Sidney Wheeler insists the moment will not be too big for him. It would be completely understandable if it were, however.
Wheeler, a former Dalton High School state championship wrestler and holders of national kickboxing and boxing titles, will make his mixed martial arts professional debut Saturday night at Camp Jordan Arena. It will be the 18-year-old's first MMA fight -- and his first professional MMA fight, at that.
Want even more pressure? Instead of being on the undercard in what is essentially his home turf -- as was originally planned -- Wheeler is now the headliner of the event and will take on veteran fighter Jesse Grun. So much for easing into a new profession.
"I've been in the spotlight a few times, so I think I can handle the pressure," Wheeler said between training sessions Wednesday. "There's something wrong with you if you don't feel some pressure, but I actually love it. I want to win and I want to start my career like I was shot out of a rocket launcher."
Wheeler earned the opportunity to headline after his Valor Fights teammate Ian Stephens, a former Ridgeland High School state champion wrestler, failed to stay in contact with promoter Valor Tim Loy. The search didn't take long to find Stephens' replacement.
"I was like, 'Pick me, pick me,'" Wheeler said with a laugh. "They offered and I gladly accepted."
Loy said the change, while unfortunate for Stephens, was logical and creates even more mystery surrounding the main event.
"It was a crazy situation," Loy said. "Ian Stephens and Jesse Grun was a big event for the area, and Sidney was going to make his MMA debut on the card. We had to make a change, so it kind of made sense to move Sidney in that spot. It makes for an interesting storyline. Grun is a veteran and Sidney is the new thing. He's been training with these guys for years and has an extensive competitive background."
That background, which also includes a 2014 IKF World Amateur Muay Thai title, is the main reason Wheeler has been allowed to skip the usual process of becoming a MMA professional. Fighters such as Grun normally have several amateur fights under their belt before earning the right to turn pro.
"There has been some criticism about Sidney obtaining an MMA license since he's never had a fight," said Wheeler's manager, Kelly Burkett. "Due to Sidney's previous combat experience, though, he had no problem getting an MMA license."
Wheeler isn't just a former wrestler who decided to pursue a career in fighting. He has been kickboxing since the seventh grade and owns a 13-0 record as an amateur, which included the 185-pound Amateur Kickboxing title this past year. He earned local attention last year as well by winning a bronze medal at the Olympic Boxing Trials in Chattanooga, where he impressed USA Boxing president John Brown.
"John Brown was so impressed with him that he took him back to Kansas for a couple of weeks to train him," Burkett said. "He said a talent like Sidney comes along only so often and that he has an extremely bright future."
As a prep wrestler Wheeler was known for his work ethic and determination. He readily admits he wasn't the best mat technician, but lock him a tight match and he'll find a way to come out on top. That's the attitude he'll need in the cage Saturday, according to trainer Chip Blalock.
"When the sun rises and sets he wants to fight," said Blalock, owner of Blalock's IMB in Fort Oglethorpe. "He's got a good worth ethic and he trains really hard. He's easy to coach and Sid is a cardio machine. Very few people are going to run Sidney out of gas, that's for sure.
"He's got the makings of a star in mixed martial arts. He's going to shock a lot of people, and I really don't think Jesse Grun has any idea what's about to hit him."
Regardless of what happens Saturday, the event will be a huge learning experience for Wheeler. Though no one in his camp wants to envision a loss, one of his closest mentors says what the crowd sees Saturday is just the beginning.
"He's learning every day," said Rocky Quinn, who has been working with Wheeler for six years. "With kids like this, you teach them all day, but until you do it you can't learn it. He's still 18 and he doesn't have the motor skills he will have in a few years, and that's what I'm looking forward to, because I see how much potential he has. If he stays on the path he's on, the sky's the limit for the kid."
At some point Saturday Wheeler is likely to think back to the first time he stood in the spotlight. An unheralded sophomore wrestler with not much style, he shocked the Class AAAA field with upset after upset on his way to the title. In the title match he rallied from double digits down to stun his more experienced opponent.
Could the script repeat?
"Those moments in high school mean the world to me," Wheeler said. "Winning that first title was especially memorable, because I was only 15 and he was 18 or 19. It was real inspirational to me then and now. Just like Saturday, I don't have the experience, but I know I have the will to win."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.