As Hillsboro native Evan Elder was preparing to fight for his professional life, he suffered a different kind of blow when his grandfather died.
Elder, a 2015 Hillsboro High graduate, made his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in August, 2022. The UFC is to mixed martial arts what the NFL is to football – it doesn’t get higher or tougher than this.
After losing his debut to Preston Parsons by decision and getting TKO’d by Nazim Sadykhov in February, Elder, 26, feared one more loss would end his fledgling MMA career. But he took on Genaro Valdez in a July lightweight bout in Las Vegas and won by decision after dropping Valdez to the mat in each of the three rounds.
“He’s known for his toughness,” Elder said. “He’s tough as nails. He was wearing a lot of damage. The story of the fight was he had a hard time getting around my jab. He dropped me in the second round. I was only rocked for a couple of seconds. I was using my jab to set up combinations and picking him apart.
“I finally got my hand raised (in victory). It was an incredibly difficult fight camp because I lost my grandpa during it.
“After losing my first two fights, that win was extra special because I was fighting for my job. If I’d lost, they (UFC) might have cut me. It’s not easy to make it, and it’s not easy to stay. There’s such an abundance of fighters, they have plenty to choose from.”
To prepare for fights, Elder trains at the Kill Cliff Fight Club in Deerfield Beach, Fla. He’s between bouts right now, back with his family in Jefferson County, but hopes to return to the “octagon” in December or January. He fights three or four times a year, about as much punishment as an athlete can take.
“My first UFC fight was on a few days’ notice and didn’t go my way,” Elder said. “The next fight was going really well and I was up on the judges’ scorecards when I took a knee to my eyebrow, and they called the fight. I needed immediate medical attention. I was 4:30 away from getting my first UFC victory.”
Despite the physical toll, Elder said the hardest part of the training “is being away from my family.”
When traditional sports like football and wrestling didn’t appeal to him, he started training in MMA at age 14 at Hahn Extreme Fitness and Martial Arts Center in Festus. Elder will be at the Hillsboro Fairgrounds from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, for a promotional appearance to make new fans and meet with friends and family. In a community that has recently celebrated a Class 3 state wrestling championship and currently supports an undefeated football team and a softball squad capable of challenging for a state title, I’m sure a large crowd will turn out to meet a rising UFC star.
“A lot of times when I’m home, I don’t get to see people and get everyone at one place,” he said.
Elder is a strong advocate of his chosen profession, especially as a natural outlet for athletes with a wrestling background.
“Wrestlers are converting to MMA because after college, the only thing they can do is go to the Olympics,” he said. “They can apply the skills they trained their whole life for. MMA is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports.”
His training is supplemented by proper nutrition and a daily workout regimen to keep him fit between fights. He said when his career ends, he hopes to stay in Jefferson County, start a family and go into coaching.
“I don’t treat it like a job. It’s my lifestyle. I wake up every morning with the desire to be better than I was yesterday. To be an exceptional fighter is one of the hardest things to be great at. I can’t wait to be a husband and father, (but) I’m focused on my passion right now and being the best version of myself.
“I’m going against opponents at the highest level. Every single guy in the cage is incredibly skilled at violence and can do harm to me, but I’m testing my skills and abilities against the world’s best.”
Lancers forfeit football game
St. Pius X’s 41-0 victory over Herculaneum in an I-55 Conference game Sept. 22 has been forfeited because the Lancers used an ineligible player.
St. Pius activities director Tilden Watson said a freshman played too many quarters – six is the maximum allowed per week – when the Lancers played Jefferson Sept. 15 in a varsity game and then he played in a JV game Sept. 21. Watson said the school self-reported the violation to the Missouri State High School Activities Association. Jason West, communications director at MSHSAA, confirmed that the Lancers vacated the win.
“Rules are rules,” said first-year St. Pius head coach Frank Ray, who said he is still adapting to coaching at a small school after coming from Hillsboro. “In order to have JV games, some of the young kids have to do double duty. I didn’t have that issue coming from Hillsboro, (where) the freshmen, JV and varsity teams didn’t intermingle.”
The change doesn’t alter the I-55 standings at the top because unbeaten Jefferson (6-0) beat St. Pius, is 4-0 in the conference, and only needs to defeat St. Vincent (3-3, 3-0) to win the championship. Herculaneum, now officially 2-4 overall instead of 1-5, is 1-3 in the league and lost its fourth game in a row 21-18 to Grandview Sept. 27.