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King Of The Hill

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Corey Hill, 30, a 1997 Springstead High and two-time State Champion in wrestling, recently relocated back to Spring Hill with his wife and three children. Hill’s newest career is in mixed martial arts as a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) circuit.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: October 6, 2008

In some ways Corey Hill is closer to the Springstead High wrestling program he left behind 11 years ago. In other ways, he's as far as ever from his days on the mats.

The 30-year-old still trains on campus, which he once again lives nearby. But his matches aren't exactly the same.

Hill, a 1997 Springstead graduate, recently relocated back to Spring Hill with his wife, Lauren, and three young children, his 7-year-old daughter Seytia, 5-year-old son Keenan and 5-month-old son Corey Jr.

But the former two-time state champion with the Eagles has just begun to prepare for his next bout, a Dec. 10 meeting with Dale Hartt.

This is the latest move in Hill's newest career in mixed martial arts (MMA) as a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) circuit.

"I've learned from my last fight if he's in UFC and he's fighting, you better bet he's tough as nails," Hill said. "When you train hard you want a war. If I'm busting my butt I want him to be the toughest guy possible. I want him to push me and I want to push him back."

A real kick in the face

Just what happened in the aforementioned last fight, in which Hill took his first MMA loss July 5 to Justin Buchholz?

He got kicked in the face - hard. So hard, he had to watch footage of the fight to remember what happened. He eventually lost by submission in the second round.

"You can get two guys with wooden broomstick handles and let them start hitting you and fight through it," Hill said. "That's what it's (an MMA fight) like."

Hill has a professional record of 2-1 (1-1 in UFC). He had won his previous two fights by TKO.

He earned his UFC contract while competing on The Ultimate Fighter 5, a reality television series that aired last year. Though he did not win the contest, he showed enough potential to earn a deal anyway.

But his road to the UFC goes back much further than that, to the end of his two-year stint at Colby Community College in Kansas.

At that point Hill not only saw his amateur wresting career come to an end, he saw the beginning of his new family life with the birth of his daughter.

The next few years Hill bounced around between attempts to return to college and various odd jobs. He chuckles now at his brief gig going door-to-door selling coloring books.

He would end up in Colorado Springs, where his wife's family is located. At this point some friends had already got him into MMA, but he couldn't find a training facility in his new hometown.

Then one day while interviewing for a detailing job at a car dealership, the perspective employer pointed him in the direction of a nearby gym.

"I literally left in the middle of the interview and put on a pair of gloves," Hill said.

Needless to say, he didn't get the job. But he did make enough of an impression in a couple of amateur fights to earn a spot on The Ultimate Fighter 5.

Caught in a lie

"The show was an eye-opening experience," Hill said. "It was an awakening because I actually thought I was going to win. I had no training, but I'm a wrestler. I'm tough. I'm Corey Hill. I always win."

Hill got off to shaky start on the show before things ever got physical. In an admitted moment of poor judgment, he lied about his amateur record, first claiming to be 8-0, then 4-0.

He was actually just 2-0. However the truth was not uncovered until later, when he had already left his mark. He won his first match before losing to the show's eventual champion, Nathan Diaz.

"I look at it as I did what I had to do to get where I'm at right now," Hill said.

At 6-foot-4, 155-pounds, Hill has used his natural athleticism to find immediate success in the lightweight division, and yes his days under Hall of Fame Springstead coach Bob Levija have helped.

"Wrestling helps but not where you'd think," Hill said. "It's not taking people down. It's Levija and Springstead, years of teaching you how to not let kids take you down."

When opposing fighters have difficulty getting Hill grounded, he can then use his superior reach for a punching advantage.

Still, his last fight proved he has much to learn if he wants to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a UFC champion. He knows that Hartt, a Navy veteran, will provide another harsh test.

The fight will be part of an event called UFC Fights for the Troops that will take place at Fort Bragg, N.C. Spike TV will carry the program starting at 9 p.m.

Hill is currently seeking community support in the form sponsorship. Those interested can contact him at 556-2218 or chillcorey@yahoo.com.

"I want to be the best fighter at 155 (lightweight)," Hill said. "I want to be the greatest ever when it's all said and done. That's a goal that can be obtained. It's in my grasp.

"After that I want to bring a gym to Spring Hill. But a lot of things have got to be laid down first. If I win that (championship) belt, I'm on a whole different level. If I win that belt, Spring Hill is definitely on the map."

BY THE NUMBERS: COREY HILL MMA CAREER
Date Opponent Result
11-18-06 Stryder Fann W (TKO)
01-23-08 Joe Veres W (TKO)
07-05-08 Justin Buchholz L (Submission)

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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