Chris Kelades a PK (Pastor’s Kid), who lived in Sussex from
age 5-15, has made his way into the world of professional mixed martial arts
fighting. He recently answered a few
questions about this great passon of his.
Chris, 130 pounds with a height
of five feet six inches, has had six wins that include two Technical Knock Outs,
three Submission wins and one Decision win. With only one loss by Decision, this makes Chris’ fighting accolades rather impressive.
Other than MMA, Chris has competed in
many Brazilian jiu-jitsu and grappling tournaments.
Michelle: How did you get into the sport?
Chris: I got into MMA through Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I had
seen a write up in our local paper about a guy who was teaching Brazilian
jiu-jitsu and fighting in MMA. I tried a class and was hooked.
Michelle: What is your favorite strike/submission to use in a fight?
Chris: I don’t have a particularly favorite move or strike;
however I really like the grappling aspect of fighting. The ground game is what
got me started in fighting.
Michelle: Who is your biggest inspiration?
Chris: I've never
really had only one particular person that I use for inspiration. I think I
take a little bit from a lot of people, family, friends and training partners.
Anyone can give you some form of inspiration or support you need given the
right timing.
Michelle: What is your all-time favorite fight?
Chris: I have seen a lot of great fights, I can't just name
one! I enjoy it so much as soon as I
watch a fight it becomes another of my favorites. Off the top of my head Matt Brown vs. Erick
Silva, Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson & Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Bigfoot
Silva stand out as some of my favorites.
Michelle: What is your all-time favorite fight that you have fought?
Chris: I would have
to say that my last fight would probably be the one I enjoyed the most. It was
with Bellator MMA, which next to the UFC is one of the biggest promotions. I
was given the fight on very short notice (8days) so it was a scramble to be
prepared as much as possible. It may sound crazy to say that this was my
favorite fight because it’s the one I lost, but there were a lot of things that
I did which boosted my confidence and you always learn from these experiences
even if they are a loss.
Michelle: What team are you training with?
Chris: I train with Fitplus Martial Arts in Cole Harbour NS.
I moved there about 4 years ago and have been training with them ever since.
Michelle: Do you like to stand with your opponents or take them to the
ground?
Chris: Like I
mentioned earlier, I really like the ground game but it's always fun to stand
and throw down with someone too. Really though, knowing the strengths and
weaknesses of your opponent allows you to make an educated decision on your
fight strategies.
Michelle: What does it mean (for
you) to be a fighter?
Chris: I love to
fight but it is a huge sacrifice to be fully committed to MMA as a professional.
I wouldn't say that being a fighter is my only identity but it definitely
fulfills me and holds a big part of my life right now.
Michelle: What separates you
from the other fighters in your division?
Chris: I think what
separates me is my mental state when I fight. I'm very calm and collected. I
don't see the use in wasting energy getting worked up like a lot of other
fighters do. In this sport it's such an adrenaline filled activity that it can
be very easy to lose a lot of energy quickly if you’re not careful.
Also the fact that I train in all areas of fighting makes me
comfortable in every possible situation.
Michelle: If you could have one
dream fight with anyone who would it be?
Chris smiling: Wow that's a loaded question. I want to fight
as many of the best guys in my division to test myself as far as I can and
grow!
If we're talking
craziness that dreams are made of then I would say BJ Penn from UFC, he's been
my favorite fighter for a long time and I really admire him. So to be able to
fight someone like him that would be an amazing experience.
Michelle: As you know I mostly
write about Pro Wrestling so I have to ask have you ever been a fan of Pro Wrestling.
Chris: I was
definitely a wrestling fan when I was a kid growing up. My brother and I would
be tag team partners Ax and Smash of Demolition. We would get together with all
our friends and beat the crap out of each other.
Michelle: There is many Pro
Wrestlers that have been part of MMA in the past, Alberto Del Rio, and Brock Lesnar
to name a few. In your opinion are there any similarities in Pro Wrestling and
MMA?
Chris: Pro wrestlers
are tremendous athletes and a lot of them have backgrounds in other sports
which lend to their abilities for MMA, grappling or any martial art.
Michelle: There is often a
shared fan base for MMA and Pro Wrestling, do you think that Pro Wrestlers that
crossover to MMA are taken seriously?
Chris: I think that
anyone who steps into professional MMA and treats it professionally should be
taken seriously, Pro Wrestlers included. MMA is a very young sport; if you are
a good athlete you can learn a lot of the strategies quickly. Some people jump right in and have
success. However, there is a new breed of
fighters that are so highly trained in all aspects of Martial arts that it's
going to become more and more difficult in the future for people to jump in at
that high of a level.
Michelle: Chris what is one of
your fondest memories of Sussex, NB?
Chris: My fondest memories of Sussex would be hanging out
with friends and playing sports. When we weren't tied up in organized sports we
would be finding anyway we could to play some activity or game. In the winter
time our dad would build an ice rink for us to play hockey on and in the summer
we would find any yard or field big enough for us to get a bunch of people
together and play baseball.
Chris is the son of Pastor Chuck and Eva Kelades formally of
Evangel Assembly, Sussex. I caught up
with some of his old friends here in Sussex, the general consensus was that
Chris was well liked.
Be sure to check out Chris at:
•
http://m.sherdog.com/fighter/Chris-Kelades-51576
•
Facebook Chris Kelades
•
Twitter: @keladesmma
Thanks for the interview Chris! I hope your future in MMA finds you grappling
to lots of wins!
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