00:00:06
Brando Pirich, the Balkan beer. Welcome to my podcast. >> Thanks for having me,
00:00:11
>> mate. This is an honor. Midday on a Sunday. Here we are. >> Yep. It's uh great to be here. I've been
00:00:15
following you for a long time now and yeah, got the call up. I was very happy to be here.
00:00:20
>> Yeah. So, exactly two weeks ago, uh you made your UFC debut. Um, and you won and
00:00:26
yeah, it was a it was a dramatic and violent knockout after 1 minute 55. Um, I sent you a message almost immediately
00:00:33
watching it saying, "Hey, would you be keen to a podcast?" And then, yeah, I
00:00:36
got a voice note from you like maybe an hour after your fight. >> Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] Um, I'm pretty
00:00:40
onto it straight away. Uh, I don't like messaging, text messaging, so voice notes is what you're going to get from
00:00:45
me. Um, yeah. So, I just try to do as much as I can after the fight. uh book in uh interviews, podcasts, uh news, and
00:00:54
just yeah, try to use the momentum from that fight. >> Well, it's great to have you here cuz
00:00:59
you're an intriguing guy. [laughter] >> I hope that's a good thing. [gasps]
00:01:04
>> Oh, I know. Just the um the the like the dedication and the passion and the
00:01:08
purpose to get where you are. Like, it's a it's a hell of a backstory. >> Uh it just feels normal for me. Um it's
00:01:14
just I think it's uh >> every fighter's got a story, you know? every every everybody's got a story. You
00:01:20
could you could be a high school teacher and have a have a crazy life story. So,
00:01:24
I just feels normal for me. >> Yeah. >> So, um the UFC debut in Perth, um best
00:01:32
speech of the night in my opinion. How how much how much thought went into that?
00:01:36
>> Nothing. I uh I said the C word three times on national TV, so uh if you go on
00:01:42
YouTube and watch it, it's just uh beep beep beep. Um, yeah. So, I got told off
00:01:46
for that, but it's just I'm just being myself. And that's why I love fighting,
00:01:49
cuz you can just be yourself. We're not censored. We're not like the NRL or like
00:01:53
AFL. We we we get to be ourselves. And that's why I love mixed martial arts as
00:01:58
well and the UFC. >> Here's the part of the speech. God is good, brother. What a [ __ ] life. I'm
00:02:05
blessed to send these [ __ ] home broke, bloodied, and bruised. The ANZACs are on. [laughter]
00:02:12
Did [gasps] um so did you get told you you went to Adelaide after that to catch up with family. Did you get told off by
00:02:17
your mom or your grandparents? >> Uh my grandparents weren't happy [laughter] but my mom loved it. I was
00:02:22
just trying to get [clears throat] the Anzacs pumped, you know, like I was the first ANZAC on the card. And being a
00:02:26
heavyweight, everyone expects you to have a big knockout. And I've had a lot
00:02:30
of hype around me for many years now. So I wanted to deliver for not only my team
00:02:35
but the rest of the ANZACs. And I think I did that and we did that as as a team.
00:02:40
So I think out of 11 fights we won 10 of them, you know. So it's just crazy. That
00:02:45
was that was that was history being made there. So >> yeah. >> Yeah. Oh, it was incredible. And there's
00:02:51
um I've seen so much footage of it and there's um there's a a POV video of um
00:02:56
Israel Adisagna watching you. >> Yeah. >> Um and he's quite he's quite animated.
00:03:00
Can you can you hear any of that in the octagon? >> Oh, I heard Izzy's voice. Yeah, for
00:03:04
sure. Um, I fought very early. So, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to get ready for this fight. And I always said I will
00:03:10
wake up at 4:00 in the morning and fight anybody in the world and then I have to
00:03:14
get up at 3:30. So, [laughter] it was good. Um, like there was only probably um I think it was like 12,000
00:03:20
people at this in early morning. So, um it wasn't fully packed out yet, but once
00:03:26
the other main cars came on then yeah, it got it got pretty busy. But I could hear Izzy like fine. Um he was telling
00:03:32
me to calm down, breathe, take my time, patience, and I listened and it helped. >> Did you listen? You got that fight over
00:03:40
and done with very quickly. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, [laughter] so the first 45 seconds I did pretty well. Uh then I
00:03:47
had some uh little niggles coming into the fight and um yeah, I I felt them straight away. So, I was like, "Ah, I
00:03:54
think it's time to uh you know, do what the bulkan bear does and mold this this
00:03:58
guy in front of me." And yeah u look I I haven't fought for a year so that was a
00:04:03
good fight for me and I'm proud of myself for for for that. >> Yeah it was it was incredible. Oh um
00:04:09
another thing in your speech um among the expletitives um you mentioned two friends that have passed away. Andre and
00:04:15
Jason. >> Yeah. >> Who are they? >> Uh Andre Serunic is my cousin. Um yeah
00:04:20
we sort of grew up together. Um yeah went did a lot of hunting fishing and he passed away a few years ago now. Um, and
00:04:28
that flag I wanted to walk out to, the Croatian flag was actually his. >> So, every single fight I I have, I I
00:04:34
walk out to that flag. >> And, um, yeah, unfortunately, I couldn't um, walk out this time, but next time
00:04:41
uh, it's possible. Um, the flag isn't original, so in the UFC, you got to have
00:04:46
the original flag. This flag is has like tassels on the side. So, there was a bit
00:04:50
of, um, issue there with the commission, but it is what it is. I'm Australian as
00:04:54
well. So, I walked out to the Australian flag. It was fine. >> Um I I was just happy to be there in the
00:04:58
UFC, the biggest promotion in the world, fighting the best fighters in the world.
00:05:02
>> Yeah. >> So, and then Jason Robinson, he was um one of my first ever sponsors. He backed
00:05:08
me since day one. And uh he just he did so much for me. Uh pushed me to pursue this dream, pushed me to come to New
00:05:15
Zealand. Um he was an older fellow. He was like 55, but he was like one of my best mates. We used to go fishing
00:05:20
together a lot. And uh yeah, it was actually his birthday the night I made my debut. So, it was very special. All
00:05:26
his family was there >> and um yeah, >> you've [snorts] dealt with a lot of
00:05:30
grief, eh? How did how did those guys um pass? >> Um my cousin had a heart attack. He was
00:05:35
only 27. And Jason uh same thing, had a heart attack. >> Um and I've lost another eight mates as
00:05:43
well since high school to suicide. >> So, um yeah, I've I've had a lot of
00:05:47
grief around me. And life is life is very precious. It's short. You never know when your time is up. No.
00:05:52
>> And there's a lot of men struggling with mental health. like I've struggled with
00:05:54
mental health my whole life basically and uh yeah I just I just uh want to use this platform cuz it's such a powerful
00:06:02
platform to help others. >> Um yeah, I started off fighting for myself but I'm fighting for a lot more
00:06:08
now. >> Yeah, I I want to get into the um the mental health struggles later on in as
00:06:12
much or as little detail as as what you're prepared to share. Um but yeah, your your rock bottom moment was fairly
00:06:19
alarming from what I can gather, >> but we'll get into that. Yeah. >> Um, oh, and you think God is good,
00:06:25
brother. That was how you opened your speech. What is the role of religion in your life?
00:06:28
>> Um, look, I'm I've always believed in God. Um, yeah, I'm I'm I'm Catholic. Uh,
00:06:34
grew up as a Croatian Catholic, you know. Um, my family's religious. I sort of um
00:06:42
I would say in my later teens, I sort of veered off and I got into a lot of trouble. I was hanging around with the
00:06:49
wrong people and I just didn't really believe in God and then hitting rock bottom many many times and just having
00:06:56
um like a like chances just after chances and uh yeah I've done a lot of soulsearching and I found my faith again
00:07:05
last over the last three or four years >> and uh yeah things are good you know and
00:07:11
>> every day is a blessing we're here you know and um >> yeah it's just I'm very I'm very
00:07:15
grateful to be where I'm at now cuz uh where I was was it wasn't going very
00:07:20
good. >> Who's the first person you call after that fight? >> Uh my mom.
00:07:24
>> Oh, really? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I always call my mom after my fights, normally within 5 10
00:07:29
minutes, but I had to do a lot of interviews and uh get the medical checks and I was probably like an hour and a
00:07:36
half until I got back to the hotel. And uh she was worried, but she was she she knew I won so she was happy. She doesn't
00:07:43
watch the fights. She hates watching the fights. Um, so when I called her, she was crying and she was very happy for
00:07:48
me. So, >> yeah, >> that's cool. >> Yeah. Yeah, it was cool. It's is for me
00:07:54
it's like to see the joy like fighting is for me fighting is um it's just a
00:08:00
job, you know? It's something that like I love and I'm good at. Um it's like if
00:08:06
you ask me now like how did you feel after the fight? Like I felt just normal. I I expected to win, you know,
00:08:13
but the joy comes from watching my loved ones, uh my family, my friends, my sponsors, seeing the joy it brings them,
00:08:20
you know, cuz they've believed in me. They've been telling everyone like, "Oh,
00:08:22
he's the real deal." You know, like when he gets his chance, he just need he just
00:08:26
needs one chance he'll show the world. And uh seeing that joy and happiness it
00:08:30
brings people, that's what makes me happy. >> Yeah. >> And what about your opponent? Um,
00:08:36
[laughter] like I'm sure you've you've been you I mean you were you were dishing out the
00:08:40
uh the punishment, but I'm sure you've had the punishment dished out as well.
00:08:43
Um, as someone that's never been never been punched in the face and knocked out
00:08:47
myself. What what does a knock knock out like that do to a person like mentally and physically?
00:08:51
>> Um, mentally it could go two ways. There's two types of people I think. You either
00:08:59
you you you second guess yourself and maybe you don't have another fight. You
00:09:02
give up, you quit. or you realize that this is a sport and then you double down, you you train harder and you make
00:09:10
sure it doesn't happen again. >> So, um yeah, I mean my opponent like so
00:09:15
even with the fight itself, my like I didn't I don't shake my opponent's hand
00:09:20
before the fight. >> Yeah, I saw that. >> Yeah. So, and people think that's
00:09:23
disrespectful and stuff, but you got to understand like my life is on the line. He's trying to hurt me. There's a lot of
00:09:29
mind games that go on. And I'm going to do whatever I I I can to protect my energy and to get the win. So, I saw
00:09:38
straight away as soon as I didn't shake his hand, his eyes changed and he got
00:09:42
nervous. And that's like I'm I'm up. I'm not, you know, I'm I'm I'm playing the
00:09:47
mind games with him. And then even in the cage, once I walked in the cage, I saw how nervous he was and I was like
00:09:53
calm and just happy to be there. I knew I was going to win. So it's it's it's
00:09:57
not it's not out of disrespect. Like I I don't wish harm on him. But he signed a
00:10:01
contract to fire me and if he got put in that position, he would knock me out and
00:10:05
he would hurt me and then my family cries over over over me. So >> um I never want my family to cry over
00:10:12
me. Um only if it's if it's tears of joy. >> So yeah, after the fight went backstage
00:10:18
and you know I I said thank you for the fight and checked up on him and we've
00:10:23
messaged uh since then as well. So yeah, I wish him all the best in his career and he has a contract in the UFC now uh
00:10:30
as well because if I fought him on the Contender Series, I would have knocked him out anyway and then he wouldn't get
00:10:36
a a contract. So >> if anything, he should be thanking me. [laughter] >> He um he didn't look well in the in the
00:10:44
cage. >> Yeah. Um you don't often see uh people being put on oxygen. M.
00:10:51
>> So, normally in a in a in a UFC fight, the referee like the the referee did did
00:10:57
the right the right thing, but it's just one second you can get two extra punches
00:11:00
in and those [clears throat] two extra punches can can, you know, lead to to that. So, normally you would cover up
00:11:06
and the referee will jump in TKO, >> but I just landed clean on his chin. I
00:11:11
just need one to land. So, that's that's that's the beauty of of heavyweight. It
00:11:15
just takes one. >> Yeah. >> And you won a $50,000 bonus. Um, now that sounds like a good per minute rate.
00:11:23
That's like 25,000 a minute. But, um, that's what we see. We see the two
00:11:27
minutes. What is it that we don't see? >> Uh, 8 years of sacrifice, 8 years of I
00:11:34
wouldn't even say many ups. There's a lot of downs in those eight years. And
00:11:39
uh for example, for the last 8 months as well or 9 months um I've had surgeries,
00:11:45
injuries, sicknesses, uh losses in um family, friends, um missed funerals, weddings, birthdays, christenings, um
00:11:55
myself, like I haven't had a a a Christmas with my family or a birthday for six years. So I've been alone for
00:12:03
six years basically. Um and then yeah, just a lot of like a fight camp itself isn't easy. Like your body goes through
00:12:12
a lot. You go through a lot mentally, you know. Um so people don't see all the
00:12:17
struggles. They don't see like how many nights I've spent alone with my own
00:12:21
thoughts, you know, trying to better myself. Like especially trying to make it to UFC, you do a lot of things by
00:12:27
yourself. Like now I'm building a team around me to to take control of uh certain aspects that I don't want to
00:12:33
think about anymore, >> you know, cuz I have to get my name out there. I have to this I'm doing this to
00:12:38
make money 100%. >> You know, like I I want to become a UFC champion. >> I want to focus on training and
00:12:44
fighting. I don't want to focus on the business side of things. So I need people around me to to help me with
00:12:49
that. And yeah, it's just there there's a lot that goes into it. And people
00:12:53
think like you just train once a day, twice a day and then you fight in UFC cameras and even the media like how much
00:13:00
media we have to do on fight week. I'm lucky Israel and Tyson and Pedro they
00:13:04
took me to the UFC before and I could see how much cameras and interviews there is because like it prepares me. So
00:13:11
when I went to Perth and I and I was making my UFC debut, I was ready for all of that and it just felt natural.
00:13:19
>> Did you meet Dana White there? >> No, he he wasn't there. He wasn't there.
00:13:23
How How do you How did you find out you made the UFC? Do you remember that moment?
00:13:26
>> Yeah. So, my manager, uh, Ash Castro, and then my coach, Eugene Bman, they
00:13:31
called me at 10:30 at night. And when they call you, it's it's normally not a
00:13:36
good thing. And [laughter] and uh, yeah, I just so many things were going wrong and I just knew that the
00:13:44
fight was wasn't happening. And uh yeah, basically that's Eugene just said,
00:13:49
"Look, the fight's off." You know, and uh I just start laughing. And then I
00:13:54
actually had a dream the night before that I got in the UFC. I made my UFC debut in Perth. And then when Ash said,
00:13:59
"I'm in the UFC," I just Yeah. I just I just started laughing and I had some
00:14:04
tears. They cut that bit out of the uh the footage though, thank God, cuz I started crying like a baby. [laughter] A
00:14:11
lot of emotions came up. So yeah. >> Are you um are you a reasonably emotional guy? Uh, [sighs]
00:14:18
yes and no. >> Depends. Like I love I love my family and my friends, you know. Um, I I'm a
00:14:24
bit soft sometimes. I got a kind heart, but at the same time like um I can be ruthless as well, you know. That's what
00:14:32
makes me a great fighter, you know. I could I could play with my mates daughters and sons and play blocks with
00:14:37
them and get my nails painted, but then I'll go smash someone in the UFC cage.
00:14:41
[laughter] So, it's Yeah. Um, I guess you can say, um, yeah. >> Yeah. Can you explain for someone that's
00:14:48
not um big on on um fighting why the UFC is such a big goal? >> It's the biggest promotion in the world.
00:14:57
You know, 600 million people watch it around the world. Um, it's the pinnacle.
00:15:01
It's like the It's like being in the World Cup, I guess. You know, >> you want to like for me, I always wanted
00:15:07
to fight the best in the world and I want I I want to be a champion. So, you can be a champion in other promotions.
00:15:15
Um, but unless you're a UFC champion, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't count.
00:15:19
You know, people say, "Ah, you're a champion, world champion, but you're not
00:15:23
really the world champion." >> So, um, the UFC for me, like, I've grown
00:15:28
up watching it for 20 years, I guess. Um, and [clears throat] it's just something I always wanted to do. I had a
00:15:33
feeling inside that I could do it, and a lot of people said I couldn't do it. I
00:15:37
listened to them when I was younger. Um, but I think everything happens for a reason and I think I started at the
00:15:42
right time even though I started real late. I started at 24 years old. Um, I'm
00:15:46
here now. >> Yeah. >> You UFC's one year older than what you are.
00:15:50
>> Yeah. Crazy. >> So, it's been around your entire Do you remember the first time you saw a UFC
00:15:54
fight or? >> Yeah. Yeah. I I watched So, I used to go to Blockbuster and rent the DVDs and
00:16:00
stuff and I used to always get the fighting ones, the kickboxing, K1, and then the UFC. So, I used to watch uh the
00:16:07
first UFC I ever watched was UFC 3 and I watched from USC 3 up until like 64 and
00:16:13
then I had a like a break for a few years. Uh I stopped hiring the the DVDs and stuff, [laughter] cassettes.
00:16:19
>> Um and then yeah, [snorts] like I I started watching it again in about 2016
00:16:24
17. So yeah, I've always been a fan. I just life takes you down different paths, I guess.
00:16:30
>> Who who were your idols growing up? Uh, Crocop, he's a very famous K1
00:16:36
fighter. Um, I used to love kickboxing. So, I I actually thought I'll be a kickboxer before before I become a UFC
00:16:44
fighter. Um, yeah, Croppp and then you got like um Sam Greco, you got Paul Sinsky, Doug Viney. So, all these K1
00:16:52
legends, you know, like I used to watch around New Zealand and Australia >> and Croatia. And then um yeah like when
00:16:59
Stipe Muic came in to the UFC became champion I was like oh wow this American Croatian guy he can do it I can do it.
00:17:06
Similar height similar size and I always compare myself to others. I'm like like
00:17:11
you know I think I'm faster than him. I think I'm stronger than him. Like if he
00:17:14
can do it I can do it. So yeah I just there's there's a lot of people. Then
00:17:18
obviously Israel you know like I was training in the shed and I saw this poster of this guy on Nisa Fury and Na
00:17:24
Fury was a local promotion. And I'm like, "Who's this guy?" And Ethan's
00:17:27
like, "Oh, that's Israel. He's in the UFC now." He used to headline of Fury,
00:17:31
which you're doing. You can do the same thing as him. So then I used to like
00:17:35
research Israel and City kickboxing. And that's when the seed first got planted
00:17:39
for me to go to city kickboxing. >> So that was, you know, six, seven years
00:17:44
ago now. [sighs and gasps] >> Yeah. It's a it's a fasc fascinating
00:17:48
story. Um, and we'll get to that shortly, but first of all, I want to go back to the early years. Um, yeah.
00:17:53
[clears throat] How would you describe your childhood? pretty rough. Pretty rough, but um
00:17:59
>> pretty good at the same time. Like I got I got a very good mother um and
00:18:03
grandparents and my dad wasn't perfect. Like my dad went to jail and uh I don't
00:18:08
have a great relationship with him. Um but he's still not a bad person. He's
00:18:12
just it's uh you know, whatever he went through in life, you know, and it got
00:18:16
passed down to me. So, it's my job to sort of break that that uh generational
00:18:22
trauma or curse, whatever you call it. But yeah, um it it was pretty rough and like compared to my other friends, you
00:18:29
know, they all had good families and stable families. I was sort of um left to fend on my own. Mom was always
00:18:36
working, grandparents were always working. My sister's older than me by 5 years. Um but yeah, we're we're not very
00:18:42
close as well. And yeah, I just grew up sort of looking after myself. Um, and yeah, my mom my my grandparents really
00:18:49
raised me as well. So, like I would spend a lot of time with them, >> but I would always wander off and do my
00:18:54
own thing. >> So, >> what what was your dad incarcerated for? >> Uh, he was probably probably won't go
00:19:00
into that, [laughter] but uh, no, just just hanging around people, doing the wrong thing. And, uh, he he did uh, so
00:19:08
he went away when I was like 8 years old and then came out when I was 12. And in
00:19:14
the meantime, I would go see him. I would fly to Queensland, go stay with his partner who I didn't know, and then
00:19:20
she would go take me to the bush to go see him in jail. And I got a lot of memories of that as well. Um, but yeah,
00:19:28
just to me that was normal, you know. And then I I would come back to school. I get I used to get bullied heaps cuz
00:19:33
like you know dad's in jail, single mom, you know, I was always a big kid and I
00:19:38
was really like kind and nice to people but always I got bullied so I would get in fights a lot and uh yeah sort of
00:19:45
turned a bit nasty after sort of I got expelled year 10 for fighting, but I was always defending myself. I wasn't I
00:19:53
wasn't picking fights. I never picked fights. I was just defending myself or
00:19:56
or other people that got picked on. So, [snorts] >> well, that's really sad.
00:20:02
>> Ah, it's not it's not that bad. [laughter] >> Could be worse, mate.
00:20:08
>> What is um Yeah. What does that do to an 8-year-old boy? Like going and visiting
00:20:12
your dad in jail? >> I mean, a few times like uh you know, I'd go see him and it wasn't like nice
00:20:20
visits. It was like, you know, it was like there was a lot of uh [ __ ] getting thrown off to me, you know, like um
00:20:28
questions and it wasn't like father son catching up, you know, it was like more
00:20:32
Yeah, I don't want to go too much into the stuff, but I remember like >> one thing is like I remember the time
00:20:38
was up and I had to go I had to leave. I didn't understand. I'm I'm young
00:20:42
>> and my dad's like walking through the the the prison gates, the the guards
00:20:46
there and like I ran through cuz I went to go stab my dad, you know what I And then this this security guy like pulled
00:20:51
me. He's like, "What are you doing?" I'm going to go stay with my dad. He's like,
00:20:54
"You can't." And I saw like my dad like crying and stuff and I was like, "Fuck."
00:20:57
Like, you know, so like [ __ ] like that. And then um yeah, it's just for me like
00:21:03
I I had good uncles as well. Like my uncles looked after me. Um but yeah, I was I was I was just a lost like soul,
00:21:11
you know, as a even as a kid. >> Didn't know what was going on, >> you know. So I didn't have any like
00:21:17
proper male role models around me. So, I sort of like my mom was so beautiful, very loving, like I could do anything
00:21:23
and she wouldn't she wouldn't get angry at me, you know? So, it's probably it's
00:21:27
probably it's probably the wrong wrong thing to be as a parent, you know? You
00:21:30
need to be a bit stricter. >> But yeah, I learned my lesson. Like, I I got I got locked up a few times and
00:21:36
>> did did some silly things and um Yeah. >> What did you get locked up for? Uh just
00:21:44
uh like [laughter] we I mean there's um the >> Eugene's watching this and he's like
00:21:51
shut up Brando. [laughter] >> The um the [clears throat] the grand rules of this podcast like there's no no
00:21:57
there's no God the fifth. [laughter] >> No no no stitch ups and um anything we
00:22:02
talk about if you if you want it cut out before it gets released. >> I got nothing to hide. It's just just
00:22:06
stupid stuff as a kid, you know, like um just getting in fights with people and um you know, like I was a security guard
00:22:14
as well, you know, and I, for example, like I got stabbed one night with a screwdriver. Guy came up behind me,
00:22:22
tried to stab me. I got hit in the head with a vodka bottle. So like when someone does that to you, you do silly
00:22:28
things. >> You know what I mean? You >> retaliate. >> You you retaliate and you don't know how
00:22:33
to handle your emotions. Like I thought when I was 18, 19, 20, I thought like I'm a man now, you know, like I don't
00:22:40
know what a man was. I couldn't handle my emotions, you know, only the last few
00:22:44
years I could actually handle my emotions and I learned about myself. So yeah, I just did a lot of silly things
00:22:50
and um I hurt a lot of people. Um whether it's my fault or their fault that like they instigated, it doesn't
00:22:55
matter. It doesn't make it right. So I had to pay for that and I lost my security license and but everything that
00:23:01
happened to me happened for a reason and it brought me here. I met the right people. I walked into a gym which was
00:23:07
the biggest pivotal point in my life you know and I recommend any young man out there even women if they're lost if they
00:23:14
have uh anger issues or if their family is broken up to go join a gym because I had a choice to go join a gym or a gang
00:23:25
>> and I never wanted to go join a gang. I was always a lone wolf. I didn't like
00:23:29
the gang culture. I I don't suit that. And it's not uh people think they're
00:23:34
tough. They're not tough. You know what I mean? Go join a gym. Be disciplined.
00:23:38
Learn from learn from your your mentors >> and put that energy into yourself, into
00:23:43
your mind, into your body, and make something out of your life. And even if you don't become a world champion, at
00:23:48
least you're doing something positive, you know? So, yeah, that's really good
00:23:54
advice. >> Thanks. [laughter] >> Everyone um in all the interviews I've
00:24:00
seen and everything I've read about you, everyone talks about how how kind you
00:24:03
are. Have you always been this way? >> Uh I've I am like like I said to you
00:24:08
before um backstage uh the reason why I love fighting is because we are not censored and we can be
00:24:15
>> who we are, you know? So I am how you see me now is how I am. >> Um a lot of people think I'm a wanker.
00:24:22
[laughter] A lot of people think I'm I'm nice. Like a lot of people think
00:24:26
whatever. Like I don't care what people think about me. I am what I am and I'm
00:24:30
proud of who I am and I've just always been the same, you know. Um, when I was
00:24:35
younger, I was very soft, very nice, very kind and loving and uh, yeah, I try to still be the same, you know, like I
00:24:42
love helping people and this is what I love about mixed martial arts is like I said to you before, I started off to to
00:24:49
better my life and better myself, >> but I now realize what a powerful platform I will have and I want to help
00:24:55
as many people as I can. So, it could be, you know, youth or charity events. I just want to help people because um I've
00:25:02
had a lot of great men help me and give me a second chance and give me some guidance. And you only need one one like
00:25:09
mentor, you know? So, >> yeah. And I'm not a role model at all. I'm not a mentor. Like, I'm I'm crazy.
00:25:16
>> But no, Dana Hook is crazy. You're crazy. >> Yeah, Dan Hook is pretty crazy. I mean,
00:25:20
I I just I just um from my life experience, I can tell I get a lot of messages on social media and I can
00:25:27
always help someone and just guide them to a gym. It could be any gym, you know,
00:25:31
it could be any mixed martial arts. It just doesn't have to be a city of kickboxing. It could be any gym. You
00:25:35
just have to be around positive people doing positive things and um not be a piece of [ __ ] like I was when I was a
00:25:42
kid. [laughter and gasps] >> Um yeah. Who are some of these role models that you're talking about? Who believed
00:25:47
in you before you believed in yourself? >> Yeah. H so many people. So I had like
00:25:54
there's a there's a cliche like uh I never had anyone believe in me. >> M I'm the complete opposite. I had so
00:26:00
many people believe in me. Like I just didn't believe in myself. So one of the
00:26:05
I would say one of the first people that really believed me his name was Nick Hughes.
00:26:09
>> Um I don't talk about him a lot or that gym. Um, but he was my first MMA
00:26:15
trainer. And he was uh he used to own uh Trinity MMA, which is like a very small
00:26:22
MMA gym in Adelaide. And that's where I actually first started. And he just put
00:26:27
so much belief into me and um just pumped me up. And he actually put in my head that I can be a UFC fighter. So
00:26:34
after a few years going to different gyms, um I ended up at Riker's gym and I
00:26:40
met two men, Richie Elliot and Jeremy Keeping and the same thing. They just put all this belief into me, you know,
00:26:46
and like they've trained world champions before and then they pushed me or Richie
00:26:51
actually saved my life, but um they pushed me to go to city kickboxing because they couldn't do anything for me
00:26:56
anymore. they they realized that, you know, Adelaide is a very small state in Australia. Um, and we struggle to get
00:27:03
fights. I need to go overseas. And what better of a gym to go to than City Kickboxing, you know, best coaches in
00:27:10
the world, best fighters with the connections to the UFC. So, if it wasn't for Richie and and Jez and even Nick,
00:27:18
like everyone that's everyone's played a role in my life, you know, all my
00:27:21
sponsors, everyone, friends, family, if if I um if I didn't meet them, I wouldn't be here 100%.
00:27:27
>> You've got so much gratitude. Eh, why why um you said before you're no role
00:27:30
model. What makes you think you're not a role model? >> I just don't like that. Like, and Izzy
00:27:35
says Izzy says it as well. Like, >> is it too much pressure or >> Yeah. Like, I just I I want to be
00:27:40
myself. Like, I want to be able to swear if I want. I want to be like I tell people to [ __ ] off all the time.
00:27:46
[laughter] >> Like in what context? >> Well, if they're rude or if they're
00:27:49
doing the wrong thing, I'll just I'll tell them like to [ __ ] off. Like if they
00:27:52
annoy me, like that's not a role model. Like I am I am who I am and like I I
00:27:57
[snorts] would never want to hurt someone. But I'm not going to put up with [ __ ] as well. So if someone's being
00:28:01
rude to me or someone else, I'm the first one to step in, be like, "Wait,
00:28:04
what are you doing?" >> You know what I mean? Like when I when I walk the street, if I see [ __ ]
00:28:09
happen, I'm the first one to to to step in and be like, "Wait, stop." You know
00:28:12
what I mean? Cuz I don't want to see someone get hurt. >> Well, that's a role model to me.
00:28:17
>> Oh, I don't know. That's a [ __ ] hero. [laughter] I don't know. I don't know. I just don't
00:28:23
like that word. I don't like that word. I just I rather just be a good person.
00:28:26
>> Yeah. >> And just um you know, like just just be you know, you want to be humble, but you
00:28:32
don't want to be too humble >> cuz you just get used and walked over. You know what I mean? So, but I just
00:28:37
want to be a good person. And I I like when people say good things about me because when my that gets back to my
00:28:43
family, >> they're like, "Oh, we did a good job." >> You know what I mean? So, yeah.
00:28:47
>> Yeah. I've got a quote from you. >> Yeah. Oh, this is going to be a great
00:28:50
one. [laughter] This is going to be a great I'm This is This is my thing. I'm not good I'm not
00:28:57
good at talking. Like, I barely know English, right? So, I'm not like Dan Hooker in in Israel. Like, I don't have
00:29:02
all these catchy sayings and phrases and [ __ ] I just Yeah. >> What are you What are you on about? What
00:29:08
are you on about your guest ladies? >> Can't kill a weed. You [laughter] know,
00:29:12
>> ain't nothing but a stitch. >> Who's that? Is that is he?
00:29:16
>> That's Dan. >> Oh, Dan. >> Just a scratch, brother. Just a scratch,
00:29:20
brother. [laughter] >> Um, this is a quote from you. I was 24 years old. I was a loser. I never
00:29:26
achieved nothing in my life. I was around the wrong people doing the wrong things. Why were you a loser? What was
00:29:32
going on in your life? Uh I was a loser because I was taking the easy options in
00:29:37
life. Um not pursuing what I wanted to and I was just being a sheep and I was listening to people putting me down
00:29:47
saying you can't do this, you can't do that and I was just doing the wrong
00:29:50
things. I was I was lazy. I was depressed. I was not trying to improve my life. I was trying to find easy ways
00:29:56
to make money. I was trying to do like the bare minimum, you know, and that just came down to depression and mental
00:30:04
health and um just being isolated for so long. I moved out of home when I was 16.
00:30:09
So like yeah, I I just well almost 17. So >> why is that? uh just family issues and like um I just
00:30:17
needed my own space and I thought the best thing for me to do would be to leave home um leave my family as well
00:30:23
cuz I had their things going on >> and yeah so >> was um did drugs play a role in your
00:30:30
life at that point? >> No, never I've never touched drugs like well I can't say never touch drugs. I
00:30:34
smoked weed like once. it wasn't for me. And I saw the impact it had on my family, other family members. Like I had
00:30:41
a few uncles and stuff that did that stuff. And I always was turned off against it
00:30:46
>> just cuz um I saw how their lives went. So like even drinking, I used to say I
00:30:51
only drink once a year, but that's a lie now because I had about three drinks in
00:30:56
my family after my fight and then I had a glass of wine the other night. So I can't say I drink once a year. It's more
00:31:01
like three or four times a year. So I'm a casual drinker now. What what are what
00:31:04
are your vices? >> Uh I would say good food. >> Um and just good company, you know, like
00:31:11
>> just um I love like I'm very I'm very like a isolated individual. So like even
00:31:17
though I'm surrounded by hundreds of people a day, I go home um spend time alone. I don't really talk to my friends
00:31:23
or family that much once twice every every couple like uh every month. And I'm just I'm putting I started so late
00:31:31
in this game. I'm putting all my energy into fighting, into training. So, >> because you're 31 now. 31. Yeah.
00:31:37
>> Um, so for your division, heavyweight, like what sort of age do you peak?
00:31:41
>> I would say 35. >> Okay. >> Um, I would love to go to 40. If I can
00:31:46
go to 45, I will. If I can go to 50, I will. Because this is the only thing I have in my life where I
00:31:52
>> It gives me structure. It gives me discipline. It gives me drive. And um
00:31:56
yeah, I just love it. I just I really do love this. And that's why that's that's
00:31:59
probably one of my quotes is what a life, brother. I love it. What a life. [laughter]
00:32:03
>> All right. So, no one steal that. >> Oh, yeah. Cuz I wondered what you said.
00:32:07
I Sometimes it sounds like you're saying, "What a laugh." >> Yeah. No. What a life. What a life. What
00:32:11
a life. >> You do say that a lot, eh? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. [ __ ] You're so grateful. [snorts]
00:32:15
Um, >> hey, as long as no one's dead, you know, as long as uh everyone's healthy around
00:32:21
me, >> I'm happy. It's a good day. Yeah. I got nothing to complain about.
00:32:24
>> Yeah. So, >> well, especially from from [clears throat] um the the depth of
00:32:28
despair where you came from, how how long um in reflection do you think you were depressed for?
00:32:32
>> Oh, I would say my whole life. >> Yeah, basically like from probably
00:32:38
probably from uh even even probably probably from five. I can remember some [ __ ] from five. Won't get into that. I
00:32:46
remember from about 5 to 26 pretty 27 I was pretty pretty depressed. went through a lot of mental mental
00:32:54
struggles, a lot of a lot of trauma, whatever you want to call it. Just Yeah. And I and you know what? I blamed
00:33:02
everybody else, you know, cuz you know that's that's that's what I did.
00:33:06
>> Victim mentality. >> Yeah. Victim mentality. And I woke up one day I realized like [ __ ] like just
00:33:10
cuz this happened to me doesn't mean it has to keep happening to me or >> you know like I can change my mindset.
00:33:16
So then I started to like yeah delve into um the mental side of things and started seeking getting some help and uh
00:33:24
yeah just learning about myself and realizing oh [ __ ] like I actually am a good person and you know I can do this
00:33:29
in my life and um again it just comes down to being around the right people. You know I got a lot of beautiful people
00:33:36
around me now. You know a lot of great friends here that help me and give me good advice. you know, like I got mates
00:33:41
at Davo and Izzy and and Eugene and uh so many people, you know, and everyone's
00:33:46
got like a different perspective on life. They drop little gems everywhere and you just pick things up off of
00:33:51
people like, "Wow, that's a great way to look at it." >> So, yeah.
00:33:57
[snorts] Um I'm I'm not sure how much you uh are keen to get into this, but um
00:34:03
[laughter] >> what >> are you hating this? Nah, you're all right. I already I already talked about
00:34:10
it. Oh, this is the last time I talk about it. All right. Well, no. Nah. Look, I I'm not shy.
00:34:16
Like, I used to be ashamed about talking about this because as a man, you feel weak and uh I just realized that I can
00:34:22
help a lot of people. So, I I don't really care and I've always been honest
00:34:26
with with with things. So, >> well, I think it's I think it's really
00:34:29
powerful stuff cuz you I mean, no one can no one can save you. You have to do it yourself and you've you've done the
00:34:35
work. Yeah, >> we haven't even got into the like the sacrifice yet the rebuilding of of
00:34:40
Brando when you came to New Zealand, but [snorts] I'm guessing this is the absolute
00:34:44
[clears throat] lowest point in your life. Um, you end up you end up with um with a holding a gun to your own head.
00:34:52
>> Yeah. >> How does how does that come about? What are you doing with a gun in the first
00:34:55
place? >> Uh, look, it's uh yeah, I like hunting, fishing. Um yeah, it's just uh it you
00:35:03
know what you doing funny the funny thing it's not actually funny I shouldn't say [laughter]
00:35:07
>> one life >> one life brother the funny thing is that wasn't the
00:35:12
lowest point in my life there was many more before that but that was like a final straw for me you know and uh mate
00:35:19
I just uh woke up one day and made a decision um yeah lost my cousin and a lot of other things happened wasn't
00:35:26
getting fights um I was sleeping in the gym and like these things I'm mentioning
00:35:32
aren't actually problems for me. Like I don't care about sleeping in a gym like
00:35:35
I like even losing a loved one like that would not make me want to do something to harm myself.
00:35:43
>> But years and years of constant things happening happening happening building
00:35:47
up. You just get to a point where you just have enough. You know what I mean? So yeah. Um and I wasn't I wasn't
00:35:55
training. I wasn't eating right. I was spending too much time by myself and I
00:36:01
just had stupid thoughts, you know, and I just made a decision. And uh thankfully uh when I did do it, the the
00:36:10
gun was uh rusted. It was very rusted. And I won't go into too much details,
00:36:16
but basically the yeah, it fell apart when I pulled the trigger. And um yeah, even after that, I still tried for a
00:36:24
good solid hour. Um, and to me, because I have faith in God, I was like, you know what? Maybe this is a sign. Don't
00:36:33
do it. Uh, you know, take some time, think. So, I actually went to the beach and um I was eating some cherries on the
00:36:41
beach um in North Haven cuz that's where I that's where I live in Adelaide.
00:36:46
And this is a really big beach. It's long. It's big sandunes and stuff. And
00:36:50
there was no one around me. I was sitting on a rock wall cuz I I I I used to go there every day, go running,
00:36:55
swimming, shadow box, fishing, diving. And I remember I was watching the sunset and I was like eating cherries. I was
00:37:02
spitting them out and this is probably the first day where I actually felt like peace and I was I just did that did that
00:37:08
thing and I was thinking of other ways, you know, like I don't want to do a drug
00:37:14
overdose or something like that. I don't want to drive into a tree. Like just
00:37:18
stupid things going into my head. And then this lady comes up from nowhere, this old lady. She's probably 50, 55
00:37:25
years old. And she's like, "Excuse me, darling." And I was like, I jumped. I
00:37:29
was like, "Oh, hey, are you all right?" And she's like, "Yeah, but you're not."
00:37:33
[clears throat] Yeah. And then and I was like, "What do you mean?" She's like,
00:37:36
"Someone told me to come over and talk to you." I was like, "Who?" I was like
00:37:40
looking around. And she's like, "He's sitting next to you." And I I told her
00:37:44
to [ __ ] off. [laughter] I was like, "Fuck off." Like you spiritual [ __ ] you know? And she's
00:37:49
like, "Do you know an old Chinese man with tattoos on his on his on his arm?"
00:37:53
I was like, "No, I don't." I was getting angry at this point, you know, cuz I'm
00:37:57
thinking about >> ending it. >> Ending it. And she's like bothering me
00:38:01
and I was just really like emotional and stuff. And um yeah, she's she she said
00:38:06
to me, "Well, every time you fight, he's [clears throat] in your corner and he's
00:38:11
he's telling me to tell you to keep going." And I just burst out in tears.
00:38:15
is I put my head down and I was just sobbing and uh getting goosebumps now. But um
00:38:20
>> basically my first ever trainer was Seafood Joe IP. He was a Chinese guy um
00:38:27
who had a Muay Thai gym in Adelaide. And my mom used to be a kickboxer. So my mom
00:38:32
used to train with him. I used to go there play with his swords num trucks and he had a dragon. So he'd always do
00:38:37
the dragon dances in the street. And uh he always said to me I could become a champion. And [clears throat] I used to
00:38:43
like kick the bag. I was only like 13 14 years old and uh he passed away of prostate cancer when I was about 16 and
00:38:51
that's when I sort of yeah I always every time I fought I saw him in my corner I got like a flash of him like
00:38:58
glimpse and for me that was another sign to um to keep going. But the the scary thing is like when I looked up after I
00:39:06
was crying like the lady was gone and I was like what the [ __ ] just happened? Like did I just see uh like did that
00:39:12
even happen? like an illusion. >> Like an illusion like >> What do you What do you think? Was she
00:39:16
actually there on? >> I don't I don't know. Like she was 100% real in front of my eyes. I just don't
00:39:21
know how long I was crying for. I don't know if she walked off or you know if it
00:39:25
was I was tripping. Like I wasn't I didn't touch touch any drugs or I don't
00:39:29
drink. So I don't know what it was, but that was just a really um powerful thing
00:39:33
that happened to me. And then I called my coach Richie >> um pretty much straight after that and I
00:39:39
said I told him what happened. Like Richie has put a gun to my head. Um and then we yeah we had a we caught up for a
00:39:46
coffee, shed a few tears. He told me a few things and uh we we got a lot closer together and then we made a plan to you
00:39:53
know to get back into the gym to train hard to have a fight. I ended up uh fighting um big Dave Tupo is uh Jason
00:40:04
S's fighter in Adelaide and um I beat him cuz he's the only person to beat me.
00:40:10
So I actually beat him in Adelaide at Ets Stadium and he's a Fury and I won the um South Pacific Championship title
00:40:18
off of him. [snorts] After that Jason Sardi uh invited me to fight on King in the Ring which um as a
00:40:25
cross Tasman heavyweight tournament which has never happened before. The only reason it happened is because I I
00:40:30
beat Dave and he wanted I think the revenge you know. Um, so for Jason to give me the opportunity was massive in
00:40:36
my career because um, yeah, like uh, that's sort of why I'm here now. You
00:40:41
know, I came to New Zealand. I've I I funded a trip myself. I borrowed money
00:40:45
off off of people. Came here, I won this the first fight, the second fight I lost. David TKOed me, you know, dropped
00:40:53
me twice and the fight got called off and I was thinking about retiring. I'm
00:40:57
like, "Oh, so much for that premonition or whatever that was, the lady, you
00:41:01
know." And then that's how I met Israel and Eugene. >> And then I went to City Kickboxing the
00:41:06
next day after I lost. I sparred with Israel. You know, Eugene's like, "What
00:41:10
are you doing sparring?" Like, "You just got knocked out last night." Like, I
00:41:13
didn't get knocked out. I got TKO'ed, right? I stood back up. [laughter]
00:41:18
Um, and then yeah, like I was sparring of Israel and and and other boys like Carlos and I was doing some jiu-jitsu.
00:41:24
And when I was sparing with Israel, Israel was like, "Um, bro, like I want you to come help me with Pereira. Uh, I
00:41:30
want you to become my training partner." And, uh, he was like, "Actually, he had
00:41:34
me against the wall." And he was like punching me. He's telling me this. So, I
00:41:38
was like, "Oh, thanks, bro." Like, [laughter] you know, I appreciate it.
00:41:42
Um, I said to [snorts] him like, "I don't want handouts, you know, I'll I'll
00:41:45
come off my own dollar. Um, but first things first, like my granddad just had a stroke and he wasn't doing too good
00:41:51
and this is a man that pretty much raised me. So, he's like a father. I said to him, "If my granddad gets
00:41:57
better, I'll come back. If he doesn't, I'm I I can't. I'm sorry." So, Israel
00:42:01
fought Pereira and he lost. Um, I was I moved to City Kickboxing 2 days after that loss and then I was there for the
00:42:08
second camp >> and I've been there ever since. So, it's been 3 years in November on on November
00:42:13
14th. It's been 3 years. >> So, um, so Israel took a like a a shine to you or saw something in you
00:42:20
immediately. What What was it? What did he see in you? I think just uh well, look, I you have to ask him that.
00:42:28
I don't know what he saw in me. But from what I've seen on uh like videos when
00:42:32
he's done little interviews and stuff, I think it wasn't even the skill. I think
00:42:38
it was more because uh he saw that I was a good person and through his eyes and and I can relate to that because um I
00:42:45
don't care how skilled you are. If you're a wanker, I don't want you around
00:42:49
me, >> you know? I don't want you in my corner. I don't want you in my team. So there's
00:42:54
there's a lot of people out there with talent, but if if you if you don't have
00:42:56
a good heart and you're selfish and you're not a team player, then yeah, I
00:43:00
don't want you around me. So maybe maybe it's cuz of my skill. Maybe I did
00:43:04
something that he was impressed by. Maybe it was my size, but I think it was just who I was as a person.
00:43:11
>> Were you were you um in awe when you first met some of these guys? you mentioned before like you were you were
00:43:17
you well aware of who Israel was and then suddenly you're in a gym like fighting with him or he's he's watching
00:43:22
you fight >> 100% like like I said when I was at Riker's gym in Adelaide is a very I
00:43:27
started training in my grandma's gym like the tin shed you know and then I moved to Riker's gym which was basically
00:43:33
the same thing but I had two coaches >> and then we had all these posters on the
00:43:37
wall of Nza Fury and Israel was on heaps of them so I was I used to be there 6:00
00:43:42
in the morning I would wake up and then Um yeah, I'd go [clears throat] there,
00:43:46
Richard will hold pads to me and I'll just be shadow boxing like to warm up.
00:43:50
I'll be watching like Izzy on the posters or John Wayne Pal will be on the posters or Jason Sudi and I would
00:43:55
visualize fighting them, you know what I mean? Or training with them and uh when
00:43:59
I actually met like Israel and and Eugene and Jason Sardi and [snorts] um you know like uh there there's so
00:44:05
many there's so many great like Kiwi fighters as well. So like I just >> I'm not a fanboy of people, but I'm a
00:44:12
fanboy as well. Like after after I first met them, I was like, they're just normal people. You know what I mean?
00:44:18
Like so yeah. And even now when people come up to me, they they I can see how I used to act with like these people that
00:44:25
I put on a pedestal. They they act like that to me now. >> I'm like, bro, I'm just a normal person.
00:44:30
Like just don't be nervous or, you know, like just Yeah. Because people do some
00:44:34
weird stuff. >> Oh man. [laughter] I had a I had a guy I had a guy last week. He like he like stopped and he was
00:44:44
like Brando Brando. He's like, "Can you please sign my t-shirt?" I'm like,
00:44:48
"Yeah, okay." And then I was like to sign his like t-shirt. I'm like, "Bro,
00:44:51
this is really weird." Um, [laughter] and then he he had tears in his eyes.
00:44:55
I'm like, "This is crazy. Why is this why is this go like man crying over me?
00:44:59
Like I'm a nobody. Like it's just weird. It's just like you're putting someone on
00:45:03
a pedestal. I just don't like I I much prefer when people come up to me like,
00:45:07
"Oh, Brando." And they shake my hands like, "Oh, you know, good to see you."
00:45:10
Or, "How are you?" or something like that cuz I like talking to people. I I
00:45:14
do like talking to people. So, >> just treat me like a normal person, please. I don't know how Izzy does it. I
00:45:19
don't know cuz I'm I'm I'm nobody, you know, but I've seen Izzy, he walks
00:45:23
around security guards, >> you know, and he treats everyone with respect and he gives so much time to
00:45:29
everyone. So, >> I need to work my way up to that. >> Yeah. What What do you know about Israel
00:45:34
Adisagna that um the general public doesn't? What can you tell us? >> Um he's just a good person. um in and
00:45:40
out of the cage. And uh people can talk [ __ ] if they want, but yeah, he's one of
00:45:45
my best friends and he's got a good heart and I'm very grateful to have him
00:45:50
as a as a friend. Um just generous and >> yeah, he cares. You know, a lot of
00:45:56
people say they care or they they pretend, but he actually does care. Um a lot of people are fake, you know, in in
00:46:02
in in life in general, not just fight game, but yeah, he's he's a he's a
00:46:07
genuine person. So, and you know what, same with Joey Parker, I was actually like really like when I met when when I
00:46:13
met Joey Parker a few months ago, I'm like, "Wow, like when I grow up, I want
00:46:17
be like Joey Parker, I'm going to become a better person, you know, cuz he was
00:46:21
just a a sweetheart. He was like, yeah, just such a good dude." So, they're
00:46:25
they're the people I look up to, people like that, cuz they're they're you know,
00:46:29
Joe Parker is like, you know, one of the best boxers >> and Israel is one of the best MMA
00:46:34
fighters ever. and they're big, they're masculine, like they're alphas, but
00:46:38
they're just kind loving people. And that's how I've always been. >> I've never liked to be like a show off
00:46:42
or a aggressive person. I'm just I'm myself. I'm loving, caring, but I can
00:46:48
still knock you out >> if I wanted to, you know. >> So, >> I love that. I I know Joseph um pretty
00:46:54
well. I've never met Israel before, but they're Yeah, they're both um
00:46:59
[clears throat] they're both just men in the in the respect that they they're um
00:47:03
they're good at the vulnerability piece. >> Like they're they're good at opening up
00:47:07
and expressing themselves emotionally. Um yet they're savages at what they do.
00:47:11
And I think I think you're much the same. >> I think so. Um >> have you always been good with the the
00:47:16
vulnerability piece, like talking about what's going on, or were you sort of
00:47:19
like a guy that bottled things up? Uh definitely bottle bottle things up for sure. Yeah. Yeah. But I've always been
00:47:27
open as well. Maybe too open so I don't go into details with certain things.
00:47:31
[laughter] End up in jail. >> No no like I'm like I I'm comfortable
00:47:40
like like I know myself. I love myself. And u look I made a lot of mistakes in my life. Um, but I try to be better
00:47:47
every single day. >> And there's no point in me lying or trying to be someone I'm not. And I'm
00:47:53
just, yeah, I'm just happy where I am in life. And, uh, I'm proud of myself. My
00:47:57
family's proud of me. And, um, I don't care what like haters say or think. You
00:48:03
know, there's a lot of heroes online and stuff, but, um, we get one life. I'm
00:48:08
going to enjoy it. I'm going to do the best I can. >> Have you Have you always been able to
00:48:12
say you're proud of yourself? >> No. No, not at all. >> Like I even even up until recently, I
00:48:18
would I would just say cuz I made my UFC debut and I won and all the adversity I
00:48:22
went through for that camp, just just just that camp, you know, not even the stuff before in life. Um I was just
00:48:28
proud of myself that I got through there, you know, cuz I could even see like my coaches were sort of uh worried
00:48:34
for me at one point. Um so I think I I proved them wrong as well. >> Coaches like Eugene and Mike.
00:48:40
>> Ah, no comment. [laughter] >> What What were they worried about? Nah,
00:48:43
no. Just cuz a lot of things happen. A lot of things happened in in my camp. Like they've always got my back, but I
00:48:48
could see they worried, >> you know, and um this is Yeah, I'm getting older and this is pretty much my
00:48:54
only chance to get in >> if I if I lost, you know, like say say if I lost a
00:49:00
Contender Series and there'll be another year, >> I'll probably be too old. So, it was it
00:49:04
was coming down to like the last the last moment of my career, like if if I'm
00:49:08
going to make it or not. And I just had a lot of pressure on me and uh I really just when I won that fight it was just a
00:49:14
relief like I visualized a referee pushing me off and then the crowd roaring and that's exactly what happened
00:49:20
and then just the relief. >> Yeah. >> Incredible. Yeah. When you when you
00:49:25
decided to go all in with um the fighting I believe you wrote down some goals. >> Yeah.
00:49:30
>> Can you remember what the goals were? >> Yeah, I can. I don't want to say it cuz
00:49:33
I don't like uh saying speak [snorts] the the goals before they happen, you know. Um, but like
00:49:38
>> how how many how many were there? >> Oh, there's heaps. There's heaps. And
00:49:40
look, like I seriously I've I've achieved a few of them. Um, but I've
00:49:44
just started like, you know, one of the first goals was to get in the UFC before
00:49:49
31 or before 30, sorry. End up doing at 31 year. But, um, you know, my goal isn't just to be a UFC fighter. It's to
00:49:56
be a UFC champion, be one of the best ever to come out of this country in Croatia, New Zealand, um, Australia. And
00:50:04
you know like it like I like Israel has set a standard. Vulcanoski has set a standard. I want to set my own standard.
00:50:11
You know what I mean? And as the first city kickboxing heavyweight like I want to represent my gym and my country like
00:50:18
well and I want to be a household name, >> you know? So even like now in Croatia
00:50:22
like um the Croatian community has gotten behind me a lot and they're very proud of me just now. So, I can only
00:50:29
imagine when I win a UFC title and defend it and yeah, >> it's going to be unreal.
00:50:34
>> Yeah, you're you're you're a country [ __ ] eh? You got [laughter]
00:50:38
what if you had to put a percentage on it like a pie chart? Like what what percentage of your heart is Croatian,
00:50:43
Australian, and >> I think I think the Polynesians are taking me over as [laughter] well. Got
00:50:46
to out there. Uh yeah, look um I did my ancestry is crazy. I got a lot of a lot of countries
00:50:54
in me. [laughter] Mr. Worldwide. Um, I would say like, yeah. Oh, mate. I identify as a Kiwi now as well.
00:51:04
>> I'm going to get my citizenship and uh get some buy some land for sure.
00:51:08
>> Unreal. >> I love this country. I I'm I keep saying it to my mom and she gets upset, but I
00:51:13
said to her like, I'm going to live the rest of my life in New Zealand. >> Wow.
00:51:16
>> Yeah. I love this country. And even as a young kid like I like when I was like 10
00:51:20
12 years old um I was a fascinated with with rugby and the all blacks and uh I actually
00:51:28
I [snorts] actually used to watch on YouTube the All Blacks. I used to copy them do the hucker and it was so
00:51:34
embarrassing one day I was doing it. I'm not I'm not going to do it. [laughter]
00:51:37
But uh my mom was behind me filming me and when I saw her I jumped about 10 foot in the air and I started crying and
00:51:44
screaming at her and like it's just >> How old are you? I was like uh 10 10 to
00:51:48
12. I don't know. I was young. And um [laughter] thank god thank [snorts] god thank god that my mom
00:51:57
doesn't have that footage cuz that would be so embarrassing. Um [snorts] but yeah
00:52:02
and like I've always had this fascination to cuz I love fishing. I love hunting and like my whole life I've
00:52:08
just been fascinated with New Zealand >> and uh I always wanted to come here and
00:52:12
just build a life, you know, have a nice house on the beach >> and actually you know what there's a
00:52:17
there's a you know Matt Watson the the fisherman. >> Yes. Yeah. Building building the Kiwi
00:52:22
dream. He basically that is my dream what he has is like a nice house in the cove up up the up the north and uh that
00:52:29
is my dream when when I retire. I just want to have a nice house in the water, have my own lands, nice mountains in the
00:52:35
back, and just go launch my boat and go fishing, you know, go diving, have a family. That was my dream as a kid, and
00:52:40
it still is now. So, that's what I want in life. And um yeah, New Zealand's a
00:52:45
place to do it, you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I love Australia. I
00:52:48
love Adelaide where I'm from, but uh my heart has always pulled me towards New
00:52:52
Zealand. And uh yeah. >> Yeah. So, so you move to New Zealand and um you start training with um Eugene and
00:52:59
Izzy and the team at City Kickboxing. Um >> is this when you you you've got no place
00:53:05
to live and you're sleeping in your car? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, >> and what is it? A Toyota Yarus.
00:53:11
>> So, so uh >> what is it? That's like a little old lady's car, eh?
00:53:14
>> No. So, the Yaras was was in New Zealand. So, when I first moved to New
00:53:17
Zealand, um so I saved for 4 years. like I had a house deposit had like 65,000 and I was basically thinking about
00:53:27
buying a house or following my dream. >> And like for me like money money doesn't
00:53:34
mean anything for me. It doesn't bring happiness. I know a lot of rich people
00:53:37
they aren't happy and as long as like like I said before no one's dead. Um I
00:53:41
got food on my plate. I got a roof I'm happy you know I can do what I love which is training and fighting. [snorts]
00:53:46
Um, so yeah, I made a decision to move to New Zealand after meeting Israel and stuff and I was like, well, [ __ ] the
00:53:52
house deposit. I'm I'm going to chase my dreams. So I ended up buying a van um
00:53:58
when I came to New Zealand and I actually toured the South Island cuz that was one of my dreams to go to
00:54:04
Twisel, go fishing and Jason Robinson, my mate that passed away, he actually bought me a trout rod so I can go to
00:54:10
Twel and go catch a salmon. So I went there, caught the salmon, gave it to Eugene as a as a gift for his dad, you
00:54:17
know, his parents, a big massive salmon. And um yeah, I lived in the van for like
00:54:22
2 3 weeks and then um we had the floods and all the crazy weather, you know, >> once in a 100red year flooding was like
00:54:30
every week and our gym was flooded and it was so hard to sleep in the van cuz like the rain was just so loud.
00:54:36
>> And Eugene's like, "What are you doing?" Sleep in the gym. I was like, "All
00:54:39
right, for a couple couple weeks, whatever. And then we ended up training. Um, >> when you say sleep in the gym, like
00:54:47
what? >> Oh, so there was like a there was like an office in the gym. >> Okay.
00:54:50
>> Yeah. You know, we weren't supposed to sleep in there, but he he made room for
00:54:53
me, you know, and then um we ended up going to Sydney uh for Israel's fight >> and um I come back and my van was gone.
00:55:01
>> And it was like it was like, you know, [sighs and gasps] 40 grand basically gone.
00:55:05
>> Um and then yeah, I had to sleep in the gym from from then on. you know, it
00:55:09
wasn't supposed to be a long-term thing. I actually liked sleeping in the van cuz
00:55:13
I saved so hard. I had the money and I bought the van. It was like my dream to sleep in the van, camper life, go
00:55:17
fishing on the weekend, you know, and it's it's not like um >> m like I could see like I was actually
00:55:24
going to sleep in a tent when I first came here. I was like, I'll just get a
00:55:27
I'll get a storage unit for all my all my belongings and I'll just go to a park
00:55:30
and I'll pitch a tent. I don't care. As long as I'm in New Zealand, I'm
00:55:33
training, I'm following my dream, that's all I care about. So yeah, a lot of
00:55:37
things happened and I ended up staying in a gym for a solid year in Mount Eden and then we moved gyms. We went to
00:55:43
Morningside and that was like an empty warehouse and it was like a storage unit upstairs and I ended up staying in the
00:55:48
storage unit. We had no hot water. We had no showers, no toilets. So I I would shower outside with a hose and then I
00:55:55
joined the gym around the corner so I could go like have a hot shower, go toilet and then um
00:56:01
>> Were you shooting at cafes? >> Yeah, I was shooting at cafes. you
00:56:04
[laughter] know, I would go in there my morning guys, you know, I wouldn't wouldn't even order a coffee. Sometimes
00:56:10
I would, but they just thought I was a homeless guy, you know. Um, and they like all the staff were good. Like they
00:56:16
end up talking to them and telling them like, "Look, I'm just, you know, come
00:56:19
here to drop the kids off and uh [laughter] drop the kids off at the pool."
00:56:24
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, nah, it's all good, man. It's just people like like
00:56:28
sleeping on the street properly, you know? Like sleeping in a gym doesn't really affect me. Like Blood Diamond,
00:56:34
>> you do you know Mike Blood Diamond? He was he was sleeping at the old gym, he
00:56:37
was sleeping under the ring. Like it's just a fighter's life, you know? And
00:56:41
that's why I said to you um before uh when I the week before my UFC Perth debut, my lease expired in my apartment
00:56:50
and I was sick of that apartment anyway cuz my my neighbors are real noisy. I'm
00:56:54
only there to sleep. You know, I'm paying 700 bucks a week for a single bedroom studio. This is stupid. So, I
00:57:01
moved out, put my stuff in storage. I was sleeping in the Toyota Aris, which which was Eugene's car back in the day.
00:57:07
I bought off of him. >> They're tiny. And you I don't know if people can see this on camera, but
00:57:11
you're you're you're the biggest dude I've ever had on the podcast.
00:57:13
>> No, Joe Park will be bigger than me. >> No, I think you're bigger than Joy.
00:57:17
>> He's thicker. >> Um >> Yeah. You Yeah. What's that like
00:57:21
sleeping in a car? How long were you sleeping in the Yas for? >> Oh, it was only a week. It was only It
00:57:24
was only a week. just just uh cuz I had a week um from my lease expired until I left for for Perf. And then I was
00:57:31
staying at the Crown Towers. So that wasn't too bad. That was like a nice penthouse suite. I was like, "Oh, this
00:57:36
is better." Um and then when I came back, I was just sleeping in um on mate's couches and stuff until I sorted
00:57:42
out a new van. So I got my new van now and I'm back in the van. It's upgrade
00:57:47
from the last one. And I'm I'm happy. It's all I need. I need somewhere to
00:57:51
sleep. Um I got the the gym I can shower. I can cook at and that's all I need. I just need a simple life and uh
00:57:58
just focus on my goals and my dreams. And like I said to you before, um there's been so much. It's been two
00:58:04
weeks. There's been so much media and just replying to people. I didn't really
00:58:09
have a chance to even think about my fight until the last couple days to sit down and be like, "Wow, I did that."
00:58:15
>> But now it's time to roll on to the next one. So yeah, it's just been
00:58:18
overwhelming and a lot of uh a lot of things have happened. >> Okay. So the um the the the car in the
00:58:24
gym thing, it was sort of like choice, not necessity. >> Uh originally it was it wasn't choice.
00:58:30
Um originally when I moved to New Zealand like you know obviously I bought the car
00:58:35
but it was a more of a financial decision because uh I saw like I used to fix cars, sell them um go to auctions,
00:58:43
buy cars and I used to yeah I used to do a lot of um mechanical work and sell boats and bikes and all that kind of
00:58:50
stuff. So, I saw this car, saw it for a good price. I was actually going to flip
00:58:53
it and try and make some money off of it and then use that to fund my career, you
00:58:56
know what I mean? So, cuz it's it's very expensive to fight. Like, when you're
00:59:00
paying $5, $10,000 for opponent to fight you, you need money coming in. And at that time, I only had a few sponsors as
00:59:06
well. So, I was just trying to figure out ways to make money to to yeah, get these fights, you know. And Eugene did
00:59:12
not believe me when I said it's impossible to get me a fight. He laughed at me. And then after the first year, we
00:59:18
didn't get any fights. We got six pull outs. He's like, "Mate, I don't know
00:59:21
what's wrong with these people. I'll fire you tomorrow. You're useless." You
00:59:25
know, [laughter] so >> why why was it people scared of you? >> 100%. Right.
00:59:30
>> 100%. You know, um >> cuz no no one wants like a a loss, especially not
00:59:34
>> everyone's trying to get to UFC or everyone's trying to win a world title
00:59:38
in kickboxing or something. So like I wouldn't want to fight me either, >> you know? But um yeah, I like I don't
00:59:46
blame them. It's just that's the level. That's the local scene level.
00:59:50
>> That's why I'm happy being in the UFC now because I know people aren't going
00:59:53
to duck and dive me. They don't care about me. They're, you know, everyone
00:59:57
thinks they're going to be able to beat me. So, that's cool. >> You know, I get to fight them now and
01:00:01
prove them wrong. >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> Just back to the car thing and and
01:00:06
living in the gym, how did like how do you you stay positive? Like I I think if that was me sleeping in the car, I think
01:00:12
I'd be really [ __ ] sad. I mean, like, don't get me wrong. Um there's there's a
01:00:17
lot of time cuz you spend by yourself. There's a lot of time that you you do
01:00:21
get like down and stuff and but that's like life in general. Like um you can't
01:00:25
always just be peing and positive. Like you get the the valleys and you get your
01:00:30
the times when you're down and things aren't going right. Um but you just got
01:00:33
to have faith in something, faith in yourself or faith in God or whatever it is to get you through. Like the hardest
01:00:38
time for me was um when I was sleeping at the Mount Eden gym, right? And I had a loss. Um and that loss I should
01:00:50
have won, but I had injuries. I needed a surgery, but I decided to push through because I needed to fight. You know what
01:00:56
I mean? I was just one fight away from the UFC. And then, you know, obviously you had
01:01:01
that loss and then sponsors drop off and then you're sleeping in the gym. you I
01:01:05
was basically in a room quarter of the size of this just with a double mattress and then I had shelves and then you're
01:01:12
there for you're away from your family, your friends, you're you're you're
01:01:16
watching people train downstairs, you can't train um you know you're you just
01:01:21
go through a lot of mental stuff and um that was probably the hardest time for me. Um
01:01:26
>> and yeah, just things weren't going right but it's all a test. It it really
01:01:29
is all a test and you just got to push through and there's better days to come,
01:01:33
you know. Um but I wouldn't I wouldn't change a thing cuz that made me um
01:01:39
realize like I am I am very mentally strong as well and I can get through anything and um because of that I was
01:01:47
determined to get my own place get more sponsors to do other things while I can't walk and I can't do things. So
01:01:54
because of that, I ended up moving out, getting my own apartment, getting more sponsored sponsor deals, and uh just
01:01:59
like improving my mindset, my skill set, and just yeah, just just leveling up everything. So
01:02:05
>> why didn't you give up, >> man? I got no choice. What else am I
01:02:09
supposed to do in life, you know? >> Yeah. Like there's no there's no plan B.
01:02:12
I burnt the boats years ago, [laughter] >> you know what I mean? Like um I I got
01:02:16
expelled from year 10. Um I'm not really educated. Can't go to uni. and do like
01:02:22
I'm actually like dyslexic as well. So like I'm I always struggle to to read
01:02:26
and write and um that's that's another reason why I actually don't speak
01:02:29
Croatian anymore cuz it's so hard to learn. Like I used to speak it I used to
01:02:33
speak it as a kid >> and then I struggled to learn English. So then um my my grandparents stopped
01:02:39
speaking to me in in Croatian and I just learned English and now I don't speak
01:02:42
one language language as you can see. Oh, [laughter] yeah. I think you that's um self
01:02:51
self-deprecating, but um I I I've been finding you very articulate. >> Thank you.
01:02:56
>> Yeah. Um and and I Yeah, I love the way you speak as well in the turn of phrase
01:03:00
and um you know, the the uncensored nature. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um yeah. How do you stay positive with
01:03:07
all those setbacks? >> Um just realize that uh every day is a blessing. even even if it's if it's not
01:03:14
a good day, you know, there's better days to come >> and we only get one shot at this life,
01:03:19
you know. Um and a lot of people have passed away very young and you never know when your time's going to come.
01:03:26
I've seen it with a lot of my mates have passed away. Um I've only got one friend
01:03:30
left from high school basically, my mate Nick. Um yeah, so seeing all those boys
01:03:37
just like disappear, you know, it was very hard and yeah, it's just um just got to be grateful for the smallest
01:03:43
things, you know. >> Um yeah, >> just going back to the um the living in
01:03:49
the gym and living in the car thing. Um like you you're training with some really good lads. Did anyone like offer
01:03:55
you a room or >> Oh, of of course. Um, it's uh it's it's sort of a pride thing as well
01:04:02
cuz I know I've got hundreds of people I can reach out to and be like, "Hey bro,
01:04:06
can I stay on the couch?" Or, "Hey, can I remember you?" But I'm not like that.
01:04:10
I've never been like that. You know, I moved out when I was 16, 17 and uh I fended for myself and um you know, like
01:04:16
even I didn't have to do that. I could have stayed at my grandparents for my
01:04:20
mom and and but I just I just wanted to make my own life and and and learn about
01:04:25
myself and yeah. Um, like don't get me wrong, like when I came back from uh Perf, I reached out to my mate Doug
01:04:34
Viney, my coach or Davo. I slept in their in their spare rooms, you know what I mean? Just for a few nights and I
01:04:40
enjoyed it cuz I I get to spend time with him. >> Um, but yeah, normally normally I don't
01:04:44
do that. Normally I don't do that. >> Are you just really stubborn? >> I wouldn't proud.
01:04:49
>> I wouldn't say stubborn, but it's like um >> Is it a pride thing?
01:04:52
>> Maybe maybe it's pride. [clears throat] Yeah, pride. But uh yeah, I don't know.
01:04:58
It's just >> yeah, can't answer that. I don't know. >> It's a hell of a story.
01:05:07
>> Like it feels like it's the the plot of like a Netflix documentary or something.
01:05:11
>> Yeah. >> You know, I can see you can see how this this this plays out. Um when you reach
01:05:14
your goal and become the world champion. >> Yeah. For me, for me, um, like a very
01:05:19
special moment was, uh, when Richie, my my coach in Adelaide, he was wrapping my
01:05:25
hands before my UFC debut, you know, >> and, um, that was a very surreal moment
01:05:32
for me. And then he was putting the Vaseline on my face before I went into the cage. He's like, "You got this,
01:05:37
bro." And I almost started crying. I was like I was I was thinking to him like,
01:05:40
"Shut the [ __ ] up." [laughter] You know what I mean? Um and then yeah like once
01:05:44
I once I won the fight I did the pukana [laughter] did the pukana and then he was just
01:05:52
standing in front of me I was like what this is like a movie I just gave him a big hug and I said I love you thank you
01:05:57
for everything and then that was that was that was that was a good moment. Yeah that was a good moment.
01:06:02
>> Has life changed in the last couple of weeks since that fight? uh in terms of
01:06:05
recognition and >> Yeah, for sure. Like I've always been stopped on the street and um people
01:06:09
always talk to me and stuff. Uh but obviously with a lot more views on UFC and I've been doing a lot more
01:06:16
interviews and stuff, people recognized me a lot more. So >> I went to Afro last night, Israel's um
01:06:22
event, that was amazing. And I got stopped heaps of photos and even the police like um stopped me for the good
01:06:28
thing. They they said, "Well done. Love your story." They shook my hand.
01:06:31
[laughter] Dude, do you get like a panic attack when the police comes? >> No. No. Cuz [laughter] my cuz my my
01:06:37
stepdad is a detective, you know what I mean? So, he's a he's a really great
01:06:40
man. And um because of him as well, um I was able to move here because if my stepdad wasn't uh as good as he is,
01:06:48
there's no way I'll leave my mom. >> So, he looks after my mom and that's
01:06:51
always been a big relief for me that I don't have to um worry about my mom, you
01:06:55
know? She she's fine. So, like, yeah, he's he's he's amazing. Peter, he's
01:07:00
awesome. >> Awesome. What would your net worth be like right now as we sit here today? My net worth
01:07:06
are you in the negatives or >> Yeah. Yeah. Still still in negatives. Yeah. I I've spent hundreds of thousands
01:07:11
of dollars in my career. Um I've for example I've had I've had close to 30
01:07:16
fights kickboxing and uh MMA and I reckon out of all those 30 fights I would have made
01:07:24
uh I made $20,000 one night. That was the biggest one. That was a eightman tournament. So that was pure profit.
01:07:31
That was cash. That was beautiful. And all of them besides probably two knees of Fury fights, maybe I got 1,000 bucks
01:07:38
for each one of those. All of them went to my opponent. So I I've made nothing
01:07:43
through fighting. And it's all been through my sponsorships. Um people helping me out weekly, monthly, or per
01:07:49
fight. So because of all those beautiful people, they're they're my family now.
01:07:54
That is why I'm here today. And there's so many of them. I can't even mention
01:07:57
all of them. Um just very generous people. And um hopefully now that I'm in the
01:08:03
UFC, I can get some bigger brands on board and because really like I said like I've always wanted to invest in
01:08:09
myself and I want to be the best I can be and you need a team around you to do that. And now I'm in the UFC like I know
01:08:15
I'm only at 5 10% of what I can be. It's time to put that that money into my into
01:08:19
my career and uh yeah getting the right people around me as well and just the right training and just yeah just making
01:08:26
life a bit easier so I can focus on the training cuz it's so there's so much to
01:08:29
do. Yeah, like I'm not we aren't like a NRL or like a football team. Like we
01:08:35
don't have people doing everything for us and we go to the club and everything's provided. We got to do
01:08:39
everything ourselves. >> So it's a very difficult sport to do. >> Yeah.
01:08:44
>> Um obviously you can see um there's a return on investment now for the
01:08:48
sponsors because you're at that certain level. But um the early sponsors, what
01:08:52
was in it for them? Was it just belief in you? >> Nothing. And that's why I'm going to
01:08:55
take them to all the way to to the belt and they're going to sit they're going
01:08:58
to sit ringside and and watch me win that belt because to me that's loyalty.
01:09:02
You know, they people believed in me and they didn't want nothing in return.
01:09:07
Maybe they got a little tax write off. Big deal. You know what I mean? They just wanted to support someone. So, I've
01:09:12
got support from all around the world and um I'm very thankful and um mate, like uh you I used to say to myself,
01:09:20
"Oh, when I get to UFC, I'm never going to let anyone get close to me, you know,
01:09:23
cuz you know, they're just going to use me and stuff." But that's [ __ ]
01:09:26
There's a lot of good people in the world. And um you know, I've met all the
01:09:30
most beautiful people in my life through fighting and I know I'm going to meet a
01:09:34
lot more people as well, >> you know. >> So, >> thanks for these insights. It's
01:09:39
[clears throat] um it's a fascinating career, isn't it? >> Because you know, like from um yeah,
01:09:44
from an outsider's perspective, you see Conor McGregor on his yacht or Israel in
01:09:48
his McLaren. Um but that's not the reality of it, is it? For most fighters. >> No. No, for sure. And mate, even if I
01:09:55
had 10 mil in the bank now, I'll probably still be living in the van because No, I'm serious. Because um
01:10:02
money doesn't bring happiness and money brings distractions. So >> obviously like one day I want to have a
01:10:07
family and and make sure they're looked after. But for me, I don't need nothing.
01:10:10
Like I've >> I've seen the world already and I've I've tasted a lot of uh beautiful food
01:10:16
around the world and I've uh experienced a lot of nice things and I'm just happy
01:10:21
to train like like even traveling I actually get annoyed with it because I just want to train and I want to become
01:10:26
a UFC world champion, you know, and um I'm happiest when I'm by myself. I'm in
01:10:32
the gym. I'm at like like for example I slept at Peeh High last night in my van.
01:10:36
Woke up beautiful like I can hear the ocean. I jumped in the ocean went for a swim and then I came here.
01:10:42
>> You know for me that's happiness. And obviously I miss my family. Um my
01:10:46
grandparents are getting older and my mom and uh it was nice to catch up with them and see them. But uh at the same
01:10:52
time like I've got to be a man and make my own life, you know? Like I I left my
01:10:57
family came here with a suitcase just like my grandparents did. They left Croatia, came to Australia with a
01:11:02
suitcase and they built a beautiful life and beautiful family. So that's what I
01:11:06
want to do here. So >> would you describe yourself as a loner? >> 100%.
01:11:12
>> Yeah. Have you got a partner? >> No. >> No. What? Just don't need a distraction
01:11:16
right now. >> Just don't distractions now, you know? I'm not ready. Like I I've got so much
01:11:20
to achieve and uh I just don't have the time or the energy, you know. Like uh
01:11:26
fighting takes everything, you know. I I like I said, I want to be a world champion. I started fairly late and even
01:11:31
the first 5 years of my career I've wasted. I thought I was training hard. I
01:11:36
thought I I wasn't. So I would say like I'm at 5% of what I can be. >> And and and this this is why I've had so
01:11:43
many people believe in me from the start is because >> they've seen me as um this massive
01:11:49
prospect. He's got a huge career and but they have no idea how much I left on the
01:11:53
table. Like only I realize this now. And that's why Eugene backed me from day one
01:11:58
as well cuz he saw it. >> Um you like Eugene gave me a roof over my head. He when my van got stolen, he
01:12:05
gave me his car, the Yariffs. Eventually I I bought it off of him, but it was a good year I was using it for free.
01:12:11
[laughter] >> He's he's crack up, eh? >> Yeah. >> Is Is it true that um he was he was in
01:12:15
Perth two weeks ago, then he got the night flight back and was back at the gym the next morning?
01:12:19
>> Yep. He is unbelievable. I've never met someone like him. Um, obviously I give
01:12:24
him a lot of [ __ ] but that's just the banter that we have. But no, I love him.
01:12:28
He's he's he's a great man. He'll get up at 4:00 in the morning, go to the gym,
01:12:33
run classes, take PTs. Um, he's he's got a family, four kids, he's got a
01:12:39
business. Uh, he's everyone's mentor, everyone's counselor. Like, he's mate,
01:12:43
he uh he's done a lot for me, you know what I mean? And especially behind the
01:12:48
scenes. So, um I don't know how he does it because I get overwhelmed with the
01:12:52
messages I get from people. I can only imagine being him, >> you know, and I always try to reply to
01:12:57
people cuz you never know who's messaging you, who's not in a good place. Like I've
01:13:02
>> I've spoken to dozens of people, especially young men who are struggling.
01:13:06
And um yeah, just a few words can help them, you know what I mean? Like can can stop them from doing something stupid to
01:13:12
harm themselves or to harm others. And um yeah, it's just yeah, I don't know
01:13:17
how he does it, but I'm I'm doing my best. >> Yeah, there's there's parallels between
01:13:22
you two. Like I'm I'm sure um Eugene's financially secure. Like he's a very
01:13:27
successful businessman. He's done really well. But yeah, drives a [laughter]
01:13:31
you never seen anything other than jandals. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Like just not not uh driven by Yeah.
01:13:38
money at all. Nah, money is money is uh money is just a tool, you know, and it shows you who you are as a person. So,
01:13:45
for Eugene with his money, he's very generous and he's he's helped me out,
01:13:50
you know, he he when I couldn't get sponsorships cuz um uh you I lost a fight and stuff, he put up 10 grand of
01:13:57
his money for my fight, >> you know, like who who does that? What coach does that, you know? So, um yeah,
01:14:03
it's just man, he's uh he's a good man. >> How can you have this relationship with
01:14:10
um like money and the Spartan lifestyle when you when you've had um a taste of
01:14:14
the good life? Like I saw a photo of you I think you went to Florida with Izzy. >> Yeah. Yeah. Miami.
01:14:19
>> Yeah. Miami. Florida. Um with Izzy. And there's a photo of you. Um looks like
01:14:22
you got a silk shirt and a cigar. Yeah. >> Looks like Yeah. [laughter] You look
01:14:26
like an extra from the Hangover movie or something. Well, that that silk shirt was uh I
01:14:32
thought I thought it was a Sachi, right? [laughter] Me and Tyson Pedro and uh Benny Johnson,
01:14:36
we went to uh we just walk in the streets and they have like pop-up stands, all these like nice shirts and
01:14:42
stuff. It was like 20 bucks. I was like, "Oh, you'll grab this." Like it was like
01:14:44
op shop, you know? And then um yeah. No, look, I've I've exp that's that's what I
01:14:50
mean. Like even just the last 3 years, I've traveled the world. I've seen
01:14:53
everything. I've driven nice cars. I've been in nice houses. And I'm just not
01:14:58
interested in um in that. Like I would rather send my grandparents or my mom on like a business class flight to Croatia
01:15:08
so they can go on the island. You know what I mean? >> For me that's better than me going
01:15:12
business class and going like I don't really like give a [ __ ] about it. Like
01:15:16
it's it's uh for for social media especially young people they want they
01:15:20
want someone to um be like a Conor McGregor and stuff but that's just not really me. Like don't get me wrong, I do
01:15:26
show off sometimes and just whatever. But >> what does showing off look like for you?
01:15:31
>> I don't know, driving a G Wagon, you know, like midweek and then having a
01:15:36
coffee and having a nice meal or something or I don't know, like I do a lot of traveling and stuff now as well.
01:15:42
So a lot of people can't do that. They're working 9 to5s and they [clears throat] wish they could do that.
01:15:46
So >> it's it's it's not >> Yeah. But people don't see how much how
01:15:51
much work how many how many years I've been waking up at 2 am and going for a
01:15:55
run by myself going going in the ocean swimming doing recovery going to the weights gym how many like lonely nights
01:16:01
and how many early starts I've had and this is not just the last couple years
01:16:06
this is like 8 years I've been doing this even before that when I was playing
01:16:09
rugby I used to get up at 1 2 a.m. go to the gym and you know I bought a big gym
01:16:14
setup at home and just yeah I was always training so Feels like you're doing some
01:16:20
some unnecessary stuff though. Like I'm thinking um just just going back to sleeping um in your van at the beach at
01:16:25
PHA yesterday. >> Wouldn't have that have been a more enjoyable experience if there was
01:16:29
someone there with you? >> Yes and no. Sorry, I'm just filling out the order. [laughter]
01:16:35
>> Yes and no. >> Yeah. >> I mean um [sighs] like who who who would who would um
01:16:43
>> I don't know. [snorts] A mate or a partner? >> Well, I'm not going to sleep in a van
01:16:46
with a mate. Like what? Me and Eugene [laughter] going to me and Eugene are going to cuddle up in the van. You can
01:16:51
take top bunk. No thanks. [laughter] Sorry, huge. Um, no. Like I I think a lot of people aren't
01:17:01
comfortable being alone. >> They can't handle it because there's there's too much silence and they have
01:17:06
to go >> deep uh dig deep into the inner self. You know, >> mate, I've I've battled my demons. I've
01:17:14
uh I've been to hell and back, you know. What's that saying? you know, the road
01:17:17
to heaven feels like hell and the road to uh hell feels like heaven. >> So, I found just a repeat of that. I
01:17:23
don't know. I have to rewind that. But there's a saying like that, you know.
01:17:26
So, >> yeah, >> the easy the the easy road, you know, it's u you think it's going to be good,
01:17:32
but ends up not being good. >> Yeah, there's a saying I really like. Um
01:17:36
hard choice, easy life. >> Easy choice, hard life. >> That's what I was trying to say. I
01:17:40
haven't had my coffee yet. [laughter] Um, yeah. So, I just I do things that aren't uh easy all the time. And
01:17:48
sometimes just sitting with yourself thinking about the mistakes you've made
01:17:51
or what you can do, what's the next move, it's it's hard. People are
01:17:55
distracted, you know, with social media um with their phones and just hanging around with the wrong people. Like, I
01:18:01
used to do that. I used to hate being alone. So, I would uh hang out with anyone I could, you know what I mean?
01:18:06
And that's not the right thing to do sometimes. Sometimes it's better to
01:18:08
suffer to be by yourself and just to learn about yourself. >> And um yeah, I'm just I can just do it
01:18:16
now. I'm comfortable. Like I go to Ph. have a fire on a beach. I'll jump in the
01:18:19
water. I'll have a feed. I go to sleep. Um I love hiking uh hiking like all the
01:18:26
west coast of New Zealand. So it's just something that I enjoy and it's for my
01:18:29
mind because we train so hard. We need to reset our mind and we need to ground ourselves and just get out the city. You
01:18:36
know what I mean? cuz I like I grew up in a country town. >> I don't like cities. There's too much
01:18:40
noise. There's too many people, too much bad energy there. So, I like to go out
01:18:44
in nature and just uh yeah, connect with it. >> Are you are you worried at all that
01:18:50
you're like if you if you reach your ultimate goal of being the world champion, your life is going to change
01:18:55
so dramatically. [snorts] >> Is that a fear for you? >> Um not really. Um I'm like, don't get me
01:19:03
wrong, I want to be a superstar. So, I want to be a superstar. I want to do some superstar [ __ ] in my life. Um, I
01:19:09
want to make sure that my name is remembered forever and when I have kids that their name is respected as well.
01:19:15
>> Um, but I know as soon as you lose or you retire, no one really cares anymore.
01:19:21
>> So, I'm here to get the belt, make my fame, make my money, meet as many
01:19:27
beautiful people in my life as I can, >> help as many people as I can, and then
01:19:31
just retire and sell off into the sunset. Um whether I open a gym up or I stay at City Kickboxing to help, I don't
01:19:40
know. But uh all I know is my career has just started. I got a good 10 years in me.
01:19:45
>> 9 10 years and I'm just going to do the best I can and uh try to represent all
01:19:50
my countries to the best of my ability. >> Yeah. You've had >> all the islands, [laughter] all the tles
01:19:54
and all sorts, the churros. >> Yeah. You you've had a taste of that um
01:19:59
superstar lifestyle that you're talking about. Like I it doesn't get much bigger
01:20:02
than being in Miami with Israel Adisagna. Um Yeah. Yeah. What does that look like rolling with Izzy after a UFC
01:20:10
fight? >> It just feels normal. >> Yeah. Did you meet anyone cool? I heard
01:20:14
him on a podcast. Maybe it was Flagrant or Joe Rogan and he talked about um Diddy was trying to DM him that night.
01:20:19
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. That was Yeah. Yeah. Um, look, uh, I've just I'm so grateful that I've had
01:20:30
the privilege of being next to him, um, at some of his best wins and even his best like even his losses,
01:20:36
>> you know, cuz, uh, he's never changed as a person. >> And he's just been a really good role
01:20:41
model for me. So, like, when I get to that level, I can handle it. And if I ever need help, like he's just a message
01:20:48
away. And um he's just a [ __ ] like he's he's he's one of a kind, you know,
01:20:53
and uh I know he's going to do great things. Like to see him last night at Afro Soul when he was on the stage and
01:20:59
he was DJing, >> man, he's learned how to DJ in like a couple months. It's crazy. That guy can
01:21:04
do anything he wants to in life. And fighting is just the the first chapter for him. There's so many more chapters
01:21:09
to come. So, I'm just excited to see what he can do. M >> and um yeah,
01:21:14
>> what um what advice would you give someone stuck in the same position as
01:21:18
you were? Say like 24, broke, lost, but dreaming of something bigger. >> Just um don't don't give up on yourself
01:21:26
yet. You know, like you set a timeline for yourself. Like for me, I was like, "Oh, um you know, I'm going to be a
01:21:33
fighter and be a champion by 20." I didn't start training till I was 24.
01:21:38
>> Um so yeah, I would say don't give up on yourself. M um stay away from negative
01:21:43
people. Could be friends or family. Um and get [clears throat] to a gym. It could be any gym. Any mixed martial arts
01:21:49
gym, boxing, kickboxing, mate. If you like karate, do karate. Who cares? Um just get to a gym and start training. Uh
01:21:57
learning how to be disciplined, learning how to control your emotions, and it it
01:22:02
humbles you. You know, I remember my first jiu-jitsu session, I had this guy was like 60 kilos, and he just pinned me
01:22:08
down and like submitted me. I was like, "How's this possible? I'm 135 and he
01:22:13
just destroyed me." So, it really humbled me. Um, so I'll just say get to
01:22:16
a gym and um yeah, just just train, you know, like get off the streets. Uh, man, like this like for example, the
01:22:26
walk without fear trust we have. >> There is a massive culture here and it's
01:22:31
not good. And it's basically street violence. You know, >> everyone thinks they're tough for having
01:22:36
fights in the street >> and uh it's not. It's not, you know, you're you're you're potentially going
01:22:42
to kill someone um whether you like it or not. We think about it or not. And um for example, uh one of our teammates,
01:22:49
Falvak, >> got uh coward punched, got punched from behind and he died. And everyone's lives
01:22:57
have have changed forever. All his family, friends, the gym is is never going to be the same again. And it was
01:23:03
just stupid. It wasn't necessary. Mhm. >> Um so now with the walk without fear
01:23:07
trust, we are trying to educate uh school kids um and youth about the effects of this. So um yeah, we're
01:23:16
trying to raise funds so we can travel around to schools and do mentorship programs and just educate people that,
01:23:23
you know, like it's not good to hit someone from behind. You're going to
01:23:26
kill them. And the law, we're trying to get the laws changed because in Australia, if you hit someone from
01:23:30
behind, you're trying to kill them. you you're going to go out to jail for 10
01:23:34
years. >> F the guy that hit F got 6 months of home detention I believe and that was
01:23:39
and that was during co >> like when everyone was on bloody home D. >> So um yeah it's just tragic and it's
01:23:46
it's it's not um it's it's just yeah it's disgusting. So >> were you were you at City Kickboxing
01:23:53
when when all this went down or did you come after that? >> I came after that. I was I was planning
01:23:58
on coming but it was during sort of co so um >> you were well aware of the like the
01:24:02
massive ripple effect it had >> 100%. So even when I won the uh the the tough man tournament in uh Queensland I
01:24:09
won that 20,000 I donated money to to the gym because I was so like I was so I was affected. I didn't even I didn't
01:24:18
even know like I I fought I fought in the same card as FO and Ana Fury in Hamilton. M
01:24:24
>> that was actually my second professional fight. I remember seeing him in the
01:24:27
corner with with his brothers uh John and and James Vake and just I just saw them once and then when I heard about
01:24:35
him passing away man like I actually cried. So um like I donated some money to the cause
01:24:42
>> and I would appreciate anyone who supports u me to to to go to walk without fearust.org and support the
01:24:49
cause um because we are trying to raise money. We've got a raffle going on now.
01:24:53
It's uh we're we're selling tickets for this BMW. Um Israel and Eugene um are
01:24:59
behind it with all the USC fighters. So, we are trying to raise money for this so
01:25:03
we can travel around New Zealand, educate uh the children, >> the youth, and just just get these laws
01:25:09
changed because it's so important to us. Um we don't want another family to
01:25:12
suffer um to lose a son, a father, um a brother, and it's yeah, it's uh street
01:25:19
violence is is is not good. Go to a gym, get your frustrations out in the bag, >> and if you want to really be a tough
01:25:25
guy, >> be disciplined, listen to your trainer, and have a fight, a proper fight in in a
01:25:30
cage or a ring, you know, not on the street. >> I I [snorts] love how it's been um it's
01:25:35
been a slow process, but it's been, you know, reframed here >> um from um king hit to coward punch cuz
01:25:41
it it is it's a coward act. >> Yeah. Yeah. And and I've got a big scar
01:25:45
on the back of my head from from getting hit from behind. And um man, like I'm a
01:25:50
big dude. I'm 6'5. Like I was 150 kilos at one point. And when I got hit, it was
01:25:56
by a small small guy. And uh like I I got dropped. And uh I could have died as well. I could have hit my head on the
01:26:02
ground. >> And it's just for what, you know, cuz cuz you're you're drunk or you think
01:26:06
you're tough or you're >> you can't handle your emotions. So it's
01:26:10
just it's just it's very cowardly. >> Yeah. >> Well, thanks for sharing that stuff.
01:26:15
Appreciate it. >> Thank you. What's your what's your inner voice like? Your inner critic. Are you
01:26:19
quite kind to yourself? >> I am. I am. And uh I back myself fully. It never used to be like that. I used to
01:26:25
be very negative. >> And Tyson and Pedro um he actually used to get me to say six positive
01:26:31
affirmations a day [laughter] cuz I used to be very negative. Um but I'm very kind to myself and I I know
01:26:38
that I'm a good person and yeah, I know what I can do. So um I've changed the
01:26:43
the inner monologue for sure. six positive affirmations like sort of things you're grateful for.
01:26:49
>> Grateful for. Yeah, that was the start of it. So, and then even just like
01:26:52
backing myself like Izzy always says to yourself like back yourself, you know, feel yourself. And that's what I did
01:26:57
when I fought. I don't know if you saw the fight, but when I walked out, mate,
01:27:01
I there was no there was no fear there. It was just joy. I I used to have more fear fighting on local shows cuz all the
01:27:08
pressure is like, "Oh, if I don't win this fight, it's like another year
01:27:10
before I get in the UFC." But now I'm in the UFC, there's no pressure. I I said
01:27:14
to myself all I had to do in my life was get to the UFC and the rest of it will take care of itself,
01:27:20
>> you know. So, yeah. >> What are your best and worst habits? >> Best habit
01:27:30
>> is I don't give up >> and I I always persevere and I've been
01:27:33
in some real bad situations and I've just got this uh I got this thing in my
01:27:39
head where it's like I've burnt the boats. there is I have to go forward. I
01:27:44
can't go back, >> you know. So, uh I can get through a lot. Uh worst habits will probably be my
01:27:51
diet. [laughter and gasps] I do love a feed. Um >> like what what's what's your guilty
01:27:56
pleasure? >> Oh, give me a terry mass. I love a terry mass. I love sweets. I love like a nice
01:28:03
cake and a coffee. Um but yeah, I just I just >> That's not the end of the world, is
01:28:07
that? Like so bad. >> I used to be 150 kilos, you know. So, I got to tighten the rig up a little bit,
01:28:13
you [laughter] know, trying to trying to trying to get some muscles like uh Joe Parker.
01:28:18
>> Oh, yeah. He's looking good. >> He's looking great. And George, he works
01:28:21
with George Lockhart. >> Yes. I had him on the podcast. >> Yeah. Yeah. He's he's good, man.
01:28:25
>> Yeah, he is. >> Um, when was the last time you you cried? >> Well, last time I cried before I came on
01:28:32
this podcast. >> This morning. >> Yeah. >> What about [sighs] >> uh hit my toe? [laughter]
01:28:38
Hit my toe on the rocker. mate, there's a few swear words in there, a few sea bombs.
01:28:47
>> Uh, but no, serious in all seriousness, uh, it would be when I spoke to my mom
01:28:50
after my fight. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Cuz, uh, I could see how Well, she was crying and I was trying to
01:28:57
be like strong and stuff and Yeah. It's It's hard It's hard to hear people I
01:29:02
love say they're proud of me. You know what I mean? Like, it's like um >> But it's nice. It's nice.
01:29:07
>> Why is it hard? I never used to hear it growing up, you know what I mean? So to hear it now as a
01:29:11
31y old man, it's just uh not normal for me. And uh it's like there's two things
01:29:17
I I can't really accept. I'm trying to get better at it is like gifts and
01:29:21
compliments. >> You know what I mean? But I'm getting better. >> I got given a nice cigar the other night
01:29:26
and I took it. I enjoyed it last night in Phar. So that was that was that was that was great.
01:29:30
>> Who gave you the cigar? >> Uh one of my sponsors. Um they're into
01:29:34
their cigars. I don't smoke, but I thought stuff it might as well have a victory cigar.
01:29:39
>> 100%. What What are you most afraid of? >> Oh, most afraid of >> I reckon I can answer this for you.
01:29:47
>> All right. >> Not reaching your potential. >> That's the one.
01:29:52
>> Yeah. >> Yeah, that's the one. Yeah, for sure. And uh just just um
01:29:59
>> just leaving stuff on the table, you know what I mean? Because I've seen it
01:30:02
with my uncle. He was a great boxer. I think he was 10 and one as a boxer. He had a family and then um yeah, he looked
01:30:10
after his parents. Parents got sick and um man up until 50. He's he's like 52
01:30:17
now. He was so he was so gift I think he could have won a world title up until 50. He was amazing. Just very good
01:30:24
genetics and I get my genetics from him obviously as well. So um yeah, I just I just wanted to um I want to do this for
01:30:32
him as well, you know what I mean? because I can see how much joy it brings him seeing me succeed and uh yeah but no
01:30:37
you hit the nail on the head for sure. >> Do you have any regrets? >> Um I used to I used to
01:30:46
I don't think I have any regrets anymore >> because uh everything happens for a
01:30:51
reason and it's made me who I am today. Yeah. >> One regret I would say I still have is
01:30:57
um Yeah, probably like probably my cousin, you know, I think I could have done more
01:31:02
to help him. >> M >> but that's probably that's probably about it. Yeah. Yeah.
01:31:08
>> Did he take his own life? >> Uh don't know. >> Don't know. But um from what we know
01:31:16
like he had a heart attack and um yeah it's it's hard to say like >> you know I could talk about that uh just
01:31:24
a little bit. Um, so he used to live with me and um, uh, yeah, we had a big fight one night
01:31:32
and for a few reasons and I gave him option um, you know, change your life or you can basically get out and then he
01:31:40
just decided to move and um, yeah, we had a falling out, try to get back in contact and stuff and then he was
01:31:48
hanging around the wrong people and then I went there and uh, tried to make peace
01:31:51
and stuff and then the people he was hanging around um weren't good people and uh I threatened them basically and I
01:32:00
said if you ever do that to my cousin you're done whatever. Anyway, long story
01:32:05
short, um we we had a falling out and uh yeah, never really got back in contact properly again and he had the he left a
01:32:15
flag at my house and um went to go give that flag back to him and the uh [ __ ] [snorts]
01:32:25
And basically uh yeah uh I went to his house and I kept driving cuz I just didn't
01:32:36
feel like it, you know. And um [ __ ] 2 days later he was found dead >> um by his uncle, but he was there for
01:32:46
like 3 or 4 days. So I think if I went there like I would have found him. But yeah, I just I just felt uh Yeah, just
01:32:56
felt responsible. Yeah, >> but that's my only regret. >> Yeah. >> [ __ ] You're a good bastard, eh? You
01:33:09
really wear your heart on your sleeve. >> What are there three >> [ __ ] questions, mate? [laughter]
01:33:15
>> [ __ ] you is going to erase me now. Yeah. [gasps] What three words would you like um Yeah.
01:33:22
[snorts] Say say your um your mom and your grandparents were in the next room and
01:33:28
they were talking about you behind your back. What three words would you like them to use to describe you?
01:33:33
>> Um [sighs] my mom mate my mom picked me up from uh the lock house the you know we get the watch
01:33:42
house where we call it >> the holding cells. the holding cells when I was like 18, 19 and she just
01:33:49
looked at me and she basically laughed and she said, "You're just like your
01:33:52
dad." >> Um, like she she just loves me so much. You know what I mean? Um, but yeah, I I
01:33:59
couldn't do anything wrong in my mom's eyes. Um, but yeah, my my family would
01:34:04
say that I'm very generous, very loving, very caring. >> Um, especially when it comes to like
01:34:09
older people, you know, yeah, tend to look after them. Apart from that old lady on the beach that you told to [ __ ]
01:34:16
off. >> Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. Basically, basically. I I would actually love if
01:34:21
she ever sees uh sees this, I would actually love for her to contact me cuz uh >> I I got so many questions asked her
01:34:28
>> cuz I was never really into like >> that kind of spiritual stuff and just
01:34:33
there was so many >> so many things that she said and I just it was so random and uh really really
01:34:39
threw me off and uh >> yeah, if it wasn't for that like mate, who knows who knows where I'll be.
01:34:47
>> There's that saying everything happens for a reason. Yeah, it seems like there
01:34:49
was a lot of crazy [ __ ] going on that day. Like from the the gun not working to this chance meeting at a beach.
01:34:56
>> Yeah. >> You meant to be here. >> Yeah. And wasn't your time.
01:34:59
>> It wasn't my time. And uh like I said, I've had a lot of second chances in
01:35:03
life. And uh I know my purpose now. I know who I am. >> I've worked very very hard to get to
01:35:09
this point. And I'm proud of myself. And uh I know I can help a lot of people in
01:35:13
in my lifetime. So that's what I want to do. Um, I started fighting for myself,
01:35:17
but now I'm fighting for for a lot more. >> Yeah. >> What's next? When's the next fight?
01:35:23
>> The next fight, I wish it was in October, November, December. I don't
01:35:27
know. Um, I had a few call outs that I wanted to make. >> Um, [snorts] but yeah, I'm going to fight whoever the
01:35:35
UFC give me. Um, when I've when when I when I have had a proper job, I've been
01:35:40
the best worker. So, I've uh [laughter] now I've got a proper job. Um I'm just
01:35:46
going to listen and uh yeah, I'm going to perform, put a show on for the crowd.
01:35:50
>> That's it. [snorts] >> So, hopefully in the next sort of 6 months to a year, you'll be on a UFC a
01:35:55
big UFC card somewhere. >> 100%. It would be it'll be less than 6 months for sure.
01:35:59
>> Um I'm hoping by December. So, >> what would that pay? Any idea of what
01:36:04
sort of pay scale? >> Yeah. Yeah. Um mate, I've been fighting for free. I've been paying to fight. So,
01:36:09
I don't give a I don't give a [ __ ] if they give me $1,000. I am happy to be in
01:36:13
the UFC. I'm happy to be fighting >> and I plan to get a bonus every time I
01:36:18
fight cuz that bonus does help. >> Um, and yeah, I just m I'm not like I'm
01:36:23
not doing this for money. >> Like the money will come. >> Um, I know I'll be there and that's
01:36:28
fine, but I am doing this to prove myself right and uh a lot of others wrong as well.
01:36:34
>> So, not that I care what they think, but it's just nice to, you know, have a
01:36:37
little dig. [snorts] Use Yeah. Use your haters as motivators. >> Yeah. >> Um Yeah. There's a saying I really like,
01:36:43
do what you love and the money will follow. >> Yeah. And that's what I've done, you
01:36:46
know. Um I've turned down a 180 grand job in the mines uh before I came to New
01:36:51
Zealand, you know. >> Mhm. >> You can give me half a million dollars a
01:36:55
year. If it's not doing this, I don't want to do it, >> you know. Um and look, I was great at
01:37:01
rugby as well, you know, and I didn't even train for it. I was just naturally
01:37:04
talented and gifted. and even rugby like I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do cuz
01:37:09
it is a team sport and I'm a very isolated uh individual and I don't like
01:37:14
to rely on people. I like to rely on myself. So yeah. >> Do you think you're ever going to be
01:37:19
able to let someone in? >> 100%. I've let a lot of people in. Like don't get me wrong, my circle is very
01:37:24
tight, >> but there's there's a good 50 people in there. Like I got a lot of I got a lot
01:37:29
lot of friends and family and uh and yeah, >> can't let everyone in, >> you know, but there's a lot of people
01:37:35
around me for sure. >> Hey, well, thanks so much for coming on the podcast today. This is this has been
01:37:40
a lot of fun. How's it been for you, >> mate? It's been amazing. I really
01:37:43
appreciate you uh spending time with me and giving me opportunity and uh yeah, look forward to the next one,
01:37:49
>> mate. Yeah, 100%. Let's do this again. >> Um I'm super inspired, mate. like um
01:37:54
yeah, you you've obviously got this natural talent, but um just a crazy amount of hard work to back it up as
01:38:00
well. >> Yeah. And and that's the secret recipe, you know, like um I know I'm naturally
01:38:04
gifted, but I've worked bloody hard and uh it's just the start, you know. Um I
01:38:10
got a long career ahead of me. I'm not perfect now, but we're always trying to
01:38:14
get better. So, yeah. >> Where are you off to after this? Where's the van going?
01:38:18
>> Uh the van is going to go to the gym. I'm going to train and I'm probably
01:38:22
going to get dinner tonight with uh Tyson Pedro. He's here for for a night or two. So, I'm going to enjoy a nice
01:38:29
meal with him >> and then I'll probably head to a a local park or a beach or something. There's
01:38:35
actually a there's a there's a guy sauna collective NZ. He sets up a sauna down I
01:38:41
think Milford Beach >> and you jump in the sauna, jump in the ocean. So when that's on, I'll be
01:38:46
parking the van there, having a session cuz I love that, you know, jump in the ocean and have a nice sauna. It's
01:38:52
beautiful. >> Well, the Bulan beer, [laughter] this has been amazing, mate. And I'm I'm so
01:38:57
excited to see what the future holds for you because I've got absolutely no doubt
01:39:01
after meeting with you and sitting with you that all the goals that you wrote down on that sheet of paper all those
01:39:05
years ago are going to come to fruition. >> Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. And
01:39:09
uh please guys, if you can go to walkofourfeartrust.org and support the cause. Um, yeah, it just
01:39:16
mean a lot to us at City Kick Boxing and to myself. So, thank you, Dom. >> Cheers, Brando. Great place to end it.