Issue 167

May 2018

Victory over a former world champion has given ‘Boom’ a signature UFC win.

You said that the world would know your name after fighting Renan Barão. Do you feel like that is the case now after your impressive performance?

Yeah, 100%. There were a lot of people showing praise, between media and fighters and training partners from my past. They are people who saw me coming up in the sport before I was even close to the UFC. They knew that I believed in myself, but to see me take out a former champ was surreal for everyone, really. Renan Barão has such a big name, being a former world champ. I knew if I could take him out, or at least show all my skills within three rounds, people would know me after the fight.   

Was your plan to control the fight with constant pressure?

That was key. I knew in past fights that when guys pressured him, eventually he starts to slow down. With me, I didn’t want to clinch and wrestle and take him down. 

I wanted to pretend that I wanted to do that so that he would get tired defending and he would have to worry about that. I knew, in the end, I was going to let my hands go. It was just part of the plan to keep pressure on him and build that lactic acid in his muscles and then get him tired so I could be the faster guy and 

land the power shots toward the end of the fight.

When did you realize the fight was going your way?

As I went into the third round, I felt really fresh. I felt in really good shape. I looked across and I saw a guy who was slowing down. It even seemed like his punches were coming at me slower. I gained confidence from that. I started to let go, go forward and just believe in my power. I saw his eyes roll back. He was on wobbly legs. He definitely felt my power.

How close were you to stopping him at the end of round three?

It was crazy. I heard the crowd going crazy during the exchange. It made me want to keep going. I could sense a finish there. I felt all of my punches connecting really hard on his chin and on his head. I knew I was hurting that guy. I really wished I could have gotten 10 more seconds. That last flurry of punches he almost sat down. That guy has a lot of heart. He doesn’t get KO’d. He won’t go away. 

Your dad and your brother are part of your corner team. What roles do they play? 

My younger brother Matt has always been my main training partner. He is always there. He is selfless with his time. He knows I need him for a lot of workouts where sometimes it’s just me and him. I get really high-quality work with him. To have him in my corner is awesome. Having him and my dad in my corner is more of a spiritual connection. You would think you would want really high-level coaches in your corner, but I have my striking coach, my dad and my brother, and that’s all I need. I feel 100% confident with those guys. With my brother, it’s that comfort that comes with having him there. He knows every little movement I do. Everything goes smooth and that carries into the fight. I am a big believer in momentum. I like how it feels when we warm up and I go right into the fight.  

How did a high pace and heavy-handed style become your hallmark?

It’s more of a mental thing. I hit a switch when I went on a big win streak before I made it to the UFC. I have sold myself short in some fights and I haven’t put my full 100% effort out there and let my skills go as far as I know I could have. I let that go and said I would never do that again. I am going to leave it all in the cage, no matter what. Every time I fight I am looking for the finish. I have a really good killer instinct. I can see when guys are hurt and take advantage of that. 

I am always prepared mentally for a three-round war. I never think it’s going to end quickly. That helps me in fights when guys don’t go away easily. All these guys are tough in the UFC. I always expect to go to the third round. That’s where I fight best. I get better as the fight goes on. The third round is my best round and that’s when I put guys away. 

You spent a lot of time at a bowling alley growing up. Can you still roll a 300 game? 

I have to be the toughest bowler! I go bowling time to time and I haven’t lost my bowling skills. Maybe I should just stop fighting and just bowl and eat a lot of food and relax. Maybe when I’m retired from fighting, I will go back to bowling!