Laprise Ready for XFFC Fight in Alberta, TUF Nations Tryouts in Toronto
Chatham mixed martial artist Chad Laprise is set to get back in action on July 20th, against tough veteran Derek Boyle at Xcessive Force Fighting Championships from the TEC Centre at Evergreen Park in Grand Prairie, Alberta. The card is the second in XFFC’s existence and will feature an East vs. West theme from the top to the bottom, and will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between London, Ontario’s Chris Horodecki and Edmonton’s Tim Smith.
Laprise (6-0) is coming off a successful two fight win streak in the Bellator Fighting Championships in 2012 where he defeated Josh Taveirne, then former Olympic wrestler Ainsley Robinson. Like many Ontario fighters, Laprise has had trouble finding fights in 2013, but has used the time wisely by training relentlessly at the Adrenaline Training Center and the famed Tristar Gym in Montreal, where he is finishing up his camp for this fight with Boyle.
“I’m very fortunate for sure, Firas (Tristar head trainer Firas Zahabi) runs the whole pro team, and you get to work with individual coaches as well. I’m lucky because Rory MacDonald is fighting Jake Ellenberger a week after me, so I’ve been getting a lot of sparring in with him which is awesome. George and everybody so it’s been great,” he said via phone from Montreal.
Laprise is an extremely focussed and dedicated athlete and he is making the most of all the opportunities his hard work and talent attract his way. With an undefeated 6-0 record, Laprise simply needs one or two more impressive wins on his record to jump into the consciousness of the biggest promotion in the world, the UFC.
Teammate Chris Horodecki had this to say about the Chatham native.
“Chad’s got a tough fight but it’s a good fight for him. Boyle is a stand -up guy and Chad has been working very diligently on his striking, well on everything really. Chad’s a guy who’s always at the gym always improving, he’s got a lot of momentum and he’s doing all the right things. You are going to see and hear about Chad on the Canadian scene after this fight for sure.”
Laprise will have the support of Horodecki and Team Tomkins leaders Mark Hominick and Sam Stout in his corner when he travels to hostile territory on the 20th, and he has left himself open to all opportunities that may follow this win.
There is one opportunity that Laprise will go all in on, and that is the TUF Nations tryouts that will be held in Toronto in September. TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia will be the next installment of the Ultimate Fighter reality show and will pit some of the best Canadian fighters against the best from Australia. The UFC is holding open tryouts for the reality show at both 170 and 185 pounds in Toronto in September.
“I just signed a one fight deal with XFFC and then after that one fight we will go from there. The rumour for TUF Nations is that it will either be at 170 or 185 so I am going to try out for the 170’s and then if they do 185 then obviously I can’t. The ultimate goal is the UFC so I’m just taking it one fight at a time and see where it goes from there” Laprise said.
First thing’s first and Laprise would be foolish to overlook a fighter like Boyle. A lesson he witnessed with the rest of the fighting world this past weekend when Anderson Silva played with fire and was knocked out by Chris Weidman, sadly ending his incredible seven year unbeaten streak.
“Yeah actually I was very happy to see a guy like Weidman win. He is a good guy and I like to see guys like that represent the UFC. Silva’s hands down style is whatever, it’s not my thing. He obviously gets guys to fall for it and he is able to bait them in. I don’t dislike Anderson Silva or anything like that but I really like Chris Weidman.”
After grinding out wins over two guys that were looking to take Chad down, I am really looking forward to seeing him throw hands with Derek Boyle. It should be an action packed fight, and Laprise should take home the win.
He just has to keep his hands up.