John Kopp, upcoming senior and president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, may be attaining his bachelor’s degree in exercise science, but he also has a passion for fighting.
“My passion for fighting came at 4 years old. My birthday wish was to become a power ranger which led my father to put me in taekwondo,” Kopp said.
Over the course of his years in taekwondo, Kopp achieved two world titles and was also featured on ESPN, but at the age of 15, he took more interest in mixed martial arts and the UFC organization.
“I began learning other forms of martial arts such as Muay Thai, jiujitsu and wrestling,” Kopp said.
This led Kopp to pair up with TCB Army to pursue his career in fighting. He even recently won his amateur fight at a mixed martial arts event at J Street Gym in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“It felt incredible to not just get that win but to do it in front of my hometown and friends and family,” Kopp said. “It felt amazing to get the finish and know my hard work and sacrifice paid off.”
Kopp’s mother died at the beginning of his first year at UCA. This changed his perspective on his drive for his fights, especially for his most recent one.
“I’d known since I got the name of the man I was fighting that I wanted to dedicate it to my mother who passed away a few years ago. She was my biggest fan and before I visualized any moment of the fight I thought about what I would wanna say to her and about her in that moment when I won,” Kopp said. “Having something greater than myself to fight for made the end result all the more worth it.”
His discipline in the sport has also enriched his experience with his education.
“The discipline I’ve learned in training has carried over a lot. I tend to take time off during the school year to focus on academics rather than fighting,” Kopp said.
While he’s not fighting, he is applying his fighter’s mindset to studying for his degree.
Kopp explained, “…having the ability to push myself and be dedicated to a diet or regime has carried over immensely in my college career.”
Kopp is currently planning on attending Logan University to get his doctorate in chiropractic after graduating from UCA, but he doesn’t see this hindering his career in fighting.
“Fighting will be a part of my future career no matter what. Whether that’s being a coach or an athlete I know that I will always have something to do with combat sports,” Kopp said.
