Poker pro Terrance Chan recently took part in his sixth mixed martial arts (MMA) bout and came through the experience without a single cut.
Competing at 125 pounds under the Underground Battle MMA banner (which is part of World Series of Fighting), Chan lined up against Joco Mabute and managed to clinch the win after submitting his opponent with a shoulder lock.
Detailing the experience in his personal blog, Chan explained that he was faced with 90% humidity in Manila, but managed to overcome the climate and chill out before the action by listening to Elliot Roe’s MMA hypnotherapy MP3.
Having previously won poker tournaments both live and online, Chan understands the dangers of emotions affecting his performance. Fortunately, his MP3 was enough to help him “focus on [his] own headspace” and he came through the bout with the win and little more than a few bruises.
Sixth of the Best
Following his sixth win (four as an amateur and two as a professional), Chan reflected on his progress in the sport so far and started to look forward to the potential of breaking into the “big leagues” of the sport such as the UFC.
“I do look forward to that one fight which will push me to the edge of breaking, where I have to find out what I am made of and break through, where my body is screaming that it wants to quit,” wrote Chan.
Of course, Chan already has some links with the UFC thanks to his time at Ultimate Poker. The poker site, which was previously live in Nevada and New Jersey, was owned by the UFC’s parent company Zuffa and featured a host of tournaments offering free tickets to the top MMA events.
However, since the site was shuttered due to poor revenue, Chan moved on and in between playing poker he’s been training more than ever with the hope of one day making it to sport’s top leagues.
Busquet and Alvarado Hoping to Emulate Chan
While Chan was busy winning his sixth MMA bout, Olivier Busquet and JC Alvarado are moving ever closer to their $270,000 fight.
Back in October, the two players agreed on an MMA prop bet after Busquet called out for someone to help him test his newfound skills.
Prior to the agreement, Alvarado had trained in a number of disciplines, including kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and for the last few months, he’s been training with famed MMA coach, Matt Hume.
Sparring with the likes of UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, Alvarado has been finding out the hard way that MMA is one of the toughest sports in the world to succeed in.
Busquet has also suffered his fair share of knocks in recent months as he fights to become a semi-competent fighter before he steps into a cage with Alvarado to fight for a $270,000 purse.