Name: Chris Crawford (8-5)
Gym: United Thai Boxing and MMA in Durham & Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
What inspired you to start fighting?
I wrestled in middle and high school. When I started college at NC State, I didn’t wrestle because I was a non-scholarship athlete in track and field and football. After graduation, I just wanted to keep busy and maybe compete in wrestling. Other than clubs, there was no wrestling available to me outside of the standard work day the only programs available were grappling and MMA gyms. So I joined East Coast Submissions Academy run by Danny Daniels. He trained me from a complete blank slate other than wrestling (hadn't hardly even been in a street fight) to get into grappling tournaments and eventually convinced me to try MMA. Danny coached me until about 5 or 6 years ago. After that I found Aaron Fisher at Sommai Muay Thai to keep up my striking and Mazi Heydary at Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. After Sommai closed, United Thai Boxing and MMA opened and I continued fighting under Alex Banks. I am blessed to be the product of a collaboration between two amazing gyms as an example of the wonderful and selfless MMA community in North Carolina.
Who are your biggest influences? My greatest influences are all the coaches that gave me their knowledge and pushed me time and time again as well as every student that I have worked out, sparred, trained, and rolled with. Also the memories of Nick Musgrove of Chapel Hill Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Chris Sanders of Sommai & United; they keep me going strong now as they did when they were with us.
What was your reaction when you found out you'd be fighting in this event?
This was an amazing opportunity that was too good to pass up. I was very thankful and humbled to be considered by Bellator in representing as some of best talent North Carolina offers in the MMA scene. I am very appreciative of the local outreach and presence Bellator is promoting with this event. It's not something often seen in a major global promotion and it will certainly be a treat for all of the fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway!
Who did you tell first?
I told my girlfriend Leigh Ann well before I was approved to publicly announce my involvement. She was sitting next to me when I took the call and she needed to know when to take off work.
What does it mean to you to have this opportunity?
This is an opportunity to showcase my talent against a quality opponent in front of Bellator and alongside local professional talent. I don't think you can ask for much more than that as an amateur fighter. It would be a dream to fight professionally for Bellator.
Is there anything you're looking forward to at the event, anyone you're hoping to meet or anything you're hoping to do? Just being in the same room as two global legends of MMA - Tito Ortiz and Dan Henderson- is going to be a unique experience. Going out there and performing for MMA fans and curious bystanders alike is more than enough for me. I am hopeful my talents will pique their interest in what our state has to offer as far as both MMA and athletics in general. Oh yeah, and hopefully I'll have a chance to head a little west and do a little fly fishing after the event!