the two would pass each other in the hotel lobby and at their media obligations and during weigh-ins, but he wasn’t sure if it was bravado or truth.
“I wasn’t stressed regarding his demeanor because some guys work hard to hype themselves up, and I interpreted it as fake confidence, but he did have that look in his eyes all week,” Fremd said. “He did come out strong in the first round, and after it ended, my corner told me that he had won the round, so I knew I had to get going.”
Despite winning the opening round, which saw him land shots to Fremd’s face and legs and attempt a guillotine, Gregory appeared to be slowing down as he rose from his stool to begin the second five minutes of a scheduled three rounds.
Fremd became the aggressor, and although he was struck on a counter attack, he landed an overhand right that sent Gregory to the canvas. Fremd pounced on his downed opponent before the referee stepped in and called a halt to the action at 1:44 of the second round.
“I wanted to set-up my right hand, and when I saw an opening, I took it and got the job done,” Fremd said. “I was confident in my cardio, and I had a good feeling I would be able to take advantage of him tiring, but I have to give him credit, he is a tough dude.”
Using his wrestling background, Fremd scored a takedown late in the first round.
Fremd has fought twice this year in the PFL, and had a victory fighting for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) promotion, but wouldn’t hesitate to take a fourth contest before 2027 arrives.
“I would love to get a fourth fight in before the year ends, but if not, I will just take the time to go snowboarding,” Fremd said. “I had some bumps and bruises from the fight. I am going to see a doctor just to make sure I’m OK, but I should be fine. As great as this is, I know I have to get back in the gym and work. I know my next opponent will be an even tougher fighter, but I will be ready for him.”
Fremd’s main goal is to win a championship in the PFL.
For someone who had six fights in the UFC, Fremd remains humble, and still has to pinch himself to remember how far he has come over the past 12-13 years.
“It’s still amazing when I sit back and think about it,” Fremd said. “It’s surreal at times. I was just a kid in the wrestling room at Connellsville, and had fought in some dimly-lit gyms early in my career before fighting in areas on national television and pay-per-views.”