Digital Social Hour - From Homelessness to UFC: A Fighter’s Rise & Fall | Uriah Hall DSH #1202

Episode Date: February 25, 2025

From homelessness to UFC stardom and everything in between! 🥋💥 In this raw and riveting episode of the Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly sits down with Uriah Hall to uncover the untold story of his rise from eating out of garbage cans to becoming a UFC sensation. Hear firsthand about his greatest fights, struggles with mental health, the politics of fighting, and his life after stepping out of the octagon. 🥊✨   Uriah gets real about the highs and lows of fame, the fight for authenticity in a world obsessed with influencers, and his journey of self-discovery after retirement. From the brutal realities of weight cuts to training with legends, this episode is packed with valuable insights and unfiltered honesty. 🧠🔥   Don't miss out on this inspiring and eye-opening conversation! 🙌 Watch now and subscribe for more insider secrets. 📺 Hit that subscribe button and stay tuned for more powerful stories on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly! 🚀🔥   CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Training for Life 01:02 - Boxing Corruption and Rigging 06:06 - Struggles with Suicide After Retirement 10:21 - Growing Up in Poverty in Jamaica 15:14 - Experiencing Homelessness in NYC 20:05 - Tom Aspinall's Journey 22:10 - Insights from The Ultimate Fighter 26:59 - Challenges of a Bad Weight Cut 33:05 - UFC 189: Sean Strickland Analysis 34:30 - Decision to Retire from UFC 36:20 - Impact of Technology on Society 41:20 - Addressing Racism in America 44:07 - Future Plans and Next Steps 45:30 - Learning to Fight Through Video Games 47:24 - Finding Uriah: Where to Look   APPLY TO BE ON THE PODCAST: https://www.digitalsocialhour.com/application BUSINESS INQUIRIES/SPONSORS: [e-mail]   GUEST: Uriah Hall https://www.instagram.com/uriahhall/ https://linktr.ee/uriahhall   LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 Sean Kelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmikekelly/   #mmanews #ufcweighin #wzzm13news #ufc #joerogan

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Hey, there he is. We got your eye-haul here today. Fresh off a training session. Let's go, man. What you training for? Eye for life, bro. Got fat after I retired a little bit, you know. It's one of those cases where I see a lot of people let themselves go. A bunch of my friends, I'm not going to say, but I didn't want to fall into that category. And it's so easy to just go down that sparrow. You follow a routine.

And I'm good with structure. So out here in Vegas, I decided to just go to TI. My friend just invited me, which is weird because I'm good with structure. So out here in Vegas, the sataches, I go to the PI, and my friend just invited me, which is weird because I'm the guest. I used to bring the guests, now I'm the guest. Yeah, times have changed. Yeah, I saw you say on another show you were 230 pounds. You had to lose 30 pounds in what, three weeks

for that last boxing match you had? Oh yeah, for Julio, Julio? Julio Caesar's satach. That's nuts. Yeah, I mean, you know what? I got off the couch. The fight, that's nuts. Yeah, I mean, you know, I got off the couch, the fight could have, would have, should have. Of course, the boxer is always going to talk smack.

But I look at it this way for getting off the couch, fighting a world former world champ. I didn't have anything to lose. And in my mind, I'm like, oh, he's Mexican. I'm fighting like a Mexican. What Mexicans do? They walk at you. But this fool was running and hitting on my. All right. It's a tactic, man, because I think he was trying to fight Jake Paul.

He's just trying to secure the wind. So I was just like, I'm just going to walk at him and just do what I do. I had some injuries, of course. I was standing upright. So I couldn't really utilize my frame as much as I could. But it was a good learning experience. Yeah. I take nothing away.

I saw you say about the fight, you felt like boxing's pretty rigged overall, right? Oh, fuck yes, rigged, dude. I mean, come on, man. There's so much politics, even with MMA, man, there's so many politics. It's going away from the art. There's no more art anymore.

It's just, let's get an influencer in there. I get it, it's like generating money because our attention span is so short. You look at clips now. It's like seven seconds. Yeah. You know, I saw a dude slamming a lady the other day and they were like, oh my God, that dude is I'm like, well, what the bitch do? I'm just going to pick somebody and slam them. Yeah. You know, where's the whole video?

And our attention span is just so small. So money talks, of course. Yeah, let's get an influencer in there who has no fucking style, but it draws attention. It's just dumb to me. So. I agree though. You see people get arrested on social media,

but you don't see what leads up to that arrest. Nothing. But that's how I personally feel we're just dumbing down if we're not careful. And God forbid you speak the truth. Oh, shut up. Oh, you're not with us. Like, oh, it's called freedom of speech.

Right. This is America, man. This shit is built on that. You can't even be yourself anymore. So I try to separate myself and just step away from. Did you feel pretty censored when you were fighting professionally of what you could say publicly? Not too much. But I knew that a lot of fighters get certain type of treatment

You know before I left the UFC. I was trying to fight this guy named Darren till yeah And they were protecting the fuck out of him. I Mean he was an Abu Dhabi training. I'm trying to get the fight. He was ranked six. I was ranked eight He lost four in a row. I won four in a row. I'm like, how the fuck is he ahead of me? Don't get me started on the rankings. I don't even know who's in charge of that, but I'm trying to fight him. You know, he has a big name, big following in Britain or whatever. And I'm like, I can take him out because I'm trying to get the title contingency.

You know, I was trying to fight Alex, not to take anything away from him. But I'm a kickboxer, man. I left kickboxing for MMA because me at the time, it felt too easy. But it's like, you can't say that. Like, but I'm a fighter. I'm not supposed to be confident. Like, these people are so fucking dumb, man. But there's a lot of politics.

And sometimes you got to play the game. You look at a guy like Colby Covington, the nicest dude on earth, but he's got to talk some shit. Fucking sucks. Yeah. So it's like video games. It's like we want this character, Sean O'Malley or Connor, you know, and nobody cares. So it's like, where's the art? It's not martial arts.

It's just fighting. Yeah. Which is cool. But I don't know. I stand for something else. It's like entertainment at this point, right? Yeah, because you don't have any control on who you fight at once you're rising. Right. No. And then, you know, some people are just handpicking. So there's building blocks.

Some fighters are like, all right, he's got got potential. Let's give him some easy fights. When Conor was coming up, man, they gave him all short dudes. Like, come on, bro, jab all day. So not to take anything away from that, but the sport just picks people because they favorite you if you have a certain way of talking. Can you be yourself? And then you have some of these fans who are kind of idiots just like,

Oh my God, he's so honest. Let me live like. Looking for the ultimate online casino experience? Step into the BetMGM casino app where every deal, spin and goal brings Las Vegas excitement into the palm of your hand. Take your seat at Premium Blackjack Pro where strategy meets top-tier gameplay. Hit the ice with Gretzky Goal Lucky Tap, inspired by the great one himself, or play the dazzling MGM Grand Emerald Knights, a slot experience that captures the magic of MGM. With so many games, it's time to make your move. Download the app and visit BetMGM Ontario today to experience the next level of gaming. Visit betmgm.com for terms and conditions.

19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please gamble responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. I carelessly threw him. It's just, it makes me not want to do it, but my competitive nature, my competitive side is like, not done, you know, I still didn't

fulfill what I really, really, really wanted to do. Yeah, so you felt like you left Sama on the table? Oh, hell yeah, I didn't want to retire. I was fucking 39. I had a lot in the tank. 39? Well, I'm 40 now. Yeah. But, you know, I have a lot of time.

I mean, look at Anderson. He's 10 years my senior and this motherfucker moved like he's 25. That's true. And the last thing he said to me when we fought was like, you know, train your mind. You know, don't just focus on your body. Train your mind. Getting older. So that's one of the things that you have to preserve. Mind. Mind is the greatest thing on the body. This is really what you own only.

And we all in our own fucking reality. So I know I have more in the tank. Is it my ego talking? Maybe. But I know if my ego is in front of me, it's leading me. I have that guy behind me. But for me, I just know I have more to kind of go out there and say, if I walk away from this completely. Am I am I good? Can I can I leave and say I'm good? Because

the worst thing you want to live with is regret, man. Absolutely. That coulda, shoulda, woulda. Yeah, with all the advancements in health, yeah, there's athletes going to their 40s now like LeBron. Yeah, oh man. And I was so depressed after retiring, dude. Conceplated suicide. I mean, I didn't want to leave my house. When I sat on the couch for a week, fat, bearded up, gut, and then going outside, I didn't want to see anybody and then you look at you differently.

Oh, you used to be famous. Or it's Uriah, just Uriah now. You're not Uriah the fighter. And that, I fucked with you if you don't have the right people around you. You'd be like, oh, dude, don't even worry about that.s with you if you don't have the right people around you. You'd be like, ah dude don't even worry about that. And of course, people aren't saying the right thing. Like, hey, do you need anything? Hey, are you okay?

It's more of like, how much money you got, man? Like, well what are you going to do? So that part sucked. But as you know, Steve Jobs says, you look back, all the dots are connected. So looking back, it's like, alright, who are my confidants, who are my constituents, who was there to see me at my worst

and then kind of be there as my friends. And one of my mentor always told me, you got to stop calling people friends, man. Like, don't just throw that word out so easily. You know, a friend is someone you can call at five in the morning. Hey, man, I'm stuck in Brazil. OK, let me get on the next plane. People that you don't have to explain yourself to. So I really saw that towards the end of my career in the UFC, if it was really there to kind of pick me up, because I was alone and I didn't know what to do. And when I say thinking about not being here anymore, it sucked.

And of course, that small voice was like, don't be a bitch, don't do it. And I had to listen to that voice, but it was hard, that voice was fading. And you know, if I had died, still would have been traffic on the 405, life goes on. So I just, I know I just couldn't go out like that. Man, that's deep. Yeah, cause in your prime, you probably thought you had a ton of friends, right?

Oh yeah, dude. They're scattered, man. It's got like cockroaches, but it's a good thing because then you know who was there for you. And I learned a lot stepping away from fighting, even though I did boxing, just stepping away from the limelight because I'm very real and honest and it's dimmed down upon right now. You can't be too honest and be yourself or you don't like this. You're not a part of this.

If I say, oh, I like oranges. So what you're saying is mangos and tomatoes are bad. I didn't say that. People are so fucking stupid, bro. You can't even talk to anybody. Yeah. So no one's listening to understand basically. Everyone's just listening to reply. If these fucking dumbass politicians would just listen to understand, which is what this

fucking country is made on, our differences to just understand to move forward would be great like that whole make America great again, which when was this shit great again? Yeah, OK. Yeah. Yeah, that was a movement. You see what's going on in Cali right now. Holy crap. Oh, yeah, I just left. Oh, you were there.

Yeah, I was there. Damn. In Cali, but a lot of houses burning down. I mean, there's a lot of wildfires, right? It's like if it snows in New York every winter. We get prepared for the ice. Yeah. We're not. You're not prepared for this.

We're not prepared for fire. Like if you know this shit is coming, we got to be prepared. Where the fuck is all that money going? Shows you how much these politicians gives a fuck. It's going in people's pockets. I feel terrible, man, because these people, you know, this is your home. A lot of people live there their whole lives and it's like, you know, so let's see how great this fucking place is going to be to help people.

At the very minimum there should have been water in the fire hydrants. What the fuck was that all about? How do you not have water in a fire hydrant? Yeah, that's crazy to me. It makes no sense. It also seems weird to me how there's so many fires at the same time. And people are starting fire So now we got these idiots like maybe I can count on this

Yeah, I'm sure God is up there like Jesus you died for these motherfuckers really La man a lot of mismanagement going on and Cali. It's a shame, but there's some good in the world though man As much as you know the negative affirmation and negativities there When my good friend always told me you always you got to focus on the good. And like my mom said, listen, don't let the world change you. You be that change. You got to be that light. And it's hard challenging because you're always going to have people in traffic just getting mad at you and all that.

We're all going through our own shit, man. But if we just take the time to be a little bit considerate. I speak for myself as well. We can move forward. Yeah, it's good to have that mindset. I know you had humble beginnings, right, in Jamaica. Oh, absolutely, I grew up poor, man. I grew up literally one pair of shoes. Did you know that at the time that you were poor, though?

No, that's the thing. Until I came to America. You know, I didn't even know what racism was till I came here. What do you mean I'm black? You know, I had no idea what the fuck racism was. And of course, New York City, of all places, did this to me, you know, and friends and, you know, how I dressed, you know, you know how kids are just mean.

I never got picked on in school. In fact, in Jamaica, I think the kid that picked on me, my dad came there and whooped his ass. Really? Which is normal. Not here though. You know, you go to jail. Yeah. But back there, my dad came like, fuck with my son again, see what happens.

You know, there's repercussions. Motherfucker never picked on me again. But America kind of opened my eyes. Obviously gave me a lot of opportunities. It made me where I am today. I'm not going to take anything from that. But at the time, not having that father figure coming in at a young age, which is 13, which is a crucial age.

New York City was just a tough place to just kind of, you know, embark me on just no guidelines. And then school will get picked on. I didn't understand it. I'm like, this is a new culture, new language. Like, what is this bullying? And I fell into it deep because I didn't know how to respond to it. Never got bullied in Jamaica. So it got me to lose confidence in myself.

And then martial arts made me rediscover that. And 20 years later, I'm hurting people for a living. I love it. So your father stayed back when you came to New York? Yeah. I mean, you know, I don't talk to him as much, but he's still down there. It's changed, man.

All my friends are literally dead. Whoa. I'm pretty sure if I was there, I'd be dead too. In Jamaica, they're dead? In Jamaica. Wow. Almost everybody I grew up with, you know, the culture is a little different. Again, it's home. I can't sit here and be like, fuck, I can't, you know, it's my home.

It's my heritage,, it's my home. It's my heritage. But it's changed so much. You know, guys, I mean, going down there, I don't see myself playing a hero perspective, you know, because it's such a high level poverty. It's not everywhere, of course, because there's some rich areas, not just wealthy in money, but just wealthy in a cultural perspective. But it's just change. And I left when I was 13, so I don't remember shit.

Yeah. I didn't know. She goes there all the time. She's a bad ass. She's the sweetest lady in the world. She's like, I'm going to go fuck. I'm going down. I think women have it a little easier, right?

Yeah. But I don't know, man. Media, bro. You see some things from a different perspective, at least here to have rights. Yeah. You can't just, you know, be doing me to stuff. And I've never done any stuff like that. So, yeah, but I just know stuff like that happen.

I've had friends that talk to me and say they've been harassed. What? And. It sucks to be violated and not being able to have the courage to speak up. You know, it sucks. Yeah. I know if something like that happened to my mom, my sister, I'm going to jail. That's not even a conversation. Who did it? OK, I'm going to jail. But it sucks. A lot of women can't even speak about stuff like that.

They got to kind of live with it. This. Yeah, there's there's always going to be that human abuse of power, right? Yeah. With certain positions. We're dangerous men. Men are dangerous. But I encourage a lot of people to to to to learn how to defend themselves. You know, I used to teach. I think it's so empowering to not defend. It's like it's like having to drive a license.

You know, you're driving. You have a license because you qualify, you know, so if you learn how to defend yourself, it builds your confidence. Oh yeah. And I trained some of these women, uh, like two of them are my doctors. One of the coolest thing, one of my doctors said to me, she was like, listen, I went from clenching my purse to I wish a motherfucker would. And it builds your confidence just to know how to defend yourself. A hundred percent.

And confidence is so important. I was pretty athletic growing up, but the one thing I lacked was confidence. My father left the house when I was fourth grade, so I was like 10 years old. But I was just never confident in my abilities. How did you feel like you regained that? Through success. Yeah, I think that comes with just success,

whether it's financial or like physical. Oh, absolutely. That's what happened with you, right? Yeah, absolutely. It was just, again. You know, that's what happened with you, right? With Trini. Yeah, absolutely. It was just, again, looking back, it's like everything. There were times where I was homeless. I remember eating out of garbage, Ken. I did.

Damn. I remember going out with my friends and I ate the ketchup packets because, you know, they were like, why are you eating ketchup? I'm like, oh, I want sugar right now. I had to lie. And looking back, it's like, shit, I forgot I went through all that. And no one knows this shit. Not a lot of people do, but we're all going through our own shit.

I'm not going to say my life was worse than yours. But if I don't learn something to make my life a better version so I can become a better version myself, then I'm wasting it. Yeah, shit happens, man. But my mom always said life is happening. You just got to pay attention. And you were homeless in New York City? Man it was like maybe I got a big fright of my brother I think I had left the house around maybe 17. Wow. And yeah and I was in the martial arts school I slept

at the gym and I was cleaning it and I just remember didn't have hot water and I was taking cold showers in the winter. Geez. I'm talking like in New York when it's cold, it's cold. And we're talking cold shower. I slept in my office and, you know, when everyone went home, especially on

holidays, go out. It was some harsh times. But there was a moment that I remember sitting down. I just looked down at the floor and I said, I just looked down at the floor and I said, I don't want to do this anymore, you know? And at some point in all our lives,

we're going to have that moment where like, you know what? I'm sick and tired of this character. And that was it for me. And I think there's different phases, because before I did the Ultimate Fighter, I got fired from my job and I was, I had nothing. I remember having 200 bucks and I asked for 400 from my sister.

And I bought a one way ticket to the Ultimate Fighter show. Tried out and over 800 people had the same idea, but I had no way to come home. And I said, I'm going to beg on the street. That's how important this was to me. So looking back at that show, I did well. Yeah, I was at a place where I was hungry. Did I lose that hunger a little bit after leaving Ultimate Fighter?

Maybe. But I know one thing for sure that I was surrounded by a lot of fucking idiots, a lot of people that weren't there for me. And there was no guidelines. People, hey, don't go here. But I do remember Dana saying this to me when I when the show was coming out, he said, hey, man, we're going to come after you. You got to be careful. I didn't know what that meant because I I'm from New York, bro, what's up?

But that just meant people coming out to me, using me and stuff like that. And I didn't have that guideline, and you know, it should happen, and made friends, lost friends, and now I'm here, but I'm curious, because I'm like a sponge and I always try to learn. I'm always like, what is this teaching me?

Even the worst circumstance, situation, and my mom taught me this. You gotta pay attention. What is this teaching you? Sometimes you're just an idiot. It doesn't mean it's teaching you something. You're just a fucking idiot. But just pay attention because life is happening, man. Because if I walk out here right now, I could die like this. And life is going on. But I think we just forget as human beings to just appreciate we hear it. We're like, yeah, that's cool. But if something Traumatic happens like this fire stuff now pray for this pray for the now we pray

Cuz it's happening. I Don't know man. I think if we had to line up a bunch of planets would be at the bottom Yeah, there's lessons in everything man. People don't take time to actually think about why it's happening to them. They forget the simple things. Yeah. Yeah, that victim mindset is dangerous. Oh, dude. It's easy to make excuses. It is, but I don't know, I think as I'm getting older, I still have that competitive nature. It's still there.

I mean, I go with the 20 year olds. I always spar with them because I'm like, they're hungry. Right. They're gonna be honest with me. They're coming after me to kill me. So I'm like, my ego's over here. Let's go, bro. I don't get mad at them.

I don't try to, I use that fuel to better myself because when I'm in there with someone my age, I'm like, okay. You know, and- and you better. Yeah. And some people are like, oh, yeah, you're old. I'm like, I don't even know what that means, bro. In my mind, I'm 28. I still move the same.

I'm still fast. Those twitch muscles still there. Obviously, I can't do this forever. I've seen some people struggle with that head trauma. You know, I want to take punches at 45, but I just know I still have more in the tank. Yeah, yeah, that head trauma is no joke. Especially with boxers, man. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I mean, it's different for everybody.

You know, like a guy like Mayweather, I mean, he's still doing it. He was 57, whatever. He never got knocked out, though. Right. Again, it's how you fight. Those brawlers that go out there. I'm a sniper. I'm like, all right, let's wait for the kill. We're done.

Let's leave. So everyone's different though. But as a warrior, I can sit here and tell you that as much as someone go out there and say, you know, I'm just going to, you know, be barbaric and just that's their style, man. It's entertaining. That's their style. I'm not here to cramp your style. That's who you are as a warrior, as a whatever. You know, I'm a different type of warrior.

And if I can explain it like guns, there's sniper guns, there's bazooka, there's rocket launchers, like the heavyweights, they're like rocket launchers. Yeah. I'm like that one shot kill. John Jones, right? Yeah, you know, a guy like that. So, to each their own. Yeah, Jones is thinking about retirement right now.

Oh, he is? I thought that was a fluke. Nah, Dana just said it yesterday. Oh shit, I mean, I get it. I get it. Who's that, Tom? Tom Aspinall. Aspinall.

He's calling him out, right? I mean, here's my thought on that. I don't know, I feel like that dude's a dork. I just feel like the way he's doing it. I get it, but it's like, bro, who the fuck did you fight? You know? And it's like, not that I'm on Team Jones or anything, which I am, but it's just, I don't know.

I think if he was a little bit more respectful, I think Jones would have gave it to him. But Jones was like, motherfucker, who the fuck are you? Coming in here to man shit. Of course all those fucking Brits, yes you motherfuckers, are all on this side talking about you're scared. Ain't no fighter scared bro. Like that baffles me when someone tells a fighter they're scared. Like you're stepping in there in your tights putting your brain cells on the fucking line. There's nothing that I'm scared of. You crazy? Yeah, I think scared's the wrong word.

I think maybe like nerves, a little nervousness, but not scared. I don't even think so either. I think a lot of it is business. I mean, the guy is fucking John Jones. The greatest of all time. You down here, bro. At least get to here.

I see Jones fighting Francis. That makes sense. But it's like, let's say he lose. It's like, all right, what do I gain? I gain nothing from this. I gain nothing from this. And he even said, I want to fight big fights. Bro, you're a little to me.

And you see how the UFC is. They try to push that shit. Oh, it's your time, bro. That's what they're doing, bro. They push the people that will bring in the money. And then, you know, Britain, they have all those crazy ass fans. Yes, I said it. You know, it's like, they're like, yeah, every time they fight their man, it's nuts over there. Yeah. So it's because they don't have as many like the U.S. has so many fighters. So, you know, we get kind of numb to it, right? Yeah.

Any any fight fighter outside of U oh my god they got fans yeah Dagestan and Malvacan Jesus christ yeah McGregor, Korean Zombie yeah it's like what country is this you know? Yeah so you never had like you never got in your head before a fight like because you fought some of the top guys in the world you never got a little nervous? I've gotten oh yeah I've got nervous for every fight just to walk alone is the scariest thing, for me at least. Because when I'm walking from point A to point B in the ring, I'm like, what the fuck am I doing here? I could be home playing video games. But you know, walking there, I'm going to potentially get killed or kill someone.

And you know, there's a stigma of, oh Uriah, what did they say? After that Ultimate Fighter kick, I wasn't the same. Which if you do the math, this is how dumb people are. The kick happened the first fight, right? And then I beat three people effortlessly after that. So if that was the case, wouldn't that be backwards? Because I knocked him out first. I beat everybody else.

Yeah, it doesn't make sense. But that's how dumb people are. They always, we're always trying to find, we create our own scenario of the problem. Like this has to be it. This is the problem. Did you talk to me? What's wrong with you? Why, why didn't you fight the way you used to fight?

Well, I was in a different environment. First of all, I don't want you to have an explanation, but I was in a different environment. You know, I was in a house with 16 people. Let's just create the scenario. 16 people. You're in a house. You can't really go anywhere, but just outside. The only transportation is from the gym to the house. You get unlimited food. There's a closet full of alcohol. this camera is literally everywhere. Bro, it took me forever to take a shit because the fucking camera is in the bathroom. I'm like, yo, can y'all move that camera? Oh, don't worry about it. It's only for if two people go in the bathroom. The bathroom! And now I have people that I live with that I have to fight. And after that kick, you know what happened after that kick?

My own team was looking at me like, oh shit We might have to fight this guy. So my own team was kind of against me and Then the other team was kind of against me. So I was an outsider You know, and then I was like wait, this is called the ultimate Fighter not the ultimate friends. So it just changed my mindset and I was I'm gonna kill all you motherfuckers But I was in a desperate place in my life. I had literally nothing. So when I went in there, I went in there with my skill set and my ambition to just kill. Now, leaving the show, I might've got a little comfortable

because I was like, oh, okay, I got a little money now I can breathe. And I might've let go of that a little bit, but what I'm gonna not blame is my mentality. I have a my mentality. I have a strong mentality. I broke my hand in a fight and I kept going. I broke my fucking toe in a fight and I kept going. My mentality is not something to question.

The days that I don't show up to fight, and this is how I figure out who I was, fights that don't intrigue me, that pose a challenge to me, I shut down. I didn't know that. It's like Goku from Dragon Ball Z. If I didn't feel that uh, then I psychologically psyched myself out for some reason.

Right, you fought down to their level. Yeah, and then it doesn't intrigue me anymore and then I don't show up. So now it's like, oh, you're right, it has a mental problem. Now you can say, well, that is a mental, no, it's not motherfucker. Do you fight? Do you see other fighters saying that?

No other fighters say that. It's just dumb idiots that don't fight, say that. Or Jiu-Jitsu dorks. But it's, you know, those fights that I didn't want to take, I lost. You know, you argue with the matchmaker. I don't want to do this fight, man. This makes no sense.

Because in my mind, I'm like, I'm trying to get to the title contingency. Oh, we got to give you this grappler. But he's going to try to hold me. I'm not scared of him, but I know their game. All right. You know, grappler are going to fight me. They're going to try to hug me and shit.

It's a boring fight to watch. It's a boring fight. It's a fight, but it's a, come on, bro. We're here to fight. We're gonna hug. And nothing against Jiu-Jitsu, because I have a Jiu-Jitsu coach, but I just know that style.

It's not there to fight. It's there to win. Yeah. And right before the last two fights in the UFC, that's when I was trying to get Darren Till. And they were protecting him. They didn't want to give him to him. And I was ranked eight. And I I knew I knew if I beat him I

Would get I'll beat up. I'll be five. Mm-hmm. And if you're top five, that's automatic title contingency you either fight one two, three four and You know to me that's like right there. Yeah, so I'm trying to just do from a business standpoint Didn't want to give me him. And that's when they gave me Sean Strickland. And I remember going, ah, man, I used to train with Sean. I don't even want to fight Sean. Now right now, he's ranked 13.

At least give me top five. I'm eight. Something, something, something. You got to do it. UFC doesn't like when you say no. And I'm like, all right, I'll do it. And it's right there. I checked out I'm like, alright I'll do it. And it's right there, I checked out. Because I didn't want to do it.

Now, the worst thing that happened that night was I was in hospital. Because I had a bad weight cut. Which we kept on the wraps. Because you don't want to lose the money. Yeah, because if you don't fight, you don't get paid. So I was in ICU. I did a salt bath the week before and if you know a

salt bath you pull out the water. And you know my coach helped me realize this he was like yeah you shouldn't have done that because if you're gonna cut the weight that week you did this before you took out more water than you should have. But I was doing it for recovery and fight week, I'm cutting the weight and around 187, 188 I was like, oh man, I'm feeling so well. It's gotta be 185. And I'm like, shit, I know this feeling. But I toughed it out. You don't fight. And after the weigh in, I mean, I remember looking at Sean going, oh shit, man, I'm about to collab, but I'm not showing it. Wow, you were that weak? I was so weak.

I was faking it. I mean, I was faking it. I deserve an Oscar for that. I was faking it. And then we got back to the hotel, and my coach was like, you know, just take a nap. I'm like, coach, I don't feel good. He's like, just take a sleep.

Blah, blah, blah. I'm like, nah, man, I know this feeling. I don't feel good. He's like, all right, let me check back with you in 10, 20 minutes. Came back, I was like, coach, I don't feel well. He's like, all right, let me check back with you. 10, 20 minutes came back. I was like, I don't feel well. There's not here. I'm just cramping. We kept on the wraps and went to the hospital.

Put me on a bag couple. But before that, some guy came in, this doctor came in and was like, hey, man, your levels are way too low. Point something. I don't know the term, but he's like, your levels are so low, you cannot fight. You can die. And there's all the doctor came in, not gonna say who, said, let's keep him overnight.

Let's put him on some more IV. Let's leave him longer on IV. So I was on IV more, and then I got out of the hospital at 2 a.m. Fight day, exactly, you know? So I feel good. I go back to the hotel. I got there maybe three. I mean, fight was like later that evening anyway,

so I had time to rest, but in the back of my mind, I'm like, did I fully recover? You know, that fucked with me a little bit. Yeah, because you need good sleep. Yeah, so whatever, felt good, went in there, literally three, four punches in the first round. My fucking orbital breaks by Sean because he has an awkward way of throwing punches. Now you can't freak out. I'm not letting the doctors, the ref sees it because they can stop the fight. And I'm like, ah, shit, are you serious?

My fucking orbital. You need your vision to see. You need your eyes to see in the fight. So Sean, he's a killer. And I'm like, oh shit. And I'm just trying my best to maneuver. There was a moment I looked at my coach, he kind of saw what was happening, and he just gave me that nod like, don't quit, man. And I'm like, are you serious?

The night before I had that, and now this, this makes no sense. So I'm not gonna take anything away from Sean. He's a stud, he's a champ. You know, it was just not my night. And talk about stuff like that is like excuses. Well, it was my excuse, I guess, because I didn't cut it away properly.

I blame myself, sure. I got my arm broken, not much I can do for that, but I might've lost that fight, but I felt I wanted to war it much I can do for that. But I might've lost that fight, but I felt I wanted to war it myself because I didn't quit. And I don't know how to quit. That's what people don't understand.

I don't know how to quit. Like, people say I quit. I actually don't know how to quit. Something I was taught in young age, like you finish it. You either do it well or don't do it. I don't have a gray. Like I either don't do it or I do it the best possible. So I'm not having the right people around me to do this.

And a lot of these fighters, that's what they have, man. They have the right coaching, the right this, the right that. When you have all that support system, of course you're gonna go up. But you also gotta have that hunger for it too. You know, and I kind of lost that because the sport was changing, man.

It was, the martial arts was no more art to me. You know, and I kind of lost that because the sport was changing, man. It was... the martial art was no more art to me. And it was just like, you got to play a character. I remember one time saying some stuff and some fan was like, bro, that's not you. What am I doing? Yeah, you got to talk smack in the press conferences. Yeah, it's not me, man. And the press guys, they know that, oh shit, is you right. Cause I'm honest.

I'm like, yo, don't ask me any stupid questions. What the fuck you mean, how do I feel? What do you think? Yeah. After a wake up, what do you mean, how do I feel? I feel great. So yeah, it was difficult to work with. That's what I say.

It was like, yeah, cause I'm honest. I ask questions. I say, why? Someone's going to tell you, jump off this cliff. Why? Just do it. Yeah, but why? That's made me difficult.

Cause I ask questions. You were like the Kyrie Irving of the UFC. Yeah, is that what he does? Yeah, you know Kyrie? Basketball player? Yeah, he's on the Dallas? Yeah, he's on the Mavericks now. But the media always hated him.

Really? Yeah, cause he would just give honest answers. Yeah, honesty is not good these days. It's a bad thing to be honest. Like what the fuck? He was the first like NBA player, maybe even pro athlete to be anti-vaccine. And they like suspended him and everything.

I didn't want to do that shit, man. I had to leave the country and I did it. It's the dumbest shit I ever felt. Oh, they made you do it? Leave the country, bro. Oh, for Abu Dhabi, right? No, no, no, I had to go to Netherlands or something. You just can't leave the country.

But I got the cheapest one. So I'm hoping it fades out. Yeah man. Well, Sean went on to be the champ. So at least it was a good run for him. Made you look better probably. I mean, you know, Sean, my coach would say, you know Sean, you're the only one

that Sean tried to take down, right? He don't try to take anybody else down. I'm like, listen, I'm not trying to take anything away from him. We used to train back in the day though. And you know, I was always getting with spinning kicks. And when we train at Xtreme Kator, he was like, hey man, don't do any spinning kicks on me, bro.

And he would just bum-bush me and take me down. So I never had like a bad relationship with Sean. It was always like this mutual respect from a combative sense. You know, I can't say anything about him. Obviously he's out there doing his weird shit. But that's his character. That's who he is.

At least he's himself, you know. He's himself and how many people shit. But that's his character. That's who he is. At least he's himself. He's himself. And how many people are themselves? Not many. I'm rooting for him, man. He does his thing. Which fight do you think about the most? Win or loss? Probably that fight. Shawn Strickland? Yeah, because I was myself.

And I just knew I had a great and amazing camp. And that one little era of the salt bath. So if you didn't take the salt bath, it would have been a different... No, not just that. It was just like, you know, my orbital broke and I couldn't really see him the whole fight. And I'm just like fighting on instinct. And at one point I was doing physics, bro. I was measuring my jabs. That's crazy. Um, but yeah, because that fight I was really ready, even though all the bullshit happened to me. And that eye thing happened where it broke my orbit. I just remember seeing black. I just remember going, I can only see black off this eye. So this eye is gone completely.

And I just remember blinking like, what the fuck? And then of course he punched me a couple of times. And then this, this eye was like kind of, fatey. So I had half an eye basically, you know? And for 25 minutes, I fought him with no vision. So it was like, it sucked. I can't say nothing. I can't take anything away from it.

It happened. He's a stud, but that's one fight I think about. Like, what if I was at my best? I feel that. Yeah, cause that would have prolonged your career if you won that one, right? You would have been top five. Yeah, and then they gave me some Dork name and Muniz something some was a jiu-jitsu guy. Yeah

It was right then I was like, alright, I'm done. I'm out I actually wanted to Get cut or fired or whatever. Yeah, and my coach kind of paid me like not just That makes me a bitch he He's like, no, man, just. I did on a good note. Yeah, and I'm like, they don't give a fuck. Everybody's expendable. They're gonna give a fuck if I, you know,

brings me sad news to tell you guys. They don't give a fuck. Again, I can't take anything away. They made my career into what it is today. But I remember getting into my career, seeing a lot of guys complaining and stuff. I'm like, what's wrong with these guys? Now, one of them, oh, I get it now.

When you get to a certain part in your career and you're a vet and you might getting X amount of money, it's like, we need this motherfucker. Or do we use them to make him a gatekeeper? That's what I felt was happening. I was a gatekeeper and I was like, oh, that's not what I'm here for. I'm here for this.

Yeah, but we felt that you belong here. Also now you know my values. Okay. It's going to be interesting to see how the UFC pivots with a lot of guys in your era retiring now. It is what it is, man. It took me a long time to really understand it. But it's a chapter and your life is just a story.

And I think the moment you realize that it has no power over you. And for a long time, I was ruled by that because when you're in the world like a lot of UFC athletes, like, oh, this is it. No, it's not. It's a part of your story.

I'm not going to bash them. There are great people I still talk to in UFC. I just understand how it works. It's a part of your story. I'm not going to bash them. There are great people that I still talk to in U of C. I just understand how it works. It's a business. If you don't look at it like a business, if you try to bring that compassion, all that bulls, it's not about that anymore. Maybe back in the 90s and all that, but now it's just straight business.

How much money can we get? Can you bring money in? What's good about you that make people want to watch you? That's it. That's it. and we get, can you bring money in? What's good about you that make people want to watch you? That's it, that's it. Yeah, your expectations will be let down. But I tell you what, they do treat, when it comes to like everything organized wise,

that's what they're really good at because other promotions, night and day, bro. Just to like do stuff behind the scenes or interviews and all that. They're very orchestrated when it comes to stuff like that. That's why I want them. Yeah, they put on great events. Oh, they do.

But just like lining everything up to making sure you get everything that you need as an athlete. But other promotions, like what the fuck am I doing? Yeah, cause you're fighting at other ones now, right? Yeah, well, yeah, you know, I did the boxing thing, but there might be some opportunities coming up. I can't really say too much.

I'm sure it's gonna come out soon. I mean, the boxing money is crazy. I could see why McGregor's boxing now instead of fighting because the money is nuts. It is. He's getting $250 million on the next fight. Oh, he is? Did you see that with Logan Paul?

Oh, he's actually doing that? I don't know if it's confirmed yet, but I'm seeing rumors that they often do. Why's he fighting Logan Paul? $250 million. You wouldn't fight him? Yeah, that makes sense. But that's exactly what I'm saying. Everybody's just going away from the art. It It's like, right. How much money can I make which I cannot completely understand?

It's money talks now, bro. I mean look what the world's going. We're going to shit Yeah, money talks and also why risk your body, you know McGregor's had some nasty injuries I don't think he'll ever be the same. So I'm gonna do boxing for too long though, man. You don't think so I mean that can back and forth had trauma to me besides football again I'm not knocking it it's for the sport that is but I just don't want to take that much damage getting old in my career I haven't had a kid yet yeah so I just don't want to be what 50 being I just don't want to do that you want kids I do I think it's a cool

You know I see some of my friends with the kids and I'm just I'm from a different culture To me if I have a kid, I'm God Bro, you you ain't getting away with shit. Yeah, you're gonna be a hard ass I'm gonna be a hard ass, but I'll be like you went to have a daughter. Okay, I'm from Jamaica, dude I have a job when I was five like we talked about there's discipline And then there's just being an asshole if you beat your kid your piece of shit, right? But if I'm with my kid and my wife and my kid talks back to his mom my wife a couple times Hey, man, you're doing bro. This is your mother. You know what you have to go through to get you here That's not really nice. Just talking to your kid

I completely understand that but if my kid take a fucking weapon and try to hit my wife, I'm fucking up. I'm gonna fuck you. Do that shit again and see what happens. That's, to me, discipline. Now, some people say it's abuse. I got my ass whooped as a kid. Now I suffer from this psychological defect called respect for others. So... Respect is important.

It is, man. If you hang out with these fucking kids, these gen Z's bro, what the fuck is going on? No mannerism. Try ordering Starbucks. These motherfuckers are in their own fucking world, bro. It's like they're the main character and I'm just there as one of the fucking, what do you call it? Characters or some shit. It's weird. No mannerism, bro. What do you want?

And it's always the extra feminine dudes. That's what I always get. I always get the extra feminine dudes that are giving me attitude. Cause I'm masculine, and I'm never trying to over-masculate anything. I'm just like, yeah, let me get a dirty chai.

And they'll give me attitude. I'm just like, bro, come on. It's seven in the morning, bro. What are you doing? Yeah. Do you think technology plays a part in that? Hell yeah. Wait till there's no more fucking doctors and, you know, farmers and shit and that should run out. What are you going to do? Everyone's on this Tik Tok shit.

It's easy to talk shit online, man. Easy. Super easy. Easy to talk shit online. I've only met one fan that I was really, I was telling my friend this the other day, some fan called my mom a derogatory name and I seeked him out. I'm like, oh, you don't know my mom, dude. She went through a lot of shit and I met up with him. It was a international fight week in Vegas at the MGM Grand. You're probably watching this bitch. And it was some fat Bulgarian dude. And I was like, what's up? I was so ready to lose my career. And this dude called my mom a gorilla.

What? Wow. You know my mom? What? I forgot who I was fighting and they had a lot of fans and that was one of them. And I was like, all right, I'll be in Vegas, that's such and such. And I seeked him out and he showed up this fucker, this fat fuck showed up. And luckily, a UFC staff kind of saw what's happening and pull me aside. I, when I said I was ready to lose my, I was ready just to defend my mother's honor. I wouldn't do it now in that sense, but you know, at 29, someone calling my mom that name and knowing the struggles my mother went through and going to be racist. Oh man. I love handling racist people, bro. They get scared of me when I confront them. Oh, you looking for a nigga? Nigga here. What's up?

But I deal with it all the time, bro. Just the other day I dealt with it. Really? Yeah, bro. Like it's 2025. California, that was a gas station. I mean, I don't even want to talk about it, man. But it's just I get it. I get it. It's like, you know, you look at certain cultures when they do certain things, you're like, oh. You could generalize it.

Yeah, you generalize it. Like, I'll always just be a black man. I'll never be a successful this, this. It's's like, oh no, he's a black man. But I'm not gonna sit here and run around and ask for you to please accept me. Please. I'm this. I'm not really this. I'm this. I'm not gonna do that, bro. I'm not gonna beg for that. I'm always gonna be myself. But you know living in Texas kind of really reopened my eyes that racism's still there. Mm-hmm. Because I'm from New York. We don't have time to be racist. We got shit to do.

Motherfuckers in Texas got no time, bro. Some of these folks haven't left the state. They is just Texas. And they're like 10th generation, too. Yeah. Now, Texas is, you know, I got some good stuff, but it's like, bro, have you left the state? You don't get that much, do you? And, you know, I deal with some racist stuff.

There's a place called Holland Park Park which is five minutes away from me I can't walk around that neighborhood. It's odd. I mean you just feel it if I I mean it's very white but if I walk around that neighborhood bro they'd be like all right this dude's up to something. Damn. I got to dress a certain way. It's so fucked up I went for a run one time and I had to change my outfit just to look like an athlete. Yeah because it was around the time somebody got killed. This gentleman that was jogging and he got killed by his dad and son and I had to rethink that. It's just some people just so again I understand but it's like bro what fucking essentially do you live in? Yeah. To think you're the only thing that matters.

How big this fucking planet is, bro? I just don't understand racism. I know how to deal with them though, cause fuck them up. It's just, it's sad to me. I'm a grown man, I'm still dealing with racism. So that's why I say, yeah, I always just be a black man. Yeah, that's crazy.

Even on the plane, bro, I was on first class in this motherfucker's room. I don't wanna get. You know, the plane, I was on first class in this motherfucker. I was like, I don't want to get on that no fight list. Yeah. Yeah. You need to be flying around. But I noticed when people don't travel, they're usually close minded when they don't leave their city ever.

They're like in their own world. I have some great friends out there too. I'm not going to knock it, but it's just like the majority of them. When I go back home to Texas now and let's just get it straight I'm only there for the tax. I couldn't give a fuck but when I go back there, it's like

It's such a different from when I go to New York People are just busy doing shit go to Cali. Cali's a little more chill, you know, I'm in the high Hollywood Hills, so I'm fine Texas is like we got time for racism. Oh my God. Damn, those Southern states are no joke, you know? But there's money. Yes, sir. What are you doing next for money, man?

What's next for you? I'm chilling, man. One of the coolest thing I've been doing is being a civilian. It's boring, but being a civilian, I want to compete again. You know, we're just talking about some stuff and just figuring that out. But I haven't slowed down as much because when you're in that world, it's just this. And I get it. You know, you have a short window. You got to do as much as you can.

But I'm just observing now. It's like I have time to look at the world differently. Oh, my God, it's a world. But as far as that, you know, I was small with money. I didn't. When I retired, I traveled a bunch. And I say it's enough to just do nothing. And, you know, I have some clients that I teach, but for me, it's more of just the hobby because I was a sensei and I went to school for seven years to learn how to teach, which baffles me that people didn't go to school to

learn how to teach. You can just go get a fucking diploma online. I went to school for seven fucking years so I can teach children. We're talking three year olds, four, five, six. I can teach those guys. You can teach bigger kids and adults. So I have that in my back pocket. You know, if I open a gym, that's fine. It's just I know I'm not done competing and I'm getting into acting too. I've done a couple of things with that. I'm just kind of exploring. Let's go. You might have to start streaming some video games

or something too. Yeah. I talked to my shit bragging. I'm a little racist when I play video games and driving. Yeah. I mean, that's part of gaming, man. One of the things with Call of Duty is they don't let you talk shit anymore. They ban you. I didn't even know how racist that was. So I was like, I don't like this first time becoming.

But I'm a gamer, man. I grew up on Tekken. Tekken taught me how to fight. Really? Yeah, that's the game. Wow. I used to put the VHS in, if you remember that shit, and I moved the furniture and I practiced the moves.

And that's when I was getting bullied. So when the bully got out of hand and I went to karate, I was excelling and they were just like, where did you learn all this shit? Hence my name Primetime. And then I just excelled so fast, got my black belt, spoke about it in Sweden. Wow.

Because someone asked that question. That answer went to Reddit. Reddit. The owners of the game found it, invited me to Comic Con, spoke in front of nerds. No way. I was like, put me in the game. But they put me in some dumb ass UFC game.

Which you get no residuals by the way. Damn. And yeah, but Tekken taught me how to fight. I learned every move from this character named Jin, Heiachi and Kazuya and Horang my kicks so I learned how to fight from a fucking video game that's nuts yeah Tekken's a classic it's still around I think oh yeah we're up to eight bro oh they're on eight now and I started at three wow you still play the new ones yeah yeah but man these new

kids man they'd be doing 30 combos in the air and shit I'm like what the fuck You still play the new ones? Yeah, but man, these new kids, man, they just be doing 30 combos in the air and shit. I'm like, what the fuck? But I do it. It's my, between playing video game and watching Family Guy, that's my escape. Good old Family Guy. That's a classic.

I love Family Guy. Yeah, I love how just open they are. They're not scared of getting canceled. Yeah, bro, and they make fun of everything. Everything. Bring back the good old days. Yeah. A little light humor.

I love it, man. Well, where can people keep up with you? Where can people find you? Man, I don't want them to find me. I don't. I like to be visible. I'm like Jesus, man. Well, I'm not.

You know how Jesus, I said that wrong. I think Jesus invented Instagram. Because motherfuckers have walked around with him. They follow him. So I don't ask people to follow me. I think it's weird to be like, hey, follow me. Like, bro, you can follow me if you want. It's your own choosing.

Yeah. What I have a problem with is people follow me and talk shit. Then don't follow me, bro. That makes no sense. You know, imagine you walking down the street and someone's behind you, following you and talking shit, then don't follow me, bro. That makes no sense. You know, imagine you walking down the street and someone's behind you following you and talking shit. Why are you following me? That makes no sense.

You know how you are, you fucking dorks. Just follow someone. Yeah, you piece of shit. By the way, big fan. That makes no sense to me. So you don't have to follow me, bro. Just get Jesus in your life, pray, help some starving kids, go be somebody. Forget following me, bro. Don't. Go be yourself.

What an ending. We'll end it there, man. Thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me. Yes, sir. See you guys. The way we work is changing every day, thanks in large part to the internet. So if you're an online creator, what can you do to create a sustainable future for yourself? On Attach Your Resume, creators share how their jobs work, especially during times like these where big changes are happening in the online world.

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