In The Corner: Kenny "The Boss" Cross on MMA, UFC BJJ & Life Beyond Fighting

What's up guys?

This is in the corner.

I'm Destiny McCEbben.

I'm Doug Vasquez.

And today we've got a really good friend of mine and an absolute killer athlete in the game, my boy, Kenny Cross.

What's up?

Hello.

Uh, good to be here.

This is an amazing day and, uh, I'm excited to be back.

I'm excited to have you back.

I feel like there's so much to talk about and I, I just had you on like in the beginning of May, end of April.

Yeah, it, uh, seems like forever ago and just yesterday because the fight, fight games, chaos, and, uh, yeah, every day you're just trying to get better and here we are again onto the next chapter of life and what's coming up next, you know, I'm excited.

So yes, so when I had Kenny on last time, he was, um, gearing up, getting ready to go compete for MVP MMA one, hence the dope Letterman jacket show the people.

Forever a star on Netflix.

Yes, Evergreen, I tell my friends like, yeah, you know, it's cool getting your butt whooped on Netflix, but just wait, just wait for what's to come.

So, how, how was it and how, like what's like, what you've been up to since then ?

What's like, yeah, talk to me about it.

Extremely grateful, you know, I, I'm, uh, I'm trying to stack these wins and even though we didn't come away with exactly what we wanted, a loss, a lesson learned, two L's make a W, so I'm trying to take all the positive from it , you know, they treated us really well.

They paid us handsomely for the first time.

It feels like I kind of actually have a career and that the 1011, 12 years that I put into this isn't for, for nothing.

So you know, I got to see Anderson Silva sit in front row.

I got to see Jake Paul, all these things that I kind of manifest that I, who I would meet one day, you know.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.

We can cut it out.

Don't even worry.

I think that's, I think that's Jake Paul right there.

We'll leave that in, yeah, but, uh, yeah, and ignore on Jake.

Justin Bieber was there.

I didn't even know.

And these are kind of things was there.

These are kind of things that I was like always as a kid like I, I'm gonna meet me and Justin are gonna be best friends, like I'm delusional, optimistic, like this is all gonna happen.

I don't journal, but in my head I'm like this, these things are gonna happen.

So when I'm warming up and I'm in the cage.

And I see Anderson Silva and I got my Rob and John and my coach Austin next to me.

I'm like, one second guys, you know, I run over there, I'm looking at Anderson.

I'm like, hey dude, I love you.

You're my favorite fighter.

And then I see Jake.

I'm like, steak dinner, we're about to eat, you know, so it was just, it was amazing and, you know, a small kid, I'm not supposed to be here, but I'm determined, I'm relentless, and I'm never gonna give up.

So again, like we just keep pushing forward and it was an amazing night of fights.

I got to see a lot of people that I just grew up watching and favorite fighters and people in the world that you just, you wanna bump shoulders with so it was amazing and I, I just, I'm super grateful and appreciative to have the opportunity.

Absolutely.

I mean, even like you like you said, you didn't come out with a win, but what I just, just being able to fight on that card and be a part of all that, that is, is a win and of itself to have it on your resume.

What was it like sharing a card with, you know, Gina Carrano, Ronda Rousey, Nate Diaz, being a part of that whole fight week?

It's Gina's in the back, you know, cause she's from Syndicate, so she's in the warm-up room with us, and it's like, hi, you know, I'm trying to just stay, you know, uh, present and focused, but yeah, you have all these people warming up next to you and You know, I'm going out right before Mike Perry and Nate Diaz.

So during the weigh-ins, you know, I'm chopping it up with Mike Perry and I have other connections to him.

So getting to know him a little bit and my wife's there and his wife's there, and we're all suffering, you know, we're just about to make way, but we're trying to just be happy and laugh and enjoy the process.

Francis Ngannou, you know, just.

Just a, a mogging figure just walking around like after my fight, I'm walking back to like, uh, I forget, I was walking through the halls and you just, the cameras are following Ronda Rousey out and she's got the Rhonda face on and she's just making her walk and I'm like, I pull out my phone, Snapchat.

Crazy, you know, even though I'm team Gina, like I'm like, it's Ronda Rousey.

yeah, it was awesome, insane.

Obviously with the stage that you're on, it was the biggest stage you've ever been on, and you just mentioned how you were able to like take in the moments.

Uh, how important was it for you to actually like be present in the moment as well as getting ready to step into the cage to fight.

When it comes to all that pressure, I think a lot of people will lose focus.

And they want to like overperform and this is like everything or nothing and that's right where I'm at.

Like if I don't make this, if I don't win this, where am I gonna go ?

I'm fighting this two-time champ over at KSW.

I'm sure nobody wanted to fight him, but I have so much belief.

I'm like, I'm gonna go out there, I'm gonna shock the world and I'm gonna look really good doing it.

Now what happened, but I'm focused on like this is gonna happen and I'm gonna let it flow and like I'm just gonna be myself out there.

Some people are like.

You're super nervous and quiet, but that's kind of who I am.

Like when I go into the cage, I'm just like I'm just visually tunnel focused, and I don't want to use too much energy, but uh.

Yeah, I mean, it was amazing and I was gonna go out there and just put it all on me and win, lose, you know, I'm gonna learn, I'm gonna grow.

This is a great opportunity, you know, my stock's only gonna rise from this and uh here we are today.

How much are you paying to the, paying attention to like the outside voices, especially when you get to fight week because you were a big underdog against a guy like Saladin.

Like, are you paying attention to any of that stuff or is it just like, I'm gonna go out and shock the world?

You must have heard the The discourse throughout the week, correct?

Yeah, him being from France made it nice because I had to like Google Translate all the crap talk and I'm lazy, so it's like after 4 people I was like, uh, we, we whatever, like I'm out of here, you know, I kept seeing him and his coaches like throughout the week and I kept going like.

Uh, Jim Mael, Kenny, I'm like, Ashante, and they're like they're stopping me and correcting me how to say it, and I'm like, you know, at the weigh-ins I'm like, omele do fromage, which means cheese omelet, you know, I'm just saying random stuff.

I hit him with a fake handshake and, you know, but we dabbed each other up on the scale and I grabbed, I'm like, man, I'm gonna rag doll this guy.

Like I gave him a hug.

I'm like, he's so small.

But, you know, whatever, it's just things that I put into my head throughout the week, you know, yeah, blocking out all the negativity.

I'm in LA, you know, there's posters of us everywhere, my grandma's coming, my dad's there, you know, I have some friends from, you know, when I was a kid, like one of my friends who was my corner man because he was a wrestling buddy of mine, I didn't have any corners when I first started.

He made the trip out there and it's like from where we started to where I am now and to see like.

The how proud they are and like holy crap, Kenny and their kids all are like, I wanna be Kenny Cross and they're like dressing up like me and like all this stuff, it just blows my mind and that's where I'm like taking all the positivity and the strength of like, I've already made it, I've already done this and this and I can't wait to.

To level up, to keep going, to show all, because I said it's like for the kids, you know, and it's for the guys that don't believe or or were kicked down and if you have a big dream, you're gonna get knocked down a few times, but you keep going, you know, just believe in yourself, have that optimism, be delusional, you know, don't, don't stay in reality, go and chase what you want.

I could have been a floor, a floor, you know, like making $700 to $1000 a week and.

Be comfortable on that and I'd be even further along now, but, you know, I, I retired.

I went to Dana White contender series.

I won.

I'm like, I'm never working another day in my life.

Didn't get the USC contract.

I'm still making no money.

But like that's when my grandma, my grandpa stepped up.

And they started, I, I tore my Achilles, and they helped pay for my, my rent out in Detroit, and I actually just got to pay my grandpa back with the check, you know, and it's like I had, I always give him a hat, so I gave him an MVP hat with a bunch of cash in it.

I wish I could have done it sooner, but that's something of like living up to your word right there and to my grandpa who was like a father to me, and you know, he doesn't say much, but it's like just looking at his face and He was like, well, I heard you got a big payday.

I'm like, even more than you think.

It was amazing.

See, that's when it becomes worth it.

It's like, yeah, you know, you wanna win.

You wanna be in the UFC.

You wanna never work a day in your life.

But then those days happen and it's like, OK, all this, like you said, 12 years of doing this, and it's just finally like that little moment is probably when it felt like, OK, finally got the fruits a little bit, you know, and like.

Real good fighters, I just want the respect.

I don't need the fans' respect.

I, I perform for the fans, but I want the respect from people that can do what I can do.

So everybody that's talking crap, it's just like, It just bounces off me nowadays.

It just kind of shows me who you are and like fight me.

At the end of the day, I would love, like I could line up like there's like a 13 year old kid in Hastings who where I'm from, and he's talking crap to me on Snapchat and I don't even know who he is, right?

And I'm immediately like, I'll kill you.

What are you talking about?

He's like, dude, I'm 13.

I'm just crap, and I'm like, bro, like.

I know everyone in Hastings, like, I'll send someone to your house to scare you, but I also like, let's spar.

Like let's spar.

I'll go nice, but I'll have a line.

Like, let's line up 20 people that wanna think they can do what I can do and, you know, sign the waiver and let's have fun.

Yeah, it's the best way to learn a lesson.

Yeah, see like there's levels to this.

Like even though I got my, he's like, you didn't make it out of the first round.

I'm like.

I was tired, dude.

He hit me in the back of the head.

Every time I got hit in the back of the head, my energy level went.

You still had a great performance though, until, you know, like it's not like you.

You did, yeah, and it's crazy to even think that you're getting, you've got any kind of hate, honestly , because it's like this, I don't know, I look at it, it's just phenomenal to get to where you're at.

Younger generation, I think it's kind of culture of talking crap and tearing people down and you know they see Conor McGregor and even though he's lost 3 or 4 in a row, it's like.

You're not, you're never gonna be anything like that, and they, they, you know, crabs in a bucket.

So hey, at least you like compared to the way Connor just went out, you did all right, yeah, like my, I got, I went way longer, yeah, yeah.

Obviously your, your public profile went up just for the mere fact fighting for MVP in Netflix, but do you feel like even with the loss you gained respect because you were fighting a guy that a lot of guys didn't want to fight on, especially on that stage in the fighter community?

I think from MVP especially because like they were telling John like they wanna have me back and, you know, sent me a bonus and was like, thank you so much for taking, and I didn't even like look at his name.

They sent me the, the, the number of what they're paying me.

I'm like, Francisn't gonna, OK.

If he breathes right, he's the same air, a 4 minute fight, dude.

I just made a lot of money and I'm not a money person.

I'm not, I've never made a whole lot of money.

My wife, she crushes it, but in, in my, my heart of hearts, it's like I wanna see people achieve their goals.

I wanna help people achieve their goals.

I wanna create this relationship with my wife and create a family like that's.

The value for me in my scope.

So like money is, I've never had it.

And now when it comes is now I have it, it's like, OK, I don't, I'm not burying it.

Like I'll spend it.

I don't care.

Like all my money is basically fun money because my wife provides for everything else.

You like nice things, yeah, I'm like, what you, what do you want, a new wedding ring?

OK, let's go get it.

And then after that I was like, oh, you might as well get a chain since we're in here.

I'm like, I got some diamond prayer hands with a Cuban link, you know, we put it on a credit card.

Like my credit was shit.

Years ago, but since I've been with my wife now 5 years and my credit's through the roof, and now I have this huge credit card and we just, we pay it off like you do like the whole 75% kind of like upfront.

So then little payments and my credit's going through the roof and I'm looking at her like, I don't really want this chain anymore and she's mad at me like, what do you mean you don't want it?

It just doesn't feel, I don't care.

Like I don't wear it.

I don't want, I went to that bachelor party with my brother and we're water wrestling.

And I had to just let him dump me because I'm like he's gonna rip this chain and I don't want to take it off and lose it, you know, so I didn't even get to grapple with my big bro.

He's beating me up in front of all of his work, you know, his people that he works with, and I'm over here making excuses like it's the chain.

You gotta take that L.

Yeah, exactly, but it's all good.

Yeah, uh, speaking of MVP, like, have you heard anything from them?

You said they call, they wanna have you back, obviously.

Have they said anything about when an MMA 2 will be?

Initially I heard.

It was going to be 7 months after the fight that they're going to do it next year.

So that's why I'm kind of in a bind because I really want to go fight for Risen.

I want to go over to Japan.

New Year's.

I'm like into collecting gloves now, you know.

I got unfortunately like the contender series gloves were just black when I fought.

I wish they were the blue ones, right?

But, uh, and then the MVP ones, I got the Bellator ones.

I put them in the dryer and they're all crusted up and I You know, they're , I ruined them, but I'm collecting gloves now.

You know, the, the dream of making it to the UFC is always gonna be there, but I'm 31, you know, it's like I'm still in my prime.

I wanna go fight where you can kick people in the face on the ground and stomp on them and all that kind of like backflip stomp in front of a million.

They have so they have huge crowds there.

The crowds are all gonna be like, and they love you guys.

Oh, and clapping and that kind of, and they flood you on the streets.

You know, like that kind of and and having a ring where you can kind of.

Bounce back, you know, do a little Muhammad Ali.

Like that's my style.

So I might run off and try to clothesline a dude, you know, some WWE there.

I love it, yeah, so that's what I want, but I don't want to get into a contract because MVP might, you know, they still want me back, and they're paying better than anyone, and, you know, they ran it so well and really just made me feel respected and For the first time, I honestly could retire now after that feeling.

That's how I feel like I, I'm not a poor year where I need fighting, like, and I honestly don't even love it.

Like, to be honest, I, that's what scares me is everyone loves this so much and I just am good at it and I've never been good at much, you know, so, and my wife and I talk about like what do you wanna do?

and she gets mad we just moved to Vegas.

You don't love this?

and I'm like, no, like I wanna be a dad like, but these things are teaching me so much.

That's why we're gonna get into jiu-jitsu.

I want my black belt because I want to be able to sit on my butt all day, scoot around and teach people.

Like that's, I watched the Shapiro brothers, and they just drew me in and same with the Brennan's, they can just sit on their butts and teach all day long, make a lot of money, but also helping people.

I, I've done so many like trade jobs and ironwork, digging pools and just the worst jobs in the key.

Hopefully that ain't me again, but uh.

I'm tired of that stuff, like, I got soft hands.

Yeah, I grew up, my dad built pools my whole life, so I was building pools with him and I was like, this is the worst job ever.

And a lot of times his jobs didn't go great, and then he's got to pay me and I'm like, You gotta pay everybody and you didn't get any money from this, you know, it's like we're just, I just wanna work now with you and help you, and I was just in that weird of like, I don't wanna ever work with my dad again because I feel bad when he pays me.

I don't wanna feel bad when my boss pays me.

And then just the other jobs, it just kept getting worse and then finally flooring, like my jiu-jitsu coach, shout out Javier back in, uh, Detroit, he would let me work a 9 to 4 and then I could get to practice , you know, and I did that for years and I wish.

I was, uh, kind of like the Malcolm guy like recording what I was doing to show the world that like I'm just like you, but I have a dream, you know, I, I really wanna go and gamble on myself and make it or don't make it, but MVP I could retire after that, even not winning, but I have too much left, you know, I , I've never been knocked out.

I've, I hurt, I've tore my Achilles doing like outside the gym.

I've never really hurt myself in a fight.

I haven't bled enough for the fans.

Like, I wanna bleed everywhere one time, you know, like when it's a close fight and you're like, I don't care if I'm bleeding.

Like this is close.

I'm willing to give all my brain cells to these guys, you know, I'm willing to do that, but for how long and how many times, you know, are we getting paid for it and all that kind of stuff, so I have so much left to give.

But it's not who I am is fighting, it's just what I do.

Yeah, you mentioned all the like manual labor jobs that you did, and obviously you're doing the 9 to 49 to 5, and you hate it, but then you just mentioned that you don't necessarily always love fighting.

Does it sometimes feel like a job to you?

Do you ever like say, oh man, I hate this?

No, I, uh, I'm just, you're sore, and it's, I think I, I'm someone when I, let's say a, a box of cereal, I love cereal, I'll never get the same one.

I always get something different , right?

So when I'm stuck doing the same shit every day, repetitively, that's when I kind of like, I don't even know what day it is.

I don't know what year it is, what month it is.

I just go to the gym.

I do what I'm told for my wife.

I do what I'm told for my coaches.

I try to help people and I just want to bring that positivity, and I think bringing the energy and, and like helping people because I see fighters getting in their heads.

I think that kind of is what keeps it fresh for me because every day someone's got something else that they're dealing with.

And I am like on cloud nine, like I'm blessed to be here.

I don't, I might not love this, but then I do so well that I'm like, OK, I can see a future for this.

At one point, like I thought I was going to be a crackhead on the street, like I was going to get addicted to drugs or I because I just felt like I just didn't have it in me.

So now seeing where I'm at, it's like I can go do this.

I'm sore, my foot hurts.

Something hurts, you know, we're going to take care of it so we can get back and give it my all.

But it's just the repetition that kind of just gets to me where I like to mix it up.

But that's why this is MMA, so.

And now we're going to BJJ.

That's mixing it up, yeah, that is a pivot, big pivot, uh, going to UFC BJ J.

Uh, if you guys follow combat sports, UFC BGJ is a new thing that the UFC does.

Um, what are we on UFC BJJ 9, I think, 9 or 10, so it's still very new, ran by Claudia Gadella and Steven Techi.

Um, it's, it's really great if you're, if you're into jiu-jitsu, then it's, it's awesome to watch.

If you're not into jiu-jitsu, I still recommend watching because it's, it's a good way to, you know, get into the sport and watch high-level jiu-jitsu.

And now they're doing their first BJJ UFC BJJ Open, and now I'm gonna let you explain what that is because I don't know anything about it.

So I haven't read the rules.

I wrestled in high school, so it's like you put someone on their back, you get points.

So I'm imagining when you pass guard points, taking their back points, so you can accumulate points, going for the submissions.

I'm a blue belt.

I've been.

Doing MMA for 12 years.

Are you a blue belt where I come from, you only get a new belt if you're wearing a gee, right?

I ain't wearing a gee.

I wore a gee like 5 times.

I went and did like 3 tournaments and I got double gold, double gold, double gold, white belt, killing it.

No nerves.

Like, yeah, but they don't promote me, so it's like, how do I get promoted if I don't go to class?

I guess I'll be a white belt forever.

Like Habib's a white belt, you know.

And my first coach, Darren Cruickshank, he was a white belt, and he just was, I never wore the gee, so that was kind of where I came from.

When I came to Vegas, I was at extreme, and then I saw they were like.

Starting to promote people in the nogi.

I was like, OK, I can do that because nogi is kind of like MMA and I've been doing this forever, you know, I've been really good my ground game's one of the better sides of my repertoire.

So yeah, I, I was telling my wife like, I don't know what I want to do fight wise, I might take a, you know, a tough enough fight or something that doesn't put me in a contract, but I could also do some BJJ and she was like looking up tournaments, and she's like, well, the UFC BJJ hasn't opened.

I'm like, what?

I'm like, oh, that's perfect, that's sweet.

Like, I wonder if I win that tournament, if I could get into the PI cause all my buddies are UFC fighters and They go to the PI.

So my question is, if you win the tournament, you're in, you're on the roster.

That's why I'm at, yeah, so, and uh, they give us an hour to make weight for the open.

So I'm gonna go at 170.

Like I walk around 175, 177, so barely have to cut weight, you know, get an hour, but I'm, I'm going with blue belts and purple belts, so it's like.

I don't know what it's called, but it's not just blue belts.

So now when I win this, I get my purple belt.

Like that would be cool.

And now I'm a purple belt.

You can't say I'm sandbagging.

Like I feel like in, in my, in my soul that I'm like a high level purple belt , but I can't say that because I don't do it, you know, I don't want to take credit from people that have put in that sweat.

Equity.

So you, you get into UFC BJJ.

You're on the roster.

Obviously they can all still fight and compete because we see it, you know, Renato Canuto, um, but that, that's obviously good too to be competing at that level.

I'm pretty sure they pay well.

It's gonna do great for your exposure.

So, so how do you feel about, you know, being a part of that because once you're on the roster.

That's, you know, so it's like PI.

That's what I would love just for hanging out and doing the cold plunge hot in the sauna because the sauna makes cold plunges so much easier, you know.

But, uh, also, yeah, money.

I didn't even think of that, but they probably get paid probably pay more than tough enough.

Love you guys.

And, uh, getting to be in like the little dome thing, more creative side of me.

I, yeah, I can roll around and do cool stuff and More people are gonna be able to see who I am and the UFC and the BJJ are so tight knit now that they're, you know, it's UFC BJJ, and I think you have the perfect style for it, you know, I've covered a lot of UFC BJJ events and then even just gone to them and like Claudia Gadela is constantly saying like, I want action.

I want people that bring it, and that's you.

I have no idea how to butt scoot and I don't know any ankle locks, you know, and we're not even.

How to do that at Blue belt.

So I'm glad.

Yeah, well, Destiny mentioned like even if you haven't watched jiu-jitsu, UFC BJJ is maybe the perfect medium because of the bowl and it creates the action that maybe a casual grappling, like a casual fan is not gonna see on the mat, right?

Yeah, like, whoa, what is this, you know, you're choking people out while you're on a slant.

You know, I don't, I don't know if you can slam people or you can.

Yeah, they're probably a little more aggressive with the slams.

They're very aggressive.

I feel like they're, I feel like they let, let, and I'm a very casual BJJ observer, but I feel like they're, uh, give a lot more leniency to the.

Yeah, this, yeah, because sometimes I'm like, yo, what's, what's going on?

They just slapped , like straight up slapped this dude.

I'm telling you, I think Kenny is like gonna be so great for the, for BJJ.

I'm really excited for you.

And we got Andrew Tackett, you know, black belt UFC champ.

What is he, 3 time champ now, yeah, at 70.

So I go with him, you know, he texts me he'll be like, you wanna be my partner, and then.

Texted me later saying I'm going to 10th Planet next time, but I still, I get to go with him all the time and his brother, and he's got two brothers.

I haven't gone with the littlest one yet, but the other two submit me at least twice around, you know.

So how do you feel going with him?

Like he is the champion of the best of the best.

Uh, I feel like we have like fun scrambles, you know , and I feel like I hold my own until I'm tapping, which is fine.

It's fair.

Yeah, I don't take it.

I just know I get better.

I got submitted by a white belt.

I'll say that right here.

I was like, man enough to admit it.

Not proud.

Hit me in a buggy choke, and I like, yeah, I gave it to him, and he's a big guy.

I'm trying to get out of this buggy choke forever.

My ribs are like going.

I'm like, I tapped, dude.

He's such a nice guy, but I'm just like.

I wonder if he knows how good I am, and he just subbed me like he's gonna go home so happy.

Yeah, Casey was telling me that, uh, Davy Grant, UFC bantamweight Davy Grant, was saying, I wish he was just a black belt so I would feel better when I, when I lost to him.

So I, I got some, you're doing good.

I got some tricks, you know.

Uh, so how's preparation been preparing for just BJJ, who are you obviously you're training with the jackets, but you, you're under, you know, Chris, the Brennan, Chris Brennan and the brothers.

So how's that been?

Really good.

I'm sure they would like to see me at practice more.

How often are you going to the at least, at least 3 times a week.

I think that's fair.

My foot's been hurting and you know I've been helping a lot of people out with cage rounds and stuff like that.

So sometimes I'm just like, uh, but Fridays now we're like doing some competition practices, so live matches where you can kind of like blow your forearms up because that's the, that's the big difference is like I like to tie people's hands up, but normally they have.

Gloves on, I gotta squeeze so much harder to control wrists without those gloves.

So it's just, you know, it's like boxing and MMA is just not boxing and and grappling and MMA is not like jiu-jitsu.

They are kind of, but it's just a whole different ball game.

So I do, I need to put in that work, but I, I'm proud of myself for how much I've, I've gone and again it's like that's where I get.

What am I gonna do next?

Well, I have the Brennan brothers, and they're so good at what they're good at, which is all the jiu-jitsu.

So what I feel like such a piece of crap if I don't take what they're good at while I'm in Vegas, when people in my, you know, my city would like pay so much money for this.

So why don't I at least just like absorb and soak up as much as I can for the next 7 years.

Like I said, I wanna teach kids this and then also compete, you know, it's a whole different kind of like, uh, culture of jiu-jitsu and, and people and fans.

So I feel like it'll grow my brand, but also I'll be able to connect with other people.

Can I ask you about arguably like the face of the sport right now, Mikey Musumeci?

I think he's transitioning over to MMA, doing rounds at syndicate.

What do you make of his just It may be the fact that BJJ, he's becoming more of a star like you said, and they're giving guys like him more exposure and more opportunities for sponsorship dollars and everything like that.

Yeah, it's just, he's helping the jiu-jitsu as a whole for these guys to make money, you know, and, uh, transitioning over to MMA for him, I feel like.

He could win some fights, you know, you just got to be careful with who you're selecting and because you could always take it to the ground.

But yeah, their, their brands are blowing up and, you know, you got, you got him working with John Wood, one of the best coaches, coach of the Year in, in a great facility.

And he's willing to work, you know, he, he, he's a grinder and he's not going to get hurt.

Like he's gonna push through things.

I think that's one of the biggest parts of MMA is like pushing through pain, and you know, he could probably teach me a bunch of lessons about that because he trains this stuff like 24 hours a day.

That seems like a lot.

Have you had a chance to work with him at all?

I haven't.

I've shouted across the street one time.

Like he was going into a pizza place and I was like, oh give me a messy.

I just, I just got to Vegas.

I forget who was with me, was like, Who's that?

I'm like, Don't, you have no idea.

He's definitely going to get pizza or pasta.

Um, do you know who's in your bracket yet, because, like, regular, you know, jiu-jitsu tournaments, they have like, um, like a, an app that you can use and you can see who's signed up in your bracket.

Is that how this works?

I'm not sure.

OK, I know it's gonna be a bunch of people, really?

OK.

Where is this taking place at the Apex?

No, somewhere in Vegas, but not the Apex.

Yeah, Thomas and Mac maybe.

Oh yeah, that makes sense.

And they said it's a two-day tournament, but Brennan said that they would only make me compete like one day.

He said that's crazy.

I guess it's a two-day tournament.

I don't really know.

This is my first one.

OK.

Our girl Emily Vincent will be competing as well.

Yeah, this is my buddy.

He's a Czech Czech Republic guy.

He's coming back and I told him, so he's gonna get on it.

We'll be in the same bracket.

We'll probably end up grappling each other.

It'd be hilarious.

can do it.

You just register.

Yeah, yeah, if you got a belt, a white belt, blue belt, you just sign up.

It was like 100 bucks, 150 bucks.

That's something that can really honestly change your life.

Now the big question.

Do they give us kits or can we wear our own and get sponsors for that?

That is a great I would again, I'm, what do you think?

Um, knowing the history of the UFC, I find it, but maybe because it's amateurs and trying to get in, you just don't see them providing that many kit, yeah, and, well, that's a good point.

Well, also you do get a shirt.

I don't know if it's a tight one or what, but you do get a shirt, yeah, but if I could get sponsorships, you know, like get stitch.

I got a cool rash guard, like, uh, let, let us, let them know the details.

So if anybody wants to maybe tune in or try to check it out, like dates, you don't know, huh?

I think it's the 22nd, August 22nd.

0, you said it is, it's, it's the same weekend as circa, yes, that's right, probably watch it on UFC.

OK, OK, UFC fights.

There we go, get that plug.

OK , so you're prepared for fights at Syndicca MMA.

You're preparing for fights at, or for jiu-jitsu matches at SyndicA MMA.

Um, what is it like training there?

They obviously, we're all there at the MMA Awards, and they just won Coach of the Year, Gym of the Year.

What's it like training there in, in those four walls?

It's amazing.

It's great, you know, like I'm blessed to be here.

Like, like today we just had, you know, fresh meat coming in, like contender series guys coming in, and we get to move with all these different people and, you know, as long as fifty-fiveers keep coming through and.

You know my buddy Aleko just had a head kick knockout and you know seeing people level up, you know, as long as I'm not the best in the gym, that's all I care about, you know.

How long have you been here now, uh, Kenny Vegas, like 4.5 years.

OK, so have you for 1.

5-ish.

OK, so have you noticed like being here you get that wave of contender contender series every season, being able to work with the fresh meat like, yeah, it's like seasonal, like when there's, uh, UFC International Fight Week, you're having, you know.

Some good names in and then a lot of people go to the PI and they'll take some of our guys, but the closer I get with our teammates and I can go to the PI and work with them or win this tournament and get in the PI, yeah, like every season, like new bodies are coming in and keeping it fresh and as long as I can keep, you know, sharpening iron with new guys, you know, I'm, I'm happy.

Can I ask you, just go back to, to your contender series fight because obviously you got the win and you said that back then your dream was to be in the UFC.

You get the win, unfortunately, didn't get the contract.

What was it like dealing with that coming off the high of a win and then getting the news that you weren't gonna get the contract at that time?

Yeah, I feel like the high of the win kept me satisfied for months, you know, and I'm just like, I didn't have a manager at the time.

It was my best friend.

It was my manager, Liam.

And we didn't know how the UFC worked and, you know, when we're gonna get a callback, if we're gonna get a callback, my fight was boring, but I beat a 10-0 guy.

So internally, I was just like, you know, I won at this, this level, you know, I got to be at the apex.

I thought that I'd be in the UFC way quicker, but yeah, I was, you know, I was living the, I was living for the weekends, you know, to party.

I was 25 and.

Just a whole different person and I wanted the fame and I wanted the girls and I wanted the, the money and that's like what I was solely focused on and honestly if I would have been in the UFC I probably would have been kicked out soon, you know, because I just, my habits, they didn't match my dreams and um I think that was just God, you know, putting me on a detour to to his heart so I could be a better, you know, son to him and, and I feel like.

Every day is the best day of my life because I get to be a little bit closer and walk, you know, a little more straight and, and brighten days and, uh, you know, my blessings are gonna just keep coming to me and taking those L's and making a W out of it.

I think that kind of attitude has got me this far that I wouldn't, I wouldn't change a thing, you know, but.

Yeah, it's, I'm excited to raise my kids a certain way to where they don't have to think about like what ifs because they're going to do everything right because I know how to help them navigate it if that whatever they want to do, you know, it's just I've through the ups and downs of winning, you want to be good at a sport.

You can win, but you wanna be great at a sport.

Learn how to lose, and I've had to learn how to lose a lot, and no one taught me and my pride and my ego was so inflated and publicly announcing something and now it's, now it's your reputation at stake.

So are we gonna go out there and do what we said we're gonna do, or are we gonna lose?

And then after that loss, OK, how to navigate this loss, you know, because at first it was your whole identity and you're like, oh, I suck, you know.

But then you just pick yourself back up and you get better at losing and, and then you get better at winning at life, not even just at fighting, so I think.

Whatever anybody throws at me, you know, it's like I just, I'm becoming bulletproof and excited for whatever life has for me.

You seem like you've really mastered the art of, of all of that, and your mental like seems very strong.

Is that something that you practice, that you, you know, do you work on mental health, or is that just, I know you walk by faith, like, where does that all come from?

A little bit of all of it.

I, you know, I still struggle.

I still struggle a lot, and I think a lot of fighters do, and they're just too tough to admit it, and I think a lot of people in life do.

Like I have a whole family where I could tell you everybody has a, has a problem or a demon to fight throughout life.

But yeah, having Jesus being a son of God and knowing that, you know, he sacrificed Himself for all of us to be able to walk and to get to heaven one day, you know, it really takes a lot of stress off and my biggest blessing is my wife and, you know, like I said, I thought I would be a crackhead on the street someday, so it's really easy for me to look back and just say like I made it and I'm really excited, but.

Yeah, just going through life, you know, visualizing things and them not going the right way and then getting up and going to practice and trying to be, you know, your true self and figuring out your authentic self and who you wanna be because you're not stuck at who you were.

You can always grow and, and, and get better.

So yeah, I think it's, I worked with some mental coaches, you know, back in the day.

And you know, you're just, you can take so much from so little from like that that plan over there.

I'm looking at that plan and I'm like that thing could teach me something, you know, stand up tall or.

I don't know, like you can take so much from so many things, yeah, you know, my buddy, uh, Liam, who is my manager, and I, he works at a factory all day and I see him and I'm like, dude, slap him on the back because he's all hunched up.

I'm like, stand up tall, and he's like, dude, everybody at work's been saying I'm like looking taller and stuff, and I'm like, yeah, like work on your posture.

Don't forget.

He's like, that's why I love you, bro.

Like you're always, I'm like, yeah, because I'm trying to work on these things too.

So when I see a buddy that I love, now I have some gems I can give him this low hanging fruit, you know, that's amazing.

So yeah, it's all mental, but Spiritual, you know, it's, we're, we're battling, we're we're not battling bad people out here and I'm just like, I'm that loony guy.

Like I'll, I listen to spiritual podcasts, that's all I listen to on my way to practice, on my way back at home, but then I'm like, I wanna save it for tomorrow, so I start reading my Bible and I'm like falling asleep, reading my Bible, and I go to like my color binder like where it's like the Bible, but it's showing me all the characters and.

I'm like, oh, I'm getting tired of that.

I'm like, I'm sorry, God, I'm trying to get into this stuff, but I just hate reading, you know, like bring me some more chosen Chosen season 10, like keep them coming.

So yeah, I think the spirit side of everything is really just keeping me lifted and when I don't know where to place my feet, I can just like believe that I'm OK.

Circling back to contenders really quick, I know that you got the opportunity when maybe you weren't ready for it in a sense.

Do you feel like, like, have your managers ever said maybe about getting another opportunity to do it?

You, you obviously won.

People go back all the time.

Is that something you've thought about?

And this is where it gets weird because they say that I'm too old.

What?

Yep, and it's like these things get thrown around of like your record's too big, you're too old.

So I go on these big win streaks and then it's like, OK, well, let's go to MVP, you know, and then fight this stud of a stud, probably one of the best fighters in the world.

We'll, we'll find out.

And then he beats me and that just tears me back down where I got to win 4 more to get back to where they're like, Oh, you're even older now, and I was on the Ultimate Fighter and became the alternate.

Those kind of things really make it tough to where that's where it's like it's showing me what my path is and it's like, don't chase that UFC too much.

Because that's when you start really caring like I'm too old.

I'm never gonna make it, screw that.

go fight and risen for a little bit, you know, blow up over there and then transfer over.

I've always like become big somewhere else and then jump over and super fight over here, hopefully skip a couple of the early contracts even like it could be so good for you.

Alex Perro is like pretty old, like 34 or something coming over.

And you know there's there's a, a pitcher in baseball that like was like 40 something and became the best pitcher and he was like one of the worst when he was younger, so age, you know, is just a number, stay positive, you know, I'm a young 31 year old, so I think as long as I want it and as long as I want to stay in this because I said like I could retire, I could be done with this , but I want a black belt, I want a couple more belts, like I want a couple more like notches to where the kids, I don't wanna chase.

Like I didn't chase my wife.

I don't want to chase kids, like.

No weird stuff, but like I want them to come to my gym and they want to train with me and they really want it.

I don't care if it's 4 of them, you know, because they're gonna be world champions.

I don't wanna have to run around and like, I'm really good at training.

Come find out.

I want them to come to me.

So if I build it, they'll come.

So you're, it's great to hear you're just, you're just at peace, like just trying to get better every day, just not chasing the dream at peace, but internally still trying to feel at peace as well like.

I know that my line of work is more than I ever thought I could do, but I'm also, I used to be the happiest kid ever, and then I got really depressed.

That was when I was 19.

I'm 31 now.

I've learned so much, but it still will come over like a dark cloud, and I don't wanna be, it's gonna be bad.

I don't want that.

Like that's too much.

I wanna be able to be at peace and to be.

Kind of like this, not like this.

This is what I was like as a kid.

Now I'm kind of like here.

And then at the gym, I'm like, All the way up there, but then when you come over and you hang out with me at my house, I'm kind of like down here.

I'm like I want to be happy when nothing's going on, you know, I'm still figuring that out, and I, I think honestly having a kid would make me happy, but who, like that's a weird thing to say.

I don't know.

Yeah, so it's like let, let Jesus lead me and then like just love my wife as much as I can, love my friends.

Put my full effort into interviews.

Go out of my comfort zone.

I hate driving down to wherever we are right now, you know.

God, thank you for not letting me get into a car crash, not getting a ticket.

I see cops pulling people over everywhere, you know, I didn't.

I got this big truck.

Thank God it's got a backup camera because spots are small.

I don't know if I gotta pay for parking.

Am I gonna find this place?

I show up 30 minutes early just to be like, earlier than destiny.

Yeah, I was driving around Starbucks, couldn't find one.

I was like, I gotta get there.

I'm gonna be late .

I appreciate you coming down here.

I know it is far.

I know it's been being down here, but this is, you know, when Destiny calls, I answer, you know what I'm saying?

Like I pick up.

It's my guy.

It's my boy.

So I thank you for having me.

Like these things are what build me and to put myself out there for the world and not be super clean cut at speaking.

But just letting it go very, very polished and well, I appreciate that.

Doug Ash, he's like, so you know what's he, I was like, he's gonna be great, trust me, like he's, it's, he's, he's, I didn't have doubts.

Well, no, I know, but he just said, you know, I wanna keep getting better, you know, it's just like jiu-jitsu.

Your energy is just belt, brown belt, um, so when you do get to Black Belt, do you want to like open, do you want, do you eventually want to open a gym and stuff?

And is that gonna be in Michigan Michigan.

And yep, it's probably gonna be like Livonia, Detroit area and it's gonna be mainly Casey's gymnasts, all the gymnastic girls, like that's where the money's at.

Casey is an amazing coach.

She's a head coach out here for Desert Gym Cats, but she, that's her, that's her fun job.

And then when we go home, it's gonna be like a UFCPI.

Like it's gonna be huge.

And then I just want something like this, maybe 3 times as big as this, even like.

You know, it might get bigger down the road, but I just want, you know, and I want to just be at peace through there.

And like I might wander off into the gymnast and be like, all right, how do I do this and like learn some stuff over here.

I'm gonna be teaching them how to do some of this.

You know , like, I think it's gonna be fun hanging out with my wife all the time.

We're gonna have dogs in there.

We're gonna, you know, my coach Chris, he, he's my strength coach.

He's gonna be there working on people, so we're gonna have a, a whole, you know, smorgasbord of, of athletics going in there, so.

You asked me.

I think you're living the dream already and you're definitely gonna be once you get there.

Um, I did want to bring something up.

I know you are certified also with, um, with special needs, right?

RBT.

Yes, OK.

Casey kind of brought it up to me.

She said, you're very passionate about it.

I, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about that.

That's, uh, you know, that's an avenue I haven't ventured down yet.

I just know that.

As a as a kid, I was terrible.

I would, I was mean, you know, I was like, didn't care about anyone but myself, and then God has made me so sensitive and like so.

I care about everybody now and so I see these kids who are special and they have , you know, things that make me laugh.

Like I met a kid with Down syndrome and he, he was someone that really brought me out of the depression that I had because he was so happy, you know, and I was like, wow, I've never met a kid with Down syndrome, let alone he became my best friend, and the way he just uplifted me, it really opened, you know, a third eye, like I was like, holy crap.

So I, yeah, and you know, Casey's wants me to continue to, to do better, so I went and got my degree of that or certification, hung it on the wall, you know, it's awesome.

So in that, in that gym, I think we'll have a wing and you know I'm not gonna be the leader because I want to still learn, but I definitely want to bring kids in and show them self-defense or, you know, how to, you know, just work out and to bring their weight down if that's what they need to do or just.

To stand over here and have fun, punch in the bag and like hang out with me.

I'm going crazy.

I hope I don't scare you too much, you know.

It's awesome.

No, yeah, I love that idea.

Like that'd be, that'd be a really, it'd be, you know, unique.

You don't see that or hear that and just introducing them to martial arts .

You know, well, like you said, whether it be for defense or losing weight or just they're, they find passion in it and just more confidence because a lot of, obviously a lot of those kids, the unfortunate reality is they're getting bullied a lot and sheltered where when they do come out, it's like a whole new world.

But you hang out with me in that gym, it's like you see me screaming, running around doing things I'm not supposed to do.

They're like, oh wow, this isn't so bad.

Like I can be me.

I can goof around.

Look at Coach Kenny is.

Doing way worse than I'm doing, you know, even like working with their parents, you know, teaching their parents kind of because I'm sure it's not easy always, you know, having to, you know, being able, knowing how to control, you know, some, some things, yeah, especially if you have a busy schedule and you can't go get trained on that, you know , that's common, things, you know, I was, I came, I had a tumor on my head, and they told my dad like, hey, I hope you guys are ready for a kid with special needs when I was coming out the womb, and my, my big brother says, you know, I'm, I'm special still, and I was like, yep.

I am, but yeah, I guess it just went away like when I came out.

Wow.

And then you like become this phenomenal athlete, a little touch of the now I understand.

Yeah, well, so you, I think there's a corollary there because it's obviously you said you're in your prime as a fighter and yet you have all these goals, uh, risen and UFC BJJ, but it also seems like you're thinking ahead, wanna become a father, you've planned out your gym.

And I think there is maybe like a corollary there, and you brought it up earlier, everything that happened with a guy like Dustin Poirier where uh we saw the unfortunate airport incident and it seems like he's doing a lot better now.

But what, what were your thoughts when that actually went down and seeing Dustin in that manner, a guy that we obviously love and respect and follow his career, a guy that says he's like needs fighting?

Yeah, I just felt sad.

You know, I felt really sad because it was very immature and like you're walking up on women.

It was crazy to see someone's like, Are you dustin?

He's like, fuck you.

I'll fight right now.

I'm just like, if I could put, like, give me your money and I'll give you my career , I'll give you my youth right now.

Like, let me just go, I'll go right on into building a gym.

So when I see someone that needs fighting and I'm on the other side of the spectrum, it's just like, I'm so glad that's not me.

Like, because those demons are hard to fight, and everybody fights those demons, and it is, it's, you set up your, you did everything right, you know, you, your brand, you, you made all these business deals, you crushed the game.

And you, you beat some of the biggest people ever, and they want that high so much in life, or this is a high for me, you know, getting better at this and hanging out with you guys and being.

Like, hey, come through and then wanting to start a family and seeing them do good.

Like, how can people, to me, I just don't understand because I don't have a kid yet, but I just want to watch him all day when I do have a kid, guy or girl, like I wanna watch them.

I don't care about myself.

Like I'll still be in shape because I wanna be able to show them like this is how we do it, but like that's where you, that he's riding off into the sunset and he's, it's so scary for him, and that's tough.

That's why I like.

You gotta worry about that before, figure out what's wrong with you now in the middle of it, because you still have this.

So we can figure out, like, OK, when it's gone, what am I gonna do with my time or what am I missing inside?

And that that might go back to his father, where like, I, I'm hurt from like friends and like losing friends and friends dying, and my mom and dad divorced when I was 2, and it was, I saw my dad every other weekend, if he could pick me up, you know, my dad was at every football game, but my mom was at no football games.

My my dad was at every wrestling match, my mom was at none.

You know, I live with my mom and then she left me when I was 14 and then my grandma became my mom, but my grandma was always there watching us anyways.

There's just all this, you know, if you don't go down to the, the root of all this stuff, then you're taking it out on people and you don't know why, you know, and so it's like .

You can create insecurities and all these things if you don't understand.

I went to therapy and me and my wife did therapy and we did all these things so that we could kind of get to the root before there was problems, before there's problems, yeah, because I'm scared.

I don't want, like I said, like I'm crazy.

I thought I'd be a cokehead or meth head on the street, and that was my worst fear, and I'm still on this couch, you know, comfy, like I'm, I got nice things, don't squander it, but also find that peace, you know, more peace , more happiness, more love.

And Yeah, I don't know.

I'm excited for what's to come.

I don't wanna be scared for what's to come.

Fighting is the scariest part of my life .

When that's over with, we should be like, we're good now.

Now my, now my kids have to worry about competing and stuff because, yeah, your reputation's on the line when you compete .

Absolutely.

I, I like, I like, I really like that perspective, you know, that you said with , with Dustin is like you're on that side, you know, let's switch.

Yeah, that's what I was telling people like we could.

He could take my, I'm 31 and no injuries.

He could, you could probably fight to 41 easy with my body, you know, if you really want it that bad, there's a, I don't know, clones, but like you have the money.

You have the money.

I just want to sit at home and know that everything's taken care of and like my wife ain't gonna yell at me because I'm rich.

Like it's OK.

Like if I just want to sit home and do nothing, like I love that.

Like that's where I'll find God and I'll, I'll chill out I'll hang out with my dogs.

But then when kids come, like, I want, I'm gonna be a stay at home dad, probably, like that's probably what's gonna happen.

And I love that, you know, it's, it's different, but I think having a dad home because I, I didn't have my dad.

I had different stepdad after different stepdad after different stepdad, and you, you, you love them, but it's just a weird different feeling to where I know like I wanna be that rock and to just always be there for them.

And I have no worries, like, they're my only worry now, like, don't mess up, cause I know how crazy I am, and that's why I like Deep Waters MMA gym in Hastings, that was never there, but now they've built it.

If I would have had that when I was a kid.

You know, instead of breaking into cars and breaking street lights with rocks, dude, I was so good at throwing rocks like I could hit any light, lights out, boom, and the cops are coming and we're running.

I got so fast I climb up, I climbed cages.

I jumped on the back of houses and I would run from house to house.

I shimmied across the whole bridge.

I hiked my pants up to where they were like tiny underwears and I walked across, I walked across this busy like road like this because I didn't want them.

He knows me.

Then I take off running.

I get home.

There's like 5 cruisers.

They already, I got ratted out, you know, but I got so good at these things that I wish I was using as like fighting instead of being a criminal, right, right, right.

Yeah, Kenny, I think you're doing great.

I'm excited for you, um, the future.

I'm really excited for a UFC BJJ, um, experience.

I think, I think I was, I just believe in you so much.

So yeah, I'm excited because BJJ, I think, is less.

I'm not so worried about it, you know, I'm gonna go in there and tear everybody up, even if I don't, I'm not worried about it.

Like I'm gonna go be free.

No one's punching me in the face.

Exactly, exactly.

tap if you're, if something's, you know, a, you know, hopefully, yeah, I'm gonna be jumping for submissions because, like, especially against the blue belts.

I wanna.

They don't care what bellot it is.

If you hit a flying armbar, it's a flying armbar.

Who cares on who it was?

Look at that guy.

He did a flying armbar to a blue belt, like, still sweet, pretty cool.

I'm going for some, some flashy stuff.

I want to get into the UFC one way or another.

And then also like once you win this tournament, then you get a data cut weight and you only have one match.

So now I go back down to 55.

grapple, yeah, yeah, and like cutting weight, everyone hates cutting weight, but it's a blessing, and that's something that probably Dustin even is gonna miss because it changes a month or two of your life.

So like I love a lot of and it's a psychological thing, and you get better at it as you get older.

The more you do it, the better you get.

You say you love cutting weight.

You are, you are, but that's what's tough is like I cut weight so good.

Probably so bad that I'm not putting a lot of weight back on because honestly, I, the last day I'm cutting 4 pounds.

If I gotta cut too much, I hate cutting weight, but if it's 4 pounds, dude, I'm in the bath for an hour, I'm good.

And I, I just cut back on my water and, you know, the food and all that.

But if it's, if it's 10:15 on the last day, I hate cutting weight then.

No, it's like the, the, the process to it too is nice because you look good, you feel good, like your skin's nice, everything's good, you know, you feel, you feel, you just feel so good because you've just been healthy for 8 weeks, you know, and then you look good for a couple of weeks after.

Bay, I look, I look scary sometimes.

I used to fight at 140 too.

Like when I first started, I was, you know, smoking cigarettes, building pools, dude.

Never trained.

I went 10-0, never trained a day.

And I started training.

I went 3-0 pro.

I still wasn't training, and then I lost two in a row.

I was 3-2, and I went to the gym with the guy that beat me, and I started training.

Like I started getting big.

I was like I could go up to 55 now.

It almost got fighting probably got hard like you were 10 and 0, not caring.

It got so much harder and start training and not losing like learned about fighting, yeah, and people would blow their mind like how long you've been training?

And I'm like 5 months, but I've been fighting for like 5 years, right?

Yeah.

Thank you so much, Kenny, for being here in the corner once again.

You know, I'm always gonna bring you on when you got something big coming rising next.

Yes, I appreciate you.

Of course, yeah, it's a blessing having you in the gym and meeting you.

This is awesome giving us an outlet to be able to speak and you're helping us because we need, we need to be able to speak.

A lot of guys are gonna stay in their comfort zone and that's what I do throw out the swear words and leave.

I love giving you guys a platform to talk about your dreams and your goals and everything that you're.

You're amazing.

I appreciate you.

Thank you.

You guys do not miss Kenny Cross.

He's coming for it all, MVP MMA.

UFC BJJ is next live probably on UFC Fight Pass.

OK.

What did I tell you, Kenny, Kenny Cross is, is a great guest.

I knew he was gonna come and just totally steal the show his energy is, is what a guy and just like he's just, he's so down to earth, and I loved how he talked about how he doesn't wanna let fighting define him.

So yeah , yeah, he has a lot of great perspectives and he.

He just seems to be living really peacefully in a really good place.

So, I, I love that for him, you know, I'm just so happy for him.

I'm happy for his wife, and it was an honor to have him on, you know, once again, and I, I can't wait to see what he just continues to do with his career.

There is some more things that I did want to talk about because Keeping from last weekend and news this week we're coming off of um UFC OKC which was, uh, ended up being, you know, a pretty cool card.

um, yeah, it was mid it struggled for a little bit for I fell asleep during the prelims on the couch, um, but then as, as the main event we got to see Tommy McMillan, who seems to be a breakout star, um, and then that main event, while it wasn't, I actually don't think it was deserving of fight of the night.

I think there were some other ones there.

Um, I get why it was fight of the night.

It was 5 rounds.

It was 2 former champions.

Um, was lagging, yes, and, but that main event, I mean, it did kind of.

Answer some of the questions in the division at 185 pounds with DDP winning.

Um, I think both fighters after that fight were a little bit delusional.

I think DD, they both thought that their performances were better than they actually were.

DDP did, it wasn't a master class, but I did have it 50, 45.

And when they read the scorecards and the decision, Kamaru was shocked that.

For those scorecards, which I get as a fighter you have that built-in confidence, but it was bordering on a little bit delusional on Kamara's part.

I do agree.

Uh, I do wanna run it back a little bit more to Tommy McMillan, Tommy Gunn, um, wow.

What, like, what, what an animal, what a dog that kid is, you know what they say that he, he surpassed Max Holloway's record for most punches thrown in within 3 minutes, within a 3 round fight in a featherweight fight, yeah, yeah, wow, yeah, I mean he.

I didn't know what to make of him.

I think the jury is still out.

I, full disclosure, I did pick against him, but he definitely, um, surprised, no, I don't even think surprised a lot of people.

I think he's pretty polarizing.

A lot of people love him.

A lot of people hate him, but what a performance.

His cardio is insane.

He put on a pace that, like you said, broke a guy like Max Holloway's record.

It's crazy.

He's vicious.

He's aggressive.

He's what we need for the sport, honestly.

He's, he's great for the future.

He's, he's, you know, up and coming, obviously, but he gets to his prime and he is at that point where he's a star.

He's, he's gonna be exactly what we need.

Yeah, he's a star, and I mean, shout out to, um, Alberto Montes because he took a beating, um, and he landed a lot of big shots too, um, but Tommy's.

Chin just proved to be, uh, I won't say world class , but he, some of those knees he took up the middle were a lot are gonna put a lot of guys asleep or down at least, and Tommy was able to eat them.

So let's not forget Fatima Klein.

What a performance.

I think she definitely put the strawweight division on notice.

Yeah, I think, um, her stock has definitely risen a lot recently.

Um, especially with her win against Tatiana Suarez, she was a pretty big favorite going into that fight, but she did exactly what she needed to do, and she showed a lot of, um, composure when it came to grappling someone like Tatiana.

She was very slick on moving different positions and taking Tatiana's back, and definitely, um, that's a tough fight to beat in the grappling department, exactly, and she just, I mean, she looked.

Tatiana at times looked like she didn't belong in the cage with her like, uh, and I definitely think Fatima is put the division on notice and is definitely has the potential to be a win achamp title absolutely, yeah, I mean.

How do you see her going like if, if you know, it gets there like her against Mackenzie Dern, I, I definitely think she, she beats Mackenzie Dern.

Yeah, I mean, we'll see, um, Mackenzie Dern has a very tough fight coming up against Robertson.

I think when we initially talked about that, you're kind of siding with Gillian in that fight.

We'll see.

That's a great fight, I think, yeah, it's, it's a good fight.

I, it could be boring.

It could be boring for sure.

Um, it's, it's crazy to see where the straw, where, where we are right now in, in.

In the division and um just you know the sport I guess per se as far as like we I we I'm glad like the Ultimate Fighter is is doing us you know the flyway and like I think some of those girls will end up moving down the strawway because I think that the strawway division does need more blood, new blood, more new blood, you know, yeah, and I think both, you know, the naysayers with both just talking about McKenzie and Jillian Is their lack of striking, but both of their striking has improved.

Yes, it's improved, and the thing with it, the thing with it is, is it's aggressive.

They are aggressive.

They come.

They just, I wanna like we're not, we're not watching, uh, you know, JJ Young Jack Chek or, you know, um.

Uh, Wai Lee, it reminds me a lot of the way, and this isn't a slight to Marab, but Marab's striking.

He's not, doesn't have a lot of power, but he's aggressive and always in your face, and he's able to use that striking to obviously get the fight to the ground.

Who do you, who do you think has, I mean, obviously McKenzie is one of the greatest BJJ practitioners when they talk about women, but Jillian is no slouch like.

As far as do you think Jillian might even have the advantage on the ground just because it's MMA grappling and not jiu-jitsu?

Yeah, so when MacKenzie beat Verna Jabarobaba Jandaroba for the title, that was a pretty back and forth jiu-jitsu match as well, and Jade roba is no slouch in the jiu-jitsu department, but MacKenzie was just a little bit better.

So I don't know, you know, I.

Now that I think about it, you know, it could be MacKenzie.

She might be more aggressive on the feet, and she might be a little bit better and more polished in the jiu-jitsu.

So it's gonna be interesting.

It's gonna be an interesting fight for sure.

I am excited for it, you know.

I think Jillian has definitely earned her shot, you know, as we fight title finally.

Like, I think it's kind of like a finally thing, you know.

So I'm happy.

Well, the one that is the one thing where because her striking hasn't been to that level, I think maybe she's been looked over at certain points , but definitely.

They deserve it, yeah, yeah, but yeah, Klein definitely put the division on notice.

I'm really excited to see her continue to climb the rankings.

I mean, she took us all to Suplex City on Saturday in OKC.

It was an awesome performance and hats off to her.

She did get the bonus, which is, yeah, she's very well, very well earned the, the whole thing, the, the, the.

Um, I think just we can move on from OKC in a minute , but one of the funnier moments, at least from my perspective watching on the couch was, you know, you have, when you're watching these fights at home, you're laying on the couch, you have your phone and your computer, so you're doomed scrolling, and so I have the fights on and I forget what, whatever the first assignment Herb Dean had.

Um, his, he used to get cheered and people used to cheer his name and Herb Dean, and when Buffer would say by Herb Dean, roars would come out.

Now, It's a steady string of booze.

Um, I think when a guy like Alex Pereira calls for your job, obviously with a guy like Alex's fan base, that's not gonna help your cause.

I do, I feel a little bit bad for her though because Paramount did him dirty.

Did you see the Paramount post where they kind of egged on?

The booing a little bit, which I don't think, um, yes, I did see it.

It was, it was, it was weird that they did that because like, are we not a team, you know?

Well, no, the commit the commission, and I think there's always been that division, but it was just weird to where why do you gotta go after Herb like that?

Yeah, I, I definitely, I see it, but, um, and like, like you said, the fan base and stuff, and you feel bad for him but at the same time it's like.

They're not booing it for no reason.

It's been a thing and a thing and a thing and a thing.

And then there, I didn't even realize, but I saw something, and I just been running around the early part of this week, but there's some now controversy.

I have to go back and look what fight it was in.

But there was an illegal head kick.

Why can't I think of it?

I actually do remember, and they went back and said, Oh, there's Herb Dean allowing an illegal head kick.

It didn't get as much.

It didn't get as much press.

I'll go back and, uh , watch it, but it didn't get as much press.

But yeah, Herb Dean.

Has had, uh, I feel bad for the guy, but I'm sure he'll, I'm sure he'll be OK.

It's tough to be in that limelight and then, uh, obviously PFL went down over the weekend as well.

Pretty good card.

I did wanna give, you know, um, some flowers to Jackson Glass, 18 years old, only 3-0 is a pro, came out to PFL and absolutely put on a, uh, an amazing performance, you know, um, completely outclassed the kid and, you know, under 2 minutes in the first round, I think, so.

Uh, yeah, and, you know, the guy was no slouch.

So, I mean, I, and I, I know Jackson Glassman had the honor to train with him.

He's, he's at Syndic MMA here in Las Vegas.

When he comes down, he, he's, he's the future for sure.

It's crazy, an 18 year old kid, and I mean, there's no such thing as a slouch when you get into professional fighting, right?

But for it to come in.

As an 18 year old kid, I think about what I was doing at 18, and I might have , I was probably losing bar fights and not winning professional cage fights.

So yeah, and he looks every bit of, of 18.

He looks like a child.

Yes, he does look like a kid, but yeah, kudos to him.

You told me before to keep an eye.

I got to watch a little bit of his fights.

So, um, does he train with Marab a lot at syndicate when he's there?

Who's the kid that Marab, is he?

The kid that Marab's always talking about, like this kid gives me, I think the most trouble in the gym, I think so.

Well, I don't know.

Yeah, I don't know about, I think so because he's kind of the only young kid we have pretty sure it is, but he's really close to like Cody Steele, yeah, yeah, really close to Cody Steele.

They trained out in Austin, Texas together.

Um, he, Cody's the one who, you know, first started bringing him out.

So, so, yeah, definitely something to keep your eye on for, you know, in the MMA world right now he's PFL, but I don't think he'll be there long.

I think he'll be within the UFC banner sooner than later.

Not, not the strongest card coming up this weekend, um, but then the following weekend we do have a pretty good main event and an interesting story where D-Rod is gonna be fighting Eurosmedic in Serbia.

There's also a power slap going on.

Do you wanna talk about just the crazy last maybe year for a guy like D-Rod?

Yeah, I mean, first of all, headlining an event without, without the, I mean, if you know D-Rod Daniel Rodriguez, then, you know, if you don't know, he recently went to Mexico and they arrested him over.

White weed, right?

It was weed, and, and it turned into a whole big thing where he ended up spending like months, like I think 8 months in a Mexican prison.

They wouldn't let him go over marijuana, and he, honestly, everybody was like, what happened to him, you know?

Though definitely didn't think that was the case when he got out and you heard the story, um, obviously getting out and that was that being it.

He gained a lot of exposure.

He's been, you know, talking about his story.

I can imagine what he went through in there, um.

But yeah, now he's headlining an event which probably wouldn't be happening if he didn't have this story.

I would, I mean it raised his profile for sure, but he, he also, uh, the last time we saw him, I believe was in New Orleans when he had that crazy fight with Kevin Holland.

So like I, I, that's one of the craziest fights I've ever seen, um.

I mean he's a, you know, he's got, he's a dog, he's got that look, he's a good looking guy, got all the tats, and he has now coming off a story where while in Mexican prison he stayed he, he didn't stay fully ready because you don't have access to the nutrition or a lot of the gyms and stuff, but he was if you have a chance, check out some of his Instagram videos of working out in Mexican prison.

I really wanna get him on here to talk about.

Talk about the story after he gets if he gets the job done or even if he doesn't, D-rod's always welcome.

Stay tuned for that, guys.

We're definitely gonna have him here in the corner with us, yeah.

And then Power slap is in, yes, Power slap is going down in Serbia.

It's kind of another like history being in the making because they're going to be crowning another female championship, but in the featherweight division.

You got Abby Montez versus Sheena Bathy.

Uh, Sheena is like definitely deserving of this.

She's 6 and 0.

Uh, never been, you know, I think she got knocked out once due to a DQ.

She's an absolute monster.

I wouldn't, I wouldn't, you couldn't pay me enough money to get slapped by Sheena, you know.

But Abby Montez came out on the scene.

We actually debuted together and she got, she won by knockout, and then her, I think she's only, this only made her 3rd match, so it's kind of crazy, but she, she's up to the task.

If anybody is, it's her, you know.

So I'm really excited to see them go out there and do their thing out in Serbia.

Um, it's crazy to just see, you know, power slap growing.

Yeah, I saw a promo, uh, cut briefly on Sheena saying she's, they're billing as the most dominant female power slapper in history.

So we'll see if she goes out and knocks someone out.

She has quite a few knockouts.

Yeah, quite a few knockouts, but I don't think she's gone against anybody like Abby Montez.

Yeah, but it's 5 rounds, you know, 5 slaps.

Um, do you have some power slap news maybe potentially?

Yeah, I did get a call.

It's looking like probably October.

So the next, so yeah, the show for October is going to be here in Las Vegas, uh, October 9th.

They did reach out to me and let me know that I will be on that card.

I don't have an opponent yet, but But yeah, so we're gonna, you know, we're gonna get it, get it cracking up there.

I'm excited.

I think this is kind of a title contention fight for me.

As you know, the last Power Slop event, Power Slop 21, you had Ellie Dempster versus Zoey Dubois.

Uh, Ellie Dempster did walk away with, uh, I think, a unanimous decision.

Uh, it wasn't the most exciting match, but, um, you know, I think she was sick.

Uh, so I think, yeah, I think I go and get this win that they'll, they'll match us.

I hope it only makes sense and, and then we'll go from there, you know.

And I know you're, you're never one to make any excuses, but you are, it's good that that, um, match is coming up in October because you're taking care of maybe a shoulder injury and just some other nagging injuries that you have.

Yeah, I've been underlying, so when I, my match in April with Haley, I like, uh, tore my labrum a bit in like the second round.

I, I felt it happen, um, so I've been just dealing with that.

Um, I could have done September like if they really want, they, because they did technically want me in September.

I could have probably forced it, but, um, since it's a title contention match, I just would rather be 100% healthy, you know, because I don't know what the quick turnaround will be for the title shot.

So, but before we get to circa, I wanna talk about one of the funnier things, and I still have to do some, um, Some research on it, but supposedly, um, Patty Pemblet.

Bought the stool that Ilya Topoa, um, sat on and Patty says quit on, which I guess he did technically quit on the stool.

Um, it's hard to call it that, I think.

Well, his brother called the fight, but so that's not quitting on the stool, but Patty, knowing Patty and Ilia's history and Patty's, um, history as a troll, supposedly bought that stool because it was up for auction and I think spent $13,000 again, the photo I saw.

Looks to be AI, so I don't know, but that some other reputable outlets did post it as well.

So, um, even if he didn't, it's hilarious that he said that he did, and I think, I think that fight needs to happen next.

I don't think that I think Armandrukin is the rightful contender.

At 1:55, we don't know if Justin is gonna, he hasn't made a clear decision if he's gonna fight again.

It says it sounds like he wants to, um, and even as, you know, Patty, I think is the biggest star right now, his stock rose after an international fight Week, but I do think that just because Arman is the rightful contender, he's earned it, he should fight next for the title, and I think.

I think Patty versus Ilya needs to happen.

That is a massive fight.

It's gonna be, it's gonna sell, and I think the UFC , when can that happen with Ilya being in recovery and stuff?

Well, that's the thing.

There's a lot, there's a lot of questions at 1:55 because.

Of Justin, there's questions when Justin's gonna fight again.

There's questions what if Arman is fully in the good graces of the UFC and is gonna get the title shot even though he is the rightful number one contender.

OK, how do you see that going, him and Justin?

Justin versus Arman.

I mean, I've never, I can't ever count Justin out, especially what he did.

At the White House, but in my opinion right now, Arman is the best 155 on the planet , um, but I'm never gonna, didn't he just lose in rap.

Yeah, but that he lost to Colby Covington, who's all like 20 pounds heavier, and a, and a like he did just lose a rap.

I'm not, I don't think, I don't think anybody going against Justin.

I don't think that's gonna affect his title shots, um, but yeah, I think Arman, I, I still, and I , I don't know how you feel about this, but I.

Just think Justin should ride off into the like what else?

I'm not mad.

I'm not mad if he does like I agree.

Like who's higher on top?

does he need to be retire on top.

What, what does, what does a win against Armand Sarukian do for him?

I guess he gets a title defense on it and he get like because he is.

Necessary what he did at the White House, there's, you're never gonna beat that, right?

Yeah, I completely agree.

I'm with you there.

I am with you there, right, right off.

But Patty versus Elliott, take all my money.

Um, I think that fight unfortunately for US fans probably will have to take place in Europe somewhere, whether that UFC.

Just because, yeah, it'll definitely have to take place in Europe unless unless we wait another year and it happens at, but Patty's gonna, Patty's gonna need to fight before then.

He can't go that long without, and I think he wants to.

I think it's underestimated.

Like, even as big as Patty and Ilya's star power have become in the US, it dwarfs what it is when.

Patty is in England and Ily is in Spain.

It's like they are, they are like the Jordan or the LeBron walking around.

So, um, that fight needs to happen.

If it happens in Vegas selfishly, I want it to happen in Vegas, but I think the UFC will try to book that in Europe somewhere.

Um, we're working in conjunction with Draft Nation who have launched the You know how there's all those national days, like it's National Margarita Day or National Pizza Day.

Um, they are starting the National Fantasy Football Draft Day.

We have, um, all the stadium swim reserved.

I don't, If you're here in Vegas, but even nationally, it's become an iconic place to watch games at Circuit Casino.

We'll have from August 20th until the 22nd, we are gonna have the entire space rented where throughout the day, there'll be for all levels of interest in fantasy football, even if you've never played and have no interest in playing, it's gonna be a big party.

There'll be different drafts that you can enter, different prizes, open bars, um, yeah, so a big, a big thing.

We, Destiny and I are in the process.

Destiny is gonna go into her network and try to find some combat sports people, a combat sports team, maybe a female team, yeah, power slap team, whatever it is.

So we'll, more info coming on that Destiny.

We'll be posting on.

Destiny Socials in conjunction with DraftNation, um, so it'll be a fun event.

Yeah, I'm excited.

Um, I'm, I'm not crazy into like the sport per se, but I do love football culture, like NFL football culture, uh, and I just, it's always such a fun thing, you know, and it's gonna be a fun party, you know, and I think, I think we're gonna have a great time.

Prizes, open bar, but just to reiterate, like you said, you love, you don't know football, you love the atmosphere.

You don't need to know anything about fantasy or football.

We, there'll be experts and celebrities there helping you and stadium swim.

I mean, come on.

All right, cool.

Well, I'm glad we got to, uh, do a little bit of a, you know, debrief on last week and what's to come.

Thank you guys so much for being here in the corner with us.