Hitem FIGHT TALK WITH YOUR BOY THE WHATS NEXT KID interview

The Hitem FIGHT TALK WITH YOUR BOY THE WHATS NEXT KID interview brought a precise prediction: Hitem expects to stop Austin Spangler between 3:45 and 4:30 of the first round. He also explained what went wrong on the ground against Weston Wilson, how he has changed his training, and why returning to fight for Jesse Finney and Shamrock FC matters to him.

What did Hitem say about Austin Spangler?

Hitem sees Austin Spangler as a dangerous submission fighter, but believes Spangler has not faced the kind of opposition Hitem has experienced. He predicted a first-round stoppage without dismissing the risk: Hitem said everyone who enters the cage is dangerous and acknowledged that Spangler could be a tough opponent.

Hitem described Spangler as a five-and-one prospect associated with the Midwest and Kansas, though he said he was not sure where Spangler was from. He believes Spangler won his previous two fights by submission. That record interests Hitem because Spangler appears confident in precisely the area where Hitem has recently had to reassess his own decisions.

In Hitem’s view, Spangler is still developing. He contrasted Spangler’s experience with the difficult fights and damage he said he has taken himself. That is Hitem’s assessment, not a claim that Spangler cannot threaten him; he repeatedly recognized the danger of a fighter who trusts his submission game.

Hitem declined to call himself Spangler’s toughest opponent. He said he had not examined Spangler’s previous opponents closely enough to make that judgment and thought Spangler’s most recent opponent had given him problems before being caught in a scramble.

What did Hitem say about his fight with Weston Wilson?

Hitem said staying comfortable on the ground cost him against Weston Wilson. He recalled catching Wilson in a triangle, questioning his own judgment and then getting caught himself. Rather than treating the exchange as proof that he could not grapple, Hitem focused on why he remained on his back for so long.

The triangle exchange with Weston Wilson

Hitem described the opening of the fight as a quick takedown followed by an exchange in which he felt he could gauge Wilson’s strength. He became comfortable there, he said, despite having already spent energy. Looking back, he identified that comfort as the mistake.

His review began with the first round and the triangle exchange. From there, Hitem and his team addressed a broader question: why was he on his back in the first place? He said the issue was not simply knowing a technique, but making the right decision before an opponent could take advantage of the position.

Why does Hitem prefer striking to jiu-jitsu?

Hitem said he is a jiu-jitsu purple belt with confidence in his submission ability, but he would rather stand and strike. He intends to use his ground skills chiefly in a defensive setting against Austin Spangler. His experience with Weston Wilson reinforced the need to choose when to grapple, rather than stay there because he feels comfortable.

He said he had the submission skill to compete on the ground with Wilson, but that skill did not prevent a costly decision. Hitem described the gap as a matter of muscle memory and judgment. His preferred style remains striking, even as he prepares for an opponent he expects to look for submissions.

That preference also shapes how Hitem talks about Spangler’s likely approach. He expects to throw strikes and expects Spangler to duck and shoot, but he would not give a detailed game plan. He anticipates an early scramble and believes the opening minutes will show whether what he noticed in Spangler’s recent fights appears again.

How has Hitem changed his training camp?

Hitem said he has been in training camp since December, moving from a bare-knuckle fight in Montana on April 11 through other planned bouts and into the Austin Spangler matchup. After the Wilson fight, he made training less comfortable, revisiting both the triangle exchange and the decisions that left him on his back.

From Montana to the Wilson fight

After the Montana bout, Hitem prepared for a June 20 show in Charlotte that did not go ahead. He then turned to a fight on the 22nd before continuing his preparation for Spangler. He presented the long camp as a sequence of adjustments, rather than a fresh start for each booking.

Training in uncomfortable positions

Hitem said his latest work has deliberately included situations he would previously have avoided in training. He identified mental readiness, not just physical preparation, as the difference he feels heading into the Spangler fight. Describing that change, Hitem said:

I've been putting myself in a lot of uncomfortable situations doing a lot of things that I wouldn't negate or avoid during training

He tied that work directly to the Wilson exchange. First came correcting what happened around the triangle; then came addressing why he had accepted the position long enough for it to become a problem.

What is Hitem’s prediction for his next fight with Austin Spangler?

Hitem predicted that his fight with Austin Spangler would be stopped between 3:45 and 4:30 of the first round. He expects a scramble early and believes Spangler’s responses in the opening minutes will determine whether his read of the matchup is right. Hitem said the fight would stream on MILLIONS.

The first-round prediction

Hitem did not present the predicted stoppage as a certainty. He said a stoppage in that window would be good for him, while a different outcome could be good for Spangler. His confidence sits alongside his warning that any fight can become difficult if an opponent is underestimated.

For ticket information, Hitem directed fans to Shamrock FC and its social feeds. He also said the bout would be available as a stream on MILLIONS. He discouraged fans from contacting him directly to arrange tickets, preferring that they use the event’s official channels.

What did Hitem say about Jesse Finney and Finney MMA?

Hitem said Jesse Finney and the team at Finney MMA helped him put together his kickboxing game when he was first considering MMA nearly a decade ago. Fighting for Finney now gives the Austin Spangler matchup a personal connection beyond Hitem’s immediate goal of correcting mistakes from his previous fight.

At the time, Hitem said, he had not started throwing kicks. Finney MMA helped him develop that part of his striking. He called it striking that he is now fighting for Finney after so much time has passed, and thanked both Finney and Rob Donaker for the opportunity.

Hitem also thanked the people and businesses supporting him, naming Eric or Taga, Rooftop of Justice, Robert Banks at The Treehouse, Brian at The Greenhouse Dispensary, and Flip Flips Barbershops. He said Flip Flips Barbershops had supported him since day one.

Who is Hitem?

Hitem is an MMA athlete whose brief promise to fans is that they will be entertained.