We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nikolai Gionti. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nikolai below.

Alright, Nikolai thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I came into college with a plan to graduate with a degree in journalism, cover sports and write or do media, but somewhere around the end of my sophomore year that changed. I started training Jiu jitsu at the age of 19. January of 2013. I had been covering mixed martial arts at the time and wanted to be expose myself to more of the sport. My father had been in martial arts his entire life and something that had always been a part of me. While I competed in other sports, fighting and jiu jitsu seemed to click. I won a couple Jiu jitsu tournaments, competed in a couple of amateur sparring events and decided to take a risk. I knew that when I graduated college, I wasn’t going to pursue my degree. I was going to pursue fighting.

In my amateur career, I went 6-0 in MMA, 2-0 in boxing and 1-0 in Muay Thai fights. After that, I was granted the opportunity to turn professional.

While my pro career got off on the wrong foot, a torn knee and a loss in my first fight, it helped me to meet some of my closest and dearest friends.

People like Tim Stafford and George Comer just to name a couple were not only my coaches, but friends and when all of us went through a transition period, they never gave up on me or any of the other fighters.

Revolution Fight and Fitness was founded and after healing, I continued my professional career.

I proceeded to go 4-1 in my last 5 fights and had some incredible opportunities to help UFC fighters prepare for world title fights, no. 1 contender fights and more.

Fighting has allowed me the freedom to pursue my personal training certifications and use my passion and knowledge in fitness to help others and build a career in a field I never would have expected to be in if you asked 10 years ago.

Nikolai, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into this field of personal training because it allowed me to balance training for my fight career with the necessity to make money and support myself and have freedom.

After 10+ years in the fitness field, I now have specializations in Corrective Exercise, Group Training, sports performance and rehabilitation and injury prevention for all clients, older or younger.

I’m able to help clients get back to the life they want. I help them feel more confident, feel better physically and mentally and overall have a better wellbeing.

I’m most proud of seeing my clients accomplish feats that they never thought they could.

Health is achievable for all and it’s not a one size fits all approach. If you are willing to put in the work, I’ll do everything in my power to help get you there.

It doesn’t need to be in person and finances don’t have to be your barrier to entry. There’s levels for everyone and no matter what, if you commit, I’ll commit to you.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Understanding buy in. Not everyone learns the same way, is motivated the same way or even is coaches the same way.

We all have different personalities and the ability to connect with people on their level will allow them to achieve their goals that much easier.

If we can create buy in, we can reach our goals.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In my first professional fight, on my very first strike, I tore my knee, felt everything pop. I continued to fight, but ended up losing in front of 100s of friends and family as well as everyone else at the event.

In the months after, my former coach downplayed my assistance and help to the gym while being injured and ultimately after a falling out, we parted.

I wanted to quit and never compete again. I felt like a loser, but everything lined up the way it should.

18 months later, I fought in the same venue, warmed up in the same room, walked out in the same corner and won.

I could’ve quit, could’ve stopped, could’ve decided this wasn’t for me, but I was blessed with people that wouldn’t let me and it allowed me to continue my career at a time I thought it was over and reach places I didn’t expect to.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @NikolaiGionti
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/ZT4bw9Kp5XUdqVS4/?mibextid=eQY6cl
• Twitter: @nikolai_gionti
• Other: Nikolaigionti@gmail.com