Zettlemoyer Seeks Milestone Win in 215 Black Belt Match at SHP 100

HOUSTON — Champions BJJ head instructor Kurt Zettlemoyer isn’t one to hype himself up — but he makes his competitive identity simple enough.

“I’d say I’m hard to tap, hard to kill. I’ll keep fighting until the very last minute,” Zettlemoyer said.

The longtime coach will face Blessed Matai in a 215-pound black belt No-Gi match at Submission Hunter Pro 100, marking a major personal milestone.

“I’ve been doing Jiu-Jitsu for almost 15 years and I’m getting ready for Submission 100,” he said. “I competed on Submission Hunter 1. I told Eric, I said, ‘Man, I don’t care if I have to fight a bear — I’ve got to be on this card.’ This is a personal milestone for me.”

Zettlemoyer said he knows very little about Matai but expects a gritty battle regardless of where the match goes.

“You can go with all the plans in the world. You never know because it’s a fight. Things go wrong real quick sometimes,” he said. “I love playing top game and getting grimy and smashing, but if I get taken down, I don’t mind being on my back playing guard.”

He also stressed how important it is to lead by example for his students.

“For me, I’m trying to bring Jiu-Jitsu for everyone without watering down the art,” he said. “I’ve got a big competition team. I’m not one of those guys that pushes people to compete if you don’t want to, but it’s there for you. And the best thing for me is to lead from the front.”

Zettlemoyer closed with a message to supporters in Houston.

“My name’s Kurt Zellemoyer, getting ready to fight on Submission Hunter 100,” he said. “I’ve got tickets here at the gym if you want to come watch me in person, or catch me on UFC Fight Pass.”