Issue 109
December 2013
The WSOF welterweight has spent plenty of time in the cage and on the gridiron, but still thinks boil-and-bite mouthguards are the best you can get for combat sports
NIKE WRESTLING BOOTS
“I’m a big fan of Nike’s wrestling boots. I used to wrestle in high school and I still do a lot of wrestling at the gym. We like to make sure our wrestling is definitely on point and I feel as though the Nike wrestling boots are the best for me. They’re a little bit of a hybrid between boxing and wrestling boots so I can use them to train in both disciplines.”
IMF RINGSIDE GLOVES
“I hurt my hand against Jon Fitch when we first fought (UFC Fight Night 4, 2006) and since then I’ve been wearing Ringside gloves to try and protect them. They’re incredibly comfortable and the protection they give is second-to-none. I’m definitely glad I chose them.”
UNDER ARMOUR RASHGUARD
“I either wear my Under Armour rashguard or Nike one. I have fitted rashguards so they’re really snug. I actually look like Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon (laughs). It’s so much more comfortable and makes so much more sense than having a baggy top drenched in sweat that weighs you down. No one is going to be grabbing my top because I’ll be too slippery.”
BOIL-AND-BITE MOUTHGUARD
“Everyone says I’m crazy for this but I use a regular boil-and-bite mouthguard when I’m fighting. I’ve used them my entire career. Everyone wears these fancy mouthpieces that are made by dentists, but I just don’t think they protect your bottom teeth. I’ve been hit by 200lb to 300lb linebackers with those boil and bites so I think they work pretty well.
“It seems to me that when you get a big hit to the head during sparring, boil and bites protect me a lot more than the other ones.”
COMBAT SPORTs SHIN GUARDS
“It’s difficult to find shin guards that have great protection, but I’ve found that with Combat Sports shin guards. They not only give good protection, they also slip on and off really nicely, and they’re also great for grappling. Finding shin guards you can wear while grappling without feeling uncomfortable is pretty hard to do, but my Combat Sports shin guards are just the trick. They’re kind of like a hybrid.”
RINGSIDE DUFFEL BAG
“I now have a huge Ringside bag that I take with me to the gym, but I used to have a really big Nike bag with all kinds of pockets around it and stuff like that. Both of them have a ton of pockets where I can put all my stuff. With the Ringside, I have a section for my hand wraps, a section for my clothes and my supplements.
“I’ve even managed to fit my shinpads and headgear in there too. I basically carry a locker with me to the gym.”
