https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/06/chris-wade-move-to-featherweight-paid-dividends-biggest-in-weight-class-2021-pfl-4
Chris Wade thinks his size advantage at featherweight will make all the difference.
Wade (19-6) scored his first knockout when he finished Arman Ospanov at 2021 PFL 4 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., on Thursday. With the win, he clinched a playoff spot for the third straight season.
A longtime lightweight, the ex-UFC fighter made his featherweight debut this season with a unanimous decision over Anthony Dizy, followed by a finish of of Ospanov. Having competed all the way up to 170 pounds, Wade admits the cut down takes a toll on him, but expects his size and power to continue translating in his performances and finally carry him through to that final spot.
“I’m not going to lie: It’s a tough cut,” Wade said at his post-fight interview. “It really is. It tries all my mental fortitude. But I’m a big boy at this weight. I’m probably the biggest dude in this weight class. It pays dividends for sure.”
Wade’s win didn’t come without adversity, though. He was wobbled by an Ospanov flurry in Round 2, but the Long Island native was able to weather the storm and score a knockout finish for the first time in 25 pro fights.
“Oh my God, the monkey I just got off my back – you don’t even know,” Wade said. “I’ve been waiting for that my whole career, and to get it against such a tough striker, it’s just poetic justice.
“Also, 24 fights into my career and no one’s been able to put me away – so I’m always going to be there in front of the guy, and I’m going to be fighting until the end each and every bout. So you’ve got to kill me in here this time.”
