Chase Degenhardt

Chase Franklin Degenhardt didn’t always want to be a fighter.

Growing up in Edmonton Alberta was like many boys who lived, breathed, and ate hockey, with the hopes of someday making it into the NHL. But a comment from a friend while watching his first ever mixed martial arts event on television prompted him to walk into a gym just a few weeks later, and the rest, they say, is history.

While attending the University of Lethbridge and working towards his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree, Chase continued to train and had several amateur fights, but he admits that in the beginning the only punches he threw were to set up for takedowns to get the fight to the ground. Realizing that he needed to expand his fistic knowledge, Chase started to concentrate on learning the National boxing style of Thailand called Muay Thai, otherwise known as the “Art or Eight Limbs” for its use of fists, feet, elbows, and knees.

Chase had nine amateur Muay Thai bouts, and was able to represent Canada at the IFMA World Amateur Muay Thai championships as well as winning the IKF World Classic tournament in Orlando, Florida.  Following his world Muay Thai championship experience, Chase made the decision to turn professional as a mixed martial artist, now with a record of 9-3.

Ten professional MMA fights later, Chase was offered the full time job of Muay Thai Instructor at the Hayabusa Training Centre.

This was an offer that he couldn’t turn down, as up until that point Chase was like most young fighters who had to work a full time job in order to be able to afford to fight.  He was a doorman, apprentice pipe fitter, and did various construction jobs, and says that he loves working at Hayabusa so much that it doesn’t even feel like a real job.

When the 25-year-old isn’t punching or getting punched, he likes to play soccer, hockey, and for something a little quieter he enjoys reading novels, in particular those by Neal Stephenson and Guy Gavriel Kay. He says that the idea of taking literature in school and being an author sometimes goes through his mind, and that the inspiration to write will often hit him in the middle of the night.