Earlier this evening UFC Heavyweight Chase Sherman took home a solid 2nd round KO victory against UFC newcomer Ike Villanueva at UFC Fight Night Jacksonville a.k.a UFC Fight Night Smith vs. Teixeria, in this, his first fight inside the vaunted octagon as he starts his 2nd stint with the number one MMA promotion in the world.
This version of Sherman was the best I have ever seen, and I ‘ve been privy to see him up close and personal as the ring announcer for Island Fights, where Sherman reeled off three 1st round finishes after being released from the UFC in 2018. Tonight he was calm, cool, and collected as he came out in round one and established his veteran presence against a newcomer to the UFC in Villanueva. Throwing what you could say is his signature, devastating low leg kicks that started to affect his opponent very early in the fight. Villanueva was clearly in pain and in trouble from the kicks, and the crisp striking of Sherman after one round.
In the second round, Sherman really turned it on, forcing his foe backward in a state of retreat before he landed a beautifully placed elbow that was the beginning of the end of Villanueva’s debut.
“The Vanilla Gorilla was determined to make the most of this opportunity because he knows getting to the UFC is tough, staying in the UFC is tougher, and getting back to the UFC is the toughest of the three things to accomplish. He has no intention of squandering this chance to show the world that he is right where he always knew he belonged.
I spoke with Sherman yesterday and he was loose and the most relaxed I had ever seen him prior to a fight. He understands that the pressure was something that is self-created, and is back this time to have fun, and just fight.
Now a full-time fire-fighter in Mississippi and the American Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships Heavyweight Champion, Sherman’s new approach to the fight game has injected new life into the man that at the end of the day, is more concerned with his family, and being a great father 2 his 2 sons than anything else he does.
Sherman took to Facebook post-fight this evening and echoed exactly what I said above, and shared a video of his motivation in life.
- “The money, the recognition, the congrats, none of that matters to this. This is what it’s all about! I love my boys. I just want them to be proud of their dad! Lil Nilla Gorilla. #ufc #myson #champ” – Chase Sherman
Christopher James has been in the MMA industry for 15 years, Working as a ring announcer for promotions like the XFC, Island Fights, Combat Night and Fight Nights Global during his career. Chris’ love for the sport and the athletes that partake in it led him to writing and doing face to face interviews with the athletes he admired and respected. Chris isn’t conventional by any stretch of the imagination, he has his own style, and takes pride in not being a “cookie-cutter” member of the media. Unique and sometimes controversial takes are what he brings to the table, forcing folks to think a little differently about the world of MMA. He also has a love for music as he has been a dj for 25 years and his love for music gets brought to the MMA world when he gets his guests to sing on his weekly show Cage Side with Christopher James which can be seen Wednesday nights on FACEBOOK LIVE, and soon via podcast.