Hecht ‘overwhelmed’ after debut success

JAKE HECHT will return to Cork tomorrow after enjoying a successful debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday night.

Hecht defeated Rich Attonito in a welterweight clash at UFC 140 at the 18,000-capacity Air Canada Centre in Toronto, securing the win by a TKO in the second round.

The 27-year-old spent most of the first round on his back and withstood an onslaught of strikes from Attonito, after he had been taken down early on.

But the fight ended just over a minute into the second round when Hecht shook Attonito with an elbow, before following his opponent to the mat and unloading a barrage of punches, prompting the referee to step in and call a halt to the bout.

The victory takes Hecht’s professional record to 11-2 and will net him somewhere in the region of €18,000.

The Missouri native has been based in Cork for the last year, having taken up the head mixed martial arts coach’s position at the Boxing/MMA Clinic in Frankfield.

“This is a dream come true for me but it’s been a long time in the making,” said Hecht, who made his professional MMA debut in 2006.

“I tried to think of it as just another fight and not let the lights, the cameras and the crowd get to me. But words can’t describe the emotions I’m feeling now. I’m overwhelmed.”

Hecht, who’s been christened ‘The Cork Crippler’ on Leeside, added: “I’ve absolutely loved it in Ireland since I made the move.

“The people are the nicest and most welcoming I’ve ever encountered. I’ve had massive support from so many people in Cork over the last few weeks and I appreciate that so much.”

Hecht signed a four-fight deal with the UFC last month and will now turn his attentions to his next outing with the organisation, which is likely to be scheduled for the spring of 2012.

Rich Attonito was a veteran of four UFC fights prior to Saturday’s bout, so Hecht’s win against the highly-rated 34-year-old New Jersey native has impressed many.

Hecht normally fights at middleweight and underwent a significant weight-cut before tackling Attonito. When he accepted the fight on November 13, Hecht weighed 204lbs but managed to make weight of 170.5lbs at Friday’s weigh-in in Toronto.