ironworks
07-09-2014, 12:03 AM
Feed Source: Bleacher Report MMA
Chris Dempsey never knew being a Boy Scout would pay off—not like this, at any rate.
The 26-year-old fighter from Ambridge, Pennsylvania, a small town about a half hour outside of Pittsburgh, received word last week that the UFC needed a fighter to step up to face Ilir Latifi (8-3, 1 NC) on the July 19 UFC Fight Night 46 card in Dublin, Ireland.
To be considered for the bout, candidates had to meet a number of qualifications. They needed to pass a physical, an eye test, an EKG and a brain scan.
They needed to fill out paperwork.
They had to be really good at fighting (that one is especially important).
They had to fill out more paperwork.
And, since the event will be hosted in Ireland, they needed a passport.
Check, check, check, check and check.
"When I was in high school, I was in Boy Scouts, and we went to Canada for canoe trips, and I was 18 when they started the law that you had to have a passport to get into Canada," Dempsey told Bleacher Report. "When I was in Canada paddling around a lake in a canoe, I never really thought that it'd help me get into the UFC."
But it did, and now the two-time Division II All-American wrestler out of the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown meets Latifi on July 19 in Dublin. Dempsey's Twitter bio now reads "Currently in the UFC," an accomplishment that has been in his sights since he began his professional fighting career in 2012.
And while his official welcome to the big show was short, it was direct, and it left its mark on the 10-1 fighter.
"I got an email from (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva, and all it said was 'Welcome to the UFC,'" Dempsey said. "It was...I don't know, man. I can't even really explain it. All this work I've put in, I'm finally taking the next step to get where I want to get."
Four words solidified everything Dempsey had worked for; the struggles, the 20-hour days and the high-risk, low-pay regional fights all suddenly made sense. But his job is not done. He still needs to fight, and more importantly, he needs to win.
"The contract is just for this fight," Dempsey said. "I would hope that I'll get another one afterwards, but that's up to those guys, and right now I'm just focusing on the fight and trying to prove that I belong there, trying to force their hand to say, 'Hey, we need to sign this guy to a multifight deal.'"
Coming in with just 19 days' notice, Dempsey faces an uphill challenge against the UFC vet Latifi at UFC Fight Night 46. While the former collegiate wrestler previously won back-to-back bouts on January 26 and February 16 in 2013, the stakes are higher now, the opponent is tougher and his travel is considerable.
On top of this, Dempsey just fought Nick Kraus on May 3 at middleweight, and his fight against Latifi will take place at light heavyweight. When Dempsey signed his UFC contract, he said he weighed 199 pounds and actually needed to gain weight to prepare for the showdown.
Despite all this, Dempsey remains calm, and he chooses to view the positives of the situation. He's fighting in the UFC, and his opponent has just as much (or little) time to prepare for the clash.
"At the same time that we've only had 19 days to prepare for him, he's only had 19 days to prepare for me as well," Dempsey said. "He obviously had no clue who I was, and I really didn't know who he was either, so we're completely new opponents to each other."
Besides the obvious opportunity for himself, Dempsey sees this situation as a grand opportunity to put his entire region on the map.
Guys like The Ultimate Fighter 19 contestant Josh Stansbury, undefeated Pittsburgh-based featherweight Mark Cherico and Dempsey's teammates Joey Holt, Francis Healy and Dominic Mazzotta are all standout fighters in the greater Pittsburgh region, and Dempsey hopes he can carry them to new heights with an impressive performance inside the UFC Octagon.
Chris Dempsey never knew being a Boy Scout would pay off—not like this, at any rate.
The 26-year-old fighter from Ambridge, Pennsylvania, a small town about a half hour outside of Pittsburgh, received word last week that the UFC needed a fighter to step up to face Ilir Latifi (8-3, 1 NC) on the July 19 UFC Fight Night 46 card in Dublin, Ireland.
To be considered for the bout, candidates had to meet a number of qualifications. They needed to pass a physical, an eye test, an EKG and a brain scan.
They needed to fill out paperwork.
They had to be really good at fighting (that one is especially important).
They had to fill out more paperwork.
And, since the event will be hosted in Ireland, they needed a passport.
Check, check, check, check and check.
"When I was in high school, I was in Boy Scouts, and we went to Canada for canoe trips, and I was 18 when they started the law that you had to have a passport to get into Canada," Dempsey told Bleacher Report. "When I was in Canada paddling around a lake in a canoe, I never really thought that it'd help me get into the UFC."
But it did, and now the two-time Division II All-American wrestler out of the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown meets Latifi on July 19 in Dublin. Dempsey's Twitter bio now reads "Currently in the UFC," an accomplishment that has been in his sights since he began his professional fighting career in 2012.
And while his official welcome to the big show was short, it was direct, and it left its mark on the 10-1 fighter.
"I got an email from (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva, and all it said was 'Welcome to the UFC,'" Dempsey said. "It was...I don't know, man. I can't even really explain it. All this work I've put in, I'm finally taking the next step to get where I want to get."
Four words solidified everything Dempsey had worked for; the struggles, the 20-hour days and the high-risk, low-pay regional fights all suddenly made sense. But his job is not done. He still needs to fight, and more importantly, he needs to win.
"The contract is just for this fight," Dempsey said. "I would hope that I'll get another one afterwards, but that's up to those guys, and right now I'm just focusing on the fight and trying to prove that I belong there, trying to force their hand to say, 'Hey, we need to sign this guy to a multifight deal.'"
Coming in with just 19 days' notice, Dempsey faces an uphill challenge against the UFC vet Latifi at UFC Fight Night 46. While the former collegiate wrestler previously won back-to-back bouts on January 26 and February 16 in 2013, the stakes are higher now, the opponent is tougher and his travel is considerable.
On top of this, Dempsey just fought Nick Kraus on May 3 at middleweight, and his fight against Latifi will take place at light heavyweight. When Dempsey signed his UFC contract, he said he weighed 199 pounds and actually needed to gain weight to prepare for the showdown.
Despite all this, Dempsey remains calm, and he chooses to view the positives of the situation. He's fighting in the UFC, and his opponent has just as much (or little) time to prepare for the clash.
"At the same time that we've only had 19 days to prepare for him, he's only had 19 days to prepare for me as well," Dempsey said. "He obviously had no clue who I was, and I really didn't know who he was either, so we're completely new opponents to each other."
Besides the obvious opportunity for himself, Dempsey sees this situation as a grand opportunity to put his entire region on the map.
Guys like The Ultimate Fighter 19 contestant Josh Stansbury, undefeated Pittsburgh-based featherweight Mark Cherico and Dempsey's teammates Joey Holt, Francis Healy and Dominic Mazzotta are all standout fighters in the greater Pittsburgh region, and Dempsey hopes he can carry them to new heights with an impressive performance inside the UFC Octagon.