Chase Sherman Says He Is Fighting For His Job At UFC Vegas 46: “We’re At A Crossroads And We Will See What Happens”

Las Vegas, NV — Chase Sherman’s UFC career is on the line Saturday, and he knows it.

After a disappointing 2021, Sherman (15-8) returns to action at UFC Vegas 46 in the only heavyweight fight of the evening. “The Vanilla Gorilla” lost both of his fights last year, first, against Andrei Arlovski in April, then four months later opposite Parker Porter. Neither bout went his way.

After two years away, Sherman returned to the promotion in 2020 by putting on possibly the best performance of his career. He brutally finished Ike Villanueva.

On the brink of his second three-fight losing streak inside the promotion and on the last fight of his current UFC contract, Sherman is under no illusion that anything other than a win is acceptable. He is fighting for his job on Saturday.

“I am [fighting for my job]. It’s the last fight on my contract; I mean, we all know that. That’s just what it is. I don’t want to sit here and harp on it, but to me, there is no other option. In a sense, I have everything to lose and nothing to lose at the same time. Winning or losing this fight is really going to— I’m really in a pivotal point in my life. Win the fight, and my life goes completely in one direction; if I lose, it goes completely in the other direction. So, we’re at a crossroads, and we will see what happens,” Sherman told Cageside Press on Wednesday at UFC Vegas 46 media day.

However, Sherman feels like he is in the best spot of his career. This marks his second fight camp at Sanford MMA in South Florida. Playing sports his entire life, he has been looking for a team at an MMA gym, and he finally feels like he is part of a team.

“It’s not just the big bodies; it’s not just the immaculate facility, it’s not because you’re in South Florida on the beautiful beaches with great weather. The thing about it is, I’ve never been to a gym where they make you feel like a team and a family… I’ve done team sports my entire life, and making the transition to MMA was tough because it is an individual sport. You go to a lot of these gyms, and a lot of the fighters just care about themselves,” Sherman said.

“Henri [Hooft], Jason [Strout], Craig [Jones] have done a good job of literally making a foundation that is based around being a team. If you don’t want to be apart of that team environment and only look after yourself, then your ass is out the door.”

Chase Sherman faces Jake Collier at UFC Vegas 46 (UFC on ESPN 32) this Saturday, January 15, at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on ESPN in the U.S. More coverage from Wednesday’s media day can be found below.