The MMA fighter helping Brighton - and filling stadiums
From helping Brighton with set pieces to fighting in front of nearly 60,000 people - meet MMA star Christian Eckerlin, who competes at Oktagon 94 in Frankfurt on Saturday.
Christian Eckerlin, a 39-year-old MMA fighter, has been instrumental in helping Brighton improve their training and performance, particularly in set-pieces. Eckerlin, who previously played professional football in Germany, brought wrestling, head control, and hip control techniques to the Premier League club. When Brighton moved up to third in the Premier League after a 3-0 victory against champions Arsenal, Eckerlin downplayed his impact but acknowledged that his training opened doors for the players.
Eckerlin's journey began as a professional footballer for SV Darmstadt, but he transitioned to MMA, eventually making his mark in the sport at the Oktagon event in Frankfurt in front of nearly 60,000 fans. Eckerlin returned to the Waldstadion, where he played as a left-back, for his second fight against David Kozma in the Czech Republic.
The biggest motivation for Eckerlin, who grew up in Erbach and has a son, is fulfilling a promise to his late son. Eckerlin believes he has significantly contributed to MMA in Germany and is focused on making his final fight a memorable one.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Sport's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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