Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Trevor Peek is set to make his fourth appearance inside the Octagon against Charlie Campbell this weekend. The bout is set to unfold on April 6 at UFC Fight Night 240 at the Apex Facility. Banking on a 2-1 promotional record and having never been finished in 11 professional fights, Peek epitomizes the kind of fighter that fans love to tune in to watch. Ahead of his clash against Campbell, we take a look at five things you might not know about the man behind the violence:
The Genesis of a Fighter
Peek’s initial dalliance with combat sports unfolded in street fights, where his innate talent and fierce determination came to the fore. A chance encounter with a fellow student turned providential, igniting the flame as Peek’s fighting career slowly took shape. Speaking in an interview with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he stated:“I had a good friend that trained whenever we were in high school. He was really big into the UFC, and he told me when I was 14 years old that if you ever wanted to make a lot of money you could do it in fighting. It kind of stuck with me, and throughout the years I had all kinds of people telling me they thought I could make it.”
Roots of Fighting
The Alabama native fought for the first time in an unsanctioned fight when he was 15. Following that, he went on to compete in three more mixed martial arts bouts without any formal training. While reflecting on his path, he claims that in 2017, he began practicing on a punching bag at his grandfather’s place. The following year, a group of friends took the initiative to train at a local karate dojo. That set the course for a journey distinguished by professionalism as he further articulates:“I finally met my first striking coach, Jeff Powell, in June of 2018 at Haskew Jiu Jitsu in Kimble, Tennessee, and I haven't lost a fight since we met. I started fighting because I loved it. I street fought so much as a teenager, and I knew I was good at it. It also helped save my life and kept me out of trouble. I started it to make a difference.”