Issue 110
January 2014
The internet rap sensation reveals his love of MMA, his admiration for Royce Gracie and how he pens lines for Chael Sonnen
ONE 5 MINUTE ROUND
What was your introduction to MMA?
“UFC 1. Royce Gracie, the little guy in his gi, heel kicking people in the liver while holding them in full guard, and grinding them to death, before armbarring the s**t out of them. I was fascinated by how much of a technician he was. He, in turn, exposed me to Rickson Gracie, who exposed me to jiu-jitsu. Or, as Brazilians say, ‘ziu-zischu.’”
Who are your favorite fighters?
“It’s hard to say there’s a more entertaining and spellbinding fighter to watch than Anderson Silva. However, I did root against him when Chael went for the title the second time. I was in the front row of the audience and wanted it badly for Chael. So, in all honesty, Chael Sonnen is probably another favorite of mine to watch. Also, Conor McGregor as he’s got such an unorthodox and sick style. My favorite jiu-jitsu guys are ‘Jacare’ (Souza) and Demian Maia.”
What were you thinking when Chael basically spit your exact lyrics from You’re vs. Your live on Fox?
“He asked permission to use the lyrics, so I was flattered. Chael is a friend of mine. I’ve helped him with some of his writing and he’s helped me with some grappling theory.”
If you and Chael stepped into the cage to battle rap, who would have their hand raised at the end?
“Chael would be a better battle rapper than many think. But I’d still kill him. Just like I could probably actually defend myself against him in a fight for a few minutes, before he killed me. I believe he’s a brown belt jiu-jitsu practitioner, with extraordinary wrestling skills and slept-on striking skills.”
What’s the best walkout song?
“I could give you a long list of great songs, but I want to focus on one particular song that it’s criminal no one has used yet – New Noise, by Swedish band Refused.”
What’s your opinion on the TRT debate?
“Overrated. A normal person can’t take some TRT then go out there and outclass Jon Jones, or perform at an Alex Rodriguez level of baseball competency. Lance Armstrong would’ve still won all of those titles off TRT. It gives people a recovery edge, but not a performance edge – well, not a significant one. Stephan Bonnar was doped up against Anderson Silva and was nearly paralyzed. Didn’t do him much good. And Stephan Bonnar is a tough motherf**ker naturally.”
What about teammates fighting teammates?
“I’m not a huge fan, because the pressure of needing to embarrass and hurt your opponent in a professional fight is very real. These guys have to get in the mind frame where they want to destroy their opponent. A guy you have a bond with, or a friendship with, isn’t someone you want to do that to.
“In jiu-jitsu championships, it’s very common for teammates who are matched against each other, to shake hands and disqualify themselves. I understand it has to happen sometimes, but training partners and teammates are crucial resources for fighters, and we shouldn’t enjoy pitting them against each other. I love loyalty and brotherhood in sports.”
And what about the latest season of TUF, where men and women were shacked up together, did you enjoy it?
“It was great for TV drama, and for blurring the lines between male and female fighters. A lot of trained female fighters can kick the s**t out of the average weightlifting, in-shape guy with marginal fight training. Mixing them together further propels women to be respected as martial artists. And I think more women should train martial arts.”
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