Is there a trainer that you think will suit your style better?
I’m cool with either one. Whoever I get chosen by, I think they are also guided and surround themselves with good people. I’m just blessed with this opportunity. I’m from Coeburn, Virginia, so this doesn’t happen to people where I’m from. I don’t really care who I’m chosen. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.
Can you tell us about the time you met Kimbo Slice?
I was in West Virginia, and I was at an MMA fight and Kimbo Slice was supposed to be the guest there. He’s going up that ramp and he’s going in the back door and I was like, “What’s up, man!” and he said “What’s up” and then he dabbed me. So instantly I knew I was in there. I was like, “I’m in this. We’re cool.” I’m the first one because I’m the first in line. So, I walked in and there’s a backstage area and he’s going down, and I was like, “What’s up man,” and we we dabbed again and I was like, “Yeah, it’s been a while!” He was like, “Yeah, man, I know it’s been a while.” So instantly I realized he didn’t know who I was.
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But he had thought that we had already met. I let that hang out for an eternity. Eventually he said, “Dude, where do I know you from?” And me, being just a freaking 19-year-old kid, I was like, ‘Man, I’m not going to lie, you don’t know me but I’m grateful to meet you.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, man, you’re a jerk. I thought I knew you all this time. You spoke to me as if you knew me. We took a picture and stuff, I’m glad I got to do that before he died. I was very young in my career and I watched him when he was attacking people in midfield, beating people.
He was the first person I really fangirled. Meeting him in person and now, through the fights, meeting all these other people, man, was a great first experience. It was the first one I encountered that I had seen on a big stage. But man, he was scary. As a young man of 19, he was scary. It was awesome.
