Issue 120

October 2014

Custom gloves to duct tape: peek inside the gym bag of one of the UFC’s most exciting 145lb’ers

DUCT TAPE

“I always keep duct tape on me, but most fighters do. You can use it to help support the wrist, and most of the velcro on our equipment you have to tape down or it scratches and sometimes can cut.”

MMA GLOVES

“I’ve used the UFC gloves for grappling and stuff, but if I’m going to be sparring with MMA gloves we use, at Jackson’s MMA we call them poofier gloves. Those just have more padding. I also use Fighting Sports’ gloves – that’s a pretty good brand through and through.”

EVERLAST BOXING GLOVES

“Everlast made me some custom ‘Killer Cub’ gloves with my logo on them and stuff, so I like to rock those. My whole color theme for fighting Jeremy Stephens in July was neon green but Everlast had a really hard time finding me that color to do the gloves.

“I was sent them the first time and was like, ‘This isn’t the color I asked for.’ And the team said, ‘Oh, it’s really hard.’ They tried again and they got it right. I appreciated they made me the second pair and it was the exact color I wanted, so I was very proud of them.”

VIRUS VALE TUDO SHORTS

“In my gym I wear all Virus International clothing. That’s my sponsor and I helped design some of the stuff. Virus’s technology is great.

“I mostly wear vale tudo shorts when I’m training. But if I’m at someone else’s gym I’ll just wear regular shorts, and Virus has some real loose-fitting, really light shorts I’ll run in or use if I’m doing strength and conditioning.

“I’ve actually come out with my own signature shorts with logo on. And they do Killer Cub T-shirts and hats too.”

SUPPLEMENTS

“I’ll usually bring a thing of water with some amino acids, and I’m always taking Onnit Alpha Brain. I keep a bottle of that in my gym bag. It’s crazy, it just keeps you focused. I don’t even know what’s in it. I’ve read the back a few times and didn’t recognize anything but it’s just one of those things that makes you focused, and that’s what I’m all about.

“At this stage in my career I’ve learned that if you’re going to go to the gym you have to give it all your attention. Don’t just go there and go through the motions.”

HANDWRAPS

“I go for the longer wraps. I try to find the ones that are 180 inches, which are hard to find. But I have a really good pair right now from War, the company that makes War tape. My boxing coach gave them to me. I use those and a knuckle pad from Winning Boxing because I’ve got to make sure I protect my hands; I’ve broken them eight times (laughs).”