HFD’s Fight Medic to Make MMA Debut this Friday at Legacy Amateur Series; Pre-Fight Interview with Chris Kelly

HOUSTON, TX, July 27, 2011 – This Friday in the Legacy Amateur Series at Houston’s House of Blues a very special MMA debut will take place as Houston firefighter and community supporter Chris Kelly steps into the cage as a fighter for the very first time.

Though you may not be familiar yet with name Chris Kelly just yet, chances are good that you may have seen him around at grappling tournaments and MMA events all around Texas in the past few years. In fact, if you’ve ever gotten injured at one of these events, you may have even gotten fixed up by him.

As the owner of Fight Medics, Chris has labored to put together a company to serve the needs of the MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community and keep them safe at these events, and so far it’s working! His dedicated group of medical personnel (most who also train) can be seen at events hosted by Grand Prix Grappling, Fight to Win/World Grappling Circuit, Zebra Tournament systems, IXFA, Garcia Promotions, and more. By working all these events, they’re laboring to change the game by providing quality and affordable medical care so fighters and grapplers can worry about doing what they do best while knowing they’ll be taken care of in the event of injury.

For that we fully support him and wish Chris the best of luck as he steps in the cage this Friday at the Legacy Amateur Series. MMA debuts may be a nerve-racking experience for most but at least for Chris, he can have peace of mind knowing he has Fight Medics in his corner.

Read on and get to know a bit more about Chris Kelly and his background en route to this Friday’s Legacy Amateur Series at the House of Blues.

Chris, let us give you a pre-fight congratulations on making your MMA debut this Friday at the Legacy Amateur Series! It’s been a long time coming. How does it feel knowing you’ll be in the cage yourself in a few short days?

I’m excited. I’ve been preparing for this day for a while. I don’t think I could feel more ready.

Most of the community knows you as the man behind Fight Medics. Can you tell our readers a little more about your training background as well?

I started my training four years ago at an Alvis Solis affiliate ran by Len Sonnier in Mont Belvieu, TX training BJJ. After about a year of training there, Hurricane Ike destroyed the school, forcing it to shut down. I was out for about a year and a half due to work and a new baby. I couldn’t resist the urge to get back to training and by that time Elite MMA had set up inside the San Jacinto Mall, so I decided to stop by one day. By the end of the week I was signed up and training again. I’ve been with Elite MMA for just over a year and a half now.

Have you always been a fan of MMA? How did you get into the sport?

I started watching MMA back in 2007, and really got into it when i began training BJJ. I stumbled upon Jiu Jitsu one day at a local festival I was at. A guy had a booth set up with mats, and obviously trained Tae Kwon Do, but informed me he was starting up a BJJ program at his school. I tried it out and loved it. I was fortunate to go train at Alvis’ during the day, and back out at that school by night. I couldn’t get enough of it.

What about your work as a Firefighter/Paramedic? What drew you to that profession?

It’s kind of a family thing. My grandfather was involved in the Fire Service for almost 50 years, and help establish one of the first 911 ambulances on the east side of Houston. My dad followed as well, and actually taught my EMT class. I was able to join the local volunteer fire department when I was 17, and after that first incident, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Nine years later and I’m working for the Houston Fire Department, helping the people of Houston. I couldn’t be happier.

How has your training in MMA affected your work and vice versa?

The biggest challenge for me is sleep. I work in Southwest Houston, at one of the busiest fire stations. It’s not uncommon to wake up at 4 am, go to work, and not sleep a wink until relief time at 6:30 am the next morning. No sleep really takes a toll on the body, and when it’s already broken down from training, that makes recovery that much more difficult. So I really have to focus on my nutrition and off days to maximize my body’s recovery.

With all that being said, my job on the fire ground and even my EMS runs all help in my training. I have to maintain my strength and endurance for those long fires and lifting patients repeatedly. This has given me an advantage in using muscle combined with technique while sparring/rolling, and not gassing like most who use just muscle. So I guess the two go hand-in-hand.

Can you tell us a little more about Fight Medics? Why’d you start the company and what did/do you hope to bring to the fight community with it?

Fight Medics started out of necessity in BJJ tournaments. I was competing at several area tournaments and noticed either a lack of medical personnel. I thought that part of the game was ill-equipped and I wanted to use my background to do something about it. I approached Elbert Hebron with Grand Prix Grappling about me coming to his tournaments as a medic. He noticed a need and was very proactive in having me present. It quickly caught on with the Fight to Win/World Grappling Circuit tournaments, thus Fight Medics was born.

People quickly saw the need for not only a medic, but one who trained and was versed in martial arts. The transition to MMA only made sense, and we are changing the way the game is played. What I want to see and bring to the fight community is quality and affordable medical care. I see too many medical services trying to make money off of the fight community instead of support it. I have personally seen doctors watching movies on their phones ringside at an MMA fight. That’s no good. We have Doctors in the community that train BJJ/MMA that care about the guys like we do. We want to see more participation from these guys, and hope to have a central point for fighters to get affordable physicals, as well as personalized emergent care at fights.

Instead of an ambulance with two guys watching the fights, we bring a crew of 4-5 medics, and are standing by cage side with medics and cut men. After each fight, we follow up with the fighters in the back, treating injuries and doing what we can to keep the fighter from having to incur more medical cost. We want this type of care to become the standard.

Let’s talk about your fight this Friday. Who’s been helping you train and why do you feel prepared to step into the cage?

I’ve been training at Elite MMA-Baytown. My training has been overseen by Frost Murphy, Jordan Rivas, and Robert Yamashita. I’ve learned so much from these guys during this camp. They have pushed my technique and endurance to the next level. I couldn’t ask for more technical and qualified coaches, and couldn’t see myself training anywhere else.

What do you know about your opponent?

Not a whole lot. No one I’ve talked to has ever heard of Sons of Mayhem MMA, but it’s not changing the game plan either way. I’m gonna go out there and execute what we’ve been working.

How do picture your MMA debut going in your mind?

I feel comfortable in all ranges, and I’ll execute my plan as the fight unfolds. I’m confident that my hand will be raised at the end, and my Fight Medics will have some work.

What’s next for you after this? Any thoughts on your fighting future?

I haven’t given it much thought. My main focus is executing my plan and winning this fight. I would love to keep fighting and test myself in the Legacy system.

What do we have to look forward to with Fight Medics in the near future? How can prospective clients get a hold of you?

Look for Fight Medics at all local weigh ins with rehydration IV services. Also, we will be in Dallas for the Legacy Amateur fight in August. If someone needs our medics at their fight, either for IVs, or cutmen you can contact us at fightmedics@yahoo.com or call us at 800-420-1440.

Any last words for teammates, fans, etc.?

I want to thank my wife for supporting me and picking up the slack around the house since this camp has started. I couldn’t do it without her. I want to thank my family at Elite for the hard quality training also. I truly feel I train with the best around. Thanks to all of my medics at Fight Medics for the support for the fight, and picking up the slack at our other jobs since my camp started. Also a big thanks to Dr. Shannon Orsak and the St. Michaels Emergency Room group. They are all huge fans of Houston MMA, and are big supporters of me.

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