TRAINING:  A typical day of training is exhausting.  Everyone sees fighters show up on fight night and they don't realize all the preparation that goes into that night. For me I generally start out with some type of strength and conditioning in the morning that usually consists of working out with kettlebells and doing some kind of sprint work. After strength and conditioning session is done I usually get some good technical work in. This time is usually spent doing either a boxing, kickboxing, or Jiu-Jitsu workout. After that I try to eat, rest, and recover for the night practice, which is more often than not in a team setting. This is where the men get separated from the boys. I push myself to the limit physically and psychologically so that I never break in the fight. After night practice it's usually ice bath, sauna, and hot tub to heal up whatever damage I've done to my body that day.

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training BJJ initially in 2007 to lose weight and stay in shape for firefighting (my profession). As I began to compete in jiu-jitsu tournaments I saw a lot of success on the regional circuit and decided to try my hand at this cagefighting stuff. Turns out I was pretty decent and ever since the first one I have just kept climbing.