Jonathan Kunneman: Defying The Odds
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“I’ve always been kind of a dark person. I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. I always felt like it had an edge over me, and I hated the idea of a person having that edge”. Growing up with type 1 diabetes, you’re immediately different than those you grow up around. A certain level of discipline gets instilled in you, a forced discipline that takes people years to build. Now imagine growing up fighting victimization, to fighting for a living… Chasing a dream in one of the most violent sports.
Jonathan Kunneman is one of the brightest prospects in MMA today. He thinks differently than the majority. When you get to know him, you quickly realize the he will stop at nothing in pursuit of his dreams. His whole life he’s been self-reliant, and patient. But, time waits for no one. Cause when you’re fighting just to keep the pain at bay, there’s nothing that can stop you from achieving the impossible.
“I always say I wish these other fighters could simply feel what low or high blood sugar could feel like. Even for just a few minutes so they could understand,” he shared. “Or what it’s like to be up all night fighting high blood sugar and subsequently getting no sleep…Still having to train the next day, while being sore as hell and sleep deprived.”
Fighting With Type 1 Diabetes
Jonathan has taken over 50,000 shots in total. He takes around 5-10 shots a day depending on what his blood sugar looks like. He’s constantly having to balance high and low blood sugar, and both make training extremely difficult.
For those that don’t know, low blood sugar will make you feel like passing out. It gives you the inability to move while being nauseous and dizzy. High blood sugar makes your head and body ache horribly. Your joints and kidneys hurt, and you’re constantly having to pee and drink water.
“If I miss more than a couple doses of insulin, I’d be dead within 24-48 hours,” said Kunneman. “It’s a very extreme condition and it’s part of my motivation. It’s one of the leading causes of death in the world. I’m not supposed to be a professional athlete with it. But I want to defy the odds.” Jonathan has never pulled out of a fight. But, it has made him miss a session every now and then due to abnormal numbers.
Diabetes alone is enough of a hurdle to make someone give up on pursing a dream as an athlete. But just imagine that, while also needing to do more than the normal fighter for fight commissions. “I had to get insulin approved and let the commissions know I am insulin dependent,” said Kunneman. “The average person/fighter’s pancreas does all this work on its own. I have to do it myself, so of course there will be tons of error. Which in turn causes lots of physical discomfort and pain.”
Despite the pain, and the struggles, he pushes through. You know how the saying goes… It doesn’t matter how life evolves or changes, you really never forget your first love.
First Love
Picture this. You’re in elementary school, sitting in class, day dreaming about getting into fights with your classmates. You’re ignoring the teachers because you’re going row by row in your head. Thinking whether or not you can fight to the death, and win. Are they insanely dark thoughts for a first or second grader? Sure. But rather than acting on those thoughts, it motivated Kunneman to be better and train harder. Especially when he felt he couldn’t beat them.
“I would fantasize about if I could kill them [classmates] in a fight. I hated the idea of someone being able to kill me,” said Kunneman. “So if I eyeballed a classmate and wasn’t sure if I could win the fight, it motivated me to learn so that nobody could kill me. I’d do the same with the teachers. I’ve broke down hypothetical fights in my head with every single person that’s ever been in a classroom with me.”
That’s how Jonathan’s journey into combat sport began. If you asked any of his classmates growing up, they’d tell you about how he loved getting into fights. It was his true first love… Like many, Kunneman’s introduction to MMA came through wrestling as a kid. As he grew, he decided to stay local, attending University of Nebraska. Eventually, he made his way to Albuquerque where he began training at the world-renowned Jackson Wink MMA Academy. It’s a gym that will always hold a special place in his heart, no matter where his career takes him.
After training with former UFC fighter, Ryan Jensen, Jackson Wink became home. The coaches cornered him throughout his amateur career, guiding him into the early stages of turning professional. Throughout his time in New Mexico, he gained valuable insight and mentors many would kill to have. Imagine getting advice and building a friendship with the greatest of all time? It’s something most fighters would never get the chance to experience. “It has been a blessing to see how the greatest fighter in human history [Jon Jones] approaches fighting,” said Kunneman. “It’s surreal how good he is, even in the training room.”
The Next Chapter
Like everything in life, all good things eventually come to an end. Just a few years ago, Jonathan decided to take his talents to Denver, to train with Elevation Fight Team. It’s a transition that felt like the natural next step to his fight career. Aside from getting to train at another top MMA gym, Colorado presented good opportunities for him. While it’s a much different vibe and coaching style, both gyms have done wonders for his career.
It hasn’t been long since moving to the mountains. But since making the move, Jonathan has formed some solid friendships while training in the Mile High City. “It’s way more hardcore than living in the city,” he shared. “I have always loved living life on hardcore mode. Whether it be doing hard workouts that most people are afraid to do, or shoveling feet of snow in the mountains all winter.”
Jonathan chops wood to make fires and stay warm. When he’s not doing that, he’s climbing mountains at 14,000 feet. He strives training in absence of comfort. Living at 9,400-ft elevation, winter is basically from October to June. As you’d expect, he’s had some near death experiences too. He almost had his face split in two by a sharp rock on Little Bear Peak. Even his training partner almost fell to his death on Mount Eolus. Regardless, that doesn’t stop him from conquering 14ers all-year round.
The Highs & Lows
Now that things are back to normal, it shouldn’t ever go without saying how brutal the pandemic was for athletes. Kunneman was unable to be as active after the spread of COVID-19 started to slow down. In 2022 and 2023, he had several opponents pull out last minute. If it wasn’t that, promoters struggled to find guys to fight him. It’s a frustrating reality for so many fighters on the regional scene. It’s this very reality that prolongs so many careers fighting for dirt cheap until the big leagues call. But only the most resilient make it. After dozens of missed opportunities, Jonathan has been making up for loss time. Even if that meant fighting in places like North Dakota, or at backyards in Alaska.
“I train with the best guys in the world,” said Kunneman. “I have great coaches, managers, teammates and people in my corner. So I believe I’m ready for that call. But I’ll keep stacking as many wins as I possibly can so the UFC has no choice but to sign me. I’m ready whenever that call comes.”
The Grind Always Pays Off
In a year’s span, Jonathan has fought six times. All were first-round finishes and despite quick turnarounds, he didn’t even clock seven minutes of cage time. When you take into account the hurdles he faces with commissions; having type 1 diabetes, and the fighters who decided not to show up, it has to be draining, mentally and physically. But it’s his full-time job and it has built his mentality in pursuit of greatness. “I take like (at most) a week off after a fight and I’m back in the gym in camp mode,” said Kunneman. “Camp year round is the way we do it. It gets to be a lot and annoying constantly making weight. But, honestly, I enjoy the suffering and looking back someday, I’m gonna miss it. So I gotta embrace the pain now.”
With only so much longer left in the year, Jonathan still wants to fight a few more times. Staying active is important, but his line is always open for when the opportunity calls. Unfortunately, he did get the call for a short notice fight on Dana White’s Contender Series. However, he was unable to accept the fight. In an Instagram post, Kunneman wrote, “Unfortunately I was dealing with a small injury and wasn’t fit to fight at the time, so I had to decline.”
When the time is right, fans will get to see what people like Jon Jones have known for years. If you have seen him fight, then you know exactly why people should be tuning in. If not, then take it from him:
“I fight like crazy. I like to swarm and overwhelm my opponents and break them early. The only time a fight of mine could be boring, is if I’m tired. But now that I live at 9,400 feet elevation, my cardio is better than it has ever been. You’ll see a good mix from me. I want to be known as a well-rounded fighter who can fight anywhere it goes. I can wrestle, and I can box. I’m an IBJJF Pan American and National Champion in BJJ. So, I feel confident to beat guys anywhere. And you’ll see quick, explosive finishes, or wars won by attrition.”
Sometimes you need to do the impossible to reach a dream that seems impossible to many. So on November 16th, the journey continues in North Dakota at MPX Promotions: Define The Fight 2. Jonathan Kunneman will look to move to 8-0, and one step closer to where he belongs—the UFC.
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Phenomenal piece! I’m always rooting for Jon.