Hector Porter RYAN FROM THE 6IX interview on Chris Connors

In the Hector Porter RYAN FROM THE 6IX interview, Porter said he will fight Chris Connors for Shamrock Fighting Championships in St. Louis after an injury-free camp at Ignite. He also discussed his goal of reaching the Ultimate Fighting Championship at 170 pounds and why becoming a father changed what he wants from fighting.

What did Hector Porter say about his next fight with Chris Connors?

Hector Porter said Chris Connors is his next opponent on a Shamrock Fighting Championships card in St. Louis. Porter called Connors tough, long and rangy, but said he has identified things he may be able to use in the fight. He is returning after a pro debut in February that did not go his way.

Porter found the opportunity himself. Two of his teammates had fought on a Shamrock card in Kansas City, so he contacted the promotion about getting a bout. He said he is not signed to a promotion and looks for opportunities as they arise.

Studying Chris Connors on film

Football shaped Porter's approach to scouting. He said film study became especially important when he played in college, and he now breaks down an opponent's footwork, hand placement, combinations, takedown entries and submissions. Connors does not have much footage available, Porter said, but he has watched enough to spot possibilities without disclosing his game plan.

Porter had hoped to fight three or four times during the year. He said finding opponents can be difficult and pointed to the competition he faced across 10 amateur fights, including Julius G Sparks Walker and Zach Tawaga, whom he said went on to the UFC. He framed his response simply: he is willing to take the fights that become available.

How did Hector Porter's fight camp at Ignite prepare him for Chris Connors?

Hector Porter said his camp at Ignite in Missouri has been injury-free, unlike some previous camps. The team trains together, while fighters with upcoming bouts also work with coaches and teammates on opponent-specific needs. Porter has added individual work before and after team practice to prepare for Connors.

He described working with teammates of different experience levels and trying to get the best out of each session. The fight plan is developed with a coach, he said, while additional rounds and drills can be arranged individually. He declined to spell out what he intends to do against Connors.

Why Ignite is Porter's home gym

Porter does not usually travel to other gyms for sparring. He described himself as loyal to a fault and said that when he is in camp at Ignite, that is where people will find him. He credits the gym with helping him become a better fighter, person and father.

Porter also praised Zach for supporting him through difficult personal times as well as coaching him. He said that trust matters beyond any single camp: Ignite is his home base and the people there are his family.

How did Hector Porter start MMA and become a coach at Ignite?

Hector Porter said he started pursuing MMA in 2018 after watching a former high school wrestling teammate fight in Leavenworth, Kansas. Seeing someone he used to wrestle compete made him believe he could do it too. Porter later found a training group through promoter JW before eventually making Ignite his home.

From a Leavenworth fight to training with JW

Porter watched his former teammate's fight on a YouTube stream and contacted JW, who ran Apex Combat Sports. His first training sessions with that group took place in the basement of a house. He then trained at another gym in Leavenworth before fighting one of Zach's athletes and receiving an invitation to join Zach's gym.

That invitation grew into a long-term relationship. Porter said he had been at the gym for about three or four years at the time we spoke. The place that became his fight-camp base also gave him a way to work with people who have no intention of competing.

Teaching boxing to people who do not want to fight

Porter coaches a cardio boxing class at Ignite. Some of his clients are over 60, he said, and attend to hit a bag for roughly 45 minutes and get a workout. His advice to someone nervous about entering a combat sports gym is to watch a class first, then begin lightly. Nobody needs to spar on the first day or plan to become a fighter.

How did becoming a father change Hector Porter's reason for fighting?

Hector Porter said the birth of his daughter in 2024 changed fighting from a personal outlet into a way to provide for her. He wants the sport to create opportunities for his child, rather than treating his own career as the only measure of success. Fatherhood also changed how he thinks about his time at the gym.

Training once helped him deal with stress, Porter said. After becoming a father, he began thinking about what a fighting career could make possible for his daughter, including the ordinary experiences he wants to be able to afford as she grows up.

Porter put that change in perspective when we spoke:

It's not for me anymore

He said he is 31 and conscious that he is not getting younger, while his daughter has her life ahead of her. His aim is to give her opportunities he wanted for himself. That purpose runs through his willingness to seek fights wherever a suitable opening appears.

What are Hector Porter's UFC ambitions and target weight classes?

Hector Porter wants to make a run at the UFC at 170 pounds, with 185 pounds another option. His fight with Chris Connors is set for a 195-pound catchweight, and he said he used to compete at heavyweight. Porter sees moving down as a path toward a division that better suits him as a professional.

He said he once weighed almost 270 pounds and resisted cutting weight partly because he had done it during high school wrestling. Toward the end of his amateur career, he concluded that heavyweight might not be the right professional division for him. After dropping to 205 pounds for a fight, he said he felt healthier and less tired, even though the fight itself did not go as he wanted.

Porter named Dana White's Contender Series as one possible route toward the UFC. He also said he would go through LFA if necessary. His focus, he said, is on doing the work required rather than insisting on one particular route to a contract.

What did Hector Porter say about family support, food and bare-knuckle fighting?

Hector Porter said his family travels to watch him fight, but his mother draws the line at bare-knuckle competition. He also tries to cook at home rather than eat out frequently, a habit he connected to losing weight. Together, those choices show both the support around his career and the limits his family has asked him to respect.

A family trip to Minnesota

Porter recalled relatives driving from Missouri to Minnesota for one of his fights. About 12 or 13 people traveled together in a van, he said, and their support did not depend on him winning. His mother enjoys watching him compete in MMA, but Porter said he would respect her objection to bare-knuckle fighting and stick with MMA for now.

Cooking at home during his weight change

Porter usually cooks, or his partner does. He described meals built around chicken, turkey or beef with rice and beans, sometimes adding spinach; he also cooks fish. When he does eat out, he mentioned Off the Hook Barbecue near his gym, Chipotle and Church Chicken. He said eating at home became more important after weighing close to 270 pounds.

Why does Hector Porter want to headline Madison Square Garden?

Hector Porter said his dream venue is Madison Square Garden, where he hopes one day to headline. The appeal is its history: he wants to compete at a place associated with fighters who came before him. He sees that ambition as something to work toward, not a substitute for the opportunities in front of him.

Porter said he was not especially interested in history growing up, but fighting made him think more about the athletes who paved the way. He noted how far major fight events have come from the conditions earlier competitors faced. Even with other unusual venues available, the Garden is the place he would choose for his own headline fight.

For now, that long-term goal sits alongside a more immediate one: getting back in the cage against Connors after his February pro debut. Porter said he is prepared to take the route his career requires, whether that means another promotion, another weight class or another chance to prove himself.