Corey's firm yet compassionate approach makes him a highly sought-after coach; he's transformed the lives of hundreds of clients, giving them the tools they need individually to have a pro mindset and reach their goals in all areas of their life.
From a young age, Corey Willis had the dream of playing in the NFL. Working his whole life towards becoming a Pro, he went on to play college football and compete in collegiate wrestling at MSU Northern.
After college, Corey's passion for fitness and competing continued in MMA. An amateur fighter with a 13-0 record, Corey opened his first 9Round gym in Sioux Falls, SD in 2014 and within six months opened his second.
Called to move back to his hometown of Billings, MT in 2017, Corey and his wife Kayla opened two more gyms. Now running four gyms, that were home to thousands of members and continuing to fight MMA, Corey felt he had found his purpose in helping others reach their fitness and lifestyle goals.
But running a business comes with its own set of challenges and Corey quickly found himself stuck being a business owner, instead of a coach. Making excuses to not get to the gym, he gained weight and slipped into the trap of "being too busy" as an entrepreneur, putting his health and good habits last on his list of priorities.
It wasn't until his first professional MMA fight in December of 2021 that Corey started to have an epiphany. Training for this fight, his coach "Professor Will", owner of the Grindhouse in Billings, told him "You are a pro now. You have to take this seriously, execute and have the mindset of a Pro."
Watching the footage of the fight, Corey remembers saying, "I just saw this layer of fat all over my body. I realized that I wasn't being a good example to my clients, 9Round trainers, family, or really anyone who looks up to me. Will's words stuck with me. I am a Pro and I have to make a change." That was the day Knockout Lifestyle was born.
Corey asked a few of his gym members to join him in making a radical change to their lifestyles. He developed an eight-week program focusing on nutrition, self-development, self-introspection, fitness, mindfulness and lifestyle. He dove all in on changing his own habits and lifestyle, leading by example and coaching others through his process.
Today, Corey has worked with hundreds of clients, working one on one with them to help achieve results in all areas of their life, from quitting smoking, to losing weight, to forming better, healthier habits. Corey is still fighting professionally, coaching high school wrestling, raising his four daughters in Billings, MT with his wife Kayla and running his two 9Round gyms and Knockout Smoothie Co., a custom whole food smoothie shop located in Billings.