He will attempt to take the first giant step towards reaching that potential on June 11 when he takes on judo specialist Giedrius Karavackus. Despite his opponent's storied judo background, Chris remains confident in his abilities. "I don't believe he possesses any key to beating me," says Chris. When pressed for a prediction, Chris was careful not to look past his opponent, although he did offer the following: "He's not going to leave the cage the same way he came in."

If Chris can complete the transformation of amateur to pro that so few fighters make, and even less make successfully, he will be well on his way to his goal. For reference, a handful of fighters, including some of the very guys Chris trains with at AMA, have made the transition from Ring Of Combat to the UFC.

For Chris, the UFC is certainly the goal. "There's not a doubt in my mind," says Chris. "Now it's just a matter of time. I have to just train hard, maintain my work ethic, and keep my head on straight."

As for Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule? Chris is on target to hit it by the time he is 26 years old, an age widely believed to be the beginning of an athlete's peak. If the age and hours come together with Chris's relentless training, the outcome appears to be obvious. Constantino, Chris's AMA trainer, states it simply: "The kid could be a champion."