With No Backup Plan, Koch Determined to Make It in MMA

Erik Koch was 17 years old when he went all in.

He fought an adult, beat him and quit school so he could fight full-time.

“I decided this was what I wanted to do and I just stopped going to school,” Koch said during a recent “Savage Dog Show” interview on the Sherdog Radio Network. “I wanted to train all day, every day. I wanted it to be my full-time job.”

Koch’s friends and family told him he needed a backup plan, though. Now 22, Koch still believes that a backup is exactly what he doesn’t need.

“The way I look at it, it motivates me more to not have a backup plan,” said Koch, who is quickly climbing the ranks of the featherweight division. “It gives me more motivation to do my goal. If I have a backup plan, I think it’s easy to bail out of the thing that you were originally trying to do and just take the easy road. People do it. People are known to do that: take the easy road. So I put myself in a situation where I’m going to do this. I’m not going to try: I’m going to do it.”

Koch is off to a solid start. His only loss came via unanimous decision to featherweight contender Chad Mendes in March. He’s won two straight since in the WEC, most recently kicking Francisco Rivera in the head and finishing him with punches to win Knockout of the Night on Nov. 11 at WEC 52.

“Just being a kid, I’ve been kind of under the radar,” Koch said. “I didn’t have a bunch of fights, and most of them are just local shows in Iowa, but I’ve been training since I was 11 years old. I’ve been doing MMA since before people even knew it was MMA. It’s always been my dream. I watched the early UFCs and always knew this was something I wanted to do.”

Although Koch never finished high school, he remains a student of MMA. His nickname, “New Breed,” alludes to his development as the kind of fighter who could be the next step in the evolution of the sport.

“I’m the new type of fighter that’s coming into the sport and is going to be the future champion,” Koch said. “Now, with how big MMA is, you’ve got people like Sergio Pettis -- Anthony Pettis’ brother -- who’s 17 years old and he’s just a phenom. He’s got like three pro fights already, and he’s beat grown men. It’s crazy. It’s the new age of the sport … not doing wrestling in high school [but] training MMA. It’s its own sport. That’s definitely where I see the game going. I’m just privileged to be put in the position where I was at. When I was 6, 7 years old, I’m watching tapes with my brother. I remember being a little kid watching and just being fascinated.”

A career in MMA is a risky one, but Koch is making it work. He’s even won over his family, which was initially against his decision to pursue fighting full-time.

“I remember when my parents weren’t so for it, but now that I am where I am, they support me 100 percent,” Koch said. “Now my dad’s a huge MMA fan.”

In fact, Koch’s father is his biggest fan. He has provided crucial support for Koch’s career, and with his success, Koch has been able to repay the favor.

“He supported me so much. I’m glad that now I’m making enough money that I can help him out,” Koch said. “That’s what I want to do. I want to make sure him and my mom are comfortable because they supported me. Now it’s my turn to support them.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:32:00) with Koch, who also told the story behind fighting when he was 17 and the genius of his coach, Duke Roufus.