Who is American Top Team's Chaz Morgan?

Chaz "The White Death" Morgan, originally from Hammond, Louisiana, is a 34-year-old heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts fighter who holds a perfect record of 9-0. Morgan has only been out of the first round twice thus far in his MMA career and looks for one more fight before he hopes to transition into the UFC. Aside from fighting, Morgan is also a devoted husband and proud father of three sons.

Background:

Born and raised in Louisiana, Chaz Morgan had somewhat of a tough upbringing as he grew up in a single-mother household without his father around. Adding stability to his childhood, Morgan's grandfather stepped in to play a crucial role in raising him. As a youth, Chaz Morgan often dealt with being bullied as he was one of few white children in a predominantly black school. Luckily, Morgan used athletics, specifically football, as a positive outlet to manage his aggression.

After high school, Morgan attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana for one semester but felt like it was not the proper place for him to play football. Searching for a better fit, he transferred to a Junior College to pursue his passion for the pigskin. His football career came to an abrupt halt when Morgan suffered a serious knee injury.

Morgan looked past his dream of playing football and took up a construction job to help support his family. The construction world often left the Louisiana native craving more from life, as he often felt as if he was destined for something different. In search of a better life for his family, Morgan set out on a Mixed Martial Arts journey to be the best in the world.

"I don't wanna just make it to the big show, I want to be the best in the world." said Morgan about his MMA goals.

Why MMA?

Chaz Morgan has always been a fan of MMA and an even bigger fan of boxing. One night, as Morgan joined some friends to watch regional fights, he noticed that he was much more athletic than some of the guys that were fighting with perfect records. So the fuse was lit. Shortly after Morgan's realization, he started training Muay Thai Kickboxing and linked up with a UFC veteran, Rich Clementi. Morgan feels like football really prepared him for a transition into MMA because of all of the explosive training involved.

Chaz Morgan professed, "Football players are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world!"

Training:

While in training camp, Chaz Morgan trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. At ATT, Morgan has a plethora of heavyweight talent to train alongside such as UFC alumni, Todd Duffee and Walt Harris.

"We have some of the best guys in the world," Morgan said about ATT.

While at home in Louisiana, The White Death trains under the guidance of former UFC star Alan "The Talent" Belcher, who was in Morgan's corner for his previous fight against Johnathan Ivey. Furthermore, Morgan sharpens up his boxing tools at least twice a week with Axle Murillo.

Fighting:

Due to a late start in MMA, Chaz Morgan had a brief amateur career consisting of 3 fights over the span of one year. Since then, The White Shadow has compiled a professional record of 9 straight wins without experiencing a single defeat. All but two of his tilts have finished via vicious TKO inside of the first round. Only two of Morgan's fights have gone the distance.

Recent Accomplishments:

Chaz Morgan is fresh off of a victory at Island Fights 33 as he won a unanimous decision over a seasoned fighter in Johnathan Ivey. This past December, Morgan took first place at the NAGA World Championship for the Men's Super-Heavyweight Expert No-Gi and Men's Blue Belt Super-Heavyweight Intermediate.

What's next?

The White Death has IBBJF aspirations. As for MMA, Morgan is hoping to face off against Alex Nicholson for the IFC Heavyweight title this summer. With another win, Morgan will consult with his coaches to determine his next move to get him to the UFC.

Inspirations?

Morgan credits his teammates and coaches, his grandfather for always being there for him, and his wife and three sons who all sacrifice time to training.

Advice for future fighters?

"If you love it, do it! If you do it, do it all the way because you can't be half-cocked in this sport." Morgan proclaims.

Diet:

"It's tough being a heavyweight in southern Louisiana with all of this great food around," Chaz Morgan confessed. Outside of camp, Morgan can get up to 300 pounds without proper weight management. While in a training camp, Morgan brings in chefs and caterers to ensure proper nutrition.

Favorite Technique?

Mr. Morgan's most menacing maneuver is the Mounted Crucifix.

Favorite fighter?

Mike Tyson, Fedor, and Anderson Silva are The White Death's top three favorite fighters.

Manny or Floyd?

"...the only thing square about boxing is the ring,"  Morgan said jokingly.

All things considered, Chaz Morgan selected Floyd.

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/chazmorgan7