Galesburg native and MMA fighter Eric “Showtime” Shelton is about to raise the curtain on his UFC career.
Shelton will step into the octagon as part of UFC Fight Night this Saturday to face Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja, a 26-year old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Shelton got into the semi-finals on TV’s The Ultimate Fighter where he lost by decision.
Showtime admits he had a chip on his shoulder in that contest as the 16th seed of 18 fighters.
It was a challenging experience he says but one that parlayed into a chance in the UFC.
The winner of The Ultimate Fighter gets a UFC roster spot, and while Shelton wasn’t guaranteed anything, he received encouragement from trainers and other fighters that he could be getting a call.
He went to train with Pete Spratt in San Antonio following his loss.
This weekend’s opponent, Pantoja was the number one seed on the Ultimate Fighter.
“I think I can finish him anywhere, on the ground or standing” Shelton says. “So I’m just going to go in there, feel him out and try to get the job done quick and prove to everyone why I should have been the number one seed in the house,” Shelton says.
A gofundme page has helped Shelton support himself while he trains.
He’s hoping that getting a win Saturday will help put those days behind him.
