Comeback For the Ages

After suffering major injuries that would ruin many athletes’ careers, Visalia native Devon Chavez is looking to continue his passion and career in Mixed Martial Arts.

“I broke both of my shoulders and had surgery on this shoulder from my last fight and then also I had torn my ACL right here and tore my meniscus,” Chavez said.

Chavez had surgeries on his ACL, meniscus, and his shoulders and is now more excited than ever to be back and continue to train. “My teammates, my coaches, just watching them train it motivates me to get back faster,” Chavez said. “I wanna train with them. I want to help.”

Not only are other fighters helping Chavez make a return to MMA but his family is helping him as well. His sister Misha White and his Mother Debbie Chavez are his biggest supporters.  

“Even if he doesn’t want to, I make him get out there even if it’s just to get some sun because I know how much that can work out your mind,” White said. “We don’t work out just physically, we work out mentally as well. I’m just really really close to him and I have been since we were little, so I had to.”

Even Chavez’s Mom knows how much MMA means to him.

“Three or four days after injuries or surgeries, he is back to it,” Debbie Chavez said. “He has a drive for this and he’s mentally strong. He wants to do it. That’s part of who he is. We really just encourage him and we take care of him.”

With the support of his family and friends, Chavez expects to make a return to professional MMA in early 2019.