Chris Kelades (photo via Twitter / @keladesmma)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Chris Kelades will throw down with Sergio Pettis at UFC 197 on April 23rd, and the Canadian will do so, after having an extensive training stint with  American Top Team.

The Nova Scotian flyweight has headed south to Florida to train with ATT before, but Kelades has never been away from home for nearly a third of a year. The 9-2 fighter recently appeared on Full Contact Fighter Radio, and Kelades outlined the circumstances that led to his lengthy stay with ATT.

“I actually came down here January 3rd,” Kelades reported. “So, I’ve been down here for, it will be almost four months by the time this fight rolls around. So, I’ve been here a while, and I’m aching to go home here soon.”

“I kind of had a feeling that probably would be a realistic opponent,” said Kelades, while discussing the fact he wasn’t booked to fight Pettis when he initially left home for ATT. “But I didn’t think it would be this long into the year. My last fight was the end of August, so it will be almost eight months to the day, by the time that something rolls around. So, once Christmas and the Holidays were all done I decided to just get down here and start training.”

Kelades was referring to his split decision win over Chris Beal, which took place at UFC Fight Night 74 on August 23rd. The win moved the fighter’s UFC record to 2-1, and his overall record to 9-2.

“I assumed that it was going to be, that I would know within a few weeks of the new year, and have something lined up for February or early March. I really didn’t expect it to be this late, but it’s turned out to be beneficial, because the more time I get down here and train with these guys the better. Just to develop different skill sets and hone some things. So, it’s been really good, it’s just been tough, tough mentally, tough with the family and friends, and my wife all being away. But that’s the game right now…”

Although Kelades was thousands of miles away from home, the rugged fighter clearly doesn’t feel out of place at ATT.

“It’s not really too, too far off from living at home I guess,” said Kelades, who also noted that South Florida is home to a lot of Canadians. “It’s a huge gym and there’s a revolving door of people that are coming from all over the world. A lot of the guys that I’ve been staying with here at the residence and the dormitory have been from the U.K. A lot of Brits have been here. Brad Pickett was here and had a bunch of guys…”

Pettis (13-2) will be looking to build on a unanimous decision win he earned over Chris Cariaso in October. UFC 197 will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.