Ryan Jensen

Born: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Fighting Out Of: Omaha, Nebraska
Age: 30
Height: 6′ 1″ (185 cm)
Weight: 185 lbs. (84 kg)
Overall MMA Record (W-L-D): 11-2-0
Strengths: Standup, well-rounded

Trainer: For this fight I stayed back in Omaha, NE, training out of Mid-America Martial Arts. We have a great kickboxing coach, Kurt Podany, helping with my standup, ground guys are Ed Shobe and Scott Morton, both purple belts under Rodrigo Vaghi in St. Louis, MI, and I’m wrestling with the guys from UNO ((University of Nebraska at Omaha). I have a great team and I’m excited to perform on Oct. 20.

Training: Mondays – Get up, run some sprints, wrestle at noon, night time kickboxing and team practice with hard sparring rounds and big gloves. Repeat on Wed and Fri. Tuesday at noon I do a crossfit workout, boxing rounds, and Jiu-jitsu rolling; at night I do more jiu-jitsu with MMA sparring and small gloves at team practice. Repeat on Thursday. These are typical days.

Questions & Answers:
When and why did you start training for fighting?
I started training in 1993 under Steve ennum, the UFC 3 champ, and I have been hooked ever since. I train because I like the competition.

What ranks and titles have you held?
I hold the 185-lb Victory Fighting Title, and the IFC 185—lb title.

Do you have any heroes?
Guys I look up to in fighting are Spencer Fisher, BJ Penn, Matt Lindland, and Anderson Silva.

What is your favorite technique?
I get a lot of people in triangle chokes, but I like to keep it standing.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC?
It is like going from the minors to the majors. It is all up to me now that I got here to perform well. It is one thing to get to the UFC and it’s a whole other thing to stay and make a name. I have what it takes and I’m ready to show it to the world.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn?
I have finished my main classes for a Bachelor’s in Business Management and have two prerequisites to finish and graduate. Fighting comes first.

What was your job before you started fighting?
I was working at PayPal doing Protection Services on the weekends. During the week I would be training full-time, going to school, and raising my little girl. I quit my job in October of last year to fight full-time.