As he nears the likely finish line to his long and productive
career,
Ovince St.
Preux plans to tend to some unfinished business in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.
“OSP” will face former champion
Mauricio Rua
for a second time—he knocked out “Shogun” in 34 seconds back in
2014—when their rematch bolsters the
UFC
274 main card this Saturday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
St. Preux, who turned 39 in April, enters the Octagon on the heels
of back-to-back losses that raised red flags in a sport known for
being unforgiving to aging competitors. He last appeared at UFC
Fight Night 190, where he succumbed to punches from Canadian
heavyweight
Tanner
Boser in the second round of their June 26 encounter.
As St. Preux makes final preparations ahead of his forthcoming
battle with Rua, here are five things you might not know about
him:
1. He grew out of fertile athletic soil.
St. Preux was born on April 8, 1983 in Immokalee, Florida, a
“census-designated place” of roughly 20,000 people that sits 120
miles northwest of Miami. It has been a hotbed for football talent
for years, having given rise not only to “OSP” but to Edgerrin
James, a hall-of-fame running back who ranks 13th on the NFL’s
all-time list in rushing yards (12,246), 16th in yards from
scrimmage (15,610) and 21st in rushing touchdowns (80).
2. He made sure to have a Plan B.
The Floridian put a safety net in place prior to making the
uncertain transition to mixed martial arts, as he graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of
Tennessee.
3. The UFC record book bears his imprint.
St. Preux ranks in the Top 5 on the Ultimate Fighting
Championship’s all-time list for light heavyweights in appearances
(22), wins (13), finishes (11), knockouts (six), submissions (five)
and fight night bonuses (eight). Those bonuses—seven for
“Performance of the Night” and one for “Fight of the Night”—have
resulted in $400,000 of additional income.
4. Loyalty remains one of his virtues.
While he has cross-trained at higher-profile camps like
Alliance MMA,
Black House and
RVCA,
St. Preux still operates out of the Knoxville Martial Arts Academy
in Tennessee.
5. His skills have not gone untested.
St. Preux has fought six current of former UFC,
Bellator
MMA and
Strikeforce
champions: Rua,
Jon Jones,
Rafael
Cavalcante,
Glover
Teixeira,
Ryan Bader
and
Gegard
Mousasi.