Banff MMA fighter Jonah Ellis wins first title in Lethbridge

Jonah Ellis submitted Sam Khan with a triangle choke just over a minute into the first round to capture the title in Lethbridge.

LETHBRIDGE — Jonah Ellis doesn’t believe there was anything “special” about him when he first walked into a martial arts gym five years ago.

He just kept showing up.

“I just show up every day, and I dedicate a little bit of time to making sure that I’m just going to get that one per cent better each day,” said Ellis.

On Saturday (Oct. 3), that persistence put a championship belt around the Banff fighter’s waist after Ellis submitted Sam Khan with a triangle choke in the first round of their Rumble in the Cage title bout in Lethbridge.

Five fights into his amateur MMA career, Ellis says those small improvements are beginning to show.

“Sometimes you don’t see the results on the day, or quickly, but over time,” he said. “This last year and a half, five fights, two losses, three wins … and this is awesome.”

Before the fight, the 22-year-old promised to “make it happen.”

And he did.

Now, with championship gold around his waist, Ellis says the reality of becoming a champion is only beginning to sink in.

“I got the job done, and I’m the champion now,” said Ellis.

The victory capped a whirlwind year and a half for Ellis, who has bounced from one training camp to the next with little time off in between.

“This last year and a half has been crazy,” he said. “Five fights, so it’s basically camp after camp after camp after camp with little bits of time to chill in between.”

Ellis didn’t need much time to make good on his prediction Saturday.

Fighting for the 155-pound lightweight title, Ellis entered the cage confident despite having his opponent changed about two weeks before the fight.

When the bell rang, Ellis expected Khan to touch gloves. Instead, Khan came out throwing jabs and pushed the Banff fighter toward the cage.

Ellis went to his instincts, securing a takedown and immediately putting his grappling to work.

“The plan was to cut the distance, put my hands on him a little bit, but ultimately take it to the floor, where I know that I’m just levels ahead of the guy,” said Ellis.

Ellis first attacked with a guillotine choke, but when Khan began slipping free, he transitioned to a triangle choke – one of his strongest submissions and a technique he had repeatedly worked on throughout training camp.

“As soon as I felt the triangle go up, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s over. It’s over,’” said Ellis. “I look up at the ref, and I’m like, ‘He’s going to go to sleep.’

“I like to call my shots in a way.”

Khan tapped just over a minute into the opening round.

Once the fight was stopped, Ellis climbed the cage in celebration. Amid the noise inside the arena, there was one sound he immediately recognized.

His father’s whistle.

“I could hear him whistling, and I saw my whole Dark Horse crew,” said Ellis. “I gave them a couple of screams and was patting my chest and everything.”

Ellis said seeing his corner and family brought out a rush of emotions. But the championship carried added meaning because of his grandfather who couldn’t be there to see it.

His grandfather died in August, in the middle of Ellis’ training camp.

“He was a big, pivotal part, always supporting me and everything that I was doing,” said Ellis. “He was a really good person in my life.”

Ellis said it made for a difficult training camp, but before his grandfather died, he made him a promise.

“The last words that I was saying to him was that ‘I was going to get it done, and I was going to make sure that I bring that belt home,’” said Ellis.

His grandfather, Ellis said, was a pastor at a Banff church for about 40 years.

“I made sure that he knew on Saturday night that it was for him,” said Ellis. “I was happy to get it done and honour my family, for sure. I want to carry my family’s name far.”

Ellis’ first title win improved his amateur record to 3-2 and marked his second consecutive first-round submission.

After a unanimous decision loss to Kol Dunbar in February, Ellis returned to the cage in April and submitted Seth Levandosky in the opening round. His victory over Khan continued that momentum and improved his Rumble in the Cage record to 3-0.

With his first championship secured, Ellis is already looking toward what comes next.

The Banff fighter says he intends to remain an active champion with Rumble in the Cage and defend his title when the opportunity comes. He also plans on continuing to compete elsewhere as he builds toward an eventual professional career.

“I promise to be an active champion, fight, defend my belt,” said Ellis.

But defending the title may not be his only championship pursuit.

Ellis says he might drop down a weight class and chase another title.

“I think pretty soon here, we’re going to be planning on maybe moving down a weight class just to see if we can take a strap at another weight class,” said Ellis.

And if everything goes according to plan, Ellis already knows how he wants to carry them.

“That’s the plan. Like McGregor … one on one shoulder, one on the other.”