Billy ‘The Kidd’ looking for a fight

Billy “The Kidd” Christianson has a record of 3-1 going into his May 7 Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) contest at the Black Bear Casino Resort. Christianson, who is competing in the 155-pound weight category, said he has been involved locally with Borderland Combat Sports and training on a daily basis for his upcoming fight.

“A lot of people think it’s a fun sport...it's more of a lifestyle,” he said. “Once you get behind the cage there’s no turning back, so you’ve got to be ready when you get in there.”

Christianson has been training locally with Pete Benedix, who has an extensive background in wrestling. Benedix said he has been helping Christianson become “a well-rounded fighter.”

“Billy’s a really great stand-up fighter,” Benedix said.

Christianson said he has been involved in fighting since his youth and views MMA competition as a “respectable sport.”

“You’ve got gloves, there’s rules, it’s professional (and) there’s money involved,” he said.

Christianson said MMA competition interested him because it isn’t as limited as other forms of martial arts.

“A lot of other martial arts is more of a point fighting and you can only do certain things, whereas Mixed Martial Arts, anything goes,” he said.

However, Christianson said there are several restrictions as to what is allowed in an MMA fight.

“There’s actually quite a few rules,” he said. “You can’t strike to the back of the head or the spine. You can’t elbow straight up and down — if you’re on the top you can’t, like, come down right into their face with an elbow straight up and down — you can come sideways with an elbow at different angles. You can’t throw them out of the cage....”

Christianson said non-title fights involve three five-minute rounds and title fights have five five-minute rounds, unless the fight would end sooner.

“After this time there’s judges that make the decision just like boxing,” he said. “You can be submitted, knocked out, you can be stopped for a cut, you can be disqualified for illegal blows and warned too many times....There’s many different ways the fight can end.”

Christianson said he looks out to protect himself from injuries, though they are part of MMA competition.

“It’s a brutal sport and you’re going to get injuries,” he said.

But Christianson said facing an opponent isn’t about “beating the hell out of each other.”

“It’s just like any other sport like basketball or football,” he said. “We have mutual respect for each other.”

Christianson, who works locally for the Canadian National Railway in Ranier, said he hopes in the future to make a living as an MMA fighter.

“My main goal is to live off it,” he said. “My ultimate goal is to be televised fighting for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). That’s where, I think, every fighter wants to end up.”

He won his first professional fight in August 2009 on a first-round knockout. Christianson said title fights in the premier classes of MMA competition can bring in six-figure earnings per fight.

“The money comes in because it’s human nature,” he said. “People have been fighting since way back when, and I think people like watching people fight.”

Christianson said he enjoys the fan support that shows up for his fights, which so far have involved him competing in the Midwest.

“I like a lot of people to be there to hear them cheering for me,” he said. “That’s what really drives me.”

Christianson, who initially fought professionally at 140 pounds, said he believes the 155-pound category is a good weight class for him.

“I think 140 is too light for me,” he said. “I think 155 is a good weight class, especially if I can keep my muscle up and my fat down, then I’m good at 155.”

Christianson said his opponent could turn down a fight if he would not be in the allowed weight range for the 155-pound category.

“A week before weigh-ins, I check my weight everyday, I’m always jumping on the scale,” he said. “That last week (before the fight) I’ll basically only have celery and peanut butter and some protein shakes (to eat).”

When asked about the moniker he uses as part of his fighting persona, Christianson said he has always been known as “The Kidd.”

“My dad’s always called me “The Kidd,’” he said. “I’ve kind of always been like an outlaw — a hell-raiser doing my own thing.”

Christianson said he is able to focus on an upcoming fight with his manager being involved in the promotional end of things.

“The people that promote the fights, they set up everything up — the cage, the venue, the drinks — they have everything set up,” he said. “I just show up ready to fight.”

Christianson said it is more suitable to have a cage for MMA competition than the ropes used for boxing.

“(A cage is) more effective for our style of fighting because you can grapple and get in a clinch with somebody,” he said. “With ropes you’ll start falling through the ropes....Ropes would just be a pain.”

Christianson said a promoter’s “matchmaker” that follows the local martial arts scene closely will help set up fights, though the Minnesota Combatant Sports Commission will have a say in the fights it sanctions as to whether to allow them.

While there are different MMA titles available through different promoters, Christianson said he hopes to have a title fight set up at 155 pounds through Fearless Fighting Championship, the promotional company handling his upcoming fight, upon winning in two weeks.

“My goal is I’m just going to work and take titles away from any promotion I can until I get further on,” he said. “My goal is after I get the title for ‘Fearless’ is to go down to Max Fights — where I got my (only professional) loss — and fight the guy I lost (to) again for a title.”