My system involves what your ultimate goal is but with a differant approach. Understanding that your young enough to compete I would be at full speed ahead too.
I have to teach all ranges step one at a time. My standup is not a brawl but brings together my experiences in the arts to be in control of my situation at hand. It is true that it is easy to be overwhelmed in a fight and thats why I train and teach Jujitsu. I practiced brazilian jiu-jitsu for a few years and I'm able to keep could control while on the ground and thats what most martial artists should probably learn at a minimum if they aren't already grapplers. Personally, I can't spend 10 years on one range, that same 10 years should be spent on all ranges.
Back to where I was headed with this. I prefer to stay on my feet, so If I'm going to teach soneone how to stay on their feet, then what should I teach them? I need to teach them how to fight when they are not on their feet, thats where the one step at a time come in. Its not in 6 months I'll teach you grappling, its I'm going to make sure that you "understand all ranges". its natural for you to be better at one range but you need to be able to fight out of your zone of comfort. So I teach the arts separately and together to be able to be in control in all ranges. Teaching the separately will keep your instructors happy, they don't want to see their systems raped. Teaching them separately gives a student a deeper understanding of each range one but they must spend equal time
practicing each range together. Its not about I'm younger, I'm stronger so I'll train this way because it will get me somewhere faster. Theres always going to be a faster way to get to your destination. But the real question is what will you know when you arrive! You can rise real fast and you can fall even faster. Its about finding a away to be able to teach to anyone the martial arts that I beleive in.
I wish you well on your journey to the UFC or the Pankration Olympics, but if you don't make it, don't give up, don't think of it as falling, think more liked you tripped and your recovering your balance.