It doesn't bother me to have people looking up to me, because I don't think I say anything too crazy or over the top where people can't look at me as a role model.
I've been the captain of my wrestling team, my college team, so to me, I've been in that leadership role for a very long time.
I'm from a family of 20, so I'm one of the oldest guys, I grew up a lot having my brothers and sisters walk with me to school when I had to be the guy to watch them and all these things, so I kinda learned how to develop those leadership skills at a very early age.
I'm in this sport to change my life. I'm in this sport to change my parents' lives and the loved ones around me. That's really what I care about. And I can't do that if they keep putting me on these prelims.
I got a different persona than a lot of these other guys.
I almost want to ask the judges, 'If you don't count leg kicks, if you don't count body kicks, why not?' So if you don't think they're effective in the scoring criteria, they're not effective striking, effective grappling, so how about I kick you in the body, I kick you in the leg, and you tell me how that feels?
If you're a UFC guy, if you're a company guy, if the company likes you, they're gonna do the right thing, in terms of promoting you. They're gonna promote who they want, they're not going to promote the people they think can't get to that next level and can't help bring the company a lot more money and bring them into other avenues.
At the end of the day, when you get a sponsor, it's a working relationship. So anyone I get involved with, I want it to be a working relationship where I'm generally trying to help them and they're generally trying to help me.
If you're a top 10 guy you should pay a top 10 guy or even a top 5 guy what he deserves, whether it's a lightweight or a heavyweight.
Ideally, I want to get out of the sport at least when I'm 30-31. I don't want to be one of those guys who stays around too long, so I want to get as many fights in as I can.
If you don't stick out then how do you expect to be remembered? I want to be one of those guys who is actually remembered.
Every time you step in there with a guy who is not ranked where you're at, it's always a big stepping stone for them - if they're able to get the job done.
I know some people count me out, but that's the one thing about myself, I never count myself out.
It's interesting to see all these guys keep calling me out after they win. I don't know whether it's a slap in the face or just respect. I don't know. I have no idea. I can't tell what to make of it.
I think flyweight has always been exciting.
If you don't know what the hell the martial arts are, why are you a judge?
I realize judges don't understand what the hell kicks are doing.
At the end of the day, I know I'm not Superman.
I mean, I've had fights with random guys, I drove to fights by myself cutting weight, no corners whatsoever. So I've had a very interesting MMA journey.
I tell myself, 'You're too fast, you're too strong, you're too quick. You can't be broken, you can't be beat. If you can't be broken, you can't be beat.' And I just beat it into my head.
