Issue 104
August 2013
The bonus check-winning UFC lightweight reveals his love for anime and R. Kelly, his dream of being cast opposite Sly Stallone, and why he can’t ever get into clubs.
CARS
What was the first car you owned and how much did it cost?
“I had a 1978 Cutlass and it probably cost me like $400 to $500 (laughs). It was a piece of s**t but it was my piece of s**t. I was going to do it up and make it new. It was supposed to be my old-school ride that I would take out every now and again when I was an old man. However, the problem was that if the police saw you in that car they know you’re somebody bad, so I’d end up getting pulled over every day.”
What car do you drive now?
“I’m really a Mustang man, but currently I have a Cadillac CTS because I needed a car for my son, I needed a four-door car. I didn’t want him to be sitting in the back feeling cramped, I want him to be comfortable.”
If you could own any car in the world, what would it be?
“I’m not crazy into cars too much, like all the luxury cars. I’d be happy with a Dodge Charger. I don’t need a Maserati or some other crazy-expensive car.”
If you were going to pimp out your car what would it be with?
“It would have to be the Lamborghini doors. Being able to ride down the street with my doors open would be great.”
MUSIC
What kind of music are you into?
“I listen to everything. I’m a big R&B fan and I like a lot of hip-hop, but honestly I listen to everything. I really like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson too. When I’m with my black friends and a Marilyn Manson song comes on they all sort of give me a weird look, but he’s a very intelligent man and it shows through his music.”
You mentioned you’re into R&B, which isn’t exactly something a lot of fighters admit to. What is it about R&B you like?
“Well R. Kelly is one of my favorite artists – he’s a genius. The fact he’s been around for so long makes him one of the best. I remember being like 12 years old and my parents had the 12 Play album. I remember thinking to myself, ‘What are my parents listening to? They’re listening to some dirty dance music (laughs).’”
Do you listen to any newer artists or do you keep it strictly in the ‘90’s?
“I like finding new artists, especially hip hop artists who have deep lyrics – like Drake and Meek Mill. Meek Mill has a new mix tape called Dreamchasers 3 and it’s not even out properly yet, but I’ve got it. I loved his album Dreams and Nightmares. He had some really deep stuff on it.”
What song is your guilty pleasure?
“I’ve got some stuff because I’m a lover and a fighter (laughs). I got a lot of baby makin’ music on my iPhone, a lot of that love stuff. I’ve got some songs on there that my boys don’t even know about, you know (laughs). I’ll put my iPhone on the speakers in the gym and something will come up and they’ll all look at me like, ‘What the hell is this?’”
TV
What TV shows are you into right now?
“I really enjoy Family Guy. I love American Dad too, but the comedy in Family Guy is a little more in your face than American Dad. Nothing is safe. They talk about black people, white people, politics, etcetera. I like that they just put it out there.”
What shows do you watch with your son?
“We watch a lot of Sponge Bob. We like Adventure Time too, but the thing with Adventure Time is that even though it’s for kids there’s a lot of subliminal references in there for adults and you really have to pay attention to that. ”
What sort of shows were you into growing up? Were you big into cartoons like your son?
“I was a big Dragonball Z fan. That show was a huge part of my childhood. The best moment in the show was when Vegeta came back and began fighting Cell and tried to use a ‘Final Flash’ that was big enough to destroy the earth. That was crazy. ’”
A lot of fighters are influenced by that specific show, but they all have their favorite sagas. What was yours?
“Mine had to be the Android and Cell saga. They were both so sick. In one of the early episodes an Android breaks Vegeta’s arm. That was so amazing because we’d never seen anything like that in the show before. Nobody had hurt Vegeta like that and so easily.”
FLICKS
What was the last movie you watched and what did you think of it?
“I watched Django Unchained last night. I loved that movie. They took a word that is still considered to be so serious and is still such a big thing for people. To use it and sort of depower the word and show that the whole thing was a thing of the past really makes the film great in my eyes.”
What’s your favorite type of movie?
“I like romantic films, action, comedy. I like a variety of genres.”
If you were starring in a movie what genre would you be in?
“I’ve never really thought about having an action career or anything like that because I’m a fighter, but I guess because people think of me as a tough guy I’d have to be in an action film.”
What about something like The Expendables?
“How could I be in a film with Sylvester Stallone? He’d be like, ‘What have you done? I played Rocky, kid (laughs).’”
What’s the last movie you cried at?
“I don’t think I’ve ever cried at a film, but I remember that the last time a film really moved me was Dead Presidents. There’s a line in the film where this girl’s on a beach and she says, ‘No matter how important you are and no matter how much money you make, you’re never more important than the ocean.’ I thought that was so deep.”
STYLE
When you’re hitting the clubs, are you a suit guy?
“I’m not a suit-wearing kind of guy, but I guess I need to be because I literally cannot get into clubs. I went to the last UFC event in San Jose for Lorenz Larkin’s after party and the bouncers let everyone in besides from the three black guys – me, Lorenz and one of my other buddies. They were p**sed at me because I had white shoes on. I went back to my car to change my shoes and they still wouldn’t let me in because apparently I looked too ‘gangster.’ So I took everyone out of that place and we tried to get into a small bar, but they wouldn’t let me in because they said that they didn’t allow people with neck tattoos in after 10pm. So, basically, my style apparently isn’t suitable for clubs (laughs).”
What kind of sneakers are you into?
“I’m a Supra guy. Those are classy and they still wouldn’t let me in with them.”
You’ve got quite a few tattoos. What’s the most important one to you?
“I’ve got the head of the Statue of Liberty on my chest and she’s crying tears of blood. I have that because it signifies our freedom of speech. It’s represents the right to liberty, the right to freedom and the right to be the people who we are without offending others. I feel like in this industry there are underhanded things no one talks about. I want it to show that what I say is truthful and that I’m the real deal.”
SHUFFLE
HIT SHUFFLE AND TELL US THE FIRST FIVE SONGS. NO CHEATING
Danity Kane, One Shot
“No one ever expects this song, but it reminds me that all I need is one shot, one opportunity and when I get it, I’m going to nail it. Also, one of the chicks I used to date loved it too.”
Chris Brown, I Get Around
“This is a mix tape track, so not a lot of people know about it. I like a lot of mix tape stuff. I tend to listen to the tracks that people only really here around five years later and this is one of them.”
Drake, Over My Dead Body
“This song is so significant; when I lost my first fight in Strikeforce people said that I’m not as good as I was supposed to be and that fired me up. From there I was like, ‘You’re gonna beat me? Over my dead body.’”
Empire of the Sun, Walking on a Dream
“I was watching a film and this song came on at the end of the film. I was so shocked because it was kind of funky.”
Keyshia Cole, Same Thing
“She’s my favorite female artist. I feel like she’s my little hood chick that got big and I’m the hood dude who got big too. She’s talking about relationships and how we go through the same thing but can’t get it right.”
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