Chris Horodecki is happy the past is behind him, looking forward to the future

Chris Horodecki is an MMA veteran at just 23, and his maturation as a fighter helped him win Saturday at Bellator 47 despite a heavy heart.

Horodecki has displayed his skills in promotions such as the WEC, Affliction, IFL, and now Bellator.  During his MMA career, which started in 2005, Horodecki (18-3) has been through the ups and downs of the sport.

On Saturday, he simultaneously saw the highs and lows.

The last of his wins might have been the most difficult, and it had little to do with the opponent, Chris Saunders.  Horodecki won via unanimous decision, physically overcoming Saunders and mentally beating back the constant thought of what happened days before.

Jake Sawicki, Horodecki’s close friend since childhood, became a sudden and unexpected victim of a fatal bacterial infection.

“(He was) a close, close friend of mine,” Horodecki said, “a guy I grew up with.  He went to bed on Wednesday night, no problems, and Thursday morning, his sister found him in his bed, dead.  It was a shock to everybody.  He ended up having a bacteria in his stomach.  He didn’t know what it was.  He was completely healthy.  It just spread to his lungs, and then his heart stopped.  Complete shock.

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