When a person decides to become a professional mixed martial artist they have accepted the fact that they are going to face hurdles as their career progresses. The journey towards the highest levels of the sport leads down a road that is littered with potholes and obstacles. It takes a special kind of person to want to stay the course when it starts to get messy. It takes the type of person who can adapt, overcome, and thrive in hostile conditions; it takes a person like mixed martial artist Ben Egli. Ben Egli is a talented fighter based in Portland who has worked hard to build a team around him that will be there to support him and lead him to higher levels of success as a professional fighter. However, unlike many fighters, Egli didn’t walk into a gym and know it was home. He didn’t always have the time to make regularly scheduled sparring classes, or even make it to cardio sessions. For Egli, when it came time to make things happen, he did it his way, which was the only way he could.
I recently had a chance to talk with the talented welterweight prospect, and he shared with me just how his career has evolved and what he hopes the future will bring. I asked Egli where he was spending his time training these days. For some this is a quick answer; for him, it’s a bit more complicated.
“My gym and training situation is not like most other fighters and takes some explaining. In college it was up to me to put the full MMA package together myself when I wasn’t doing jiu jitsu at the Oregon Pound, I was hitting pads in my friends’ living room, or sparring at my instructor’s home, or in somebody’s basement. I would go to the rec center on campus at 10:00 pm on a Friday night to do my own conditioning. A couple of years ago I began coaching jiu jitsu and muay thai out of the CrossFit gym I work at. I have been able to combine my love for training and teaching martial arts with my very rewarding job as a CrossFit coach. [As a result] I am able to do 95% of my training where I work. I am also very lucky to [train] with the great fighters at Rose City FC. On Saturdays, I am able to go into Rose City FC and spar with any number of very talented pros. I get to work on my skills during the week and test them on the weekends, and this structure has worked very well for me.”
So that’s the long answer. The short answer is this: Egli is a Gracie Technics fighter training out of Tigard. He is currently 6-0 as a professional and if that weren’t impressive enough, all six of his wins have come by stoppage in the first round. With a total fight time of just under nine minutes, he hasn’t even spent two full rounds in the cage as a pro yet. With five of his first six wins coming by way of submission, Egli has become known as a submission ace. But it was in his last fight that he got to show the MMA world he’s more than just locks and chokes, finishing his opponent with a head kick knockout.
“[That knockout] victory has been in the works for over seven years. The only person that was more excited than me was my best friend and cornerman, Spencer. After years of holding pads for me I finally put it together. That is not to say that I haven’t had that ability for a while. I would say my last four fights were all won due to my striking even though three of them ended by submission. I think because of my submission abilities people tend to overlook my striking and I have often seen my opponents change their game plan during the opening seconds of the fight when the fists start flying. Every single one of my fights I go out looking for a standup win, but I am always confident no matter where the fight goes.”
At this point in his career, Egli is likely on the radar of some of the top MMA promotions. But even with a great record and perfect finishing rate, there is no stopping him from fighting to get ahead. As I said before, when it comes time to make things happen, Egli is willing to do whatever it takes, but he’ll do it his way. Last March, it was announced that the UFC would be looking for welterweight fighters for an upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, and he wanted in. Leaving the Northwest for Las Vegas wasn’t something he could afford very easily, so instead of giving up, he adapted. He started a crowdfunding campaign that would help get him to Las Vegas. He shared with me how he enjoyed the experience of trying out for the show.
“The Ultimate Fighter tryouts were definitely an experience. I have always dreamt of being on the show, and when my chance came I jumped on it. I made it through all the rounds of cuts, and I strongly felt that the interview went well. Out of 150 welterweights, only about 30 of us made it that far. I was crushed when my name wasn’t called, and then we learned that no welterweights made it, so in the end it was out of my control. I am very happy that I gave it a shot, and now I am on the UFC’s radar more than before.”
Clearly one of the top welterweights fighting out of Oregon, all signs point to Egli signing on with a major promotion sometime soon. I asked him if he felt like he was ready to take that step, and what he felt he needed to work on before he made the leap to a top tier promotion.
“I am for sure ready for the next big step, whatever that may be. I think having two fights with King of the Cage is a step in the right direction, but I am ready for anything. I don’t want to just make it to “the big show,” I want to beat the other welterweights at the big show. I am a very well rounded fighter and I do not see any big holes in my game. [That being said] I am always trying to learn more and polish my skills so that I am the best Ben Egli I can be. My goal every training camp is to finish my opponent, to make it look good, and be a better fighter than I was [in my] last fight.”
Day after day, Ben Egli is working hard to achieve his goals. He doesn’t have the traditional MMA camp around him but the people he has surrounded himself with give him more support than one can ask for. This support will be invaluable as he continues to navigate the road full of potholes and obstacles. The MMA world can try to fight back against Egli as he pushes forward but that plan hasn’t worked out well for anyone just yet. Maybe they can learn a lesson from him and try to adapt, overcome, and thrive before they are lulled to sleep by the squeeze of Ben Egli.
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