Tom Theocharis steps into the cage against Brandon Bell during the HRMMA 119 card on Saturday night, headlining the welterweight co-main event. The 27-year-old from London, Ontario heads to the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the fight.
A winding path has brought Theocharis to this point, yet he's locked in on a contest he views as valuable across multiple dimensions.
"I'm pushing through every obstacle because I genuinely love this matchup," Theocharis told MMA Empire. "They put this fight together and within two minutes I'd already looked him up, watched maybe three of his bouts, and decided yes. He was sitting at number one in Tennessee and Kentucky, a Bellator veteran, 37 years old, and standing at five-foot-six. Anyone who knows me, anyone who's seen my training approach, knows I build my game around using my reach to its fullest advantage."
"With a five-foot-six opponent, I get to work my length in a much more effective way. I regularly push past fighters taller than me during sparring sessions, so I'm confident I'll control the distance against him. I already see what he's planning — he's going to chase takedowns. He brings nonstop wrestling pressure, but his conditioning falls off quickly. I can go the full three rounds without issue; he's got maybe one round left in him. I want to dictate the pace and force my game on him."
Preparation has taken many forms ahead of this fight, and with Theocharis' previous appearance dating back to November 2019, he's eager to present what he calls "a completely different version" of himself in the octagon.
"The resources available to me since relocating to Toronto have been remarkable," he explained. "GSP mentioned on Bisping's podcast that Canadian MMA hasn't expanded as much recently because our athletes are so spread out. We end up competing against each other. But in Toronto, we have this tight-knit group of fighters. I've got three dedicated wrestling coaches — Chad Pierce, Dave Garvin, Chris Prickett. Ryan Dickson has been a big part of my camp; he's a black belt in jiu-jitsu and runs his own professional record." He continued, "I spar a lot with Aaron Jeffery, Elias Theodorou serves as my primary training partner, and I make regular trips to Kitchener to work with Joey George, the former Lion Fights 185-pound champion. The Brock wrestling team at NTT is another constant presence. There's such a strong concentration of talent around me right now, and everything they bring to the table and teach me is incredible. Over the past six months — three, four, however long — I've evolved significantly as a competitor."
UFC fighter TJ Laramie typically occupies a regular spot in Theocharis' corner, yet several reasons explain why the ex-TKO/PFC featherweight titleholder won't serve as part of the corner team for this upcoming bout.
"He was planning to come corner me, obviously, but I also felt guilty about asking him. He was always so willing to help, not simply as a training partner but as one of my closest friends. He's always looking out for me. He'll travel down to Toronto and guide me through everything—fight strategy and nutrition alike," Theocharis explained.
"If I had insisted he come along and the UFC called saying 'we've got you fighting in six weeks,' I'd feel terrible—not just for TJ, but for Rino (Belcastro) too, his head coach. I'd be pulling him away from Rino, a genuinely good person, and I'd feel like I've failed both of them. So it makes more sense for him to stay home. Instead, I'm having people corner me from Tennessee who I met last year."
Currently preparing for his next competition, Theocharis is surrounded by a solid group of supporters, including training partners, coaches, family, and friends. Yet that hasn't always been true—his parents were initially unaware of his son's MMA career.
According to Theocharis, they had no idea about his first three fights until a coworker of his father's finally brought him into the picture.
"That was pretty interesting. My debut actually took place in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena. I told my parents I was heading to the casino for some reason. My brother went along with a bunch of friends, and the following Monday my dad figured it out and absolutely gave me a talking-to," Theocharis recalled.
"Long story short, they really didn't want me fighting at all, so I'd keep doing it behind their backs. Finally, after my third fight—where I secured a knockout for the third time consecutively—they said, 'Alright, just let us know next time.' They realized I wasn't going to quit, and here we are today."
Things shifted dramatically afterward, sparked by realizing how fiercely determined their son truly was.
These days his parents fully support him as Theocharis prepares to pack up and head across the border to the United States. With a co-headlining slot on a pay-per-view card, his family can definitely see his progress growing.
"They saw how committed and passionate I am, something they'd never witnessed before—not in school, not in any other sport, not in anything else I've done. I think they were genuinely impressed by that dedication and discipline. Eventually, they started respecting that side of me. That was the turning point," Theocharis said.
"They're definitely proud of me, and I feel like I'm gaining more recognition in the sport, partly because of where I've been and partly because I'm the co-main event on a pay-per-view. For this particular fight especially, I've received far more attention than before. I'm not sure if it's just because I'm the co-main event, but it feels like this specific matchup is drawing extra notice, which is great."
Theocharis Shoutouts
"I'd like to thank my sponsors too. Muskoka Wake, Grantham Dairy, Sports Tree LTD, River Birch Landscapes, Stockie Chrysler Motors, SPM Financial, HB Framing. There are quite a few. One Bad, Crank Lite, Niagara Top Team, Adrenaline, Arkane Apparel, B-Clutch, Walk with Me Counselling, Bentley's Bar Inn." Follow Theocharis on social media: TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
