Issue 112
March 2014
In between shifts overseeing the building of an American Kickboxing Academy gym in Thailand, ‘Quick’ explains why an MMA flick made him cry.
MUSIC
What type of music are you into?
“I’m very inspired by music, so the people I like to listen to are the people who came up and built a career from nothing. For both my comeback fights (against DaMarques Johnson and Matt Brown), I listened to Machine Gun Kelly.
“We’re very different individuals, obviously. He’s a wild, crazy dude, but I appreciate the fact he made a life for himself. Eminem has always been a huge inspiration, as was 2Pac. I like real music that people write where the words mean something, as opposed to people who sing songs that other people wrote. I like it to be from the heart, about their lives and overcoming obstacles.”
Do you ever attend any concerts?
“No, I don’t as I’m working all the time or traveling here (Thailand) which is just one of the sacrifices I have to make. Eventually, I’d love to sit back and relax and go to shows. I’ve done Kid Rock in the past and that was one of my favorites of all time.”
What song is your guilty pleasure?
“Right now, only because it’s current, Cruise by Florida Georgia Line. It makes me feel really good and I just want to start dancing.”
STYLE
You’re a pretty stylish guy, but what’s with the hats?
“I sometimes wear a hat (laughs), and when I do it’s mostly Fidel hats.”
You’re also known for keeping your head pretty clean shaven, but that’s not the case with the facial hair?
“Yeah, I’ll often wear a full beard, especially when I’m feeling lazy. But most often I’ll do the I’m-too-hard-working-and-busy-to-shave beard.”
A lot of MMA fighters are tattooed up to the hilt and love a bit of bling, but how about you?
“No, I’m not really into all that ostentatious jewellery, and I only have the one bit of ink on my finger.”
CARS
What was the first car you owned and how much did it cost?
“It was a Dodge Ram pick-up truck and my mom bought it for me, so you’d have to ask her.”
What car do you own now and what made you buy it?
“It’s a modified F-150 which I bought a long time ago. A company actually modified it for me as part of a sponsorship deal. It’s kind of cool. It’s been put together right throughout my career so I won’t get rid of it and I keep it in pristine condition.”
If you could have any car in the world, what would you drive and why?
“A McLaren MP3/MP4. That’s my dream car because it looks totally badass. That’s a fun car I’d love to have one day. But my absolute dream car, I think, is called a Rhino. It’s a Hummer-come-tank-looking vehicle. It’s crazy expensive, but it looks sick. It’s a Hummer on steroids.”
If you could pimp out your ride with anything in the world, what would it be?
“I don’t know what else I need in a car; nothing crazy... Man, I don’t know why this question is so hard!”
TV
What TV shows have you been watching lately?
“My favorites are Breaking Bad, The Jeselnik Offensive, Dexter, The Glades and The Hero.”
If you could be in any TV show, past or present, what would it be?
“I have shows that I enjoy watching and like, but they’re very different to what I’d like to be a part of. If it was a movie, I’d love to be in The Expendables; it would be awesome blowing s**t up alongside all the super heroes. The UFC actually sent me to Los Angeles to audition for the last Rambo movie, and I was so excited, but unfortunately I didn’t get it; I would have done anything. The movie then sponsored my main event fight against Josh Burkman and there was ‘Rambo’ everywhere. Stallone even turned up cageside, and even though I won the fight, it was so bittersweet!”
Besides from MMA what is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
“I guess it’s Muay Thai. I’m not really into other sports. It’s not really a sport, I guess, but I like watching poker too.”
Any TV guilty pleasures?
“Reality dramas. I sometimes get dragged into the Real Housewives of New York by my wife. The cool thing with her is that I only get the highlights because I only like the fights, so she’ll just save them for me. I also like MTV’s The Challenge: Rivals because this season they filmed it in Phuket, Thailand.”
FLICKS
What type of movies are you into?
“I love inspirational documentaries about real life. I’m very curious about life. I like getting into the things you don’t see. As well as traveling so much, I’m very curious as a person so I love seeing what’s going on.
“I’m real big on documentaries going around the world and conflict stuff as well. Things that are very out of the ordinary for me, like prisons and conflicts in other countries and big issues which are shocking, that are still going on. Vice on HBO is really good at showing you stuff that’s really going on in this world.
“In America where we are so focused on our own lives and cell phones, we tend to take our way of life for granted and we forget that it’s a tough life out there. A lot of people are going through tough times because of wars and poverty; and there are plenty of people out there who don’t enjoy the freedom we all do.”
If there was a movie made about your life, who would you like to play you and why?
“There is no way to answer that without sounding like a total douche! You obviously want the best person possible to play you, but I really don’t know. I have to do something first that’s worthy. It wouldn’t be an interesting movie seeing some guy who sits around for three years trying to build a gym (laughs).”
What was the last movie you watched and what did you think of it?
“World War Z and it was great, fantastic. It’s a great movie and I’m not into zombie movies.”
If you could punch any actor in the face, who would it be and why?
“You build me up and now you’re ripping me down. I can think of some, but none that I want to go on record and say.”
What was the last film you cried at?
“Warrior. It was a heroic story about a guy making a comeback and fighting, and it was at the same time I was making a comeback in my career. So seeing him going through everything he did and winning and the emotion he felt, it really hit home. Getting back in the cage and getting a win was all I was focusing on in my life at the time.
“It wasn’t a two-day cry, in fact I could have been dry eyed, but I then drank a shot of alcohol out of a dirty glass.”
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