Chad George Disses Hollywood, Creates His Own Show

By Frank Curreri

Skilled in the art of animation, Chad George is talented enough to breathe life into cartoon characters or create special effects for Hollywood motion pictures. But those aspirations faded a few years back.

“Yeah, it’s gone,” said the 27-year-old resident of Los Angeles. “I have no desire to be a part of Hollywood and, in fact, I can’t even stand to be in that part of town.”

George’s unusual conversion from animator to pro fighter happened quite by accident. The Californian had been seeking temporary relief from the stresses of his job and instead stumbled upon a permanent refuge.

“I had opened my own animation studio,” he explained. “Sometimes we were pulling 22-, 23-hour days just to get a project finished. Training was my escape to get out the studio for an hour or two a day. The more I kept training the more it took precedence over everything in my life. It really filled a void and showed me where I’m supposed to be.”

Now, instead of anonymously toiling behind the scenes (with the potential to be one of hundreds of names that might appear in rushed movie credits that relatively few people bother to watch), George is a flamboyant showman who strives to be unforgettable to anyone who lays eyes on him in the cage.

“I understand marketability and I try to fight in a way that people will remember me,” said George, a 10-4 bantamweight fighter whose nickname is “Savage.” “I guarantee that when I fight you will remember something that stands out from every other fight that night. Something exciting will happen.”

He compares his style to former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver, another 110 mph, go-for-broke fighter with a penchant for wacky hairdos and a staunch disdain for backing up during fights. Nine of George’s 10 wins have come by stoppage (six submissions, three TKO’s), evidence that the former high school wrestler is comfortable wherever the action goes and comes to throw down.

“I’m there to finish a fight,” he asserted. “I’m not there to just play in the waters, I’m there to jump in headfirst.”

Winner of five straight, George is poised make his WEC debut on Dec. 19 against John Hosman, a lanky Midwesterner whose 17-5 record is anchored by considerable wrestling experience and punching power. The paths of George and Hosman had nearly collided before, in a rival organization, but George nixed the matchup.

“We were in negotiations, it just didn’t make sense for either side for the pay in a small show,” George said. “So we’re familiar with him -- I’m not sure how familiar he is with me. He’s a tough, well-rounded guy. He’s a wrestler just like myself so it should have the makings for a great fight.”

Coy when asked about his gameplan for the most important bout of his career, George assured that “We have a lot of secrets that haven’t got out yet” that could be sprung on Hosman, who will enjoy a roughly five-inch height advantage. Despite taking the fight on roughly three weeks’ notice, George said he is in “incredible” shape because he had already been scheduled to fight on Nov. 14 in a smaller show, though the bout fell through.

If YouTube highlights of George’s work are any indication, his taste in motivational soundtracks is even more remarkable than his ability to manhandle opponents. He and a buddy dared to produce a three-and-one-half minute promotional video to that long, lost classic “You’re The Best Around” by Joe Esposito. Let’s face it, fighter promos are flooded with rhythmic, bass-heavy tracks by rap artists, or the occasional rehashing of something cliché yet vintage like Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” But reaching back 25 years ago and borrowing the inspirational masterpiece that spurred The Karate Kid to overcome a group of bullies at the All Valley Karate Championship? Priceless! For that hilarious and cheesy reason alone, this writer hereby ranks George’s montage as one of the most memorable fighter promotional videos ever (Upon further review, it turns out that former UFC pioneer Keith Hackney also has a promo fitted to the “You’re The Best Around” underdog anthem. Who knew this song by a one-hit wonder offered so much hope to fighters the world over?).

One final thing about this George fella’: He has his fair share of body art and, in particular, the tattoo across his chest holds special meaning.

“The ones on my chest …I’m Italian and Jewish, so the scriptures on the top part are in Italian, and meaning strength, knowledge and respect, which are very fundamental things in my life that I truly believe in,” he said. “The bottom part is in Hebrew which translates to ‘I shall not surrender,’ which is another thing I truly believe in. It’s kind of a reminder every time I look in the mirror.”