Issue 120
October 2014
FO talks rides, rhythms and relaxing with MMA’s finest. The Bellator light heavyweight reckons he looks like a ‘fat’ Benicio Del Toro, and reveals his allegiance to TV biker gang The Mayans.
FLICKS
What type of movie do you gravitate toward most?
“I am really big on the Avengers, Captain America, X-Men and stuff like that. I have a really short attention span so it has to be really good for me to sit in a room for two hours watching it. It has to be really, really good. That new X-Men movie that came out, I will definitely be watching that.”
If there was a movie about your life who would you want to play you?
“Benicio Del Toro. He’s bad ass. I like that guy a lot. But he has to be the fat Benicio, like in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”
What was the last movie you cried over while watching?
“That would have been Forrest Gump. I don’t know how old I was, I think it came out in 1994 or 1995, so I’d have been 14 at the time. When Forrest is talking to Jennie’s grave, that moved me and I got choked up.”
If you could punch one actor in the face who would you want to punch and why?
“The kid that plays Joffrey on Game of Thrones. He just recently died on the show and it was one of the best episodes I’ve ever seen in my life. He choked on his own blood for a solid 10 minutes; they really drew it out. It was all dramatic and I remember thinking how happy I was at that moment.”
CARS
What was your first car and how much did you pay for it?
“I bought a Saturn. I think it was a 2002 Saturn. It was a four-door and it lasted me a good amount of time. I think it was a Saturn Ion or something like that. But I can’t remember exactly how much I paid for it; a couple of hundred bucks or something, I think.”
If you could have any car in the world what would you choose to drive and why?
“Oh, I would get one of those Dodge Chargers. I have never driven one but they look really fun. They look big and powerful. I’m sure it’s not very fun at the gas station when you go to fill it up. Gas is now $4.35 near my home. That’s not cool.”
What car do you drive now?
“I bought a 2009 Honda Accord. It’s also a four-door. It’s nice. I remember I liked it when I first sat in it because it was big. It was really spacious. I have kids, man. It’s a four-door. It has good trunk space. It’s functional.”
STYLE
How would you describe your personal style?
“I would just say like any normal Californian. I wear T-shirts, dicky bows and Osiris shoes for the most part. I keep it really simple. I really like Brixton hats. They are from the same city I am; well, the owner of the company is. They are really high-end hats. They hooked me up. Right around the time of my second fight in the UFC, I hit them up on email and they hooked me up. Other than my hats I keep it pretty simple. I’m not going to lie, I am pretty clumsy. I tend to spill stuff on myself at every meal. I don’t want to get stuff that’s too nice. I don’t want to get it dirty.”
TV
What TV shows are you into right now?
“Game of Thrones, of course. I also watch Walking Dead, when the series finished I transitioned right into Game of Thrones. I watch a lot of Netflix. I like full series but I don’t have time; my schedule doesn’t permit. I watch Netflix a lot; shows like The League or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And The Cosmos. It’s on National Geographic. Those guys are smarter than I am but I kind of understand what they’re talking about.”
If you could be in any TV show past or present which show would you want to be a part of and why?
“Sons of Anarchy. I am a big fan of that too. I would like to be in that show. If someone reading this copy of Fighters Only right now can make that happen that would be great. I want to be an extra for the Mexican biker gang, The Mayans. I could just put on a bandana and stand in the background.”
Besides MMA, what’s your favorite sport to watch?
“Boxing, and sometimes Muay Thai if it’s on. And wrestling. So boxing, Muay Thai and wrestling. I used to be a big fan of football but I had a job for years that I had to work on the weekends so I just lost touch. My team, the Raiders, suck. I’m not going to switch teams, I’m not going to be a Seahawks fan like a lot of people seem to be lately.”
Is there a TV show that we might be surprised to hear you watch?
“When I’m with my kids we watch TV and so I’m pretty up to date on all the Disney Channel shows.”
MUSIC
What type of music do you like?
“My taste in music varies depending on what I have to do that day. Right before a fight I listen to electronic music like Skrillex, Deadmau5 and stuff like that. I really like to get into a fun mood in the locker room before I go out to fight. If I am going to lift heavy weights then it has to be something hard like Metallica, Tool, Slayer or something like that. I like everything except for country. I’ve never really got into it. My step-kids’ biological dad listens to country and they’re always trying to put it on in our house and I’m like, ‘Nope, you are in my house now. Change the channel.’”
Are there any artists you really prefer?
“Yeah, I’m a fan of Tool; they’re one of my favorite groups. If I want to slow it down I’ll listen to Al Green. If we are talking electronic stuff then it’s Skrillex. I like older rap, older hip-hop. I remember when Doggy Style and The Chronic came out, I was in like fifth grade. I think back now and I have a little girl who is in fourth grade and a son in sixth grade and if they came home listening to The Chronic I would not be having it! I knew all the words to both those albums in the fourth or fifth grade.”
Do you have a guilty pleasure song that’s outside of your usual taste?
“I wouldn’t say it’s a guilty pleasure but I really like Elton John. I listened to Elton John right before a couple of my best fights. Right before I fought Aaron Rosa in Vancouver I was listening to Elton John and then I went out there and smashed him (laughs).”
