Jordan Sullivan Interview

While it is not uncommon for MMA commentators to describe the fighters inside the Octagon as warriors, but any mixed martial artist will tell you that what they do is relatively tame compared to other lines of work. Inside the cage, a fighter knows that they will almost certainly take a beating, but there is almost a 100% guarantee that a cage fighter will live to see another day. On the battlefield, however, no such guarantee can be made. The men and women of the armed forces don’t choose to join because of the fame and fortune that comes along with a stint in the military. A few men know what it is like to not only step into the cage for a fight, but also to step onto a battlefield for a fight. Of the many such fighters, names like Randy Couture (Army), Brandon Vera (Air Force), Tim Kennedy (Army), and Brian Stann (Marines) are all men who have experienced life in the barracks and life in the cage.

In celebration of Veteran’s Day, Curt Heinrichs spoke to amateur mixed martial artist and jiu-jitsu practitioner Jordan Sullivan, who also served the United States during 3 tours of duty in Iraq. Jordan was a member of the United States Marine Corps and he was happy to discuss his experiences both in jiu-jitsu as well as the Marine Corps.

Jordan Sullivan interview

First of all, Jordan, what branch of the military were you in and what is your rank? What made you decide to enlist?

I was in the Marine Corps and I was a Corporal in the Marine Corps. I thought it would be a challenge. You see it in the movies and I heard my parents speak highly about the Marines growing up and I wanted to see if I was up to the challenge.

Along with being a soldier, you are also a jiu-jitsu practitioner. How did you get involved with jiu-jitsu? How long have you studied jiu-jitsu and what belt do you hold?

I started wrestling in junior high and wrestled all the way through high school. In the Marine Corps, I started getting some ground fighting and eventually started learning jiu-jitsu from an ad I saw online. Once I got out of the Marine Corp, I started doing jiu-jitsu and I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve studied jiu-jitsu for 4 years and I have a purple belt.

Talk a little bit about the training required for the marines and the training required for jiu-jitsu.

It really depends on how competitive the competitor wants to be. I feel sometimes that I actually train harder for jiu-jitsu than I trained when I was in the Marine Corps, but the training in the Marine Corps all the time gave me the work ethic that I use in jiu-jitsu.

Through your experiences, what has been the most difficult part of both combat and jiu-jitsu?

It’s tough seeing guys that are 18, 19, or 20 and world champions and blackbelts. I gave up that opportunity in my life to join the Marine Corps and now I’m 26 and a purple belt. I’m striving to be a world-class blackbelt, but sometimes I subtract 4 years from my life. If I’m 26 now and you look at the 4 years I spent in the Marine Corps, I’d be technically 22.

Your military career has allowed you to travel the world and see some remarkable things. What has been your most memorable experience?

I guess it would have to be coming back from Iraq for the 1 st time. It’s a little bit like you see in the movies. When people would come back from a war, people would welcome them or spit on them depending on what war they fought in. It was actually kind of like a movie in some sense. We were welcomed back, and we had parades with thousands of people in the streets holding signs. We were the first wave back from our base in the actual war and since we were on an infantry base, the only other people there were students. When we left for war, the whole city was pretty much gone, because a majority of us were in the infantry. I think that would be the most memorable along with the day Bush declared war and the day we left from Kuwait to Iraq.

Would you like to leave us with any parting words? Anybody you’d like to thank.

I am starting a CrossFit gym in Richwood (KY) called Triple Crown CrossFit, and since this is through profighting-fans.com, I think it appeals to fighters the most. CrossFit is the best strength and conditioning program that I’ve been able to receive over my whole life. Me and a buddy decided to open Triple Crown CrossFit in Richwood. We give tours, and we know we won’t get all fighters, but we hope to get some fighters or extreme athletes in there and give them a tough workout.

I’d like to thank the guys that I served with. I want to thank my mom and dad and my fiancée and her family for helping me do what I do today.

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By Curt Heinrich
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer