Jon Koppenhaver

TRAINING: My training days vary, but I do three a days Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, wrestle on Saturday and reserve Wednesday and Sunday for the ladies...=)
I will outline a typical Monday for you: Head to the gym at 11am for hard MMA sparring. I will do 5 (6) minute rounds with a new partner coming in each round...30 seconds rest between rounds. After that I do another 3(6) minute rounds on the mitts with my boxing coach Robert Garcia. At 4pm I do a miserable sprint workout, it only takes about 20 minutes but it's the s**t. At 7pm I do a specialized jiu-jitsu session with my instructor Baret Yoshida.

When and why did you start training for fighting? Mom and stepfather spent my college tuition on drugs so I moved to San Diego and tried out for Ken Shamrock's Lions Den (5 yrs ago)

Do you have any heroes? King Leonidas and The Boondock Saints.

What is your favorite technique? Choke you out and then slap you in the
face...haha!..inside joke =)

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? Means I get to eat and put a roof over my head without having to work for some pipsqueak lil boss that I could, and eventually would, smash in seconds.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I went to The Citadel, a military college, in Charleston, SC. I was a biology major for 2 years.

What was your job before you started fighting? Pirate. Don't ask.

Specific accomplishments in amateur competition? I never fought amateur. I really think it’s dumb. Those guys wear no extra protection and fight their asses off for no money. That’s all amateur MMA is when you break it down - an MMA fight that you don't get paid for. There are plenty of low level scrubs to beat up on at the entry level of MMA, fights you can add W's to your record with and get paid.

Specific accomplishments in pro competition? No major accomplishments there yet. I am just beginning my career. All of my accomplishments thus far have been of a personal nature.

Ranks in any martial arts styles: I am a purple belt in jiu-jitsu under Baret Yoshida.