Coach Drian Francisco Impressed By Troy Worthen’s Boxing

“Pretty Boy” Troy Worthen’s recent performances have earned him the praise of World Champion Boxing instructor Drian Francisco.

Francisco – who heads the boxing program for “Pretty Boy” and the Evolve Fight Team – is the chief architect behind the American’s striking.

Since Worthen left the collegiate ranks as a decorated All-American wrestler, he has worked tirelessly to diversify his skill set.

Thanks to the instruction from Francisco and Evolve Muay Thai coach Amir Gani, Worthen has a competent stand-up game to complement his dangerous grappling.

Since debuting last July, “Pretty Boy” has dominated inside the ONE Circle.

After two-straight second-round TKO stoppages, Worthen showed off his improved striking in a bantamweight clash with Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE in February.

The Evolve representative switched to a striking game plan against the Kiwi warrior and was rewarded with a unanimous decision win.

Although it was a gutsy move to stand and trade with a knockout artist like Abelardo, Worthen more than held his own through all three rounds, which impressed his boxing coach.

Francisco applauded his pupil’s precise footwork and feints, which helped the American set up openings where he could successfully unload his lethal left high kicks.

“I saw a lot of kicking and punching in his last fight – he did very well in his last match,” Francisco said.

“He’s definitely improved a lot. He can control the distance with a good step back and get that punch in.”

With a slew of international boxing titles under his belt, including the WBA World Championship, WBO Asia Pacific Championship, and WBA International Championship, Francisco is a strong advocate for the fundamentals of “the sweet science.”

“First thing is footwork. You need good balance and [to] maintain a good distance between your feet, which allows you to punch with power,” he said.

“I try to impart the basics whenever I coach, like sidesteps, step-backs, a one-two hook, and basic defense. These are the important things that will happen in a real fight, and I try to simulate those conditions as much as possible.”

Worthen has taken great strides in his striking, but Francisco believes the NCWA Conference Champion can level-up in his boxing.

“I studied the last match closely and I feel he can improve on his targeting,” Francisco said.

“He already has the good footwork fundamentals and can manage his distance well.

“Troy works very hard and always wants to improve. As a wrestler, he is already very strong, so all we have to do now is keep getting better with the accuracy and timing.”