Mike taught stand up only at National. He trained minimal BJJ. He is not even at blue belt level.
TTT for hordecock.....he's gonna wreck this guy...
He's 18. He's going to bring terror to the mat at TKO for a few years to come.
I'll keep the car running in case we have to escape murder charges...
When are they fighting?
They are fighting May 5th at TKO.
I was sure that "murderize" was a criminal offence...
to the east side
West side baby!
check out tkomma.tv for an interview with Chris. should be up soon.
Chris Horodecki is off to a flying start in his young career. He's a rising star in the TKO organization. It's his first time in the co-main event of a show. His teammates are achieving great success both in TKO and the UFC. Everything is wonderful in the world of Team Tompkins these days and Horodecki is loving every minute of it!
We caught up with Chris right before heading off to train for his upcoming fight at TKO 25: CONFRONTATION with Mike Bell:
TKO : How's training going?
Chris : Everything's going good! I'm training with Mark (Mark Hominick), Sammy (Sam Stout) and all the usual guys. We all have big fights coming up so it's great. And we've even got Mency (Chris Clements) making his TKO debut.
TKO : Where do you think you stand in the TKO Lightweight Division?
Chris : I think I'm right there behind Sammy. I'm a force in the division for sure.
TKO : Who do you see as your toughest competition?
Chris : Jay Estrada is a tough guy. Blake Fredrickson when he comes back will be tough. There's Donald Ouimet of course. Kajon Johnson is a tough kid too. There's just so many guys out there. That's the good thing about TKO. They like to feature the lighter guys. We're all the stars of TKO.
TKO : What do you know about your upcoming opponent, Mike Bell?
Chris : I know he's from out west. I know he's 2-1. I think he's one of Mark Pavelich's guys. I hear he likes to strike a bit.
TKO : Do you have any tape on him?
Chris : No I don't. I think we're going to try to get some, but I'm not sure. It doesn't really matter. Whatever, it's just another day, just another opponent.
TKO : How would you rate your submission game?
Chris : It's always improving. I train with Jeff Curran whenever I can. I'm wrestling right now with the University of Western team. People don't realize that I've been wrestling for as long as I've been striking. I'm always ready to go to the ground, but I just prefer to stand. You've got to make the fight exciting, you know. That's what the people want to see. That's what makes them invite you back.
TKO : Do you believe striking for MMA is different than striking for K-1 or Muay Thai?
Chris : Oh ya! The stance is totally different. There's no way you can do just one thing and be good at MMA. For example, a boxer can't come into the sport and just think he can box by throwing out double jabs and stuff. You're going to get taken down if you do that.
TKO : So how do you get good at striking for MMA?
Chris : You've just got to do it. You've got to train it and spar it all the time. And when you fail, you try and try again. I've been training just as long as Mark and Sammy. I've fought all over the place, including amateur boxing shows down in the states. I fought K-1 rules, Muay Thai rules, everything. You just have to get used to doing it all. It's about how well you transition that makes you a good fighter. You have to be real good at going from the clinch to striking to grappling and back up again. Great fighters are those that can transition the best.
TKO : If I'm not mistaken I've noticed that neither you nor your teammates like to clinch much. Is that because you want to avoid the takedown?
Chris : It's true that we don't clinch as much. But, it's more because I think that I can be more effective striking from outside than in the clinch. I'm happy to go into the clinch, but I don't think it's something the people want to see. Some may, but most I think don't really appreciate that part of the game. I always want to make it exciting for the fans.
TKO : Were you in Vegas for Mark and Sammy's victorious fights at UFC 58?
Chris : No, I was actually in Cancun!
TKO : Oh nice! Did you get to watch it?
Chris : Ya, I actually ran into some Montreal guys that train with David Loiseau. We found a bar to watch it, it was awesome!
TKO : You must have been in the best mood ever, being in Cancun on holidays and after just watching Sam and Mark defeat two of the best fighters in the world! I don't even want to ask how you guys celebrated after the fights (laughing).
Chris : Ya, it's just crazy to see how far we've come. I mean, you don't really think about it. It just happens! You transition to better and better opponents. And then you find yourself in the big show beating guys like Yves Edwards and Spenser Fisher! Something people don't know is that Sammy was actually training with Spenser just a month before the fight, before they knew that they were fighting each other. They were at Jeff Curran's camp and they were actually each other's main training partners.
TKO : It certainly seems like your career is coming along nicely too. You're still only 18 years old. Do you think your age hurts you at all, helps you or doesn't make any difference?
Chris : Some people think I'm too young. I think I'm actually very experienced. I train with good people and I'm in good shape. If someone is going to underestimate my experience, it's going to hurt them.
TKO : Ok, I've got some more general questions now. What's the first thing you do after winning a fight?
Chris : I go celebrate with a few beers! I call my parents to let them know I'm okay and I call my buddies who always want to know how I did.
TKO : How do you manage your nerves before a fight?
Chris : I really don't get all that nervous. I just try to block it off. I know it's not going to help me. It's only going to hurt, so I usually just go out there and try to have fun.
TKO : Are you in school right now?
Chris : Yes, I'm in College. It's my first year. I'll be starting my paramedics program next year. I think we start doing co-op in the second semester.
TKO : I think you just answered my next question. Is that your back-up plan to MMA then?
Chris : Oh ya, everyone needs a back-up plan. You never know what's going to happen. You've got to have a plan.
TKO : Alright, that's all the questions I had for you Chris. Is there anything you would like to add?
Chris : Yes, everyone get ready for TKO 25! Come on out and enjoy lots of good fights. My fight is going to be good. You definitely won't leave disappointed.
TKO : Ok, thanks for taking the time to do this interview, good luck with your training and continued success!
Chris : Thanks for everything Marco!
ttta
:)...Chris is hillarious.
One of the nicest guys you will ever meet.