Back from a Fourth of July break, Jim and Matt use today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered to chat with a pair of fighters from UFC 303 in …
fighing out of alook New Mexico look K Rocky Hoy Michelle won Michelle you were one of the real pioneers of women’s MMA in the UFC and you’ve had an amazing career and you should be proud it doesn’t matter 8 weeks 6 weeks 4 weeks 4 hours it doesn’t matter this is what I live for 50k e welcome to UFC unfilter please tell me that’s on video I’ve never been happier I’m made for a podcast that’s dangerous listen to me we’re out of here welcome to UFC unfiltered um I’m going to be joined by Matt Sarah shortly he’s having some computer issues we’re all kind of having them today on the show today very very shortly we’re going to bring in Michelle Waterson Gomez who has been patiently waiting for 9 minutes and Dan eay will be joining us today uh I am in a hotel in California and Matt is having computer issues so this should be really fun why don’t we bring in Michelle Waterson Gomez and just begin saying uh hello to her because she’s been waiting for a while and then Matt will just jump in um hi Michelle how are you I’m good how are you good sorry for the weight we’re all having computer issues today I’m in a hotel Matt’s on his phone so apologies for the wait no worries I understand technical difficulties how are you uh how are you doing like in in in the in the week since the fight uh how is your uh how is your head space and how are you adjusting to knowing that you don’t have a camp all that stuff I think a week you know is is much different it’s giving me a lot more time to kind of just decompress and think about everything uh last week I did a couple interviews and I was still super still super fresh and still super very emotional but I’m in a good place actually and when you when this decision uh was made how long before the fight did you determine that this is what you were going to do this was going to be your last fight and did you say Win Lose or Draw this is the last one I did um I I I made that decision when I took the fight um yeah it was just one of those things that I wasn’t taking the fight going in I didn’t want anybody to know really but I I did take the fight knowing for myself uh from my family for my teammates um that it was going to be my last one I wanted to give it my all and I wanted to enjoy the process I wanted to fall back in love with with fighting um and and I didn’t want the rest of the world to know because I didn’t want him to think I was one foot in one foot out I was all the way in is there any point where like when when you know this is your last fight like there’s a party that’s like oh God this is the last time I do this this is the last time I get to do that but is there also the other part of you where you’re like H thank God this is the last time I have to do this like with certain things in training that you didn’t want to do uh was was there a certain relief that there’s certain things you’re not going to have to do again you know it’s funny I thought I would have relief in those things like the hard sparring days and the weight cut and all those things but honestly as as they came to I it was very Bittersweet I was very sad you know my last sparring session with all my training Partners giving it their all um me giving it my all afterwards you know we went you you go to take this the sweaty selfies and I it just kind of dawned on me that this was the last time that my my teammates are going to be there for me for my fight camp and I started tearing up um I it might it might be too that like towards the end of my fight Camp I was um it was my time of the month so I was emotional anyways but uh it all came to a head and honestly I I I you know I couldn’t ask for a better fight Camp I couldn’t ask for a better opponent a better fight a better fight card to be on um the only thing I I I would ask for a redo is is to to get a different outcome you know I mean but it is what it is Michelle mat just joined us he was having some computer issues but Matt is in now and Matt we just we literally just started talking about uh Michelle’s feelings uh leading up to the fight her final uh fight when when you had your last fight Matt did you know it was going to be your final fight beforehand or did you make the decision after no well first of all hi Michelle I’m sorry for be Michelle how’s your husband when he’s home alone with the kids because my wife took my oldest two daughters to uh Nationals dance in Virginia Beach so I’m with my youngest and I got teaching Chu chitsu I’m she’s like my sidekick I’m I’m all over the place but I apologize for being a little late how’s your husband when he’s all alone with the K he’s is he calling you asking you for help help her when when my daughter was very very young when I was still breastfeeding it he he it was crazy for him because he didn’t have what um what he needed to to keep her calm you know um but uh when I was out in whales shooting the movie I was out for six months and um the only thing that my daughter had issues with is um she basically her diet was steak and eggs and bacon you know for six months because that’s what Daddy ate so you came back and she was she was jacked when you came back that’s but it gets how old is your daughter now she’s 13 a so I have a 13-y old also but that’s it’s cute right I see the I see you start when you get older you get a little bit more emotional in general don’t you think I listen I cry all the time Miss Jimmy about my kids Matt is very it’s it’s my it’s probably Matt’s nicest quality is that he does get very emotional and I look I’m I don’t have kids but I get emotional watching other people get emotional like I was watching you and Joe uh when you were talking and they were showing the little square and it was very emotional for you to see all the love you were getting and I was getting choked up watching it it was really nice to see it’s nice to see a fighter be able to enjoy everybody appreciating what they’ve done you know yeah absolutely I think that sometimes like when you got your head down and you’re just grinding it out it’s um it’s hard to see those things it’s hard and especially you know uh the MMA world is just so unforgiving and and fans sometimes forget that we’re human and they say things that you know kind of like they they hit deep and and it can kind of make you a little bit bitter towards a sport but you know I I I I left that octagon with such a full heart and I was just so grateful for my for my career 100% amazing career by the way you know I mean come on I mean it you some of your fights the High I mean so entertaining and I and I I say this every time you’re on but I love you a sidekick you have a great sidekick I Matt I wish um you know like this would been like I mean obviously after any fight it’s kind of like that should have would a could have like quarterback Monday and it you know um I know I had everything uh I had all the right tools and skills to beat her it I just um to have it translate over when it matters is is the most important right and and it just did not translate over and I think that’s kind of just solidifies um my decision to walk away from it because I do have the skills to I I do have the skills to beat her and and um it it didn’t translate over and so I kind of just have to like know one to fold them and it breaks my heart but uh I’m pretty excited for the next chapter and can I I’m Jimmy um somebody that was in there and when a fight is still fresh oh man there’s some that that would or should have could her is it’s it’s really it’s a real thing talk coming from a guy that ate a bunch of backfish trust me uh you know I mean hindsight’s always gonna be 2020 but now as as a dude that’s been away from the game I’m 50 now I W my last fight was at like 36 there’s not one fight one back fist or anything that keeps me up at night you know what I mean and I’m you know mean so I’m sure you’ll be at you’re gonna not you’re going to look at your fight this is still fresh and again it’s one of those things another girl would have been arm locked in that first you know exchange the one thing with the Jiu-Jitsu is it is rough when like you with somebody that good it’s just hard to regain that regain some some ground back you know what I mean it gets a little frustrating no what do you think oh I was just thinking like you know the whole Camp it was to uh I have pretty good Jiu-Jitsu and I think I did a really good job at escaping her her mouth and and all of those things but you know I think when when you get caught up wrapped up in the Jiu-Jitsu game um sometimes you lose sight that there are other options because it is MMA and and throughout fight Camp the option was you know okay go for your subs go for top position but if you don’t get those those things stand up you know and um I think just sometimes you can get caught in the grappling aspect of it you know did you see instances afterwards if you watched it that um all right this was an exchange when I should have actually got away I know it is easier when you re-watch it I haven’t rewat the fight okay I listen hey I don’t blame you the ones I lost I watched maybe once or Twi just to see it and you know and then I go back to watching Me Knocking out Frank trig but that’s just me you’re gonna watch some Jimmy stop it but no listen you’re gonna look back on your career and just be like wow are you looking what is the next step now are you looking forward to just working with upcoming Fighters and stuff there’s so many options right there there’s so many doors that are available and that have opened up to me um like I said on uh with Joe my entire career my daughter has been a part of and has has really um taken a lot of sacrifice both my husband and my daughter and um so I kind of just want to take some time to um to be in their corner and kind of support them in all the their their their dreams and aspirations first and foremost um and and secondly yeah I’d love to coach you know we have a Jiu-Jitsu school out here I want to get my black belt I want to maybe get into um the commentating Sports analyzing uh acting um what you know whatever comes my way I kind of just want to see where where the road takes me have you done any commentating yet um and is it something that you’ve you’ve started uh kind of down the road of doing or have you tried it at all yeah I’ve done commentating and actually between commentating and and analyzing I I enjoy commentating more because it’s live and you don’t have to prejudge any of the fighters um and I you know I always get would get peeved when I when some of the analysts obviously it’s their job to to to kind of guess what’s going to happen from a fight but I always feel like Fighters when they step inside the Octagon or different Fighters every time and so to kind of like prejudge a fighter and and to put that out there I always thought that was unfair obviously I understand that’s kind of what the job entails but yeah I’ve I’ve done analyzing I’ve done commentating and I really do enjoy it and it keeps me it keeps me in the MMA World um and one of the reasons why I stayed in the MMA world for so long is because because of the challenges that it present itself because of the people you surround yourself with um in in that world there’s just it’s there’s there’s no of the world like it it’s the most raw and peeled back and and I just have a huge appreciation for for true warriors with the analyze um the analyze how do you call it analyze analysis analysis I’m sorry Michelle you know what you’re dealing with with the analyst work all right hey producer cut that up make me sound smart with the analyst work is it just strictly MMA or something like karate combat would you be interested with your background to do some analyst work with something like that I mean yeah yeah 100% I mean uh like I said martial arts to me is is is just like a revolving door and um you know I started in karate and then I continued on learning Jiu-Jitsu and Kempo Muay Thai wrestling uh and and so it it’s all very interesting and intriguing to me and I would you know whatever door is open for sure I’m I’m more than willing to kind of Step through now as somebody who’s had so many fights do you when you’re commentating do you also consider what’s that fighter going to think when they hear it back because you’ve heard back commenting on your fights and I’m sure once in a while you’re like what what that’s that’s not what’s happening have you ever been bothered by what uh uh commentators have said about what you were doing yeah of course you know obviously you you you get bothered um it it’s your craft it’s your art and and so when somebody is is picking it apart it’s it’s gonna um poke at some of uh some of your insecurities and things like that but that’s you know that’s kind of what you sign up for when you when you fight is is is for people to watch you know people get to watch you um win or fail on the biggest stage and and that’s why you know that’s why not everybody does it with the I’m sorry Jimmy with the acting uh do you take any lessons and stuff would you just call up H halberry and be like give me some tips what goes on with that you know on my speed dial no um you I have taken acting classes actually before I started fighting I was going to college uh a double majoring in sports uh medicine and theater so I got scholarship um to a college for theater and um you know life just took me in a different direction and um so so yeah I’ve taken classes like I said I was in Wales shooting a Netflix film with Tom Hardy that should be um airing here in the first quarter of next year so I’m really excited for that to come out um and yeah I think with my mom with my martial arts background I think it’s kind of a no-brainer did you really have no amateur fights too I had probably three or four kickboxing smokers yeah oh okay uh and how did your first fight come about your first professional fight well it was supposed to be an amateur fight um but you know when I started fighting there were really uh it was kind of like you get what you get right so it’s 2007 um and the girl was supposed to fight ended up falling through getting injured how whatever it was and the only other girl was like two week notice the only other girl that um was available to fight was a professional fighter that was two in one I believe and they were kind of like take it or leave it and at that point I was training with Donald Cerrone and he you know his um you know his attitude about fighting and about life was kind of just like all right we’ve already been training you might as well just take it so so I took it and did you think when you when back in 2007 that like how long did you expect to do it for did you expect to have like a a 17-year professional career I mean it really is crazy how long your career has gone Fighters don’t always get that um it’s very very rare Fighters get 17year careers and still leave on their own terms um you know you left when you were ready to leave how did you see it playing out when you started um you know my biggest goal was to make it into the UFC and be a champ and I was able to accomplish both the goals both of those goals I wish I would was able to accomplish being a champ in the UFC um but but um it’s been an amazing blessed journey and you’re right 17 years is almost unheard of um for a fighter and for me to to stay in the you know the top 10 for as long as I did in a division where I had to I I kind of didn’t belong you know before I was fighting at 105 and those girls are my size and um you know I I put on muscle and I um decided to to compete against the best in the world at one of the most stacked divisions in the UFC for for the women’s roster in my opinion and and uh I enjoyed my time I I always challenged myself I never backed down from a challenge that the UFC gave me and you know like I said I I have a really bad habit of getting down on myself and I think it’s just kind of like the the curse of a fighter is to to to be like so self-critical um and um it can be compounded over everybody else’s opinions and so sometimes you can kind of lose sight of the big picture of things and I think the fight before this last one it was it it was rough for me uh to get back in but I I I wanted it I wanted to do it for myself I didn’t want to walk away from the sport with that bitter taste in my mouth um and so this this one last go was for myself for sure can I say that self-critical thing is I think that’s part of a I don’t think that’s a bad thing I have that too I think that I think a lot of people that achieve achieve you know great things or try to aeve achieve great things they have that because you’re always looking to do better and you’re you know I I mean that’s I feel that way I really do at least at some point you get you know I and I also just feel like if I want to coach if I want to teach that like I kind of feel like I have to like been there done that type thing you know what I mean so it’s like one of those things that I just feel like I have to have said that I’ve like gone through the fire you know 100% And that critical thinking is really good and healthy but it becomes unhealthy when I stop seeing things that I do well it’s almost like when everything I somehow put in the list of oh I that up that’s when it becomes bad and I’m being critical of myself just for the sake of being critical so it’s kind of hard to have the balance of seeing it really accurately and knowing when I’ve done well and also analyzing What I’ve Done poorly no I think that’s a great point I I think that’s a great point we can fall into that really easily and I I always tell my daughters it’s so easy to focus on the negative it it sticks it sticks out like a sore thumb it’s like between the the the negative and the positive memories that we have the the negative emotions the negative memories they they haunt you you know and they continue to haunt you and so you really I tell her it’s like um it’s like a garden whether you plant seeds for flowers or not weeds will always grow so even as you’re planting seeds for flowers you still have to pick the the weeds you know yes I like that negative thoughts of the weed and you rip that I like it I like that the espresso’s kicking in I’m sorry Michelle but yes I like that I I can’t stand negativity and it does it creeps in you gotta but things train things help with that like training I think help with that helps with that tremendously it just gets those endorphins running and you just like get going you know I don’t know when you Matt so like when you walked away did you ever feel like you you’re in the gym training and you see some of these up and cominging cats that are in your weight class and you’re like man and you do start getting that itch to want to spar to get back in there you know what’s funny like you know I listen I’m 50 now I still feel dangerous you I’m insane I feel like I could still destroy people and I can but like the point is when I walked away I read I thought it I I knew it was time because one I wasn’t just fighting the win I fought Chris Lidle my last fight and I I I got a DEC decision on Chris when I fought him the first time and the second time I know I was coming out of coming off of like knocking a cou some guys out but like I you know I should have fought him small but I’m like look I’m gonna take my chances and just try to go Toe to Toe it was kind of stupid so one I was just trying to challenge myself and the Really the main reason I remember it was one of the main things couple things I had a health thing too but I got a I remember somebody was talking about me I don’t even remember who was it was um an Australian guy or something I forgot who it was and he mentioned my name and in the past and I was getting ready to go to the park with my wife and kid in the past if somebody mentioned my name I’d get very like irked and want to just get something set up with the guy I didn’t give a I’m like ah let’s go to the park so I’m like all right my mind you know what I mean so I’m starting to be I wasn’t as hungry I because with me I was never I never it’s not that I never wanted to be Champion but I always took pride in being able to know that I I’m fighting the best guys on the planet and I I could best them on any night I knew that and and but like for me beating George and doing that Underdog thing that’s my movie right there that’s when I walk away and I’m not the guy you know what I mean so I was I was content I guess yeah yeah yeah I mean you know you got a beautiful family it’s like you know when you’re young and you’re coming up you feel like Club L with the chains around your neck doing the pull-ups you know what I mean you got a different kind of hung you’re hungry yeah you’re hung I feel like I I I satisfied some stuff so yeah no I understand I you um the biggest thing for me is like I wanted I I wanted to erase my my my losses you know and so that’s kind of still what eats at me is that like walking away on on a l is it does it still eats at me but um I like I just have to remind myself that I can win in other places in life 100% and again it’s still it really is still So Fresh So like stuff like that you’re going to look back not like oh that last fight you you’re going to look back at your body of work and your body of work is amazing you know what I mean so yeah yeah you had a great career Michelle I mean uh you’re one of the most popular fighters in the UFC uh people love you so I mean people are sad to see you go but it was also nice to see you get that tribute I was really happy to see that like you know most Fighters again don’t get that that that type of a package put together for them like it was really nice to see and it shows you how UFC and how the fans felt about about you and feel about you um and we hate to lose you too because you’re one of our more consistent guests this is your I think 10 time on our show you have to come back when you’re gonna promote other projects you’re always welcome to come back discuss yeah yeah I would love to come back yeah and like I said and I told Dana I said I still want to be a part of the family like I’m not not walking away from it completely I just want to I want to have a different role in in MMA world you know and by the way last question dramatic roles or just like Expendable six or something what are you looking for and an acting agent could be watching this or f are you looking to do other kind of roles or you just being that new AG Cynthia R rock or whatever you know what I’m talking about yes I do I think that um you know I’m open to it all really uh but I think an easy an easy shoe would be a martial arts like a martial art badass you know um and so that can kind of be like the the the opening to whatever else is available you know heck yeah all right Mich listen man what a role model for your daughter and all all young women out there oh the people in general you’re an inspiration Michelle and uh you know thank you for everything your whole career it’s beautiful thank you for having me on it like I said my my cup is so full and and I wasn’t sure I was going to feel if I was going to you know walk away and and be sad but I’m I’m very like you said I’m content I’m I’m very content and um and I’m I’m nervous I’m not gonna lie I’m nervous for the next chapter but I know as long as like I apply like the grit and the the discipline that I’ve learned through fighting to whatever else I decide to do in life that that that we’re going to win yeah and thanks Michelle for coming on so many times with us and again we’ll see you again whenever you want to promote a project you just come back on and talk to us again and uh congratulations on a really a really impressive career and uh you have the love of of the of the organization and the fans and you know you’ve done everything right so congratulations thanks guys talk to you all right take care Michelle thank you Michelle she’s so sweet she a really nice person she’s so you know just carries herself so great and everything and what a great representative and you know and it really meant that too you don’t get to see a lot of Fighters that have that nice package shown behind them like that was a really nice send off and I guess because they knew it was her last fight but I mean you know most most Fighters don’t get that so I was very happy for her oh we got Dan eay ready to go awesome oh yeah man what’s what a warrior guy is yeah that’s nuts that is nuts yeah um come on hey yo how you doing sir Warrior what up guys are come on man dude my if I had a hat on I’d take it off of you right now dude you are the guy no you leave whatever you want to do promote make that money Hey listen dude as a guy that used to be in there I give you all the credit in the world dude shoot I I I do you know I to get ready for a fight I start off with two minute rounds and I work my way back up to do to fight like that on a on hours notice it’s kind of insane in you know was there a what what what was going through you I know you you said it a million times but you got you got the phone call or you put it out there I got the phone call I was uh I was about three weeks out from I had a about schedu so I was about three weeks out so I you know you feel pretty good right three weeks out from a fight you’re kind of things are starting to you’re feeling good in sparring your weight’s coming down you’re starting to get more confident you know you see yourself in the mirror like the work’s paying off right so I’m sitting there Saturday uh end of my week I had my training you know always a hard training week so uh Saturday is kind of the last hard day I taper down rest Sunday get ready for Monday so uh you know I trained Saturday morning and I’m thinking in my head recovery let’s let’s recover get ready for Monday um so you know I’m getting a massage and dude I had 10 Miss calls from the UFC Ali just a bunch of people my mom like I don’t know they went as far as to contacting my mom and my wife my wife comes upstairs and um finally I I grabbed my phone into my massage um and uh yeah like hey you want to fight Lopez and and in my mind I’m thinking like hey in a couple weeks Main Event something like oh that’s a big fight so I’m like yeah sure they’re like no tonight you step in tonight and um I knew it was such an urgent matter there’s really no time to sit there and think about it or like get my coach’s opinions or nothing and then I just made the you know I I I trusted my instinct right there like dude let’s do it it’s never been done you know this is legendary so I I call up Eric nixi and um just to tell him we’re fighting and uh you know I showed interest I didn’t know I didn’t think it would actually happen you know sometimes just you know I want to be in the company’s favor so yeah Le let’s do it I’ll be that guy and then uh they call me back they’re like pack your bags so I’m like oh it’s happening I’m like looking for I’m looking for in the house like my mouthpiece and cup and uh that’s all you need right a mouthpiece and a a cup I always have to remind myself I’m like what do I need what do I need mouthpiece cup and uh we got everything and literally within hours we’re in the arena getting wrapped up and going to war what was the mindset difference between normally when you’re leading up to a fight I’m sure you guys go through all of these these different mental States as you’re getting ready to fight and as the day is approaching what was it like having all of this just kind of cut out and you have four hours to prepare you know what I in a way it was like it felt natural just like it’s like at school like you don’t have a a fight planned out for eight weeks you just you get in a beef with someone hey you’re fighting at 3 pm at you know in the upper upper field Courtyards or whatever you know um that’s kind of what it felt like I I got that notice and like I got that initial like nervous excitedness scared all those thoughts and um at the end of the day I was like dude I there no time to go out there and think that’s why I didn’t even like think about putting together like a game plan because at that I love studying film and like finding you know creating game plans and all that and my coaches do a great job at that but at that point I can’t go sit there and study this guy’s tape and um try to find all his holes I’ve seen him fight you know numerous times I know where he’s good I know where he’s dangerous so for me it was like hey just go out there be in the moment and Trust in your 15 years of training you know I’ve seen everything you know we train every day this is our life so that’s kind of how I that was my mindset was go and go in there and have some fun too because rarely do I allow myself to have fun you know so I was like try not to put too much pressure on myself and I had fun had fun what’s nice what’s nice way about what’s what’s really nice about the way it worked out is your stock even though you didn’t get the W it was still it not not only did it not go down it went up that’s which is very strange and you don’t that with a a loss and because it was such a great fight everybody respects what you do but listen respected what you did but if you still showed up and didn’t show up you’re just a guy with balls now you’re a guy that’s a hell of a fight on hours notice so again man it’s it’s it’s kind of like a win in a weird way how you walk out of that cage feeling like a loser I’m sure yeah yeah you know it’s like I hate moral victories but this one is different like just the going through what I what I went through and and Diego’s a stud and he has a massive fan base and to exactly if I went in there and just laid down for the guy or got choked out and Tapped Out in round one it’s different yeah I got balls I stepped up but to go out you know go through a little adversity and come back and like literally break the dude in round three like he broke third round yeah BR um you know and now as a week’s pass you go back I I should have done that or could have done that or would have done that it doesn’t matter um I remember at the end of the third I was like man I probably lost on the scorecards and I had a decision to be bummed or you know just smile dude just smile Embrace this moment Rogan’s like hey stay right there I’m gonna interview you never happens right the amount of um media requests fans like like you said my stock I feel like is Skyrock Ed in a way yeah yeah Ste into the what did you guys say to each other because like he also I think was planning for 145 and then 155 like he had a crazy day too like he also stepped up and had to deal with you on short notice it wasn’t just you dealing with him he had to deal with you on short notice and he took the fight and you guys were the co-main event you did something together there must have been that feeling of like wow we really put it together both of us in in different ways what did you say to each other after the fight I mean I just told him I give him mad props and massive resp I I do respect him massively because just the amount of the roller coaster that he had to go through you know your opponent’s sick hey can we go up a weight one you’re already on 140 14 you’re on weight ready to weigh in go 155 the the whole triple weighin thing he just showed up whatever he weighed on what what he was planning to weigh but um I just told him nothing but respect and he has a ton of you know he has a bright future if he just keeps doing the right thing and um but you know that’s a guy we were looking at for a long time like hey this guy’s got a lot of hype like I want that I want to go I want to take that from him and so he was like an opponent that was in her head and I think that was a fight that you know it’s a big fighting me is a big risk and the reward at at the time right the reward is not as high you know I I’m more of a soft spoken kind of Stam on Lane type of guy I’m dangerous though I’ve never been finished and to take a fight that’s a that’s a big risk on his part so I give him a ton of credit and respect because he’s uh not a lot of people do that I’m sure he got paid I’m sure there were some negotiations but aside from the money like that he he did take a big ballsy risk and so did I so I don’t know it it all worked out we both Grew From it it felt like there was no like losers in that one you know yeah definitely that’s that’s not a usual feeling with in this game you know yeah yeah fans appreciated it like everyone kind of knew what happened uh the whole Arena seemed to be very aware that both of you guys took fights that you didn’t have to take just to make the show great and it seemed like the whole Arena appreciated what both of you guys did yeah it really did man like like I said the reception from 18 plus almost 19,000 fans like literally every single person was on their feet when when I got to you know they gave me an interview and uh it just felt good to like it’s like I won a World title and they’re just raging for me and I’m like but I lost um yeah dude it’s history now so um you know I’m proud I’m proud to hold that title I don’t know if anyone will ever get that chance to do that because the Stars really did have to align perfectly for it all to work out being in Vegas Medicals done Governor approved like it it went through there was a lot that happened for this to happen now you just battled what about that fight that was in a few weeks is that not happening now how what works what goes on now yeah they they already booked uh re so I had like three opponents fall out I was fighting my third replacement opponent they ended up just booking him with someone else um you know it was on my mind but I’m like my legs a little beat up and sores I get it dude kicked me hard and I’m like I just fought at the soldout T-Mobile Arena and I was like I didn’t really want to go back to the Apex and fight you know uh I got you bro but again it’s a Payday so it’s like what I you know maybe if I wake up Saturday on on the 20th I feel like it we’ll jump in there somebody else gets hurt yeah and Dana was very uh very appreciative of what you guys did and he said he’ll do anything for both of you guys so basically Dana kind of owes you a favor which is what position all of us want to be in where Dana owes us a favor um what what do you think you want your next move to be if you know that you could go to him with something reasonable and he would really try to make it happen a yacht sorry yeah dude I’m like you guys everyone I talked to is really thinking outside the box they’re talking about yachts and uh BMWs I’m like D I didn’t even think that far I’m just thinking of like just give me another fight yeah but you know what it let me just start like first it it did feel good to have like that recognition from Dana it’s not that I never like felt I don’t know I never really felt the love you know from Dana that I felt that night it and he was always like nice to me in person like to be like what’s up kid but I always just felt like kind of the cold shoulder from start stating back to like Contender series even looking for a fighter remember you were there Matt we fought CFC in California and I had a good show I probably beat the dude up like 30 25 on the scorecards but it wasn’t the most exciting fight and I wasn’t excit like I wasn’t really happy with my performance and um Dan was like yeah good fight kid whatever and then we fought Contender series I thought I put on a great performance finished the dude didn’t get signed Hunter Campbell ended up signing me you know months later that’s why I have a great relationship with Hunter but throughout all those years I kind of used that as like a a little bit like a to fuel my ego like hey you know I gotta earn Dana’s respect somehow or like f Dan whatever you know so I would always uh kind of use that Fu to to push me to do greater things and but to finally actually have a conver even when I walked in the arena that night like saving the the co-main event it’s like Dana what didn’t like seem too fond of like he’s just say you’re crazy that’s all he’s like you guys are crazy and then after the fight was like man massive props respect we talked um and yeah the the the compliment and stuff he gave at the postf fight interview was nice so what will I you I don’t know dude I think if I was to use anything I I know I can ask for materialistic things but just another opportunity like the sphere I think that’s a that’s an that’s a massive fight card a massive sport spectacle you know call it yeah and there’s going to be a lot of eyeballs on it and more eyeballs bring more exposure brings more opportunities so I that’s that’s what I’m looking at and you know I’m going to start gearing up for that but if I was to fight anyone there I would love to fight Yer Rodriguez at the sphere that would be a fight that’s what a great fight I a question about this sphere sorry Matt the the uh are you guys are they able to move it where there’s people all around you or is there just going to be a screen behind you because that those seats are not movable bro I have no I’ve never been in there I’ve only seen like footage of like concerts it looks insane I don’t know if the seats actually move um I don’t know how it’s not going to be a distraction ction too to like the fighters you’re like walking out you’re tripping out just looking around at at the ceiling and hopefully I’m not on my back right or if there’s a screen right behind you does that affect what you’re seeing coming at you does looking up does it a screen affect you at all yeah vertigo yeah for real get some ver like epilepsy or some um I don’t know I think you just got to be in the moment with those type of like take it you see it but you’re not like fix ated on it so yeah man shoot and I and just for the record I was around with asking for a yacht I’m only fair question though it’s a fair question yeah you know I’m not guy anyway you’re a surfing guy aren’t you yeah you like to Surf you still you do that still regularly you know I mean not I live in Vegas now so not there’s not really not much water out here it’s 120 degrees he’s like no num nuts I live in Vegas I forgot you all right yeah but but you when you are in the uh like wherever Brazil or wherever Hawaii yeah Hawaii Hawaii so I grew up you know grew up surfing um my whole life pretty much skating surfing it’s kind of my first like love yeah before fighting but and then somehow fighting kind of ties in with surfing because dudes cut you off you’re like I gotta fight yeah it’s just kind of part of the culture so then I got into fighting and here we are wait you fight Surfers fight each other for like cutting you off like in the how does that work when you’re surfing what do you think Howe it’s just like you know it’s more of like a local thing like if you got to give like the locals the respect especially out in the lineup if that’s like if you’re you know Born and Raised on the NorthShore of Hawaii you’re surfing that break your whole life and you got some people coming in from Brazil or California it’s like you got to earn your you know you got to earn your spot in the lineup at at some places so it’s just kind of how uh it’s just part of the culture i Jimmy Jimmy whatever you do don’t go out there with a huge big board and your Speedos and thinking you’re gonna get your ass kicked I’m telling you right he’s doing some Jiu-Jitsu now Danny so him thinking he just thinking he owns the beach over in Honolulu that’s not Jimmy it don’t work like that guy well I didn’t even know there was a line like so wait a minute you guys have a line when you go out I thought everybody just went out whenever they felt like it I mean you you do but you know especially at like it it depends where right if if we’re surfing pipeline one of the most renowned breaks in the world um you’re gonna have your your few like hard like hardcore dieh hard local guys out there in the lineup and you just you just got to know and if you don’t know you you know I don’t want to steal Dana yeah but if you don’t know you’ll find out Jimmy they call you a little Howley and give you a wedgie that’s what would happen to you right or wrong what’s a howy is that a good thing am I saying it right way yeah you said it right damn right Jimmy what is a howy yeah that means you’re a you’re not an Islander right oh okay yeah right I’d be a Howe too I don’t go near the ocean Jimmy Dan look uh congratulations on that and a really awesome fight like you said that third round uh I think was was so impressive because obviously you were coming off you you were training but coming up the a guy like Diego Lopez uh to have two really good round and then to come back and win the third round like you did it was really really even more impressive than the first two which were great so can’t wait to see you fight again man and uh you know I you you you I think you probably got more respect from Dana than you think maybe he just doesn’t always display it the way you think but uh you never would have been in that position to to take that fight if they feel really positive about you and really respect you and you have some fantastic wins but what really feels odd is I feel like you’re getting a a ton of exposure and a lot of props from this fight so which is great it’s kind of weird but it’s great you know what I mean it is because it’s like literally like no knockout in the Apex can can top this you know so this this was uh it was different and uh part of the reason why I did it I just felt called to do it and and uh I got paid too that’s nice but aside from the money just the this can’t be bought you know this status 100% dude so congrats on that thanks a lot Dan we’ll talk to you again before your next fight uh and you just you were great man and I’m really happy for you all right fellas good talking to you guys all right care D take care Warrior hey Jimmy my apologies for the beginning of the show um you know what it is I cut things close to the wire normally and I got my daughter with me and she’s fine she’s like a little sidekick but normally when I get home I got my oldest daughter already signing me in and my wife dring my coffee so we’re a few we were a few Sarah short so basically you had two Sarah doing the work of four Saras I’m gonna say that’s correct Jimmy you know I understand um I understand completely but it worked out we knew I’m I’m in a hotel um I don’t know if you can tell I have I’m not on my normal setup without my screen um I’m kind of we were talking this is something that’s really not that interesting but like the backgrounds are so much better um than they used to be because um let me see this is where I’m at right now I’m in a uh there’s my there’s my setup oh wow all right go back now because that looks really nice Jimmy leave that Jimmy look I see that open there’s an open beer in the background there you had a little party last night huh you and the MS I don’t drink beer oh well you well your you know sober is cool you know she’s an alcoholic but I I don’t drink Jimmy Jimmy um what was I gonna say Wednesday we have uh uh we have Pon Zia and Drew Dober uh which great great show on Wednesday uh I guess we will we will uh preview the card um uh because uh uh Muslim salikov is fighting San Diego as as the co-main and of course the feature about is Drew Dober against John Silva a great great card with rose and Tracy Cortez uh as the main so we we can we can promote all of that on uh Wednesday and uh we got it done Matt uh we both had technical difficulties uh Dan eay was great Michelle Waterson Gomez uh congratulations Jimmy I had a great time I feel like there’s more I want to talk to you about but you know what we’re gonna do that in a couple of days there’s about this I’m gonna we’ll make the show a late we’re gonna put an extra 15 minutes into the show all right now I’m getting ahead of myself I’ll say this before we go um and Jake is point this out Dan did talk about the sphere and I forgot this aljo is saying he wants to fight Diego Lopez on that card that’s a fight I would really really love to see that would be a that would be a a grapple as Delight yeah that’s a fight that I really hope that make happen Jimmy I can’t wait for a couple days well it’ll feel like a week but it’ll only be a couple days hey thank you everyone and Jimmy we’re gonna have so much fun just like we did today well let’s hope bye Jimmy safe travels huh safe travels yeah I fly home tomorrow bye guys bye everyone