Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
7x Mr. Olympia 212 Champion Flex Lewis presents Straight Outta The Lair, the podcast that aims to bring you vital information for your life's ambitions, providing valuable insight from interviews of the many many different faces that walk through our doors at The Dragon's Lair Las Vegas and a few from the man himself.
Straight Outta The Lair with Flex Lewis
Brotherhood in Battle | Aljamain Sterling & Merab Dvalishvili | Straight Outta The Lair Podcast
In this episode, we break down the intense world of weight cutting and the strategic shifts in training that have defined Aljamain and Merab's careers. Discover the grueling physical and mental toll the sport takes, along with the smart life choices Aljamain has made, like investing in real estate and guiding his teammates through personal hurdles. We also touch on the vibrant yet challenging lifestyle of living in Las Vegas, balancing the temptations of its nightlife with the discipline required for professional fighting.
iTunes:
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----- Content -----
00:00:00 - Intro
00:07:06 - MMA Champions' Incredible Bond and Mentoring
00:14:27 - Weight Cut and Division Change Success
00:21:36 - Living in Las Vegas
00:33:52 - Intimate Friendship Between MMA Champions
00:37:51 - Fighter Mentality and Future Matchups
00:48:19 - Fight Week Media Challenges
00:53:27 - Navigating Controversial Topics in Media
01:04:44 - Future Plans and Comedy Potential
01:12:06 - Financial Preparation for Young Fighters
01:16:51 - Learning Financial Lessons in MMA
01:23:14 - Business Inspiration From Conor McGregor
01:32:54 - Pre-Fight Rituals and Gym Encounters
01:37:51 - Excited for Future Fights and Friendship
as soon as the match is over, I went right upstairs.
Speaker 3:I threw up a lot, Joined today by two incredible athletes, teammates, best friends and two of the best fighters in the world today Aljamain Sterling and Marab Davishvili. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 4:He's definitely misspelled there.
Speaker 3:Well, listen, we were talking about that last name. I've done a good job right. It was this guy in the back it was this guy in the back, guys.
Speaker 4:He asked me before and he was like how do you pronounce it right? And I was like I mean I can probably come close, but I was like I'll probably mess it up too. And I Devis Vili.
Speaker 5:Dwalish Vili, oh my gosh.
Speaker 4:We were off Dwalish.
Speaker 3:Vili.
Speaker 4:We were both off.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was close. Do you know what? I got the last name from YouTube. I've seen all these commentators saying your last name, so everybody's getting it wrong, but now we know. Anyways, welcome to the show, guys.
Speaker 4:Welcome to the show. Straight out the lair.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I know there's a lot of things we can talk about and it's finally good to get you guys in the gym. You live up the street literally.
Speaker 2:Both of us, we're neighbors, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4:These guys are in the hood. They need to be in this hood.
Speaker 3:I know, I know Well, we got a chance to show you guys around the gym, so now, no excuses, you can come anytime. And obviously now you know my office, don't knock.
Speaker 5:I'm always sleeping, I'm joking.
Speaker 3:But we can really go into so many different uh you know different waters, from the get-go, from the from the jump. But I think, more than anything else, me as a fan of, of mma for for again, since I was very young the fact that you guys have this fantastic friendship is so rare, where sports of you guys in the same weight division come up together, um, support you one another in all your fights and then you know you, you had this, this conversation about potentially fighting each other, and you guys refused to do so. I think that is a testament to the friendship that you guys truly have, because most people would be like, fuck, we just got to do it. But it seems from the outside in that you guys had a pact that you weren't going to do that. Is that true?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for me one it didn't make any sense because I think a lot of people kind of relate their scenarios with their training partners and I think that's the difference. They're just training partners where we actually hang out outside of the gym, we do stuff with each other, help out each other's family. I've been to his country of georgia, he's been in my country of jamaica, so I I think the relationship is just a little bit which I say a lot different from the typical mma gyms where guys are just in their training partners, they spar, they go home, they never really hang out, talk to each other. So it's a very different dynamic. We came in both at the same time to to ray longo's gym and we pretty much just kind of grew from there and, um, I was one of my main training partners, marab was one of my main training partners and we've always just been really cool and now we're neighbors in here in vegas it's, honestly it's.
Speaker 4:It's it's awesome to to watch the growth of both of you guys, right, because both of you guys are chasing dreams. Both of you guys, you know you've already been to the pinnacle and you're now just like working on legacy in this other division. Right, gonna get that belt again. He's about to get it right. So, it's like you know, tell us, tell us about those hardships, man. It's like you know you guys are both, you know, at the top of the sport. Now, you know, and obviously it didn't start there, right, there was a lot of, there was a lot to just get to where you are now. Tell us a little bit about that and how it worked.
Speaker 5:Can I say that? So when I moved from Georgia to the United States, I wasted a lot of big time because I wasn't able to find the right gym, because I don't have training partners. And when I finally found the Serra Longo team and when I started training there, aljo was already there and he was already CFFC champion and he was like 7-0 or something professional. I had a lot of fights in Georgia, but here I wasn't able to fight. Those fights didn't count in the professional record and I had to start from here to zero. Oh, wow, yeah, I was a fighter already. But those fights, my friends, that we fight the same night, they have an unprofessional record, but I don't have somehow the organization president or something. They don't put my name as a whatever. And so, yeah, I was look up, I'll do. You know, he was already good fighter. And then he he actually, when we sparring first time, he choked me. So, okay, it happened like this. You know I was, I started training there, right, and I was doing good with the other guys and Ray Longo asked me you wanna spar one round with Aljo? Because Aljo was sparring with one guy, and the next round, other guy and next round. Other guy.
Speaker 5:I'm like, of course, and I'm already like I have 10 fights in Georgia and then three amateur fights here and four kickboxing because I wasn't fine mma, I wasn't able to fight in mma and then four, four boxing fights and two kickboxing. I'm thinking I'm like. I was like my mind, I'm champion and so I should do our Joe. He just just once I shoot double leg and he just go down, but I'm already in triangle and I'm gonna sleep and I'll just choke me again. I'm like, no, like I'm like he make me so humble. I'm like I'm like different level. And then from there, and yeah, I mean that time I don't speak zero english and, um, little by little, I wish I get better and and uh, and then I, a couple years later, I came. I'll just maintain partner.
Speaker 3:Like you know, sometimes I was like Pedro Munoz, sometimes Jimmy Rivera yeah that's how it's happened you got any early stories of Marab coming to the gym that you can tell that maybe you've not told before?
Speaker 2:I don't think there's any that I haven't really told. The main things that I remember is just he would just never stop, like even though I would get submissions, he would get right back up and it was like nothing ever happened.
Speaker 2:It was just right back in your face trying to attack you and it was like, even if you get me once, I'm going to get you eventually. So that was the mentality I loved, because and it's like, even if you get me once, I'm going to get you eventually. So that was the mentality I loved, because some guys, you'll see, if you submit them or you put them in a TKO situation and the coaches stop the position and you reset back to your feet, you can kind of see them a little deflated and their whole demeanor changes. It was just like a brand new day. Nothing ever happened. It was like, god damn it, we got to do this all over again. So to see him, and then when new guys would spar with him or just do wrestling or jiu-jitsu, and they'll do okay for like a minute, and then, as the round gets going, I'm just sitting there smiling and watching and I can see now Marab's starting to take over and they're starting to get tired.
Speaker 2:He'll start putting them in these situations and getting these finishes, or he'll get them in like a scarf hold, which is like a headlock in wrestling, and then I'll just watch him like yeah, now you know what it feels like. Now you know what it? Feels like to be down there to see what I have to deal with on a daily basis. This is not easy.
Speaker 3:What about you, murab? Anything on Aljo from the early days, from the early days.
Speaker 5:Aljo was always smart, organized, he comes, he teaches us new techniques. I was always surprised MMA fighter. He was intelligent in how he set up his own training and then he started. We were training old school like kickboxing, and for jiu-jitsu we were going to Metzera school and we don't have MMA training. And Al he started, you know it's. We was training old school like kickboxing and for jujitsu we was going medsera school and we don't have my training. And I'll just start uh, start mma classes in uh in the gym. And then after this, we all started growing up.
Speaker 5:You know wow and yeah, and I'll do always like very organized, very smart and even give us good advice, like Like when I was UFC, I win a couple fights and he told me like I buy a house, you should buy a house too, and I buy a house in New York and you know, it was the best decision in my life. You know, because if Aljo don't tell us and he was talking to us like he share his advice for us and first time I hear like real, like real estate, like from Aljo, you know, because you know I'm an immigrant, I don't know nothing here, you know, and then I take that's how it's supposed to be, boys.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's like we cheer for each other, we root for each other, we're there for each other. You know, that's what it's about. I'd say, all the guys in this room, I feel like that.
Speaker 3:So it's more like you're saying with Aljo as well. He was outside of anything fighter related. It was more of a mentorship and investing and business and strategizing things differently.
Speaker 5:Yes, and also very good teammate. You know he's even up until this day he's trying to matchmaking for not matchmaking. You know management, like teammates, we have a group chat. When we are living here four years we still have a group chat new york, when we are living here four years, we still have a group chat to new york teammates. And then aljo like telling oh, I got text from promoter, they're looking for these weight class guys, fighters.
Speaker 5:And then sometimes aljo go apply it, corner them, and always used aljo used to do that and it's crazy how it's. You know you have yourself, you training, you are your trainer, you just you set up you I'll do. Whenever alger has a fight he's, he has own training camp like set up, like organize what day he's training, who's training partner. He's gonna use everything else then help other fighters. You know, in mma it's it's's, it's a new sport and like we don't have like it's, we don't have like coach, like training like this. We have good coaches but everybody busy, everybody has a family and they have like a big, responsible, big team and and then we kind of like set up our training camps and then I'll do he, he always organized his training camp and then help also other fighters. This is, this is very hard. You know me, I'm trying, but it's very hard. It's very hard to do everything.
Speaker 4:It's not easy and so, aljo's, as he's been giving you this vice and like kind of, you know, teaching you things about the states and all this other stuff, I already know like he must have given you a few pickup lines to like go approach the girls, right.
Speaker 5:Like let's talk about that a little bit, right, because you had the language barrier.
Speaker 4:But like now you got the pretty US girls right. So like Aljo probably had the game already on lock and he had to have given you some of that game.
Speaker 1:So like I'd love to hear some of these pickup lines Come on, go in there, go in there, rob. Just go say hello.
Speaker 3:I see all these chicks in the comment section on your fucking page, bro.
Speaker 4:I've been seeing the content lately bro Excuse me.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 5:Let me tell you what advice I take from Aljo about girls. So okay, Aljo has a beautiful girlfriend, he loves girls, but he stops always because he loves his girlfriend Never. Yo chill out bro. I'm like, okay, I don't want a girlfriend, like you know. Okay, either it's one or everyone.
Speaker 4:I'm like, okay, you're here, you're here, you're single, ready to mingle, right? I?
Speaker 5:take advice from Aljo. Like maybe if I met somebody special one, then I stay single and I stay single. Like maybe if, if, if if, if, if if if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if if if, if, if, if if if if if, if, if, if if if
Speaker 3:if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if Go get it.
Speaker 5:The accent helps right.
Speaker 3:The accent helps.
Speaker 5:I don't know you got to. You know, not accent, not accent. Okay, when I moved to the United States, I get zero, I get nothing. At least you're honest.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5:That experience helps. You know, I remember those days. Like you know, hard days and now.
Speaker 3:You guys have such a fantastic relationship, as I mentioned earlier. You've just seen the dynamic. As you mentioned, he's been to Jamaica, he's been to Georgia. You guys have experienced so much stuff broken bread together. But you guys ever had a disagreement? If so, how do you solve it? You fight.
Speaker 2:Actually no. Not that I can think of we haven't no I have so much respect for him I can see, you know, and then like I mean whatever, maybe maybe one
Speaker 4:oh come on you gotta go come on only the way he cuts weight sometimes yeah, we were just talking about this last night because he cuts weight.
Speaker 3:Still like old school, still the old school way which I used to do all the time, but then I learned old school way, which I used to do it all the time.
Speaker 2:But then I learned the new way and I'm like, wow, this is so much better. I can eat a little bit, I can drink a little bit. But he's gotten better.
Speaker 4:But in the beginning I was just like bro man well, we were just talking about me and he's like yeah no, this is the way I do it.
Speaker 2:This is the way I'm like, all right, I I can't fight him on it because this is what he does and it works. He shows up and he performs. But I'm like it could just be a little bit easier, just a little bit easier, but it's still going to suck.
Speaker 4:Yeah. But I would say you I mean you've had some massive weight cuts and we see you off-season You're bulking up, you're walking around 180 pounds, I get big, yeah, what.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what's the biggest you've gone up to, Aljo I mean.
Speaker 2:I've seen on the scale plus 185. Oh yeah. What. That's like my cheeks are blown up yeah. It's like super chinky. My legs are starting to chafe on my thighs in between when I walk.
Speaker 4:You're eating good. Sounds like a bodybuilder. Yeah, my stomach.
Speaker 3:Welcome to my old life, yeah.
Speaker 2:It doesn't feel good. No, it does not feel good at all. That's after I make 135, so I go from being shredded like crazy and then your body just packs on all this weight and I just can't stop stuffing my face with food.
Speaker 3:It's insane.
Speaker 2:What's the about 157. Non-champion the heaviest I've been at making 135 was about 152, 153. But now at 45, I've gotten up to 65, which is good, so I'm happy with that. 20 pounds is nice.
Speaker 3:And, on that note, obviously you've gone up a division. Now You're chasing the title in the new division. Now you're chasing the, the title in the new division that you're going to be fighting in. And you said, obviously the cut, was it a tough cut for you to make 135 and that's why you made the decision go up.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah people think it's like oh you, just I don't know. It's like the discipline was like there's no way you could tell me anything about discipline, like for me to walk around 170, 175 pounds and cut down to 135, that takes a lot of discipline because my body fat percentage is not very high. So for me to get down is very difficult and I need time to do it the right way so I could slowly make my increments, make the changes without drastically killing my body, and try to maintain the strength as much as I can, plus all the surgeries I've had, plus all the surgeries I've had. Like if I do it too fast, I feel like all these old injuries start to ache a little bit from my neck surgery, my bicep, my wrist hernia, my shoulders. So it's not easy, man, but I've always been able to do it Like if I tell myself I'm going to do something, I get it done.
Speaker 3:That's very interesting to think.
Speaker 3:Now you're going the new school route right, Because obviously bodybuilding we cut down over a period of like 20 weeks, so we can preserve all our muscle, yeah, so we don't any, we don't do any drastic 20 pounds of this of you know, of the same week of the um of the show, because we're pulling water from the muscle and that's gonna have to be exaggerated. So you know, having a new school mentality because I come from the old school too when I was boxing we'd cut like fucking 20 pounds last week. You've obviously seen that, that improvement by doing this style. And was this something you hired a nutritionist for? Or is this something that you followed on your own, on your own knowledge, with this cut?
Speaker 2:I kind of just watch other people do it. Like you see, some of these guys they do the water load with like the one gallon, two gallons. I can't drink two gallons of water. There's just no way in hell I could do that. It's way too much. But I could do a gallon a day. You start on a Sunday and watching how they were doing I was like watching that process Before I just don't eat. I would just fast in the morning, have a little bit of water to hydrate back up a little bit and then have like a very small meal at night to kind of hold me over to sleep. Hopefully I float like one to two pounds, wake up, do it again and your body's just aching everything hurts, everything's sore, you're starting to move in slow motion.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, it's wednesday, yes, thursday, and then you got that one more day. You step on the scale and you're like thank god it's over. But that's. That's like the very old school way I used to do it. Sometimes I would just eat like a candy bar, like a Snickers or something All day. That would be like my one thing that I have and it would hold me over until night and I'd get my second workout in. Then I could have something small like a piece of chicken, no sodium, nothing on it, and it just wasn't fun. That's why I'm like doing it that way versus doing it the way I do it now. This is like night and day, and I wish I knew that back then, because maybe my performances could have been a little bit better. I have no idea, but I mean I did pretty, I did all right.
Speaker 3:You did all right. Yeah, you did just fine.
Speaker 2:And I would say at 135,.
Speaker 4:You were like, you were big at 135. I feel like a lot of guys you like would step in and almost like even to get to the weigh-in and then be like, oh, he's bigger than he's bigger than I was even expecting, or they get in there with you and you're bigger than expecting. Like was that advantage? Like, are you feeling an advantage like that at 145, with strength, I mean. Like what are you feeling there?
Speaker 2:I feel like at 145, I feel just as strong as a lot of these other guys. In the beginning I wasn't sure what was going to happen because I was very nervous about the weight cut and going up a weight class, going up 10 pounds. You see, some of these guys, there's some killers at that weight class. So I'm like man, I'm a 135er.
Speaker 2:But then I go up and I have to start to build that confidence little by little in the gym, going with more featherweights and trying to go with some of the lightweights and seeing how I do with those guys, and I think that gave me the confidence knowing that when I get in certain positions the same thing I could do at 35, I could do it at 45, but better, because now my strength when I would cut down to 35, I would train around 55, 60.
Speaker 2:So that would be like my walk around weight. That will get me comfortable enough to know I can make 135. Now at 45 I'm walking around 65, 6, um 60, 65 and from there I feel just as strong and I know, like man, this is how I should be feeling every time I step into the octagon. So now it's just kind of a no-brainer. I think with anyone at this weight class, strength for strength if we're going to wrestling, squeezing, cage control, anything like that, where I'm primarily that's my dominant base I think I could go with anyone of those guys, even some of those guys at 55, I really do truly believe that. I think I'm just as strong as those guys.
Speaker 3:How much did that cut take out of your performance for 135?
Speaker 2:I think we've trained. I feel like when we train after, when I'm getting ready for 135, and then when I make the weight, like I don't feel the same on the fight, like I feel like I think it was like 2017, 2018, I think when I fought the Pedro Munoz fight, I think that might have been 2019. That's when I started to um the page of movements. I think that was that might've been 2019. That's when I started to notice like a significant difference in my cardio. Like man, like normally, I should not be getting tired at the end of this fight. Um, I used to think that I was a machine and then I would start to get tired. I'm like nah, man, this something's going on. And then I started to realize like, nah, you're just getting bigger as you get older, the weight's going up higher. And I'm like man, because I know you walk around when you say 55, 58, 60 now.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I used to be like 55. Now I'm like 160s, like now now yeah, he's got some weight to lose.
Speaker 5:We were talking about Aljo like when I met him 2000, 2013, he was skinny, like muscular, ripped, ripped, like like very ripped and then like very skinny, but he, once he grabs you like squeeze, like he was like oh my god, like nightmare, you know anaconda grabbing you right very strong and after, like you know, like you know, he was just wrestling jiu-jitsu like squeeze and like hard work, but then after, of course, technique and he just, and then, yeah, like he said, he mentioned, after, even like last, I think last couple years, you grow up a lot like physically, yeah, your muscle, it just grew up like even in the pitches I see the difference.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, this was the right move, yeah.
Speaker 4:I think it's a good weight class for you. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I agree, I agree and with, obviously, fighters. There's this misconception about eating in the off season and training with weights yeah. I don't see that with you guys. You're kind of the new school, right. You guys use weights, you use obviously with your S&C. Or is that a new thing that's just come about?
Speaker 2:I mean I lifted a little bit before this fight, the last one with Calvin Cater. It was just to get more confidence and build strength in certain areas after they did the testing on me to improve some of those numbers and I think it helped. But then towards like the last, like two to three weeks, I kind of go back to my old school way of lifting, which is just a plate. I think we've done a plate workout before. Yeah, I just do crazy rounds with the plates curls overhead, press, chest press, trying to hold it out, burn out the shoulders. Curls overhead press, chest press trying to hold it out, burn out the shoulders. Deadlifts, split squats, things like that, lunges, all that stuff with just the plate trying to hold it for the whole five-minute round and X amount of rounds.
Speaker 2:That I would do and I would feel like that would help my conditioning for the grappling aspect going into punches. So that's the way I typically live, and before I would have to do fasted training sessions to make 135 because I couldn't make the weight if I would eat a meal in the morning. I had to do all my workouts fasted. Now I'm eating before training. I'm like this is nice.
Speaker 3:This is real nice Throwing in that Snickers bar anymore.
Speaker 2:Once in a while I don't really have. Like I have a really bad sweet tooth. Like I love chocolates. Yeah, I love chocolate and I know he loves ice cream well, let's talk about.
Speaker 4:Let's talk about you guys live in. You guys live in las vegas. Now, right?
Speaker 5:so now there's a lot of temptations out.
Speaker 4:Right, you know, maybe staying out drinking partying.
Speaker 5:Right right, we got a girlfriend, but like, how has it been living here in las?
Speaker 4:vegas. You know, maybe staying out drinking, partying, right, we got a girlfriend, but like, how has it been living here in Las Vegas? You know, obviously it's a nonstop, 24-7 town. You know there's parties everywhere. There's somebody in town probably every week going, oh Joe, like let's go out, like let's go crazy. People want to go crazy when they come here.
Speaker 3:How has it been living in Sin sin city? I love how he did he did.
Speaker 5:He'll pass that one believe or not, I have very peace here in las vegas. You know like we live in nice neighborhood and um and of course las vegas, always something going on. We got invites somewhere like good, like pool party or something, but it's important. You got to go show up. You see how people party.
Speaker 4:Cut loose a little bit sometimes right. Yeah, for sure it's good it definitely can be a place I feel like where, like your friends have more fun than you do, you know, because they come in all the time. It's like one of those places, right. Yeah, the good thing, because he doesn't drink or smoke, which is good for me is like if I go and I'm in that environment, I'm just like Ah, you know what I mean, let me get my arm in there.
Speaker 3:Let me get my arm in there. He's like this no, don't make me do it, yeah.
Speaker 4:Do you guys gamble at all?
Speaker 2:Do you of get into a little streak here, because I was up and then I lost the money and I lost a little bit. I was like, yeah, and this is why I stopped yeah, I'm stopping again.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was on a great streak and then I lost it all that's how it works. I'm not gonna mention our mutual friends who lost my fucking streak but, it's in the UFC fucking betting realm, but yeah.
Speaker 4:I used to bet a lot, I used to gamble a lot and then I lost a big chunk one time that like made me sick and literally it was like I've barely ever gambled since that time, because it was one of those like what are you doing? You know it was like it was a bad one.
Speaker 5:I think if you live in Las Vegas and you're like gambling, Nah, it's not the place.
Speaker 4:It's not the place Go somewhere else, do you?
Speaker 3:know what I love about Las Vegas and I've been here for three years now A little bit over three years. I think the fact that temptation is there is why I'm so comfortable where I'm at. I don't have to look for it. As you said, it's fucking Monday is Saturday, it's Sunday is the fact. It's just. Whatever is going on every single day of the week there's something, and there's always that allure to bring you in and I like that. Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know otherwise, when I was living, you know, in Tennessee, I was like looking for something.
Speaker 4:It. Honestly, it makes it like when you do go other places, it spoils you, right, because everything's open 24 hours and, like you know, even like when you're back home, you're like smoking a joint and you're like, so I'm gonna join, and you're like what's open and there's nothing open, right, like everything's open here. You can actually, if you want to, you know, get into trouble. You can get into trouble, right, or you can stay in the burbs and and live your life here, um and and so I have a peaceful life, but I like that you have you have the option you have the option, option to go and do those things.
Speaker 3:Do you know this? When he tells stories, he's got the handbrake on, because he could tell so many stories about getting into trouble, oh bro.
Speaker 4:He knows a few.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I knew a few as well, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's definitely a few of in trouble stories yeah especially because for us we're like 12, 15 minutes away from the strip, so whenever we want to go we can go. Sometimes I'm just like that just seems like a lot of work right now.
Speaker 4:Yeah it does, Just the parking right the parking.
Speaker 2:Then I got to go. If we see fans then it's the stopping to have a random conversation, and then sometimes it's a little bit, sometimes it's a lot and I'm just like it's giving a lot of energy, right? Yeah, Like you're giving a lot of energy.
Speaker 4:Also the drunkenness and then you don't want to be like a dick, because then it's like somebody comes up and is like really excited to meet you and you're already like in a bad mood. Yeah, you're checked out, and then they're like oh, Aljo's a dick, you know yeah.
Speaker 3:It's like with you guys. You know, marab, when you go back home what and, and what is it like for you to get off that plane and and be greeted by all your fellow countrymen.
Speaker 5:It's the mayor right here, I know yeah, usually I go after my fight, um, but yeah, like every time I go my my home country, georgia, I feel like it's crazy going out there, because even airports, of course, usually people are waiting for me, and even me and Aljo we went like almost two, three years ago.
Speaker 4:Yeah, July is going to be three years, Any groupies or get any groupies out there. Now You're like a well, you want to explain that. You take that one. Well, you want to explain you take that one.
Speaker 2:Groupies are, like you know, athletes or celebrities. They go places and they have, like these groupie girls, that they try to like, get their attention or try to get their money.
Speaker 4:Maybe they want to give you something else, I don't know.
Speaker 3:That's a very nice way of putting it.
Speaker 2:They want to show you a fun time.
Speaker 5:I mean, like you know, like when I go back to Georgia I feel like I'm home. Of course it's very. I talk like we talk everybody same language and everything. You know. I know that we are kind of same people because it's not a big country. You know we are all same. You know, like it's not. We all know each other. We all respect each other. We all respect each other. It's different. We're all happy for each other, like now the Georgian soccer team. They are competing in the European Championship. We all support him.
Speaker 5:When I fight, they support me. We are small and we all support each other. That's how all countries are. If we fight, we fight each other. If we, you know, we support, we support and it feels good, of course, every time I go to Georgia. But now I went, like maybe three weeks ago there and then I don't even tell any media. I don't want people in the airport. I want to go. I was going to see my family, but once I get there, journalists find out. Everybody calling me please come here, please go restaurant. Everybody wants to see me. It feels good Everywhere they recognize me. You know like you know, wherever I go, I get stuck because hundreds people come and take pictures it's cool though it's good it's good but like I, I love it.
Speaker 5:I love to be in georgia, but to I need to be here to train hard, you know, because the US is big and I'm more humble here in training and go do my thing, because if I'm in Georgia every day, I'll be in the restaurants and hang out. Right.
Speaker 4:Speaking of home day parades, I've seen we got an Aljo day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, tell us about that. So that was after I defended the belt against Piotr Jan. I guess they didn't want to do it when I first won the belt because obviously it was a disqualification.
Speaker 2:It was like, yeah, we're not celebrating that. So we ran it back. I won and we came back home. They were like when are you coming back to New York? We want to set something up for you. We want to put together a presentation and a parade. I didn't know what to expect, but it was cool. They brought out a You're a holiday now bro.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's pretty wild. I know Just for Nassau County though.
Speaker 2:Did the kids get off school?
Speaker 4:I hope so Right, because they love you, bro, they'll love you. That's our guy. We fuck without you.
Speaker 2:It took us on like this little, not a trolley, I forget what you call it, but it had the name on it and everything. I was with the Nassau County Executive of the entire county, so all the towns, probably like 50 plus towns. He was like the man to control all that, everything that goes on in those neighborhoods. So he took us around like four neighborhoods that were by. We had like police, escorts, motorcycles, everything playing the horn, some music. It was cool. And then we went to my high school. They had everyone outside, all the students. They got to talk and then they gave me an opportunity to talk to the kids for a little bit. I was like man, this is actually wild. I never thought I would have. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I thought I saw you like on a float or like it was like that. It was like a float, it was the.
Speaker 3:Popemobile. Yeah, the Popemobile wasn't it.
Speaker 4:It was like he was going down the middle of the street, you know, waving at everybody.
Speaker 3:It was royal wave from the rest, you know how it goes.
Speaker 4:I made it wave.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know what I mean. It was kind, which is pretty cool because he's a pretty big deal in Nassau.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you're a pretty big deal there now too, bro.
Speaker 3:Does he have his own day? Yeah, exactly, I don't think so there we go there we go Murab do you? Have your own day. Mate in Georgia, Do you have your own national holiday, Murab day? No, no.
Speaker 5:All right, we need to speak to the tourist board because Marab needs his own day.
Speaker 2:No, no, I'm good man. I'm good when he gets the belt, then he there, we go there, we go there we go that was like a very good experience.
Speaker 5:I was there that day. I was there and it was like wow, I was even shocked, you know, because in America I don't see something like this. You know, like how happy everybody was for aljo and like supportive, and everybody was celebrating this day, and then kids outside and everybody happy and it's like new generation and they inspire and then like I'm sure everybody wants to be like him.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's 100 real. Yeah, you know you yourself as well, right, these kids, they look up to you guys and they want to be like you and and do these kids.
Speaker 4:They look up to you guys and they want to be like you and and do what you're doing right like you guys are living the dream right now. So there's definitely kids looking at exactly what you guys are doing and I mean, I think that's all part of like what makes it so great. It's like you know, you're proving it to your hometown, you're proving it to the world, right like it's part of the legacy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the legacy, it's special it's special, you know there's a lot of kids that are growing up lost these days. Obviously me, coming from wales, small country compared to england, just like you, were kind of the proud of flying out flag, especially when we face any anybody in england, because they were like the redheaded stepchild. No offense, you know, no fucking pun intended. I actually told you from earlier he literally is the redhead. Close, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was in Wales earlier. Come on bro, Last year September Shut up.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm like when I find out anybody's been to Wales. Where'd you go?
Speaker 2:I competed in September Shut up Against Mike Grundy In Wales. There's nothing over there.
Speaker 3:Fucking hell, bro. What's this guy say? Jack Shaw is from that area. Yeah, I went to his gym.
Speaker 2:Oban took me out. Oban, oh you fucking maniacs.
Speaker 3:He took me to the local pub with all the mates I've seen this fucking picture. That's right.
Speaker 2:He went to a smaller local pub. Had a couple of madris over there with the boys.
Speaker 5:He got into trouble over there. No, no, we did good. Them Welsh boys will lead you astray, man. They'll lead you astray.
Speaker 3:But that's fucking great. He went to Wales, man, I know there's that part. We call it the valleys. Yeah, rolling green hills, it's very pretty.
Speaker 2:But it was before my match, so I did drink, which I always do, but I probably drank a lot more than I probably should have and made that match way harder than it needed to be. But I was on vacation. When they called me to even offer me that man, I was like, guys, I don't really want to do this because I'm just drinking, I'm not training right now. And then I took the match, whatever. But then afterwards we didn't get to stay. We went to london to go see my family, okay, so otherwise we just stayed and then we could have really partied and maybe they would have shown me a different time.
Speaker 3:But we'll I'll try and speed that up for you, if I can get the right connections. But have you been to Wales, maramp, did you go with Aljo?
Speaker 2:just me and Jake alright, yeah, cause that was after the O'Malley fight. I went to Australia for the fight, then went to Bali for two weeks and then they offered the match and then I was like alright, I guess I'm going to Wales and then from Wales to London and back home.
Speaker 4:So they just hit you up and they were like we want you to jump in this and you're like I'm on vacation, dude.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Polaris. Does that affect your mindset when?
Speaker 2:you're on vacation.
Speaker 3:I threw up a lot.
Speaker 2:As soon as the match was over, I went right upstairs. I had to take a couple pictures. I was like you guys, I got to go, I got to go.
Speaker 3:That was that Welsh ale coming up there. But I was going back to the point of coming from Wales, small country, there's a lot of young kids that look up to both of you guys, right, because of you know the small, humble beginnings. So you to have a literal national holiday, you know, in that area, National holiday or holiday.
Speaker 4:I think just a local. We can call it national. It's cool. I support it. I don't know how that works when you get.
Speaker 3:I guess whatever it is, but nonetheless it's such an achievement, an honor to have that day named after you. And then you've got all these kids who are lost. They're in school, all these distractions, especially new distractions that maybe we didn't have when we were growing up, and now they look at yourself that has gone through that area, won the title and still doing all these different things and these devas and for yourself, come from Georgia, come over here, live in the American dream, as as did I, and again from humble beginnings. It's just an incredible journey for both you guys and you both have two different stories and yet you've been able to connect through like-mindedness and, again, just wanting each other to achieve their own greatness in their own pursuit. So I think that this relationship is so unique and I feel like when we spoke about this off cameras.
Speaker 3:I know many athletes who have developed friendships, but there's nothing like what you guys have and what you say about him, what he says about you. We can just sit back here and truly see that this is a genuine friendship where you both want each other to just win across the board in everything you do and also, as I said, that you're just inspiring, aspiring, the next generation from Georgia, from your area, new York, and across the board, across the United States as well, but kind of changing directions. I know that yourself you've really been putting out some funny shit right now, bro, is this something?
Speaker 3:you create or do you have?
Speaker 4:people to help you out. We should have brought the fucking Sugar Sean guy dude. We should have brought him.
Speaker 3:We should have brought we should have brought the sugar sean guy we should have brought. Oh, we should have just burst through the door and I'll just put the first election and my rap would have finished.
Speaker 5:Yeah I was hanging out with the guy.
Speaker 4:They were smoking together, yeah yeah, but where did this guy come from? Yeah, who come? Who came up with that? It was good yeah.
Speaker 5:So how it's happened is uh, so after my last fight Henry Cejudo's fight I mean I had after the fight I was, and then it was in the restaurant and when I go there people had tables and everything. But when I go there three hours I was just taking pictures with people, just big line and anyway. So and I guess one guy take a picture with me and then somebody, when he posted somebody, tell him he looks like sean. And they said this guy looks like sean. I said no, and then, and after he shaved beer and put vegan, I said yes, and then I and he lives actually in LA, he's from Georgia and I said okay, I need to apply this guy to here in Vegas. Let's make a couple funny videos.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they've been really funny and funny they have been.
Speaker 5:It was easy to come up with this idea because Sean smokes, he has 69, 69 tattoo.
Speaker 4:I liked when I forget I think it was after one of your fights he jumped in the ring or something like that, and you took his coat. Yeah, I jumped in the ring to talk shit and then you took his coat. That whole situation was pretty awesome.
Speaker 5:Can I explain that? So usually that happens maybe two times, when somebody wins and they bring the like new challenger or whatever potential challenger, and then it happened with Aljo and then, like, aljo just wins, he depends his belt and he's champion. He must enjoy his time. He's just doing depend his belt and he's champion, he, he, you know he must enjoy his time and he's just doing speech and then we just we are.
Speaker 5:We are like other side, like we just just happy, aljovin hard work done, now we can chill. And then from nowhere shonamari comes in and he's just bully and he's like talking shit to aljo and they're very disrespectful.
Speaker 4:And then especially after a fight, I feel like having a dude come in that's trying to fight you after the fight. Obviously it's like you know what they're doing. Right, they're trying to pump and get the fight, but like it's kind of like it's like you know the business because it's entertainment, but it's kind of like man, get the fuck up out of here. Dude, like what, this is my moment, like get the fuck out of here.
Speaker 5:It's almost like it's gotta be hard to be in those situations at times and if you don't know, I'm sure you don't know that he was gonna come there what were you saying?
Speaker 2:he turned around. I was like what the fuck? How are you in this cage?
Speaker 3:right now. Talk about having your bubble burst. Right, you just come off this one Next thing they're putting you against the next guy and it's like it's a WWE integration.
Speaker 2:Because you know Dana's famous thing. His famous line is I don't make fights the night of the fights. And somehow for my fight he made a fight the night of the fight, before I even had the chance to do my press interviews or anything like that. I didn't get to talk to him. I didn't talk to anybody. I'm taking pictures in the back. And then someone came up to me and said yeah, they're going to have you turn around in August. I was like no, the fuck they're not. I was like, dude, I just fought. My legs are swollen. Like what are we talking about right now?
Speaker 4:Man that whole thing is just so exhausting. I actually you know that you're saying this because he was just showing me a clip and basically, like I didn't know that you were hurt going into the fight, well, I was.
Speaker 2:I was hurt going into the training camp, so they wanted me to start the training camp right away because it was three and a half months away. I need about three and a half months to cut the weight, so for that I couldn't train and it is what it is. He got hurt in the training camp. I got hurt. The difference was he got to sit and relax.
Speaker 2:The difference for me is I just fought and had to start my training camp behind the eight ball, trying to catch up and maintain, to keep myself in control, at the same time not enjoy the fruits of my labor, because I literally just won. Yeah, I'm gonna go on vacation and actually eat and enjoy myself and let my body heal up. So I didn't really get to do that. Um, I had to be mindful of my weight. There's just a lot of little nuances that go into it that annoy me, but it is what it is. I eventually said yes, which you know I should have just stuck to my guns. I should have. I wish I had someone there to kind of just stay in my ear and tell me like no, you said no, just wait.
Speaker 4:I remember at that time you were talking about I'm going to take a little time off, and then it was like you signed the fight and it was like, well, I got to stay while it's hot. It was like you were almost convincing me of why you didn't do the break.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what made the decision for you to do that? Pressure, or you kind of being the athlete you are?
Speaker 2:Pressure, they offered another fight for me, not until the next year. So from that May where I fought Henry, I wouldn't have been able to fight. They said until next year, january, february or March. So it would have been almost a year layoff, which I didn't want that either, because I know I need to stay active. I which I didn't want that either, because I know I need to stay active. I want to stay active while I'm young and while I'm actually feeling good. I just need to give my body a time to reset and then get back into the groove of getting the weight back down and doing things the right way.
Speaker 2:Starting the camp, I'm very organized, like Maraba was saying. I try to organize my stuff. I'm like I didn't get to the top by accident. I didn't get to the top by just taking foolish, foolish fights and sometimes your mental needs to line up with the physical. And that night I felt like my mental was just not there, like I felt my reaction times were slow. I felt like, um, I was bored. I felt like I just wanted to be done with the fight and that's what caused me to rush in and throw on such a punch where even if I thought I've thrown that punch multiple times where, even if I miss, I always move my head or at least put my hands up or pull back. I didn't do any of that, I just threw the punch. I saw that I was out of position and I just like my brain was just like, yeah, you fucked up and I just stood there, got cracked and tried to defend whatever, and then I still think it's early stoppage.
Speaker 4:But I thought it was early yeah it is what it is man Like.
Speaker 2:It is what it is man. I'm so over that fight. I'm like man, I don't even care about it anymore. I made the mistake the better guy that night, because I will say that I will die on my bed saying that the better guy that night won Any other night where I get to do the same amount of prep that he did. I just know myself, I know my mentality and how I approach fights and training camps that that would never happen again.
Speaker 3:But sit in opposite somebody you know that can avenge at last for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he's going to get the time to prepare. He's had some time, O'Malley's got his time, so that's all it is Like for me. I just want a fair fight, you know.
Speaker 4:I would say too, like you know. I mean, if he ends up moving up in the future, is that a fight you want to make? Oh, that would be great.
Speaker 2:Is that a? Fight you want, though, like you want to revenge, that fight right. I would like to fight Marlon Marais again. I would like to fight Rafael Sonsal again. I would like to fight Brian Carraway again and O'Malley as well. You know I'm saying—.
Speaker 4:You want to get that back right, like if you get the L, you're like I got to get that W back.
Speaker 5:I can only imagine what you can do to those guys today.
Speaker 2:Today, obviously, it's different.
Speaker 5:Even now, you can't beat today. Just if you go out now, you can beat today, man.
Speaker 3:I need Marabaro. All day long.
Speaker 2:He's a fucking great hype guy. It's just a mentality as a competitor. It's nothing to be like cocky or arrogant, it's just as a fighter. If you lose, you want to avenge the loss, like you've had fights where you're like I wish I could get that motherfucker back this time. You know like we all think like that and if you don't think like that, I think that's a problem. Yeah, I agree I personally think that's a problem, then I don't think you have the fight that and you've got to have that competitive edge.
Speaker 4:Nobody wants to lose, right? Nobody's in this thing to lose, so it's like avenging those losses. I feel like I'm just asking because there's times where it's like there's a guy that like I don't really need to go back and fight this guy, but I just kind of want to.
Speaker 2:I think if the guy is just clearly better than you, then it's like it is what it is.
Speaker 4:Got your number.
Speaker 2:Outskskilled, outgunned, you couldn't do anything. But I think when it comes to like those, some of my losses, two split decisions, I'm like I think I could have done a couple different things and maybe that fight goes in my favor. I would like to run it back. Obviously it's not going to happen. But then the marlon morais thing, shooting like that, being emotionally charged, I'm like I guarantee, if I maintain my composure, that doesn't happen again and I I beat that guy once we get out of the first round, or even maybe in the first round, I take his back and finish him In all due respect. And then O'Malley, the same thing. It's like if I get a proper training camp. I just think it's just a different fight and I think, if I were to think any other way, the problems are with me as an athlete and I think some people on the social media they're like you keep talking about it.
Speaker 2:I'm like, well, people ask me about it. That's one. But if you ask me my opinion, I'm going to give you my freaking opinion. That's just what it comes down to. I'm not going to lie about it and I'm not going to be uncomplimentary. He does some very good things Like. He's very skilled, very talented. I know where he's good at and I know where I'm good at. I know if he's able to do what he does, then he wins again. But I just don't think that would happen.
Speaker 4:It's something we might see again in the future. Right, because he might end up moving up after Murab takes the belt from who knows. Right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm talking about which it's very possible. The big fight in the sphere History, my friend, that sphere History, my friend, that'd be great. What an honor to be fighting in the first ever sphere, maybe the one and done, who knows?
Speaker 4:I hope it's not one and done. No, not me.
Speaker 3:But even if it is, to see this guy fight and win would be fucking incredible. Do you feel the just another one.
Speaker 5:This is another fight for me, you know, of course, like, I'll just say, omali is good and I have all the as a fighter, I know he's, he's good fighter. And then, um, I will prepare, you know, I will prepare for war, and then it's gonna be big and yeah, actually, yeah, I want to fight at the spare. It's gonna be like first time and it's going to be, of course, the best. And in Las Vegas. I want to fight in Vegas because I live here. It will be very comfortable for me, but it doesn't matter. Whatever the fight will be, I know it will be big and I'm ready. I'm ready for that. But I just think is, I don't know exactly when I'm fighting. I'm ready for that, but I just think is, I don't know exactly when I'm fighting.
Speaker 3:I'm just hoping at the spare days O'Malley was there, and then I'm just hoping it's going to happen, oh, so there's doubt that it might not happen in the sphere, because from my perspective, that's how we heard it was on.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I've been seeing it everywhere that the sphere was happening.
Speaker 5:But in me we are fighters. I don't know what I'm feeling now. I don't have a contract, I don't have a word from the president or Hunter, yes, I'm fighting that day or that day. They don't tell me nothing. I'm just training and it's a feeling like you're training but you don't know exactly the date. It's not guaranteed yet.
Speaker 3:That's kind of like the unknown I mean from the fans. I'm learning this life. I thought there was a fixed date. Obviously there's a tentative date from what I've seen, and the sphere was done.
Speaker 2:For the sphere, yeah, but for their fight at the sphere, that's not set in stone yet.
Speaker 3:Got you, got you, got you. Well, that was news to me too.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:All the news channels I follow says different, so we're hearing it straight from the horse's mouth.
Speaker 4:That's it, you guys being in these big championship fights. Is it a distraction now Because you have to go into fight week and you've got to do more interviews, more content stuff, right, more fan stuff? Like, does that become a distraction for you guys like going?
Speaker 5:into these fights. Yeah, I will say this Like I mean I was, I'll just call it the last couple title fight and that was crazy man, like so, like, okay, so, so, like, okay. So we usually get in the hotel like Tuesday and then we got to sign the posters and taking pictures, the UFC media and then so many interviews from Asia.
Speaker 5:Like Europe, like I, take Zoom calls, zoom calls, and I'll just finish, finish and they keep asking same question how are you gonna do this? And I'll just keep answering same questions, keep doing oh my god, this is crazy.
Speaker 4:like okay, yeah it's got to be like especially you guys are like cutting weight right like you're like in a bad mood and it's like it's not great.
Speaker 2:You can't show it either, right, yeah, you can't.
Speaker 5:You try not to, at least you have to work out, you have to sleep, you have to relax, you have to text. You're like you have so many things going on. You know you have some sponsors, and then just you have like very limited times and then back and back and back and it's like it's like nothing we're doing like press conference in the little interviews. This is nothing.
Speaker 4:The all the zoom calls yeah, and this is crazy I mean, it's just a lot on your mind, right, and both of you guys now as well, right, like we're in this social media age, both of you guys are, you know, creating content. You have a podcast. Like you guys have so much, so many things going on, so it just seems to me like going into those fight weeks, having all those extra interviews. I'm like it's got to be taxing on you guys it's not easy.
Speaker 2:This is definitely a lot of work, especially when it's the same questions over and over again like, what kind of questions do you kind of like oh my gosh, I've asked this again.
Speaker 3:How are you going to win? Yeah, oh my god, how do you see this fight going?
Speaker 5:and or how much do you wait yeah? Get out of here. Why are you? Asking I'm gonna make way, what's the?
Speaker 4:matter, I'm being good right now, bro, leave me some questions, yeah like are you gonna help me cut it?
Speaker 2:like, so it shouldn't matter. Is that the?
Speaker 3:hardest part of fight week you think for for you guys. Obviously you know I'm not not talking about the weight cut itself, but just throwing in the amount of media that you have to do as well yeah, it's not.
Speaker 2:Don't say it's the hardest part, but it's not the most fun. I mean I try to enjoy the moment, because one day this is all going to be over right, we're going to be retired. We're never going to be able to do this again, so I try to enjoy it as best as I can, but God, is it annoying. It's just like. There's one thing I could do without is definitely the media on fight week, especially on a Wednesday, thursday, when you're just like dude, I just don't have the energy.
Speaker 4:I just need some extra sleep. Yeah, I don't want to talk to you.
Speaker 5:I just want to cop Thursday night, like the day before weigh-ins. So you weigh-in Friday morning and Thursday night you have a press conference and you are hungry, thirsty, you have to dress up, nice suit and everything, and then you have press conference.
Speaker 4:You got to talk like you're with your opponent and then, like I don't know how people are doing this, you guys also have, like the press dickheads right who are trying to ask you questions that are going to make you answer something like get you mad or get you you just like they want you to answer in a specific way. Like how do you handle those type questions?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I just try to have fun with it as much as I can, but you should be able to tell when someone's trying to do something like that. I think if you can figure like, see what they're doing and just kind of like either keep it short and try not to let it be shown that they're, either getting in your skin. Yeah, because, that could rile you up a little bit. That's wasted energy. The Russian journalists. They are worse they do that all the time always they want the drama.
Speaker 5:They ask you like stupid questions what do you think?
Speaker 2:about Peter. What do you think about Umar?
Speaker 4:they want that drama they're not fighting.
Speaker 2:I'm fighting. Why are you asking me about Umar and Pyotr Yan and all these other guys that are Russian?
Speaker 1:I'm like I don't care right now. They want that soundbite.
Speaker 5:They want bad things, but why promote them and why you want me to say my opinion and then you're going to attack me? Rob says yeah, they're trying to catch you.
Speaker 4:They're trying to get you to quote something that they can utilize to sell right, but it's tough.
Speaker 5:So like what happened. They asked me what do you think about Stalin? I said Stalin was a fucking dickhead, I don't know. And then, of course, I said true about Stalin. And then I guess he has like fucking fans and like Stalin. I guess some people like him. Yeah, has like fucking fans and like, oh, like Stalin. I guess some people like him.
Speaker 5:Yeah, bro has fans. Yeah, like all stupid people, like some people, and they attack me like oh, you fucking. You don't know Stalin, stalin was a hero. I'm like fuck you, but you know it's affecting me.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying Because all the negative people, like you know.
Speaker 5:Like you know, let's say say, let's say, I have an opinion, my, my opinion, of course, like this stupid lgbt people, right?
Speaker 4:but youtube we're gonna go back on that one. We'll go back on that one if I say if, I talk.
Speaker 5:True, now of course I will get attacked, right? Yeah, you know, if you ask me about them, you know.
Speaker 4:Yeah, well, it's a hard thing these days because we have a lot of like subjects that are like, really like. You know, that will get people kind of vexed right. We have a lot of politics, you know we have a lot of things happening that those are going to be hard to answer because, like you're saying, right, Like you have a career, you have sponsors, so there's like maybe sometimes you want to say more. Is it that case? And you just kind of hold back because it's like not worth it in that realm, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but sometimes you want to just keep it real, keep it real, keep it real Like this podcast.
Speaker 3:What was that that you?
Speaker 4:said yeah, I want to circle back to what you said you mentioned one country and the LGB.
Speaker 2:Fuck, I'm going to butcher it I'll just stop right there, but now you've seen the alphabet, people?
Speaker 3:yeah no offense, we love everybody minus a few. But there's you mentioned Russia and that community have you seen now in Russia the fight league? They're getting a lot of trans, trans people to fight over there there's a wild federation over in Russia that are getting. We've sent some clips once, or either I seen one the other day where they got this uh, trans guy versus two females, or something like that yeah, I mean it's, it's getting out of hand.
Speaker 4:I mean, what do you guys think about the, the, the female male fight scenario? It's stupid, identifying thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean there's a reason why there's a lot more men that build houses and work in construction than females. There's a reason why there's a lot I would imagine that there's a lot more female nurses than there are male nurses. I mean, maybe that's changing now because, you know, there's a lot more broken wrists and coming in to play you know, to each his own.
Speaker 2:Like I'm not judging, like I could be friends with a. I don't want like which one's more polite to say Homosexual or gay, yeah we have all walks of life in this gym.
Speaker 3:I think for me where the line in the sand is when you start being competitive obviously having a daughter. Yeah, that's weird when you have somebody who was born a different gender and then wants to come and compete against my daughter. That's where I have problems. Yeah, exactly Outside of that.
Speaker 4:live your life Gay is one thing, Gay is one thing, but like a naturally born male competing against a naturally born female is not right. It's not fair for the women. It's not fair for those women. Or create your own league.
Speaker 2:Create your own league, totally create your own league.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know how many, it's not fair.
Speaker 4:It's like your daughter's swimming right. We're sitting there, you know, doing swimming lessons with the daughter last night and it's like imagine some dude who comes in who was a professional swimmer before right and wasn't winning with the men, and then jumps with the women and then becomes the greatest female swimmer of all time crazy all right, I will tell you, man.
Speaker 5:You know if, even if I I don't have a dora now, but even if I see this, whatever this transgender or somebody go using ladies room, I'm gonna smack what you know I don't trust these people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a tough thing, it's a wild, and the fact that it's becoming accepted is bananas.
Speaker 4:I know you probably didn't think this was going in this direction in the podcast, nor did I to be completely honest yeah, back to the sphere, rob, rob, really, that's Rob's fault.
Speaker 5:This is my Rob. He took it in that direction.
Speaker 4:Fucking Russians again, oh jeez I usually try to go with the rule of like. I don't like to talk about politics or religion at the dinner table. Because, somebody gets offended, it's one of those things. But you guys in your business it can offend your work. Essentially it can offend your sponsorships, it can offend some stuff like that.
Speaker 2:The only thing I don't like when people say you're an athlete, you have no experience or you don't deserve or you shouldn't have an opinion on politics. I'm like so you think we just wake up every day and we don't have to follow the same rules that you do in life? I'm very confused why you're entitled to an opinion and I'm not.
Speaker 4:Right, you're a human who has a really cool job because you built yourself into it.
Speaker 3:And a champion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's a fucking claim to the top yeah, and a scene and live. You know you've traveled the world, as did I, so you get experience different cultures and you get to, you know, see what truly is working in other countries. And then you come back to you know, the place that I came to when I was 19 years old and see how much has changed. I still see this country, as you know, the greatest country in the world and I'm here for that reason. I came here with a glass half full $200, and I slept on the sofa to chase my goal and my dream and, like you said, I'd done okay, I think.
Speaker 5:You made it, bro, I made it.
Speaker 3:I made it, and still on my chase, as everybody is in this room right. So I guess for kind of like a follow-up question when fighting is done, what aspirations do you have?
Speaker 2:Question for both of you. Well, I'm trying to get into a couple business ventures Right now. I have my energy drink company, nerd Focus, mostly online but in a couple stores, amazoncom also. And then I have my other company that we're working on because I enjoy drinking. When I'm in training camp, I drink. I'm not getting like, oh, I've seen you.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm not getting like blackout wasted.
Speaker 2:I'll have like one or two if I have a good like I'll. My rule of thumb is when I'm sparring in camp, I get a couple weeks in and if I start to notice that I had a really good day where I did not get tired, I'm like, okay, you can have a reward today, you can have a drink or two, and then I sleep so much better. I wake up feeling fresh, I'm like it just feels like it's that vice that lets me feel like I'm still living a normal life versus just being. I gotta be super straight edge no sex, no smoking, no alcohol, go to bed at a certain time Like, bro, if I had, if I had a fight like that life would be so boring for me and I can, I cannot like I need something to keep me feeling alive. Otherwise, like, yeah, the money is great Now it's great In the beginning it wasn't.
Speaker 2:Wouldn't it be worth the squeeze for me? So I got my rum company, funk Harbor and hopefully ready for sale in August and should be online, hopefully a little before that, right before Jamaican Independence Day, august 6th. So it's a Jamaican rum, but that's the venture that I want to go down, podcasting as well. It's making rum, but that's the adventure that I want to go down podcasting as well is because these are things I enjoy. I enjoy talking, fighting, I enjoy talking to good people and, uh, maybe I'll start coaching as well. I I just coached the other day at uh, extreme couture and it just kind of reminded me I haven't coached in a long time and it reminded me of how much I actually enjoy teaching and, um, I feel like if I were to retire and not like share the knowledge that I've learned, especially in the grappling department, I feel like it would be a disservice to the sport.
Speaker 5:Yeah, totally In my humble opinion.
Speaker 2:I just feel like there's a lot of things that I see that people can improve on, and I just want to see good MMA. Like Coach Dean Thomas would say, I just want to see good MMA. That's why he helps me and that's why I'm helping other people, because I want to see good MMA. That's why he helps me and that's why I'm helping other people because I want to see good MMA.
Speaker 3:What about the journalist side of things? Do you see yourself maybe commentating as well?
Speaker 2:I can see myself doing that. You've got great breakdowns.
Speaker 3:Analytics. I've watched a lot of your stuff.
Speaker 2:That's not out of the realm of possibility. I think the only thing with that is if I'm confined to a schedule that I have to do it at this time, then that's where I kind of pull back a little bit, where I'm like you got to tell me what to do. That I don't like, you know. I like to have like we're kind of our own boss, we have our own schedule, we pick and choose when we could go. But if I have to go and do this at this time because you said so, I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying that would be a change in my lifestyle that I would have to be comfortable with and figure out how I can make that Rob.
Speaker 5:I'm a little bit different. I'm just good with coaching, good with journalists, like breaking down fights, and I don't have those talent, talents I can share with somebody how I I do things, how I take down, how I get up, like I can show one and one. But like he's great coach, like with the group and 100 people in his 100 people room, everybody getting good advice and good, you know, like everybody getting good training. So me, I'm not. I do want to open a gym in Georgia and maybe gyms in Vegas, but this is for future. But at first I want to just keep fighting, keep training, and I don't think I want to retire anytime soon. I want to keep fighting, keep training and I don't think I want to retire anytime soon. You know I want to keep fighting. You know Aljo, aljo is smart, you know he wants like, he has his, like we said, organized, he wants, he's like he wants finish on top, you know so he's maybe in belt now and we depend couple times and you know he's a smart man.
Speaker 5:Yeah, well, it's another part of our friendship.
Speaker 4:We have business conversations, we talk about fight, we talk about girls, we talk about all the things right. But I think it's great for you guys both to be in that mindset of striking while the iron's hot and utilizing the leverage of your fans and all these kind of things and building businesses while you guys are on your rise up, right, because I think it's important and it's like one of those things where, like we saw in the NBA, we saw in like other sports leagues, like you know, guys would come in and didn't know how to build the business of themselves outside of the brand, right, and you had NFL guys and NBA guys, you know, kind of going broke because they just didn't understand how to like manage their money and stuff like that. I mean, how have you guys kind of approached that? You know? Like, have you got money managers? Like how have you guys you know agents that sort of thing Like how have you guys approached that?
Speaker 5:So answer your question, or back to I mean okay, okay, so, okay, after, after I will retire. So I said I don't want to finish fighting yet. Um, I want to keep fighting like like long time, but after I want a family and I want to like a business. I don't want to work. I don't want to go work like every day, like if you start like commentating, you gotta go, or every day If you start commentating, you've got to go. Even if you're coaching, everybody has a fight every weekend. You've got to go. You've got to play Texas.
Speaker 5:I was there. I was with Pumi Nikuta, our teammate I love. But if I have other guys that I have to Now I coach who is my friend and who I feel like he needs support like this. But if I will be coached, that will be my job and I don't want to fly every weekend in some states and some country and just for 15 minutes coaching, watch all the weight cuts and the guy die before next day. He's winning or lost. You know what I'm saying. It's a difficult job, so I don't want to like this job. You know, I want to have a business. Business makes money Some maybe my friends running the business and I make money.
Speaker 3:He's got it all piled up. I want an easy job. I want to travel.
Speaker 5:I want to be able to go where I want to go. I want to be able to go where I want to go. I want to be able to stay where I want to stay. I want to be free. I want to be free. I don't want to be like job, like full-time. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:I started buying the house here in Vegas Great investment and Aljo kind of helping you, push you to get to that it's great. I wish somebody pushed me earlier on in my life, for sure.
Speaker 3:You mentioned the coaching, though, and to your point right, I see you know. Shout out to Eric Nixick, you obviously were training over there at.
Speaker 3:Xtreme. Eric texted me. Actually Eric called me. I had to fucking hang up on him when we were on the podcast. I said sorry, bro, I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry so he sees it on camera now but I see what Eric does as a coach. That guy is just so involved with every one of his athletes. Obviously Salt Lake this weekend with PFL and he's going somewhere else, going somewhere else and then outside of what he puts into the gym he's 100% into his family. So that balance is very hard and even when you're a pre-existing fighter, as you guys are, just to have that balance is hard with the relationships and stuff. Even when I was doing what I was doing, I thought I was super balanced until I retired and then I realized like okay, maybe I was balanced maybe a little unbalanced yeah, you know, super balanced, especially with.
Speaker 3:You know, I had a, a young one at the time. So when I was winning the olympias, she was coming everywhere with me. Um, and then when I found out my second one was on the way, I was like, yeah, I'll retire on undefeated on my terms. So it was me that retired. It wasn't an injury, it wasn't anything else. So, for, what I'm getting at with the point is, the next evolution where I'm at right now is the podcast with businesses and there's so many other things that I'm involved with is just making sure that that balance is there, more so than it was when I was competing. So it's it's hard as a fighter and just you know, talking about what you were saying right now, you said like, right now, my, my sole focus is my fighting, because that's the only thing that that I need to focus on outside of that. Um, you know it's a distraction. Um, obviously, for, for, for both of you guys, you've got business minds and seemingly you've been investing into different businesses when, when, you're fighting because you are a brand right.
Speaker 3:Everybody has to recognize that at a brand. And um, one thing I will say about you, marab I think there's a future there with comedy mate. I don't know, mara, let me tell you 2019, that was five years ago.
Speaker 5:Like first, like Aljo was fighting, I believe, petro Munoz maybe or whatever, or Jimmy Rivera, and he said I have this idea, I have to make a funny video, like skits, yeah. And he was thinking all weight cuts and once he make weight, and he just set up up like you hold the camera, you say this, you did this, and then he make like very funny video like with cookies, I gotta find.
Speaker 2:I gotta find those in repostal.
Speaker 5:Yeah, those are so good, they're funny and then he, like, he came like, like and the first time like I I had no idea and then you know, like many years ago, but now I was, yeah, like, so and now I try to make fun videos, even those experience like how Aljo was doing, and then like, and then now I'm getting better like making funny videos and I had fun.
Speaker 5:I like positive, I don't like drama and I'm just playing myself. But to be comedian, no, you know, like now it's easy, because I'm fighting, I make fun of my opponent. I was, I was, I was joking about Henry after he joke about me and it was easy.
Speaker 4:But the poor pitcher you're not gonna do the open mic, the open mic, the open mic night at the comedy shop.
Speaker 3:No, no, no the one you had with all the fighters and you were. You were talking shit about. Oh my god, that was hilarious, did you come up with that?
Speaker 5:that was me. That was me, but that was me, of course, the English, english. I have an assistant who helped me. I tell her on my phone I want this, this, this, and she said good English, but my idea, because I was scratching my head First. I was supposed to fight O'Malley. I was number two contender. So, yeah, o'malley was supposed to fight Aljo Rematch. Aljo was Rematch. I need Rematch. He just got caught whatever to fight Aljo. Rematch and Aljo asked Rematch I need.
Speaker 5:Rematch. You know, he just got caught, whatever. And then they said no, no Rematch. I was like what the fuck? And I said if it's not Rematch, then I'm here, I'm here. No, no, no, number six, what the fuck like you didn't have a Rematch clause in that contract.
Speaker 2:I asked for one. They said no they said, said no, you're gonna kill him. They didn't show that in the clip, though. Yeah no.
Speaker 5:And then so, and then like, and why number six? Because he lost four years ago. And then I mean I have lost two, I should. I call the guy he's retired now, you know. And then like I'm like maybe I should make a video. That's's how I came up with this idea, because I was like what the fuck is going on? It's like it's crazy. And then so they came up like really, really good video, you know.
Speaker 3:Yes, I mean I love. I think everybody loves it.
Speaker 5:And the second one was. So, like you, like don't say my last name, good. Yeah, Like everybody fucks up my last name.
Speaker 3:Hey, I thought I did a good job. No, no, no. He's like no, no, no.
Speaker 5:When Henry Cejudo was talking about me and we were supposed to fight and he fucked up my name too. I'm like. Now I have to make a video to show everybody. Yeah, yeah, say it how you read it my name is Merab Duvalishvili. They came up. Very funny too.
Speaker 4:Duvalishvili, say it how you read it. Yeah, close.
Speaker 3:We were close, I was, I actually said it good. You just babbled over it I might have. When we go back we'll realize, no, but guys, in wrapping up this podcast, you have a couple of questions, because I got one or two from the fans.
Speaker 4:You jump in from the fans.
Speaker 2:So just to answer your question earlier, I do have a financial advisor right now. He's from Long Island. He used to fight Aaron Freeman as a pro fighter, Just had a series of bad injuries with his legs so he had to retire, but he does a great job for me. The money that I have invested like as soon as I get paid from a fight, I literally put away my 40% for taxes, even though I know I'm going to take my expenses because I have an escort, and then I put away the percentages for my coaches, for my training partners and for the manager. So I do all that stuff. So this way I know exactly how much is my money and I put that immediately all into the market and I put some of my money away for my SEP IRA for my retirement and that makes me my money on a monthly, yearly basis.
Speaker 2:So I have money that kind of pays for itself. That's just sitting in the account. I love that.
Speaker 4:And this is the thing I think a lot of young fighters just need to, you know, just to understand, to learn, and because it's like we've seen it again to go back. We've seen it in the NBA, we see in the NFL where guys were making money but mismanaging it, you know, like not having the long term strategies to make that money work for them Right. So I feel like it's an important thing to talk about. You know, as young fighters come up and they don't really have Again, feel like it's an important thing to talk about. You know, as young fighters come up and they don't really have a again, they're just thinking about fighting, but at the same time, you got somebody else in your pocket, you got somebody else doing this right. So like you need to have that protection to have, just like I think, a a little bit of a better understanding of the general piece of it and like where they should be going. You know, and does the ufc like help on that side or is like they're gonna it on your own.
Speaker 2:They did it before the athlete retreat a couple years ago, I think that was like 2016. But that was the one time that I remember them sitting us down and actually taking notebooks out, whiteboard and explaining finances, and Forrest Griffiths was making a joke like do not go and buy, you fight for a belt or whatever. Do not go and take that money and go buy a Rolex watch. Just don't do that.
Speaker 2:He gave us examples of you know situations and people that took their money and blew their checks and whatnot. He was like don't be that guy. So I was like, yeah, I'm not going to be that guy, I'm going to buy a house. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's just one thing as a fighter, that's just getting into the UFC and you're just like you're not making any money on the regional level. You get that first payment because my first check was $8,000. So I needed to get to the fight in order to recoup the money that I spent, even though it wasn't very much, because I was poor. I was broke at the time, working like as a teacher and some side hustles as a coach. Teacher, teacher yeah, what would you teach Physical education? I had my degree, yeah, so I was doing that. And coaching wrestling for the kids. So that was the main thing I was doing, to kind of pass my, pass me, to get me by.
Speaker 2:In the meanwhile I was a sub, though, so I wasn't a full time pay, so it was like I think it was one hundred dollars a day, but I made it work. So you figure out ways to make it work, but you have your expenses, you have your meals, you have your travel. There's a lot of things that go into it. So when you get that first check, sometimes it's so easy to and especially if you don't win you only get the one, and back then I was getting 8 and 8. Now I think they're getting 10 and 10. Hopefully it goes up to 12 and 12 soon. Personally, I think everyone on entry level should at least get $100,000, because I think that would alleviate all stress for a new coming fighter. You felt like you really made it and at least with that that's reasonable to do something with it and invest in yourself and your training. That's just my two cents, dana, don't kill me.
Speaker 4:But it's an interesting point, right, everybody wants to get paid more Because, like guys don't even know, like I mean, how much do I pay my coach? How much am I paying you, my manager?
Speaker 2:right, like those, a lot of guys aren't getting that education like you had, you know, like you had it, but like a lot of guys don't have that education stepping in, yeah, just watching from other people, seeing the stuff that they did wrong, other fighters before us that were in the ufc and whatnot, hearing their stories, hearing the stories from matt sarah, coaches, just understanding how people handle certain situations when they get into a position that seems to be powerful and everyone tends to try to kind of get around that. And now they're starting to pull away because now you're the money man, when really I'm like, yeah, I just made $8,000. That's not that much. Well, it was one night, but it looks like what it is until you cut it in half and all the other stuff that you got to take out of it. But I forget what the question even was. I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 3:No Financial advisor.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we were just talking about how you financially prepared and how fighters should be prepared.
Speaker 2:I was just saying when guys get that first check, it's so easy to spend it because you never had money. So now that you have it, you now overspend what's not really yours, even though it is ours. But Uncle Sam, gets his cut, even though he gets cut.
Speaker 4:It goes fast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he gets a cut for everything, though.
Speaker 4:Uncle Sam's taking a lot of cuts right now guys A lot of cuts right now.
Speaker 3:Hey, but we have to say, let's ask this question for both you guys. What was the first thing that you splurged out on that? You were like, okay, I deserve this you got something oh you say the.
Speaker 2:The first thing I I bought myself was a, a used car. It was a, I think, a 20, 2010 or 2012 um used audi a4 and I overpaid by like $4,500. And it was one of my friends that sold me the car, which is no longer my friend.
Speaker 2:I mean if I see him I say hello, but I kind of ripped into him a little bit. It's just like yo, you guys ripped me off. You knew they were ripping me off and you just watched it happen and it's like ah, whatever. But that was like the nicest thing I bought at the time that I could afford it. But in all in all, I think the nicest thing I bought was my car that I have today. I mean, I bought my mom a house. That's really nice. But for me, what I bought for me was my GLE 63. That brand new, that one 2024. So that one that's my toy to myself that I was able to afford. And I'm like super happy about that, because before I used to be like I don't understand why people live paycheck to paycheck and then I got that car. I'm like I kind of get it.
Speaker 1:I kind of get it. I like this Totally worth it.
Speaker 4:I like this. I like this. It's a pretty nice car. Yeah.
Speaker 5:I mean I guess I will answer these questions too. So, like I just said before, ufc there was no money and I was working construction and everything, and so I signed to UFC. I mean, I depend my belt in ring of combat. And then I was there and now I know I'm in UFC, but I depend my title fight June 2nd. And then they all UFC congratulations, but there is no contract, there is no date. And so June, no news. July, August, september and like end of October they told me I'm fighting December. Okay, good, I'm start. So all this time I was working because I don't have a fight right, and then so In construction In construction.
Speaker 5:Yes, at first, when they told me, congratulations, you are UFC. I was so tired from working construction. I was so happy that I'm like, oh, finally, I'm not going to work anymore, I'm going to go UFC. I'm going to go UFC.
Speaker 5:I take a week off and I'm thinking when is my fight, when am I going to fight? And I go back to work again, you know, anyways, and then so and so when the 10 days before I get sick, I get some virus. And before my UFC fight debut and I get sick and I still fight, I still make weight. You know, I still make weight, I fight, I lost. I get so tired if you watch this fight. I was so tired I don't know what I was doing. I and and I lost.
Speaker 2:You went crazy in that fight. That fight was insane. It was like 30 something takedowns. It was like just nuts.
Speaker 5:The intent, then pace for having the flu is crazy yeah, and then, and then I lost split decision despite and um, so, but I get only like half um have money like 10 000 right and from there, yeah, we gotta pay manager, you gotta pay taxes or little bit some whatever. And then I buy the. Before I had very old car and broken everywhere and I was like hardly. And then once he finally this car died, and of course I buy first I buy like good car, like not good car, but good, good condition car first. And then I, and then now I have no more money, right, I have only one car, this old, old car. I throw garbage, you know, and donation something because it wasn't, nobody would buy this car. It was like and thank God, anyway, so I have a new car but no more money.
Speaker 5:I work construction again, and then I have another fight and now like I was winning this fight, it was a great fight, and then some the referee makes a stupid decision, but anyway, they give my opponent a win again. But I got $50,000 bonus fight of the night. So now I have my show money $10,000, plus $50,000. I have $60,000, I'm like so happy Even the night I'm like when they told me that I win the $50,000,. I take my card, let's go.
Speaker 3:Bye-bye.
Speaker 5:From there I go crazy.
Speaker 5:I go to my country, spend crazy money. I come here and then I was like fuck the work, I'm not going to work anymore, I'm going to make more money. And I was spending this money crazy. And then the next fight it was six months later and when fight fight day comes and I had I was using credit cards money and I spent all my money because I wasn't working. I was like give somebody money but I, you know, buy some, I don't know whatever I spent stupid. And then I don't realize I have to pay taxes on this money, this $60,000 money.
Speaker 4:This is exactly what I'm talking about. Yeah, because you didn't have the understanding of what to do with it properly, but I got money. Where are we going out tonight?
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Somebody's got to pay for lap dances for the big guy over here.
Speaker 5:You know, my next fight was in russia. I make 20 000, but from these 20 000 and now I know like I have to pay taxes my old, whatever money I make, this new money where I have to pay taxes, everything, and then who knows when I will have a fight next. And then now I came smart. I go back to work again and I was keep working. I'm like now I had money, I was fighting, but I was still keep working because, oh, I don't want to spend, I don't want to experience this. And then I finally retired in 2020 when I was busy and I was making money. Now I know all experience and everything, so I learned from my mistakes.
Speaker 3:Must be great to see for the guys who worked within construction to see where you've come started and where you are now.
Speaker 4:You should see some pictures back in the old construction days. I've seen some photos of him working construction.
Speaker 3:yeah, We'll finish off, guys. You okay for one or two questions from the front?
Speaker 4:Can I throw one more in here?
Speaker 4:You go ahead, my friend One more only Conor Conor McGregor, right, like we were talking about the business side and we were talking about, like you know know, building businesses and like I'd say he's probably right, the best example of a guy who was able to take the business and go and start other businesses and so and so on and so forth, was like watching connor do that. Was that like an inspiration for you guys, like as you're doing your businesses, as you're moving, you know was, was he like a guy that you guys looked up to you know, or was it more like fuck this guy? You know, I don't like a guy that you guys looked up to, you know, or was it more like fuck this guy, you know.
Speaker 3:I don't know, but I like his business in a sense.
Speaker 2:Right. I never understood like I mean, obviously, the guys in his weight class they're going to compete with him. Back then, when he was at 45, I can understand a little bit of the jealousy or the hate, whatever you want to describe it as, whichever adjective you want to use, but for me I was like man, this guy is good for the sport. He's getting people to talk about it. He's getting people that would never watch MMA and now interested. More eyeballs, that brings more mainstream media and I think that was the very important factor that he brought to the game and I think we all benefited from that, you know, just globally. With that said, I even got to see I was thinking about doing this run for a while, for a couple of years now and to see him bring up the tequila. I don't know how long.
Speaker 4:Not the tequila, the proper 12, whiskey, whiskey, bourbon, the stout right yeah.
Speaker 2:So to see him do that and how fast he did, I was like I know it probably took some time behind the scenes, but to see him do that I'm like, yeah, this is possible, this is something I can do. So now that I'm almost there, the doorstep at the finish line with all my compliances, I'm now super excited and motivated to try to have even somewhat of the success that he's had. I think there's more than enough in the world to go around for everybody. I think it's just sometimes people tend to be a little bit too greedy and I don't think Conor's like that, I'm just saying in general. So I don't look at people like that who have success as being jealous, Because you're not a hater, yeah dude, I'm happy for you, I'm happy for everyone.
Speaker 2:Like I always say, I want to see all fighters get paid. If everyone could become a champ, that'd be great, but we know it's not know. But we all have those dreams and aspirations and I support anyone who supports themselves. So that's the way I try to approach life in general and yeah, so for me, Conor is definitely a big inspiration. I think it's unfortunate he's not in the fight anymore, but hopefully he comes back healthy so he doesn't risk getting injured again like he did coming into this fight with Dustin the first time, the second time or actually the third time that they fought.
Speaker 2:So I don't want to see no one get hurt and I want to see everyone compete at their best. So for me, that's my two cents on Conor McGregor.
Speaker 5:Yeah, for sure. I mean he's a great fighter and I learned a lot from him, and then even like how he like his proper 12, like his brand, like how he did. So it's, of course, like it's inspired for me to like do something like that too, like even small. But it's also like now we're getting a lot of sponsors because they see potential Like from sponsors oh, are we can promote this, we can be like. Yeah, of course, like I'm thinking like some things like this, to even Georgian mineral water, like they sponsor me because they want to do something like this.
Speaker 4:But has it put more pressure on you guys to talk shit to people?
Speaker 2:I always talk shit. So I mean, you know what I mean. No, like this is day one, I always talk shit. So for me, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4:No, like, but I feel like he kind of stepped up the game on the shit talking game and then I even feel like a lot of people are like you know, it's like they're jumping on that a little bit right and it's like you're seeing more of that happening now, like, do you think that's a?
Speaker 5:so I think so, yeah, but that's that's he is. He's like, he's just energized, he's just natural. You know what I'm saying Me, I cannot never be like this. Even I talk something, even when Henry's able to disrespect me, then I give myself proof that, yes, now I can talk something, make fun of him, but before, if I see the, my opponent is a respectful guy and he's like a family guy. I can't watch what I say negative to him.
Speaker 4:You don't want to take it too far.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so it's me. Yeah, of course I cannot be like Conor McGregor. He's just natural. He talks shit, but that's how he feels. That's why if I play, then it will be fake. Same thing Aljo, he's himself. If you ask Aljo, he's going to answer because he's honest, always honest right Me, I'm like this. Maybe I'm just, yeah, who I am. You know, saying that everybody, yeah, like it's going to be stupid if we take from Conor McGregor this talk shaking If you're not organic like this, it's going to be stupid. So, organic like this, it's going to be stupid.
Speaker 3:So it takes your opponent to say something for you to kind of yeah, okay, it has to be natural. Yeah, the gloves are off now. Yeah, yeah, no pun intended, it has to be natural.
Speaker 5:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4:If I don't hate the guy, you know I don't want to be like Maybe a little bit like, but I feel like the WWE and having to be a guy who gets on the mic and does some stuff right. It's almost like it's starting to creep into that a little bit. I'm seeing it more and more. Is that how you guys see it?
Speaker 5:I don't know. I'm always confused and shocked and like how is Kovac Havikton doing this? Because I like, when they ask me question, I have to uh think about, I have to say answer natural. How I'm gonna remember all this like somebody's nicknames and like this, this, this, if you're all, if you're not real natural like this, how you're gonna talk shit about people like this, you know you may remember one thing, but how you're gonna like, how you're gonna say perfect, like this, you know, has to be natural for people like this. You may remember one thing, but how are you going to say perfect like this for me, like this, I don't know, maybe some people can do it like this.
Speaker 4:Flex when he makes fun of me. I never know how he does it, he just goes right off the top of the dome it's just hit and he hits it, just a natural, my friend talking of nicknames, though and you mentioned WWE Funkmaster.
Speaker 3:That is a WWE name. Any aspirations to move into the WWE now that there's a?
Speaker 2:synergistic connection. I mean I would do some. I'll do a couple acts.
Speaker 4:Money talks, bullshit walks. I think you just got a natural charm to do it.
Speaker 3:I look at you and I think, like if natural charm to do it you just. I look at you and I think, like if anybody we were talking about this, if anybody could just be that wrestler, I think you would be one of them guys yeah, I mean I could get out there.
Speaker 2:If there's anybody out there who thinks they can do something to me tonight, I dare you to walk in here and see what happens oh.
Speaker 4:I'm sold Come get some I like it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then you'll have Marab wearing the guy's jacket in the back.
Speaker 4:There it is.
Speaker 5:We just overslept somebody.
Speaker 4:We just went to that WWE thing at the Apex and the girls, honestly, were awesome. Wow, I was shocked, but the the ladder, their ladder match or whatever. They have to climb a 30-foot ladder and grab and and honestly it's like you know, obviously we, we all know we found out as kids that wrestling wasn't real. I'm sorry, but it really is real. At the same time, right like it's like watching the athleticism and some of these stunts and like they're still hitting that table and they're still landing on that chair.
Speaker 3:And that's all real.
Speaker 4:And it's like that's all real and I know they get hurt a lot, but it's like, uh, it was the first time I ever actually went to one.
Speaker 3:I was supposed to go.
Speaker 4:Remember what happened, that was your fault.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would have.
Speaker 4:I told him wrestling was fake and he was like I'm not going.
Speaker 3:Tyus, you don't have a mic. Normally we have Tyus, that comes in, but what are we at time wise? We are a little over 90 minutes. Oh damn, we'll wrap this up then, guys thank you very much for our goal was one hour, so it just goes to show.
Speaker 3:I think we'll wrap this up then, guys. Thank you very much for oh 90. Damn damn. Our goal was one hour, so it just goes to show how easy this has been. I think we'll just end with one question from the fans and I think we'll end up on a funny one, if you can give me something funny, which obviously has been throughout the show but what is the funniest prank you've pulled on each other, on each other?
Speaker 2:on each other. On each other, I don't know. Upper Decker.
Speaker 3:No, you guys are full of pranks, right? I know, obviously Plastic wrap over the toilets?
Speaker 4:No, no. Bounce back no, nothing.
Speaker 2:There's probably a lot of things that they've done together.
Speaker 3:What about together then Together Shit. Just go on Instagram. It's full of it's full of funny fucking stuff. I've seen you guys together.
Speaker 2:Just one big comedy skit, yeah, not pranking each other. I don't, yeah, I don't think we've ever did anything like that. No, no, no, no, yeah, no. Oh, my gosh, I'm looking at these. They're terrible.
Speaker 3:Kind of a lot of stuff we've already of the unsaid. All right, this is kind of like the second top one. What's the wildest story from your training camp that you can share? A wild story Could be anything.
Speaker 2:Wild story? I I mean, I don't know what people consider wild.
Speaker 4:I like when. I like when there's like a random ass dude who tries to walk in the gym and challenge people, I like those.
Speaker 2:I mean, I guess we kind of have like Henry. Cejudo's camp. That kind of came at us while I was cutting weight and and there were fighters too, which was made it even worse when I just wanted to slap All their faces, because it's like, dude, have some fucking respect. Like I'm not fighting you guys, I'm fighting Henry. Now, if you guys want to Turn this into a fight and cancel our fight With me and Henry, we can do that.
Speaker 4:You know what I mean. And everybody loses money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it was just stupid. I mean, but you guys probably seen the video of that was just yeah, it was just stupid.
Speaker 3:Let me see.
Speaker 2:While training.
Speaker 3:Let me see, let's have a look. There's so many questions.
Speaker 5:When we come with trainings, we are professionals. You know like we take it serious.
Speaker 3:And you're not going to kiss and tell either. I know All right Backstage, just before you're walking out, what is one of the things that you guys do to stay in your zone that many other athletes that I've spoken to have hired coaches to be in their state of mind they, they play the fight in their head. Is there anything that you guys do specifically backstage to stay calm or fight weak?
Speaker 2:I normally in the back room, I try to take a couple seconds to myself, maybe minutes in the bathroom where I can look myself in the eyes and just more so, just reassurance, like you did everything you were supposed to do. You deserve to be here, you're going to go out there, you're going to battle. We won't quit in no positions. Always keep moving, keep doing all the things that we worked on. You're too fast, too strong, too quick and you won't be broken. And that's like my little mantra to myself and it's always helped me through tough, difficult fights. Because you know, the fight game is very mental man, like we all know the same things and you just never know what's going to happen out there and all you can do is ask for it is to be as sharp as you can be, and that's pretty much why I do that, to kind of just let myself know. Like it's almost go time, game time. This is not for jokes, this is for keeps Ready to go. Whatever happens, may the best man win. Is that like a ritual? You?
Speaker 3:do every fight. Yeah, rob.
Speaker 5:So me, like training camp, or if nothing goes perfect, like training, because sometimes you have injury. Or maybe you're not sure when you're training for your opponent, maybe you're not sure if he was training 100% good or whatever. Or maybe I'm not the best, but when it's a fight day and all the hard work's done weight cuts and everything, interviews, or just you have to, just in a couple minutes, go and fight, I'm just focused on just doing my best. I'm just going to go and show up. You know, I'm just going to give. I don't want to be the guy say, oh, like you know, if I, oh, I don't give all.
Speaker 4:Leave everything in the room.
Speaker 5:Yeah, leave everything, even my experience, my, you know, and this way I won't be regret, you know, I won't be like mad myself or sad. You know I don't do this. You know, if I lost this way, then I'll be like, okay, I tried my best and I did my best, and it's of course. Everything is possible, everything can happen over there. Because if we know we're going to win or we lose, like some people, yeah, you know, like I cannot bet myself I will tell Jay Rock you know what, use all your money, bet I'm going to win or I'm going to lose.
Speaker 5:I don't know, this way we can make money, but yeah, I don't know you know, saying I don't know I'm gonna win or loss, you know I'm ready for everything, but I want to give everything, uh, what I can, you know I I want all my knowledge or experience, or my, my power bring it all together at that moment.
Speaker 3:Yeah, general, can't anyone end with? No I you want to end with?
Speaker 4:No, I just want to say thank you both for coming on. You know we've been friends a long time and it's just been a really good conversation, just kind of catching up with you guys. Also, we're all so busy sometimes we don't get to hang out all the time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and 90 minutes has just flown. Yeah, our goal was one hour and 90 minutes has just flown yeah our goal was one hour so my apologies.
Speaker 4:I was gonna say I was gonna say 75 minutes, but 90.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's good, we're moving well, we're moving and we're grooving guys. Thank you so much. Do you know when your next fight date is? Have they given you official date yet?
Speaker 2:no, they said they had to get through the chaos that was happening. I'm guessing it was with the shuffle with Connor. That they'll let me know in a few weeks. So I'm going to just try to start getting back into shape and into the groove of things, working on technique and hopefully in September.
Speaker 3:Well, not only am I looking forward to seeing you back in there, man, but I'm looking forward to trying some of this rum.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I love rum now, man, quality rum not like you know. No offense Bacardi, no offense Captain Morgan, but not like the low end, like this is proper, it's proper Jimmy. Not proper 12, but it's proper Proper ting, proper ting.
Speaker 3:Amarab, excited to see you, my friend. Hopefully, you know, the sphere comes about and they give you that date, obviously news to us. But regardless, whenever you're stepping in the next, I'm excited. Obviously there's there's hype, um, you know you're gonna avenge your best friends, uh, you know fight and and then hopefully see yourself back in there with two champions, you know standing, you know side by side. So, both of you on your journeys and and I'm excited to to cheer you both from afar, and I'm excited to see you in the gym, you know now that you are literally living up the street.
Speaker 4:New Dragon Slayer members right here, yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So again, guys, thank you so much From me, rock Marab Aljamain. We are out.
