Drew McFedries: "I Feel Just Fine with the Future"

After an extended layoff from the sport, Drew McFedries is once again working to establish himself as one of the world’s most dangerous middleweights—if only for a limited time.

Following a 16-month hiatus from professional competition, McFedries, a long-time fan-favourite, made his long-awaited return to the sport, a third-round TKO victory over Gary Tapusoa, on Jan. 29 under the Titan Fighting Championships banner in Kansas City, Kan.

“I felt great. I had plenty of time to prepare for my match and once I got in the ring, it was just like I never left—I got settled in and pulled in the win.”

“I feel great about it; other than breaking my arm in the first round, I’m very happy with everything that happened in the match—I feel just fine with the future and I’m looking forward to more opportunities and bigger shows.”

McFedries, who first caught the attention of many fans with his victory over Alessio Sakara at UFC 65, has long been regarded by many as one of the sport’s most exciting competitors.

A veteran of nine bouts inside the Octagon, the man they call “The Massacre” boasts notable victories over Claude Patrick, Sakara, Jordan Radev, Marvin Eastman and Xavier Foupa-Pokam.

While McFedries, who is already an established star in the sport, is once again working his way towards the top of the middleweight food-chain one fight at a time, the Iowan mixed martial artist hasn’t forgotten about the early days of his career.

“I was working at a bar where every summer the fights came to us. There was a ring set up on the dance floor and we hosted the show. I worked security there at the time and I got a lot of guys saying, ‘You think you’re so tough, get in the ring.’ But it wasn’t the fact that I thought I was tough; it was more the fact that I had so many challengers.”

“I have gone through the days when I fought for nothing. In the early days you had to pay to fight or if you didn’t win you had to pay to get there. There were plenty of times when you not only came up empty handed, but in the hole.”

While he admits that he never intended on fighting for this long, McFedries, who is a veteran of 15 professional bouts, seems more than happy to compete—at least for the time-being.

“Like all people that like what they do for money, I don’t feel like I have a career. I like to get in shape, look good, and learn new things, so I don’t really feel that I have a career. I think I’m one of those fortunate people that gets to live life the way they are programmed.”

“I fight for the rush—it’s a jolt to the system. I fight for the fans and the roar of the crowd. I fight for what I believe in; living a decent life. I fight for the things no one can ever take from you—the things that make you eternal,” said McFedries. “Stepping into the ring, I usually feel super-charged. There isn’t anything I can use to really describe it. It’s what I’ve been waiting for and that moment is priceless.”

“I never thought that I would still be fighting at my age, but here I am...That’s part of life and I guess I will stop when either my body gives out or the time comes when it’s obvious I need to stop. I think that life takes us all where we naturally belong and when my time is done in MMA, I’m sure it will open the door for something else. I have looked into plenty of jobs already; it’s just a matter of making a choice.”