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| Scott Rehm Throwing the Vicious KO Punch at a previous CES |
Veteran Rehm brings
experience and wisdom to Burchfield’s expanding roster
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Dec. 20, 2011) – Scott Rehm is the first to admit what everyone else is thinking
each time he steps inside the cage.
“You have to think on age alone
I’m the underdog,” said the 46-year-old father of four. “Every now and then, I
ask myself, ‘Do I belong here?’ In my mind, I do.”
While the Brookline, Mass.,
native might not look the part, he’s every bit the competitor once the bell
rings. In less than four years as a professional on the mixed martial arts’
circuit, Rehm (6-5, 6 KOs) has found truth in the old adage that every puncher
does, in fact, have a chance, yet his success is based on more than just the
ability to land the knockout blow. With a deep background in law enforcement, elite
training partners, and a wealth of knowledge built from decades of experience in
various forms of hand-to-hand combat, Rehm is living proof that not everything
is what it appears to be on the surface.
On the undercard of Classic
Entertainment & Sports’ “Nowhere To Hide” show Sept. 9 at the Twin River
Event Center in Lincoln, R.I, Rehm stood toe-to-toe with chiseled, 29-year-old
Burrillville native Steve Skrzat. The
tale of the tape painted a grim outlook for Rehm, but the veteran pulled off
one of the biggest upsets of the year, knocking Skrzat out cold with a sneaky
right hand to the chin just 29 seconds into the opening round. The victory
lifted Rehm to 6-5 and left an immediate impression on CES president Jimmy
Burchfield Sr., who ultimately signed Rehm to a promotional agreement, adding
another savvy veteran to Burchfield’s talented stable of fighters.
“I’ve been to the UFC [Ultimate Fighting
Championships] and I’ve seen their professionalism, how they handle themselves,
and how they take care of fighters. CES emulates that,” Rehm said. “Out of
nowhere, two weeks prior to my fight [Sept. 9], the Rhode Island commission
wanted extra medicals because of my age. [CES matchmaker] Pat [Sullivan] did
everything he could to make it happen.
“That’s huge. Most promoters make
you find a way to get it done. Believe it or not, something as simple as that
makes a huge difference. They are very, very professional. Jimmy is nothing but
class, and it goes a long way with me. When they asked me to sign, I knew it
was a good fit. I’m at home with CES.”
“Scott Rehm is everything we look
for in a fighter,” Burchfield said. “We don’t just want quality athletes; we
want quality people, and Scott is an extraordinary fighter, as well as a
devoted family man who serves as the perfect role model for all up-and-coming
fighters. This is going to be a tremendous journey.”
As the husband of a Gulf War
veteran, a father of four daughters ranging in age from 11 to 19, and the
director and head instructor of ProElite Training Center and Fitness in
Sandwich, Mass., Rehm has a full-time life outside of the cage.
He trains everyone from doctors
and lawyers – “everyday folks,” as he calls them – to various professional
athletes, including UFC veteran Jorge
Rivera and former National Hockey League enforcer Paul Mara, who spent time with the New York Rangers and Boston
Bruins. Rehm also teaches military and law-enforcement personnel the art of
Krav Maga, an Isreali self-defense mechanism based on striking techniques and
counterattacks.
Through his connections in the
combat sports’ world, Rehm briefly tried his hand at amateur kickboxing, but
lost all three bouts.
“There were too many rules,” he
said.
Years later, while working with local
mixed martial arts icons Keith Rockel
of Amherst, Mass., and fellow Massachusetts standout Kenny Florian, a veteran of 17 UFC shows, Rehm decided cage
fighting might be a better fit.
“I had always watched MMA and
thought to myself, ‘Maybe that’s something I should take a peek at,’” he said.
With no amateur experience –
“There weren’t a whole lot of fights at the time,” he recalled – Rehm made his
professional debut in October of 2007 against Ron McEvily in Plymouth, Mass.
“The kid was the 2006 AAU
[American Athletic Union] Taekwondo champion – 6-foot-4, chiseled, fresh out of
the service,” Rehm said, “and I knocked him out.”
Rehm won four of his first six
bouts, all by knockout within the first two rounds, thanks in large part to the
help of South Boston-based boxing coach Peter Welch, who also works with
Florian and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and former featherweight boxer Tommy Connors, who owns the fastest knockout in Boston Garden
history (13 seconds vs. Lloyd Wilson in 1970).
“I started falling in love with
striking,” Rehm said. “The balance and footwork that goes along with boxing is
amazing. To translate that into mixed martial arts, I’m more comfortable
standing up than I am on the ground. All fights start standing up, so I always
have a shot at putting you on your duff.”
As for his ground game, Rehm admits
it’s still a work in progress – “The ground game is so graceful … it’s like
ballet,” he said – but he’s currently training with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
instructor Tim Burrill, which Rehm hopes will add another dimension to his game.
“The more confidence I gain on
the ground, the more confident I’ll be letting my hands go,” Rehm said. “I’ll
be less worried about hitting the ground.
“Timmy is phenomenal,” he added.
“The well I’m drinking out of when it comes to my education in this sport is
the top of MMA and the UFC and the top of the NHL and professional hockey. I’m
really lucky, and that’s what I transfer to my students.”
Now Rehm has a promoter in his
corner to help him reach his ultimate goal, which, simply put, is to fight his
“best fight.” At 43, he’s more concerned with being the best he can be on any
given night rather than winning a world title or rising to the top of the
rankings.
“Maybe I’ve already had [my best
fight] – I don’t know,” Rehm said. “At one point, I thought I should put a time
frame on it, but I don’t want to have an hourglass running out on me. I’m not a
young guy, so you won’t see me fighting four times a year. I need more time to
recover. Training camp beats the crap out of you, and it’s a lot of stress at
home. I have a family and a business to run; I don’t have a destination with a
checkered flag.
“I’m in there to test myself and
see where I stack up,” he added. “I feel like at least I belong here. I don’t
think I’m a pushover or an easy fight for anybody. Maybe if people expect less
of you, that’s when you shock the hell out of them.
“I didn’t take my first pro fight
until I was 39, and I’m still having fun. As long as my health is there and my
wife says it’s OK, why not still have fun?”
– CES –
Contacts:
Michael Parente, Classic Entertainment & Sports, (401) 263-4990
or michael@cesboxing.com.
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