Through the lens: Chris Heatherly

It seems every time he enters and then leaves the cage, Chris Heatherly is in the eye of a hurricane.

En route to his 5-0 record as a pro, Heatherly has been one of the most written about and popular fighters in St. Louis. His dynamic 2012 earned him Breakout Fighter of the Year. He is that rare combination of talent and charisma.

Team Stump, Heatherly's army of family, friends, and fans has helped jettison him into local stardom. But now Heatherly faces by far the toughest challenge of his young pro career. O,n Saturday in the main event of Journey to the Top 2 at the St. Louis Sports Complex in Affton, he will face UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti. The winner will earn the MMA Sports Federation US Welterweight Title.

Renowned St. Louis photographer Sara Levin was Heatherly’s shadow prior to, during, and after his last fight with Gert Kocani back in April. Levin has made a name for herself in the world of MMA photography when her book, The Last Round, was published in 2012. Levin was embedded in the camp of UFC legend Randy Couture for his final pro fight, capturing all of the grit and guts that went into it.

And now Levin has done something similar with Heatherly, much like she did with local standout and world ranked flyweight Josh Sampo.

So enjoy this engrossing collection of photos that capture Heatherly, through the lens. (Click the photo above to start the gallery.)

You can visit Sara's personal site at slevin11.com