Addiction landed UFC's Kyle Bochniak in jail next to his father. That was his wake-up call.
Kyle Bochniak has been sober for 10 years. And for all he’s achieved as a mixed martial artist, that might take the cake for his most impressive life accolade.
The UFC featherweight will have a home game Friday night, when he takes on Sean Woodson at UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston.
Stepping into the cage won’t be a new experience – he’s done it six times before. When considering what he’s been through, however, it’s incredible he’s even sniffed the UFC.
Bochniak has always had an addictive personality. It’s who he was back then and who he is now. It’s unlikely that will change, but he used to channel it differently. Before he was addicted to MMA and jiu-jitsu competitions, he was fixated on less healthy hobbies whether they came from the bottle or pharmacy.
Growing up, Bochniak associated with the wrong crowd. Unhealthy behaviors followed negative influences, and Bochniak began drinking excessively.
Whether it was marijuana or pills, pick your poison: Bochniak was down to party. Eventually, his recklessness caught up with him.
“I ended up being a third-year freshman because of substance abuse,” Bochniak told MMA Junkie. “I was in and out of rehabs. I fell way behind in school and decided to drop out as a third-year freshman. All my friends were juniors and seniors at the time.
“So I ended up dropping out, not really having anything going for myself. I kind of just coasted that for about four or five years until I turned 22.”
At one point, Bochniak overdosed on prescription pills. Despite being in a coma for a week and having no recollection of the events that transpired, he wasn’t interested in changing his behavior. It bared no effect on him.
The downward spiral continued.
His carelessness led him down a path that landed him in jail, which was inevitable. That’s when Bochniak finally hit his lowest point. That’s when he got his wake-up call. It wasn’t the straight punishment that haunted Bochniak per se, but rather what happened once he was behind bars. He found out who was in the block next to his.
Bochniak was in the same jail as his own father, a man who had exited the picture when he was a toddler.
“Rock bottom was when I found myself in jail,” Bochniak said. “My father was in the next block over, and I never really met him. I was 2 years old when he split. That was the closest I had been to him: in jail. That was rock bottom for me. I was like, ‘The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. I need to do something with my life here.'”
That realization led to a heartfelt arraignment speech from Bochniak shortly thereafter. As a result, the judge gave him five years probation. From there, he transferred his probation to Hartford, Conn., where he learned how to become a welder.
“By the grace of God, I got a nice little welding job,” Bochniak said. “I was just trying to stay in shape. I loved athletics. I was always such a good athlete. I stumbled into Broadway Jiu Jitsu, and it basically saved my life – John Clarke and Broadway Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts.”
Kyle Bochniak at UFC 223. (USA TODAY Sports)
The martial arts lifestyle was, and is, the yin to Bochniak’s yang personality. It keeps him focused, gives him purpose, and requires a tremendous amount of discipline. The day-to-day schedule is perfect for a person seeking structure.
“I just really got addicted to it,” Bochniak said. “Every single morning, I aligned my whole life with my training. Everything was about training – work, when I was going to go out. Everything was around my training schedule now. It keeps me out of trouble. It keeps my head in one place. I know what sessions I have for that day. I plan my whole week out like every single week, what I’m going to do. Jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, conditioning, wrestling – I lay all of my ducks in a row.
“That’s the type of person I am now, and it keeps me focused. That’s what I like about martial arts and jiu-jitsu. Once you think you start learning, there’s another level. It just keeps my interest, it keeps my attention, and it keeps me hungry. I just keep getting better.”
Since his exit from probation, Bochniak has sprinted full speed ahead with no looking back. He’s compiled an 8-4 pro record, with two of those victorie in the UFC.
“I’ve been kind of running from that as far as I could possibly,” Bochniak said. “Basically fast forward: multiple jobs, years of sobriety, getting my license back, getting into mixed martial arts – that basically saved me.
“I had my amateur fights, my professional fights, and just slowly set goals and accomplished them. I look back 10 years now like, ‘Jesus, I can’t believe I’ve been sober for 10 years. That’s crazy.'”
Having found peace through violence, Bochniak will look to pass on the lessons he’s learned. He hopes to provide assistance to others by opening up about his story for the first time. According to Bochniak, if he can do it, anyone can.
“When someone watches my fighting style, I want them to be like, ‘Jeez, that kid is fighting for something. What the hell is that kid fighting for?'” Bochniak said. “You can see it just in my style, the type of person I am, the type of fighter I am. I’m a gritty move-forward guy when the going gets tough. I just keep going.
“I want to be an inspiration to people and just be optimistic. Just put that right foot forward through that adversity. Just know that you can win no matter what as long as you move forward.”
UFC on ESPN 6 takes place Friday at TD Garden in Boston. The card airs on ESPN2.