Home Boxing News Veteran Rehm brings experience and wisdom to Burchfield’s expanding roster

Veteran Rehm brings experience and wisdom to Burchfield’s expanding roster

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Dec. 20, 2011)Scott Rehm is the first to admit what everyone else is thinking each time he steps inside the cage.

“You have to think on age alone I’m the underdog,” said the 46-year-old father of four. “Every now and then, I ask myself, ‘Do I belong here?’ In my mind, I do.”

While the Brookline, Mass., native might not look the part, he’s every bit the competitor once the bell rings. In less than four years as a professional on the mixed martial arts’ circuit, Rehm (6-5, 6 KOs) has found truth in the old adage that every puncher does, in fact, have a chance, yet his success is based on more than just the ability to land the knockout blow. With a deep background in law enforcement, elite training partners, and a wealth of knowledge built from decades of experience in various forms of hand-to-hand combat, Rehm is living proof that not everything is what it appears to be on the surface.

On the undercard of Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Nowhere To Hide” show Sept. 9 at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I, Rehm stood toe-to-toe with chiseled, 29-year-old Burrillville native Steve Skrzat. The tale of the tape painted a grim outlook for Rehm, but the veteran pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year, knocking Skrzat out cold with a sneaky right hand to the chin just 29 seconds into the opening round. The victory lifted Rehm to 6-5 and left an immediate impression on CES president Jimmy Burchfield Sr., who ultimately signed Rehm to a promotional agreement, adding another savvy veteran to Burchfield’s talented stable of fighters.

“I’ve been to the UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championships] and I’ve seen their professionalism, how they handle themselves, and how they take care of fighters. CES emulates that,” Rehm said. “Out of nowhere, two weeks prior to my fight [Sept. 9], the Rhode Island commission wanted extra medicals because of my age. [CES matchmaker] Pat [Sullivan] did everything he could to make it happen.

“That’s huge. Most promoters make you find a way to get it done. Believe it or not, something as simple as that makes a huge difference. They are very, very professional. Jimmy is nothing but class, and it goes a long way with me. When they asked me to sign, I knew it was a good fit. I’m at home with CES.”

“Scott Rehm is everything we look for in a fighter,” Burchfield said. “We don’t just want quality athletes; we want quality people, and Scott is an extraordinary fighter, as well as a devoted family man who serves as the perfect role model for all up-and-coming fighters. This is going to be a tremendous journey.”

As the husband of a Gulf War veteran, a father of four daughters ranging in age from 11 to 19, and the director and head instructor of ProElite Training Center and Fitness in Sandwich, Mass., Rehm has a full-time life outside of the cage.

He trains everyone from doctors and lawyers – “everyday folks,” as he calls them – to various professional athletes, including UFC veteran Jorge Rivera and former National Hockey League enforcer Paul Mara, who spent time with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Rehm also teaches military and law-enforcement personnel the art of Krav Maga, an Isreali self-defense mechanism based on striking techniques and counterattacks.

Through his connections in the combat sports’ world, Rehm briefly tried his hand at amateur kickboxing, but lost all three bouts.

“There were too many rules,” he said.

Years later, while working with local mixed martial arts icons Keith Rockel of Amherst, Mass., and fellow Massachusetts standout Kenny Florian, a veteran of 17 UFC shows, Rehm decided cage fighting might be a better fit.

“I had always watched MMA and thought to myself, ‘Maybe that’s something I should take a peek at,’” he said.

With no amateur experience – “There weren’t a whole lot of fights at the time,” he recalled – Rehm made his professional debut in October of 2007 against Ron McEvily in Plymouth, Mass.

“The kid was the 2006 AAU [American Athletic Union] Taekwondo champion – 6-foot-4, chiseled, fresh out of the service,” Rehm said, “and I knocked him out.”

Rehm won four of his first six bouts, all by knockout within the first two rounds, thanks in large part to the help of South Boston-based boxing coach Peter Welch, who also works with Florian and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and former featherweight boxer Tommy Connors, who owns the fastest knockout in Boston Garden history (13 seconds vs. Lloyd Wilson in 1970).

“I started falling in love with striking,” Rehm said. “The balance and footwork that goes along with boxing is amazing. To translate that into mixed martial arts, I’m more comfortable standing up than I am on the ground. All fights start standing up, so I always have a shot at putting you on your duff.”

As for his ground game, Rehm admits it’s still a work in progress – “The ground game is so graceful … it’s like ballet,” he said – but he’s currently training with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Tim Burrill, which Rehm hopes will add another dimension to his game.

“The more confidence I gain on the ground, the more confident I’ll be letting my hands go,” Rehm said. “I’ll be less worried about hitting the ground.

“Timmy is phenomenal,” he added. “The well I’m drinking out of when it comes to my education in this sport is the top of MMA and the UFC and the top of the NHL and professional hockey. I’m really lucky, and that’s what I transfer to my students.”

Now Rehm has a promoter in his corner to help him reach his ultimate goal, which, simply put, is to fight his “best fight.” At 43, he’s more concerned with being the best he can be on any given night rather than winning a world title or rising to the top of the rankings.

“Maybe I’ve already had [my best fight] – I don’t know,” Rehm said. “At one point, I thought I should put a time frame on it, but I don’t want to have an hourglass running out on me. I’m not a young guy, so you won’t see me fighting four times a year. I need more time to recover. Training camp beats the crap out of you, and it’s a lot of stress at home. I have a family and a business to run; I don’t have a destination with a checkered flag.

“I’m in there to test myself and see where I stack up,” he added. “I feel like at least I belong here. I don’t think I’m a pushover or an easy fight for anybody. Maybe if people expect less of you, that’s when you shock the hell out of them.

“I didn’t take my first pro fight until I was 39, and I’m still having fun. As long as my health is there and my wife says it’s OK, why not still have fun?”

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