Jer “The Jerk” Kornelsen may be the Battlefield Fight League Amateur Middleweight Champion at this point in time, but he had a long road to get there.
The Impact MMA and Island Top Team fighter had the opportunity to fight for the title twice in 2011 and 2012, but came up short on both occasions. “The Jerk” went back to the drawing board, this time adding BJJ Black belt Professor Rob Biernacki from Island Top Team to his arsenal of coaches. Jerk, doubled up his training going back and forth from his original home at Impact MMA headed by Coach John Punt and his now second home, Island Top Team. Quitting went through Kornelsen’s mind a number of times, however the 34-year old pushed through it.
“More than a few times I thought about quitting. I work full time, personal train full time and train MMA up to 25-hours a week,” said Kornelsen. “When I lost and got knocked out by Ryan Allen at BFL 16 (even though it was an illegal blow), at that point I had just broken up with a girlfriend on top of some other life stresses, I did quit. My good friends Jason Culley and John Punt reminded me what was important and I was able to come back with a new attitude and focus. I walked threw two top opponents in Kiarash [Moghaddam] and [Jared] Revel and won’t stop there.”
On December 7, 2013 Kornelsen was given the opportunity, after finishing Kiarash Moghaddam by first round TKO at BFL 25, to face Jared Revel in a rematch from BFL 20 fight where “The Jerk” lost by first round rear-naked choke. At BFL 26, it took Kornelsen just 7-seconds to finish Revel with a well timed uppercut and not only get the knockout, but also the BFL amateur middleweight strap around his waist.
“I watched how he absorbed my strikes the first fight and saw a lot of open opportunities up the middle,” Kornelsen stated. “I trained the front kick a lot, but the uppercut was something else. I dreamt the night before the exact thing. Front kick, uppercut, one punch knockout. The only difference from my dream and the real thing, was him smirking at me after the kick. Other than that it just happened — It was meant to be. There were three-years of my life behind that punch”
The knockout silenced the crowd, as it took Revel several minutes to regain consciousness. It was a scary moment for everyone in attendance and for Kornelsen himself. He sat in his corner, up against the cage and just watched as his opponent received medical support.
“No one wants to see a serious injury. I checked on him a few times after the fight as well.”
Kornelsen realized the belt he had been chasing for years was finally around his waist. No belt feels better than one that has been fought for on multiple occasions. It is safe to say that the determination of the new champ, Kornelsen, is a rare commodity.
The Reign Sports sponsored fighter is expected to step back in the BFL cage this July. It has yet to be announced who Kornelsen will be defending his middleweight title against, but he has a message for them.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in that cage, I am smashing them”
