Christian Eckerlin chuckles modestly when asked if he’s helped Brighton’s rise.
The Premier League side hired the 39‑year‑old MMA veteran last season. He was tasked with sharpening their set‑piece routines.
Having once played football in Germany, Eckerlin now teaches Brighton wrestlers’ head and hip control. He also shows them how to push back against opponents.
Just days before this chat, the Seagulls climbed to third place after a 3‑0 demolition of Arsenal. The Gunners are renowned for set‑piece mastery.
He downplays his influence, yet I think his drills opened a new tactical door for the squad.
“Brighton sent me defensive footage, and their hips and arms were basically idle,” he recalls. He noted the footage revealed glaring gaps.
“I started in the weight room, then moved to the pitch, and the results spoke for themselves,” he adds.
Eckerlin’s football career spanned 2005‑2009, featuring for SV Darmstadt in Germany’s third division at its peak.
As a kid he dreamed of wearing Eintracht Frankfurt colours, a wish he thought vanished after quitting the sport.
Little did he know that MMA, especially the European Oktagon circuit, would reignite that ambition.
In 2024 he defeated fellow German Christian Jungwirth at Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park before almost 60,000 spectators, the year’s biggest MMA crowd.
Saturday sees him back at the Waldstadion for Oktagon 94, facing Czech David Kozma, with another 60,000 fans anticipated.
“I first imagined playing there as a child, wandering the Waldstadion with my uncle. I thought the fire had gone out,” he says.
“Words can’t capture this. It’s the pinnacle of my career, and returning feels insane,” he admits.
“I’m 39, at the tail end of my career, maybe my last fight. There’s no better way to finish than in my backyard,” he declares. Will his next bout seal his legacy?