From late starter to MMA star: Christian Jungwirth – the indomitable “Celt” with German virtues

From late starter to MMA star
Jungwirth – the indomitable “Celt” with German virtues

By Michael Bauer
October 10, 2024, 6:12 p.m

The “King of Germany” among MMA fighters is being sought in Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park. Christian Jungwirth can take the crown in the end. In the end, a “superpower” should make the difference in the fight against Christian Eckerlin.

Within seven years, Christian Jungwirth has made enormous developments in the sport of mixed martial arts. He is now one of the biggest stars in Germany and will have the main fight against local hero Christian Eckerlin at Oktagon 62 in Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park (seen exclusively on RTL+). The 37-year-old from Bopfingen in Baden-Württemberg is a phenomenon and has become a role model for many due to his mentality.

What sets the former forklift driver apart are German virtues: polite, hard-working and down-to-earth. That resonates with the fans. And the image it conveys also contributes to this. When Jungwirth talks about his “ancestors,” the Celts, about his hikes to Ipf, his “Celtic mountain,” which gives him spiritual strength, you believe him. But the father of the family is sure that it wasn’t just his personality that ensured he won the main event at the historic showdown in Frankfurt. “I worked hard for the main fight and deserved it,” he says in an interview with Oktagon.

But the path there was rocky and difficult. He stands out from other fighters because of his story, emphasized “The Kelt,” his nickname in the ring, in an interview with ntv/RTL a few months ago. “My story is simply a real-life Rocky story,” he said at the time.

“Survival mode” has switched on

Getting into the professional business was difficult. At the beginning he worked shifts as a forklift driver and had to drive 100 kilometers to the training facility in Stuttgart every day. “I took my daughter to kindergarten at eight and then drove to Stuttgart. And then there was training from ten to twelve, a quick shower, getting in the car and going to work. At best, I could sleep for 20 minutes before the late shift,” says the 37-year-old, describing his well-paced everyday life back then. He kept this pace for two years before the first sponsors came and Jungwirth was able to reduce his workload.

Willpower is one of the VfB supporter’s great strengths and paved the way to a successful professional career: He built up a good fighting record (currently 15 wins, 8 defeats) through smaller national events and ended up at Oktagon in 2020. Jungwirth has shown that he is unique in German MMA on this stage with what is probably the most iconic scene in the sport in recent years.

In the fight against the Serb Bojan Veličković in June 2023, he suddenly found himself caught in a rear-naked choke, a stranglehold in which you usually lose consciousness after a few seconds. The “Celt” defied the submission hold for a full 40 seconds, stood up with his opponent on his back and shook him off. “My survival mode kicked in and I fought my way out,” said Jungwirth. Despite this spectacular turn in the fight, his opponent ultimately won on points. The fight was part of a tournament that was supposed to determine Europe’s best welterweight and had high prize money of 300,000 euros.

Now it’s no less important, because on October 12th it will be revealed who will be “King of Germany”. Jungwirth knows that despite the thousands of fans who support him, it will probably be an away game against SGE fan Eckerlin. “But I always wanted to play in the football stadium. This makes my childhood dream come true,” he says. Because of their football background, he and Eckerlin certainly have a lot in common, and both are big draws as ambassadors for the sport.

In this regard, there is “no sense of competition,” says Jungwirth. However, in a duel with his namesake, Bopfinger sees himself ahead. His “superpower: fitness” should do the trick. The route is accordingly clear: “I just want to have fun, fight and put on a great show – and of course win.” He doesn’t want to plan anything beyond the fight, even if the octagon welterweight title remains his long-term goal.