Vince Tracey proved he belongs among the best in the welterweight division after delivering a clinical knockout performance against Tyler Gross at Power Slap 14 in New Orleans.
Calm. Cool. Collected. Focused. From the moment he stepped on stage, Vince was locked in—and three rounds later, he left the cage with his third straight win and a highlight-reel KO.
“I was up there telling myself, ‘I’m not going down—no matter what happens.’ There’s not a man on that stage that could move me.”
Training Camp with a Purpose
Tracey came into the matchup with a game plan built on precision and preparation. Working out of Ontario, he also spent time training with Dakota McGregor in Prince Edward Island—specifically choosing him as a training partner for his comparable size to Gross.
“That really helped me dial it in and find that chin,” Tracey said. “We were fine-tuning each other’s technique—accuracy, power, speed. The results speak for themselves.”
The Beard Factor, the Recovery, and the KO
While round one didn’t go exactly to plan—Tracey admits he missed the mark on his first strike—he credits Tyler’s beard for throwing him off visually.
“I thought the beard would kind of puff back out a bit after chalking up—but it puffed way more than I expected. I missed by millimeters.”
Then came round two—a thunderous shot from Gross that rocked Tracey badly.
“I felt drunk, man. I was stumbling, talking myself through it—breathe, just don’t fall. I knew if I took a knee, it might be worse. I wanted to show I could stand through it.”
And in round three? Redemption.
“That KO felt the same as my last one. Just clean. You almost don’t even feel the slap when it lands that flush. I didn’t want the judges involved—I want to end fights clean, win or lose.”
Was It a Club?
There was some debate about whether Tyler’s round two slap could’ve been ruled a club.
“It sounded like one, for sure. I won’t say it should’ve been called—it wasn’t. But the cupping sound was different than my slap. I’d need to watch it back.”
What’s Next?
Ranked or not, Vince made a strong case to crack the top 10 after this win.
“I think I’ve earned that. Three and oh, big live win, clean KO. Yeah—I think I deserve a ranking now.”
As for opponents?
“The dark horse is Cole Young. A win over him could solidify me as a top contender. He’s the only guy to draw with Anthony Blackburn. But I’m an anytime, anyplace kind of guy.”
Another name that came up? Chris “Deebo” Thomas.
“Me and Deebo have already talked. That could be an option. He’s a tough out—I’d get to show my defense full-blown against him.”
The Callout
To close the interview, Vince cut a direct promo for Deebo:
“Alright Chris, me and you—October. Whether it’s October 4th or 24th—we need to face off and slap each other senseless. Let’s go, baby.”