Issue 065
August 2010
Despite his consistent form in the Octagon, this UFC lightweight has a widely varying music taste. Who knew Johnny Cash and Tupac could mix?
Do you like to listen to music when you train?
Yeah I like to listen to music if I train – usually hip hop. I like Tupac, Young Jeezy is good for training or I’d have to say Sublime. That’s my favorite group, period – probably between them and Pearl Jam. But hip hop, it’s good for when I need to get pumped up and beat somebody’s ass.
Do you listen to music before a fight when you’re in the dressing room getting ready?
Nah, once I go down [to the arena] I train a little bit for about a half hour. I try to get the sweat going and then just joke. I want jokes in my locker room.
So when you’re just chilling you listen to a lot of Pearl Jam, a lot of Sublime?
Yeah, Pearl Jam, Sublime, hip hop – I like Spanish music. I’d say Buena Vista Social Club is good, or old-school country like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash.
Do you have a walkout song you always come out to?
I came out to Tupac, ‘Gangsta Party’, and then I also came out to ‘Hail Mary’. But [the UFC] said it was a little too slow, but it’s just kind of a creepy song, you know? I was like, ‘I want it’ – then I got it against Heurta.
You use your iPhone as your iPod right?
Yep, I’ve got it for everything. It’s a 3GS. I’m just trying to wait until the new one comes out now. But I do have a smaller one for if I jog or if I train. It’s the new iPod Nano.
Are there any boy bands on your iPod?
I think I’ve got Usher on here maybe – he’s considered a boy band right?
Is there anyone on your iPod that you think maybe could kick your ass?
(Laughs) Maybe kill me, not kick my ass. Maybe have me killed or something. I’ve got Jay Z on here, he’s pretty powerful.
Would you like to kick anyone’s ass that’s on your iPod?
You know what? I don’t have Eminem on here. If he was on here I’d probably want to kick his ass. He’d probably try to have me killed too (laughs).
THE SHUFFLE CHALLENGE
Hit shuffle on your iPod and name the first five songs that come up.
No cheating!
1. Rick Ross, ‘Billionaire’
I like Rick Ross to train to. He gets me going you know? He has that voice.
2. T.I., ‘I Still Luv You’
I’ve got a lot of stuff on here; I don’t think I’ve ever heard this. I think I might have downloaded the whole disc for maybe one song.
3. Avail, ‘Santeria’
It’s a cover of Sublime. I’ve got all their stuff.
4. Sublime, ‘Garden Grove’
I’ve got a lot of Sublime on here, just a good song. This was on the ‘Gold’ album where it has a bunch of greatest hits. I grew up with them. I liked them before they blew up. Just a good band; I like them a lot. That’s all I listened to in college, especially if I was drinking. It just got me geared up to drink.
5. Sublime, ‘Under My Voodoo’
It seems like I’ve got all Sublime on here. Again, I mean I’ve got 1,114 songs on here and there’s a bunch that are either Sublime or Pearl Jam. They’ve got some good stuff you can just chill to.
Gray Maynard spoke to Gary Alexander.
