August 9, 2024 • 53 mins
Pull up a rocking chair and join us on the Front Porch Chronicles as we welcome UFC fighter Linton "Big Swarm" Vassell for an exclusive chat! In this episode, Big Swarm opens up about his incredible journey from the #UK to #Florida, and what it takes to become one of the top contenders in the #pfl & #bellator #lintonvassell #LintonBigSwarmVassell #KillCliffFC
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🎧 Front Porch Chronicles — real conversations on healing, growth, fatherhood, and fighting through it. ▶️ Full Episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefrontporchchronicles
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Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-front-porch-chronicles--5999017/support.
🎧 Front Porch Chronicles — real conversations on healing, growth, fatherhood, and fighting through it. ▶️ Full Episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefrontporchchronicles
🤝 Collabs / Booking: (949) 933-4349 • thefrontporchchronicles1@gmail.com
🔔 Subscribe & drop a comment—tell us what hit home.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Fiddy Clinton Fouchet here and I'm Albert Travis and this
is Front Porch Chronicles.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
In this week we have a massive figure. Look at it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Look at her letting Big Swarm the cell number one
heavyweight in Bellatour.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
You know, I made a joke with my producer and
I'm gonna call.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Him out right here because I said, I sent him
the picture of you whenever we sent it, and I said.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Would you fight this guy for fifty k?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
And he said, he said for fifty K, that's a
lot of money, And I was like, bro, that's not
gonna pay for the brain damage that you're gonna.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You know, the funny thing is, I don't think people
look into that part of it to see the money,
but I don't see what happens. Often it's a big yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Say you've been doing it for so long.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's funny because going into kind of my store dealing
with the brain injuries of it, a lot of people
don't know. And it's funny because I've trained with a
lot of people throughout my career and then probably like
three years ago, I had a car wreck and man,
I've had post concussion, all of these different issues and
(01:34):
brain problems from the accident. So I couldn't even imagine
being you know, you guys getting punched, kicking, and again,
a lot of people don't understand what it is being
kicked or punched by a guy that's six four two
forty one.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Some of them bigger than that, have you, like you
know what I'm saying. So you think I see even
more and more pressure.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Torque, Yeah, definitely, And you just never know which one
is going to do it too, Like it could just
be in that right spot and you're out.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah. And also you've got to think there's knees, elbows,
you know as well. So imagine getting kicked shim straight
shin to the head like I'm obviously touch that happened there,
but you know that that kind of stuff obviously a
little bit different than getting a punch.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That's yeah, definitely going to cause some trauma.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yeah, so we're gonna take it back a little bit. Yeah,
oh yeah, you have to watch out for that too
all the time. There's more awareness on it, but still, man,
you just don't you just don't know what's going to
go on down the line. Ten fifteen years.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Ready, Yeah, yeah, exactly like the next ten years.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
No one knows, no well. And I've seen some guys.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
It's like I said, because I'm dealing with all the
repercussions from you know, a car wreck and a concussion.
A lot of fighters. I see these fighters get knocked out.
Some of these fighters bro are never the same again.
And then some of them are like, oh, I want
to get back in because they don't understand that the
(03:12):
brain is just like if you tear a peck or
you tear a bicep or whatever, you got to give
it time to heal.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Your brain is no different.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
And a lot of people don't take that into consideration,
and they're like, oh, I'm going to jump back in
and take a short notice fight three months later, and
then they get knocked out out again and dude, you.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Get too Yeah, no, not at all.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
So it's not good at all. And you see it
happen time and time again. Yeah, it's sea fighters get
knocked out and then already I feel like even the
company should be like, nah, you know, sorry, give them
the five months whoever it takes, and then don't. I
(03:56):
don't see why you wouldn't want to look after your
your clients what you.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I mean, that's that's a conversation we can have. You know,
it comes down to money and and for me, yeah, it's.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
There be more money with the longevity rather than I'll
just get him in there quickly.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
But but but let me tell you, But you want
me to tell you what the the mm A, the
the promotions. The way they look at it, you're nothing
more than an object to them. So if they get
rid of you or get rid of the next guy,
guess what they're gonna do.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
They're going to bring up the next guy. I talk
about this all the time.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
There's a reason why mm A and promotions go after
certain areas. There's a reason why they go after Brazil.
You know, when they go into Russia. They don't go
into Moscow where the money is. They go up into
the mountains where they don't have any concept of money
(04:59):
or any of those things. There's a reason why they
do that. And you know, it's a messed up thing.
And that's one of the things as a manager, you know,
a manager with my fighters, that's one of the things
that we set up for them.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
You know, I told you I do real estate.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
We set up buying them rental properties, all of that
stuff so that they have residual income coming in. So
that that way and I keep up with my guys.
So if I know that they had a concussion, I
don't care what the promotion tells them. I as their manager,
are going to say, hey, brother, you need to take
(05:36):
off and get yourself one hundred percent. You've got money
coming in, so you're not dependent upon fighting to pay bills.
You've got money saved up. We've got you all of
these things saved up. But you know, it's it's a
messed up cycle, but it is.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I had a question, because we're on the topic, how
did you manage to to stay healthy for so long?
You know, like you see other outletes like Lebron James, Like,
I know it's NBA, but like some all these people
have been in the game for so long, Like, how
have you managed to make sure to do it?
Speaker 3 (06:07):
So I've been pretty gifted and lucky. I haven't really
took much damage through my whole career. Like I don't
have those brules, so I think that's not to do
with it. I'm not one of those guys that have
have a brawl and you know, be smashed up. I'm
either taking you down or I'll beat you before it's
(06:28):
even got to that that kind of brawl brawl level.
So I think that that's a big part of it.
You know, if you're getting based in the head constantly
before ounces gloves and that's that's your fighting style, that's
going to take some yeah time off your off your career.
So I've been pretty lucky with that, but I'm very
good with recovery, making sure that if I feel a
(06:52):
bit tired or a bit drained, I'll take the day
off of you know.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
That's important.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, And don't get me wrong, I do have teammates
that say, hey, where was yesterday the day off?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, I was tired, Yeah, I was tired.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, you know, And I think I've done that pretty much.
Not for my early career, don't get me wrong, because
obviously I was young and dumb, but as I got
to the thirty thirty five, I made sure, you know,
that was a priority. And I think it's obviously worked
because I feel like I've probably got better.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I was gonna say in my.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Career, so obviously what I'm doing, I feel like it's working.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Yeah, And I was going to say, stylistically, your defense
is really what your movement is really well, so you
never and this is this is just the fight breakdown
of me, your your movement.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
And I'm the brutally honest.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So if you were like Iraqi and I was like bro,
now me, I'm a rocky just that's just me because
you know, I'm poor white trash from Alabama. So I
don't know anybody exactly. So but for you, I think
your your defense, I think stylistically and you can tell
(08:18):
watching you fight.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Uh, the wheels are are always moving and your fight
i Q and all of those things I think are
are you know a big part.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Of mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Exactly exact, exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
So so thank you for being open with That's a
that's amazing just to kind of get behind the scenes
of what's really going on. So I wanted to take
it back to like before, like where what part of
a UK originally front? Tell us a little about that
and uh and yeah, just share your experience is going
up in across the country.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, a little town called Milton Keynes. I was born
on a road called Bletchley and it's actually called Wally
Drive in a little town called Bletchley. So Wally drivers
a funny name. Pretty much lived there all my life
until I was age of thirty. I didn't start training
(09:19):
until age of twenty one, started doing a bit kit boxing,
but I was always athletic, doing athletics, growing up, doing
some weights. I started lifting weights at age of twelve,
so I was always you know, training and keeping fit.
And then age of twenty one started kickboxing, and then
(09:40):
age of twenty three actually went into the gym. BST
at the time was called Total Dojo in Milton Keynes.
And that's how my career started just well it started
from my friend Cliff was actually a fighter and as
kids would always meet up as friends and just play
(10:02):
for it, wrestling more than anything, yeah, but wrestled to win,
Like I got ya to the face, but yeah, let
them beat you. I got matched up the Cliff, I didn't.
I didn't fight again. I just delive at kit boxing
and I ended up giving a rock bottom, slammed him
to the floor and I knocked him out purely by accident,
(10:25):
but it happened. And then after he was like, you
have to come to the gym, and for about two
years I just said no, it wasn't for me. I
was happy he's smoking weed and just being a bricklayer
and you.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Know, oh, that's that's where you I was gonna sound
part time. The same way y'are built, y'are built different.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
That's why constantly. Yeah, it was like I was conditioning
every day. Yeah, from the age of six till thirty.
I'll do it.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
And you build your lads and stuff like that to
your hands straight.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
And I was training after after the gym doing that
as well, but constantly lifting blocks up every day, brick laying,
so because I had that obviously cora as well, not
even really knowing about it. And then I went to
the gym after two years of my friend telling me
to go, and I was, okay, I'll go, and I
(11:27):
was picked it up so quickly because I was big
and strong. That just helped. That help, It really helped.
My coach Stanny Baton was just fine tuning, fine tuning me.
You know, okay, you've got the strength of that, but
let's add some technical submissions. And I think I don't
(11:48):
grapple like a big man, I grapping water like a
small jiu jitsu. Yes, I'm very tight and obviously get
the submissions and get the grounding pounds and then my
careers pretty much six months after joining the gym.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
So how old how old were you when you knew
you wanted to be a pro MMA fighter.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
I'm probably gonna say I started twenty three, so maybe
about twenty four.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, it always doesn't take long.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
No, I did. It was when I won my first
sort of professional title. I was like, damn, I could
actually make this a thing because I did it. But
it was more just like I'll do it because I'm good. Yeah,
not because I think I can make a career out
of it and I liked it. Was it was one
of those things. Then not many people knew about it.
(12:39):
So it's about two thousand and six, I'm guessing so
that many people really knew about it that much, specially
in the UK, especially in my hometown. And yeah, once
i'd won won a title for I can actually you know,
make some money, and then like eighteen years later in
(13:00):
the PFL.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So let me ask you a question. It was it was.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It hard leaving your because you said before, I know
we talked about you being from a very small town
or it was a small town back when you were there.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Was it hard leaving or was it one of those.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Did you have that mindset like, h, I don't know
if I'm comfortable leaving, or was it that mindset like, bro,
I'm at whatever I need to do to get up
out of here.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
So the first year I went back and forth. Yeah,
so it sort of was should I should I not?
You know, I wasn't one hundred percent sure, So I'd
stay here in Florida for maybe a month, Yeah, go
back for two months, they come back. And it was
like that for a year. And then and I was
fighting and obviously helping the team and stuff. And then
(13:57):
my sister said, you're in Florida more than you are here,
and obviously it's costing quite a lot of money. It's
probably time m hm. And I was like, I don't know,
you think And then that was it. So I think
I was more sixty forty, you know, as about forty
(14:19):
percent should I should I not? But as soon as
I came here, I didn't really look back in the
fact that I missed missed my friends and your family.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yeah I could tell.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I could tell the way you're talking about your sister
that you're very that she has a very special place
in your heart.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yeah, you could.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
You could see the pride when you said my sister,
you could see the pride in your heart when you
you spoke.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah. So is your family did they Are they over
in Florida with you now or did they?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Did they like my sister my mom that they're they're
still in England? Yeah, but they come to my fights.
Yeah that's how okay? So yeah, yeah, as I can
when I do go home.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
What's the biggest difference that you noticed between here and
the UK?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
That the training one the training UK still we're still growing,
you know with with the level, but here it was
an eye opener. The first day I trained here, I
trained with Rumble Johnsons Song.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Great Gun.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yeah you know, yeah, yeah, truly missed so I met
him the first day and Tyrone Spong. That was my
first to training parts and it took me literally an
hour and I was like, I am staying here. The
best decision I ever made, you know. So that was
(15:52):
my main training partners and I really didn't look back.
So yeah, going from that that was that was the
best decision that I made. And having those two let alone,
obviously the rest of the crew, like Richard Evans, we
had Stephen Streue Matt Mitrion. You know, the list goes on.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Yeah, so had all.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
These big guys that I didn't have in England. All
these big guys are in the UFC or Glory, you
know what I mean. So it made sense. And I
just lost to Emmanuel Newton for a well title.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
So it really was this makes a difference. Yeah, you
know we had Christian ecles on and sometimes yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Yeah, he's specifically said going down to kill clear pairs
like yeah he said, you know, and he specifically you know,
he said, you know, I go down there. So the
question is to you with kill Cliff, I mean dogs
(17:03):
like I mean, you got Jared Gordon, RoboCop, Gilbert Burns,
Robbie Lawler, Michael Chandler, Vicente Luki. Even though he beat
my boy, even though he beat my boy r DA,
I still love thee.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
It was a good fun I and Gary ang Loud. Yeah.
But I mean, bro, you've got so many like killers there.
How is it? How has it elevated your game?
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You know, with being able to train and have all
of these top prospect training partners.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Night and day. It really is. And the way I
noticed it was when I did come back to the UK,
and train. Yeah, you know, like not being big headed
by I could tell and now damn like you really
learned some new stuff until back. Yeah, and yeah, like
going again from Vito to Tyrone to Johnson to Stephan
(18:09):
Matt lit Up. It's you can only grow.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
And you never really.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
It's funny because at the moment when you're sparring with
those type of guys, you don't you don't really think
to yourself like, oh, I'm getting better, because you're getting
destroyed and I'm just gonna be you know. I trained
with Master Carlos Gracie and he's, you know, in his seventies,
and he'll put me in something and I'll be like, hey,
(18:38):
what do I mid move? I'm like, well what do
I do? And he'll just chuckle like there's nothing you
can do.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Exactly exactly. Don't spar with me as well.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
He shouldn't told me, but you know, so it's hard
to recognize how they elevate you until you go back
to where you came from. And then at that point
you're like, oh.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Crap, okay, yeah, I'm elevating my game by getting you know,
and then it becomes where they start becoming evenly matched
as you go along.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So yeah, that's that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
I'll tell you a funny one. So Rumble Johnson. When
I was fine with him, I used to hate spine
of him because you know, you see you knocking people
out on TV and then sort of thinking ship a minute.
So it's pretty one of my first coup of the weeks.
And I was helping him get ready because I think
it was gonna John Jones at the time, and he
(19:39):
hit me, bom, Why hit me so hard? He just
laugh and said inspiring? What are you talking about? And
I was like, oh, yeah, you're right, hit me so hard?
I why why hit me like that like that? Before?
(20:00):
You know, like training with the people back in England,
I hadn't been hit like that. So just how people
hit you?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Like the levels level to the game.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
So let me ask you. Let me ask you a question.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Who of your current training partners has hit you the
hardest that You're like, this dude has some insane out
of body experience strength.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
So to take Rumble out, yeah, I'm probably gonna say Gregory, greg.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Big, dude huge. I know that's the problem.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
That is powerful and it's hypnotic moving.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, TikTok TikTok bone.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Yeah, So can you break down what a typical day
in the life is of a fighter for someone that
is either just wanting to get into it, if they're
interested to maybe become a professional fighter, what it really
takes to be at that level that you're at.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
So Monday morning, that's an MMA drills, So we start
training at ten o'clock or nine to five. But for
the fighters that usually have fights within a six to
twice to eight and if it from eight to six
(21:25):
weeks coming up or fight camp, you get to hit
mits with like about five or six of the coaches,
So you do that for about thirty minutes, and then
you actually drill. You do drill, some takedowns, some get ups,
some light drills, and then you'll probably go live for
(21:46):
about twenty five minutes thirty minutes so that the class
is probably about including the morning pad session and then
the actual session probably nearly two hours is the first
session that's not doing the warm up ether. I get
there for nine warm up and then a star hitting pads.
(22:08):
Then I'll go live and do that to a class,
and then for me, this is what I do on Monday,
and then I go and get some recovery, get some food,
and then I have boxing at two o'clock and then
I've got the whole day to rest. But the other
team will have kickboxing at six and that'll be about
(22:30):
an hour as well. So my box is about an hour. Yeah,
kitbox is about an hour. It's just you know, I
as growing up, I've gone more for the boxing than
the kickboxing part. So that's why I do the boxing
over there.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
And I think Greg Jones has done a really good
job structuring everything so that there are you can so
it's not like some gyms where you just have a
set schedule, this, this, and this.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
From what I've heard, the.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Morning is the mornings are always scheduled.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah, but but I'm saying you also have the options
to pick and choose where the holes are in your games,
of course, and Greg has done a really good job
of creating that environment for you guys.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah. Is the man, Yeah, it's got it. Got my
wrestling good, definitely, definitely. Yeah. And so and I'll say
a Tuesday though, is you get there for nine but
we spa this is like we spa anime. Yeah, about
(23:39):
ten rounds. She was about we'll do six rounds or
three minutes and then the other four will be like
a five minute five minute rounds.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Wow, that's Jesus Christ. You don't know how much? Yeah,
how much? Like how much? Like? Uh like how much
you're pushing your body? Not consistently over over Spanish just
a day, you know, that's just one day. Then you
have to repeat that process over.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Well, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Like people don't have in their mind two things that
always gets on my nerves. Number one is they feel
like that every guy that fights is a millionaire number one,
and there's there's not there's not as much money in
it as as they think there is. And honestly, if
(24:31):
you break it down a lot of Number two to
my thing is the amount of time, energy and things
that training that goes into one fight and over an
entire career is insane. And if you were to break
down what a fighter actually gets paid compared to their
(24:53):
app key nuts.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
So you got to the training camp, then then you
gotta go to the fight. Then you gotta pay for
your coaches, the hotel rooms, your medicals. Yeah, and then
you fight, then you get.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
That's what tax is wherever you fight.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Then then you pay your team then you pay your manager.
Then you're gonna pay probably some of the guys that
helped you that axtra a little bit that came out
with you bonus. Then the rest is yours. You do
all that and then you don't fight.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
But that's why, So that's why that happens. It happened, Well,
that's why I was telling Albert. Albert has just become
a fan probably over the last year or so from
from dealing with me with it with people, and so
he asked me one time, he was like, why are
they so mad if the other guy doesn't make weight
(25:58):
with they don't have to fight, so they don't get paid,
and so you just you just.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Will I think if you weigh in, the person will
get maybe a little bit soft, a little bit so,
because yeah they should first that didn't won't get nothing.
But it's it's unprofessional, right, if you both figned a contract,
(26:25):
you're both it's not it's not hard to stop eating.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
No, I'm gonna I'm just gonna put it. I'm just
gonna put somebody on blast. Yeah, d Ride got ready
to fight Kelvin Gastlon, Right, Kelvin Gastolon showed up. I'm
gonna tell you right now, fifteen pounds overweight. Here was
the kicker. Here was the kicker. Here was here, Yeah,
(26:52):
here was the kicker.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
He won three.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Weeks maybe one month before. He was doing from his
YouTube channel. He was at a buffet and he was judging,
and he's he came out and said, I'm at this buffet.
There's no way that I'm gonna make waight. D Wright
is better than me because I'm the most friendly, southern
(27:17):
nice guy. But it's on site. If you play with
my kids or you play with my money, it's on site.
And it's just it's so unprofessional, and it's just it's
and here d Rod had to fight up a whole
weight class, not just a couple of not a couple.
They were supposed to fight at seventy. He had to
(27:39):
fight at eighty five. He had to eat a big
meal the night before just so that he could be
at one eighty five.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Because he it's so.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
But mad yeah, mad respect for nothing.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Well, he ended up fighting him, going up a weight
class because d Wright has to feed his family. He's
got a family and he's got kids. Mad respect to
d Right for fighting. He ended up losing the fight
but to me, yeah, but for me, he won, I
mean I already respected him.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
But for me, again, I've got five kids.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
So anybody that goes above and beyond to feed their
family or to take care of their family, it's a
special place in my heart for those guys.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
So for him, mad respect for.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Him, him doing it, some kind of suspension something yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Like so it's supposed to be one seventies, So they
should have said, well, Kelvin, do you have to be
at least on a one seventy seven or something. You
can't be no higher than one seventy seven or something
like a one eight, you know, and you're gonna get
this amount taken away from you, Like.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Here's here's again, here's here's what I'll say.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
We had on.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Matthias came on and Matthias was getting ready to fight,
uh cap.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Yeah, and Kate wasn't gonna make weight.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
He was four pounds over and so he declined the fight.
And the reason he said he declined the fight is
he said, they're only gonna give me twenty percent of
his purse. And so for a lot of fans or
a lot of people that don't know the business side
of it, twenty percent sounds great, right, two thousand dollars.
(29:42):
Let's think about even if they're fighting at one hundred k,
you get an extra twenty k. But people don't understand.
And you're a VET, so you're gonna understand this. One loss.
One loss is the difference between two three years of
you trying to get back up in the rankings. The
twenty percent is not worth it to it's not worth it.
(30:06):
They should have.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
It's a number on your record as well, and you lost,
especially if you don't win, because advantage as well.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
At fifteen at two to three pounds, that's a huge advantage,
right at fifteen pounds, that is that is almost again
d rid mad respect that's almost like fighting the literal
I know you trained with roo cop, but that's like
literally fighting the real life robo cop if there was one, like.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
What it makes you think? So did Calvin even Cupway, No, No,
you must have known what he was.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
He posted a month he posted a month before and
he specifically said I'm not going to weigh. He was
at a buffet with like thirteen different tacos. He knew
he wasn't gonna make weight. And that's where I feel
like it should be stiffer penalties. It should be I
(31:13):
feel like, even at fifty percent of the purse, I
feel like suspensions should be in place. If you guys
go in and slap somebody in the stands, or somebody
got fined for jumping off. Somebody got fined I can't
remember who it was got fined from jumping off.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
The champion his name, but yeah, the champion who beat vocal.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
No Whittaker.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
I ilia yes, yes, Iliaur, Yeah, he got fine for
jumping of.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
If you're gonna find these dudes ten fifteen thousand dollars
and uh, what's his name?
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Who was it?
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Just got suspended for slapping a fan. Arman just got suspended.
Serukian got suspended for slapping a fan. Now, don't get
me wrong, I think that's the biggest dumb, douchebag move
in the world. But if you're going to suspend this
guy nine months for slapping somebody and then make them
take a class, I feel like you should suspend the
(32:21):
guy who doesn't make weight number one and then number two.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
If you've got an eating problem, let's make these guys
take something that's that's uncomfortable for them, Make them take
a weight watchers class, make them take an eating class.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
You find well way ever again?
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, somebody post for a.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Middleway or every way that's ever again?
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Ever one thousand per that's his third that's his third time.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Now, don't get me wrong, I.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Don't believe in ever missing weight. And I fought it
fel fifty five and I walk around at one ninety.
I thought I was gonna die, but I got in there,
I signed it out. Somebody had to carry me up there.
But if it is what it is, and I'll think
I thought the next day. You know, so the weight
can be cut, but these guys aren't trying because to them, again,
(33:18):
giving up twenty percent is really nothing. He missed weight
three times. They should ban him. It should be a
ban from Hey, we're not signing you at this weight
class again, period.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
On the product wie.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
That's what I mean. The guy that makes weight. I'll
be honest with you. This is just being straight up.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
If the guy makes weight and he's there and decides
to give you the fight fifty percent almost, I would
say you make twenty five percent, and if you don't
want to fight for that, then you got a one
year suspension.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, you got it. You got to force them to
make them make the way it was.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
And again, some people were on there and they were
given this, Oh well, you don't want to force guys
to make waight. Nobody forced you to sign a contract
saying that you were gonna make one seventy.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Nobody did that. Yeah, at any time, you.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
Can make a cat's weight.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
You put this guy, you put this other back through
punishment like it's a People don't understand, to be honest,
and again, I've done weight cuts. I've been a part
of weight cuts with fighters. I've done all of these things.
People don't understand. The fight is the easiest part. The
biggest devil throughout the whole thing is the weight cut.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Now, I'm telling you it purchased things.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
You have to the team, the team that you have
to assemble has to be able to see you at
your best, but they have to see you at your
absolute worst because when you weight cut, I can tell
you now, the nicest person will be the most angry
person because you're taking food away, you manipulate water, you're
(35:15):
sitting in the sun.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
It may it is pure torture. It is pure torture.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
To do it, and so I agree with you, they
definitely need to have stiffer punishments for the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
So so going off of that, like you deal with
the way cuts, to deal with the training you do
with the fight cancer, stuff like that, what makes you
motivated to keep training and being and fighting against the
best fighters.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I've just got the competition of me, Like the spirit
of competition. I am growing up. Just love winning, playing cards, games, monopoly,
playing tag, racing, athletics. Yeah, I think I don't know
(36:04):
if I was brought up like that, but the way
I was with my friends and my family had to win.
And I really and I really put that literally, and
I don't like to lose. Not saying I must saw
a loser, but it will make me better if if
I do lose. But I think that's that's the reason
why I'm so motivated. And also like little things have
(36:28):
been tooken away, Like I was supposed to fight for
Bellator's the world world title twice. Yeah, and two separate
times they game to two different people where I was
told of number one contender and they game to to
other people. So it's sort of like you ain't going
(36:48):
to take what I've earned away from me. You know,
nothing's going to determine me from from fighting. Like when
I'm on that five fight win streaky. I spoke to
fight for the title twice, but both times a game
to two different people, so it got I think I
beat Tyrell, and then they gave it to Check Congo
(37:13):
and then they made him fight Bader two. But I
supposed to fight. Then they gave it to that was
supposed to fight him again, and they gave it to Fador.
So I was like, well, I'm still I'm not an
All the way through that, I always thought someone else
putting my my title on the line, if you know,
I mean I didn't have it, but not my title,
my contendership, yeah, you know, because when I thought Tyrell,
(37:37):
let's okay, this is number one contender, and then I
didn't get the title fight that I said to Check
is my friend, but they gave to him, you know,
all the best to him, and then I was like, okay.
Then I thought then I said, okay, I'll fight Tim Johnson.
Then but I was like, if you lose, you won't
get a title fight. I don't get I'm gonna Then
(38:01):
I beat him. Then I gate to Fader, and I
was like, man. Then I was like, right, okay, who
am I fighting next? I need to fight. That's when
I thought my dosky Yeah, and then yeah and then
obviously you know one. Then then then I got sick.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Because they heavens are trying me. The heavens are trying me.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
It does, but yeah, it is what it is so
great for my for my my journey, and I'm not
stopping in time soon.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Just had a big win, so you know, we'll see
what's next.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Well, speaking of with six, we saw some rumblings of
something a fight coming up maybe with batter Have they
have they said anything to you with in regards to that?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
No, So this is what Dan Hardy was saying. Yeah,
I reposted it, yeah to a manager. So we'll see
what happens. But I'm not in the tournament, so it's like, okay,
well you know, even our beat Yeah, okay, so it
just doesn't work that way, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
So so okay, so this is an odd question. So
I've got a couple of different friends that fight. Uh
Neiman Gracie is a friend of mine. He's actually fighting
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
How yeah tonight, Yeah, yeah, tonight.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
So I think it's twenty seventh. I thought was it
the twenty ninth?
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I have figure, I think it's Friday.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
I think it's I think it's Friday because I saw
Philippe Philip you'rerau is out there with him, and I
had spoke to Nima before he left. So with that, though,
how do we Adam pick A Lotti is? Also we've
had him on here as well. How do the how
does the playoffs work?
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Okay? So the first round which was April, okay, you
have to get points then you go on the leaderboard.
So my first fight, okay, so I have no points.
My Doski won his first fight and he won it
first round, so he got maximum points.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
And then the guy I lost too because he beat
me in the third round. Okay, So then I had
to beat my Dosky first round to even get on
the leaderboard, because I didn't. That's why I only got
three points because I only just won the fight, so
(40:39):
I didn't I didn't have enough points to get on
there because other people still had more points than me. Okay,
So then, unfortunately that's the way it works.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So let me ask you. So let me ask you
a question.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I know you say you knew that and you signed
up for technically we have to sign up for it.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Whatever, So let me ask you a question.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Do you like that that style like where it's the
playoff style?
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Do you like that?
Speaker 3 (41:05):
I like the fact that I'm fighting often. Yeah, I
like that. I can't complain. I thought twice in like
two months. Yeah, you know, we're better to I was
only fighting once every year. Yeah, So that that's a
that's a big bigger change. I think they could change
(41:26):
the points in because obviously, yeah, we all want to
beat someone first round, but it's not realistic.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Not at all, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
And if someone is not saying someone but most didn't fight,
but he thought a very smart fight in grappling. Grappling grappling,
Yeah he you know, but again no nothing again. Yeah, yeah,
so there's there wasn't there's no way. But it's it's
a lot harder to knock someone out if you're grappling
more than than just pure striking. So he had the
(41:59):
perfect game plan. So I think it should be I
think that's just change. If you win, you should get
six points.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
I agree, well, because I think it hint.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
I think it handcuffs you and it plays into him
because of course, if I know you need to knock
me out and I know you're a knockout guy, hell,
I'm gonna hug your lad too because I'm not you
know what I mean, I know what you have to
It's kind of.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
There was a lot of dry humping.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
So, so let me ask you a question.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Does that does that change your mindset going into the fight, Like, so,
for instance, did you think to yourself like, hey, I'm
gonna have to blow my load in this first round
trying to get the knockout because I want to make
the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (43:04):
Does that change your manset?
Speaker 3 (43:06):
So? To be honest, I was just small. I've got
to win because if I if I started thinking like that,
I think maybe I might not even won because happrimisee you. Yeah,
because okay, for me, I was confident I was going
to win. I just didn't know what round. Yeah, you know,
even if for one second round I got five. So
(43:31):
I wasn't going to go in there and just blowing
my loads and then say if I do lose, that's
the lost still, you know. And one it was the
trilogy as well. Yeah, and I've just come off a loss.
So one, it was a trilogy, I had to win
the trilogy. Two, I've just come off a loss, and
three I've gassed out in the first st I had.
(43:53):
I had a lot of shit to prove.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
Yeah, you know, and that's where I say the playoffs,
I didn't like it if I was a fighter, because
it actually it handcuffs you. Yeah, it handicaps you because
you you can't lose again. Let's just be honest with
these promotions. If you lose one, two, three, you lose
two three fights in a row, you run the risk.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
That goes back, you know, two fights losing.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Exactly, it gets like it gets it gets like a
toxic woman.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
You start trying to fizzle them on out of your life.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
So that's why I am. I'm thinking that.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Yeah, yeah, so that wins.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
The two losses. That's that's not nice.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
It creeps in your head. People don't understand. It's such
a mental game.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
And that's that's again going back to the wake car.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
It's such a mental game, uh, you know, continually going on.
All right, So to a little bit lighter side, we're
gonna jump into the rapid fire questions. Just say the
first thing that pops into your head, and ready you
are on the clock.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Who's your favorite fighter growing up?
Speaker 3 (45:15):
Randy Cale and.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
I like it.
Speaker 4 (45:22):
What's your favorite travel destination?
Speaker 3 (45:25):
I'm gonna got two, but I'm gonna say Thailand number one.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
What the boom clock boy? I grew up?
Speaker 1 (45:37):
I went to college with some not Jamaicans, but a
couple of Jamaicans in a couple of Virgin islands from
the Beas.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
So I had to what the boomper clock boy? Y'all?
Speaker 3 (45:53):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (45:53):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (45:55):
What is your What is your biggest pet? Peeve Liwyers.
Speaker 3 (46:02):
Said, I hate liars, man. I can't deal with nothing.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
I can't deal with them.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
What's your favorite cheap meal?
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Have to be more like a dessert? Cheesecake? I love
my teescake, man, I love it. What's the called New
York cheesecake? Three times last week.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
You just came up.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
You just came up a fight. So it's so let.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
Me ask you a question. On a secondary note, I'm
a fat kid. I love desserts. I'm from Alabama. We
drink syrup and all that.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
What what what place has the best desserts? The UK
or the United States.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
Oh, the United States.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
We're fan.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
Cake. Really. I went to California and my friend said,
do you want to get some? I said, what do
you want some cheesecake? Just go and he took me
to the due. I was like, what the hell is this?
Speaker 2 (47:16):
In love?
Speaker 1 (47:17):
It was like it was like love it first sight. Okay,
what is your hidden talent?
Speaker 3 (47:27):
Hidden talent is an amazing figure?
Speaker 4 (47:31):
Okay, okay, okay, do some do some karaoke?
Speaker 3 (47:36):
Horrible? Yeah, I'm really good. One of my myselms in
the most amazing academy. I love it.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
What is your favorite song?
Speaker 3 (47:57):
I have too many favorite songs, but I love the
Luther Vandro my life, so I probably yeah, oh thanks
my father.
Speaker 1 (48:09):
See, I have to be careing. I have to be
careful with that Luther Vandrews. I told you I got
five kids already.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
You put that.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
Luther Vandrus that's baby making music. You gotta be, you
gotta be. I can't look.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
I can't afford I told you I got about five
jobs already.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
I can't afford no more child supports. Right off the playlist.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
What is your Who is your favorite actor or actress?
Speaker 3 (48:41):
I'm going to say probably like Dezel.
Speaker 2 (48:47):
Training Training d Denzel or Equalizer?
Speaker 4 (48:51):
Which one?
Speaker 3 (48:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (48:52):
Remember the Titans.
Speaker 3 (48:54):
Yeah, I'm going to say Equalizer.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (49:00):
As well by equal Yeah.
Speaker 4 (49:02):
So in that same narrative, what is your favorite movie
or TV show of all time?
Speaker 3 (49:08):
So I'm gonna say from a from a young kid,
it was Happy Gilmore. Oh Man cracks me up? Is wrong?
When because part of the way now chubbs Yeah yeah,
(49:32):
when it came on with a stuff I swear. I
love that movie is probably my favorite.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
You know, I love anything Adam Sandler does. Is is
epic off the top. So if there was a zombie invasion,
what one fighter would you want on your team?
Speaker 3 (49:57):
By my side, yeah, it has to be my off
Tah's life, my friend, my friend Jaxon Man, because we
talk about this, He's ready, Man's ready weapons.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
He's already got it planned out. I've already got it
planned out to People always laugh at me. I always
tried to talk and they're like, dude, what are you
even talking abound?
Speaker 2 (50:20):
Like, Bro, you always got to be ready. I always
got to be right, but.
Speaker 3 (50:23):
Talk about this stuff. See it's funny, but Ben, dude
talking about this this my crazy animal came and lying
coming attacked to what you know?
Speaker 1 (50:35):
Yeah, I'm running.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
So so enough about U serious. Let's get into the
serious side. Uh.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
And this we know you got to go train, so
we'll keep it uh at this.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
This one's deep. Now if you need a second, take
a second.
Speaker 1 (50:55):
If if today was your last day, Oh man, what
is it that you would want Lynton big Swarm Visell
to be remembered.
Speaker 3 (51:06):
For just a good person? Doesn't really matter about my
fighting career. It's more that I was a good person,
a good human being. I love my friends. If I
love my friends, that I really do have my family.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
You could that's it, Yeah, you could. You could tell uh.
Speaker 1 (51:25):
And you know it's funny with these the more we do.
For me, I like to get to know uh, not
just the fighter, because the fighter, not that there's not
an admiration for that side of it, but getting to
know the stories and getting to know all of that
stuff about you. I know, for me, uh, you've got
(51:49):
mad respect coming from a small a small town and
having a big dream.
Speaker 2 (51:54):
And then I could tell it was hard to leave
your family.
Speaker 1 (51:59):
And that was difficult for you to do, and and
and being able to step outside of your comfort zone
to go provide for your family and to be able
to take care of them. Uh, you get mad respect
for me and and definitely have you know, I was
(52:21):
already a fan, but definitely you know the Linton Clinton.
Speaker 2 (52:25):
You are already on.
Speaker 1 (52:26):
My We might have to start up a side hustle podcast.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
Clinton, Eppeny and Ivory. I see it.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
So I thank you so much for all you do
is as a fighter man, but bigger than that, all
you do uh as a human being and putting good
out into the world. I truly appreciate you, no doubt.
Fiddy Clinton Fouchet here and I'm Albert Travis and this
is Front Porch Chronicles.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
In this week we have a massive figure. Look at it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Look at her letting Big Swarm the cell number one
heavyweight in Bellatour.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
You know, I made a joke with my producer and
I'm gonna call.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Him out right here because I said, I sent him
the picture of you whenever we sent it, and I said.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Would you fight this guy for fifty k?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
And he said, he said for fifty K, that's a
lot of money, And I was like, bro, that's not
gonna pay for the brain damage that you're gonna.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You know, the funny thing is, I don't think people
look into that part of it to see the money,
but I don't see what happens. Often it's a big yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Say you've been doing it for so long.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's funny because going into kind of my store dealing
with the brain injuries of it, a lot of people
don't know. And it's funny because I've trained with a
lot of people throughout my career and then probably like
three years ago, I had a car wreck and man,
I've had post concussion, all of these different issues and
(01:34):
brain problems from the accident. So I couldn't even imagine
being you know, you guys getting punched, kicking, and again,
a lot of people don't understand what it is being
kicked or punched by a guy that's six four two
forty one.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Some of them bigger than that, have you, like you
know what I'm saying. So you think I see even
more and more pressure.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Torque, Yeah, definitely, And you just never know which one
is going to do it too, Like it could just
be in that right spot and you're out.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah. And also you've got to think there's knees, elbows,
you know as well. So imagine getting kicked shim straight
shin to the head like I'm obviously touch that happened there,
but you know that that kind of stuff obviously a
little bit different than getting a punch.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That's yeah, definitely going to cause some trauma.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yeah, so we're gonna take it back a little bit. Yeah,
oh yeah, you have to watch out for that too
all the time. There's more awareness on it, but still, man,
you just don't you just don't know what's going to
go on down the line. Ten fifteen years.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Ready, Yeah, yeah, exactly like the next ten years.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
No one knows, no well. And I've seen some guys.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
It's like I said, because I'm dealing with all the
repercussions from you know, a car wreck and a concussion.
A lot of fighters. I see these fighters get knocked out.
Some of these fighters bro are never the same again.
And then some of them are like, oh, I want
to get back in because they don't understand that the
(03:12):
brain is just like if you tear a peck or
you tear a bicep or whatever, you got to give
it time to heal.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Your brain is no different.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
And a lot of people don't take that into consideration,
and they're like, oh, I'm going to jump back in
and take a short notice fight three months later, and
then they get knocked out out again and dude, you.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Get too Yeah, no, not at all.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
So it's not good at all. And you see it
happen time and time again. Yeah, it's sea fighters get
knocked out and then already I feel like even the
company should be like, nah, you know, sorry, give them
the five months whoever it takes, and then don't. I
(03:56):
don't see why you wouldn't want to look after your
your clients what you.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I mean, that's that's a conversation we can have. You know,
it comes down to money and and for me, yeah, it's.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
There be more money with the longevity rather than I'll
just get him in there quickly.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
But but but let me tell you, But you want
me to tell you what the the mm A, the
the promotions. The way they look at it, you're nothing
more than an object to them. So if they get
rid of you or get rid of the next guy,
guess what they're gonna do.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
They're going to bring up the next guy. I talk
about this all the time.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
There's a reason why mm A and promotions go after
certain areas. There's a reason why they go after Brazil.
You know, when they go into Russia. They don't go
into Moscow where the money is. They go up into
the mountains where they don't have any concept of money
(04:59):
or any of those things. There's a reason why they
do that. And you know, it's a messed up thing.
And that's one of the things as a manager, you know,
a manager with my fighters, that's one of the things
that we set up for them.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
You know, I told you I do real estate.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
We set up buying them rental properties, all of that
stuff so that they have residual income coming in. So
that that way and I keep up with my guys.
So if I know that they had a concussion, I
don't care what the promotion tells them. I as their manager,
are going to say, hey, brother, you need to take
(05:36):
off and get yourself one hundred percent. You've got money
coming in, so you're not dependent upon fighting to pay bills.
You've got money saved up. We've got you all of
these things saved up. But you know, it's it's a
messed up cycle, but it is.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
I had a question, because we're on the topic, how
did you manage to to stay healthy for so long?
You know, like you see other outletes like Lebron James, Like,
I know it's NBA, but like some all these people
have been in the game for so long, Like, how
have you managed to make sure to do it?
Speaker 3 (06:07):
So I've been pretty gifted and lucky. I haven't really
took much damage through my whole career. Like I don't
have those brules, so I think that's not to do
with it. I'm not one of those guys that have
have a brawl and you know, be smashed up. I'm
either taking you down or I'll beat you before it's
(06:28):
even got to that that kind of brawl brawl level.
So I think that that's a big part of it.
You know, if you're getting based in the head constantly
before ounces gloves and that's that's your fighting style, that's
going to take some yeah time off your off your career.
So I've been pretty lucky with that, but I'm very
good with recovery, making sure that if I feel a
(06:52):
bit tired or a bit drained, I'll take the day
off of you know.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
That's important.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, And don't get me wrong, I do have teammates
that say, hey, where was yesterday the day off?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, I was tired, Yeah, I was tired.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, you know, And I think I've done that pretty much.
Not for my early career, don't get me wrong, because
obviously I was young and dumb, but as I got
to the thirty thirty five, I made sure, you know,
that was a priority. And I think it's obviously worked
because I feel like I've probably got better.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I was gonna say in my.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Career, so obviously what I'm doing, I feel like it's working.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Yeah, And I was going to say, stylistically, your defense
is really what your movement is really well, so you
never and this is this is just the fight breakdown
of me, your your movement.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
And I'm the brutally honest.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So if you were like Iraqi and I was like bro,
now me, I'm a rocky just that's just me because
you know, I'm poor white trash from Alabama. So I
don't know anybody exactly. So but for you, I think
your your defense, I think stylistically and you can tell
(08:18):
watching you fight.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Uh, the wheels are are always moving and your fight
i Q and all of those things I think are
are you know a big part.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Of mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Exactly exact, exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
So so thank you for being open with That's a
that's amazing just to kind of get behind the scenes
of what's really going on. So I wanted to take
it back to like before, like where what part of
a UK originally front? Tell us a little about that
and uh and yeah, just share your experience is going
up in across the country.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, a little town called Milton Keynes. I was born
on a road called Bletchley and it's actually called Wally
Drive in a little town called Bletchley. So Wally drivers
a funny name. Pretty much lived there all my life
until I was age of thirty. I didn't start training
(09:19):
until age of twenty one, started doing a bit kit boxing,
but I was always athletic, doing athletics, growing up, doing
some weights. I started lifting weights at age of twelve,
so I was always you know, training and keeping fit.
And then age of twenty one started kickboxing, and then
(09:40):
age of twenty three actually went into the gym. BST
at the time was called Total Dojo in Milton Keynes.
And that's how my career started just well it started
from my friend Cliff was actually a fighter and as
kids would always meet up as friends and just play
(10:02):
for it, wrestling more than anything, yeah, but wrestled to win,
Like I got ya to the face, but yeah, let
them beat you. I got matched up the Cliff, I didn't.
I didn't fight again. I just delive at kit boxing
and I ended up giving a rock bottom, slammed him
to the floor and I knocked him out purely by accident,
(10:25):
but it happened. And then after he was like, you
have to come to the gym, and for about two
years I just said no, it wasn't for me. I
was happy he's smoking weed and just being a bricklayer
and you.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Know, oh, that's that's where you I was gonna sound
part time. The same way y'are built, y'are built different.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
That's why constantly. Yeah, it was like I was conditioning
every day. Yeah, from the age of six till thirty.
I'll do it.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
And you build your lads and stuff like that to
your hands straight.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
And I was training after after the gym doing that
as well, but constantly lifting blocks up every day, brick laying,
so because I had that obviously cora as well, not
even really knowing about it. And then I went to
the gym after two years of my friend telling me
to go, and I was, okay, I'll go, and I
(11:27):
was picked it up so quickly because I was big
and strong. That just helped. That help, It really helped.
My coach Stanny Baton was just fine tuning, fine tuning me.
You know, okay, you've got the strength of that, but
let's add some technical submissions. And I think I don't
(11:48):
grapple like a big man, I grapping water like a
small jiu jitsu. Yes, I'm very tight and obviously get
the submissions and get the grounding pounds and then my
careers pretty much six months after joining the gym.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
So how old how old were you when you knew
you wanted to be a pro MMA fighter.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
I'm probably gonna say I started twenty three, so maybe
about twenty four.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, it always doesn't take long.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
No, I did. It was when I won my first
sort of professional title. I was like, damn, I could
actually make this a thing because I did it. But
it was more just like I'll do it because I'm good. Yeah,
not because I think I can make a career out
of it and I liked it. Was it was one
of those things. Then not many people knew about it.
(12:39):
So it's about two thousand and six, I'm guessing so
that many people really knew about it that much, specially
in the UK, especially in my hometown. And yeah, once
i'd won won a title for I can actually you know,
make some money, and then like eighteen years later in
(13:00):
the PFL.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So let me ask you a question. It was it was.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It hard leaving your because you said before, I know
we talked about you being from a very small town
or it was a small town back when you were there.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Was it hard leaving or was it one of those.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Did you have that mindset like, h, I don't know
if I'm comfortable leaving, or was it that mindset like, bro,
I'm at whatever I need to do to get up
out of here.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
So the first year I went back and forth. Yeah,
so it sort of was should I should I not?
You know, I wasn't one hundred percent sure, So I'd
stay here in Florida for maybe a month, Yeah, go
back for two months, they come back. And it was
like that for a year. And then and I was
fighting and obviously helping the team and stuff. And then
(13:57):
my sister said, you're in Florida more than you are here,
and obviously it's costing quite a lot of money. It's
probably time m hm. And I was like, I don't know,
you think And then that was it. So I think
I was more sixty forty, you know, as about forty
(14:19):
percent should I should I not? But as soon as
I came here, I didn't really look back in the
fact that I missed missed my friends and your family.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yeah I could tell.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I could tell the way you're talking about your sister
that you're very that she has a very special place
in your heart.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yeah, you could.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
You could see the pride when you said my sister,
you could see the pride in your heart when you
you spoke.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah. So is your family did they Are they over
in Florida with you now or did they?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Did they like my sister my mom that they're they're
still in England? Yeah, but they come to my fights.
Yeah that's how okay? So yeah, yeah, as I can
when I do go home.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
What's the biggest difference that you noticed between here and
the UK?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
That the training one the training UK still we're still growing,
you know with with the level, but here it was
an eye opener. The first day I trained here, I
trained with Rumble Johnsons Song.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Great Gun.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yeah you know, yeah, yeah, truly missed so I met
him the first day and Tyrone Spong. That was my
first to training parts and it took me literally an
hour and I was like, I am staying here. The
best decision I ever made, you know. So that was
(15:52):
my main training partners and I really didn't look back.
So yeah, going from that that was that was the
best decision that I made. And having those two let alone,
obviously the rest of the crew, like Richard Evans, we
had Stephen Streue Matt Mitrion. You know, the list goes on.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Yeah, so had all.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
These big guys that I didn't have in England. All
these big guys are in the UFC or Glory, you
know what I mean. So it made sense. And I
just lost to Emmanuel Newton for a well title.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
So it really was this makes a difference. Yeah, you
know we had Christian ecles on and sometimes yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Yeah, he's specifically said going down to kill clear pairs
like yeah he said, you know, and he specifically you know,
he said, you know, I go down there. So the
question is to you with kill Cliff, I mean dogs
(17:03):
like I mean, you got Jared Gordon, RoboCop, Gilbert Burns,
Robbie Lawler, Michael Chandler, Vicente Luki. Even though he beat
my boy, even though he beat my boy r DA,
I still love thee.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
It was a good fun I and Gary ang Loud. Yeah.
But I mean, bro, you've got so many like killers there.
How is it? How has it elevated your game?
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You know, with being able to train and have all
of these top prospect training partners.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Night and day. It really is. And the way I
noticed it was when I did come back to the UK,
and train. Yeah, you know, like not being big headed
by I could tell and now damn like you really
learned some new stuff until back. Yeah, and yeah, like
going again from Vito to Tyrone to Johnson to Stephan
(18:09):
Matt lit Up. It's you can only grow.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
And you never really.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
It's funny because at the moment when you're sparring with
those type of guys, you don't you don't really think
to yourself like, oh, I'm getting better, because you're getting
destroyed and I'm just gonna be you know. I trained
with Master Carlos Gracie and he's, you know, in his seventies,
and he'll put me in something and I'll be like, hey,
(18:38):
what do I mid move? I'm like, well what do
I do? And he'll just chuckle like there's nothing you
can do.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Exactly exactly. Don't spar with me as well.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
He shouldn't told me, but you know, so it's hard
to recognize how they elevate you until you go back
to where you came from. And then at that point
you're like, oh.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Crap, okay, yeah, I'm elevating my game by getting you know,
and then it becomes where they start becoming evenly matched
as you go along.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So yeah, that's that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
I'll tell you a funny one. So Rumble Johnson. When
I was fine with him, I used to hate spine
of him because you know, you see you knocking people
out on TV and then sort of thinking ship a minute.
So it's pretty one of my first coup of the weeks.
And I was helping him get ready because I think
it was gonna John Jones at the time, and he
(19:39):
hit me, bom, Why hit me so hard? He just
laugh and said inspiring? What are you talking about? And
I was like, oh, yeah, you're right, hit me so hard?
I why why hit me like that like that? Before?
(20:00):
You know, like training with the people back in England,
I hadn't been hit like that. So just how people
hit you?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Like the levels level to the game.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
So let me ask you. Let me ask you a question.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Who of your current training partners has hit you the
hardest that You're like, this dude has some insane out
of body experience strength.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
So to take Rumble out, yeah, I'm probably gonna say Gregory, greg.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Big, dude huge. I know that's the problem.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
That is powerful and it's hypnotic moving.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, TikTok TikTok bone.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Yeah, So can you break down what a typical day
in the life is of a fighter for someone that
is either just wanting to get into it, if they're
interested to maybe become a professional fighter, what it really
takes to be at that level that you're at.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
So Monday morning, that's an MMA drills, So we start
training at ten o'clock or nine to five. But for
the fighters that usually have fights within a six to
twice to eight and if it from eight to six
(21:25):
weeks coming up or fight camp, you get to hit
mits with like about five or six of the coaches,
So you do that for about thirty minutes, and then
you actually drill. You do drill, some takedowns, some get ups,
some light drills, and then you'll probably go live for
(21:46):
about twenty five minutes thirty minutes so that the class
is probably about including the morning pad session and then
the actual session probably nearly two hours is the first
session that's not doing the warm up ether. I get
there for nine warm up and then a star hitting pads.
(22:08):
Then I'll go live and do that to a class,
and then for me, this is what I do on Monday,
and then I go and get some recovery, get some food,
and then I have boxing at two o'clock and then
I've got the whole day to rest. But the other
team will have kickboxing at six and that'll be about
(22:30):
an hour as well. So my box is about an hour. Yeah,
kitbox is about an hour. It's just you know, I
as growing up, I've gone more for the boxing than
the kickboxing part. So that's why I do the boxing
over there.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
And I think Greg Jones has done a really good
job structuring everything so that there are you can so
it's not like some gyms where you just have a
set schedule, this, this, and this.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
From what I've heard, the.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Morning is the mornings are always scheduled.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah, but but I'm saying you also have the options
to pick and choose where the holes are in your games,
of course, and Greg has done a really good job
of creating that environment for you guys.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah. Is the man, Yeah, it's got it. Got my
wrestling good, definitely, definitely. Yeah. And so and I'll say
a Tuesday though, is you get there for nine but
we spa this is like we spa anime. Yeah, about
(23:39):
ten rounds. She was about we'll do six rounds or
three minutes and then the other four will be like
a five minute five minute rounds.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Wow, that's Jesus Christ. You don't know how much? Yeah,
how much? Like how much? Like? Uh like how much
you're pushing your body? Not consistently over over Spanish just
a day, you know, that's just one day. Then you
have to repeat that process over.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Well, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Like people don't have in their mind two things that
always gets on my nerves. Number one is they feel
like that every guy that fights is a millionaire number one,
and there's there's not there's not as much money in
it as as they think there is. And honestly, if
(24:31):
you break it down a lot of Number two to
my thing is the amount of time, energy and things
that training that goes into one fight and over an
entire career is insane. And if you were to break
down what a fighter actually gets paid compared to their
(24:53):
app key nuts.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
So you got to the training camp, then then you
gotta go to the fight. Then you gotta pay for
your coaches, the hotel rooms, your medicals. Yeah, and then
you fight, then you get.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
That's what tax is wherever you fight.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Then then you pay your team then you pay your manager.
Then you're gonna pay probably some of the guys that
helped you that axtra a little bit that came out
with you bonus. Then the rest is yours. You do
all that and then you don't fight.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
But that's why, So that's why that happens. It happened, Well,
that's why I was telling Albert. Albert has just become
a fan probably over the last year or so from
from dealing with me with it with people, and so
he asked me one time, he was like, why are
they so mad if the other guy doesn't make weight
(25:58):
with they don't have to fight, so they don't get paid,
and so you just you just.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Will I think if you weigh in, the person will
get maybe a little bit soft, a little bit so,
because yeah they should first that didn't won't get nothing.
But it's it's unprofessional, right, if you both figned a contract,
(26:25):
you're both it's not it's not hard to stop eating.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
No, I'm gonna I'm just gonna put it. I'm just
gonna put somebody on blast. Yeah, d Ride got ready
to fight Kelvin Gastlon, Right, Kelvin Gastolon showed up. I'm
gonna tell you right now, fifteen pounds overweight. Here was
the kicker. Here was the kicker. Here was here, Yeah,
(26:52):
here was the kicker.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
He won three.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Weeks maybe one month before. He was doing from his
YouTube channel. He was at a buffet and he was judging,
and he's he came out and said, I'm at this buffet.
There's no way that I'm gonna make waight. D Wright
is better than me because I'm the most friendly, southern
(27:17):
nice guy. But it's on site. If you play with
my kids or you play with my money, it's on site.
And it's just it's so unprofessional, and it's just it's
and here d Rod had to fight up a whole
weight class, not just a couple of not a couple.
They were supposed to fight at seventy. He had to
(27:39):
fight at eighty five. He had to eat a big
meal the night before just so that he could be
at one eighty five.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Because he it's so.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
But mad yeah, mad respect for nothing.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Well, he ended up fighting him, going up a weight
class because d Wright has to feed his family. He's
got a family and he's got kids. Mad respect to
d Right for fighting. He ended up losing the fight
but to me, yeah, but for me, he won, I
mean I already respected him.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
But for me, again, I've got five kids.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
So anybody that goes above and beyond to feed their
family or to take care of their family, it's a
special place in my heart for those guys.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
So for him, mad respect for.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Him, him doing it, some kind of suspension something yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Like so it's supposed to be one seventies, So they
should have said, well, Kelvin, do you have to be
at least on a one seventy seven or something. You
can't be no higher than one seventy seven or something
like a one eight, you know, and you're gonna get
this amount taken away from you, Like.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Here's here's again, here's here's what I'll say.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
We had on.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Matthias came on and Matthias was getting ready to fight,
uh cap.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Yeah, and Kate wasn't gonna make weight.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
He was four pounds over and so he declined the fight.
And the reason he said he declined the fight is
he said, they're only gonna give me twenty percent of
his purse. And so for a lot of fans or
a lot of people that don't know the business side
of it, twenty percent sounds great, right, two thousand dollars.
(29:42):
Let's think about even if they're fighting at one hundred k,
you get an extra twenty k. But people don't understand.
And you're a VET, so you're gonna understand this. One loss.
One loss is the difference between two three years of
you trying to get back up in the rankings. The
twenty percent is not worth it to it's not worth it.
(30:06):
They should have.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
It's a number on your record as well, and you lost,
especially if you don't win, because advantage as well.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
At fifteen at two to three pounds, that's a huge advantage,
right at fifteen pounds, that is that is almost again
d rid mad respect that's almost like fighting the literal
I know you trained with roo cop, but that's like
literally fighting the real life robo cop if there was one, like.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
What it makes you think? So did Calvin even Cupway, No, No,
you must have known what he was.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
He posted a month he posted a month before and
he specifically said I'm not going to weigh. He was
at a buffet with like thirteen different tacos. He knew
he wasn't gonna make weight. And that's where I feel
like it should be stiffer penalties. It should be I
(31:13):
feel like, even at fifty percent of the purse, I
feel like suspensions should be in place. If you guys
go in and slap somebody in the stands, or somebody
got fined for jumping off. Somebody got fined I can't
remember who it was got fined from jumping off.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
The champion his name, but yeah, the champion who beat vocal.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
No Whittaker.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
I ilia yes, yes, Iliaur, Yeah, he got fine for
jumping of.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
If you're gonna find these dudes ten fifteen thousand dollars
and uh, what's his name?
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Who was it?
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Just got suspended for slapping a fan. Arman just got suspended.
Serukian got suspended for slapping a fan. Now, don't get
me wrong, I think that's the biggest dumb, douchebag move
in the world. But if you're going to suspend this
guy nine months for slapping somebody and then make them
take a class, I feel like you should suspend the
(32:21):
guy who doesn't make weight number one and then number two.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
If you've got an eating problem, let's make these guys
take something that's that's uncomfortable for them, Make them take
a weight watchers class, make them take an eating class.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
You find well way ever again?
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, somebody post for a.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Middleway or every way that's ever again?
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Ever one thousand per that's his third that's his third time.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Now, don't get me wrong, I.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Don't believe in ever missing weight. And I fought it
fel fifty five and I walk around at one ninety.
I thought I was gonna die, but I got in there,
I signed it out. Somebody had to carry me up there.
But if it is what it is, and I'll think
I thought the next day. You know, so the weight
can be cut, but these guys aren't trying because to them, again,
(33:18):
giving up twenty percent is really nothing. He missed weight
three times. They should ban him. It should be a
ban from Hey, we're not signing you at this weight
class again, period.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
On the product wie.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
That's what I mean. The guy that makes weight. I'll
be honest with you. This is just being straight up.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
If the guy makes weight and he's there and decides
to give you the fight fifty percent almost, I would
say you make twenty five percent, and if you don't
want to fight for that, then you got a one
year suspension.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, you got it. You got to force them to
make them make the way it was.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
And again, some people were on there and they were
given this, Oh well, you don't want to force guys
to make waight. Nobody forced you to sign a contract
saying that you were gonna make one seventy.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Nobody did that. Yeah, at any time, you.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
Can make a cat's weight.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
You put this guy, you put this other back through
punishment like it's a People don't understand, to be honest,
and again, I've done weight cuts. I've been a part
of weight cuts with fighters. I've done all of these things.
People don't understand. The fight is the easiest part. The
biggest devil throughout the whole thing is the weight cut.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Now, I'm telling you it purchased things.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
You have to the team, the team that you have
to assemble has to be able to see you at
your best, but they have to see you at your
absolute worst because when you weight cut, I can tell
you now, the nicest person will be the most angry
person because you're taking food away, you manipulate water, you're
(35:15):
sitting in the sun.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
It may it is pure torture. It is pure torture.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
To do it, and so I agree with you, they
definitely need to have stiffer punishments for the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
So so going off of that, like you deal with
the way cuts, to deal with the training you do
with the fight cancer, stuff like that, what makes you
motivated to keep training and being and fighting against the
best fighters.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I've just got the competition of me, Like the spirit
of competition. I am growing up. Just love winning, playing cards, games, monopoly,
playing tag, racing, athletics. Yeah, I think I don't know
(36:04):
if I was brought up like that, but the way
I was with my friends and my family had to win.
And I really and I really put that literally, and
I don't like to lose. Not saying I must saw
a loser, but it will make me better if if
I do lose. But I think that's that's the reason
why I'm so motivated. And also like little things have
(36:28):
been tooken away, Like I was supposed to fight for
Bellator's the world world title twice. Yeah, and two separate
times they game to two different people where I was
told of number one contender and they game to to
other people. So it's sort of like you ain't going
(36:48):
to take what I've earned away from me. You know,
nothing's going to determine me from from fighting. Like when
I'm on that five fight win streaky. I spoke to
fight for the title twice, but both times a game
to two different people, so it got I think I
beat Tyrell, and then they gave it to Check Congo
(37:13):
and then they made him fight Bader two. But I
supposed to fight. Then they gave it to that was
supposed to fight him again, and they gave it to Fador.
So I was like, well, I'm still I'm not an
All the way through that, I always thought someone else
putting my my title on the line, if you know,
I mean I didn't have it, but not my title,
my contendership, yeah, you know, because when I thought Tyrell,
(37:37):
let's okay, this is number one contender, and then I
didn't get the title fight that I said to Check
is my friend, but they gave to him, you know,
all the best to him, and then I was like, okay.
Then I thought then I said, okay, I'll fight Tim Johnson.
Then but I was like, if you lose, you won't
get a title fight. I don't get I'm gonna Then
(38:01):
I beat him. Then I gate to Fader, and I
was like, man. Then I was like, right, okay, who
am I fighting next? I need to fight. That's when
I thought my dosky Yeah, and then yeah and then
obviously you know one. Then then then I got sick.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Because they heavens are trying me. The heavens are trying me.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
It does, but yeah, it is what it is so
great for my for my my journey, and I'm not
stopping in time soon.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Just had a big win, so you know, we'll see
what's next.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Well, speaking of with six, we saw some rumblings of
something a fight coming up maybe with batter Have they
have they said anything to you with in regards to that?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
No, So this is what Dan Hardy was saying. Yeah,
I reposted it, yeah to a manager. So we'll see
what happens. But I'm not in the tournament, so it's like, okay,
well you know, even our beat Yeah, okay, so it
just doesn't work that way, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
So so okay, so this is an odd question. So
I've got a couple of different friends that fight. Uh
Neiman Gracie is a friend of mine. He's actually fighting
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
How yeah tonight, Yeah, yeah, tonight.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
So I think it's twenty seventh. I thought was it
the twenty ninth?
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I have figure, I think it's Friday.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
I think it's I think it's Friday because I saw
Philippe Philip you'rerau is out there with him, and I
had spoke to Nima before he left. So with that, though,
how do we Adam pick A Lotti is? Also we've
had him on here as well. How do the how
does the playoffs work?
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Okay? So the first round which was April, okay, you
have to get points then you go on the leaderboard.
So my first fight, okay, so I have no points.
My Doski won his first fight and he won it
first round, so he got maximum points.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
And then the guy I lost too because he beat
me in the third round. Okay, So then I had
to beat my Dosky first round to even get on
the leaderboard, because I didn't. That's why I only got
three points because I only just won the fight, so
(40:39):
I didn't I didn't have enough points to get on
there because other people still had more points than me. Okay,
So then, unfortunately that's the way it works.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
So let me ask you. So let me ask you
a question.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I know you say you knew that and you signed
up for technically we have to sign up for it.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Whatever, So let me ask you a question.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Do you like that that style like where it's the
playoff style?
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Do you like that?
Speaker 3 (41:05):
I like the fact that I'm fighting often. Yeah, I
like that. I can't complain. I thought twice in like
two months. Yeah, you know, we're better to I was
only fighting once every year. Yeah, So that that's a
that's a big bigger change. I think they could change
(41:26):
the points in because obviously, yeah, we all want to
beat someone first round, but it's not realistic.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Not at all, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
And if someone is not saying someone but most didn't fight,
but he thought a very smart fight in grappling. Grappling grappling,
Yeah he you know, but again no nothing again. Yeah, yeah,
so there's there wasn't there's no way. But it's it's
a lot harder to knock someone out if you're grappling
more than than just pure striking. So he had the
(41:59):
perfect game plan. So I think it should be I
think that's just change. If you win, you should get
six points.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
I agree, well, because I think it hint.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
I think it handcuffs you and it plays into him
because of course, if I know you need to knock
me out and I know you're a knockout guy, hell,
I'm gonna hug your lad too because I'm not you
know what I mean, I know what you have to
It's kind of.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
There was a lot of dry humping.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
So, so let me ask you a question.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Does that does that change your mindset going into the fight, Like, so,
for instance, did you think to yourself like, hey, I'm
gonna have to blow my load in this first round
trying to get the knockout because I want to make
the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (43:04):
Does that change your manset?
Speaker 3 (43:06):
So? To be honest, I was just small. I've got
to win because if I if I started thinking like that,
I think maybe I might not even won because happrimisee you. Yeah,
because okay, for me, I was confident I was going
to win. I just didn't know what round. Yeah, you know,
even if for one second round I got five. So
(43:31):
I wasn't going to go in there and just blowing
my loads and then say if I do lose, that's
the lost still, you know. And one it was the
trilogy as well. Yeah, and I've just come off a loss.
So one, it was a trilogy, I had to win
the trilogy. Two, I've just come off a loss, and
three I've gassed out in the first st I had.
(43:53):
I had a lot of shit to prove.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
Yeah, you know, and that's where I say the playoffs,
I didn't like it if I was a fighter, because
it actually it handcuffs you. Yeah, it handicaps you because
you you can't lose again. Let's just be honest with
these promotions. If you lose one, two, three, you lose
two three fights in a row, you run the risk.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
That goes back, you know, two fights losing.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Exactly, it gets like it gets it gets like a
toxic woman.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
You start trying to fizzle them on out of your life.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
So that's why I am. I'm thinking that.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
Yeah, yeah, so that wins.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
The two losses. That's that's not nice.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
It creeps in your head. People don't understand. It's such
a mental game.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
And that's that's again going back to the wake car.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
It's such a mental game, uh, you know, continually going on.
All right, So to a little bit lighter side, we're
gonna jump into the rapid fire questions. Just say the
first thing that pops into your head, and ready you
are on the clock.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Who's your favorite fighter growing up?
Speaker 3 (45:15):
Randy Cale and.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
I like it.
Speaker 4 (45:22):
What's your favorite travel destination?
Speaker 3 (45:25):
I'm gonna got two, but I'm gonna say Thailand number one.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
What the boom clock boy? I grew up?
Speaker 1 (45:37):
I went to college with some not Jamaicans, but a
couple of Jamaicans in a couple of Virgin islands from
the Beas.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
So I had to what the boomper clock boy? Y'all?
Speaker 3 (45:53):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (45:53):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (45:55):
What is your What is your biggest pet? Peeve Liwyers.
Speaker 3 (46:02):
Said, I hate liars, man. I can't deal with nothing.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
I can't deal with them.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
What's your favorite cheap meal?
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Have to be more like a dessert? Cheesecake? I love
my teescake, man, I love it. What's the called New
York cheesecake? Three times last week.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
You just came up.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
You just came up a fight. So it's so let.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
Me ask you a question. On a secondary note, I'm
a fat kid. I love desserts. I'm from Alabama. We
drink syrup and all that.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
What what what place has the best desserts? The UK
or the United States.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
Oh, the United States.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
We're fan.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
Cake. Really. I went to California and my friend said,
do you want to get some? I said, what do
you want some cheesecake? Just go and he took me
to the due. I was like, what the hell is this?
Speaker 2 (47:16):
In love?
Speaker 1 (47:17):
It was like it was like love it first sight. Okay,
what is your hidden talent?
Speaker 3 (47:27):
Hidden talent is an amazing figure?
Speaker 4 (47:31):
Okay, okay, okay, do some do some karaoke?
Speaker 3 (47:36):
Horrible? Yeah, I'm really good. One of my myselms in
the most amazing academy. I love it.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
What is your favorite song?
Speaker 3 (47:57):
I have too many favorite songs, but I love the
Luther Vandro my life, so I probably yeah, oh thanks
my father.
Speaker 1 (48:09):
See, I have to be careing. I have to be
careful with that Luther Vandrews. I told you I got
five kids already.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
You put that.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
Luther Vandrus that's baby making music. You gotta be, you
gotta be. I can't look.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
I can't afford I told you I got about five
jobs already.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
I can't afford no more child supports. Right off the playlist.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
What is your Who is your favorite actor or actress?
Speaker 3 (48:41):
I'm going to say probably like Dezel.
Speaker 2 (48:47):
Training Training d Denzel or Equalizer?
Speaker 4 (48:51):
Which one?
Speaker 3 (48:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (48:52):
Remember the Titans.
Speaker 3 (48:54):
Yeah, I'm going to say Equalizer.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (49:00):
As well by equal Yeah.
Speaker 4 (49:02):
So in that same narrative, what is your favorite movie
or TV show of all time?
Speaker 3 (49:08):
So I'm gonna say from a from a young kid,
it was Happy Gilmore. Oh Man cracks me up? Is wrong?
When because part of the way now chubbs Yeah yeah,
(49:32):
when it came on with a stuff I swear. I
love that movie is probably my favorite.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
You know, I love anything Adam Sandler does. Is is
epic off the top. So if there was a zombie invasion,
what one fighter would you want on your team?
Speaker 3 (49:57):
By my side, yeah, it has to be my off
Tah's life, my friend, my friend Jaxon Man, because we
talk about this, He's ready, Man's ready weapons.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
He's already got it planned out. I've already got it
planned out to People always laugh at me. I always
tried to talk and they're like, dude, what are you
even talking abound?
Speaker 2 (50:20):
Like, Bro, you always got to be ready. I always
got to be right, but.
Speaker 3 (50:23):
Talk about this stuff. See it's funny, but Ben, dude
talking about this this my crazy animal came and lying
coming attacked to what you know?
Speaker 1 (50:35):
Yeah, I'm running.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
So so enough about U serious. Let's get into the
serious side. Uh.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
And this we know you got to go train, so
we'll keep it uh at this.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
This one's deep. Now if you need a second, take
a second.
Speaker 1 (50:55):
If if today was your last day, Oh man, what
is it that you would want Lynton big Swarm Visell
to be remembered.
Speaker 3 (51:06):
For just a good person? Doesn't really matter about my
fighting career. It's more that I was a good person,
a good human being. I love my friends. If I
love my friends, that I really do have my family.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
You could that's it, Yeah, you could. You could tell uh.
Speaker 1 (51:25):
And you know it's funny with these the more we do.
For me, I like to get to know uh, not
just the fighter, because the fighter, not that there's not
an admiration for that side of it, but getting to
know the stories and getting to know all of that
stuff about you. I know, for me, uh, you've got
(51:49):
mad respect coming from a small a small town and
having a big dream.
Speaker 2 (51:54):
And then I could tell it was hard to leave
your family.
Speaker 1 (51:59):
And that was difficult for you to do, and and
and being able to step outside of your comfort zone
to go provide for your family and to be able
to take care of them. Uh, you get mad respect
for me and and definitely have you know, I was
(52:21):
already a fan, but definitely you know the Linton Clinton.
Speaker 2 (52:25):
You are already on.
Speaker 1 (52:26):
My We might have to start up a side hustle podcast.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
Clinton, Eppeny and Ivory. I see it.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
So I thank you so much for all you do
is as a fighter man, but bigger than that, all
you do uh as a human being and putting good
out into the world. I truly appreciate you, no doubt.
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