Rich Crunkilton – A Long Time Coming

By Thomas Gerbasi

A pro fighter for almost eight years who has been in the game in one way or another for a decade, lightweight contender Rich Crunkilton has waited a long time to be the main man on a major show’s fight poster, something that has been remedied in the lead-up to his WEC title fight against lightweight champion Rob McCullough this Wednesday.

“I’m definitely happy about that,” he laughs. “I like seeing myself on the poster, it’s kinda cool. I’ve been fighting a long time, I wrestled since I was little, and I’ve been performing in front of crowds since I was 11 years old, so it’s not really pressure. I’m more excited to be in this spot now and I’m ready to take that big step and get in the big leagues.”

The ‘big leagues’ seemed to be a foregone conclusion for the Florida native as he made his bones in small shows after turning pro in 1999, mixing a well-rounded attack with the heart of a lion to build up an unbeaten record that earned him a shot in the UFC against Hermes Franca in 2003.

The fight that followed was memorable, with Crunkilton and Franca trading punches, kicks, and submission attempts at a frenetic pace. Franca would eventually win a close three round decision, but not before Crunkilton made a name for himself not only for his MMA tool set, but for his heart in refusing to submit to a debilitating knee bar in the first round, and later, an armbar in the third round that dislocated and tore ligaments in his elbow. But quitting wasn’t an option.

“I’m just really competitive and I wasn’t even thinking about losing,” he said of the fight. “Maybe I’m a little crazy, maybe a little stubborn. Everybody that gets in there and locks himself in a cage is probably crazy.”

The 27-year old laughs, but the aftermath of the injury was no joking matter. Almost two years would pass before he was able to return to action in 2005, and in that time, all the buzz from his fight against Franca had faded, and the UFC’s lightweight division was on hiatus. For Crunkilton, it was back to the drawing board.

“People kinda grow up at their own pace,” said Crunkilton. “And I’ve kinda held myself back over the years. I’ve been doing the family thing, having a couple of babies, plus I’ve had some major injuries, so I really haven’t been in a big rush to get into the spotlight. After that fight (with Franca) I was probably on the injured list for about a year and a half, so after that I kind of expected to have to work my way back into the scene and work my way back up to that level.”

And from 2005 on, Crunkilton did just that, winning six fights in a row, with none of the bouts reaching the final bell. Most recently, “Cleat” submitted Mike Joy with an anaconda choke in the third round at WEC 25 in January. And to think, he does it all as a husband and father, and while running a pawnshop at the same time. It’s a hectic schedule, but it hasn’t slowed Crunkilton down any.

“I wasn’t sure if there would be a real stable future in just fighting, so I always had little jobs on the side,” said Crunkilton, who began fighting as an amateur at 17. I never really had to depend solely on fighting for a job. But now it looks like I might be able to. It would be nice.”

First, he will have to beat the hard-hitting McCullough on Wednesday. And if you talk to fight pundits, many believe Crunkilton’s overall game will be enough to take out the incumbent. But Crunkilton isn’t counting his chickens before they hatch.

“I’ve probably trained harder for this fight than any other fight I’ve ever had,” said the 17-1 Crunkilton, who is also undefeated in seven WEC bouts. “I’m not taking anything for granted. Anything can happen and I’m ready for Godzilla to show up.”

If you ask some of the people who have been on the wrong end of McCullough’s thunderous strikes, ‘Godzilla’ might be an apt description.

“He’s got some good Muay Thai punches and kicks, and anytime you’ve got a guy that can punch and kick well, there’s a chance he can connect with something and catch you off guard, so I’m definitely planning on being on point with my standup game,” said Crunkilton. And despite the fact that a win this week will instantly make him a major player on the worldwide landscape at 155 pounds, he’s staying focused because in this game, opportunities like this don’t come along very often.

“I can’t think of anything I’ve wanted more than to have that belt around my waist and I know it’s gonna open up another whole world of opportunities for me and I’m excited,” he said. “But I don’t want to look past the fight though, and the main thing in my mind is winning the fight and not actually wearing the belt yet.”