'You can't stop El Tanke': UFC hopeful Christopher Ewert aims to be Chile's first champion
Christopher Ewert is confident it’s just a matter of time.
Considering the time and sacrifice he’s put in, he thinks the universe will reward him. He still needs to work hard, but thus far, he’s reaped what he’s sowed.
“I have the hunger to win everything,” Ewert recently told MMA Junkie through a Spanish language interpreter. “I come from a third-world country, and people don’t realize that I don’t have a backup plan. I come here for everything, for success, to win. I don’t want to lose. I want to keep moving forward and keep winning.”
Born and raised in Chile, Ewert (7-0) was an athlete. Like many Latin American children, he loved soccer and dreamed of one day making it big. When that dream fizzled, so did Ewert’s athletic abilities. He gained weight – too much weight. So much weight, in fact, that he knew he needed a lifestyle change.
Seven years ago, Ewert stepped into an MMA gym to change his life in terms of physical fitness. What he didn’t know was that it would change his trajectory entirely.
A construction worker by day, Ewert trained at night. Not only did he transform his body, the skills he built were good – really good. When he realized that he might have a professional future, that’s when he packed up his things and moved to the United States.
“That’s part of the sacrifice. The last two years, I’ve been putting in that work. … I think there’s a lot I left behind that helped me, my own family, my own brothers, who supported me. When I’m over here, they supported taking care of my family, looking over everything while I make my dream happen. My brother, my family, everyone – I have the right people to come over here. Sometimes, you come and you don’t have the right guidance.”
Ewert now trains under the wing of Bellator and “The Ultimate Fighter 13” alum Javier Torres at Ultimate Kombat Training Center in Mesa, Ariz. A well-connected, well-traveled fighter himself, Torres told MMA Junkie that he’s lined Ewert up to cross-train with some big names in recent months.
According to Torres, former UFC champions and title challengers alike have heaped praise onto the undefeated 31-year-old Chilean middleweight.
“Everybody can call out the devil, but when they actually have the devil in front of them, they all get scared,” Torres said. “… Anthony Smith and different guys from all over the world, they come and train. Anthony Smith said, ‘Bro, there’s nobody in the UFC that can handle that pressure.’ I don’t see it. He’s got big hands, all that. Alex Pereira, his coach said, ‘You’re looking at the next 185-pound champion. Holy moly. He’s amazing – his pressure and skills and movement. His IQ is amazing.’
“In two minutes, he starts breaking everybody down. I’m not going to say names, but he drops every single person with a liver shot. It’s a good mixture. You don’t see too much liver shots. You throw two punches, he throws eight. You throw three, he throws 12 – to the liver, head, mixing angles. You see him fight. You see his record. I can tell you high-level guys who come in and meet him say, ‘There is not one I’ve ever fought or trained with in the UFC that give you that pressure.'”
Ewert most recently competed at Fury FC 100 in January when he defeated fellow rising undefeated prospect Reese Watkins by unanimous decision. The win caught the eye of UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, who tried to onboard Ewert shortly thereafter – but travel issues nixed the idea, at least for now.
“I just got the call but we have visa issues,” Ewert said. “So now we have to wait until that get fixed. We were supposed to fight Alonzo Menifield. I’m ready to fight tomorrow. One thing about me, is no matter who it is or what weight it is, heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, we are all made of bones. We’ve got two hands and bones. I’ll fight anybody. I’m not scared of nobody: top-five, top-15, top-20, the champion of the world. I’ll fight anybody.”
Chile isn’t necessarily known for its MMA talent, though it has had a handful of successful K1 athletes. Ewert hopes he and his countryman Ignacio Bahamondes can truly put Chile on the MMA map with title-clinching victories.
“I just want to say all the world and everybody that the Chileans, we have a lot of heart and a lot of balls,” Ewert said. “I’m going to be the first Chilean champion in the UFC and to prove to everybody that we have everything to have a champion.
“… My name is Christopher Ewert and they call me ‘El Tanke,’ like a tank. I’m a tank. You can’t stop ‘El Tanke.'”