Christian Eckerlin wears many hats. He's a nightclub owner in Germany, a successful YouTuber, and first and foremost one of the most recognisable names of European MMA. But before all of that, he was an aspiring football player, too.
'The King of Frankfurt', as he's known, played in the Junior Bundesliga as a youth player and made it as high as the third division as a professional. At the time, he was already combining football practices and combat sports training. And in the end, when he had to choose one way, he chose that of the fighter.
"A couple of things happened in the background then, with a change of coaching staff besides some other stuff... But the final decision was made after my first fight. I knew that I had to follow that path as I had never felt as much alive as in that moment. The rest is history," Eckerlin tells Flashscore in an exclusive interview.
Despite finding success in MMA, he still returns to football stadiums...
In 2024, he was the main event when OKTAGON sold out the Deutsche Bank Park, the home of Eintracht Frankfurt, in Eckerlin's hometown, to set the record for the highest attendance ever for an MMA company.
In October, the company returns there to match their unique feat - and of course, the hometown hero Eckerlin will be there too.
Before that, he took a surprising 'side job' in the Premier League with Brighton.
"Fabian Hurzeler wanted to improve his team in that regard (set pieces). He felt it was a good idea to bring me in, so I was contacted by his coaching staff," Eckerlin reveals.
The German fighter believes his training was a welcome addition to the team.
"I did appreciate the modern facilities and the general attitude of the whole team - every player came out with an open mind and to learn. They made the workout very easy, and I'm sure they also had a good time. I feel they were very open to it.
"Fighting is something natural, and everyone is sort of attracted to it - football players are no different in that regard," he recalls.
When asked if there were any players who could transition from the pitch to the cage as he did, Eckerlin had two names to share.
'Milner and Dunk really stood out'
"The team did well in general, but James Milner and Lewis Dunk really stood out. They have that fighting spirit and needed aggression in them, but also learned very quickly with great body composure. They should certainly try it out, and I'd love to support them with training and everything else," Eckerlin tells Flashscore.
The OKTAGON star believes not only the set pieces, but any duels inside the box are situations where MMA practice comes in handy.
"Any situation in the box becomes a fight for every inch. You have to be ready to stand your ground and not let anyone bully you. That's my one simple rule to defending set pieces - fight for every inch, simple as that," he says.
Eckerlin is a believer in cross-training and in the fact that many athletes can learn from a bit of MMA training.
"Any sport relies on hip positioning, but it's our bread and butter in MMA and wrestling. I felt that implementing a couple of basic wrestling techniques could help them get a better composure and balance," he explains about what he taught Brighton's players.
Ever since his session with Brighton went viral on social media, Eckerlin hasn't yet been contacted by any other club, but believes the Brighton appearance wasn't the last time he worked with football players.
"Any professional sport helps you understand how important it is to work hard on a daily basis," Eckerlin says.
"I still love football, but MMA is in a completely different ballpark. It's a unique feeling to fight, and one must understand that it's not a team sport - you, of course, need a great team around yourself, but you fight all by yourself.
"I like to depend on my own skillset. The adrenaline in MMA is second to none."