The longtime CES fighter secured first UFC victory as the underdog.
Parker Porter had his first professional fight all the way back in 2007, his second professional fight three months later, and in his third bout he faced a young, very hungry Jon Jones. Fast forward to 2020, a year of loss, despair and tragedy. For Porter, a year he will never forget.
“It was unreal,” Porter told Cageside Press. “One of the top three feelings in my life, next to the birth of my children and the marriage to my wife.”
The former light heavyweight champion turned heavyweight Jones actually tweeted out congratulating Porter on his victory. The Connecticut native was very appreciative to hear from the arguable “GOAT” following his victory to end the year.
Congratulations Parker Porter
— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 29, 2020
“That is a cool feeling for me,” Porter began. “That is cool because he is who he is, but for him to remember me, 12 years later, I made enough of an impact on him to be remembered.”
Now, a win under his belt in the coveted UFC, 1-1 officially, Porter feels a little sense of security. Walking into his second UFC fight, with a 0-1 record with the promotion, that security was not apparent.
“Absolutely, this is before Dana [White] made any announcement of cuts,” Porter stated. “I had the cards stacked against me, I’m an older fighter, I don’t have the prettiest record on paper,” Porter continued. “This is a business, I’m up there in age, they might think, am I worth keeping? In my head I was going home, and the dream’s over.”
When asked what he has learned from his debut in the UFC, the most important thing that came up from the 36 year old is to always be ready. A new member to Thornton’s MMA, Something he wasn’t fully prepared for when accepting the UFC’s offer, but no wasn’t an option.
“Coming into the debut fight, I wasn’t training as much as I should have,” Porter explained. “I was transitioning gyms, just had a three week old baby, I was eating away, sleep wasn’t a thing,” Porter continued. “I wasn’t expecting a call. So I always need to be ready. I was way overweight, but I got the call, so I didn’t have a choice, it was happening.”
Before our interview ended, as a New Englander, I could not speak to Parker Porter and not mention CES MMA. A mainstay with the promotion, and the latest representative of the CES to the UFC production line, Porter raved about the promotion.
“I love those guys,” Porter stated. “Jimmy and them are amazing, treated me so well every interaction we had. They gave me the platform to display my talents, on a national level, they also let me fight in my home state for the first time ever,” Porter continued. “Fight Pass, they are so organized, nothing but great things to say about CES.”
