After years of treating mixed martial arts like a hobby, the Providence-based lightweight is ready to go "all in" as he prepares for the toughest test of his career Friday night at Twin River Casino.

"No more excuses," said Felix (10-7, 3 KOs), who'll face seven-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veteran Drew Fickett in the main event of "CES MMA XXII" on Friday, March 14th, 2014.

"I've pretty much put everything aside to focus on fighting and make a run at being elite and making it to the next level. This is all I do now. No more secondary job. I'm pretty much all in at this point."

Despite a tremendous wrestling background, which helped him become a state champion at nearby Cranston East High School, and his willingness to fight anyone at any given time, the knock on Felix through the years was his conditioning -- or lack thereof -- and whether or not he took the sport seriously.

"In the past, I wasn't always all in," he said. "It was always fun, but I used it as a hobby."

It showed. Felix spent the first three years of his professional career teetering on the brink, never winning more than two consecutive fights. A loss to Joe DeChaves in 2010, which, to this day, Felix says was "the biggest fluke," pushed Felix to jump right back into the cage less than a month later against then-unbeaten prospect Joe Proctor. Felix pulled off the upset, knocking out Proctor in the second round.

"I had been fighting every month, so I was in great shape," Felix said. "By the time I stepped in with Proctor, I had gotten much better as a fighter."

Proctor eventually made his way to the big stage two years later, starring in Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, but the fight paid more immediate dividends for Felix, whose career path changed dramatically after handing Proctor his first career loss. He suddenly realized what he could accomplish when motivated.

"I really started taking it more seriously after that," he said. "All the hype was behind [Proctor] at the time and where he was going. After that fight, I started talking with [UFC veteran] Jorge Rivera and a few other coaches and really began buckling down. Ever since then, the way I go about this has been completely different."

The win over Proctor was merely a precursor to what unfolded over the next three years. Since then, Felix has won four of his last five fights, including a win over another UFC vet, Marc Stevens, earning Felix the reputation as a fighter who saves his best for his biggest fights. Felix also upended Boston-based prospect Lucas Cruz in December. Cruz was 6-1 at the time and owned wins over Pete Jeffrey and John Ortolani before losing by split decision to Felix.

"For me, it's a challenge, like when they're saying, 'Oh, this guy is that good,' or, 'This guy is better than you,' or, 'This guy has done this,'" Felix said. "Having that kind of challenge in front of me is motivation enough for me to get after it."

Facing Fickett (42-20, 3 KOs) is a similar challenge. At his best, Fickett is one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport, having beaten both Kenny Florian and Josh Koscheck, but his own self-destructive past -- alcohol abuse, etc. -- has put him in a similar "do or die" mode where every fight could be the end of the road or the beginning of a new journey.

"Knowing someone like him, who has been at that level and fought some of the best in the world, I know where I want to go and where I want to be in this sport," Felix said. "To fight someone of his caliber is just another challenge.

"I don't know what it does immediately for me, but I know what's at stake for me personally and where I want to be. This fight for me is everything. I'm not looking past it. I'm not looking at where it will put me. I'm just focusing on this challenge in front of me."

Just how serious is Felix these days? Not only is he working with Rhode Island-based boxing coach Vic Fagnant, who he considers "the biggest blessing" in his career the past two years, he's also been working on his strength and conditioning with former CES MMA lightweight champion Mike Campbell, who pressed Felix to train with him for five years until he finally decided to take his advice in preparation for this upcoming fight.

"That's been a whole new spectrum for me," Felix said. "I never really lifted weights or did strength training. Working with Campbell and seeing the things he's done as an athlete really opened my eyes. I already feel such a big difference in my explosive strength in a short amount of time.

"From the first day I went in there, it was like learning something new. Now I look forward to going in there and training and getting my ass kicked."

Felix also has a manager, Patsy Sperduto, who has helped keep him on track. Having a trustworthy inner-circle with people looking out for his best interests is a far cry from the days when Felix simply agreed to take fights just to stay active. It's a new look for a fighter hoping to make that final push toward being elite. No more excuses. He's finally "all in."

"I'm taking this as a career and trying to move forward with it," Felix said. "Being dedicated and putting in the training I need has really helped me."

Tickets for "CES MMA XXII" are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Several undercard bouts at "CES MMA XXII" could steal the show, including the highly-anticipated middleweight bout between UFC vet Thomas Egan (7-4, 6 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass., and Plymouth, Mass., veteran Chip Moraza-Pollard (7-6, 4 KOs) a former Reality Fighting and Bellator contender. Egan, born and raised in Kildare, Ireland, starred on UFC 93 in Ireland.

Looking to keep the momentum going from his win over Chris Woodall in November, former TUF vet Chuck O'Neill (12-6, 4 KOs) of East Bridgwater, Mass., will battle Dade City, Fla., welterweight Roger Carroll (13-10) in a three-round bout. Caroll has won 11 bouts by submission. Lightweight contender Andres Jeudi (5-2, 1 KO) of Somerville, Mass., will face Brendan Rooney (5-1) of Shelton, Conn. 

Also on the undercard, rising featherweight star and Johnson & Wales alum Charles Rosa (6-0, 3 KOs) of Boynton Beach, Fla., will return to Twin River for the fourth time in a three-round bout against Philadelphia veteran Brylan Van Artsdalen (9-9, 1 KO), an eight-time Bellator veteran.

Marshfield, Mass., featherweight Brendan Fleming (3-2) will take on Baltimore's Robert Sullivan (3-1); fellow featherweight Josh LaBerge (8-4, 3 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., will battle Philadelphia's Steve McCabe (6-14, 5 KOs); Tommy Venticinque (0-1) of Warwick, R.I., will face Rick Rivera of Springfield, Mass., in a welterweight bout; and Winthrop, Mass, featherweight Kyle Bochniak (1-0) will aim for his second win of the year when he faces Marius Enache (1-2) of Philadelphia. 

-- CES --

Hard-hitting heavyweight John Johnston will put his undefeated record on the line against a former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) contender for CES' vacant title and lightweight Luis Felix will face one of mixed martial art's most polarizing figures Friday, March 14th, 2014 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

Tickets for "CES MMA XXII" are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Now 5-0 with five knockouts following another win in January, Johnston will battle 37-year-old Ohio native Josh Hendricks (19-9, 5 KOs) for CES MMA's vacant heavyweight title in a five-round bout. This is a major step up for Johnston, the Melrose, Mass., native, who has yet to fight past the second round in any of his previous five bouts. The furthest any opponent got was 46 seconds into the second round back in September of 2011, and that one ended in typical Johnston fashion when the big heavyweight put a bloodied, battered Shaun Durfee to sleep for good with a hard right cross.

Like Johnston, Hendricks rarely goes the distance -- just twice in 21 bouts -- but his experience in the cage might be the biggest hurdle Johnston has to overcome. Hendricks has been fighting professionally since 2002. His career peaked between 2005 and 2007 when he won 10 of 11 bouts, nine of them ending in the first round, to earn a spot on the UFC 91 undercard in 2008. The thrill wore off quickly with a first-round knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga, but Hendricks has remained active by fighting at least once a year over the past five years, including a win over Bellator contender and Connecticut native Josh Diekmann at Twin River in 2011.

In addition to his five knockout wins, Hendricks' impressive resume includes 12 wins by submission. Only two of his 21 fights have gone the distance -- both wins -- setting the stage for what could be a dramatic finish when he faces Johnston on the 14th.

For Felix (10-7, 3 KOs), his lightweight showdown against Arizona's Drew Fickett (42-20, 3 KOs) represents another opportunity to beat a UFC vet while moving one step closer toward reaching the same goal in his own career.

The Providence native already owns wins over Joe Proctor and Marc Stevens and tends to fight his best on the biggest stage, but Fickett is a rare breed, a sturdy veteran with more than 60 fights on his resume before his 35th birthday.

Fickett's remarkable efficiency, which includes seven fights under the UFC umbrella and bouts with Strikeforce, Dream and King Of The Cage, is even more impressive considering his past troubles in and out of the cage. Fickett battled alcoholism for several years, but has since rededicated himself to mixed martial arts and is looking to make one more run to the top.

Experience will be on his side. Among his most impressive bouts are a split-decision win over former UFC title contender Kenny Florian in 2004 before Florian's UFC debut and a split-decision win over fellow Strikeforce and UFC vet Dennis Hallman in 2003. Fickett is also the first fighter to beat UFC lifer Josh Koscheck, submitting Koscheck via rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 2 in 2005.

At his best, Fickett is one of the top lightweights in mixed martial arts. Thirty-one of his 42 wins have come by submission and he's only gone the distance 13 times in 62 bouts.

But Felix rarely wilts under the pressure. Working with Rhode Island-based boxing coach Vic Fagnant and former CES MMA lightweight champ Mike Campbell, who has helped with strength and conditioning, Felix expects to be the strongest he's ever been when he returns on the 14th. Since losing to Joe DeChaves in October of 2010, a loss that dropped his record to 5-6, Felix has won five of his last six bouts. The turnaround began with the win over Proctor, the Quincy, Mass., native who went on to star on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter: Live and has since been a fixture on UFC undercards. 

Several undercard bouts at "CES MMA XXII" could steal the show, including the highly-anticipated middleweight bout between UFC vet Thomas Egan (7-4, 6 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass., and Plymouth, Mass., veteran Chip Moraza-Pollard (7-6, 4 KOs) a former Reality Fighting and Bellator contender. Egan, born and raised in Kildare, Ireland, starred on UFC 93 in Ireland.

Looking to keep the momentum going from his win over Chris Woodall in November, former TUF vet Chuck O'Neill (12-6, 4 KOs) of East Bridgwater, Mass., will battle Dade City, Fla., welterweight Roger Carroll (13-10) in a three-round bout. Caroll has won 11 bouts by submission.

Also on the undercard, rising featherweight star and Johnson & Wales alum Charles Rosa (6-0, 3 KOs) of Boynton Beach, Fla., will return to Twin River for the fourth time in a three-round bout against Philadelphia veteran Brylan Van Artsdalen (9-9, 1 KO), an eight-time Bellator veteran.

Marshfield, Mass., featherweight Brendan Fleming (3-2) will take on Baltimore's Robert Sullivan (3-1); fellow featherweight Josh LaBerge (8-4, 3 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., will battle Philadelphia's Steve McCabe (6-14, 5 KOs); Tommy Venticinque (0-1) of Warwick, R.I., will face Rick Rivera of Springfield, Mass., in a welterweight bout; and Winthrop, Mass, featherweight Kyle Bochniak (1-0) will aim for his second win of the year when he faces Marius Enache (1-2) of Philadelphia. 

-- CES --