It took more than a year of training before Dylan Stuckless felt comfortable getting into the amateur mixed martial arts ring. The 20-year-old had wrestled and competed in karate, but nothing compared with the demand of the all-around sport fought in the octagon. “It’s a very tough sport. You need to be in tip-top shape and there’s a lot to know. It’s not like boxing where you just need to know your hands,” said Stuckless, adding those skills include grappling, submissions, take-downs, and a standup game. On top of that a fighter must be disciplined, with “through the roof” cardio, strength and explosiveness. Now he’s been fighting for a year, but Stuckless said that without an amateur outlet it would be a lot tougher for fighters such as he, dreaming of making the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to develop professional-level prowess. “It’s very important because you have the headgear, you have the little extra bit of protection, a little more rule-set so you can’t get hurt as much,”he said. “It just helps get rid of the butterflies of the idea of fighting. It helps prepare you for the next level.” It also gives those who aren’t as certain of their path a chance to test the waters — without drowning. “They don’t want to get in the ring with pro fighters,” said Stuckless, adding people are less likely to suffer serious injuries. “In amateur, there’s no knees to the face, no elbows to the face, no spin kicks to the face, and you’re also wearing a helmet, so there’s less chance of being knocked out.” “This level’s very important,” said the light heavyweight, who has registered one win and one loss. On Saturday he’ll be competing for the third time, this time at the Heroes Combat League’s event in Ottawa. He said it’s difficult to explain the rush of victory, knowing he’s beat another person in one-on-one combat. “It feels like pure glory. You feel like a Spartan.”