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Marshall UFC fighter Derrick Krantz reflects on his debut

East Texas was in the spotlight for the UFC’s Rochester event on Saturday night as Marshall resident Derrick Krantz made his debut on short notice to fight 15th ranked welterweight Vicente Luque.

MARSHALL, Texas — East Texas was in the spotlight for the UFC’s Rochester event on Saturday night as Marshall resident Derrick Krantz made his debut on short notice to fight 15th ranked welterweight Vicente Luque.

“I was getting, if you watch me when I'll run, ran into that cage. I was grinning from ear to ear. I was like, Yes, yes, I finally, finally stepped into the UFC, octagon,” Krantz said.

After ten years as a professional MMA fighter, Derrick “D-Rock” Krantz was ecstatic to get his first UFC contract, even though just a five days’ notice to cut 25 pounds would prove to be a difficult task.

“I knew cutting that much weight that that close was going to hurt my performance. You know, I didn't think it was gonna hurt that much. But I went out there and man, the first few minutes that I had energy, I had control the entire fight...He went for a failed guillotine and I was able to shake him off and then take his back and control him on the ground, and I just didn't have the strength to finish any submissions,” Krantz said.

But Krantz, now officially in the UFC, says we haven't seen anything yet.

“I believe I proved to everybody, even the fans, the fighters that I'm somebody to watch out for, especially with a full training camp, I showed them that, that I can go out there and I can handle myself and I can handle some of the top fighters in the world,”Krantz said.

Married with two children, Krantz’s family eagerly watched him from home.

"I was excited for him because this was his big dream and he finally made it there, and I could see the excitement in his eyes when he got into the ring," Derrick's wife Megan Krantz said.

After catching UFC President Dana White’s attention with a win in the Legacy Fighting Alliance back in March, Derrick was staying closer to fighting weight than usual, which meant he was ready when they called him to make his debut on short notice.

“By God's grace, he let everything happen. I mean, everything just fell into place. I can't put it any other way. I can't take credit for any of it. I've always had the ability just never the right circumstances and this last month and a half. It seems like every circumstance has just been in the right spot and perfectly in place almost like a puzzle,” Krantz said.

Derrick's next fight has yet to be announced.

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