Ashland’s Chad Trukovich: The Warrior Who Walked Back Into the Cage and Defied the Odds
ASHLAND, OH — For most fighters, retirement is the final chapter. For Ashland’s own Chad Trukovich, it was only the beginning of something greater. At 50 years old, after a 17-year layoff—the longest break any MMA fighter has ever taken before returning—Trukovich stepped back into the cage one last time. And he didn’t just show up. He made history.
With family, friends, and his brothers in his corner, Trukovich entered the arena not as just a competitor, but as a man on a mission. His walkout wasn’t typical: he stood inside a shopping cart, surrounded by black balloons, each one symbolizing the burdens and demons he had carried through a lifetime in combat sports and personal battles. One by one, he released them—until finally, holding his last balloon high, he popped it in front of the crowd. That moment symbolized what this night was truly about: freedom, redemption, and proving that no cage can hold the human spirit.
“This fight wasn’t about knocking a guy out,” Trukovich said. “It was about letting go of the man I used to be. Letting go of my burdens. Letting go of my demons. And showing people—you can do whatever you want, no matter what others tell you.”
A Career Forged in Fire
Trukovich’s journey through combat sports spans 30 years:
From the legendary Original Toughman Contest, where he became a multi-division champion.
To the professional MMA cages of Ohio, where he carved out respect as a relentless competitor.
To becoming Ohio’s most active MMA referee, eventually working on the sport’s biggest stage: the UFC.
But deep inside, the fire never died. For 17 years, while officiating fights, he still placed himself mentally inside the cage, critiquing fighters, imagining scenarios, preparing himself for a day that many believed would never come again.
The Final Battle
When fight night came, Trukovich carried the weight of expectation, legacy, and symbolism into the cage. His opponent? Already doubting, already fading before the fight had even begun. But Trukovich was locked in.
“I told my brothers, this isn’t his time—it’s mine,” he recalled.
In the opening round, Trukovich tried to deliver the knockout he dreamed of. When his opponent avoided the strikes, he adapted like a veteran warrior. Within two minutes and thirteen seconds, he locked in a triangle choke, forcing the tap.
Thirty years of sweat, sacrifice, and scars ended in a flash. Victory was his—not just on the scoreboard, but in the soul.
A Fairy Tale Ending
As the crowd erupted, Trukovich knew this was his final walk out of the cage as a fighter. Not in defeat, not in regret, but in triumph.
“Thirty years of being in this sport ended in two minutes and thirteen seconds,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better ending. It was something special. Something incredible. And now—it’s time to let go.”
Beyond the Cage
Though he retires from competition, Trukovich’s fight is far from over. He now sets his sights on helping others release their own burdens, working alongside his brothers to develop a program of healing, sharing, and motivation.
“If I can change one person’s life, maybe they can help another,” he said. “It’s about paying it forward.”
A Warrior’s Legacy
From Ashland to the UFC, from fighter to referee, from burden to freedom, Chad Trukovich’s story is one of resilience, redemption, and relentless willpower.
“We did it, Ohio,” he wrote after the fight. “It was the fairy tale ending to my career I wanted. Much love.”
Ashland can proudly say it witnessed history—not just the end of a fighter’s career, but the rise of a warrior who showed us all how to escape the cage and fight for the life we’re meant to live.
