ST. GEORGE — Mixed martial arts fighter Dustin “DJ” Crawford made a statement Saturday night when he won his welterweight bout over Kevin Allred by technical knockout early in the first round.

Crawford made short work of Allred, with the referee stopping the fight just 17 seconds after it began as Crawford rained a series of right-handed blows on Allred’s head. To see footage of the entire fight, watch the one-minute video in the player above, courtesy of Kevin Patton and Pat Patton of SteelFist Fight Night.

The bout was one of several fights on the card during Steelfist Fight Night’s “Unfazed” event staged Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

As previously reported in St. George News, Crawford is mounting a professional comeback after being away from the sport for more than a decade. Originally from northern Utah, he now lives in Washington City and trains at Raven Self Defense Academy in Hurricane.

“With my addiction and everything that I’ve overcome, it took me a lot to get where I am,” Crawford told St. George News after the fight as he explained his “explosive” start right after the opening bell. “I definitely wanted to come out strong, but it was also kind of a statement to everybody watching: I’m here to stay and I mean business.”

“I’m not getting any younger,” added Crawford, who’s 36 years old. “But going on 21,” he said with a laugh. “I still feel amazing.”

Crawford said he credits trainer Raven Cain with helping him reach new heights in his preparation.

“Raven has basically turned me into a monster, a beast, you know, in a good way,” Crawford said. “He’s taken me to another level and I’ve unlocked that level. I’ve leveled up so much that it was just so easy to turn that switch on. And it was actually a lot easier to turn it on than turn it off. I had a hard time coming down there at the end.”

“I mean, there’s certain times to be safe in life, but now’s the time to take chances and go for it,” he added.

Crawford noted that he went into the fight as an underdog.

“A lot of people bet money that I was going to lose,” he said. “You know, (Allred) had been out of the fight game for a while, but he definitely has fought some tough opponents and he has been around for a while. He’s definitely a skilled fighter and I definitely had my work cut out for me.”

Nevertheless, Crawford said he did have a sizable group of family members and other avid supporters in attendance.

“I did have the most people show up that I’ve ever had,” he said as he expressed his appreciation for their support. “I had a pretty big crowd.”

One person in the crowd – his niece – missed her prom to be there and watch him, he said. 

“I was talking to my brother-in-law about how it finally feels good to actually be somebody that is looked up to, you know,” Crawford said, speaking of his young nephew with whom he has bonded over the past several months. 

“It feels amazing. We got a picture together and the smile on his face was just priceless,” he added.  

After taking a well-earned break that lasted just a single day, Crawford is already back to training full time, in anticipation of his next upcoming bouts in June and August, with exact dates and venue to be determined.

Crawford, whose professional record now stands at 6-14-0, said he’s committed to working his way to a championship-level bout.

“Recovery is possible, and that’s the message I’m going to keep sharing,” he said. “I’m fighting for the addict who’s still suffering.”

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