I played football against World Cup winners – now I’m looking to become champion in completely different sport
CHRISTIAN ECKERLIN played with German World Cup winners during his football days – now they are cheering on his MMA career.
Eckerlin came up against the likes of Mats Hummels and Bastian Schweinsteiger at youth level.
But while they went onto lift Bundesliga titles and even the World Cup in 2014, Eckerlin left behind his football dream to pursue MMA.
He is now one of German’s top stars – returning in Frankfurt on Saturday – and has huge names backing his career in the cage.
Eckerlin, 37, told SunSport: “I played against Mats Hummels, Bastian Schweinsteiger, very famous soccer players.
“I played against first-division players. I still have many friends that still play now in the Bundeliga, Marcos Reus, Marius Wolf, Prince Boateng.
“So many, Kevin Trapp from Eintracht Frankfurt. They will also come on Saturday night to support me after they have their game.”
At the top of his football career, Eckerlin played for SV Darmstadt, who were only relegated from the Bundesliga in 2023.
And he also began boxing at 14 but gave up to focus on football.
The highest level Eckerlin played at was in the German third division – but after falling out of favour with the coach he hung up his boots at 21.
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After getting into a scrap on a night out, his friend convinced him to return to the gym to channel his anger and keep out of trouble.
And when Eckerlin walked away from football, immediately he thought back to his friend’s plea.
Eckerlin said: “We were at a festival drinking beer and I had a fight with three guys.
“My friend said, ‘Hey, what are you doing? It’s crazy.’ Don’t fight on the streets, come to my gym. At this time, I was playing soccer.
“But he said, ‘Come, please.’ I said, ‘I’ll come one day.’ Then the time comes when I stop soccer and I thought back to him.”
It took just one training session for Eckerlin to be hooked on MMA.
He said: “We started sparring, light sparring and he said, ‘You have very big talent.’
“They had a small TV and I remember watching a Wanderlei Silva fight in Japan and I said, ‘Wow, they are completely crazy.’
Why I left behind football dream for MMA
Christian Eckerlin played professionally in Germany but gave up at just 21.
Following a falling out with his manager at the time, a frustrated Eckerlin packed it in.
He told SunSport: “When the coach came, he said, ‘Yes, you can play.’ And then after they change the coach, you’re out.
“In my young mind, I was thinking, ‘What is this? It’s nothing to do with sport, nothing to do with performance, it’s only business.
“So this is why I stopped soccer.”
By 2008, he began training in MMA and turned professional just a year later.
He is now one of Germany’s top MMA stars and signed to European-based promotion Oktagon.
“But the fire was burning and I went everyday in this gym from 2008 and in 2009 I had my first professional fight.”
Eckerlin turned pro with no amateur experience and only a year of training but he has since become a big star in his homeland.
He has a record of 15-6 and returns against Czech Miroslav Broz at Oktagon 49.
The European promotion recently announced a huge outdoor event on October 12 at Eintracht Frankfurt’s 58,000-seat stadium.
And having never been able to play a his beloved Deutsche Bank Park – Eckerlin instead wants to fight there.
He said: “For me, it’s a dream come true. It’s my hometown, Eintracht Frankfurt is my heart.
“When I was a professional soccer player, I always wanted to play for Eintracht Frankfurt in the stadium.
“Now I have the chance to maybe fight there.”
