How crazy have the last couple years been for you?
Naw, after completing my goal of winning a national championship in college I really didn't know what I wanted to do. But I knew I wanted to keep doing some type of sport; something physical.
And once my neighbor in Susanville convinced me to finally check out his gym; I checked it out and fell in love with it and stuck with it.
As different as Mixed Martial Arts can be, did wrestling prepare you for the Octagon?
Oh man, wrestling helped me out so much. The majority of wrestlers, we learn pretty fast, and we have such mental toughness that it's hard to break us. We're always willing to learn different stuff to challenge ourselves and our bodies.
If you look into the UFC history, the majority of the champions have been wrestlers. Like Chuck Liddell wrestled at Cal-Poly in California. Everybody knows Chuck Liddell. Randy Couture wrestled in college. Everybody knows Randy Couture. Sean Shirk-155 lbs. champion. Matt Hughes was the 170 lbs. champion for a long time and he wrestled in college. The list goes on. And everbody coming seems to have gotten their start in wrestling.
And for all those guys doing Jujitsu, they have a hard time with wrestlers because we have such a good, solid base. It's hard to submit us. I wouldn't say wrestlers are like strong, as far as lifting weights, we just have that joint strength. We don't stay stiff.
Whatever you bring to the table, we're prepared for it. It's easier to learn how to box than to wrestle. We can adapt. From wrestling to boxing is no problem, but it's harder to adapt from boxing to wrestling.
Being over 6-feet tall, does your height work as an advantage or disadvantage?
Not at all, being tall has always been an advantage. It helped me out tremendously. Being tall or short to me doesn't matter. It depends on how you use it. I use my height and my length to my advantage, and it worked out perfect for me.
What did your family think when you first considered MMA?
Well my grand dad, like all men, he was down for it like "Go Ahead!" Men are real hard corps, but you know my grandmother supports me 110 percent. But you know how women are, they're like "Don't hurt my baby." Or "I don't want to see any blood."
But overall my family, they loved it. Like they've always told me, "Go out there and do your best."
All my life I've gone out there and done my best and I've been successful at what I do. And even in this sport, it's something new, but they still support me and expect me to do my best. So I give it my all.
This doesn't deal specifically with UFC, but what would you say has been your proudest moment thus far?
The proudest moment of my life, honestly, there have been a few that stick out pretty good. I would say when I won my first state championship as a junior. Both state championships in high school were some of my biggest moments, because my grand dad was with me the whole way.
I started out with coach (Clifford) Garnto when I was eight years old, and then, when I ended my high school career, who was right there in my corner? Still coach Garnto and Gerald Carr.
And I admired coach Carr when I was growing up. So I had two of the best coaches that anybody could ever have. And obviously I had Laurens County and Dublin behind me.
And then my national championship in college. That was the last time I stepped on a wrestling mat. And my grand dad saw me wrestle. Those were the biggest moments of my career.
I had great moments with football, but nothing beats that wrestling. And I had all the love and support anybody could have. So far, my wrestling has been the place for my biggest memories.
How difficult was it to acclimate to the Octagon, and your approach to your opponents the last couple years?
It's different, obviously. You're locked up in a cage like a wild animal. You can't go anywhere. In wrestling, if somebody shoots on you, you can like run off the mat if you want to. But in the Octagon they've got you up against the cage; you have to defend everything. It's all about "Who's the better man that night?"
It really didn't take me long to adjust to it at all. I'm one of those people who tries to stay in the middle of the ring regardless. I don't try to get my back up against the fence at all.
I remember the first fight that I ever got to watch involved Chuck Liddell, who lost like in 40 seconds to somebody.
He lost to Rampage. Rampage went to the same college I went to. I think he was teammates with Gerald Carr.
Oh my God. Small world?
I'm not sure. But me and Rampage are good friends. We sit back and talk. He's a great guy, and it's amazing the people you meet and the things you go through to get where you want to in life.
Talk to me about being a country boy from Laurens County and moving to L.A. That had to be a culture shock for you?
Not really. I'm one of those guys who just goes with the flow. L.A. is a big party place, and I'm definitely not the partying type. My schedule consists of me waking up, eating breakfast, going to training and coming back home-Go to training again, come back home and go to sleep.
And on the weekends I work. I bounce at the clubs and stuff, but you won't see me in there dancing. I have a good time; I'm social. I talk to anybody.
But you're just trying to do your job.
I just do my job and my own thing. And I don't worry about anyone else.
L.A. is a different place?
I've been all over California and the U.S., but there's nothing like L.A.; L.A. is L.A. My best friends calls me Hollywood. I don't care what they call me, but what I tell everybody is that what you see on TV isn't what it's really like. It's a nice place, but only in certain areas, just like in Dublin. On TV they show you Hollywood Blvd. and Beverly Hills. They don't show you Compton and all that other stuff. Or South Central, but they show you parts that you want to see.
It's funny you talk about South Central. When we were moving out to Georgia-I was about 12 years old-my dad made a wrong turn. And were stuck, in a station wagon with a trailer on the back, going through South Central. And it was about 10:30 at night. And my dad actually had to ask a hooker for directions. I woke up trying to figure out why we were still in L.A., and my mom just started laughing and goes: "Your father was busy talking to a woman of the night." And I went: "What?"
South Central is not a good place to be.
I've seen Friday enough times to know where I need to be.
If I want to see South Central I'll just toos in that movie.
I know the sky is the limit, but what are some goals you're trying to reach over the next couple years?
Obviously I want to win that UFC title, but the weight class is so stacked it's going to be a while.
And right now my main focus is to live life to the fullest, and to train to try and win that belt. I've trained with some of the best and held my own. Like Vandelay Silva. He's known all around the world, and I held my own. He didn't smack me around or submit me; none of that. He gave me props.
Then I worked out with a guy named Sonny Carter, "Mr. International." I trained with Shogun, and Shogun's brother Ninja. These guys were like world champions. And Josh Barnett.
Josh Barnett has beaten Randy Couture before. If I can get in Josh Barnett's head, and he's 6' 3" 260 lbs. and a world class wrestler? If I can frustrate him?
When I was training with him I was losing weight for this fight, so I was only like 190 lbs., even though he threw me like twice. I ain't gonna tell you no story. But what do you expect from a guy who's 260 lbs.?
But at the end of the day I got his respect.
...And if I can handle my own with all these world class guys, then I can handle my own with these guys already in my weight class. Like John Finch, and I've trained with him and gotten the best of John with the stand-up part.
If I can hang with all these guys, I know I've got the potential.
And I know I'm gonna get that title. I'm just gonna keep going all out. That's how my grand dad raised me: Never settle for less.
Right before my grand dad passed, he asked me "when" was I going back to California. I told him I was leaving next Wednesday, and I asked him, "You and Mom gonna be all right.'
But one thing he told me that stuck out he said: "Fight the person across the ring from you like you're fighting a lion."
And that's what I do: Fightin like they're trying to kill me. I have respect for them, but I've got that on and off switch.
It's a big step for me, man.
And in the future, I promise the state of Georgia and Dublin that one day everything's going to work out. And I'm gonna get that title and put Dublin, GA on the map.
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