Teshay Gouthro promises 'violent, exciting' clash with Efren Escareno at CFFC 109

Teshay Gouthro knows a thing or two about the entertainment side of martial arts. Growing up, his dad turned him on to the classics, as well as a little professional wrestling on the side, and Gouthro was instantly hooked.

"I remember when I was a kid watching Bruce Lee, Steven Seagal," Gouthro recalled. "I like all the old ones. Jean-Claude Van Damme with my dad. He had me watching WWE, and my two brothers and sisters, I was always trying moves on them. I always loved martial arts."

Gouthro knows a thing or two about the fighting side of martial arts, as well. Raised in a rural Canadian area outside Niagara Falls, Gouthro had to learn that aspect of the business pretty early in life.

"Growing up in high school, I got really overweight – like 240 pounds, and I'm only 5-foot-4, so you can just imagine," Gouthro said. "Then like the city I grew up in, it's kind of hard. A lot of fighters come out of here, and I would get picked on. Like, I wouldn't say I got bullied, but I was always fighting, fighting. Win, lose, but I never let them punk me, so that's the town I grew up in, and also being Black and Native in a very populated white culture here – yeah, there were a lot of things not going my way."

Home life wasn't exactly great, either, having never met his biological father and being raised largely by his grandmother, which left Gouthro as an admittedly angry kid.

"I was fighting and doing a lot more than just that," Gouthro said. "I remember I set up a fight and I videotaped it, and then I ended up fighting one of their friends, too. Principal pulled me into the office and was like, 'What do you want to do with your life?'

"I was 16, and he was a taekwondo instructor. I told him I wanted to fight, so he hooked up with the counselor. They hooked me up with this Jumpstart program because my granny didn't have the money to pay for me to go, so they got me a half-year covered, and that's when I started."

Ten years later, the Niagara Top Team product is still going strong. Following an impressive amateur run at 8-1, Gouthro has gone 4-1 in the professional ranks. On Friday, he looks to add to that total when he takes on fellow bantamweight prospect Efren Escareno (4-1) at CFFC 109, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Philadelphia's 2300 Arena.

Gouthro makes his promotional debut and promises to make it memorable.

"People can expect a violent, exciting style," Gouthro said. Fun for the fans, flowing in there. I talk to my opponents when I'm in there. I smile at them. I point at things. I'll point out things that I know are hurting them. I play a big mental game, every time I'm in there, the crowd always seems to go crazy, so I guess I'm very exciting, as well."

While the two bantamweights sport identical professional records, Gouthro believes he holds a definitive skill edge over Escareno and plans on dominating the matchup. He's open to a potential call from Dana White's Contender Series should he impress, but the 27-year-old prospect isn't against racking up a few more wins first.

"I do want one more, personally," Gouthro said. "I'd even like to go 7-1 just for the experience, myself. My manager, we've talked about it, and we could probably get in after this one if I make it a violent massacre, which is what's going to happen, but I still want one more.

"I have a lot of amateur experience in kickboxing and MMA, too, but I just feel like I need a couple more to roll with the big dogs because once you're in there, it's not easy. You can get out real quick."

Before any of that can happen, Gouthro has to impress on Friday, but that hardly seems a concern. The man known as "My House" aims to make 2300 Arena exactly that.

"Let everyone know that Niagara Top Team is coming, and the CFFC is going to realize that this is my house when I enter," Gouthro said.