Ground and Pound - Fightnews

"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." - J.D. Salinger

Salinger would have been a big fan of 20-year old mixed martial artist and recent father Cody Bollinger (11-2). For Bollinger, the son of former KOTC bantamweight champion Frankie Bollinger, living with humility and purpose has already taught him so much about himself at such a young age.

And now, family-in-hand and dreams of UFC stardom on the horizon, it's easy for him to look back, reflect and realize what an incredible process it's all been.

"MMA has taught me some lessons," Bollinger says. "It's made me humble and showed me a side of life that not too many can see. This sport has few real role models but there's tons of people to learn from when it comes to how you deal with wins, losses and other things."

For Bollinger,"other things" happen outside of a gym or a cage. Things he hasn't been able to control with his fists, cardio or aggression. From his childhood in a place he's not particularly fond of to his father's battle with cancer, Bollinger recalls a bit of his childhood with wonder and awe at his parents' perseverance:

"We were semi-poor when we lived down in Upland, California. We moved quickly to the victorville area once my dad got his degree so all I remember from Upland is being scared of my neighbors but it wasn't as bad as Compton or Crenshaw, so I was content."

The cancer that the elder Bollinger was able to overcome during his son's youth helped Cody see how much of a role model and foundation his father would play in his life and MMA career.

"I was still young but it was pretty crappy," he recalls. "He sat us down and told us he had cancer, then said he would not die and we would make it through it because he knew God wanted him to - so I believed him. I was obviously still worried but seeing his faith made it a lot easier. He had some of his colon and big intenstine taken out and he still fought. He started late in the sport and still won a King of the Cage title in like three years or so of training. His battle is an amazing story and something that drives me to become half of what he is. I'm blessed by God to have him. He is an amazing role model - the man is 'Captain America.' He is a hero to me and anyone that knows him would say the same."

It was the very same "Captain America" that took Cody to the gym when he was around five years old, ready to begin training. Bollinger insists he grew up in a gym where MMA and jiu-jitsu was very popular and that he had no choice but to become a MMA fighter.

"MMA was just a passion I've had since I was introduced to the sport. Even before it was popular, I had the dream of being a UFC champion and I still do," Bollinger claims.

It was at the age of five that Bollinger met someone that he considers, to this day, to be his Godfather - former UFC lightweight Joe Stevenson. Stevenson, who was a coach at Williams Combat Grappling, took Bollinger under his wing and according to the 20-year old featherweight, "taught me at least 85% of what I know."

"I love the man with all my heart," he continues. "He has helped me through MMA and life in general. I'm like his protege."

With Stevenson by his side, Bollinger fell in love at an early age with the art of wrestling - something he considers to be more of a lifestyle than a sport and something he primarily uses in the cage today. The young man and ancient sport were such a match that he had every intention of continuing wrestling until it became painfully obvious there was little to no money in it.

At the age of 15, having trained for quite a long while with his father's support and blessing, Cody Bollinger decided he had waited long enough and wanted go turn professional. Through the help of friend and promoter Franklin Aguirre, Bollinger would make his professional debut on May 13, 2006 at a "Titans of the Pentagon" show in Costa Rica. Bollinger would win two fights in one evening and kick start his MMA career.

"I was super excited and I enjoyed that whole trip," Bollinger recalls. "I got to fight in front of an awesome crowd and I had a free trip to Costa Rica, so I'd say that's better than most debuts."

While Bollinger's recollection of the fights is a bit fuzzy, he knows he won them both by triangle choke in the very first round. And while he admits in jest that the victims names escape him, the feeling surrounding his success isn't something he could forget.

"I loved it and looked forward to the next one from there on," he says.

When asked if financial obligations caused him to turn pro at 15, Bollinger brushes that notion aside quickly.

"I had the opportunity, so I took it. I trained my whole life and there was no way I was turning that down," he explains. "They also didn't have amateur fights back then. I just had a passion for the sport of MMA."

That passion would drive Cody towards five more fights in California in a full calendar year under the King of the Cage banner. Bollinger would go on to defeat the likes of John Colley, Nick Trejo, Kacey Roberts and Chad Walter before dealing with his first professional loss - a unanimous decision defeat to Junior Kling - in the summer of 2007.

From that loss, Cody would take nearly a three-year hiatus from the sport he was clearly growing in as a fighter. He insists the loss and the promotion had nothing to do with the change.

"King of the Cage wanted me to fight for them and I took their offer and loved every minute of it," he remembers. "I took three years off to focus on my wrestling and finish high school. It wasn't really about the loss, I just realized I was still very young and needed time to grow and focus on what was more important at that time. I wanted to fight very badly but it was alright because I wrestled year-around still and I love wrestling just as much as I love MMA. Once that was done, I returned to the sport and restarted my career."

Since his return to the cage in 2010, Bollinger has racked up a 6-1 record following a recent win over Aaron Neveu in December. His success wasn't ignored by prospective organizations that employ men of his talent either. Recently, the Joe Stevenson's Cobra Kai fighter had solid footing to be on the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter" before finding out that his own age would hold him back from making the show. Yet another part of the growing pains of maturing inside the sport he loves.

"It was fun while it lasted," he says with a lingering sadness that's nearly palpable. "It was a little tiring but it was a great experience and great exposure. The producers were amazing and there was some great competition there. They said I was a shoe-in but once they knew I wasn't old enough, (missing the cut off date by two weeks) they had to let me go."

"TUF is a no-go for now. My manager is talking with the UFC and will decide what to do next. I'm just training and staying ready for a last-minute call."

It's when the subject turns away from fighting and back to relationships that Bollinger is seen in his best light. As I press for him to tell me more about his new family and his relationship with God, Cody becomes a man of many words. Some of them aimed at hoping his fiance sees our conversation and takes note of his rememberance of specific dates and times. He speaks of his wife-to-be with the utmost care, as if his career could not exist without her. And in his eyes, it can't.

"After like three months I knew I wanted to marry her. We met at a baseball stadium through friends and she was instantly hooked," he jokes. "She keeps me sane and from getting into trouble. She is amazing and the best wife and mother I could ever ask for - an angel from God."

And with the woman of his dreams, he shares a daughter and a new appreciation for being a parent.

"Ive always wanted the whole big, happy family thing because I was part of one," he mentions. "I love it and can't wait to make a "Cody Jr." to carry on the Bollinger name."

After a pause, he considers that it might be in his best interest to establish himself as a big name first. Right now, the Bollinger clan gets by on hard work, team work and faith.

"Financially, it's really rough right now but we get by and eventually it won't be a problem. She supports me and my dreams, so we stick to them and stick together."

Cody isn't sure how much longer he wants to continue MMA. He's been at the sport for nearly five years and at the young age of 20, doesn't truly have to worry about it for quite a while longer. Through that truth is where his faith comes into the fray. God plays an extremely vital part of Bollinger's committment to his craft and his family.

"God is very important to me. He helps guide me in my decisions and gives me the strength to get through," he says. "He promises never to give you more than he knows you can handle, so I hold on to that promise and keep faith. I wouldn't be where I'm at without his blessings."

Just a few months shy of his twenty-first birthday, Cody admits that the main goal is to have a belt around his waist but he doesn't shy away from the idea of making some money in MMA so that he can eventually retire, own a gym and continue teaching what he loves full time.

Through everything Bollinger has endured, he keeps his family, his faith and his dreams closest to his heart and he remains ever-so-grateful for the opportunity to do what he loves.

"I would just like to thank everyone who supports mixed martial arta and my dream," Cody admits. "I love the fans and the way the sport has turned out so far and I just want to thank God for blessing me with the ability I know I have and to go compete in front of millions in his name. Without him, I would be lost and with him, anything is possible."

Those possibilities are nearly limitless for the young father who has chosen to set up shop in Sultana, California and make MMA his life. It's been a long journey for the wrestler who has had to grow up in a sport full of grown men. But with the aid of those he loves, his family and his beliefs, he truly believes that nothing is outside his grasp.

Onwards his career will march and he hopes that quest will lead him to what he wants most - a UFC championship belt.