KENOSHA, Wis. — While most teenagers are focused on a typical high school schedule, 17-year-old Andrew DeVito from Kenosha is training seven hours a day and representing the United States on the world stage.
WATCH: Meet the Kenosha 17-year-old MMA champion representing Team USA
Meet the Kenosha 17-year-old MMA champion representing Team USA
DeVito is a national MMA champion with a 10-0 record in the United States, a bronze medalist at the GAMMA MMA World Championships in Brazil and a bronze medalist at the UWW World Championships in Greece under an Olympic-recognized international federation.
His long-term goal is not just to reach the UFC but to become a UFC champion.
“It’s all I think about,” DeVito said. “I’m in the gym like seven hours a day. I’m either driving to training, eating and recovering, or training again. I just wanna win. I just wanna be the best.”
He trains at gyms across the Midwest, including in Chicago alongside some of the best fighters in the world, before driving back to Kenosha to train again.
For DeVito, representing his hometown on the world stage means everything.
“I’m honored. I’m very grateful to be representing my community, the U.S., Kenosha, everything,” he said. “It’s more than just me. It feels nice fighting for something bigger than myself. It puts more pressure on me, but it also makes me want to work harder.”
On Sept. 8, DeVito flies to Colombia for the Pan-American Championships, representing Team USA and looking for gold.
He said his preparation comes down to one simple belief.
“I know the hardest part is the training,” DeVito said. “If I put 100% in every single day, there’s no way I won’t win. It’s almost inevitable. I trust my training and my coaches.”
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