Issue 126

March 2015

"The Baddest Man on the Planet" lifts the lid on his successes so far. 

What’s the deal you and your wife had as far as who chose to work and why?

“We went to college and when I graduated, I moved out to the Olympic Training Center and started wrestling. She moved me out there and got a medical sales job to take care of us until I was done. We had a deal where she would work for eight years, take care of me while I was training and winning all of my medals and world championships. Once we decided to have children she would stop working and I would start working. That’s where we are right now. She was making a lot more money than me and now everything is on my shoulders, so there’s a little more pressure.”

You said when you first had the Bellator featherweight championship (in 2010) you had no idea how to strike. 

“When I joined Bellator it was the first season. I started (MMA) three months before that. I didn’t really have the time to learn technique; I was just learning positioning and how to be safe. I got into Bellator and won four fights in four months. I was just trying to keep in shape and keep fighting hard so I won the belt before I really understood what striking was. I believe I’m just understanding it now. My hands are really violent now. Hopefully, I’ll be able to knock someone out soon and impress myself with that.”

You’ve been with Bellator for most of the company’s history. What has been the most amazing aspect of the growth of the company to this point?

“I’m honored to be with Bellator. I see myself as their spokesman. Once we had Viacom and Spike come to the table, it just shows the leadership Bellator has behind it. What I notice is the leadership. The people at the top of the food chain are making the right choices and giving us more opportunity for exposure. It’s exciting, Bellator is where the cool kids fight right now. There’s a lot of cool stuff going on here. There’s a lot of money behind it. We’re very excited. 

“I started my career with Bellator and they built me to where I am now. They gave me the opportunities to make myself the star I am now and I took that opportunity and grew it. I bleed for Bellator.”

When did you realize you were the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet?’

“It came from wrestling. I can remember back in eighth grade telling myself I was the baddest 103lb’er in the state of Michigan. My coaches taught us about how strong our minds where. If I can control my mind I can control my body. I learned at a young age that if I can mentally talk myself into those things I can get it done. I would stand on the corner of the mat and say, ‘I am the baddest 103lb’er. No one can beat me.’ After I won a world championship in China I came off the medal stand and the press asked me how I felt and I said, ‘Like the baddest man on the planet.’ I use it as a brainwashing tool. Before I go into the cage I tell myself that. All the nerves and tingles in my arms go away and I start to believe it.”

Fight Master was very fight-centric. What was the best footage left on the cutting room floor?

“There were a bunch of funny things we did. Frank (Shamrock) always put those little signs up all over the wall. He’s all about his chi. I just went in there and changed all the signs to stuff like ‘you are a loser,’ ‘everyone hates you’ and ‘give up.’ Greg has a different guy to corner every week so he was in and out a lot, so I had a picture of his face blown up and put on a stick. When we were at weigh-ins and stuff I would hold up his picture.”

If you could fight anyone in any weight class, who would you fight?

“I would like to fight Bibiano Fernandes again. We fought for the Dream belt and it was stopped after an armbar. That’s one I would like to get again before it’s all said and done.”