CULLMAN, Ala. – Christian Echols, a Good Hope High School graduate, is beginning to make a name for himself in mixed martial arts (MMA).
Echols said he was born into the MMA scene. His father was a boxer who turned to MMA, fell in love with it and passed it on to Echols.
Echols earned national recognition when he knocked out top Bellator MMA prospect Pat Downey on Dec. 9, 2022. Echols said he was told it wasn’t a smart fight to take for the sake of his career, but he ignored the talk from the MMA community and took the chance. After landing the uppercut, Echols said, he knew he had it won. “I felt like I was in a movie!”
Echols’ most recent fight was in the B2 Fighting Series on April 1, when he took down his opponent with a submission in 30 seconds.
“There’s nothing like an MMA fight,” Echols said. “They call it the game of inches because if you mess up, it could be the end of the night for you. While you’re in the cage fighting, for 15 minutes there’s a constant possibility that someone can put your lights out or finish you in front of all your buddies and fans.”
Even though Echols is coming off a four-fight winning streak, he said he is looking ahead to the future. His goals are to win the B2 Series title and then eventually compete in Dana White’s Contender Series, where a win could get him an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contract.
“I want to rattle off one or two more wins and then get on the Contender Series this year,” Echols said.
Echols said he wants to be a fighter people enjoy watching.
“I want my fans to be happy with supporting me,” he said. “I want people to say ‘Oh, I’d love to take my kid to watch Christian fight.’”
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