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Paul Jesse Pendon Newbury Chaco

By Jayna Elizabeth Borja

Paul Chaco training in his military attire. (courtesy photo)

Paul Jesse Pendon Newbury Chaco is looking to make a name for himself in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) and he is off to a phenomenal start.

The 23-year-old is the newly crowned Epic Fighting MMA (www.epicfighting.com) middleweight champion after taking the unanimous decision over Joel Lott in Epic 19 at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in San Diego, CA on July 12, 2013.

“It was exciting and relieving because he was a tough opponent,” Chaco said. “I hit him with a lot of good shots and he didn’t go down. He kept fighting to the bitter end.”

“I won the first round, [Lott] won the third and the deciding factor was the second round. I ended up winning by unanimous decision – 29-28 from all three judges.”

Chaco, now 4-0, took the title fight on a week’s notice, coming off a dominant round one knockout win over Skye Alves on June 23, 2013.

Trainer and manager Manolo Hernandez added, “Right now, we’re giving him a chance to rest while we wait for our next opportunity. He is very strong willed and dedicated and trains with some good partners here at SDCA. In just three years, we have sent three fighters to the UFC.”

Chaco is a 2007 Notre Dame High School graduate and was raised in Talofofo. He is the son of Paul and Evangeline (Vangie) Chaco and is a true multisport athlete – baseball, rugby, jiu jitsu and volleyball.  Chaco enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2007, became a member of the Camp Pendleton MMA Team in 2011 and earned a black belt in Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).

Now, Chaco trains with Team Hurricane Awesome at the San Diego Combat Academy and keeps a full schedule as a personal trainer and is a full-time student at Platt College pursuing a degree in graphic design and web development.

Joel Lott and Paul Chaco pose after his middle weight title win of Epic Fighting MMA. (courtesy photo)

“What I like about MMA is that the results are dependent upon yourself. What you put in is what you get out. Unless you put in the work, you won’t get the results you want.”

After tallying a string of three MMA wins in the last six weeks, Chaco is already looking forward to his next fight, an opportunity to fight for another belt in another organization (Xplode Fight Series).

“As of right now, I will keep training and fighting in upcoming events,” Chaco said. “I want to see how far I can take this without losing sight of what’s important to me – finishing school, starting a business and starting a family of my own.”

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