"Stocked shelves in a supermarket": MMA fighter Nathan Kelly shares his life before UFC career
MMA fighter Nathan Kelly began his professional career relatively late, at the age of 25 in 2022. Before stepping into the octagon, Kelly lived a regular life, working an everyday job, as he revealed in an interview with Sun Sport.
Kelly shared that prior to becoming a professional fighter, he worked at an Aldi supermarket, stocking shelves. He continued this job even while participating in amateur MMA bouts.
In February 2022, after securing a win against Scott Pedersen, Kelly returned to work at the supermarket the following Monday. However, he finally decided to quit his job to focus entirely on training and fighting. That same year, Kelly signed a professional contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
"Rather than half a**e it or have that excuse of, 'Oh I have a job.' I'd rather give me everything and fail than half a**e it and say, ‘Oh what could have been.’ So I decided to leave the job and that August then I started with the PFL, so it all worked out for me perfectly. It was the right decision," Kelly explained.
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
