“I’m someone who loves the sport…every aspect of it, from training, to fighting, to teaching new guys. I constantly want to get better and evolve, and I’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish that.”
Around the sport for over five years now, Jace last fought back in 2009 – taking on Jesus Rivera for Legacy FC. He lost that fight by split decision (no excuses against a great opponent, he says) and subsequently took roughly the next three years off to work in the oil fields of North Dakota.
Now don’t get us wrong, he’s been plenty busy since that time. He’s been very much a part of Houston MMA. Together with partner Eric Garcia, he’s helmed the Cage Combat amateur MMA shows in North Houston and just concluded his 13th event this past Saturday. He also opened up his Team Tooke-Jace Pitre MMA in Spring, TX just this past year. And yet his own desire to compete never went away. So after three years off and getting over a chronic neck injury he returns to active competition this Saturday versus Hossan Walker at the Big Dawg: Best of Both Worlds event happening this Saturday down in Galveston.
“My mindset is just to win this fight,” Jace says about his comeback fight. “I’m focused, and trying to just let everyone know I’m still here. I still have something left in the tank.”
Regarding his opponent, Jace considers Hossan Walker a tough amateur looking to make a splash as a pro. Walker finished up 4-1 in the amateur ranks including wins over two Team Tooke fighters in his last two fights. His lone loss was to fighter-turned-law student Craig Gardner back in 2010 – the same Craig Gardner with a win over current Legacy 170 lbs. champion Jeff Rexroad. It’s safe to say he’s pushover but Pitre isn’t deterred. He welcomes the challenge just like he would tell any of his own fighters to. And as it always is, personal preparation is key.
“He (Hossan) wants to test the pro waters, so that’s what we are going to do. I’m going to test him. I took the fight because I didn’t want to wait all the way to July for legacy, Rocky hit me up and I told him yes.”
Now that he’s coming back, should we expect for Pitre to make like his teammate Andrew Craig and try to make a run at the UFC? It’s possible but don’t count on it.
“I’ve seen these guys give up everything they have for the dream,” he says about that type of run – a pipe dream for most looking to make it in this sport. “Some make it, most don’t, but the spirit of the fighter runs deep. As for me, I fight for myself, just for the test, not for the money, the money is terrible. As for the fight, I have no predictions. I think I know what he wants to do, but it doesn’t matter as long as my hand is raised at the end of the fight. Nothing man, I’m coming to win and I’ll do whatever it takes to do that.”