Issue 152

March 2017

What was it like growing up in Jamaica?

Jamaica is a beautiful island. The people are wonderful. The culture is amazing. I was actually born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Both of my parents are Jamaican.

We were living out in Queens and I ended up deciding to come to Jamaica. My father got arrested and my mom ended going back to Jamaica and I lived there for a long time. I won’t get into it too much.

Basically, we had to go collect water for the week to cook, to take a shower and things like that. I had to walk far to get that water. I had to walk up a hill carrying buckets. It was crazy. It was good at the same time.

There were a lot of hardships.

You were discovered on Dana White’s Looking for a Fight. Do you maintain a close relationship with him?

We spoke after my UFC debut against Matt Dwyer and he thought I might have had some UFC jitters. I don’t think it was that but maybe it was. Everybody was happy with my performances but I know I can still do a lot better.

Why does your corner always tell you are down in the fight between rounds, no matter how you're doing?

They just always want me to do better, no matter what. I could be smoking my opponent to entire fight and between the final round they will tell me they gave the round to my opponent. They just always want me to finish the fight.

If I do exactly what they taught me to do then nobody should be able to stand in front of me. If I execute and do what I was taught to do the person shouldn’t be standing in front of me after I do it. That’s my coaches’ philosophy.

Why don't you prepare with traditional eight-week fight camps?

I am always ready to fight. I live this. This is what I do. I have been doing it for a while now. I don’t feel like I need to start and stop and start again. I feel like that is unhealthy. I just stay in it. I am sitting in the dark sharpening my blade. I am waiting for war. That’s it.

Which of your fights are you most proud of?

It was an early amateur fight I had a while ago, against Joseph Tortorella.

That was the first time I ever went to a decision as an amateur. I was able to do everything I wanted to do. Everything that came to mind, I put it together.

I faced adversity in that fight, too. I was able to do things that made my teachers proud. I was able to do things that they taught me. I was able to pull certain moves off.

I am my own biggest critic. I am always trying to do better. It’s never good enough. I am always looking for perfection inside the cage.

You list Anderson Silva as a hero. Did you pattern your skills after him?

Anderson is one of the greats. He is someone I look up to a lot. I wouldn’t say I pattern my style after his. I have my own style. I think I am very unique.

There is a resemblance. I bring something a little different to the table.

There are some similarities. He is somebody I study a lot. I study Jon Jones. I study BJ Penn. I study a lot of high-level strikers, too. I watch a lot of boxing – more so than MMA. I also like a lot of the high-level wrestlers, like Ben Askren and dudes like that.

Do you have a favorite Anderson Silva fight?

I would say old-school Anderson before the UFC. Back when he would be on the attack, coming at dudes all crazy with those straight-line punches.

I liked when he fought a few times at 170lb. I like when he threw the elbows from underneath against Tony Fryklund – bobbing and weaving. I am a big fan of making people miss. I am a big fan of footwork.

Any fighter that can make somebody miss and make that fighter pay, I am a big fan of that. My entire goal in fighting is to fight and not get hit. I am all about making my opponent miss, making them pay and looking pretty doing it.