"I trained with Jose Aldo" - Regis Prograis almost became an MMA fighter before taking up boxing
Fans nearly missed out on seeing Regis Prograis in the boxing ring.
'Rougarou' is currently slated for the biggest fight of his career this Saturday night. Headlining a DAZN pay-per-view offering from San Francisco, Prograis will look to defend his WBC super lightweight gold against Devin Haney.
The bout will be Haney's first up at super lightweight and his first since a win over Vasyl Lomachenko in the summer. 'The Dream' has vowed to defeat Prograis and then move up in weight to become a three-weight world champion.
Ahead of Devin Haney vs. Regis Prograis, 'Rougarou' previewed the bout during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. There, he discussed his boxing career and admitted that it nearly didn't happen.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Prograis revealed that had MMA been more popular when he was growing up, he would've fought in that sport instead. Furthermore, he discussed his time training in Brazil alongside former UFC champion Jose Aldo.
In the interview, Prograis stated:
"If MMA was big when I was coming up I probably would've done MMA, because I like that type of stuff. My wife is Brazilian, so I've spent a lot of time out there grappling, do a lot of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and stuff like that. I do like that sport a lot, but I ended up having to just be a boxer... I've trained with Pedro Rizzo, I've trained with Jose Aldo when I was in Brazil. All those guys out there showed me love."
What is Regis Prograis' boxing record?
Regis Prograis' boxing record is 29-1, with 24 wins coming by knockout.
While 'Rougarou' would've preferred to do MMA with hindsight, he's still one of the best boxers alive today. Furthermore, Prograis is one of the hardest-hitting super lightweights on the planet.
In the build-up to his fight with Devin Haney, much has been made of his boxing record and his power. 'The Dream' is seen as the cleaner boxer of the two and has the speed advantage. However, Prograis will look to score an elusive knockout blow this Saturday night.
In terms of the betting odds, fans seem to believe that Regis Prograis is outgunned ahead of his return. According to the current line from Bet MGM, Devin Haney is a -350 favorite. Meanwhile, the champion is currently a slight +275 underdog.
Although, as shown by Prograis's career thus far, he only needs one.