Chase Rider
Chase Rider trains at Iowa Martial Arts under coaches Charles and Zech Heller in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up attending AFC events — his uncle is a pro fighter and the promoter for AFC, who offered Chase his first fight after he finished wrestling. He wrestled most of his life including his first year of college before transitioning to MMA. His first fight came at age 19 with only two months of training; he lost via submission to Eli Morris. He has competed in both kickboxing and MMA and wants to pursue MMA as his primary discipline, while staying open to kickboxing to sharpen his striking. Off the mat, Chase works in HVAC and enjoys fishing and the outdoors. He sees himself as the underdog and says people doubt him often — that chip drives him. His family isn't fond of fighting due to injury concerns, but his friends support it. He has a pre-fight routine he relies on to manage nerves. Source: Clay's Conversations interview (Facebook).