CBS 58's Hometown Athlete: Betting on himself, Choinski on the rise in MMA
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- "I sacrificed everything for this."
Betting it all on yourself is easier said than done.
"Go from making money to not making a penny."
Mark Choinski worked a handful of jobs from painting to construction but didn't find the right fit.
"I didn't feel like I had a purpose with that. The monotony of going through the motions with that and not being challenged."
So, three years ago, he gambled. Quitting his jobs in favor of his passion. Betting on himself to make it in mixed martial arts.
"It's an investment and the possibility of it having a return is almost slim to none."
Slim to none for most people. But Mark is not most people. He got the call to make his UFC debut last month, fighting at the sport's highest level.
Beating the odds is nothing new for Mark, he's done it his whole life. Growing up in Milwaukee he was transferring schools every year as a kid. Unsure where his next meal would come from or where he'd be sleeping.
"Not having any money for food and clothes. Living on the south side, a lot, living on the north side, living on the west side. I was living like an animal, I was, when I was young. I had no purpose and never thought I could be anything."
Wrestling changed his life. His coaches Jon Nelson and Brian Wojciechowksi got him on track, friends in the wrestling community gave him a place to stay.
"A lot of friends you know. And these are hardworking people that were still struggling as well. A lot of people were struggling to make ends meet and they took me in. There were a lot of families that didn't have the means to pay for food or another kid in the home, but these families took me in with open arms."
"Where would you be without wrestling/MMA right now?"
"Wrestling saved my life and mixed martial arts has given me one. So, without these sports and communities it's scary to think where I would be."
Thankfully, Mark doesn't have to worry about where he "would" be, because of where he "is" … on the path of a professional athlete with three fights left on his first UFC contract.