Issue 059
February 2010
Kitbags
I’ve got two bags made by Dakine, who are one of my sponsors. I’m so lucky to be a part of the Dakine family. The bags are designed for athletes to travel in style. I’ve actually had this gear right here since before I did the TUF TV-show two years ago. I’ve traveled all over the world; I’ve been to Japan, to Europe, I’ve been all over the place with this exact same pair of bags and they look like they’re brand new. Everywhere I go I get compliments on my gear.
Bag Gloves
I’ve got my bag gloves, which are Twins Specials that my good buddy Duane Ludwig gave to me the last time I was at his house. These are my ten-ounce gloves I hit the bag and the pads with.
Sparring Gloves
I’ve got my Windy 16oz sparring gloves; I’ve had these for about a year now and they’re holding up good. I’m a cheap bastard! If it’s not free I’m not looking to replace it! These are holding up really well.
Head guard
I’ve had this head guard since I first started boxing and that must have been eight years ago. I started boxing at a Police Athletic League, it was under old John… I forget his name, but he was the meanest old S.O.B. He didn’t even talk to me for three months. Every day I went in there and hit bags, and during the third month he slaps me with a pad on the side of my face and then walked away. But, after that, every day I’d come in and he’d give me one little piece of info, a week later he’d give me two pieces, a week later I was fighting for him. That’s a Kronk label made by Fairtex. That cost me $60 like seven or eight years ago – that’s a good investment right there.
Hand wraps / knuckle pads
The knuckle pads are because I hit so freaking hard. Honestly, I’ve broken my hands multiple times. As a fighter you’ve got to take care of your hands. You can make them at home, just keep them in your bag and put them on with your hand wraps so you can really lay into the pads or the bags.
Supplements
I’m sponsored by MHP, thank God. They’ve been with me since I was a power lifter actually, over a decade ago – stuck with me the whole time. Now they’re into the MMA market. I use almost all MHP products. I use this Cyclin, it’s an amazing product. It’s all IOC approved so you can fight in any sanctioned state in this country and it’s totally legal.
Foam Roller
You’ve got to have a foam roller in your bag, this thing cost me $9.99 and it helps your body repair and recover after hard training sessions. It rolls out any scar tissue, adhesions or bruises you may have, any misalignments of the muscle tissue. Most guys don’t even think about their recovery until they’re in bed that night.
Bands
I’ve got a lot of elastic bands of different tensions. Fedor is pretty famous for elastic training, I’m a big advocate as well and that comes way back from my power-lifting background. I’m definitely a strength-orientated coach and these bands are great for flexibility and increasing the elastic strength of the muscle itself. I can always get a workout, even if the gym’s closed. I can wrap it around a tree or whatever – never got an excuse not to train.
First Aid kit
It’s my first-aid kit, when you walk into a gym God knows what’s going to happen when you walk out. Cuts, bruises, I have anti-bacterial for obvious reasons; I have Icy Hot to cool things down or warm things up. I have gauze, tape and scissors. I got deodorant, new skin, band aids, Q-tips, Vaseline… Anti-bacterial wipes because I’m a germaphobe – I’ve got a little OCD. You can’t rely on the gym to have this stuff.
Backpack
My backpack is basically my dry bag, I keep my cell phone in there, my passport, my money, my iPod, all my clean clothes. I’ve always got an extra pair of underwear, an extra pair of everything, a rash guard, Cage Fighter shorts. I’ve got my notebook, I write a lot, take notes of what I see in the gym, phone numbers of people I meet. I’ve got bags of food in there, oatmeal, peanut butter, dried fruit, so I never have an excuse not to eat. I carry everything and I’m self-sufficient. Everywhere I go I’ve got what I need.
