The first attempt to be casted on The Ultimate Fighter did not work out for Missouri’s Eric Irvin and he hopes the second time is the charm as he will be in Las Vegas on Monday to try out for the UFC reality show.
The lightweight fighter is currently on a four fight winning streak and is coming off a rear-naked choke submission victory against Joshua Thorpe at the Shamrock Promotions event that took place last month in St. Louis.
With that fight in the books, Irvin has his sights set on Monday’s tryouts in Las Vegas for The Ultimate Fighter 21. He hopes to make the show, but has a fight lined up just in case he does not make the show.
“I was just talking to my manager earlier and I already have a fight lined up for if something does not happen with The Ultimate Fighter,” Irvin told The MMA Report. “I am always going to try to stay fight ready. I did just fight so I have taken a week or two off. I would say I amped the training down a little bit so where I could do a little relaxing.”
“Right now, my next step in The Ultimate Fighter. I am leaving Sunday and I will be there for the tryouts on Monday. I am definitely sharpening my skills and making sure I am on my A game when we go out there. If that does not happen and I do not make, as soon as I get back, I will have a ten week training camp. I know when I am fighting next.”
Irvin initially tried out for The Ultimate Fighter in 2006 and he was an amateur fighter at that time. He did not make it out of the first round of the tryouts and he will show all of the UFC executives how he is a totally different fighter now.
“I tried out for the Ultimate Fighter in I think season five back when I was 3-0 as an amateur,” he said. “It was actually back when they would let anybody try out. I actually went to Chicago to tryout and did not even make it past the first round. Since then, I have become 5,000 times the fighter I was then. I am not nervous at all because do I want to make it? Hell yeah I want to make it. But if I don’t, will it be the end of the world? No, I am a 9-3 professional fighter and I feel I am pretty close to where I want to be at.”
Along with trying out for the reality show, Irvin understands this is essentially a job interview. Fighters like light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar tried out for the show and were unsuccessful. However, trying out lead to them getting a contract and Irvin wants to leave a lasting impression on the UFC decision makers.
“That is exactly one of the biggest things. If you can make it in there and they can know your name — I did try out like four years ago or whatever. Now I am trying out now and maybe I will tweak my case a little bit. I have been around since you guys have been around. I tried out in season five and will they remember my name? Probably not. Do you think it might give me a step up because ‘this guy tried out in season five and he is still at it. He has come a long way. Maybe we should give this guy a shot.’ They are definitely going to see my name and I am going to be ready to fight on The Ultimate Fighter whether I make it or not.”