Canada is known to have some of the best mixed martial arts fans, on top of that reputation it is also home to some of the best fighters in the world.
Chris Horodecki at first glance looks like the shy type who keeps mostly to himself. He doesn’t look very intimidating, with his baby face and his easy going personality. But little does anyone know he’s been fighting since the young age of 14.
Horodecki who is now 21, started training in Karate at age six, then when he was 13 he started wrestling and kickboxing and like every martial artist just fell in love with the sport and decided to mix it all together and compete.
He started training with Shawn Tompkins who is known to some as “the trainer of champions”, a guy who is well known in MMA and now trains fighters out of Xtreme Couture in Vegas. Tompkins owned and ran his own gym in London for many years. Horodecki said that Tompkins did a mini seminar at the Karate school he attended. Right away he loved the way Tompkins taught and liked him as a trainer.
Horodecki jumped right into amateur kickboxing, and has about 30 amateur kickboxing fights, then had is first professional MMA bout at age 14. He remembers his first fight was right outside Chicago. He said he remembers feeling really anxious for this fight, and knew he really wanted to do it and was excited. He felt that just to be in there fighting, especially at a young age was a big step for him.
He was fighting another kid who was young, but he felt that he had one up for the simple fact he was always training with adults, men who were stronger then him and tougher then any opponent he would face in the cage. He was pretty confident and felt that he and his opponent were on two different levels.
Horodecki won his first MMA bout, and even though it was a dream come true he didn’t deny the fact that he had a long way to go.
Being 14 and stepping into a cage I was curious to what his friends and family thought. Horodecki explained to me that his parents didn’t want him doing it full time. But in away they understood it’s what he loves to do plus he never really gave them a chance to be against it, he said they got use to it and they support him the most. His friends were in disbelief because Horodecki is not an aggressive guy at all, and like I said is a pretty laid back person, but he said that everyone now is “rooting” for him!
Horodecki started fighting in TKO and was running through the opponents that stepped up to fight him, winning all three of his bouts in the organization by knock out or TKO. This opened a window for him in the I-F-L.
Bas Rutten’s I-F-L team was looking for another light weight fighter, coming off a win in TKO, Shawn Tompkins recommended Horodecki to Rutten so three weeks after his TKO bout Horodecki found himself fighting in Atlantic City, which is known for its Boxing and MMA.
He won that fight, knocking how his opponent with a high kick, and eyes were opened after that win, people knew Chris Horodecki was going to be a force in the light weight division.
He then went on a seven fight winning streak in the I-F-L before losing to Ryan Schultz by TKO in the first round. Horodecki explained a lot of things went wrong leading up to that fight. The fight he lost was his fifth fight of that year, and he had jumped back into the ring after a hard fought win over Bart Palaszewski at the “World Grand Prix Semi Finals” for the I-F-L. He said that his opponents kept on switching and he felt he burnt himself out, and being sick before the fight doesn’t help either. But he added “no excuses” Schultz caught him on the right night, and says that looking back it was a learning experience.
“Great champs been down and gotten up and they’ve gone on and done bigger, better things” says Horodecki.
Horodecki won his last fight in the I-F-L before the news streamed all over MMA media outlets that the organization was going under and folding. Horodecki said that it “kinda sucked…” he says that the team was pretty close because of the travelling and going all over and he felt bad. But being young means that your open to a world of opportunities, and he wasn’t too worried and knew he would find another home in a different organization it was just a matter of time. And sure enough he landed on the “right ship” and is now with Affliction.
Back home, Horodecki and his two long time training partners and friends Sam Stout and Mark Hominick, decided to open a new and improved gym. He explains when Tompkins was hired by Dan Henderson as a full time MMA/Kickboxing instructor he left Stout, Hominick and himself with his “Team Tompkins” gym, and they “ran ship” while he was gone. But Tompkins came back to still make sure things were in order from time to time, he kept the gym open so they would have a place to train, they didn’t make any profit from it, it was just a place they could go and work out.
Earlier this year Stout, Horodecki, and Hominick got together and had an opportunity “to do it right” and have a facility with their name being branded that they can also be proud of and offer to their home town of London.
With some helpful advice they found a new home for Team Tompkins which was only a third of what they have now allowing them to continue training in the name Shawn Tompkins who opened the door for them and now they want to build from the foundation he firmly set in place.
They wanted the gym to look good and have all the best stuff they could provide for those people coming to train. Inside the Adrenaline Training Centre they have a full size cage, and a full size ring. Weights, and conditioning equipment, hand pads, and high quality wrestling mats.
“Everything is there” says Horodecki.
Fight Planet found a home for its second location within the Adrenaline Training Centre so athletes can get their high end gear and apparel without having to go very far.
But Horodecki does make a point saying that just because they have the new gym, with a new name, doesn’t mean they aren’t with Tompkins, because they still go and train with their coach before every camp.
Adrenaline Training Centre has got a great response from not only the people of London, but also people coming to train as far as Woodstock and Sarnia Ontario. Right now the gym is “booming” and it’s supposed to be the downtime of the year because of the holidays and they are still “going strong.”
“We have top notch instructors in all areas of MMA” says Horodecki.
Talking with Horodecki, I couldn’t believe how busy he’s been keeping between training for his fights, the new gym, and just basic public appearances for different events. Where usually at the age of 21 most people are entering college/university, or in some cases finishing college or university.
He says at one point he was going to school full time to be a paramedic. But that stopped last year , when he started going only part time. But once the summer hit training and teaching at the gym became too much and he didn’t want to put himself back to a time where he was going on a few hours of sleep at night, and then getting homework done, and training and teaching. He didn’t want to become burnt out again he explained. So he decided that “school will always be there” but fighting is what he’s doing now.
But being young in a sport that is quickly growing could get to some people Horodecki felt that he was brought up in a good environment where his “folks” kept him pretty level headed. He also mentioned that he has great trainers and training partners that will “kick his ass” and keep him level headed as well.
“The second you believe the hype of making yourself better then what you are is when you lose, people start listening to people blowing smoke and they believe it and that’s when your no longer hungry, no longer winning” says Horodecki.
Horodecki talked about the fans and how it’s great to have people supporting you weather they are cheering you on or booing you. He said you need the fans to watch the fights and be intense and excited about the fights and have them talking about it at work.
“I love the fans that support me, I couldn’t do it without them, they motivate me everyday,” says Horodecki.
When you’re a professional athlete you give up so much for your training and hectic schedule. So naturally I was curious about dating, and if he finds it hard to find a girl that will understand.
He said that girls have a hard time understanding, with the crazy schedule, traveling every few weeks, and some girls that he’s dated just couldn’t take it and couldn’t understand. But also mentions that one day he will “find the right chick that will be able to understand the life that they live (as fighters) and what comes with it.”
Sometimes training takes a toll on a person, and they have to have a real drive to keep getting up in the morning and doing what they do everyday. Horodecki says that thinking about an opponent knowing that there is another person that is thinking about beating him motivates him. He also says that he wants to represent his family, friends, training partners, and gym to the fullest and show them the “best Chris Horodecki ever”. Chris says he’s very competitive and wants to win and come out “on top and give it hell everyday.”
Horodecki says without Shawn Tompkins he wouldn’t be where he is today, Tompkins helped him get his foot in the door and started the path for him and had faith in him. He says that Tompkins is like a father and brother to him.
“Chris is one of the most dedicated students I have ever had. He is one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport and has great charisma” says Tompkins.
Scott Paton is another trainer that puts in the time to help make improvements so Horodecki can stay a head of the game.
He also mentions Mark Hominick who was 18 or 19 when Horodecki first started training, Hominick was a guy who was leading the pack, jumping into big fights which only motivated Horodecki to focus so he could try and immolate some of that into himself.
Horodecki shared the opinion of many other fighters in regards to what they wish some of the critics knew before they started criticizing. He said that these athletes have to put in a lot of work and commitment. Some are high end athletes that take their job really seriously and reminds everyone that these aren’t street thugs or “bad asses” they are disciplined athletes that work this as their job. They are out there for the fans.
“Everything is easy from the outside, when the hot lights are on you it’s not that simple.” Says Horodecki.
Watch out for Chris Horodecki in the light weight division in Affliction January 24 2009.
Chris Horodecki wants to thank all his fans, training partners, Bad Boy, and Affliction.
To get a hold of Chris Horodecki check out: http://www.ncfc.tv
You can also check out the Adrenaline Training Centre in London Ontario Canada at: http://www.adrenalinemma.ca
Christina Sears - MMA Reporter
ChristinaSears@xtremelifestylemag.com
