Issue 161
December 2017
The ex-Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker looks back on his successful UFC debut.
How pleased were you with a win over Rafael Natal in your UFC debut?
"I think I put on a good show. Natal is a veteran, and has been around for a long time, but he only landed two or three strikes and I got him out of there. I put him on ice in the very first round, and it’s hard to get any better than that on your first go!"
Did you ever expect to finish him off with a first-round KO?
"I last fought less than a month before that fight, and I had that guy in the same position – on the fence – and I wasn’t able to finish him. I crowded my punches and rattled off combinations and in the end, I went for the takedown. The biggest takeaway from the Natal fight is within those three weeks, I was able to completely change my game plan and fighting style. The style and plan was to keep Rafael at the end of my punches and boxing range, and we felt that would be the end result."
How did it feel to get praise from NFL players, like New Orleans Saints’ running back Mark Ingram?
"They love it! Things didn’t work out the way we thought at the beginning, but we found other avenues to become successful. The NFL guys appreciate the work that has been put in as much as the fight itself."
Did you bring anything you learned from football coaching legend Nick Saban into MMA?
"He talked about the process and giving yourself the best possible chance to succeed, and I think I do that. I train all day, every day. I coach. I do it all. I spend my life immersed in mixed martial arts. That is the big thing I took from him."
How important were your 22 amateur fights before turning pro?
"I was fighting every other weekend, so they all run together. They provided me with the necessary experience in order to make it as a professional. I had to deal with adversity and I lost as an amateur three times. I fought off chokes, I fought out of bad spots, I had to cut weight and make weight properly: I had to starve. I took something away from every amateur fight. Most of your wins have come via either KO or TKO. "
When did you first realize you had that kind of fight changing power at your disposal?
"I have been able to harness that in my last few professional fights to be honest. I like to wrestle, I like to grapple. That’s where I found myself in most of my fights. I am getting really comfortable on my feet and at range and distance, so I am letting the strikes fly."
Is it true you sparred UFC heavyweight Walt Harris on your first day of training?
"That is 100% true! I didn’t know who he was, I just wanted to try it. I walked in there and they asked if I wanted to train, If I wanted to fight. Alright, here are some gloves. Go box. That’s not very intelligent for a coach to do that. I spent a little bit of my amateur career at that gym, then moved down the street to Spartan Fitness. That does not happen there. There is a process and you have to earn your right to make it to the competition team. That’s the best way to do it. At the end of the day, the fighters who make it to the comp team are truly dedicated. If you just hand it to someone, they don’t respect it."
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