Athletes
Chris Gutierrez Isn't Looking Back
Featherweight Chris Gutierrez Is Thankful To Make The Walk To The Octagon This Weekend At UFC Kansas City: Machado vs Prates As He Takes On John Castaneda
No training camp is perfect. No fight is perfect. But, at 34, Chris Gutierrez isn’t sweating the small stuff.
“I’ve honestly just been trying to focus on the things that I can control, and that's attitude, gratitude and effort,” said Gutierrez, who returns to the Octagon on Saturday to face John Castaneda.
It’s a bout that was originally scheduled for March 8, but was scrapped due to an illness suffered by Castaneda, who was replacing Gutierrez’ original opponent, Jean Matsumoto. In Gutierrez’ previous bout last August, he saw Javid Basharat get replaced on short notice by Quang Le. That’s the fight game, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Well, it used to be more frustrating, but these days, Gutierrez just takes a deep breath and gets back to work.
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“It definitely comes with maturity, being in the game for as long as I have and having the right people around you,” he said. “Ten years ago, similar situations happened to me, even when I first started. But I think I’m able to handle it a little better this time around.”
Ten years ago, Gutierrez was 7-1-1 as a pro, coming off a stoppage of Aaron Phillips, and starting to make a name for himself on the regional scene. He was still three years and change from getting to the UFC, so money was tight, and he ultimately had to take a job working security in a local mall. Hey, you do what you have to in order to make a living, and it was a legitimate side gig for the bantamweight up and comer, especially to get some extra cash to head home to see his family in Texas for Christmas. So Gutierrez gave his boss advance notice – eight months of advance notice – but a week before Christmas, he was told that the time off wasn’t approved. Then the boss added this tidbit for good measure.
“If you want to decide your own fate, working here is not going to do it for you,” he said.
Gutierrez agreed, and he never worked another shift. He went to Texas for Christmas.
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“I remember saying, I'll never let anyone or any situation or a circumstance ever dictate who I am and what I'm supposed to do,” said Gutierrez. “And that literally was a wake-up call. I said, you know what? I've watched my mom and dad get bossed around. I've watched them get pushed over from other people that were higher than them. And I was like, no, I'm not going to do that. And I was told that I was wrong for doing that. And I was like, no, I dreamed big, man. My dream scared the f**k out of me. So I knew at that moment I made the right decision.”
He did. Gutierrez is 13 fights into his UFC career, one of the top bantamweights in the world, and he’s traveled the world to chase his dream. He’s come a long way from 12-hour shifts followed by a quick stop home to feed and walk his dog before scrambling to the gym to train. Now, he’s going to be in front of a packed house at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, and believe me, none of this is lost on him.
“It's not easy to get to where you want to be because some of the people closest to you are the ones that are going to tear you down and tell you what you're doing or what you're trying to achieve is not possible,” Gutierrez said. “And so you’ve almost got to be a little delusional, in a way. That's why I always say I have childlike faith. I think what's helped me keep going is that I've never stopped dreaming. I think that's always been a power of mine.”
And what better way to show that power than in front of a crowd that paid to see him do it?
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“Fighting in front of a crowd is always exhilarating, and it's a feeling like no other,” he said. “It's something to fight a man in a cage, but when you’ve got an arena full of thousands of people and millions of people are watching, it adds to it, and it's a beautiful feeling. It's also scary and nerve wracking, but it is what it is. This is what we do.”
But what about that old boss at the mall? Did Gutierrez ever see him again?
He did.
“He saw me,” Gutierrez said. “He was a big guy, around like 300 pounds. He came up to me, was like, ‘So man, what's up? How's life treating you?’”
Gutierrez had no response.
“Oh, okay, I understand. COVID is going on. You don't want to shake hands.”
Gutierrez didn’t. And it had nothing to do with COVID. But his former boss didn’t get the hint.
So, what do you do now?
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“I'm actually in the UFC now,” “El Guapo” responded.
Gutierrez laughs, the moment still as satisfying now as it was then.
“His jaw f**king dropped.”
It was a good day.
“I left everything behind me, man,” he said. “I left everything behind me, I started running forward, and I haven't looked back ever since. And that's one of the best decisions I've ever made.”
UFC Fight Night: Machado Garry vs Prates took place live from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri On April 26, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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