Eric Kelly. Photo from ONE CHAMPIONSHIP
MANILA, Philippines—Former featherweight contender Eric Kelly hopes to finally turn over a new leaf in his return to the cage in ONE: Legendary Quest on June 15 in Shanghai, China.
Hounded by personal problems that have sent his MMA career into a downward spiral, Kelly attempts to snap out of his six-fight slump against Chinese sanda specialist Niu Kang Kang.
“To be honest, I’m in a bad situation, personally. There are times where I struggle to focus on my training sessions, but I always push myself to find time for my training,” Kelly said.
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But life wasn’t this cruel to Kelly before. Not during the time when he was considered as one of the most promising MMA fighters in his division after beating the likes of Mitch Chilson, Bae Yong Kwon, and Jens Pulver.
Then, it began to come crashing down at the start of 2016 when he lost to Ev Ting by submission. That defeat was followed by a first-round knockout loss to Narantungalag Jadambaa six months later then, four more setbacks via stoppage came rolling down like an avalanche.
But despite being buried under adversity, the 37-year-old Kelly remains grateful that the opportunities keep knocking on his door.
This one, however, could be his last if he ends up on the losing end once again.
That’s why Kelly is determined to redeem himself more than ever.
“It has always been there. This isn’t a way out. It’s not going to go away anytime soon, so I might as well focus on giving myself time to train,” he said.
“[Fans] can expect an Eric Kelly who has no quit in him and will always strive to get back [on top].”