‘They had terrible aim. They only hit me once’: UFC’s Edgar Chairez recounts harrowing near-death story
Edgar Chairez remembers the day he was almost shot to death.
Ahead of his fight with Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 118 this Saturday, Chairez spoke to MMA Fighting to explain the story behind a photo he posted earlier this year on social media. In the photo, the 30-year-old Mexico native is shown laying on a hospital bed after surviving a gun attack more than a decade ago.
“It was a friend’s fight on the street,” Chairez said. “Well, I mean, I was involved because I was there, but no, it wasn’t my fight. So I tried to break them up, and while I was doing that, since I was in the group, they shot at both of us. And well, they shot my friend, like, four times, I only got hit once. And honestly, I got away only because I ran, but they kept shooting at me until they ran out of bullets. But I remember they fired a lot of shots at me. But the good thing was, they were such idiots, they had terrible aim. They only hit me once.”
Chairez explained that, like in many countries in the world, violence was a constant presence in his life growing up on the streets of Mexicali.
“Mexico is, well, it’s a lot like Brazil, isn’t it?” Chairez said. “Where many people, it’s the street, many have guns, many, uh, break the law, and there are so many idlers. So it’s still that way. That crime issue is very out of control, and well, I also ended up being involved in one of those situations where people had guns, and I almost lost my life. The good thing is, I’m still here for a reason.”
A talented MMA fighter now with a UFC record of 3-2 and one no-contest after winning his past two against CJ Vergara and Felipe Bunes and his losses coming against the two men involved in the most recent UFC title fight— Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira—Chairez wasn’t familiar with MMA as a child. Hearing stories about popular Mexican boxers was his connection to the fighting world, but his ultimate dream was to become a soccer player.
“From the very beginning, my life was all about sports,” Chairez said. “I mean, I do come from a tough neighborhood, but I wasn’t a gang member, I didn’t even hang out. I mean, my mindset wasn’t about being a street punk, stealing, doing drugs, nothing like that. No, my mindset was always about football. In fact, I was a footballer from as far back as I can remember until I was 18 years old. My dream was to be a professional footballer. I throw kicks, but in the face, not on the ball anymore, right?”
Chairez’s clash with Silva goes down five days before Mexico’s first match on the FIFA World Cup, with the squad playing South Africa in Mexico City. This year’s FIFA tournament takes place in three countries—Mexico, Canada and the U.S.—and Chairez hopes to score a big victory at UFC Vegas 118 to earn himself an invitation to watch a World Cup match live.
“I need to motivate them because I want them to invite me to a match,’ Chairez said, laughing. “We’re on the national MMA team, so they have to invite us. I don’t know why they haven’t already. There are only about 15 of us, very few. So hopefully we can start things off on the right foot a week before the tournament. After that, I’d like to take a couple of weeks off and go watch a World Cup match.”
The only FIFA World Cup held in Mexico was in 1970, when Brazil added another title to its trophy case. The U.S. has also hosted the tournament in 1994, again won by the Brazilian national team. Chairez expects a “strong showing” by his countrymen in the coming weeks to hopefully reach the semifinals.
“It’s difficult, but as a Mexican soccer player once said—Chicharito [Hernandez] said, ‘Let’s imagine great things,’” Chairez said. “Every day you have to hold on to that dream and that hope that one day Mexico can achieve it. No matter what people say about the Mexican national team, they always qualify for the World Cup and usually perform well. I can’t remember recent World Cups where they were humiliated or anything like that. They always compete. As Mexicans, we rise to the occasion in difficult moments. Adversity is what brings out the best in us. We’ll basically be playing at home, and I think we’ll put on a great performance. I hope we can at least reach the semifinals. I’d be happy with a strong showing. Maybe one day God will allow me to see Mexico become world champion, but even a great performance would make me proud of my country.”
Chairez faces a Brazilian talent in the octagon in Silva, currently 5-5 in the UFC and holding on to the No. 15 spot in the official rankings. Chairez said he had a “very good” camp not being surrounded by “guys from other countries trying to prove themselves against a UFC fighter and trying to knock me out in sparring,” and that will lead to a more dominant performance.
“I always try to picture myself winning, obviously,” Chairez said. “And I try to see myself in the best possible position no matter how difficult the fight is. I feel like I have very good takedown defense, which is probably the area of my game that has evolved the most. But I also feel I have tremendous boxing power and very strong kicks. As for being a worthy opponent, I’ve considered myself a top-10 fighter in this division for a long time. It was just a matter of this moment arriving and finally having a number next to my name.
“Of course, he deserves respect. He’s a very tough opponent and has been ranked for many years. He was someone I always thought I might end up facing. This is my opportunity, and I have to take advantage of it. I only see myself winning and proving that I belong among the best. I also think this fight could be a Fight of the Night candidate because we’re both strikers, knockout artists, finishers, guys who stand and trade. It’s going to be a great fight. Ever since they announced the $100,000 bonus, everyone goes in there looking for the finish.”
