From time to time we will be profiling up and coming fighters to get their names out there. To make it, fighters must train full time and live off the support of their family and sponsors until they make it and start earning good paydays. There isn’t a Sponsors-r-us so we are here to help them, if you want to be profiled just drop us an email. If you’re a manager and have a profile on your fighter you’d like on here you can email us too.
Turk Vangel of MMA Gospel Radio and Driven Industries did today’s profile for Chris “The Samurai” Bennett. Bennett will be competing at the Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships in April in Irvine, California but could us some help. If you’d like to get more info on Chris or want to help him out please contact Turk or myself.
Chris “The Samurai” Bennett
Chris Bennett was born in Ohio but raised in Florida. Chris always had a passion for martial arts and as a young boy he studied Tae Kwon Do for a short time but until he was 14 he has no real martial arts background.
Chris’ mother went through a divorce with his step-dad when he was 14 and moved into an apartment in Riverview, Florida. The neighborhood was not the best to raise a teenager but a parent sometimes has no choice. Chris made some friends and one of them told him he was headed to jiu jitsu class. Chris asked what that was and after hearing the description his love for martial arts was renewed.
Chris went with his friend to see what this jiu jitu was all about. He met a man who was a purple belt and in order to make some extra cash he was teaching the art to some of the younger kids in the apartment complex. The class was held on a tarp over a flat patch of grass, nothing fancy, just the basics of the art.
Chris was a natural as he picked up the basics very quickly. Chris trained this way for five months before his mom decided she was moving to Maryland with her new boyfriend. This move was heartbreaking for Chris. He did not want to leave his friends and the jiu jitsu training he was receiving.
Chris and his mom went through a very difficult time after the move. His mother’s new boyfriend was stealing from them and disappearing. Chris’ mom being the kind hearted person she is tried to help her boyfriend and moved every time he needed to leave town.
This led to Chris switching schools about 5 times during his Freshman year of High School. Finally Chris’s mom had reached her breaking point. She left her boyfriend and moved her family back to Ohio.
This move would be the best thing to happen to Chris. Chris found Ron Gabelamn who just started Team G-Force MMA and Submission Grappling Team. Chris jumped in with both feet. Happy to be back in the world of martial arts but taking a beating by the men he was training with. He would “get his ass kicked by grown men” for almost a year and feels this is where his killer instinct was developed.
Unable to get MMA fights due to his age Chris started competing in submission grappling tournaments. Eventually he found his way into a cage for the very first MMA Big Show event put on by Jason Appelton. Chris was asked to be in a submission-grappling exhibition to warm up the crowd before the fights started. He went on to win via a point’s decision.
At the age of 17 he started fighting in small local shows in Kentucky. He was never actually asked to show proof of age and his passion for the sport was not going to keep him away. He fought 7 times before the commission found out his true age. His last fight was at 145 and for the title. He won the fight keeping his record perfect and earned his first title. The commission then told him he would have to wait a year to come back and fight.
Chris turned 18 and immediately looked for fights now that he was legal to fight in the cage. Chris fought and won many times before getting his first and only loss. He was supposed to face a tough jiu jitsu fighter and at the last minute his opponent was changed to a very strong wrestler. Chris “made the mistake of jumping guard”, the guy slammed him and due to his head hitting the mat he was knocked out.
Chris had a tough time dealing with the loss but found a way to chalk it up as a learning experience. Since that time he was gone on to win the MMA Big Show lightweight amateur title. A title he has defended six times and still holds.
He is 16-1 and undefeated in the lightweight division.
Chris has stated he wants to wait to go pro until he gets 20-25 wins. He has big plans for his career and wants to be in the UFC by the time he is 21. Chris said, “I am a hard worker and have tons of drive. I will be one of the best fighters in the world one day”
Chris is currently focusing on getting his black belt in jiu jitsu with Shawn Hammonds from Nashville MMA. This is something that is very important to him. His early passion for martial arts has turned into a passion to master an art.
Recently Chris has lost his job; his car broke down and has been unable to keep his cell phone turned on for long periods of time. Even though he is down on his luck he is focused on somehow getting to Irvine California in April to compete in Pan Jiu Jitsu Championship.
Chris truly represents the Samurai spirit.
Grappling Achievements:
3 X Ohio Grappling Championships Gi Champion
3 X Ohio Grappling Championships No-Gi Champion
2 X Naga White Belt Champion
Naga Blue Belt Champion
MMA Achievements:
16-1 amateur record
Undefeated in the lightweight division
MMA Big Show Champion
Thanks for posting this!