Joe Christopher is a lifelong athlete and martial artist. He is the former two-time FCF Welterweight champion and holds numerous titles in sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, such as two-time U.S. Nationals Brown Belt Champion, Three-time NAGA Expert Class Champion, and Three-time Grapplers Quest Advanced Class Champion. He has amassed an impressive pro MMA record of 10-3 and looks to exact revenge for one of those losses Friday, August 6th. I had some time to catch up with Joe Christopher leading up to his upcoming bout with Joey Gorczynski.
What gym do you train and fight out of?
-North Texas MMA (NTMMA) is my home. I train BJJ under Terry Corkran and MMA under Joe Lewis. I also make the occasional trip to Greg Jackson to supplement my MMA training.
How long have you been training and fighting?
-I started training BJJ & MMA with Terry Corkran back in 2002. I also wrestled in high school. My amateur MMA career began in 2003. I decided to go professional in 2005.
What got you interested in combat sports?
-I honestly was tired of sports that made me feel as though I was beating up my body and not having any real results to show from it. I found that combat sports gave me a positive energy release. I also enjoy teaching others and saw the career opportunity.
What is your current occupation outside of BJJ/MMA?
-This is my full-time job. I teach BJJ and Kickboxing at NTMMA and enjoy sharing my knowledge with others. I particularly enjoy working with the kids program.
How do you feel about your upcoming fight against Joey Gorczynski?
-Having won my last fight in Bellator against Brandon McDowell I feel very good. I have had great training leading up to this fight. I feel that I am peaking at the right time. Having lost to Joey back in 2009 I know him well. During our first meeting, I think that I was in control of the fight and made some errors that contributed to the loss. I feel that I have made the necessary adjustments since that loss and expecting a different outcome come August 6th. We have stepped up my conditioning substantially for this bout so I don’t feel that my cardio will be a problem.
What are your long-term goals?
-First and foremost, I would like to be a successful fighter. After that I want to build a very successful MMA fight team. After that I feel the sky is the limit.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
-I would like to thank New Whey Liquid Protein, Cage Fighter, MMA Mart, Full Tilt Poker, Jaco, and Waza Fight Wear.
-Matt Little is currently a blue belt under JD Shelley at North Dallas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (NDBJJ) and an amateur MMA writer.
