Koch Remembers MMA Debut as 17-Year-Old
Sherdog.com Staff Dec 3, 2010
Erik
Koch, on “The Savage Dog
Show,” discussing his MMA debut at 17 (his coaches had told the
promoter he was 18):
“It was crazy. It was my first fight, and I think I was the co-main event. I dyed my hair red. I’m this skinny white kid with red hair and people were like, ‘What the hell is this guy doing?’ I walked in there, and the first thing I see is my opponent. We kind of have the same warm-up room. He’s there with Pat Miletich, Spencer Fisher, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, and this was when Miletich’s was the place to be. When I was 17, they had world champions crawling [all over] that place. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God. This guy’s getting cornered by all four of these guys. They must have a lot of hype in this guy.’ … At the time I’m hearing all of this hype, and I’m like, ‘Damn, what did I get myself into?’ I’ve never experienced a fight, so I didn’t know what to think. … I’ll never forget it: It was the only time in a fight that I was scared. Because I didn’t know what to expect. I was really nervous. It was the only time in my life in a fight I’ve been scared. I can honestly tell you that. And then my coach goes, ‘Now Erik, remember: this ain’t about winning or losing. This is just good cage experience for you.’ And I’m thinking, ‘My own coach thinks I’m going to lose.’ … I’m like no, I’m going to win this fight. They kind of just lit a fire under my butt. I ended up going out there and dominated all three rounds, dominated everywhere, wrestling, jiu-jitsu. I broke the guy’s ribs with a body kick. Standing, I don’t think the guy touched me. I don’t think he landed a punch. Just completely dominated him and then finished him with a rear-naked choke in the third round. And then after that was when my brother came up to me, and he was like, ‘New Breed. That’s your nickname.’”
“It was crazy. It was my first fight, and I think I was the co-main event. I dyed my hair red. I’m this skinny white kid with red hair and people were like, ‘What the hell is this guy doing?’ I walked in there, and the first thing I see is my opponent. We kind of have the same warm-up room. He’s there with Pat Miletich, Spencer Fisher, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, and this was when Miletich’s was the place to be. When I was 17, they had world champions crawling [all over] that place. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God. This guy’s getting cornered by all four of these guys. They must have a lot of hype in this guy.’ … At the time I’m hearing all of this hype, and I’m like, ‘Damn, what did I get myself into?’ I’ve never experienced a fight, so I didn’t know what to think. … I’ll never forget it: It was the only time in a fight that I was scared. Because I didn’t know what to expect. I was really nervous. It was the only time in my life in a fight I’ve been scared. I can honestly tell you that. And then my coach goes, ‘Now Erik, remember: this ain’t about winning or losing. This is just good cage experience for you.’ And I’m thinking, ‘My own coach thinks I’m going to lose.’ … I’m like no, I’m going to win this fight. They kind of just lit a fire under my butt. I ended up going out there and dominated all three rounds, dominated everywhere, wrestling, jiu-jitsu. I broke the guy’s ribs with a body kick. Standing, I don’t think the guy touched me. I don’t think he landed a punch. Just completely dominated him and then finished him with a rear-naked choke in the third round. And then after that was when my brother came up to me, and he was like, ‘New Breed. That’s your nickname.’”
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