how’s everyone doing today guess uh
winds don’t get much better than the
last one I mean uh I guess talk about
what that Victory meant to you
um well
I guess like circumstantially like it
doesn’t get much better you know what
I’m saying being in front of your
hometown and you know uh getting a quick
finish and everything like that but
um
they’re still I got a lot of goals left
you know what I’m saying is is there’s
still a lot of things I want to do so
um that is by far the best moment of my
career up to this point but um you know
I’m looking to have a lot more uh really
great moments you know what I’m saying
was it almost everyone obviously that is
the ideal scenario it’s like throw one
punch and be done but like the whole
build up and then the fight be over like
that did it almost feel like where’s the
release I’m supposed to get here from
all the training oh no
never man we don’t get paid by the hour
you know what I’m saying like let’s get
in there let’s get out of there ASAP you
know what I’m saying
um you know uh that was a situation I
you know I know uh he said that the
crowd didn’t get to him but you know I
think the crowd shook him up a little
bit you gotta he was a little bit
Reckless you know what I’m saying I’m
sure he was planning to put pressure on
me but I think he was a little bit
Reckless and um at this level you know
what I’m saying like one lapse of
judgment and it’s a it’s a wrap you know
what I’m saying so
um so for me you know I’m saying I went
out there I did my job I took no damage
you know what I’m saying
um you know I did it in front of my home
crowd the whole place went absolutely
nuts you know everything was perfect
there’s nothing uh nothing bad I can say
about that fight maybe I got hit maybe I
got hit a little bit too much you know
what I’m saying my defense wasn’t super
sharp in the first 10 seconds but you
know
um otherwise yeah there’s nothing
nothing I can say negative about that
experience nice uh
quick turnaround were you hoping for
quicker I mean four months is that okay
are we I gotta think you were fresh
after that yeah no I mean yeah I was
literally ready to fight like
immediately after that I was asking for
a fight immediately after that but um
this time frame I have zero complaints I
mean um you know because kind of like
Dana says you know the more you kill the
more you eat you know what I’m saying
I’m trying to you know cash in on this
while I can you know what I’m saying
while I’m still got my body still got my
faculties you know what I’m saying I’m
trying to
um be active in a you know reasonable
way as much as possible you know what
I’m saying I’m gonna look to avoid
um after after fighting or not I’m gonna
avoid to look to avoid taking any fights
under three weeks you know what I’m
saying ideally you know four weeks and
more you know what I’m saying so I could
peek properly in there because it just
makes such a big difference when you can
Peak
um so it was because of how the last
fight went it was a little bit longer
than I would have liked but you know I
had time to train I had time to get
better you know what I’m saying um and I
had plenty of time to peek heading into
this fight so I uh I’m very happy with
how things ended up going as you
mentioned the situations or not is that
a fight that you went back at some point
or does it worse yeah of course man like
um you know I say that and you know
right now like all I’m thinking about is
AJ Fletcher you know what I’m saying
like you know I’m dreaming about that
muff that dude but um
uh no uh absolutely you know what I’m
saying uh there was a lot of things
uh going on with me personally going
into that fight and I learned so much uh
after that fight I would you know
renat’s a really great guy you know I
have nothing
like I have zero I wish I wish he was a
little bit more of a jerk so you know
it’d be easier to but um just how good
he is alone that’s that’s all the
motivation I need because I went like
that even if he’s not currently ranked I
feel like beating him is a way tougher
challenge than beating some of these
ranked guys right now all right well
like you said you do have AJ right now
what do you think of him as an opponent
kind of what he presents to you dude
AJ’s a tough dude you know what I’m
saying he’s a really really uh fast
explosive
um great double leg nice top control
really nice Guillotine he has a wide
array of uh you know strikes in his
Arsenal you know what I mean I think um
uh people are kind of sleeping on him a
little bit they’re not giving them all
the credit that he deserves just because
uh you know what his record is right now
but all those fights were dog fights
even the fights that he lost were
absolute dog fights to guys who aren’t
any pushovers you know what I mean so
um you know AJ’s a killer you know what
I’m saying that’s how we’ve approached
this fight you know what I’m saying like
I’ve never
I say this before every fight but I
really mean it you know I’m saying I’ve
never been in better shape I’ve never
been more sharp but I’ve never been more
technical we’ve uh checked off
everything getting ready for this fight
left no stone unturned so uh AJ’s a
really tough guy
um but you know I’d be lying if I said I
wasn’t going to be looking to be the
first person to finish him in his pro
career tomorrow or Saturday my bad I
like it uh last thing for me you get
that done uh what’s the goal I mean are
you laying it out are you trying to
fight again for the end of the year are
you trying to shut it down until next
year like what would be the plan with
the big win here all right I would love
to fight again before the end of the
year that would be ideal you know what
I’m saying um but you know all these
things are unpredictable you know we’ve
got to get through the fight and see how
my body is afterwards but if I’m healthy
that’s not even a question I want to get
in there before the end of the year you
know
um I feel really good right now I feel
like I can make a a really solid push
you know what I’m saying the amount of
time that I have before the end of the
year you know there’s still some time to
get in there and improve my skills
before I get back into a fight camp and
have to get sharp and you know focus on
a game plan and whatnot so
um you know I feel like I’m fighting at
the perfect time to be able to make
another turnaround and fight at the end
of the year but uh like we said first
things first Saturday night I gotta deal
with AJ Fletcher and then we’ll go from
there
Brian fourth fight at Walter way I think
he said another in another interview you
have your weight cut basically down and
and you you’ve improved on it what uh I
guess can you kind of share what’s
what’s uh how you’ve got your way and I
get your way under control
well I mean is my way was never really
like out of control you know what I’m
saying I think um
because
um I think the the last fight
um I just had
I was going into my Waco with a lot of
complacency because what a lot of people
don’t know is the fight before that I
got sick during my weight cut and it was
I got really really sick and um like no
one thought I was gonna make weight and
it was like it seemed like a miracle
that I made weight so you know
um
me not appreciating the fact that it was
a miracle I was like in my head I was
like yo I can make it doesn’t matter
what the circumstances are my body’s
gonna produce weight uh sweat and I’m
gonna make weight no matter what and um
I got a little complacent and I did
things like I didn’t follow my normal
weight cutting routine
uh and you know I paid for it you know
what I’m saying my body stopped
um cooperating with me during my last
weight cut and so you know we’ve uh
we’ve made notes of that you know me and
my team
um you know no fan or every interview I
do you know I’m saying they’re reminding
me about that and uh uh I did come in a
little bit lighter coming into this
fight I came in uh which is awesome
because I feel stronger than ever I feel
like I have more muscle than I’ve ever
had but um uh I came in a little bit
lighter just to make it a little bit
less stressful I feel like every even
when I had my long hair that was always
the fallback I’d be I’d be like well
worst case now I could cut my hair you
know it’s it was always always way too
dramatic always way too stressful and so
you know we’re kind of trying to come in
a little bit lighter to make it a little
bit easier but we got our regimen that
we’re gonna follow and uh we’re gonna
take care of it no drama no stress make
weight and put that all behind us it was
like every time you weigh in
um social media is always like they they
like social media scientists yeah social
media doctors because this guy’s having
to wait yeah do you find it comical
man dude what’s wild about like being on
this side of things because you know
you’re a fan of sports your whole life
you know what I’m saying oh and you know
just from like being on the show to like
actually being a fighter now and whatnot
um it’s crazy because you realize just
how much BS is out there you know what
I’m saying like you realize how much
people like actually don’t know what
they’re talking about like because
before you hear somebody like that makes
sense that that sounds like an educated
opinion and then you know on this side
of things you realize oh man most these
people have zero clue at all what
they’re talking about so um you know a
lot of times I see things you know I
chuckle you know what I’m saying
um but I really don’t spend a whole lot
of time and energy on it because um
usually if they’re talking about if
someone’s really infatuated with like
making weight and weight cutting that’s
not really the conversation that I spend
a whole lot of time reading even if I
wasn’t a fighter you know what I’m
saying
um so you know it’s just ironic just all
around just watching opinions from
people who have no idea what they’re
talking about you know what I mean and
finally uh there’s two Ultimate Fighter
winners on this card
yeah who’s who’s the better uh tough
winner come on man you know it’s me
you know all respect to my my boy you
know what I’m saying but um come on man
I’m I’m I’m the most exciting prospect
to come off a tough in Forever you know
what I’m saying I’m just gonna keep on
pushing that you know it it still drives
me crazy how often
people say I’m a veteran of the
contender series and they’re robbing me
of all the you know all the weight cuts
and all the you know the grind of being
in the house of like no I want The
Ultimate Fighter you know
um I don’t I still don’t think you know
winning that show gets enough credit
um and so you know that’s something I
look forward to bringing some some pride
back to I want people to understand it’s
like no I was The Ultimate Fighter one
of The Ultimate Fighter is uh is for
real
um but uh yeah no I think it’s
interesting too because if you count my
Ultimate Fighter fights I think this
fight don’t quote me on this you might
have to look this up and fact check me I
think um when I went on Saturday that’ll
make me the most winningest fighter in
the Apex I don’t know I could be wrong
on that but if you include my tough
fights uh I think that’s a fact so you
know shout out to tough and then I guess
on the this last season of tough yeah
what were your thoughts on it like do
you think it was a disservice to the
prospects having to fight all these
vegetables it was it was I mean you know
it was definitely
um because a lot of those fights were
close but you know it’s like they’re
literally fighting guys who are like
some of those guys had like winning
records in the UFC you know what I’m
saying like they weren’t fighting
like you know my season you know and you
know we’ve had a lot of guys you know a
lot of guys have had a lot of success
since the show like petrovsky you know
he’s killing it
um you know Dan who’s fighting this
weekend you know uh Brady uh you know
Ricky you know people who are on the
regional scene still trying to make the
push they’re you know a lot of guys have
had a lot of success but we were all
bona fide prospects like these guys were
fighting like real deal like like uh
veterans who’ve seen like the very
highest level of the sports so at first
when I saw that I was like that’s kind
of interesting you know what I mean and
then uh yeah you know you know I don’t
want to say it’s a disservice because at
the end of the day we’re Fighters you
know what I’m saying it’s like if you’re
on something like The Ultimate Fighter
you got to be able to beat this guy if
you want to be in the UFC you have to be
able to beat this guy because you’re
going to fight this guy anyways but um
definitely optically it was definitely a
little weird
right over here I mean you mentioned Dan
there he’s a fellow tough 29 Alum have
you had the chance to say anything I
haven’t seen him this week I haven’t
seen but I definitely want to link up
with them um anytime I come to Vegas I
try to see as many of my tough boys as
possible like I’m talking to my boy
Ryder you know what I’m saying Ryder
Newman I love that guy
um yeah Dan
um
you know whenever I see him it’s
inevitable you know what I’m saying I
need to hit him up I’m just terrible at
communication you know what I’m saying
so I need to I need to hit him up Dan if
you see this and I haven’t hit you up
yet we need to hang out at some point
but um
yeah no it’s um I haven’t no no I
haven’t seen him yet fair enough and as
the winner of The Ultimate Fighter
season 29 what has been the biggest
positive takeaway from the tough house I
developed you not only as a fighter but
as a human being
um
the the biggest takeaway from the tough
house was uh one um validation you know
what I’m saying because you know I came
from a you know a smaller MMA Market you
know what I’m saying and you know uh not
a lot of people
believed in uh my team and what we’re
doing at the time you know
um
and you know not a lot of people
believed in me as like a prospect as
someone who could go really far like I
was viewed as like you know kind of like
you know a tough fighter but you know
never someone who could cut it at this
level
um so definitely a lot of validation
that um you know I am like that dude and
I am capable of these things
um but also um just having the benefit
of like rubbing elbows with someone like
Alex volkanowski and you know Craig
Jones and like everyone on the coaching
staff Frank you know saying big wood uh
even uh young Colby you know what I’m
saying who hasn’t had a chance to make a
splash on the scene yet and you know uh
Uncle Joe you know I’m saying a Volks
coach being able to rub shoulders with
them and talk to them and meet other
people like cowboy and and just be able
to pick their brains and see like you
know
what it’s like to be a high level
fighter you know what I’m saying like
what it demands to be someone like Alex
volkanowski how does he train okay how’s
that different than how I train you know
what I’m saying how does he go about his
day how’s that different than how I go
about my day so
um seeing stuff like that that really
benefited me as well I say more than
because you know a lot of people think
you learn so much they don’t realize how
short the show is but just like his his
demeanor and his uh his character was
something that was like really awesome
to be around have you stayed in touch
with book and asking his team since then
uh we shoot messages back and forth
every now and then once again I’m I’m
terrible like what I’ll give vote credit
for is if I message him he will message
me back you know what I’m saying I’m
just a terrible Communicator you know
what I’m saying and we live on different
sides of Worlds and different time zones
here you know it’s um but um like if I
don’t need advice on anything I can
message any of those guys and they’ll
always respond back with an answer
that’s always very helpful so you know
much love to those guys it’s awesome and
uh this is about to be your fifth UFC
fight since winning the show what do you
think you’ll be in your career point a
year from today
um a year from the day I got to be in
the rankings at least you know what I’m
saying we’re just going to keep on keep
on going hopefully we can still get two
to three to four fights a year and just
keep on climbing keep on getting better
you know what I’m saying I’m I’m young
I’m healthy you know what I’m saying I’m
I’m starting to uh I really hit my
stride as a fighter I’m like uh get into
different levels you know what I mean so
I just want to keep on pushing and just
take it as far as we can you know what I
mean and depending on if they return to
Charlotte or not next year and obviously
the time frame I mean I’m sure you’d
love to headline the Charlotte event too
Matt listen they cannot have a Charlotte
card without me brother you know what
I’m saying like there’s no way that’s a
gigantic missed opportunity you know
what I mean and uh to headline that
that’s
it
you know what I’m saying there’s only so
many ways you can go up from the last
fight you know I’m saying last time I
was a second fight on the on the the
prelims you know what I’m saying the
second fight on the card period then we
go up to uh headline you know what I’m
saying and then we go to making it a
major event you know what I’m saying so
a big Pay-Per-View event or whatever you
know what I’m saying so
um yeah no that would be that would be
incredible but yeah if they have a
Charlotte card and they don’t have me on
there that’s a crime you know what I’m
saying that’s that’s an injustice you
know what I mean
thank you
Brian what’s up what’s happening Brother
just got one question uh on the last
card you were on you and Ian Gary kind
of had
and there was there was a lot on his end
on social media that he posted about it
and I I just kind of want to get your
side of the story man uh Ian Ian what a
guy you know what I’m saying you know
hats off to him he’s doing great right
now you know what I’m saying he’s doing
everything he’s supposed to do he looks
really impressive
um
and honestly honestly I don’t even want
to spend too much energy even talking
about this guy you know what I’m saying
um just because he’s made it clear that
you know he doesn’t intend to fight
anyone below his ranking which I
understand you know what I’m saying that
makes a lot of sense uh and right now
I’m below his ranking so
um
yeah I’m trying to not give that as much
energy you know what I’m saying
um
and you know if he’s doing what if he
does what he says he’s gonna do you know
what I’m saying which is to get to the
top I’m I’m gonna get to the top I know
I’m getting to the top so it’ll be
inevitable you know what I’m saying and
then when that match up eventually
happens
it’ll be the build up for it will be
tremendous you know what I’m saying
it’ll be it’ll be something else but um
yeah right now
yeah I don’t even really wanna I’ve
already talked about him too much
all right thank y’all
