UFC Fight Night in London on March 21, Chris Mecate cornered his teammate Danny Silva with his fight against Kurtis Campbell.

From cageside, Mecate watched Silva win via second round TKO, a strong statement in the featherweight (145 lbs) division. But Mecate was doing more than just being in his teammates corner; he was scouting other featherweights on the card.

“I used it honestly as a recruiting tool as well to see where I stand,” Mecate said.

During his time at Mt. SAC he balanced coaching the wrestling team and building his own professional MMA career.

Mecate is not just searching for his next opportunity; he is also recovering from injuries sustained in what he described as a “pretty bad” car accident.

Wrestling Background

Mecate’s wrestling journey started almost by accident after his father saw an ad in the newspaper about a kid his age who was a wrestler. His dad asked him if he would be interested and young a Chris said, sure. Mecate ended up joining team SoCal, a premier wrestling team in Southern California.

The rest was history.His hard work and dedication lead to him becoming the first state champion in any sport at Redlands East Valley High School before eventually wrestling for Old Dominion. While there he went on to become a two-time Division I All-American.

“It’s like the cream of the crop of those elite high school kids. Now they’re all average kids in the Division One room,” Mecate said. “It’s almost … how extreme it is and how nasty and cutthroat.”

That extremely competitive environment followed him to Mt. SAC, where he spent five years coaching, what he described as “literally the number one junior college in America.”

Mecate explained how the wrestling room can change more than just your skill in the sport.

“There’s nothing more revealing,” Mecate said, “because pressure strips everything down and forces a person to find out who they really are.”

Martial Arts Career

Mecate was thrusted into the regional MMA scene fighting for organizations like Legacy Fighting Alliance, A1 combat and the Anthony Pettis Fighting Championship.

He first was promoted as a two-time NCAA All-American, who joined forces with legendary UFC featherweight Cub Swanson. This exposed Mecate to the highest level of MMA, getting him both exposure and advanced training.

“It’s about getting eyes on you,” Mecate said. “It’s not [all] about your skill.”

Amongst Mecate’s most recent wins is when he finished Shaeed Santana at LFA 298 in December of 2024. This was followed by a unanimous decision victory over Javier Reyes at LFA 208 in Santa Cruz.

After these two wins, Mecate earned himself a record of 10 wins and 2 losses, showing his skills to bigger organizations like the UFC.

Unfortunately hardship followed, despite the strong performances. Mecate suffered a medical issue that forced him out of the main event slot at LFA 213 against Erick Visconde.

The bout was then rescheduled for LFA 215 where Visconde won by doctor stoppage after the second round. Reports mentioned that an eye swell obstructed Mecate’s vision, which ended the bout.

Mecate is now healing from the aforementioned car accident and is back to training.

“Once I’m healed up, we’ll get a fight going,” Mecate said. He mentioned that his next opportunity could come from LFA or another promotion. But, the goal is still to “get eyes on” his skill in the cage.

Mentality

For Mecate, the “hard room” was something he mentioned a lot when talking about his combat sports journey. He spoke on how it shaped him into a fighter and a better man.

The “hard room” was never just about learning new moves or getting better, it was about the environment itself and how it changes those who endure the pain. The weight cuts, constant pressure and the realization that the person next to you can be the one to take away your opportunities is harsh on the mind.

“Your best friend can be the guy who’s trying to take your job,” Mecate said. “You have to be able to exist amongst him and also … crush his dreams.”

Mecate spoke on how that was the reality at Old Dominion and even in high school, the amount of pressure that was present was a key factor to his success.

“Under duress, I’m still a man. I don’t back down. I’m not tapping out. I’m not fearful. I’m going forward,” Mecate said.

Mecate described fighting as a lifestyle and even something deeper than just competition. To him, hard rooms strip people down and rob them of their comfort. It’s about finding out who you truly are when everything gets difficult and there isn’t a place to “lay down”.

“Being comfortable in life is a dangerous thing,” Mecate said.

The Future

Mecate has already proven himself in the cage. Three of his former opponents have gone on to fight in the UFC, and that is competition on a different level.

This stage of Mecate’s career is very important. He has overcome obstacles and has dominated at multiple stages of competition. Chris Mecate is a former All-American, former Mt. SAC coach and a warrior who has already made his mark in the regional MMA landscape.

In SACMedia’s 2022 profile, Mecate said he wanted to leave a legacy everywhere.

That legacy can already be seen in the athletes he coached, at Mt. SAC and the teammates that he has supported in the cage.

“Fighting reveals who you are to yourself more than anything,” Mecate said.