What's going on, guys? Hope you guys are
doing well. We are back with another
episode. Now, today we have a fighter
interview with Mr. Eric Royal out of
Fresno, California. I really want to tap
into the amateur scene, you know, the
pro scene out in these different
organizations. Of course, we want to
reach out to some UFC fighters and know
about their stories, but there's like
some crazy crazy lore going on with with
all these fighters who trying to make it
out the make it out the mud, you know,
and and do their thing. So Erica Royal
coming from, you know, very hard
beginnings to now fighting for the
featherweight title for the 559
promotion. So, hope you guys enjoy.
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me. And we'll have more videos in the
future. So, hope you guys enjoy this
episode. Let's go.
Welcome to the channel. We have Eric
Aoyo. He's making his m uh 559 uh return
in on April 4th in Vice, California. His
last fight did get cancelled. So, I do
want to ask you um how you felt about
that, you know, cancellation. It was
last minute. I found out through
Instagram live. I was watching the
weigh-ins. I'm like, "All right, we did
an interview with Eric and I was excited
to see I was excited to see uh you out
there, but there was like some some talk
in the background. It's like, oh, the
fight got cancelled." So, when did you
find out about it and how did you feel
once you heard the news?
>> Oh, man. So, um, so the day was at
actually the morning, it was the morning
of the fight. So, we had to be at
weigh-ins at I believe 10 uh a.m.
So, prior to that, you know, um just me
being, you know, just making sure I'm on
top of my stuff, you know. Obviously, I
wake up like an hour early, hour and a
half early, um just to make sure I check
my weight and stuff and I'm on weight
and I'm ready to go and stuff like that,
you know. And plus, I'm already kind of
up, you know, I I don't really sleep on
the days that I have fights cuz I'm so
like just in my mind, you know, thinking
about like how the fight's going to go
and stuff like that. So, but um yeah, so
it was it was actually the morning of
and uh I was actually here with my mom
and it was about like like maybe like
in the morning, in the morning
and I'm laying in bed and I get a phone
call from my coach and my coach is like,
you know, basically he's like, "Hey bud,
you know, I got to tell you something."
And I'm like I'm like, "What?" I'm like,
"I thought it was like I thought it was
going to be like one of my teammates's
uh you know, like guys that backed out.
I thought it was honestly my teammate
Sajan, you know. I thought I thought
that's what it was, you know. Something
had came up, you know. Um, we also had
another buddy there, uh, my buddy
Gabriel. Um, he was fighting the 165 uh,
champ. He was the 165 champ. He was
defending that day.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
>> Um, so yeah, he's part of our gym now
too also. So, you know, we welcome them
in the RDC, you know, we brought him in
and stuff like that, you know. So, um,
but yeah, man. So, I I thought it was
one of those. I thought one of their
fights had got backed out or something
and then my coach was like, "There's no
fight." And I'm like
I'm like, "Dude, you're messing with me
right now." And he's like, "I swear." He
goes, "You think he's go he's like,
"It's in the morning. You think I
would be messing with you right now?"
And I'm like, "Ah, man." Dude, so that
right there, you know, like that kind of
like,
you know, I was just like, cuz prior to
this fight, uh, I had another fight, you
know, and that guy also had to pull out,
you know, so I was just like, dude, you
know what I'm saying? Like not not not
my title fight, man. You know what I'm
saying? not not the title fight, like
you know, I've been working so hard to
get, you know, get this get to back
where I was at. And, you know, just
dealing with everything outside of the
gym, you know, and just trying to still,
you know, like I said, I work a
full-time job, you know, I'm a full-time
dad, you know, and just trying to find
the time to still like put in the work,
you know, especially like I was taking
days I was take I took days off of work,
you know. I I don't make that much
money, bro. you know, I work I work a
normal job, you know, but when it comes
to stuff like this, you know, like I
took extra days off, you know, because I
wanted to get in those extra days, you
know, so, you know, it kind of did bum
me out, man. You know, it was more of a
like a demotivate like it demotivated
me, you know. I wasn't really so mad,
you know, cuz I know these type of
things happen in this in this type of,
you know, this this sport. But, you
know, you know, like I said, it's all in
God's hands and, you know, every you
know, everything happens for a reason.
you know, I try to look at it like that.
You know, I try not to be negative, you
know. Um, but yeah, you know, so that's
basically what happened, man. And, you
know, they try to find me a different
opponent and um, you know, it just
wasn't enough time. You know, there's
not a lot of amateur. There's not a lot
of amateurs that are cutting weight just
in case somebody doesn't, you know what
I'm saying? That's more like when you
get to a pro level and, you know, like
you're maintaining and stuff like that
and something happens. I could cut 10
lbs in in a day. Hey, can you be here
tomorrow? Bet. I'll cut the 10 pounds
today, you know. So, you know, that's
like that's like when you go pro and
stuff like that. But, um, you know, so
yeah, man. You know, but um, you know, I
I still had a good time, man. The event
was really good. You know, my teammates
went out there. They both, you know,
fought their asses off, you know. Sentin
got the dub, you know. So, now he, you
know, not only is he a two-time 559
champ, but he's also like the Camo State
champ now, too, you know. So,
>> whole crowd is going crazy,
>> man. Dude, dude, man. You know, uh,
yeah, dude. Not, you know, it just, man,
it just sucks, man. Overall, because,
you know, I had sold so many tickets,
bro. I sold so many tickets and I had,
you know,
man, dude, it was just supposed to be a
really big event, man. This was this was
going to be the one, bro.
>> It felt like this was this fight between
me and Johnny was supposed to be like it
was going to be another fight of the
year. Like, it was two dogs in the cage,
you know? Everybody knew it was going to
be, you know what I'm saying? And you
know that that's all I wanted to bring
man. You know I was ready to bring my
agame. You know I was hoping he was
bringing his agame. You know um you know
uh shout out to him you know it's all
you know it's never bad blood without
you know none of these guys you know. Um
I hope you know he recovered and you
know he's doing what he's doing now. Um
and uh yeah man. You know so we're here
now you know and um yeah. So I'm just
I'm working hard again still you know
still doing the same thing you know.
Hopped right back into fight camp. Um
and just yeah man. I'm just, you know,
I'm just ready. The fight's like, I
think a little less than four weeks out.
So, you know, just just just little
preparations now. You know what I'm
saying? Little preparations and, you
know, just getting ready pretty much.
>> So, how does that work right after a
fight? Like especially if like you want
to stay active, like how how much time
are you giving yourself to rest and
recover before you get back into, you
know, fighting shape? Um, so usually,
uh, I mean it's all really like I mean
for for me it's really I let my co my
coach decide, you know. Um, so he
usually gives us about a week off
depending on how the fight went, you
know, if we if we took a lot of damage.
We might have to take a little two weeks
off, you know, maybe 3 weeks just
depending. Uh, but it's never been that
bad, you know. Um, so but yeah, usually
it's just a week, man. We usually take a
week off, you know, get a week to spend
time with family, you know, we get to
grub out, snack out, you know, get to
cheat on our diet, you know, just enjoy,
you know, enjoy it, you know, uh, win or
lose, win or lose, you know,, you know,
regardless. We were in a fight camp, you
know, and we, you know, you work hard
through your fight. I mean, I hope
everybody works hard through their fight
camps. And I mean, it's really one
thing, you know, like if you go out
there and you don't get the results you
want, but then to still like go home and
be hard on yourself, like, no, man, go
home, be be happy that you made it home
healthy, you know, you went out there,
you did your best, you know, go have
some ice, man, go have some pizza, go
have some burgers with your family, you
know, like go, you know what I'm saying?
We're young, man. You know, so that's
But yeah, that's pretty much it, though.
Yeah. So, it's about a week, man. My
coach usually take tells us to take a
week off, but for me, I obviously I
didn't get to fight, you know, so I I
hopped right back into fight camp. Yeah.
Yeah, I hopped right into fight. I'm not
going to lie, I did snack out a little
bit, you know, like I I took my week. I
took advantage of my week. I did. I did
take advantage of my week, you know,
even though I didn't take a fight. I had
asked him. I was like, "Hey, like I cut
the weight. I was on weight. Like, can I
can I take that week off?" He was like,
"Go ahead, bud. You know, you you you
worked hard this fight camp, you know,
and you know, I could at least give that
to you, you know." So, you know, I took
my week off and, you know, I gubbed.
>> Yeah. And you mentioned that you work
like 10our shifts. How are you able to
to have that, you know, still eat clean?
Like, what kind of meals are you eating
like during your your work shift?
Because I'm sure it's a little harder
for for you because you you probably
work out a ton, burn a lot of calories.
So, what kind of what kind of meals are
you are you eating?
>> So, for me, my diet my diet is really
it's really simple, man. you know, you
know, pretty much rice, chicken, uh stay
away from sweets, uh a lot of greens,
you know, a lot of water,
no cookies, no cereal, none of that type
of stuff. Um
when I So, like when I'm at work, I'm
not going to lie, majority of the time
when I'm at work, I kind of do like this
look like this fasting. Like I kind of
fast, but I don't fast. You know what
I'm saying? So like in the mornings,
I'll usually I'll probably eat like
maybe two oatmeal packets. I have like
the little oatmeal packets. It comes
with like different flavors, you know.
I'll usually eat like one of those. I'll
eat like two of those just to have
something like to get me started in the
morning. But pretty much throughout the
day, I kind of just water load, you
know. I kind of water load. And then I
might I might have like maybe in between
like a snack, maybe like some peanuts,
you know, or something like that. Um and
then after that once I uh I and then and
then I'll go to practice and stuff like
that. And then once I get home, I that's
when I eat like my big meal. I'll eat
like a big big big meal until like so
I'm talking about, man, I'll eat like
two or three plates. You know what I'm
saying? And I kind of just like I'll
sleep on that and then that kind of you
know what I'm saying? That but that's
that's what kind of works for me. It
doesn't work with everybody else. Um I
kind of have to figure out what works
for me, what doesn't, you know? Like I
said, sometimes throughout the day I I
might smack on a yogurt. Um I protein
shakes. I protein shakes. I can't stress
that enough. Bananas and protein shakes,
bro. You can never go wrong with that
stuff.
>> So, yeah, cuz a lot of people are
wondering like, you know, to keep the
weight down. Maybe they're not even
fighters. They just want to, you know,
stay on this type of like healthy type
of type of, you know, vibe. So, you're
saying this like consistency?
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's just like anything, you
know, you know, you're not going to get
results right away. You know, it takes
time. You know, your body needs to
adjust. Especially like if you go from
eating a lot of sweets to eating stuff
like that, you know, like your body
takes time, you know, like for me now
that I eat a lot of clean stuff, my body
it's harder for it to like digest uh
greasy food and sweets. I feel like when
I eat that type of stuff, the next day
I'm like, oh, like, you know, like I it
just doesn't work well with my body
anymore, you know? So, and before it
used to be reversed, you know, like I
used to eat nothing but clean and stuff,
but then all that stuff was like
flushing my body out and you know, so it
just like it counter it counterbalance
it counter, you know, whatever. So, um,
but yeah, it's just like it's just like
anything else, man. Consistency is key.
You know, as long as you keep eating
clean and, you know, you're staying on
top of your diet and stuff like that and
you know, your diet won't lie. You know
what I'm saying? Your diet your diet
won't lie. The scale won't lie. You know
what I'm saying? So, you can sit here
and tell me I haven't been eating
sweets. I haven't been eating this,
this, and that, but the scale it don't
lie. You know what I'm saying? That's
the one thing that's the one thing my
coach tells me like, you could tell me
all this all you want, but this you're
still at this, this, this, you know, so
you're not obviously you're not doing
something, you know? So,
um, that's like Yeah. The biggest thing,
though. Yeah. And, uh, cardio, man.
Cardio. A lot of cardio. You know what
I'm saying? I know a lot of people don't
like to run.
>> Um, your name, the the the way that they
spell your name. Do you get that a lot?
Like, oh, I didn't know your name was
Eric. Or do you get Enrique a lot?
>> Yeah, honestly I get it uh I get Enrique
a lot, man. Like even like when I was in
school, dude, that's always been like a
issue for me, you know? Um it, you know,
cuz the way it's spelled, you know, it's
right. People look at it right away and
then they they see, you know, Enrique,
you know, but then I have to tell people
like, "Nah, it's Eric, you know." And
people ask me like, "Oh, where did you
get your name from?" My mom uh it's
funny because my mom she wanted she
wanted to she wanted to name me Eric and
she had got my name off of a show. I
believe it's like a old doctor show but
um she just didn't know how to spell it,
you know. So, uh she said that the day I
was born that she was like going back
and forth uh you know about how she
wanted to spell my name and uh the
doctor was just like why don't you just
put q at the end? she wanted to put the
E R I K or the E R I C K. So the doctor
was just like, "Well, why don't you just
put u E." So my mom was like, "Okay,
that's different." So she just put the
Q. So now it was E R I Q. So it's like
Eric, if you want to be like technical,
it's like Er. But um yeah, even like my
middle name too. My middle name is uh
it's Alec Xander instead of being Alex
with a X. It is unique though at at the
My dad was like, "Oh, you misspelled his
name." I'm like, "No, that's that's how
his name spelled." Yeah. So, like um
when when you had your first fight, like
what how were the the nerves dealing
with that? I know you wrestled and stuff
before, but MMA is like a different
level. How how did it feel?
>> Yeah, it was a it was Yeah, man. It was
a different feeling cuz like I you know
like I said prior you know to like my
the way I used to when the way I grew up
as a kid you know I was always I was
kind of already always fighting you know
like I was always kind of fighting in
the streets but it's way different like
fighting as an adult and then fighting
as a kid you know like you know so it's
just like it's a it's just a way it's
just whole different but I I
>> can you can you elaborate on that a
little bit like what what's what's like
the biggest difference with the I mean
of course the strength and speed but
like what
>> what what it is for me is Like when I
was a kid, you know, I was obviously
like I was out, you know, you know,
fighting in the streets the well, for
one, I was doing it the wrong way. I
shouldn't have been fighting in the
streets, you know, picking fights, you
know.
>> Um,
>> honestly, like a lot of the fights that
I got into like it wasn't even because
of me. It was either because I was
defending somebody or somebody was
trying to like bully me or something or
pick on me or something or, you know,
whatever. So, you know, I obviously like
the way I was raised, you know, I was
raised to always stand up for myself,
you know, don't don't ever, you know,
you don't ever start. My mom always told
me, you know, like don't ever start
anything, but you know, if someone hits
you or something, you I want you to
defend yourself. And you know, and you
know, but my mom was like, but if you
get into a fight and you get your ass
beat and you come home, then I'mma whoop
your ass. No. So, you know, that was
like I always have in the back of my
mind like, damn, if I get into this
fight and then I come home and I my mom
sees that I'm beat up, she's going to
beat me up more because I lost the
fight. So,
>> um, that's just my mom being funny, you
know? Just my mom being funny. Um, but,
um,
>> yeah. Yeah. So, it's just Yeah. You
know, but uh it was just it's just
different, man. Cuz as as a like I
didn't really fight as an adult, you
know what I'm saying? Like as a when I
fight as an adult, I mean like right now
in a cage, you know, like and I'm around
I'm around a crowd and you know, like
it's kind of funny because like
sometimes I tell people like who
schedules fights like I have a scheduled
fight to fight somebody. You know what
I'm saying? Like usually when I fight
it's because it's because somebody
looked at me some type of way and I'm
like what's up fool? What are you
looking at? Or you know what I'm saying?
or like you know or somebody like says
something or says some to try to get at
my girl you know and it's just like in
the moment you know what I'm saying like
I don't know nothing about you don't
know nothing about me you know what I'm
saying and um like that I feel like
that's kind of like the only thing
that's different you know because like
with this type of stuff like you know
this guy's preparing you know he's
getting ready to fight you you know like
you know and it's just you you know and
then it's the same thing with you you
know you're you have time to prepare
you're training and you know you know in
the streets you know you're not really
training you know, you know, I kind of
just kind of knew how to fight already
because I used to just, you know, box
all my cousins and, you know, we all
used to wrestle each other growing up
and all the neighborhood kids, you know,
we would all just beat each other up,
you know, and that's just pretty much
like how it really kind of started for
me, you know, and you know, and that's
pretty much where it started. But, you
know, as I got older, you know, like I
said, obviously I was hanging around the
wrong crowds and, you know, so that's I
started getting into fights, you know,
and that that stuff, you know, and you
know, it's just yeah, that that's what
kind of led me down the path I went down
and you know, um, but like I said,
there's always a right way to do
everything, man. You know, so you know,
once I found I was like, you know what,
like I'm still young. I still want to do
some type of something, you know,
something within the lines of this, you
know, either I go back to college and I
wrestle or I join boxing or I do
something. And um I found RDC, you know,
actually, it's crazy because I went to
school with uh my coach's nephew. His
name is Nate. He was actually their
first RDC MMA fighter. He was the first
one to start the whole program. Like,
>> this program wasn't even supposed to be
for us. It was a family thing. It was
like a we're just going to do this for
our our our our nephew. That's it. You
know, and that that's all it was
supposed to be. But then he he had his
like other people come and you know, his
some of his friends and you know, I kind
of reached out to him, you know, cuz
they were kind of older than me, like I
think a grade older. So, um I I kind of
reached out to them and I was like,
"Hey, man, like I kind of want to like
do what you guys are doing, you know."
And he was just like, "Yeah, man. Like,
come by, you know, like come check it
out, you know, like you know." So, I was
like, "All right, cool." You know? So, I
went by, man, and instantly, man, I I I
instantly fell in love with the gym,
man. I I fell in love, you know, with
the coaches there, you know? I fell fell
in love with, you know, what RDC stands
for, you know, and soon as I was there,
man, I felt like I was home. You know
what I'm saying? Like,
>> you felt like it was just made for you,
right?
>> It was just made for me, man. You know,
like, and so, and that's why I've never
switched up, man. I've always been at my
gym, you know, and even when I did have
my like I've had fallouts with my gym
before, like because like I said, I was
letting people distract me. I was
getting off the track, you know, I was,
you know, in and out of the gym, you
know, in and out of the gym. And,
>> you know, and and honestly, and if
you're going to give this your life to
this type of lifestyle, you you can't
have one foot in, one foot out.
>> You'll be all in for sure.
>> You got to be all in, man. You know, you
got to be all in, especially when you're
you know, you're competing and stuff
like that, you know, and so like, you
know, like, so back to my first fight,
you know, when I So, my first fight like
I was like anybody else, I was nervous,
man. I was nervous, you know. I had I've
never fought in front of a crowd, you
know, and at that
>> my first fight was at VFS at Table
Mountain Casino,
>> you know what I'm saying? So, there was
hundreds of people there, you know what
I'm saying? This is my first big event,
you know? And I'm just like, dude, like,
you know, this is sick, dude. You know,
I was like I wasn't so much scared. I
was more like nervous, but happy at the
same time, you know, because I'm like
>> like, dude, it feels good to be here.
You know what I'm saying? especially
like just just from getting out of
prison, you know, and being in that type
of environment to being at Table Mount
Casino in front of hundreds of people,
in front of my family, getting being in
front of, you know, I'm getting to meet
people I've never got to meet before,
you know, like and it's just it's crazy,
man. Like, dude, it was I can't even
explain it, man. It's it's a feeling
that you have to when they when people
tell you you have to make that walk,
that walk everybody that walk to the
cage. Not every man can do that. Not
everybody can do that. And not everybody
is able to do that, you know. So, you
have to kind of make that walk yourself
to really like get the feeling of what
I'm trying to tell you cuz it hits
everybody differently, you know. Okay.
>> It hits everybody differently, you know.
So,
>> but yeah, man. Like it it was it was man
I was I was I was ready though, man. I
ain't I ain't going to lie. I was ready.
Even though my guy, you know, he was one
and0. I was I was my debut. He was a one
and0. He was like a prospect already
like you know where he was coming from,
you know. Um so, you know. Yeah, man.
But I went out there, man. I I fought
all three rounds. I put on a really
really good show for my first fight. I
sold a lot of tickets, man. You know,
and that's kind of where it all started,
man. I made that's kind of where like I
I you know what I was like, I have my
foot in the door now, you know? Like th
this sport is for me. That that day
right there was a test for me. Like
we're going to see if this is for you,
right?
>> Like if this is if this is really for
you or not. And I went out there, man,
and I did I did an amazing job, bro. I
did an amazing job. Um, you know, I I
wish I would have got the dub, you know,
but you know, like I said, right there
that honestly that loss, it lit a fire
under me. And after that, man, I went on
a three- win streak. And then that's
when I fought Tabota.
>> Yeah.
>> And that's when I finally took my first
loss at the 559. I finally took my first
loss at the 559, man. And
>> and it was for the title, you know, and
it was me and that dude, we dude, that
fight was, man, we there's a reason why
we got fight of the year, you know what
I'm saying? There's a big reason why we
had the fight of the year, you know? So,
um, you know, I wasn't even mad, man.
You know, you know, it was all high
spirits. You know, Tabota's, you know,
he's a really good dude, man. You know,
we chop it up all the time, you know.
Um, you know, I I'm honored. I'm honored
to share the ring with him again, you
know, and I thought, you know, it's uh
fighting for the the featherweight title
once again, you know. So, um,
>> the people wanted the rematch, the you
guys got the people's rematch, so here
we are. you know, we try to, you know, I
was hoping to maybe see him later on in
the pros, you know, but um like I said,
God does things for a reason. And I feel
like, you know what, you know, he he
gave me Tabota for a reason. And you
know, I always told the promoter from
the 559, hey man, like, you know, I want
to I want to be the best, you know, so I
want to fight the best, you know, so
give me the best. And Tabota's one of
the one of the upcoming 145ers, you
know, I know he's going to be he's
eventually going to do he's going to be
up there with us, man, with all the
45ers, you know. So, like I said, man,
I'm honored to share the ring with him,
man. And I'm stoked. And yeah, man.
Like, I'm getting excited thinking about
it right now, man. I'm like, damn. Like
I'm like, dude, like, all right, [ __ ]
All right, cool.
>> Definitely definitely a fight to see,
especially running it back. And uh yeah,
you definitely bring the fight and you
could tell uh even on on your losses,
like you you said that you're you're not
even upset. That just shows how much
like you put into the fight, you know,
you put everything that you had into it.
So, that's uh that's huge.
>> Yeah, man. you know. Yeah. I never try
to take my losses as uh I don't never
try to take my elves as losses, man. I
always take my elves as lessons, you
know. Every
>> every time I like I said, the two the
two losses I have, man, I've learned
from them and I grown I've grown from
them. And you know, that's all you can
do, man. And like I said, I'm just it's
been so long since I haven't been in the
cage, man. I haven't been I haven't been
in the cage with the dogs for about
almost 10 months already. My last fight
was I believe in June of last year.
>> Mhm. um with uh it was with Anthony
Lopez at Porterville.
>> Yeah. Yeah. June was my last Yep.
>> Yeah, man. So, that was my last fight,
man. So, I've been itching to get back
into the cage, man. Um you know, and
yeah, man. Just ready to go out there
and put on a good show for everybody,
you know, just to go out there and show
everybody the hard work that I've been
putting in these last 10 months, you
know, and everybody that's, you know,
that's been sleeping on me thinking
that, you know, I I can't do this. You
know, you guys are going to see April
4th. you know, and you know, I don't
have to really say too much. You know,
I'm going to let my action speak. But
this time around, it's going to be
different. You know, the results are
going to be different this time because
I put in the work. I put in the time. I
I Dude, I've been in three fight camps,
four fight camps, non-stop, back to back
to back to back. You know what I'm
saying? No breaks, all gas, you know.
So, you know, and I've been itching to
take the take take that out on somebody,
man. You know, so yeah,
>> you know, I'm tired. I'm tired of being
staging in the choke hold. No, I'm just
kidding. But um uh shout out to him
though, man. I man, dude. I would, man.
That guy's a stud, man. You know, he's a
stud. He's a big, you know, he's a big
part of my life, too. And he's a big
reason why, you know, um I I work so
hard, man, because I, you know, I I see
that he's a champ. And, you know, and I
I want to just I want to be just like
him, man. That's my teammate, man. you
know, I want to be up there with him
and, you know, in high spirits and I
want to be able to hold those belts up
with him, you know, and that's, you
know, so that's something that me and
him talk about, you know, we manifest,
you know, and, you know, I know it's
going to this time around. This year is
our year, man. This is our year, man.
For sure.
>> For sure. All right, last question to
end it off. You said that growing up you
we you went down some paths that you
felt like you shouldn't um have went
down. when what's some advice you could
give to someone who's like maybe, you
know, going through the same types of
things, kind of, you know, falling
falling to like bad habits and and
continuing on a path that's really not
meant for him. Like what what advice
would you give to someone like that?
>> Honestly, I just my my first thing, man,
it's it's you become who you hang
around. You know what I'm saying? That's
a really big part, man. And um you know
it sucks and I you know I hate to you
know tell people this you know but
sometimes you have to cut certain people
out of your life you know and I'm not
saying you got to come out cut them out
completely but sometimes it's just
better to love certain people from a
distance you know you know and um
especially if you're trying to like
change your life around and you want to
start having you know different
entrances. You know what I'm saying? Cuz
a lot of times where I I the reason why
I don't really like hang out with
certain people no more cuz I just feel
like me and that person don't share the
same interests anymore. And I feel like,
well, if we don't share the same
interest and like like there's not we're
not there's no really point of us
hanging around. You know what I'm
saying? So, it's like and you know, so I
feel like that's that's the really big
thing, you know? It's it's who you know,
you got to surround yourself with people
who all want the same thing. You know
what I'm saying?
>> Not only for not not only for
themselves, but for you. You know what
I'm saying? Like for for people to want
better for you. You know what I'm
saying? And that people are actually
there are gonna, you know, be there and
tell you like, "Hey man, you're messing
up. Hey, don't be doing that. Hey man,
that's wrong. Hey, you know better." you
know, because people who don't do that,
they don't want what's best for you and
they're they're just going to keep and
and uh enabling you to do those those
bad things and those habits, you know,
and so I feel like, you know, for sure,
man, it's your support system, you know,
who you have around. And that goes for
anybody, man. Whether if it's family,
co-workers, friends, cousins, whatever
it is, man, if it if it has a bad
influence on your life, I I I recommend
you step away for a little bit, you
know, look at the bigger picture and,
you know, and try to, you know, you got
to really tell yourself like, hey man,
like I want better for myself and this
is a change that I have to make. And,
you know, changes suck, man. Nobody
wants to change, bro. Nobody wants to,
you know, have to do those type of
things, but nobody, you know, it's
sacrifices, man. It's it's it's just
things you got to do, you know, cuz
honestly, man, like I'm going to be real
with you. Like, it could be easy for me
to still live the life that I live and
still fight. Like, that's nothing.
There's a lot of people that do that.
There's a lot of people who still do
that. You know what I'm saying? But it's
like
like I this fighting stuff is more it's
more than that just for me. You know
what I'm saying? Like, I have I have
kids looking up to me, you know? I have
my my younger kids that my gym looking
up to me, you know? I have my son
looking up to me, you know? And I dude,
if I if I'm a 145 champ, the 559 champ,
and I'm out here getting arrested, I'm
out here drinking and driving, you know,
like that that's is that really a champ?
Is that is that what a champ does, man?
You know what I'm saying? Like that's
not what a champ that's not how a champ
is supposed to hold himself. You know
what I'm saying? Like represent himself,
you know? And you know, and honestly,
like
>> that's you know, like I said, especially
cuz like I said, my gym RDC, respect,
discipline, and courage. You know what
I'm saying? There's a reason why my
coach my coach instills those three
things, those three traits into people.
It's not just me. It's everybody in the
gym. Like, you need to have that when
you walk into these doors. You're going
to have respect, discipline, and
courage. And if you didn't have it when
you walked in, you're going to have it
when you walk out. You know what I'm
saying?
>> H me up right now, bro. Yeah.
>> You know, so um Yeah, man. But that's I
feel like that's the biggest thing, man,
is who you surround yourself with. And
so, you know, and you know, so if if
anybody, you know, is struggling and you
guys, you know, you guys are kind of
like, you know, back and forth, you
know, you guys are trying to find
yourselves, you know, try to step in
away from everybody, stop, you know, get
off social media, you know, stop, you
know, leave the girls alone, you know,
you know, kind of, like I said, step
back a little bit, look at the bigger
picture, and then kind of just go from
there, man. you know, um, you know, like
I said, I could go on and on, but I feel
like that's my biggest uh my biggest
thing though to give somebody is your
your your support system, who who you're
surround yourself, because that goes a
long way cuz like I said, that right
there like that, like I said, certain
people who you like cuz like for me, who
I have around like that that that right
there is important because not only like
it matters because like how they're
going to be around me, but how they have
me feeling. You know what I'm saying?
like I don't want to be around people
who are always going to have me feeling
mad or sad or you know like stuff like
that you know so that that matters too
you know so that's also a big important
too you know like you want to be around
people who are going to bring you peace
you know what I'm saying and you know
not everything's always going to be
happiness but you know it's peace you
know just being peaceful you know and
people people get that mixed up with
being happy oh I'm at peace I'm happy no
there's a difference between being happy
and at peace that's why they're spelled
differently you know what I'm saying
they have their
They have their own definitions for a
reason. You know what I'm saying? So
once you find the difference of being
happy and being at peace,
>> then you'll understand. And it took me
growing up a long time. Like I had to go
to prison. I had to do all this stuff to
finally find my peace. You know what I'm
saying?
>> So um
>> but yeah, man. So that's the biggest
thing, man. Your support system and uh
just making sure you're who you surround
yourself with. For sure, man. For sure.
>> For sure. Well, thank you for your time,
Eric. That was a great message to end it
off there. See you April 4th and uh
can't wait to see you, man.
>> All right, man. Thank you guys so much,
man. God bless, man. All right, take
care, guys. Thank you, guys.
>> I'll drop your Instagram down below and
uh let's let's do it, man.
>> All right, man. Thank you so much, man.
I appreciate you, man. You guys are
awesome. Pence.