VFC 42 Features A Comeback Story for the Ages

OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, March 15^th, the Ralston Arena will once again host the Victory Fighting Championship as current Featherweight Champion Ryan Roberts meets former WEC Champion Chase Beebe at VFC 42.

Avid followers of the UFC may remember Roberts from several years ago. He made his debut years ago fighting against Marcus Aurelio, but was let go after struggles with alcohol and the law resulted in jail time. Roberts's troubles continued for several years as he fought to stay sober and went in and out of rehab. Now cleaned up, Roberts has successfully reinvented himself in both his personal and professional life. 

"After everything that happened, I started taking the discipline of the sport seriously," he says. "Now I treat it with respect, and I've found that helping others has helped me as well. A lot of fighters have a similar backstory to mine. I find a lot of rewards in coaching and mentoring kids that are coming up in this sport that I see going down the wrong path."

More tragedy awaited Roberts last year when his sister, Andrea Kruger, was killed by alleged murderer Nikko Jenkins. In fact, he describes his greatest win as his fight against LC Davis following her death. "My sister was a big fan of mine. Even when I struggled, she stood by my side. So to fight someone with the caliber of LC Davis, to beat him in a split decision; and to do that in honor of my sister—I consider that one of my greatest accomplishments." A portion of ticket sales after the fight went to the Andrea Kruger Memorial Fund, as they will again for VFC 42.

Now married with 2 little girls and a full-time job as an Account Manager for Rinker Materials, Roberts has a different set of priorities and a new perspective on his future as a fighter. "I train for every fight like it's my last fight. Right now, it's two to three practices a day, six days a week. I don't know if I'll get another fight after this one, and that pushes me to train harder. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself, but now I have a lot more fun with it. My ultimate goal would be to get picked up by the UFC after this fight, showcase my skills on the biggest platform in the world, and enjoy every minute of it."

To see Roberts take on former WEC Champion Chase Beebe on March 15^th, purchase tickets through Homepridetix.com or call the ticket hotline at 800.440.3741. For more event and ticket information, visit victoryfighter.com or the Ralston Arena box office.

About VFC: Victory Fighting Championship is the premier mixed martial arts organization in the Midwest. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Victory has provided its' thousands of fans with high-quality, competitive, and entertaining fights since 2002. Victory has helped launch the careers of numerous elite fighters such as Benson Henderson, Spencer Fisher, Josh Neer, Bobby Volker, Jacob Volkmann, Jake Ellenberger, Houston Alexander, Brian Foster, Jason Brilz, Anthony Smith, Justin Salas, Chris Camozzi, Junior Hernandez, Brian Houston, and Travis Browne. These Victory fighters have made their way to the largest, most competitive stages in the world including the bright lights of the UFC. Victory Fighting Championship is an institution that continues to grow, thrive and gain strong, consistent momentum by presenting fights at the region's top venues and in front of the best crowds. Bright Lights, Big Fights. Fans are encouraged to visit victoryfighter.com, Facebook (facebook.com/victoryfighter) and Twitter (@victoryfighting) to stay up-to-date on the latest match-ups and news.

SOURCE Victory Fighting Championship