Eric Kelly has overcome the odds, both in and out of the cage

Don’t let the Westernised name fool you, Eric Kelly is Filipino through and through, and he’s proud to represent his country.

“My father’s real surname is ‘Kille,’ but since he was offered to change it to a more American-friendly spelling, he took the chance,” said the 35-year-old.

Kelly grew up in a farming family, and it was expected that he would follow in their footsteps. But “The Natural” had other plans.

A rebellious youngster and the oldest of six siblings, Kelly initially chose life on the streets after graduating from high school in 1999.

“I became a tambay (Filipino slang for slacker) in Baguio — drinking and hanging out in bars,” he admitted.

He later joined a kickboxing gym to learn how to defend himself and fell in love with martial arts. It was a passion that would ultimately transform his life.

With the encouragement of is coach at Univeral Gym, George Lusadan, Kelly quit his vices and concentrated on becoming the best martial artist he could be. 

It led to him becoming a success in competition, and eventually joined the Filipino National Wushu Team in 2000, joining another Filipino star, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang.

Being a part of that team demanded discipline and commitment unlike anything he’d had to demonstrate before.

“When you enter the (Filipino national) wushu team, they have a culture where when you are with them, you cannot be anywhere else,” he explained.

“So during my time with them, there were trainings and scholarships that were offered to me that I had to turn down, because they would not allow it.”

Just as it seemed as if things were on an upward trajectory, injury struck in 2004 and put him on the shelf, and the wushu team sent Kelly home and stopped his funding.

“I went home with literally nothing, so I drove a taxi in order to support myself,” he said.

Kelly returned to Baguio City to rehabilitate his injuries, then set off for Manila in search of a fresh start, with virtually no money to his name and no network in the city to lean on.

Eventually, he found a home at the Yaw-Yan Ardigma gym run by Chef Christopher Romaine, better known as Chef Ro.

“Chef offered me shelter in the gym, and even provided me with food and allowances,” he shares.

“That is why, even to this day, I consider him as my second father.”

Under Chef Ro’s stewardship, Kelly added more martial arts disciplines to his wushu knowledge, and eventually made his in-cage debut in 2009, winning his first five bouts by submission. 

It earned him the nickname “The Natural” and later resulted in a call-up to compete on the global stage of ONE Championship.

Kelly impressed early on, picking up wins over Mitch Chilson and Jens Pulver, but as he progressed through the ranks, he hit a patch of poor form, losing to former ONE Featherweight Champions Honorio Banario and Narantungalag Jadambaa, as well as former ONE Lightweight Title Challenger Ev Ting.

Kelly admitted his new-found affluence as a result of his bout earnings had gone to his head.

“I got a bit crazy with the money I got back then,” he says with a chuckle.

His passion for competition remains as strong as ever, as he looks to reignite his fortunes in 2018, and he says his fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao has proved an inspirational figure in his recent career.

“I see Manny Pacquiao, and think that despite all the money that he makes, he still continues competing because of passion,” said Kelly.

“I feel the same way, because when your body gets used to training, it will constantly seek it.”

Kelly returned to action last August at ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS where he looked in fine form early on against former ONE Lightweight Champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, before eventually succumbing to a late TKO in the final round.

It means Kelly stands in the midst of a three-bout losing streak, but he is determined to snap that run when he returns to action against Rafael “Indio” Nunes at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES on January 26 in Manila.

“I have accepted the fact that I am in a bad spot,” he admits.

“But I am taking all those experiences as lessons and inspecting them for my future bouts.”