I remember kickboxing and traveling the world when I was young. I would go to Japan or Africa, and I would go for the experience. As soon as I got off the plane, we'd go have a good time, party. Fighting was just the outlet of what I was doing there.
I didn't really have intentions of fighting in MMA; it just kind of fell into place. Once I started fighting, though, I loved it, and I walked away from kickboxing right away.
I do mixed martial arts, mainly kickboxing.
I've been a heavyweight in boxing, in kickboxing. I'll do it in again in MMA.
There doesn't need to be hatred after a fight, because it's all said and done. I'm cool with a lot of my opponents in the UFC. There's people I've fought who were my friends in kickboxing tournaments and after we were still cool.
I've done it in kickboxing, I've done it in boxing. After you clean out a division, you move up in weight.
I was an oddball in kickboxing because of my style. I'm different. I'm fleet-footed and I understand how to move and work the system.
My favorite outdoor activities are running, yoga, and functional training. My favorite indoor workouts are Pilates, kickboxing, functional training, and a lot of different exercises at the gym with and without weights - including TRX.
I am Jack Swagger. My background, it's there for the world to see, and you look at MMA today, you look at boxing today, you look at professional kickboxing today, you need that entertainment value. You want people to relate to you as a character, as a personality. Honestly, that's what they're going to remember.
MMA is very difficult; you can't just be good at wrestling. You need striking, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and countless other things.
