TRAINING: Training starts with 12 ounce coffee curls at 8am. Then I drive the best gym in the world (AKA) and proceed to kick asses from 11:30am to 2pm. Eat, nap and back at it again at 6pm for pads, cardio, drilling and weight training. Done, go home and die.

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training MMA when I was 22 because I liked to fight and needed a job. I also had been training different disciplines for most of my life, from judo to wrestling to jiu-jitsu, so I knew I could compete at a high level.

What ranks and titles have you held? Strikeforce middleweight champion, California high school wrestling state qualifier. Blue belt and purple belt world champion in jiu-jitsu. Black belt (Jiu-Jitsu), Red belt (Legitsu).

Do you have any heroes? No specific heroes, just a lot of people I look up to and try to learn from.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? Yes, no degrees though; I dropped out to fight and pursue my dreams.

What was your job before you started fighting? Construction / solar panel installation.

Specific accomplishments in pro competition? I never sat on the stool.

Favorite grappling technique: Wrestling / jiu-jitsu

Favorite striking technique: Kickboxing

• Pro since 2007

• Seven wins by submission (1 inverted triangle kimura, 4 rear naked, 1 armbar, 1 mounted guillotine), four by KOH

• Has won 12 of his last 13, and three in a rowTen

• Ten first round finishes

• Has gone the five round championship distance twice