00:00 You know, everybody in the feather with

00:02 division is my enemy. Like, that's just

00:04 what it is. They all are trying to take

00:07 what I got, what I not even what I got.

00:09 They all are trying to take what I want

00:12 and it's on me. The onus is on me. It'

00:14 be like, "No, [ __ ] That's

00:15 mine."

00:17 All right. Well, I'm very excited for

00:19 this episode, guys. Uh, we have a

00:21 featherweight prospect, Jose Miguel

00:24 Delgado, and he has an upcoming match. I

00:26 was actually on his Instagram live and I

00:28 tapped in and I asked him like, "Hey

00:30 man, you down to do a podcast and he hit

00:31 me up." So, the fight news um is just

00:34 out going against Austin Bashi, upcoming

00:37 prospect, younger cat. Um but I really

00:40 want to, you know, share your story with

00:42 the people. I feel like a lot of people

00:44 maybe haven't heard your name before. um

00:46 you know, you have a few fights in the

00:48 UFC, but I want to be able to share um

00:50 your story and what you've had to

00:52 overcome to get to this point because

00:54 getting to the UFC is not easy by any

00:56 means. So, I want to get into get into

00:59 the beginning of it. I know you you uh

01:01 started training martial arts at a mall

01:03 out there in Yuma, Arizona. Kind of just

01:05 uh you know, humble beginnings. Uh if

01:07 you could just you know, talk a little

01:08 bit about your story and how you got

01:10 here.

01:11 >> Yeah, man. Uh yeah, it all started in

01:13 Yuma, Arizona, man. It's a small town,

01:15 agriculture town. It's a hardworking

01:18 town. I think a lot it's produced a good

01:20 amount of UFC talent for how small it

01:22 is. And I think a lot of that stems from

01:23 the culture that we grew up seeing. Just

01:25 a lot of people that worked hard. Um,

01:28 and it for me it was just being a fan of

01:31 the sport, man. I have a brother who's

01:32 14 years older and he really like

01:34 instilled the love for for combat

01:36 sports. It started off with boxing and

01:38 then like moved on to MMA and like once

01:40 I saw MMA, I was like, "How is this [ __ ]

01:42 so violent? I love it, man. I love

01:45 everything about it. I want to be a part

01:47 of it. I want to be a part of all the

01:49 moments, all those oh [ __ ] moments when,

01:52 you know, something crazy happens. Like

01:53 I love the feeling that that gave me as

01:56 a young kid and I just wanted to get

01:59 involved. I wanted to start training. Uh

02:01 looked around a couple spots and like

02:03 like you said, it was this mall, South

02:05 Gate Mall, which is like it was old for

02:07 the standards even back then. Like this

02:09 was 2008, 2009. Damn. Like it was grimy.

02:13 You got it got all demolished not too

02:15 long after, but uh that place was legit.

02:18 It had an arcade afterwards, too. You'd

02:20 go fun time.

02:21 >> Oh, sick. That Oh my gosh, that's so

02:22 cool, bro. That's like the arcade back

02:24 then, especially back then where you

02:26 didn't have like too much like

02:27 PlayStation stuff. Going to the arcade

02:28 was

02:29 >> n blown, bro. Kidding me?

02:31 >> Yeah. Oh my

02:32 >> bro, you my little dumb ass with that

02:34 little helmet. It was VR before VR. You

02:36 know what I'm talking about?

02:37 >> Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah.

02:38 >> Yeah.

02:38 >> Wow.

02:39 >> Did you play UFC games as well? Like

02:41 growing up with your older brother, did

02:42 you guys just play video games, UFC

02:44 stuff like that?

02:44 >> I remember he bought a PS3 just to get

02:46 the UFC undisputed game [ __ ] being

02:49 Forest Griffin and [ __ ]

02:51 >> Yeah. Is that the one with Jon Jones and

02:52 Gustoson on the on the um cover or no?

02:56 >> No, no, no. That was before that was

02:57 like the THC era. You're talking about

03:00 the EA. No, this was the UFC games

03:03 before. So it was Forest Griffin.

03:05 >> Forest Griffin. Okay. Yeah, I played

03:07 that one too. That's that's what got me

03:08 into the sport. Oh, the video games

03:11 playing the video. Yeah, it was through

03:13 the video games and then I started

03:15 watching I watched here and there, but I

03:17 was never like a huge fan like I am now.

03:19 Like now it's like every every week I'm

03:21 watching watching the cards, like

03:23 watching the the Apex cards, everything.

03:25 So, I'm I'm really excited to be able

03:27 to, you know, share your story. You come

03:29 from a Mexican background as well as

03:31 myself. Um, so how was that kind of just

03:34 uh growing up in that Mexican kind of

03:36 household? I'm really surprised you make

03:37 145 with kind of the Mexican food, bro.

03:39 So, that's kind of like that's something

03:43 that I'm very curious about and how how

03:44 it was like growing up being a Mexican

03:47 American.

03:48 >> Um, yeah, bro. I mean, [ __ ] I don't

03:51 know how it influenced me. Just is what

03:52 it was, you know?

03:54 >> Yeah. I mean, you really don't have a

03:55 choice, but like just like growing up in

03:57 like the culture and stuff, you know?

03:58 >> Yeah. I mean, it was cool, man. Bunch of

04:00 primos and prima's always around, you

04:02 know, the bansancy houses. That's where

04:04 like all my first little scraps

04:05 happened, of course, you know.

04:06 >> Oh my god.

04:07 >> So,

04:08 >> you know, I guess that was really the

04:09 foundation. Yeah.

04:11 >> Um, but yeah, man. Like growing up real

04:14 close-knit, that's a big that's a big uh

04:17 family is a big value for me, man.

04:19 That's just ingrained in our culture, I

04:21 feel like. And that's one thing I'm

04:22 really proud about us is that that

04:24 closeknitness that we usually tend to

04:26 keep and they mean everything, man. They

04:28 help me out so much in this in this

04:30 career. just, you know, you just see the

04:32 strengths of of everybody that they go

04:36 on their individual journey and like I'm

04:38 I was always like the younger I was

04:40 always on the younger side of like even

04:42 well I'm the youngest of my siblings but

04:44 even on my cousin side like out of all

04:46 of them like

04:47 >> I was always able to just kind of see

04:49 them grow up and kind of go through life

04:51 and learn a lot from them whether you

04:54 know like the things they achieved the

04:56 mistakes they made all that. So I was

04:58 always real grateful to be able to get

04:59 that perspective and yeah man like the

05:03 immigrant side like you see people

05:04 sacrifice so much man to come over here

05:08 and

05:09 you know they instilled the this

05:11 American dream in us you know you go out

05:13 there and like and for for my side it

05:15 was like education you go and you better

05:17 your life you get an opportunity like my

05:20 mom has a sixth grade education my dad

05:22 has a second grade education

05:25 they got put taken out to go work you My

05:28 dad worked at the Indita, worked in the

05:29 Rancho. My mom took care of all the her

05:32 younger siblings. So like I know the

05:35 sacrifices that it took to get to this

05:37 point. For them to like have the success

05:39 that they've had in life, you know, it

05:40 was really cool to watch. And and

05:44 just they instilled that like, hey, we

05:46 brought you here to dream. And to me,

05:47 the dream is to be the best in the world

05:49 at this. And for me, like I feel like I

05:51 can honor every sacrifice that they made

05:54 through this through this game, you

05:56 know, trying to be the best, striving to

05:58 be the best day in day out.

05:59 >> When was that moment for you when you

06:01 realized that you wanted to go all in

06:02 with this sport? Because I feel like

06:04 there's like there's certain moments in

06:05 your life where you're like, I could go

06:08 this way, I could go that way. But I

06:10 feel like UFC or MMA, it's like you got

06:12 to put everything in it, your mind, your

06:14 body, your soul to be able to be able to

06:16 do that. When when was that moment for

06:17 you?

06:18 >> Yeah, bro. Benson uh Benson Anderson, my

06:20 mentor always says, you know, all it all

06:22 it takes. It's pretty simple. Like all

06:24 it takes is everything you got. That's

06:26 it. Like it's all it's all it takes.

06:28 It's true. It's a pretty true statement.

06:30 Yeah. It's simple. Simple.

06:32 >> Ain't easy, but simple for sure.

06:34 >> Um

06:36 I I think there was just different

06:37 different like checkpoints throughout

06:39 that journey, man. I think like the

06:41 moment I stepped on the mats, I knew

06:43 like I was like, I want to do this

06:44 forever. Like I just it was just

06:46 instant. Like it was an instantaneous

06:48 feeling of like this is the sickest,

06:50 this is the most free my spirit ever

06:52 feels, has ever felt, and like I'm

06:55 obsessed with this. I want to just do

06:57 this forever. And then it was, you know,

07:00 I go I go through the journey a little

07:02 bit. I wrestle. I don't accomplish what

07:05 I want to accomplish in wrestling. That

07:06 was real heartbreaking for me at that

07:08 time, you know. So it was like

07:09 afterwards it's like, damn, I don't have

07:11 any achievements. I don't have anything

07:12 to back. I've been working at this for a

07:15 good little chunk of time now. I don't

07:17 have anything any accolades, anything to

07:19 back this dream to be able to say like,

07:21 "Hey, I'm gonna be the best if I fight.

07:23 I'm gonna make it to the UFC. I'm gonna

07:24 fight for world titles. I'm going to do

07:26 all those things." And hey, look, I got

07:27 this tournament that I won. I got this

07:29 medal, this thing, this thing to back up

07:31 all these things that I'm saying. I

07:32 didn't have any of that [ __ ] bro. Like,

07:34 it had to be

07:35 >> and that was like that was probably like

07:37 the biggest like uh crossroads section

07:39 of like, well, [ __ ] like I don't have

07:41 like I didn't accomplish anything that I

07:42 wanted to accomplish.

07:44 Is it silly for me to keep going down

07:46 this path? Like is it silly to keep

07:48 going there? Should I just go and figure

07:50 something else out? Should I go get a

07:52 regular job? Should I you know that was

07:54 the crossroads. So for me what really

07:56 solidified it was like I came I was

07:59 supposed to go to college. I was

08:00 supposed to start just out in Yuma and

08:02 like two three weeks I just bailed. I

08:03 just had like I don't know something

08:05 took over me and I was like nah like if

08:07 I go down this path like it's probably

08:09 going to I'm probably it's probably the

08:11 end of that dream. It just probably is

08:14 like I felt that. So I was like no I

08:16 can't like I can't give up on it yet. I

08:19 came to Phoenix. I stayed with the

08:20 sister. I worked at a warehouse for a

08:22 good chunk of time and I I was just

08:24 working up the courage to come to the

08:25 lab where I train at now and I did

08:29 >> cuz I knew I knew once I stepped foot I

08:31 wasn't going to stop. Like I knew that

08:33 once I went it was over. Like I'm all

08:35 in. I'm all in to that. That step was

08:38 kind of a bit I don't know. It kind of

08:42 was a bit daunting for me, you know.

08:44 >> You shared on a podcast that you drove

08:46 by the MMA lab before you started uh

08:49 training there.

08:50 >> Yeah.

08:50 >> And you were kind of just like maybe

08:52 you're like

08:53 >> can you explain kind of that situation?

08:54 I feel like that's kind of like a movie.

08:56 Like that's kind of like damn like damn

08:57 this is like a big moment. Like how did

09:00 that feel like driving up to the gym

09:01 knowing that you know your your whole

09:03 future is lying ahead of you?

09:05 >> I don't know bro. I think I kind of like

09:07 living in the cliche of the movie world

09:08 too. Maybe on a subconscious level it's

09:10 funny. My girl my girl tells me cuz

09:14 uh she seen me when like I was wrestling

09:16 in like middle school and high school.

09:18 She's like, "Yeah, I remember you would

09:19 just have your headphones on and it just

09:21 look like you're having your Eminem

09:22 moment on the bus, you know, just

09:24 looking off in the distance." I was

09:25 like, "Damn, that's corny as hell." All

09:28 right.

09:30 So, I think I like I think I like

09:32 >> it.

09:33 >> I think I like giving myself those

09:35 little moments for whatever reason.

09:38 >> Um, but yeah, dude. Like, it was just a

09:40 daunting step. It was like, dude, if I

09:42 go in, like, it's a I'm going to be

09:45 transformed. I'm going to go all in and

09:47 like I know like something's going to

09:49 take over my spirit. And it's like, ah,

09:53 and then it's the fear of failure, man.

09:54 I already gave what I thought was my all

09:57 in wrestling in this to like get to what

10:01 it what it for me at that time it was

10:03 like a state championship will validate

10:05 my you know my path and it I didn't

10:08 accomplish it. So it's like damn I

10:09 failed and like that's [ __ ] like I I

10:12 care deeply about this. Like that's a

10:14 big deal to me to not succeed in these

10:16 moments. And I had to really kind of

10:18 rewire my brain around around that word

10:21 about that failure about failing and

10:23 failure and all that and just like no

10:26 like stupid like just go for it bro like

10:29 you got to go for it. What else what

10:31 what else is the point? Go for it. If

10:34 you fail [ __ ] it. You did it. You tried

10:36 it. So go for it. But it was it was that

10:39 chunk of time between high school and

10:42 like I don't know six to eight months of

10:44 just working a full-time job of just

10:46 trying to figure that out. Rewire that

10:48 part of my brain. But yeah, I drove by

10:50 the lab and I was like, I want to go in.

10:51 I want to go in. I walk out like I'm

10:53 almost walking in. I'm almost going to

10:54 take that first step. And then I was

10:56 like, I pussied out. I [ __ ] one to my

10:57 car. I dipped out. I went back home and

11:00 I felt so bad, bro. I felt so bad. It

11:02 was like one of the worst feelings ever.

11:04 I was like, I can't believe I did that.

11:06 I can't believe I did that. And then I

11:08 went back like a couple days later and

11:10 and it's been a lot since then.

11:13 >> Yeah. Now we're here. And uh speaking of

11:15 like your wrestling, the the guy you're

11:16 actually going against is like a

11:18 grappler jiu-jitsu guy and you mentioned

11:20 on your Instagram live that that you did

11:22 have a a bout against a wrestler. It

11:25 didn't go your way and you feel like you

11:26 have something to prove. Do you do you

11:28 feel like that's like a statement you

11:30 want to make?

11:31 >> Yeah, absolutely, bro. I was so pumped.

11:33 I was so pumped to get Bashi. You know,

11:35 as fighters in the UFC, we always want

11:37 the next biggest name, the next big step

11:39 forward. And Bashi is not exactly that,

11:42 but he does present something that I've

11:44 been waiting to prove. Like, I've been

11:46 waiting to prove that n like I can

11:48 grapple my ass off. I can grapple with

11:50 the best in the world. I know where I

11:52 stand with the best in the world in

11:54 every aspect of this game. On the boxing

11:56 side, on the kickboxing, on the clinch,

11:58 on the wrestling, on the jiu-jitsu, I

12:01 know where I stand. And like I feel like

12:03 I didn't showcase that the last time I

12:05 was presented this opportunity against a

12:07 good rapper and I've [ __ ] triple

12:10 quadruple down on this, you know, and

12:13 I've been I've been working on writing

12:14 that wrong for about 5 years now. So I'm

12:18 so excited to get that opportunity and

12:20 really showcase a complete game.

12:22 >> What what I was very curious about was

12:24 um your last fight against Andre Philly

12:26 for you being such a fan of the fight

12:28 game. Andre Philly is like considered

12:29 like a legend. He's been fighting for, I

12:31 believe, like almost 13 years in the

12:32 UFC. So, how was that? Was that like a

12:35 oh [ __ ] moment once you're like lined up

12:37 across from looking at him? Like, how

12:38 did that feel?

12:40 >> Uh, I didn't put too much thought into

12:42 it prior. I was like, "All right, well,

12:44 [ __ ] it. I get to another opponent."

12:46 >> But then, yeah, you like the first time

12:48 I see him was that weigh like a [ __ ]

12:50 that sounds really Philly, you know?

12:52 >> And it kind of took me by a little

12:53 surprise that I had those thoughts and I

12:55 was like, "Ah, whatever." Like, a

12:56 fight's a fight.

12:59 But yeah, I think there is a little bit

13:01 of that of that and I am excited to just

13:02 fight somebody that is just hungry and

13:05 is young and I don't have any thoughts

13:08 one way or another towards and I also

13:11 don't like and the after the Philly

13:13 fight there was a switch like n like

13:15 that like those little thoughts just

13:18 can't happen. It happened against

13:19 Philly, happened against Wood. Like,

13:21 it's it just doesn't it doesn't belong

13:23 in this game, you know? Everybody in the

13:26 Fatherwood division is my enemy. Like,

13:29 that's just what it is. They all are

13:31 trying to take what I what I not even

13:34 what I got. They all are trying to take

13:36 what I want and it's on me. The onus is

13:38 on me. It be like, "Nah, [ __ ]

13:40 That's mine. It's my stake. I'm I put my

13:43 stake on this ground." And that's that's

13:46 the attitude now. with with speaking

13:49 about that, what are your thoughts on

13:50 like you know a lot of fighters are kind

13:52 of like buddy buddy with other people in

13:54 their like the division. Are you one of

13:56 those fighters who you know train or you

13:58 hang around people who are in your

13:59 division knowing that you know this is

14:01 your kind of ranking or your your

14:05 division?

14:07 >> Yeah. No, not really. I don't really we

14:08 don't really got uh too much people in

14:11 the UFC

14:13 uh at 145 at the lab and then I don't

14:16 cross trainin too too much.

14:21 Yeah. Nah, I I keep it to myself.

14:25 >> Yeah. And that that was like something

14:27 that I was always wanted to ask you guys

14:29 is just like how um with doing like

14:32 social media and interviews and stuff

14:33 like how are you able to express

14:35 yourself but at the same time not give

14:36 up too information too much information

14:38 where people are like studying you and

14:40 trying to look for weak points and stuff

14:41 like that is that I really don't hear

14:43 from that side too much.

14:45 >> Yeah. It's it's not it's something I

14:48 initially didn't put too much. I was

14:49 going to start like a podcast. Like I

14:51 got a pretty good offer to get like

14:52 monthly payments and you know those like

14:55 that's that helps out a ton. But I I

14:57 opted against it for that reason man.

14:59 All the all the guys I look up to are a

15:02 little secretive. They're a little you

15:04 know they keep a couple things you know

15:07 uh you know in their sleeve. Couple

15:09 cards in their sleeve. So, I'm just a

15:12 little bit mindful of of all that I say

15:15 or all I go about, but

15:18 I also ain't that deep, you know, to

15:21 some degree.

15:23 >> Yeah. Well, I think Yeah. Yeah. You

15:25 know, I think it is, you know, like you

15:27 said, at some degree, but with uh I

15:29 think I hear John Jones talk about it a

15:31 lot where he doesn't like doing like

15:32 broadcasting and stuff like that. And I

15:34 feel like, you know, he's the if he's

15:35 the best, you know, he probably can't

15:37 show everything, you know. Um, I I what

15:39 I was wanted to know is like what what

15:41 valuable lessons have you learned from

15:42 Benson throughout the years? I know he's

15:44 been with you since day one. Um, just

15:46 kind of like that relationship you've

15:48 had with your with your coach.

15:50 >> Ah, bro, there's too many to there's too

15:52 many to really say. And Benson's not a a

15:55 super vocal guy, man. He's lead by

15:57 example. And his example is uh it was

16:01 interesting. I've been wanting to get

16:02 Benson's take on it. I'm grabbing some

16:04 coffee with him tomorrow and I'll ask

16:06 him. But uh I was listening to Dominick

16:08 Cruz's podcast with Josh Thompson

16:11 and he talks about his trip to the lab.

16:14 Dominic Cruz talks about his trip to the

16:15 lab and he's like something off about

16:17 that guy. He's a little loony, huh? Like

16:19 like he's just he's just a little crazy.

16:22 There's just a crazy look to his eye,

16:24 huh? And like you could tell Cruz was

16:26 like a fanboy. He's like, "Ah, I like

16:28 that. I like that."

16:30 Uh, so I say that just to say like like

16:34 Benson's a cra like like his work ethic

16:37 is crazy and he and it takes going to

16:41 like a weird place and so just giving

16:44 yourself permission to go there and

16:45 knowing that like that's what it takes.

16:47 It takes going to kind of just uh crazy

16:51 land. Max Holloway spoke about it, man.

16:53 You got to have your passport to crazy

16:55 land.

16:55 >> Yeah, I hear I hear Max.

16:57 >> Yeah. So, it it's something I've always

16:59 >> It seems like you go to crazy land a

17:01 little bit during your fights.

17:02 >> Oh, bro. I live there. I live there,

17:04 bro. My passport's got his stamps. Don't

17:06 you worry about that, brother. Um, but

17:08 yeah, it's it's not just in the fights,

17:10 though. It's in the training. So, that

17:12 when we're in the fights, like that's

17:14 just normal. It's just instinctual. But

17:17 like to push yourself, to [ __ ] scrape

17:20 the depths of your soul. Like you, you

17:22 were asking me like, "I don't really

17:24 know what a training camp is." Like a

17:25 training camp is to [ __ ] try to

17:27 scrape the depths of your soul and then

17:30 crawl a little bit more and try to scoop

17:32 some more [ __ ] out and just see what you

17:34 find. That's what training camp is, man.

17:36 And and it's one of my favorite things

17:39 about this game. It's one of my favorite

17:40 things about this life I get to live is

17:43 that I get to just continuously know

17:46 more about myself and I get to go deeper

17:48 and deeper. What was something that you

17:50 you noticed about yourself kind of like

17:53 the years of training that that you're

17:54 like, "Oh, shit." Like like what what

17:57 what comes to mind?

18:00 >> Well, dude, like it all like I'm I'm not

18:03 the I didn't I was never the number one

18:05 prospect. I was never the number one the

18:07 most talented the guy that you know you

18:10 pick out of the lineup and be like, "Oh,

18:11 he's going to do something." That just

18:13 wasn't me. That wasn't my story. But I

18:15 could just last. I just knew that I can

18:17 just be a dog. And I knew that like guys

18:20 that would have more talents than me,

18:23 have more skill, have more all this.

18:25 Like if we just keep going, I'm going to

18:27 be there. I'm going to be there. And

18:30 then I'm going to learn from the

18:31 mistakes that maybe gave you a bit of a

18:33 head start on me. I'm going to learn.

18:35 I'm going to close that gap. But at the

18:37 end of the day, I'm just going to keep

18:39 going. Like you're not stopping me.

18:40 You're not breaking me. Like it just it

18:42 won't happen, man. And I feel like

18:44 you're really taking that that Mexican

18:46 mentality into, you know, the work ethic

18:49 and you like you said with your family

18:51 and just taking that into fighting,

18:53 which is awesome to see, you know. It's

18:55 like I feel like you're just like one of

18:56 the like the primos at the kintier where

18:59 you're just kind of just talking you're

19:00 talking to your your uh I don't know

19:02 like your like a family member, you

19:03 know. I think it's so sick to see that

19:05 you're you're representing mult you know

19:07 the US and Mexico, you And I feel like

19:09 it's a little different, you know, once

19:11 you come straight out of Mexico. If you

19:12 you grew up here, had a lot of cousins

19:14 and stuff like that. I feel like it's

19:15 it's different. It's a little different.

19:17 And I I don't feel like I have I haven't

19:19 uh talked to someone who's kind of grew

19:20 up in that similar c culture. So, it's

19:22 it's pretty sick.

19:24 >> Oh, yeah. I appreciate it, man. Yeah.

19:26 There's uh there's there's so much that

19:28 I I've taken from from that mentality

19:31 and and a lot I always try to honor and

19:34 respect it, but there's also a lot of

19:35 lessons I've had to learn from it, too.

19:37 you know, this there's an oya that comes

19:39 with it that can that can get you hurt

19:42 that has gotten me hurt. And you know,

19:44 it's an understanding of of when to use

19:47 that pride, when to use this mentality,

19:49 and when to kind of let it go a little

19:51 bit, too. That that's come with with

19:53 aging in this game. You know, I'm 18

19:56 years deep in this game, bro. That's a

19:57 long ass time. I'm 28 years old, but I'm

20:00 18 years.

20:00 >> 2008, right?

20:02 >> Yeah.

20:03 >> Yeah.

20:04 >> So, man, like it's a long time. My

20:06 body's been through a lot and and it's

20:09 got a lot more to go. So, and I'm

20:10 thankful for that. I could feel it and

20:12 and I'm grateful for that. I've seen a

20:14 lot of guys kind of burn the candle on

20:17 both ends and I knew that I could be

20:21 I knew that I could be privy. I knew

20:24 that I could be I knew that that could

20:26 happen to me the way that I like to I

20:29 get a rush. I get it. I get such a high

20:32 from working my ass up, from being

20:34 exhausted, from giving my all, you know,

20:40 and

20:42 I have to kind of learn how to put the

20:43 leash on a little bit,

20:44 >> right? Especially with the Mexican style

20:46 of like sparring or boxing, you're just

20:49 going to war every time. Like, is that

20:50 something that you're kind of just like

20:52 learning over time to be able to listen

20:54 to your body and know when to, you know,

20:56 push it? I feel like just watching you

20:57 fight, you're super entertaining to

20:58 watch like first round like you're

21:00 there, you're present, you don't wait

21:02 like when it comes to just, you know,

21:03 yeah, you feel you feel your opponent

21:05 now and you're very technical, but you

21:06 do have that that spirit of being like,

21:08 yo, this is a fight like right away. So,

21:10 um, is that something you you've learned

21:12 over time?

21:14 >> Yeah, for sure. I mean, dude, it's

21:15 culture too. You seeing so many culture

21:17 shift within not just not just like our

21:19 culture but within the culture of

21:21 fighting with culture training like 2008

21:24 to [ __ ] I don't know 20

21:29 18 2019 like that's war like sparring

21:32 and practice as go as hard as you

21:35 possibly can and try to you know it was

21:38 like for wrestling it's like

21:40 >> the box type of

21:41 >> shoot the box if you go wrestling from

21:43 the wrestling perspective it's a Iowa

21:45 style

21:46 And nowadays it's a lot more it's a lot

21:48 more playful. It's a lot more Penn State

21:50 if you want to talk about wrestling

21:52 psychology and all that.

21:54 >> And it's a lot more of like no this is

21:57 practice. Let's get to the fight at our

22:00 most optimal levels. Everything's

22:02 optimization nowadays. You know how it

22:04 goes. So the cultures have shifted

22:06 throughout and you got to kind of you

22:08 got to ride the wave, man. Like or else

22:10 you will get left behind. There's always

22:12 ideas to steal from every school of

22:14 thought. And I try to do my best to

22:16 implement, you know, the Bruce Lee, you

22:19 know, had uh so Bruce Lee thought of

22:22 just absorb what's useful to you and

22:24 discard what what isn't. And I've seen a

22:27 lot of school of thoughts. I've seen a a

22:29 lot of school of thoughts, man, in in

22:31 the last 18 years. And I take what I

22:33 what I like from each and every one of

22:35 them and try to make the version that

22:37 works for me.

22:39 >> Yeah. I always like that. Kobe Bryant,

22:41 you know, he always talked about

22:42 stealing moves and trying to make them

22:43 better and, you know, actually asking a

22:45 lot of questions. You know, that's why I

22:47 wanted to start podcast just so I could

22:49 learn from you guys. I feel like you

22:50 guys are very rare individuals. You guys

22:53 are like rare Pokémon. You know, you

22:54 guys all have different types of ways of

22:56 of getting to the end goal. And it's

22:58 just amazing to be able to, you know,

23:00 ask you guys questions like, do you do

23:02 you like reading audio books? um listen

23:04 to certain podcasts like what what are

23:06 some things that kind of like help you

23:08 uh continue that evolution of learning?

23:12 >> Yeah, man. All of the above. I like

23:14 reading. I like listen to to podcast.

23:18 Like I I I'll do something where I call

23:20 it's like oh it's my junk food junk food

23:23 uh audio where it's like the believe

23:26 videos where it's like all these short

23:28 clips of like I know Kanye and then uh

23:31 Kobe Bryan and then Les Brown and just

23:33 kind of like a big hodge podge of all

23:35 those guys that I'll listen to on my

23:37 drive sometime.

23:38 Uh and then I'll go more in depth on one

23:41 guy and hit some meditation. It's just

23:44 all encompassing man. everything that

23:47 I think can help, I'm open to giving it

23:50 a shot and, you know, trusting it and

23:53 seeing what I find from it. But yeah,

23:55 man, there just so much. Do you train?

23:58 >> I train jiu-jitsu. So, I've been

24:00 training for like three years of just

24:02 Yeah. So, I like I like

24:05 Joseph Chan.

24:06 >> Yeah, you had Joseph Chan. So, I was

24:08 like, "Oh, all right. Well, if you got

24:09 Joseph Chen, like you at least, you

24:11 know, I figure you at least train

24:12 jiu-jitsu."

24:13 >> Yeah. Yeah. I just had him on the

24:15 podcast and we talked for like two

24:16 hours. Like he's uh I I love listening

24:18 to his stuff. He's so smart and

24:20 technical. Me too. Um I wish maybe maybe

24:22 we could set something up where you and

24:24 Joseph could get some rounds in too. I

24:26 feel like there's so much to learn in

24:28 each individual u martial art. You know,

24:30 you talk about wrestling and

24:33 >> you know all the all the technical stuff

24:35 from it. And um he's been working with a

24:37 lot of like wrestlers in uh Japan like

24:39 Olympic wrestlers and doing Greco and

24:41 stuff like that. So, um, maybe we can

24:43 set something up. I don't know. You know

24:45 what I mean? So, um, that's why that's

24:47 why I really, um,

24:48 >> really want to kind of share the the

24:50 technical side because, you know, a lot

24:52 of people watch the UFC. They just want

24:54 to see people get hit, they boob, when

24:56 the fight gets to the floor, but I

24:58 really want to the people to know how

25:00 hard and and difficult like the

25:02 transitions or the the mental chess game

25:05 that's going on between the two. like um

25:07 when when you're fighting are do you

25:09 feel like you have like a conversation

25:11 with the person that you're fighting

25:12 with like during like do you feel like

25:14 you're like

25:15 >> Of course, man. It's a conversation.

25:17 It's music. It's

25:22 >> all right. A little change of location.

25:24 It's no worries though. Um

25:27 >> the last the last thing we're talking

25:29 about was the conversation you have with

25:31 uh your opponent in the cage. You were

25:33 saying it was like music, you know. How

25:35 would you describe that kind of thing

25:38 when once you're in there?

25:41 >> Yeah, man. I think about it. Oh, my bad,

25:43 bro. Okay, I'mma copy.

25:44 >> You good? You good?

25:46 >> I just noticed. Is that a Ray Mysterio

25:48 shirt, bro?

25:50 >> Yeah, bro.

25:50 >> No freaking way, bro.

25:52 >> It's a team move. It's the late night

25:55 team who purchases.

25:56 >> Hey, some of those purchases, they be

25:58 hitting though. That That shirt's fire,

25:59 bro. Growing up, I was huge huge Raymond

26:01 Mysterio fan. I remember when I grew up

26:03 in Bakersville, California. So once I

26:05 came over here, my dad took me and some

26:08 something happened where someone had

26:10 extra tickets and we got there and they

26:13 they were like right in the front. So I

26:15 saw a 619 right there. As a kid, bro,

26:17 I'm like this dude's 11.

26:19 >> Mind blown, huh?

26:20 >> Yeah, that's and I feel like that's what

26:23 UFC is for me now. Just because I see

26:25 you guys and you guys bring that kind of

26:26 that energy, but it's real. you know, at

26:28 at the time I didn't know that USC was

26:30 like

26:31 >> performative, but to see you guys

26:33 perform at the high. Do you feel do you

26:35 feel that same way?

26:37 >> Um, a little bit more and more I go

26:40 understand that, you know, this sports

26:43 entertainment to some degree, you know,

26:45 90 to some degree. That's what it is.

26:47 You know, it's how they classify it.

26:48 >> So, you gota kind of move according

26:51 accordingly to that.

26:53 Um, but yeah, dude. I mean, to this day,

26:56 bro, I still like I'll be like, "Nah,

26:59 bro. What are you talking about? They

27:01 were they were clearly fighting for

27:03 Dominic Mysterio's birthrights."

27:05 >> For sure. I was actually just talking to

27:07 to Bobby Green about that whole kind of

27:09 like, you know, entertaining the fans.

27:11 Like, he I feel like he definitely leans

27:12 into, you know, creating the atmosphere

27:14 of it's a show. He's out here doing, you

27:16 know, dance moves, talking, all that

27:18 stuff in the cage. Um, no. But there's

27:20 an element to that in the fighting too

27:22 where it's like psychologically like

27:23 does this [ __ ] really just dust

27:25 his like shoulders at him like no it's

27:27 gonna make a guy charge forward at him

27:29 which is exactly what Bobby Green wants.

27:31 He would counter punch you at the end of

27:32 the day and he wants a guy to overextend

27:34 himself. So even if that is playing to

27:37 the crowd it's also playing to the

27:38 opponents the mind game that's going on.

27:40 Going back to the conversation element

27:42 of it all. Yeah. There's this like, all

27:45 right, even the appearance that you put

27:47 on, are you like looking to be like

27:50 aggressive? Are you looking to what are

27:52 you looking for them to perceive? And

27:53 then how do you imagine they react to

27:57 the perception of an aggressive look

27:59 versus a relaxed look versus a like

28:02 dismissive look? Like all these things

28:04 are coming into play and it's so

28:06 interesting. It's such a field of energy

28:09 when you go in there. Like some guys are

28:12 more intense, some guys are flinchy,

28:14 some guys like it's just an interesting

28:16 thing that like you making all these

28:18 reads in like the matter of seconds.

28:21 Sometimes it takes a little bit longer.

28:22 Some guys are a little bit more just are

28:25 able to disguise wear different masks

28:27 for different things. It's just a real

28:29 interesting element of fighting that I

28:30 really enjoy when we actually go out

28:32 there and compete and and you know,

28:34 we're trying to decipher one another,

28:36 not just skill set, but mindset wise

28:39 going in there. You can kind of just

28:40 feel it out.

28:43 But yeah, like I think it's music I

28:44 listen to. I get real pretentious out

28:46 there. Like I during my shadow boxing

28:48 I'll be listening to some chopping. So

28:51 like I like the beats of of like old

28:53 school. He's got a album too. It's like

28:56 it's so stupid, but I joke about it. I

28:58 was like like my shadow boxing on a 432

29:01 Hz.

29:02 He's got a full album that's 432 Hz. Can

29:05 you repeat who who do you listen to

29:07 again when you're shadow boxing?

29:09 >> Chopping.

29:09 >> Choppin. I've never heard of Chopping,

29:11 bro.

29:12 >> Yeah, Frederick Choppin, bro.

29:14 >> I look it up. I like your music taste

29:16 though on your Instagram. I see you

29:17 listen to the cure, you know, some

29:19 Spanish rock. Uh, do you have any

29:20 recommendations? Come to Spanish rock

29:22 stuff like that.

29:27 >> Like the classics, man, Khalifas. Uh,

29:30 there's just a good amount. But yeah, I

29:33 don't know. Chopping is just straight

29:34 classic music though. So it's just

29:35 funny. Really

29:36 >> pretend.

29:37 >> I was I was always curious on how like

29:39 you the atmosphere is over there at the

29:40 MMA lab. You guys listen to music or you

29:42 guys just super serious and and stoic. I

29:45 feel like you guys have a lot of like

29:46 philosophical ways of of looking at

29:48 things like you guys even listen to

29:50 music or how is that?

29:51 >> Yeah, for sure. Bro, we're not robots.

29:53 >> Okay. I don't I'm not

29:54 >> We all got We all got to We all got to

29:56 get in our group. Uh you know, it's

29:58 interesting. It's always interesting

29:59 who's got the ox. It's very evident who

30:02 has the aux on what days, you know.

30:03 >> Yeah.

30:04 >> Uh Bruce Leroy has the ax for listening

30:06 to a bunch of funk and James Brown.

30:10 >> Benson has the ox listening to Christian

30:12 music.

30:14 >> Uh

30:14 >> what about you?

30:15 >> We got a guy Jackie.

30:18 >> Me uh it switches out throughout. Like

30:20 I'll throw everyone will put on rap.

30:22 Like rap's like the you know I like rap.

30:24 I like hip-hop but like it's just solo.

30:27 Like it's just like such the status quo.

30:29 So then I like throwing on, you know, a

30:32 little bit more rock, you know, going

30:34 into that. We'll play the cure, play,

30:37 you know, just some just a little bit

30:39 more on the alt side.

30:41 >> Um,

30:43 >> yeah. What else? Who else? I don't know.

30:46 I don't know. But it is funny. You go

30:47 in, you're like, "Ah, all right. I

30:48 wasn't really vibing with this."

30:50 Whatever. You get into it eventually.

30:52 But it is it is such a a music such a

30:56 connection point to like all right well

30:58 I can I can play a rhythm of this with

31:01 my body lock game or maybe this makes me

31:05 want to shoot singles maybe this makes

31:07 you want to shoot level change like it

31:09 does kind of dictate a little not really

31:11 >> it does not like at least right with the

31:13 the rhythmic patterns and stuff like

31:15 that um I I used to play a lot of

31:17 basketball in the backyard so I always

31:19 listen I I'll start dribbling the ball

31:20 to the beat and stuff So just stuff like

31:22 that. I like I like that stuff.

31:24 >> I like um Jared Caner.

31:29 >> Yeah, he is. But dude, he plays straight

31:31 like um all he'll play cuz he he's he's

31:35 funny. He thinks it's you know the

31:37 government's brainwashing everybody with

31:39 frequencies,

31:40 >> which you know, who knows? Maybe.

31:42 >> Yeah.

31:43 >> If you Dude, if you get me in a room

31:44 with Jared for like 25 minutes, I'm

31:46 going to believe whatever.

31:47 >> I might have to get him on the show,

31:48 bro. Cuz that's

31:49 >> he's convincing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's

31:52 got some fun ideas. Um but he plays only

31:55 like um not not just instrumentals but

31:58 like uh thematic like the scores. He'll

32:01 play scores of like Mute movies. So it's

32:03 like the Jurassic Park themes on a lot

32:05 of like 10 a lot of Christopher Nolan

32:07 stuff

32:07 >> and bro it's like it's so cinematic as

32:10 you're practicing.

32:11 >> Oh that's tight. I never heard something

32:12 like that before. I could just envision

32:14 it though.

32:14 >> Yeah. Yeah. And then I also like this

32:17 one when I shadow box and I'm not doing

32:18 chopping and it's just like me and

32:20 another teammate and it's not like a and

32:22 it's more of a like we're trying to

32:24 deconstruct technique and we're trying

32:26 to figure things out. I like uh this

32:28 band. It's these two brothers at Romanos

32:30 Gutieras.

32:31 >> Okay.

32:32 >> And it's just like real psychedelic

32:33 guitar

32:34 >> and it's just uh real psychedelic guitar

32:36 and it's real just

32:38 >> just a good beat and your mind can just

32:40 kind of wander off in a nice way.

32:41 >> I like that. Have you experimented with

32:43 the psychedelics yourself or?

32:46 >> Um, I haven't really played with heavier

32:49 dosages in terms of like going out there

32:52 and like really just sitting and

32:53 meditating on on on certain pathways or

32:56 not pathways on just meditating and

32:58 seeing what kind of comes comes about

32:59 from it.

33:00 >> But I do enjoy like a

33:03 >> like a good micro prior to practice. And

33:07 so like as I'm practicing, I could just

33:09 feel myself making connections that I'm

33:11 like, "Ah, all right, cool."

33:13 >> And it's just like all these little

33:14 minor connections where I'm just kind I

33:16 just feel like I get to them a little

33:18 bit quicker.

33:19 >> So I really enjoyed them on that front.

33:21 >> More clear. You feel like you're

33:26 >> a little bit. I feel like I get there

33:27 without them, but like it's it's nicer.

33:30 Especially if like I do feel fatigued, I

33:32 do feel the strain of a camp, then

33:35 sometimes it's a little harder to get

33:36 get there naturally. So, I find that it

33:39 does help me get to those places where

33:40 I'm making the connections.

33:42 >> Um,

33:45 >> yeah, I I find them to be pretty

33:46 helpful.

33:47 >> Nice. And is there anything that you did

33:49 early on in your career that I felt like

33:51 kind of hindered you a little bit and

33:52 you notice a drastic difference now that

33:54 you removed something from kind of your

33:56 daily routine or something like that?

33:59 probably like Jack in the Box tacos.

34:00 Those usually don't help, you know,

34:04 [ __ ] few those two for one deals

34:06 would get me back in the day, especially

34:08 after a hard practice. I'd be like,

34:10 >> "Yeah, I hit the spot." I like the the

34:12 mini churros from Jack in the Box. Those

34:14 are pretty fire. I get those.

34:16 >> See, bro, I I gave up on that before all

34:18 that started to come into play.

34:19 >> Okay. Okay.

34:20 >> I missed out. I missed out. But yeah,

34:22 dude, like as an early pro, like it was

34:25 embarrassing. My dad was embarrassing.

34:26 Like I can look back and I'm like what

34:28 was I thinking? Cuz I was serious. Like

34:30 I cared about it. But it's just one one

34:32 of those uh one of those things that

34:34 just took me a little bit longer to to

34:37 tighten up on.

34:38 >> Yeah. Just diet and stuff like that.

34:39 Like with you know I I want to ask you

34:42 like some like you know maybe some like

34:44 food related questions or you know cuz

34:46 growing up in a Mexican household like

34:47 what what were your favorite meals uh

34:49 just growing up? Like

34:51 >> I mean dude I just Yeah. I love

34:53 breakfast. Like I love breakfast and

34:55 like to me that's like uh and my mom was

34:58 like like my cousin and stuff would come

35:01 over cuz like my mom like my mom cooks

35:03 really well. So like my mom my house was

35:05 the spot to like come eat me and like

35:07 breakfast wouldn't be like

35:10 dude just like a just a simple breakfast

35:12 of like

35:14 woscoapas.

35:20 [ __ ] my mouth water. Um, and then like

35:24 the salsa she makes and then her

35:25 homemade tortillas and it's just simple

35:27 but it just smacks so hard. A little bit

35:29 avocado like gets as simple as it gets

35:32 but it's the most like to this day it's

35:34 like like I get excited thinking about

35:36 it. And then there's like uh Dennis

35:38 would be like

35:43 I don't know whatever my mom made really

35:45 do like it all smacked. I think just the

35:48 the home environment. I mean, growing

35:49 up, you know, I had my aunts cooking,

35:51 grandma's throw down as well, make some

35:53 more list, some got a little like those

35:55 are the things that I didn't really

35:57 appreciate it, but I didn't really

35:59 appreciate until I got older. You know,

36:01 those moments of just you with the

36:02 cousins and kind of just like eating

36:04 together and then, you know, we all grow

36:06 up and we kind of go our separate ways

36:08 and just like, you know, reminiscing on

36:09 those times. It feels like, you know,

36:11 the the food is is a big thing. It's a

36:14 big connection when it comes to just

36:15 environment and and sharing those type

36:17 of memories. For sure. So, I was just

36:19 kind of curious, you know, growing up,

36:20 you you probably have a big family. I

36:21 saw in the Dana White Contender Series

36:23 as soon as you got that hit that knee,

36:24 saw your family go crazy. I'm like, bro,

36:26 that must feel so crazy. Um, so like

36:29 when that when that moment came to

36:30 fruition, like um how did that feel for

36:32 you personally? I know you're like,

36:33 "Where's Dana White?" Like it felt like

36:35 like you were so hyped after that. So,

36:38 how how did that feel?

36:40 >> Man, I was just I was just so hungry. I

36:42 was so hungry for that moment, man. I've

36:44 been working so many years to get to

36:47 that point and and the day came and the

36:50 day came kind of on short notice. So

36:52 like I was dealing with a whirlwind of

36:54 emotions because it was short notice.

36:56 Like I thought I was going to have more

36:57 time. So it was just like everything to

37:00 like to make that moment happen on those

37:02 nine days was just kind of like such a

37:05 blur and such a just cosmic whirlpool of

37:09 energy that when it got released it was

37:12 like holy crap. And I was like no this

37:14 is my time now. Like and I'm I grew up

37:17 real quiet. I was always more like

37:19 observant growing up

37:22 >> and I knew when we speak on the sports

37:24 entertain life it's like now this ain't

37:25 the time for that. Like, so I think that

37:27 a lot of that energy and a lot of that

37:30 like going out looking for Dana White,

37:32 looking to like really stake my flame on

37:35 it was like me knowing like no, I can't

37:36 go. I can't I can't play how I would

37:40 truly want to play.

37:41 >> I got to be a little bit more of myself.

37:44 Not sell myself out, but I got to be

37:46 more of myself. I got to find what's

37:49 authentic to me. But I do got to go go

37:52 through

37:54 uh just a different version, you know?

37:57 And

37:58 yeah.

38:00 Yeah. I mean, in terms of like the

38:02 feeling of like, holy crap, I did it.

38:03 Like my

38:06 like, dude, this is a tough career to

38:08 sell people on. Like, you're going to do

38:10 what? You're going to fight? You're

38:11 going to like like that's how you're

38:13 going to make money. That's how you're

38:14 going to take care of yourself. That's

38:15 how you're going to feed your future

38:16 family. Like, it's a it's a hard cell.

38:20 and to make it on the contender series,

38:22 make it get that UFC contract. Like it's

38:24 like it's so validating. It's like,

38:26 yeah, like ah see like I wasn't just

38:29 [ __ ] around. Like I was like I I've

38:31 been doing this with purpose and like

38:33 like I made this happen and that was a

38:35 very evident day. Like that was

38:38 it had already been go tracking that

38:40 way, but like that day really solidified

38:42 a lot and I could it took a lot of the

38:44 stress of of that side off my shoulders.

38:47 they can look at me and not just look at

38:49 me and be like, "All right, he's not

38:50 just like ah look at him like he's he's

38:53 somebody that we're proud of." And not

38:55 that they weren't prior.

38:56 >> Yeah. But it's like the accolades you

38:57 were talking about, right? You really

38:58 didn't have the accolades to to show or

39:01 prove to be like, "Hey, this is my my

39:03 thing." You know, now you you you made

39:05 that clear and then, you know, backto

39:07 back first round finishes and I feel

39:09 like your career is, you know, on on the

39:11 upward trajectory. That's why I was like

39:13 wanted to be able to share your story. I

39:14 just feel like it's it's hard, you know,

39:16 being a full-time fighter, then you got

39:17 to kind of be like a content creator as

39:19 well on the side just to be able to get

39:20 your name out there. Um, is is there

39:23 like some some things that

39:26 that you see from other fighters that

39:28 you kind of like appreciate? I know you

39:30 said that you're a big fan of Mighty

39:31 Mouse and stuff like that. Do you do you

39:32 see yourself doing some stuff like that

39:34 in the future?

39:36 >> Yeah, I love what Mighty Mouse is doing.

39:38 Even if like I would love to do that

39:42 without even the purpose like like I

39:44 understand the content side but like

39:46 what he's doing just as a as a fan of

39:48 martial arts and a fan of people like

39:49 and learning from people like that's the

39:51 coolest [ __ ] ever. Like are you kidding

39:52 me? I mean GSP's follow those two two

39:55 episode series so dope man. So, like I

39:58 just would love to connect with as much

40:00 of the legends of this game as possible,

40:03 you know, current and past and and

40:05 that's a fun avenue that I'm I'm looking

40:07 forward to in the future, but it's just

40:09 not the time. Um, yeah, I'm trying to,

40:12 you know, figure out what what content

40:15 looks like for me, you know, each and

40:17 every camp. I I play with different

40:18 ideas. We're kind of starting up the

40:20 content cycle for this camp, help

40:22 promote the fights. Um,

40:25 but yeah. Yeah. just kind of playing

40:27 around with it, seeing what fits me.

40:29 >> Growing up, who was your inspiration as

40:31 like a fighter that to emulate their

40:34 style, their personality? Um, who who

40:36 did you look look up to?

40:40 >> Uh, Jose Aldo was my favorite as a kid,

40:42 man. I just from the WC days, I was

40:44 like, man, this guy's just he's he's

40:47 just one of the goats. And and I loved

40:50 his evolution, man. seeing him as an

40:52 older cat in uh the younger weight

40:54 classes, seeing the the strategic and

40:58 tactical choices that he made to prolong

41:00 his career and have the longevity that

41:02 he did. The fact that they would still

41:03 compete with guys at the highest level

41:06 for over a decade. Like you don't see

41:08 that type of longevity at the highest

41:09 level.

41:10 >> Couldn't even take him down.

41:12 >> No, you know, the guy's the guy's really

41:15 impressive, man. And I did like his

41:17 humility and all that from, you know,

41:19 what we saw of him. Um, boxing wise,

41:22 man, I really like I really like the

41:24 tricky clever guys. Like to me, like

41:26 Bernard Hopkins is a guy that I always

41:28 watch just because I was like he's so

41:30 he's so he's

41:33 such what American boxing is to me. Like

41:35 he's the epitome of it in terms of like

41:38 >> he was already older coming into it, but

41:41 like especially there at the end of his

41:44 pure craft. It was pure just like I'm

41:47 spooning you. Pure like Roger

41:48 Mayweather. you [ __ ] don't know

41:50 [ __ ] about boxing. Like you put those

41:52 type of class master classes on people

41:55 and I love that. I love that element of

41:57 it. Like I want to be a master of this.

41:59 So like to me boxing was a big one for

42:01 me. The Mayweathers, the Juan Marquez,

42:04 the Andre Ward I'm a big fan of in and

42:08 out of the ring. I like the way he

42:09 carries himself. I like the way he

42:10 articulates himself and is able to

42:13 articulate the sport of boxing for

42:15 people, you know. Um,

42:18 >> GSP is a guy that I really admired in in

42:22 his approach to everything. I like just

42:23 his professionalism and all all those

42:25 things.

42:27 >> So many there's so many your names.

42:28 >> Yeah. I don't know how much time you

42:30 got, but I did uh I I you know did my

42:33 research and seemed like one of your

42:34 favorite moments uh growing up as a kid

42:36 is like watching fights and you know

42:39 feeling that suspense and that like you

42:41 know it's it's palpable. you could feel

42:43 it like you could feel your heart racing

42:44 a little bit and everybody's waiting for

42:47 the outcome. Um, can you explain kind of

42:50 how that feeling has has meant to you

42:52 from watching it as a kid to being able

42:54 to create those moments now?

42:59 >> Oh, interesting. Um, yeah, they're a

43:02 little separated nowadays, man, cuz like

43:04 it's it's I just knew that I wanted to

43:06 be a part of it. I remember when I

43:08 walked out for my fight against Haidider

43:12 Mel. It was the T-Mobile Arena

43:13 International fight. We did a big event

43:15 as we get, you know, in the UFC. And I'm

43:18 looking around and I'm like, damn, like

43:20 I am a part of this. Like I like I I've

43:24 walked this walked so many times in my

43:26 head. I felt this feeling so many times

43:28 in my head. And it feels comfortable.

43:32 And it feels not just comfortable. It

43:33 feels um

43:36 what's the word, man? It feels

43:39 >> destined.

43:41 >> Not just destined, it's just like it

43:43 feels

43:45 it feels like I walked into my house. It

43:47 feels like I walked into my childhood

43:48 house. Like it's that feeling of like,

43:50 oh yeah, I've been here before, you

43:52 know? So

43:54 nowadays it's not like the task at hand

43:58 is the task at hand and I just focus on

44:01 getting that done. So, I guess like the

44:04 the feeling is a point of the

44:05 reflection. Like it's always in in

44:07 reflection, you know, and there's little

44:09 micro moments where I could sit here and

44:10 be like, "Whoa, like holy [ __ ] look at

44:12 this crowd. Look at this cage. Look at

44:14 Bruce Buffer. Look at Joe Rogan."

44:16 >> And like those are little micro moments

44:18 and it's like, "All right, back to the

44:19 task at hand." And then it's afterwards

44:21 in reflection where I can be like, "Holy

44:23 shit." You know, like I I I was I

44:25 created another moment, you know?

44:27 >> How does it feel watching your fights

44:28 back? Do you feel like you're in a

44:31 different place? It's like when you

44:32 watch your fights back, it's like, damn,

44:33 is that me? Like, or do you feel that

44:35 way? Or how do you feel when you watch

44:36 your fights?

44:38 >> Um,

44:41 I'm really mean, dude. I'm a I'm

44:42 immediately a harsh critic. No matter

44:44 how well I did, it's just harsh

44:46 criticism. And then afterwards, it' be

44:48 like, "All right, now let me just admire

44:50 let me just be narcissists and admire

44:52 how sick some of the moments I did

44:54 were."

44:55 >> Um, so it's usually that process. Like

44:57 it's immediately, all right, let's look

44:58 at everything I could have done better

45:01 and let's like mark that in my head and

45:03 then afterwards it's like all right,

45:04 let's look at the [ __ ] I did well and

45:06 let's like just rewatch that over and

45:09 over.

45:09 >> Nice. I was listening to Dominic Dominic

45:11 Cruz podcast with Andre Philly and he

45:13 talked a little bit about your fight. Um

45:15 there was something that I believe maybe

45:17 in like the second round um there was

45:18 something up with his eye. Did you feel

45:20 that um you know something was bothering

45:22 him and or um were you able to

45:24 capitalize on that or he I know there's

45:26 something there was like a little moment

45:27 where you know the momentum shifted and

45:28 stuff like that. I was just curious if

45:31 uh not in terms of his eye. I just knew

45:32 I hit him really hard so I noticed him

45:35 react to that. Um

45:38 yeah, no nothing with his eye, man. I

45:41 just was I I could feel him uh I hit

45:44 him. I could feel him shift and I could

45:46 feel his energy start to kind of

45:47 dwindle. So I tried to forward on him.

45:49 He was a tough guy. He survived. It is

45:51 what it is, you know. [ __ ] it. It's

45:53 fighting. It's messy. It's grimy.

45:55 Everyone's got their own little journey

45:57 in in that fight

45:58 >> and then you kind of make the moment

46:00 together. Um,

46:02 >> yeah, fighting is weird,

46:03 >> right?

46:03 >> So, I don't know if you can see right

46:05 here, there's there's Yousef and Al saw

46:08 that fight. Um, do you do you see

46:10 yourself, you know, getting a main event

46:12 soon? You know, say if you make a

46:13 statement win, do you feel like that's

46:15 in your cards?

46:17 >> Shoot. I hope so, man. Uh uh

46:20 >> if not the next one, man, but one after

46:23 for sure. Like I'm one or two away.

46:26 >> Me fighting Bashi doesn't really like

46:29 I'm put I'm planning on putting on a

46:30 master class. I'm planning on a [ __ ]

46:34 statement making performance,

46:37 but it's it Bashi's one one and one in

46:40 the UFC right now. We'll see. We'll see

46:42 where that kind of puts me. But man, I

46:44 want I want a big fight. I know not UFC

46:48 is coming up in Phoenix, Arizona in

46:50 September. I I got to be on that guard,

46:52 you know. So, I'm planning on a sick

46:54 little twoight run here in the next

46:56 couple months, next few months,

46:58 >> and then Yeah, why not? Let's get that

47:00 main event going. I want to prepare for

47:02 five rounds. I want to feel that

47:03 feeling.

47:04 >> Let's do it. I just want to thank you

47:05 again, Jose, for hopping on the on the

47:08 podcast, you know, um in fight camp. Um

47:11 wishing you the best, you know, in your

47:12 performance and hopefully we can get you

47:14 out there. No, UFC. I think that would

47:16 be a wonderful card, you know, just to

47:17 get you on. I feel like, you know,

47:19 represent the the Mexican people and

47:21 also the Mexican fine style as well and

47:23 also, you know, everything everything

47:26 Mexican American and uh yeah, wishing

47:28 you the best uh Jose. Thank you so much

47:30 for uh you know, just having a little

47:31 conversation. Nothing too crazy.

47:34 >> Nothing too crazy. Appreciate you, man.

47:36 >> Good time.

47:36 >> Yeah. So, um um with um we'll just we'll

47:39 just end it there. Make sure to leave a

47:41 like, subscribe, and uh I'm excited for

47:43 you, bro. A thank you, bro. Have a good

47:46 one, man. You too. Have a great day.