Issue 088
May 2012
With his family’s pedigree, becoming a fighter was always on the cards for Che Mills
NEED TO KNOW
NAME: CHE MILLS
AGE: 29
STARTED: 2003
TEAM: Trojan free fighters
DIVISION: Welterweight
STYLE: Striking
RECORD: 14-4 (1 NC)
Like most people, Che Mills had the potential to be anything he wanted to be growing up. But his family ties with MMA meant he had the potential to be great in one particular field. He was born to be a fighter.
His cousin is former UFC middleweight and UK MMA legend Mark Weir, and his father was a soldier who boxed in the army and also studied martial arts. With many more of his family members training in MMA, it’s safe to presume that the path was set for Mills from day one. However, there was one thing holding him back from his route into mixed martial arts – his mother.
“I was always interested in combat sports when I was a kid, but my mum was quite strict. She let me do sports, but she wasn’t too keen on combat sports,” reveals Mills, the Brit now owner of a 14-4 record.
“I used to buy martial arts magazines and hide them under my bed. I would try and teach myself the moves I saw.”
Although his mother disapproved of his love for fighting, Mills managed to find a way to channel his anger, but not necessarily in the best environment.
“I definitely wasn’t the studious type. In fact, I was the total opposite. I used to get into all sorts of trouble at school. It was nothing really bad, just fighting and stuff. I got suspended five times for fighting, but as soon as I turned 16, I calmed down and went the opposite way. I think I got it all out of my system in my younger years and turned into a mellow guy after that.”
Eventually, he was persuaded to join a mixed martial arts class, taught by Weir. According to Mills, watching his cousin get into the UFC was an “inspiration” to him, as ‘The Wizard’ was also his mentor.
“When we would train together, he gave me a lot of advice that helped me in my career. I can’t deny the impact he’s had,” Mills concedes.
After that first training session, he was hooked. Bursting to get his first fight in MMA, he took on Matt Thorpe. Many fighters claim their first fight is the scariest; yet Mills vividly recounts the experience as his “easiest” to date. “To be honest, the first time was the easiest. I guess it’s because I didn’t really know what to expect and I’d never done boxing or anything like that so it was my first time competing. It kind of took me by surprise after the fight started. It was sort of like, ‘Wow, this is real.’”
Mills admitted his attitude changed after the defeat. “The nerves started to kick in after the loss.”
But the experience inspired him to push on. He quickly began making a name for himself on the UK and European circuit, defeating the likes of former Dream welterweight champion and well-known striker, Marius Zaromskis twice. However, he counts his bouts with current UFC welterweight Jake Hecht and UCMMA veteran Edgelson Lua as two of his toughest. “I’ve had two really difficult fights, but for different reasons,” he says. “One of the more difficult fights I’ve had in my career was against Edgelson Lua, where it went to decision. That’s because I didn’t cut weight properly and fuel back up as well as I should have.
“I have to give credit to him because he was a tough fighter, but for the entire fight I just felt drained. That was a hard one, just trying to make it out of all three rounds.
“The other one was Jake Hecht, simply because he has an incredibly hard head. He’s a wrestler who has trained with the likes of Matt Hughes so obviously he’s going to be tough. However, he just wouldn’t stop coming, whatever I threw at him. I threw so much at him that I was actually sick after the fight.”
With every athlete, there are low times too. For Mills that came with his first brush with the UFC. Due to his success in Europe, he was given a chance to fight for his place on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter. His skills were so highly regarded among UK fans, he was one of the fighters many tipped to go through and win the entire competition. However, fate had a different plan, as he was knocked out of the competition by eventual winner, James Wilks.
“Obviously, at the time I was gutted, especially since a lot of people were saying I was the favorite. It hit me quite hard.”
Showing the same resolve and determination that defined his earlier career, Mills eventually used the experience as a way of pushing himself onto the next plateau, so that one day he could realize his dream of fighting in the UFC.
He says with a smile: “I managed to get to the UFC without having to go into the house. A lot of people get criticized by fans who say they’re ‘only in the UFC because they were in TUF.’ I managed to get into the UFC off my own back and that way is a lot better.
“I’ve also had time now to hone my skills more. I’ve fought Marcio Cesar at BAMMA 6 and Jake Hecht at Cage Warriors and it gave me a lot more confidence before I got to the UFC. I changed camps and I’ve taken my training to that next level now.”
The loss seemed to pay dividends for Mills as he made his debut against TUF 13 alumni Chris Cope at UFC 138. Billed as the biggest fight of his career, Mills made short work of the American, using a series of knees inside 40 seconds to bag the ‘Knockout of the Night’ check. According to Mills though, the experience was a calm one.
“This may sound a bit weird, but I was really relaxed. Obviously it’s the biggest stage in the world, but for some reason I felt perfectly calm. Everything felt perfectly right that whole day. The weeks leading up to the fight were the most nervous I’ve ever been, but on the day I didn’t feel anything.
“The press conference was pretty surreal though. I watch pretty much every UFC, so sitting there with Thiago Alves on one side of me and Mark Munoz on the other was really weird. I was trying to keep composed, but in my head I was thinking, ‘What am I doing here? This is weird.’”
After making a brief yet explosive introduction into the UFC, Mills is now set to face one of the brightest talents in the welterweight landscape, Rory MacDonald. With the Canadian destroying nearly every opponent that’s been placed in front of him, Mills has been made the underdog for one of the few times in his career.
“I welcome it. The harder the challenge, the more I’m motivated, that’s just the sort of person I am,” he states. “A lot of people aren’t giving me a chance and that just makes me want to win even more. I definitely enjoy being the underdog. It makes it even sweeter for me when I win.
“He’s very good. I don’t think it will be an easy fight for either of us. He’s certainly impressed me and he’s pretty well-rounded, but I’ve seen a few holes in his game that me and my team can work on. However, in general, if you look at the results of his fights you have to think that this guy must be pretty good.”
Although he’s getting his big break now, Mills has been fighting for nine years, a journey that has taken him across the world. When discussing his career so far, he not only sounds like a veteran, but someone who can’t believe his luck.
“It’s been amazing. Sometimes I sit down and think about my career and I can’t believe it. It almost feels as if it’s not really me. I’m just a normal, every-day lad from England who has fought in all these different promotions and all these different countries. I’ve fought in Russia, Spain, Japan and I’ve fought all over the UK. I’ve beaten some good guys. Sometimes I can’t believe I’ve done all of that.”
He then adds: “Last year was incredible. 2011 was the best year of my life and all I want to do is keep going. I don’t want to change anything; I want to make it a continuation.”
