00:00:00
Where I come from, there is no UFC. There's no MMA. >> If we ask them what they what we thought
00:00:04
you'd become, what do you think they would say? >> No way. You know, there's no there's no
00:00:07
way. And so sold everything I had. I done everything I could to set myself up for this dream. I become like the
00:00:14
ultimate loner. Like I was like just a lone man on a mission. >> A lot of fighters say that the sport
00:00:19
saved them in some way. Did MMA save you in any way? Did you need to be saved? >> I got smashed by a dude that was like 60
00:00:25
kilos. Like he just absolutely battered me. My nose was bloody. I went in the car and I thought I was about to cry. If
00:00:31
you've come this far, like you might as well keep going on. Actually, this was
00:00:35
um him talking about you on the Joe Rogan experience. If you think he's like
00:00:38
me now, I think he's better than me. The next version, when they call you the
00:00:41
next best thing, does it motivate you or does it weigh on you? What What is the worst? You've been hurt.
00:00:46
>> Never actually been knocked out before. Everything just slows down for me when
00:00:50
I'm fighting. See you things coming at me slow motion. >> Do you remember the exact moment when
00:00:53
you finally reached that UFC goal? You know, I broke into tears and I just couldn't believe like, you know, I did
00:00:59
it. And I was just saying like, man, I did it. I made it. Like, I was right this whole time.
00:01:04
>> When you picture the absolute peak of your career, >> that bout is inevitable.
00:01:10
>> Navajo Sterling, welcome to my podcast. >> Yes, thank you. Thanks for having me,
00:01:14
>> mate. It's um it's great to have you here. We're recording this just to time
00:01:18
stamp it uh late on a Friday afternoon um going into Friday evening and it's
00:01:23
two weeks away from your UFC fight in Seattle. >> Yes. Yes, that's the one.
00:01:28
>> So you you're deep in you've just come from training literally.
00:01:31
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just come from training. My last session of the day on
00:01:34
the Friday come uh yeah be my fourth fight in the UFC now. So I'm getting it.
00:01:41
I'm getting there. I'm getting my numbers up, getting my resume up. Um, and yeah, that'll be in two weeks. Uh,
00:01:48
fighting on the same card as Israel, Adisagna, Style Bender, which is a pretty cool bucket list moment for
00:01:55
myself. >> And yeah. Yeah. First one of the year. >> And you guys, you and um Izzy are both
00:02:02
getting paid the same amount to be on this card. >> Uh, definitely not. No, I'm not. I'm not
00:02:06
on the style vendor paper yet, but I would like to be. And um, yeah, my time will come, I guess.
00:02:12
>> Yeah. So, what does training look like today? You you said you've just finished
00:02:16
your um your your last training, which suggests to me it's not the first one.
00:02:20
>> Yeah. Yeah. So, we do depending on which day it is, multiple sessions in a day.
00:02:25
It's the life of an MMA athlete. Um so, yeah, just starting off this morning,
00:02:31
the pad work. Uh and then followed by that we got the MMA team training and then we have like a little bit of a rest
00:02:39
and then we come back and do like a conditioning in the evening. But I also had to do like instead of the rest
00:02:44
midday, I had to do some stuff um some filming and shooting uh which was you know bit of drag. Bit of a drag but yeah
00:02:52
it's just the whole but it's all a part of it being an MMA athlete and yeah
00:02:58
finished off my third session right before coming here and so yeah I try to fill up my time and make use of every
00:03:05
bit of hour of the day. >> Yeah. >> Why didn't you cancel this podcast? If I
00:03:10
was I'm such a flake. If I was in US, I would have canceled it. It's Friday
00:03:13
afternoon. You've had a big day. >> No, man. Well, you know, if you want to
00:03:17
be a champion, man, you got to get used to all of that. Uh, that's what that's
00:03:21
what happens when you become a title fighter. You know, everyone you're doing
00:03:25
like backtoback interviews and sessions on fight week and everything. So, I see this stuff as practice um for that
00:03:34
moment, just being in front of the camera. um where I come from like you know there is no cameras or podcasts or
00:03:43
nothing and that was when I first started getting into this kind of stuff it was a real like eye opener like it
00:03:49
was like quite quite of a shock like I was come from like you know your typical Kiwi background where everyone tries to
00:03:56
just it's quite okay like just going under the radar I think but in this sport and the American you know audience
00:04:03
the UFC man you can't you can't uh slide under the radar. You kind of have to
00:04:08
make yourself known and yeah, that's that's what the way I see it is practice.
00:04:14
>> Yeah. You know, I feel like the um not the sport you're in in particular, MMA,
00:04:17
but the um the competition you're in UFC, you you can't just be good. You
00:04:21
have to be engaging. You have to be, you know, you look at like Patty Pimpblelet
00:04:25
or Dan Hooker or Izzy. Um all those guys, they're um they're engaging and
00:04:29
they're exciting to watch at the weigh-ins and stuff. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's a that's a thing
00:04:34
that's like you could have two of the best fighters in the world. Like I'm
00:04:38
talking, you know, the best dudes and if if you don't if you put them in front of
00:04:45
an audience of people that didn't know anything about the sport, they wouldn't
00:04:49
know what they're watching, right? But you get let's say you have two people
00:04:52
that everyone knows and they might not be as good, but it's a good fight. They
00:04:57
put it that in front of everyone. I guarantee everyone will find that like so much more interesting just because
00:05:04
they know the backstories or you know how funny this these guys are or the buildup the rivalry. um people enjoy
00:05:10
that and yeah engagement and stuff is a whole part of um being in the UFC and you know being a star or finding your
00:05:19
thing and yeah really trying to ride with that and put it to the people and that's how you're remembered by the fans
00:05:26
and how you know you stick around and people love you >> and have you got a name yet like a stage
00:05:31
name like hangman or >> I don't have a stage name um yeah I go just by Neo Sterling Um,
00:05:40
I've I've seen some some people call me like the silverback and yeah, I think uh
00:05:46
I heard on uh Eugis one when he I think you did the podcast with you called he calls me at the gym the supreme
00:05:53
commander. So that's the one I actually run with at the moment as my gamer tag
00:05:59
when I'm playing the game is supreme commander. But yeah, I think that was just a bit of a joke sort of thing. So
00:06:05
yeah, >> nav man. Nav Man. I've heard the Nav Man, the Navigator. I don't know. I've heard it all.
00:06:14
>> Navman GPS. Great. >> Great. Power Strike is Power Strike. >> Yeah. Find in the chin. No, I don't
00:06:21
know. >> Um I suppose Well, do you is it important to have a name like that or
00:06:25
not particular? >> No, I don't think so. I think I've come a long way. I think my because my name
00:06:29
is quite unique anyways. Navajo. Um a lot of people are like, "Oh, that name
00:06:33
stands out anyway." So yeah, I haven't really found my ring name yet, but yeah,
00:06:40
see what happens. >> Hey, um I um curated a bit of information of other people talking
00:06:45
about you. First of all, I um I sent a DM to Bruno Lopez, who's your opponent,
00:06:50
really in Seattle. Yeah. >> And I said I've got um Nav coming in for a podcast. Any any voice notes or
00:06:55
messages to pass on? >> And um he just sent me um uh this message. I >> think he's a Brazilian guy. Yeah. So
00:07:02
>> I'm So maybe he wrote it in Brazilian and then translated. It's very short.
00:07:06
>> I'm going to give you your first defeat. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I see.
00:07:10
>> How does that make you feel? Does that Does that make you feel nervous or
00:07:13
>> I mean that's what everyone's going to be thinking coming up to me. So I mean
00:07:17
I've lost in sports before and and fighting before, but yeah, I don't see
00:07:22
how he's going to do that. Um I'm in probably the best shape I've been in
00:07:27
since being in the UFC and I'm looking to make a statement. So, I'm coming to
00:07:32
finish this guy. >> He's going to be my first finish in the UFC. So, that's um yeah, I'm I'm really
00:07:39
I'm really ready for it. >> What do you mean your first finish? As >> just like finishing the guy maybe by
00:07:45
knockout or submission, >> right? >> I've You've done that before though.
00:07:49
>> Yeah, I've done it before. Um but at the at the moment in the UFC, I've I've had
00:07:53
uh some decision decision wins. I've I've been dominant in most of my fights.
00:07:58
Um, but yeah, I think this guy's going to be the one where I put up um a crazy
00:08:04
performance and really get like a devastating finish. >> Uh Dana White uh from the UFC talking
00:08:12
about you. I've got a quote here. Sterling looked incredible. He's a true
00:08:15
light heavyweight and he did impress me tonight. I'm interested. I want to see
00:08:19
what he can do in the UFC. when you've obviously heard that quote. You've seen
00:08:22
that video of him talking about you. When when this is your dream for like 10 years to get into the UFC and then the
00:08:29
head of the UFC says that about you, how's that moment? How does that feel, >> man? It just it kind of just reaffirms
00:08:35
like everything that you've been working towards and you know, like I've prior to
00:08:40
being in the UFC, I you know, I'd watched it. I'd studied so much footage.
00:08:45
I knew I knew I was good and and I never had the fights to really um like really
00:08:50
show to people like hey I I can do what I preach like I I can I know I'm good
00:08:56
and I can beat these guys and I'd been overseas with Israel and that and I'd
00:09:00
been in the back corner rooms. I've watched these guys warm up like you know
00:09:05
guys of my weight class man like if I fought that dude I'd crush him and and
00:09:10
he's like a I don't know top 15 like heavyweight or something >> and yeah every fight man I would just
00:09:16
keep knocking them down keep keep adding up the wins and to then finally have Dana say that like you know he he looks
00:09:25
the part he is the part. Um, that's that's everything I was going for, you
00:09:29
know, because I would look at, you know, the way my build was compared to other light heavyweights, like I feel like I
00:09:34
really fit the weight class to the its full potential. Um, and and I had the skills to back it up. So, not just the
00:09:42
athleticism, but yeah, the skill set. And yeah, I'm only proving that now. Um,
00:09:48
while being in the UFC, I've had a strong start and I can't see anyone at
00:09:53
the moment that can knock knock me off my path. Do you remember the exact moment when you finally reached that UFC
00:09:59
goal? >> Yeah. Yeah. I >> Do Do you get a phone call or an email? >> So, basically I had one I knew the
00:10:07
contenders show was coming up and that usually starts around like July, April. Oh, sorry, July, August. And yeah, I
00:10:15
just finished my second fight in two two months. I fought in May and June. And in
00:10:20
my the fight in June, I fought a guy that had just come off PFL circuit, which is like the opposing um league to
00:10:28
UFC at the moment. And this guy was coming in basically ready to destroy. Like he was the top guy before he left
00:10:35
to PFL. And um a win over him would be like, "Hey, I'm I'm like the best guy,
00:10:42
like the best guy on this side of the world outside of any promotion." >> And when I beat him, I beat the brakes
00:10:48
off him. like I really I really smashed him up and got a big devastating finish.
00:10:53
I made sure I it was fanatic so that everyone watching would be like, "Whoa,
00:10:57
this guy's like really good. He's next up." And yeah, I just called out called
00:11:01
out for Mick Maynard um who was the he's one of the matchmakers for the UFC. I
00:11:07
was calling him out, you know, just emotions running high and you know, I never he actually followed me back on
00:11:13
Instagram after that and I was like, you know, I was like, "Oh, wow." Oh, you
00:11:17
know, like maybe something's going on. I didn't get a message or anything, but
00:11:20
yeah, time went and you know, huge was like, "Oh, you know, I think he said he
00:11:25
set me up like Huge Huge did. He was like, "Oh, you know, uh, we'll probably
00:11:29
look to try try it next year." You know, we'll just keep getting you fights and
00:11:35
um, you know, we'll build you up and get you ready for the UFC and stuff. So, I
00:11:39
was kind of like, okay, like, well, my I usually always go into like a optimistic
00:11:45
mindset. I'm like, "Okay, that's all good. I can work on getting more
00:11:49
fights." Um, I was just more so panicking about um people to fight cuz that was always my problem was that I
00:11:56
was too good for guys on the local scene that coaches and managers um would be like, "No, this guy's too good. Like,
00:12:02
we're not we're not fighting him, you know, he's too scary or whatever." And
00:12:06
that's why I always wanted to be in the UFC cuz I was like, "Well, if no one
00:12:08
wants to fight me, like where else should I go? What other place would match me up?" And um yeah, basically I
00:12:16
was just like sort of panicking and then um I was finished the training session and uh huge basically called everyone
00:12:23
around. I was like, "Right, everyone, we got like some things to talk about."
00:12:27
And, you know, he was getting real deep and I'm just sitting there like, you
00:12:32
know, I'm like zoned into what he's trying to say. And, uh, huge does this
00:12:37
very well, but he always talks with long pauses and suspenses is something I've
00:12:45
noticed about him that really engages you to focus in what he's about to say.
00:12:51
So he'll like pause and then he'll like look around and then he's like like kind
00:12:56
of like he's about to say something and you like hurry up and say it and then
00:13:01
he's like never steering welcome to the UFC and everyone just you know starts
00:13:06
going off and they filmed it and that and I was like I was trying to process everything that he was saying and
00:13:12
everyone was like you know cheering and haring and you know even Izzy was getting he was getting emotional and and
00:13:20
the bulkan beer and stuff like that. All my teammates are just getting like, you
00:13:23
know, emotional for me and I was just like in complete shock and I think after I kind of take a while to process my
00:13:32
emotions like I never feel anything um immediately. I think it's just the way I
00:13:36
am. But I went home and I was like, you know, just sitting there because I didn't see the the footage and then they
00:13:44
posted the footage like later in the evening and I was like I watched it. Um and I was like I just broke into tears,
00:13:53
>> you know, I broke into tears and I just couldn't believe like you know I did it
00:13:58
and I was just saying like man I did it. Like I I did it. I made it. like I was right this whole time, you know, I was I
00:14:05
would people thought I was crazy everywhere. Like where I grew up, I I told everyone like I had aspirations of
00:14:12
being in UFC and then where I come from that that's there is no UFC, there's no
00:14:16
MMA, there's nothing people like they always are proud of you and what you do
00:14:23
and they're like, man, you know, good on you for going for what you going for
00:14:27
what you believe in, but they never really believe like that you're going to
00:14:31
do it. they just like, oh, you know, good on him for trying that. Good on him for trying. But then if people if you
00:14:36
were to ask them honestly like, do you think he'll make it? They'll be like,
00:14:40
no, no way. You know, there's no there's no way. And so I was thinking like, no,
00:14:45
I did do it. And I was so emotional. And I think I boosted I have a I run a stream as well, like I stream on Twitch,
00:14:53
gaming, and sometimes talking to like my fan base. And I'd built up a big fan
00:14:58
base through that uh streaming. And I went live and I had to wear shades on the live because I had like teary eyes
00:15:06
and I was just kicking off a massive party and people were like donating like loads of subs and money to me and it was
00:15:14
insane. And like I just remember being so overwhelmed and I was on the live stream and I was I remember I had a lot
00:15:20
of haters and stuff that had said I'd never make it. And so when I went on the
00:15:24
live and I was just saying, you know, I did it. I felt like because I had really
00:15:29
brought the Kiwi population up with me when I started streaming outside the UFC to then streaming in there. um they saw
00:15:39
the journey, you know, and it was like they felt like a part of it and I feel like that's why I have such a good Kiwi
00:15:45
fan base now is I've really brought people along with me on the journey to getting there and yeah, man, it was that
00:15:52
was uh some of the best moments I've ever felt in my whole career. For sure.
00:15:58
>> That's so special. I can tell how much it means to you. You actually told me
00:16:00
off off Mike just before we started. I said, "Oh, there's tissues down here in
00:16:04
case you get emotional." and you said, "No, I'm I'm I'm not really an emotional
00:16:08
guy." So, the fact that you got that emotional when you found out you'd
00:16:11
achieved this goal, um I think it just demonstrates how much it means to you. >> Yeah. Yeah. It was like a flashback.
00:16:16
Like I remember just flashing back to every hard moment that I almost like quit, you know, almost gave up, but I
00:16:23
had just come too far to like really stop. You know, it's kind of cliche, but
00:16:27
like it was like, you know, when you just come from a life of just should have, could have, would have, and you
00:16:34
know, people talk big and and opportunities always go out the door. Uh, that's what I kind of grew around,
00:16:42
and it was very hard to be optimistic in those sort of environments. I'm sure
00:16:46
people know what I'm talking about when I say stuff like that. Um, and yeah, to
00:16:51
finally have it uh become physical and reality was insane. I remember calling my dad like,
00:17:00
>> "Dad, I'm in the UFC." Like, I got, you know, sorry, I got my contender shot. He
00:17:06
was at work and he was just swearing like he was throwing his like phone up the roof and cuz he'd been telling
00:17:12
everyone my my dad is a firefighter so you know he's at the station and he all
00:17:18
of all everyone's always hitting him up like when's your boy going to make it
00:17:20
and he always like you know it's his shots coming you know and the the fact that you know he said to everyone like
00:17:27
no he's he's got his shot now they like even all of his workmates were like they
00:17:31
couldn't believe it they was like man your your son really did grind and and and make it a reality.
00:17:38
>> Yeah. >> Cuz anyone that's listening to this or watching this that only has say like a
00:17:42
casual passing interest in UFC, um you could be fooled to think it's like something that's quite easy just because
00:17:47
of the success and the ratio of fighters from City Kickboxing. Um but it's bloody
00:17:52
difficult like Yeah. Like what you're doing is um is um defying the odds. >> Yeah. Yeah. And and the thing is like
00:18:00
there's hundreds of people like me. Like when I got into the sport, you know, and
00:18:05
I'd come up with this big dream, I'd met loads of people on the same path as me
00:18:09
and and they didn't make it. And and and you see it happening around you. Or
00:18:14
maybe guys are coming in a little bit too old, you know, they grinded for so long just to come up with nothing. And
00:18:20
>> that that's real that's a that's a real thing, man. Like you you start looking
00:18:24
at that and you're like, am I is this worth it? Like cuz you got no money. Like there's no money in it. You still
00:18:31
working a job to, you know, pay for your training and trying to stay alive and, you know, you've got some people have
00:18:39
kids and and and you know, significant others to worry about and I had none of that. And I'm like, man, like I'm still
00:18:47
struggling as is. And yeah, man, you you see all that start happen around you and
00:18:53
it starts to really play on the back of your mind and yeah, to to kind of push through that. I was like, man, I've come
00:19:02
too far to stop and I don't want to. And you're getting older, the years are
00:19:07
getting older, and people that you grew up going to school with, they're getting
00:19:11
jobs, so like, you know, they're settling down, they're traveling the world. And I didn't travel the world at
00:19:16
all. every bit of money I had, I had to use my leave for fights. So, anytime I would fight here and there, I had to use
00:19:23
my leave to fight and then, you know, obviously pay for my rent and stuff cuz I never lived at home, you know, I lived
00:19:30
I always lived on my own and I had to pay rent and you work a job to pay for all my nutrition and stuff. And I'm a
00:19:37
big dude so I I got to pay for all that. And still I was coming out with cents, you know, like
00:19:42
>> sometimes I was like, man, am I going to be able to afford gas this week? and uh
00:19:46
I I got a lot of skills from doing that like learning how to low budget and stuff like that. So those are some good
00:19:55
things that have stuck with me >> and yeah. No, it's it's honestly crazy
00:20:00
crazy sport and you don't get a lot out of it, but I just went ah stuff it. I'll
00:20:05
go for it anyways. >> It's paying off. How old are you now? 28. >> 28. Yeah, 28.
00:20:10
>> 10 years. Uh I've got some uh more quotes here. Um Eugene Beerman, who
00:20:14
you've mentioned a couple of times. Um he's kind of like a a guru e like a
00:20:17
genius from city kickboxing. >> Uh this is his quote. Uh Navajo is a dumb [ __ ] at life. Uh but there is one
00:20:24
thing he is good at and it's fighting. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Seems like you guys have a special
00:20:28
relationship. >> Yeah, we do. We do have a special relationship. He's uh I feel like yeah,
00:20:34
he goes for me cuz I'm probably like, you know, I'm very promising and have a
00:20:38
lot of potential, but um you know, things can go south south when a you know, young prospect um starts to you
00:20:46
know, get a two ahead of himself. So, he definitely keeps me humble and uh I feel
00:20:51
like I'm mentally strong because of that. Um he's very much like my the way
00:20:56
I was brought up with my dad. My dad was very much the same. uh to huge it was like you know kind of something people
00:21:04
take that stuff the wrong way um but it's all just you know just tough love really and that's the way I see it with
00:21:11
with huge and um yeah it's actually yeah it's made me real strong man real strong
00:21:16
mentally like I feel like nothing can break me um cuz I value what he says and when he he's putting that on on me um
00:21:25
yeah I feel real strong mentally and yeah it's just keeps me in a good position having someone like him. Like
00:21:33
I've seen what he does for so many other people at the gym. He's like a he is a
00:21:38
guru. He's like a counselor. He's a, you know, a coach. He's a life coach, man.
00:21:45
He's he's he does it all. And um yeah, I don't know where I'd be without him. Uh
00:21:51
he's he's been a pivotal person in in my life. Um, and obviously, you know, all
00:21:58
the other big fighters at our gym, but yeah, I even though it's a he'll have
00:22:03
like a small bit of time for me, I appreciate like every little bit of it. And yeah, we we have like a weird
00:22:11
relationship like, you know, we don't express like, you know, like we're
00:22:16
stoic. We're both stoic, so we don't really express um, you know, like I
00:22:21
don't know how to say it. >> Emotion. >> Emotion with each other. But yeah, we're
00:22:25
very, you know, on to it. And I like our relationship, the way everything's going. It keeps me at the gym, keeps me
00:22:31
grounded. >> Yeah. >> I got a quote here from um the style bender, Israel. Actually, this was um uh
00:22:38
him talking about you on the Joe Rogan Experience. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:43
>> I'm stoked for him. Proud of him. I don't want people to make comparisons,
00:22:46
but there will be because we're from the same gym. Navajo is his own beast, and
00:22:51
you'll see his own style show. If you think he's like me now, I think he's
00:22:55
better than me. The next version. >> How do when when people um especially
00:23:00
like a Hall of Famer like Israel, when they call you the next best thing, does it motivate you or does it weigh on you?
00:23:05
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was always something like expectation, right? Um I'm I'm big on living up to expectation,
00:23:15
you know, that pressure is a privilege and all of that. Grand diamonds. >> Yeah. Yeah. All of that, man. And I said
00:23:22
to myself, like, you know, if I get into the sport, I don't want to be just a
00:23:25
bystander or just, oh, just give it a go, you know, I'll be I'll do my best.
00:23:29
Like, no, man. I wanted to be the best ever. And, um, to have that to be mentioned among the greats or compared
00:23:36
to them. U, it's just crazy, especially already when I feel like I still got so
00:23:42
long to go. Um, I feel like I still haven't done anything. And um it it kicks me, you know, up the ass a little
00:23:50
bit to really push for, you know, the belt and I want to surpass that and create my own legacy. Um and yeah, we do
00:23:58
have a lot of comparisons as well, not just because we're from the same gym,
00:24:01
but cuz we have like very similar styles. Um basically my whole my whole career I grew up watching Israel. He was
00:24:09
like part of the reason why I got into it. I I when I was getting into MMA, I and just my kickboxing, I I figured out
00:24:18
I was trying to figure out who in New Zealand is at the top right now. And I started to do my own research and I
00:24:23
found him and I was like, man, I've never seen anybody move like this guy. Like this. I'm telling you, like in his
00:24:29
prime, man, like he was just doing stuff nobody's ever seen with the confidence,
00:24:35
with the flare. He was like just crazy, man. Like it was so like just sparked me
00:24:43
and I was I always wanted to fight like him. I watched every single fight that he had, man. I I broke down everything
00:24:50
he did. I would watch breakdowns of on YouTube about him and I would try and figure out, you know, his range and I
00:24:58
would try and steal it on my own. And and I was selftaught when I come in. I I was really just watching YouTube and
00:25:05
trying to figure out what they were doing at City Kickboxing because I was all the way down in Wellington. And then
00:25:10
yeah, now now to actually train with them and pick up their actual skills and you know, I was so far off on so many
00:25:17
things and and then I was a little bit right on some and yeah, I really refined down down down everything that uh I saw
00:25:26
from him and then I just blended in my own experience, took away my own things and added what I thought might have been
00:25:32
flaws in from some of the footage I did see of him. And yeah, I really tried to perfect my style and blend it in with
00:25:39
his and yeah, I've I've uh sort of come up with my own thing and added a bit of
00:25:44
grappling as well as you can tell by the ears. So, um yeah. >> Yeah, your ears are messed up.
00:25:50
>> So, that's maybe what Israel sees as well, all the hard work I've been doing
00:25:55
and that's just a take on it and so yeah, makes me happy. >> Oh, that's so cool. Um yeah, more on
00:26:00
Israel later. I'm I'm curious to get into that later and because it's they
00:26:04
get into the whole uh full circle aspect of it like being a being a kid working at Food Stuffs in Wellington, watching
00:26:10
him on TV and then training with him, getting your ass kicked by him. It's >> it's it's wild. Um but one more quote
00:26:16
here um >> from a former boss of yours, Heather at the YMCA Lynfield. >> Oh yes.
00:26:22
>> Uh you could absolutely understand that work would come a distant second to his
00:26:26
training, but he was always on time and trustworthy. We noticed how incredibly clever he was. He only had to be shown
00:26:32
something once and he'd remember it. I believe this is really important and will take him far in his journey as an
00:26:38
elite athlete. >> Yeah. >> So, you were um like a basketball coach at the Y.
00:26:42
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Turning up with cuts and bruises. >> I worked at the YMCA. I used to come in
00:26:47
I used to work at the reception and teach like kids basketball. Um Yeah. I >> How recent was this?
00:26:54
>> Uh not not long ago. I think I left my job there at July 2024. So it' be about
00:27:02
>> oh man, almost a year, year and a half. Yeah. So not not long. Um yeah, I used
00:27:08
to roll up to work and cuts and stuff all over my face and people would comment on my ears and stuff and yeah,
00:27:15
even the little kids would look at me funny like, "Why you got a black eye?"
00:27:19
and stuff like that. So yeah, I it it was it was funny because you know your your work you fight on a Saturday night
00:27:27
like I would book my leave and I'd fight on the Saturday and I'd come back to
00:27:31
work Monday cuz I was like oh no I'm going to roll this dude and I'll be
00:27:34
sweet to work on Monday. I'm only sitting at the desk you know and so I'
00:27:38
I'd just, you know, fully flatline some dude in another country on a Saturday
00:27:42
and I'm back to work on Monday. I'm sitting there arguing with a guy about
00:27:46
his membership prices and stuff and you know I used to talk to some of the locals that come in and they couldn't
00:27:51
believe it. They'd be like, "What are you doing here, mate? Like you you just
00:27:56
you just you just flatlined some dude on Saturday and you're you're in the gym
00:28:00
arguing with some guy $15.99 for a contract or something, you know, for a cheaper contract." And I just like it
00:28:08
was like a very humbling experience, but I I liked it and I knew like where I was
00:28:13
going to be. So I never really um was minded it. And yeah, I used to get in trouble a little bit cuz I'd watch I'd
00:28:21
watch like YouTube fights and stuff on that on the on the um TVs and sorry on the desktop computer and that and just
00:28:31
on the downtime. But yeah, it was it was awesome, man, working at the Y and um to
00:28:36
see all the young kids come through and they all they that ask me about it about
00:28:40
the journey and stuff about fighting and they'd want to get into it. So, it was
00:28:44
cool to kind of talk to them and um show them what it's about, keeping them in
00:28:50
school and Yeah. No, it was mad. >> You you've mentioned a couple of times
00:28:55
already um the phrase um where I come from uh which is upper heart. >> Yes. Um so let's talk about um yeah the
00:29:03
early years. So Rongo Tahhenia Navajo Hunter Sterling. >> Yes. Yes. Rgo Tahinia. That's my moldy
00:29:10
name. >> Um yeah I'm like a half cast New Zealand moldi. Blueeyed moldi.
00:29:14
>> Yeah. Blue-eyed moldi. Yeah. Um part Welsh and a whole lot of other >> um nationalities I think. But yeah from
00:29:23
what I grew up around most was mainly my moldi heritage. Um both my mother and father of uh are moldi. Um I didn't grow
00:29:34
up speaking to so um yeah I'm not very good on that part but yeah I was grew up
00:29:42
you know just a typical moldy boy life. Um just yeah a lot of family and core values and stuff. And
00:29:51
>> what were they? Um just you know just I was brought up um how do I explain it
00:29:59
just you know around mid eyes and >> you know hies and all just everything
00:30:04
man like doing mixing in with um a lot of the kids at that I used to play rugby with and that
00:30:11
and there were a lot of moldy kids where I was um playing rugby and stuff. I grew
00:30:16
up yeah playing a lot of rugby and heaps of sports as kids and yeah you often doing a lot of team gatherings and stuff
00:30:23
and you know fundraisers and stuff like that. So um yeah I had like a lot of team values as well um growing up from
00:30:34
just rugby and yeah no it was crazy upbringing. Um sorry not a crazy upbringing just
00:30:43
>> yeah just like a real mundane yeah yeah pretty mundane actually like >> yeah not really unassuming and just kind
00:30:50
of waiting through life. Uh, didn't really have a lot of big aspirations as as a kid. Just um, yeah, just like a
00:30:57
normal Kiwi Kiwi boy's life. >> What did you want to do? >> Man, honestly, I didn't know what I
00:31:03
wanted to do. Like, I I used to just figure try and think like, oh, what's easy to do? Like, what what what do what
00:31:09
do what do people do when they grow up? Like, I played rugby, but I was never good at it. Like, I I grew up that that
00:31:15
was just something we did to keep fit as a kid. I I had a passion about being an
00:31:20
all black when I was like five and then I because I've been doing it since I was
00:31:24
that long that years old I was like oh I don't I'm over this like but that that
00:31:29
was all I had to do like there was no such thing as martial arts when when I grew up. So when I actually found the
00:31:36
sport I was like wa what is this like this is fun it's just something you saw
00:31:40
on TV but >> um yeah pretty unassuming life to be honest. >> What did um did you ever look at going
00:31:46
into the military? Your dad was in the the army for a while and your great-granddad's part of the 28th Moldy
00:31:50
Battalion. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Joined when he was 14, I believe.
00:31:53
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, >> yeah, that's that's that's crazy. I only
00:31:57
found that out like not too long ago. But, um yeah, my dad was in the army. Um and then now he's a firefighter. He's
00:32:03
been a firefighter for like 30 years, I think. >> But, um yeah, I think that's what I
00:32:08
gravitated towards. I wasn't very smart in school, but um what I did know was I
00:32:14
was just really good at like working really hard and like hard labor. Like so I was just trying to figure like what
00:32:19
can I do with my life that's just just like I can I'm very disciplined person
00:32:24
like I can if you tell me to do something like I'll do it like I won't like complain or anything. I just be
00:32:29
like, "Oh, yeah, sweet." Like, and I was just trying to think, what qualities uh
00:32:34
in a job can I do where I don't have to think too much, but can do? And so, I
00:32:39
was thinking about joining the army when I when I left school. And that was basically what I was um going to do
00:32:46
until I found martial arts. >> Yeah. If if we went back to Upper Hard and asked the people who knew you as a
00:32:51
kid, um whether it's like shopkeepers or school teachers or peers or whatever, if
00:32:57
we asked them what they what we thought you'd become, what do you think they
00:33:00
would say? >> Oh man, I wouldn't know. I wouldn't know. Like I was a quiet kid, man. I was
00:33:07
very very quiet. And um some of the people that see me now, they almost can't believe
00:33:14
the person I've become now. like cuz I speak a lot in front of cameras and now
00:33:19
I do like streaming and stuff. So people are like, "Man, you were like the quietest kid." You know, you just stuck
00:33:25
to the shadows and you know, I had friend groups and stuff, but I would always like, you know, lurk at the back.
00:33:31
Like, yeah, I would just go under the radar. And so to now see someone that puts himself in the spotlight, I think,
00:33:38
yeah, it takes a lot of people by surprise. especially people I haven't seen in years and I see them and I catch
00:33:43
up with them, they're just like, "Man, you've become so different since we knew
00:33:48
you as a kid." And a lot of my family members, cousins, aunties, and stuff,
00:33:52
they say the same. They they just can't they just go day at the whole thing. But
00:33:56
yeah, >> you know, we've been going for half an hour. You're not cocky or anything, but
00:33:59
you're very articulate. >> Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to think so. Um um
00:34:04
but yeah. Yeah, it's just how it is. >> What was the most trouble you got in? Is
00:34:08
there anything that stands out? >> No, man. My brother was um very rebellious. So,
00:34:12
>> is that the one that's a cop? >> Yeah, he's a cop. So, that's the funny
00:34:16
thing. He was he was very rebellious. Um naughty kid and I was because um my dad
00:34:23
was quite like old school like strict, you know, he cuz my brother got away with it. He made sure that I never got
00:34:29
away with anything. So, >> was your brother older than you? >> Yeah. Yeah, he's older. My brother's
00:34:33
older than me. And so, yeah, my dad was always, you know, on me like hard out and didn't want me to stuff up or, you
00:34:41
know, do anything wrong. Um, and so I was like afraid. I was like, man, I don't want to get in trouble. I don't
00:34:48
want to do no I'll stay by the book. Like, I'm be abide by the law, you know,
00:34:54
that's just the way my dad laid it down for me. And um yeah, just that's
00:35:00
basically how I was as a kid. Not not a troublemaker. I I get I hate like confrontation which is quite funny being
00:35:06
a fighter. I hate it. I hate getting into arguments. I hate seeing people argue or you know all that sort of
00:35:13
thing. I'm just not good at it and I kind of freeze up a little bit. So yeah,
00:35:17
when that when I see it happen I'm just like oh no like I can't be here right
00:35:22
now, you know. But yeah. >> Wow. So after school you you get a job at food staffs and that's when you first
00:35:29
discover UFC. >> Yeah. Yeah. So when I left school, I left school, left home at about 17, um
00:35:37
just packed my bags and went down to Christ Church, um and got a job at food stuffs down there. Um and I was working
00:35:45
there and >> doing what? >> Uh I was a picket packer, so I used to just basically pack cartons that go to
00:35:52
pack and save and new world and stuff. Um and I would do that for like eight hours a day and like that was my first
00:35:58
time making money and I was really really good at it. Why why did you go to Christ Church to do that? Sure, you
00:36:02
could >> because I had a lot of family down Christ Church and my brother was working
00:36:05
there already and they thought my brother was a gun as a pickle packer. So they when they
00:36:12
found out I needed a job, they were like, "Oh, there's two of you." You
00:36:15
know, like my brother had laid a good foundation down for me. So they they hired me straight away. Um so yeah, I
00:36:21
got there. I started working and I'd never made money before. Like I I think
00:36:26
my I was on minimum wage. It was like $15.70 in a 40hour week. I I got like $525
00:36:34
and that was my first paycheck. And I thought I thought I was a rich man. I was like, man, this is this is cuz
00:36:41
there's no like working upper heart where I'm from like even as a teenager.
00:36:44
So it's un unheard of to get a job as a as a teen. And so I was like I didn't
00:36:50
have a lot of money as a kid. Um my parents never gave me much money other than bus money. So, um, when I made my
00:36:57
own money for the first time, I couldn't believe it. And I remember just even
00:37:01
after I paid my rent and everything, I like I had like, you know, a couple hundred bucks and I was like, man, I'm
00:37:06
I'm rich. You know, this is the most money I've ever had. And yeah, that went
00:37:11
a long way back then. You know, that would go two days uh in today's world, which is quite funny. But, um, yeah.
00:37:20
Yeah, I was just smashed it there and I become really good and um basically yeah, we had this guy um who was like
00:37:29
hard out into watching UFC. He was like, "Man, this this there's this guy Conor
00:37:34
McGregor, you know, like man, he's the man." And so they would all like watch
00:37:38
UFC and talk about it and I was like, "Oh yeah, like I used to do like a bit
00:37:42
of like kickboxing stuff like back in Upper Hut when I was in Upper Hut. did like this Muay Thai with karate
00:37:50
guys, you know, and I just did that for about a year or two. Um went after school with my mate and um and so when I
00:37:57
was down there, I kind of thought like, oh, I think I know what I'm looking at.
00:38:00
And but I'd seen Conor McGregor and I and I'd seen how he was as a person and
00:38:05
I was really inspired by him and I was like, whoa, this guy's like the man, you
00:38:09
know, and he was talking about how he'd work a job and he was like, this isn't
00:38:12
for me. like I I work hard and I can I I put my hard work into fighting. >> And I was just thinking like, man, I
00:38:20
work hard, you know? I work really hard and like maybe I could put that same work ethic that I have like I had like a
00:38:27
laborers's work ethic. Like you could just tell me to move 100 logs, you know,
00:38:31
and I'll just go do it. That was just how I always was. So, when I was thinking like, man, I'm kind of wasting
00:38:37
away here at this at this job. Like, cuz I work really hard, but you know, I'm
00:38:41
working at a big company and it's not really going anywhere. Like, I was trying to think about like my actual
00:38:47
future. And so, um, yeah, basically I got into martial arts after seeing him talk about it. And then I become in love
00:38:56
with him like as soon as I seen all his fights and stuff like I was like, man, this guy is the man. And that was
00:39:02
basically what kickstarted my journey. I started MMA, sorry, kickboxing down there because I had already done a
00:39:08
little bit and yeah, put it together and I was like, "Yeah, this is I think this
00:39:13
might be me." And I I just decided, "Oh man, I I want to be a UFC fighter." Like
00:39:18
to myself, that's what I said. >> A lot of fighters say that the sport
00:39:23
saved them in some way. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Did Did MMA save you in any way?
00:39:28
Did you need to be saved? I think I think I didn't need to be saved, but I think mainly just
00:39:35
um just given me a bit of purpose because I was yeah I was waiting away through life. Didn't know what I was
00:39:41
doing. >> You know, all of my friends were just, you know, doing stuff that I didn't
00:39:45
really like and >> yeah, I was just like, oh, you know, you know, just like no, just doing like a
00:39:50
normal job and and yeah, doing that too, you know, doing drugs and alcohol and stuff. And I was like, man, I like I'm I
00:39:57
felt like I'd meant to be I was meant for something and I just didn't know
00:40:01
what that was. And I let a lot of people's voices and opinions like um you know stop me from doing things as well.
00:40:08
Like >> they'd be like, "Oh no, don't do that cuz you can't do go far this sport or
00:40:14
this career because of this and that and oh no that's fake." And >> you know, people people that's what they
00:40:22
say, you know, like they knock you down before you even start. And >> what do you what do you make of that? I
00:40:27
personally I think some of it's probably tall poppy and part of it's pro part of
00:40:31
it maybe come maybe comes from a good place. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. I think so. I think it does come
00:40:35
from a good place sometimes cuz your parents are the ones that are saying that too you know like your parents want
00:40:40
the best for you and then when they hear about like these things they're like you
00:40:45
can't do that mate. Like you need a real job or you need this like those are
00:40:49
>> something to fall back on. >> Yeah. You need something like you need
00:40:51
like a real job or Yeah. something to fall back on. >> A trade. Yeah. that was what my parents,
00:40:56
you know, got me into. And so when I started the kickboxing training, um I basically told them like, "Oh, I want to
00:41:03
join the army and this stuff's keeping me fit for the army." Like, you know,
00:41:06
I'm doing all these runs and stuff. And that was me like really just trying to
00:41:10
push my parents um you know, expectations and what they wanted of me to the side while I was actually doing
00:41:16
what I really wanted to do. And I had felt like so liberated, bro. Like just chasing what I wanted. I felt I was like
00:41:23
a mad man. like I didn't know anything about um training regimes and camps and
00:41:28
like peing and stuff. And so I just started training like ridiculous amount like just stuff I'd seen on YouTube like
00:41:35
some Soviet Russian stuff. And because I had no money, I I I um I was just doing
00:41:42
it all in my backyard and I would I bought a boxing bag and I was trying to train the techniques that I seen on
00:41:50
YouTube and I actually thought like, you know, I was doing the right stuff. I was
00:41:54
watching all this martial arts videos and yeah, just training like an absolute idiot. Like when I think back back then,
00:42:00
like I had the heart for it and that was the main thing. But yeah, I was training
00:42:03
like an idiot. And it wasn't until I went into a real gym. I went into a real
00:42:10
martial arts like kickboxing gym and I sparred for the first time and cuz I look I look flash like I look like I
00:42:16
knew what I was doing. Um just cuz I'd been refining my technique on my own. Um
00:42:24
and they threw me into sparring straight away and I was like okay like let's see
00:42:27
how we go. Um, I've seen Vasili Lomachenko or like you know someone do this flash combo, seen Conor McGregor do
00:42:35
this and I tried it and I got absolutely battered and and but I had already like, you know, I'd moved into back home
00:42:44
with my parents. I sold everything I had. I'd done everything I could to set
00:42:49
myself up for this dream. And I rolled in the first day to spa and I got smashed by a dude that was like 60
00:42:55
kilos. Like he just absolutely battered me. My nose was bloody. Oh, I was like I
00:43:01
went in the car and I thought I was about to cry because like, you know, I got bashed up by these dudes that were
00:43:07
just amateurs, you know? They weren't even like real like full-on professionals. And I just couldn't
00:43:12
believe it. And I just went like, "Wow, you've you've come this far. Like, you
00:43:17
might as well keep going." like that was like, you know, you would look like a
00:43:21
bit of an idiot if you just left all you left your job and done all this to chase
00:43:25
this dream and then um stop right on the first like hurdle. >> And so that's what that's what kept me
00:43:31
going. That's what pushed me back in. And then I started to notice I would get
00:43:35
bashed up less and less and then it got to a point where I started to take over and that was when I started to like
00:43:40
really cement like in my head like this is going to happen. And that was that was when I told my parents like, "Oh,
00:43:47
I'm not going to go to the army." And then yeah, it was it was a hard one. It
00:43:51
was a hard one cuz my mom was against it. She But my dad saw everything that I was putting towards it, like the
00:43:57
training. And my dad was like, "Oh, let's just get him a first fight and see
00:44:01
what he does. That's all he does now, so we might as well." And yeah, that that u
00:44:06
that's pretty much the start. >> Yeah. in in those in those early days
00:44:12
when you first see Conor McGregor and it's like sparks something in you. >> Yeah.
00:44:16
>> So before you before you're honest to your parents or anyone else but you know
00:44:19
in yourself you want to make the UFC >> but you haven't verbalized it to anyone
00:44:23
else. What was what was your why? Is was it was it money? Was it fame? Was it self-respect? Was it validation from
00:44:29
others? Yeah, it was a like just bit of purpose like um because I had been going all along in
00:44:37
life as a just a mere sheep or just, you know, I it was just something I'd been
00:44:42
longing for. And it was something that no one was really around in my neighborhood. And so, you know, I didn't
00:44:50
have to listen to people say like, "Oh, no. I've done that. You know, that that
00:44:54
doesn't work. You know, you can't go this route." It was just something that
00:44:58
was completely fresh and to my mind and to all my friends and stuff. And I I become a bit of a hermit. Like I I
00:45:05
stopped seeing all of my friends. And I just basically I become like the ultimate loner. Like I was like just a
00:45:12
lone man on a mission. And I had one friend that I used to hang out with and he just like he was like, "Fuck this
00:45:20
guy's crazy." Like he he he's crazy. Like he couldn't believe it. He was just
00:45:25
like he almost like enjoyed watching watching me do everything. Like he he'd
00:45:29
sometimes help me with like pads and weight cuts and stuff. But um when I when I had my first fight and I won,
00:45:36
then he was like, "Wow, this is this is this could be something, you know." And
00:45:40
um yeah, just kept knocking him down. But uh yeah, that's basically Yeah. >> So from the age of basically since
00:45:48
you've been a man, from the age of 18 to now, it's been a real Spartan sort of
00:45:51
existence, hasn't it? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My whole like youth life till now is just I've just I've
00:45:57
literally >> lived in a gym and just been sweating sweating my body out like
00:46:03
>> putting my body through hell for Yeah. 10 years straight, man. 10 years
00:46:09
straight and another years to come. Like nothing's changed. Like I've I was
00:46:14
training like a mad man back then and still am now. And >> yeah, it's just honestly it's the
00:46:21
experiences I've had has just been crazy. Yeah. >> Did you did you put a line in the sand
00:46:28
for reaching your goals? Like did you ever go, "Okay, if I'm not in the UFC by
00:46:32
25, 30, whatever." >> Yeah. Yeah. I I did. I think when I was when I won King of the Ring at 23, I
00:46:39
hadn't actually started any MMA training. Um my goal was to just create something um like become something at
00:46:47
least established in in martial art because I'd watched Israel. I saw that he he he
00:46:55
I basically tried to follow his blueprint from what I'd seen on on the YouTube and uh all the access I had on
00:47:02
him. Um I was like, "Okay, this is the blueprint. Okay, he won King of the Ring, so I'm going to I'm setting my
00:47:08
goal to win King of the Ring." And the guy I was training under, he was a King
00:47:12
of the Ring champion. So I was like trying to tell him, ask him like, "How do I get there?" Okay, so I got to beat
00:47:18
all the best guys on the local scene. I did that, smashed everyone. I become a local champion and then it was like, you
00:47:25
know, then you got to become a professional and then I done that and then I won I got onto the King of the
00:47:30
Ring and I actually lost my first King of the Ring tournament. But I I was only 21 and I had like six fights and had
00:47:37
been doing it for two years. So, um, you know, I knock it knocked me back a bit,
00:47:41
but it reinforced like, oh, I'm I'm mixing with the best, so I did all right.
00:47:46
>> You had evidence. >> Yeah, I had evidence that I was I I was semidecent. And so, I basically just
00:47:52
spun the block on that and just worked on myself, got got some more titles, uh, beat some more guys, and then went back
00:47:58
in and I won my first one. And so, I was just basically just trying to model everything on what Israel had done. And
00:48:06
then after I won there, I was think that was when CO hit and I was thinking like,
00:48:10
okay, maybe I got to go overseas to Thailand because I'd watched all the access over there and they did like a
00:48:15
lot of tours in Thailand and and uh Asia. They were fighting a lot in China and they were rack I think the the
00:48:23
legend was like Israel had racked up like 22 wins in a year in kickboxing, which was insane. You got to be fighting
00:48:30
like once every two weeks. I think I was trying to like I was trying to add it up, tally it up in my head and it was
00:48:35
>> once every two weeks it' be 26 fights. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, it was like
00:48:39
almost almost that amount which is insane. Like I and I used to be battered after my kickboxing fights on my shins
00:48:46
and stuff. So I started to think like how can I smash these guys without getting any shin damage if I'm going to
00:48:52
win King in the ring and stuff like that. Like cuz I just seen him do it everything like that. and he he was he
00:48:58
he was smashing everyone like it's insane and I was basically trying to do that and so when co hit it was like I
00:49:06
couldn't I couldn't go overseas I was I was I had planned to go to Thailand and
00:49:10
stuff and instead I ended up coming to Auckland um and that was when I met Eugene and I was like cuz in my head I I
00:49:19
he had made it by I think 29 and 30 so that was when I was thinking about making it so I put six years of
00:49:25
kickboxing fights and MMA training to eventually get me there like 2930 and um yeah I basically talked to huge after
00:49:34
winning King of the Ring and I said oh hey mate like I know you don't know me
00:49:39
and that but um basically I've been trying to follow Israel's career and
00:49:44
just do what you guys have done. I've been training myself and I've had some
00:49:49
people help me on the way. Um but basically I want to be in the UFC. I just want to know how how how I can get
00:49:55
there. um I'm thinking about going overseas and doing some training there and you just basically just stopped me
00:50:01
in my tracks. He's like, "Oh, if you come here to train, I'll get you there
00:50:05
in two, three years." And I was like, "Two, three years." Like in my head, I
00:50:09
was thinking five or six. So when I heard two and three years, I was like, "Sign me up." Like, you know, he was
00:50:16
like, "Just just just judging from like what I've seen of your skills." And he
00:50:20
asked me like if I'd done a bit of grappling. I said, "Oh, I' done some
00:50:23
jiu-jitsu and I'm a blue belt and this and that." And yeah, he basically said
00:50:28
gave me like to two or three year mark he would get me he'll get me ready uh
00:50:33
for the UFC. Um and yeah, right at the third year mark it was when I got in. I because I moved in at 2021 was 23 years
00:50:41
old and then just got straight into MMA training and had my first fight at like 24 I think. Yeah, 24 MMA and then yeah,
00:50:50
was just home free from there. Just just basically followed exactly everything he
00:50:56
said. I think he basically just was like, "Oh, choke the whole Asia thing."
00:51:00
Like, "We done all the stuff that you don't need to do, so we'll just speedrun
00:51:04
you to UFC." And that's basically what he did. Yeah. And uh got me there and
00:51:09
yeah, he kept his promise to me and yeah, I've just put my whole career in his hands now.
00:51:15
>> Right on track. That's amazing. So for anyone that that doesn't you so you won
00:51:20
um King of the Ring twice. For anyone that doesn't know, what is what is the
00:51:22
King of the Ring tournament? >> Yeah. So the King of the Ring tournament is like basically a kickboxing
00:51:28
tournament which is like striking um like punches, kicks, knees, and you fighting three times in one night. So
00:51:35
it's like a quarterfinal sort of eight-man eliminator. So you come in basically to be selected for it you got
00:51:42
to be like one of the big big fighters in the country at the time. Um so national belts, think national bouts,
00:51:50
overseas experience, all that thing to be selected for um the tournament. And um yeah, you fight quarterfinal,
00:51:59
everyone goes through the quarters and then you come out and you're resting for
00:52:02
like maybe like half an hour before you're um going out to fight again the semi-final and then you do if you win
00:52:09
that then you come back and rest again and then you usually the second time after the semi-final. The rest is like
00:52:16
you know 20 30 minutes. It's not long at all. Um, and then you're going back out
00:52:21
into the final and fighting for $10,000, which you know is a lot of money um, in
00:52:26
New Zealand. And yeah, basically I done that twice. I won it won it twice in two
00:52:31
different weight divisions. So I won the 92 kilo 8man and the 100 kilo eightman.
00:52:36
So um, some big boys and yeah, those are huge huge achievements. Basically, when
00:52:40
you win that, all eyes on New Zealand martial arts is all on you and so they really want to know what you're going to
00:52:47
do next. And that was where I kind of gathered the audience and told everyone my aspirations of becoming a UFC fighter
00:52:54
and everyone in the country and that that followed the sport at the time, they were just basically eyes on me like
00:53:00
glue, you know. >> But yeah. >> And what's the um what's the big
00:53:06
difference going from um fighting in a kickboxing in a ring to fighting in an octagon?
00:53:10
>> Oh man, it's huge difference. when I would when I fought in a ring, I I got
00:53:15
to a point where I would become so chilled and relaxed. Um because I'd just done it so many times, you know, if you
00:53:22
get if I never got knocked down, but like if you got dropped or something, you know, you could take a knee and give
00:53:28
yourself an 8 count. Um you got like, you know, a few chances, you know, before you get finished and stuff. And
00:53:35
it's really like, you know, you can you can you can be calm because you can rest
00:53:39
on the ropes and stuff. When I changed to MMA, my first MMA fight, it is a complete different experience. Like it
00:53:48
is so daunting, you know, like a slip could a slip in the cage could end you. Like you're going in the the
00:53:56
environment, you can see the fans, you know, everyone's roaring. Just the brutalness of it. The the 4 oz gloves is
00:54:03
a huge change as well. Like you're putting the fours on and you're just like, man, like this is this is like
00:54:08
some life or death stuff. And yeah, you feel like a gladiator. Like it's like it
00:54:13
it is like that. It's it's it's brutal and can be like some guys are just
00:54:20
winning just from pure aggression. And like I've seen the most skillful guys
00:54:23
get finished. And I think it's like that punches chance a little bit. Um adds to
00:54:28
the fear factor. Like you I had the skills in the kickboxing. I was able to clear my opponents. But in the MMA, like
00:54:36
you could be clearing a guy and still get chinned and that that that always um yeah, puts puts you on your heels a
00:54:44
little bit mentally. >> Yes. Say um that happened in Seattle um and and you don't win the fight. Like
00:54:53
what would that mean? It's it's it's a setback, right? >> Yeah. Is it? It's a setback like
00:54:59
>> But it's not the end of the world. >> It's not the end of the world. No. No.
00:55:01
I've I've lost before um in kickboxing, so I know exactly how losing feels. Um
00:55:08
and yeah, it's not nice. It's not nice at all. Like I'm a I have a winner's
00:55:12
mindset. Like I'm there to win, man. Every time. I don't just go out there to
00:55:16
give it a crack, you know? I'm I'm I'm actually there to be the best. And um
00:55:21
losing almost isn't doesn't even cross my mind. Like losing isn't an option for
00:55:26
me. I don't think about when I look at my paycheck. Oh, like, you know, I'll
00:55:30
get this much if I win. I'm like, no, this is the amount I I I'm getting. And
00:55:36
um yeah, it's it's not a it's not an option for me. And I it's been years
00:55:40
since I've last lost. And yeah, I still remember the pain from losing. I I I
00:55:46
hate it, man. I It really took took me It took a lot out of me. Um but I came I bounced back and um yeah I've I've got
00:55:54
the lessons from the from losing for sure. >> Have you like um I I watched so many
00:55:59
highlights of your career and you've um there is some sickening knockouts like
00:56:03
where you've hit guys on the chin and they've just they've been unconscious
00:56:06
before they even hit the floor. Yeah. >> Have you ever had like a bad loss like
00:56:09
that? >> No. No. I've never actually been knocked out before. >> So you don't know what that does to a
00:56:13
person's >> I don't I actually don't. No, no, I've um you know, I've seen it happen in the
00:56:19
sport and I know it can happen at any time like for myself and um yeah, especially now being in the UFC, man.
00:56:25
Like, everyone's been finished and knocked out in the UFC and I've seen fighters come back from it and I've
00:56:31
seen, you know, guys just shug it off because I've had it happen plenty of times and
00:56:36
>> yeah, that's put me at ease, man. And >> um yeah, I'll do whatever it takes to
00:56:40
not get knocked out, that's for sure. And I feel like I with my style and the
00:56:44
way I fight, like I'm I'm very defensive first. I'm defensive minded. And I'm the
00:56:49
same way in the training room and the way I look after myself, like I really take care of my chin. And I don't get I
00:56:56
actually don't spar very hard at all. Like most of the guys at the gym know I'm like one of the more nicer guys to
00:57:01
spar. Um which is quite funny, you know, being like a really big big guy. Like people are very scared of me sometimes
00:57:08
at the gym. But I'm actually probably one of the nicer guys at city kickboxing
00:57:12
in the spa. And um yeah, I always think about like injuries and stuff and I don't want to get injured and I've never
00:57:18
had a concussion in that either. Wow. >> Like I've I've just I don't know. I've
00:57:22
been blessed and lucky to to not take any big knocks and I think Yeah, just it's my style. Like I make correct
00:57:30
decisions. Um I'm very calm under pressure. I think that's another thing.
00:57:35
like I don't just go like I'll stuff it and bite down and just put my chin on
00:57:39
the line. I I really look after myself in the gym and um in the cage and stuff in the on fight night as well. Like I
00:57:47
barely barely get hit at all on fight night. So yeah, if that if that doesn't
00:57:51
say anything then yeah um you know it's I think that kind of favor is in my in
00:57:56
my way in terms of keeping my chin healthy and living a long long career. >> Who who's going over non-fighting? Are
00:58:04
your parents going over? Yeah, >> for my fight. Um, yeah. No, man. My my parents have only been to the fights
00:58:09
that I've been in Aussie >> and I think my debut, my dad came to Tampa, Florida, but um for this one um
00:58:19
now they they'll be watching at home. Yeah, they can't can't get enough time
00:58:23
or have the money to come all the way over to Seattle. But yeah, I always we always talk about it and like when I
00:58:30
become a champion, I'll be able to bring them over, have the money to bring my
00:58:33
family over to watch because they when I was fighting locally, they went to like
00:58:38
almost every single fight I ever had. So yeah, it's cool to have parents that
00:58:43
really love seeing you do the sport, >> man. That's so cool. >> Yeah. Yeah. Cuz some people don't, man.
00:58:50
Some people have parents and they can't watch, you know, they can't watch. I've
00:58:53
talked to my some of my friends like they their parents have never watched them fight or they they can't watch or
00:58:59
something and my my parents look at it different like they love it. They love fighting. They love watching me fight
00:59:05
and you know I just say to them like you know if I get knocked out in there just
00:59:09
know I'm I wouldn't want to be anywhere else and that puts them puts them at
00:59:14
ease you know and you know everything will be all right. So >> still can't be easy for your mom.
00:59:20
>> No my mom my mom loves it man. She she also feel feel feel feel feel feel feel
00:59:22
feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel
00:59:22
feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feel feels uh feels
00:59:24
bad for the other guy, you know. That's straight up that's how my mom is. So
00:59:30
yeah, it's good. >> Have you got a you got a partner or anything or are you just totally
00:59:34
>> Yeah. Yeah, I have a partner. She she um helps me out along uh a lot. um we've
00:59:39
been on and off for like for years and so yeah now I've feel like in this year
00:59:45
and terms of my relationship I've really locked in with her and um yeah she's
00:59:50
helped she's helping me a lot you know just become smarter and making better
00:59:57
life choices and stuff as well. >> What do you mean? It sounds like you all
01:00:00
your life choices have been based around fighting and >> self-disipline, >> but you can always be better, you know,
01:00:05
and um yeah, it's been good to, you know, really lock in this year. I feel like last year, even though I've done I
01:00:12
did well and fought well, um there was a lot of things I felt like I could have done better. I let the party life and
01:00:17
stuff come come to me a bit too much last year and yeah, I definitely felt its drawbacks as well, you know, like I
01:00:24
still always never let anything get in the way of fighting, but um yeah, I think this year I just like I really
01:00:31
want to be a great champion, you know? I don't want to I don't want to just like
01:00:36
I I want to like maximize my potential, you know? I feel like I owe it to to my coaches, to myself, and just to the fans
01:00:46
of and everyone in New Zealand cuz I feel like everyone does back me. They've
01:00:51
they've seen what what I see. Like a lot of the American fan base and stuff, they
01:00:55
don't they don't really like think I'm that good, but everyone here knows I'm
01:01:00
that good, you know, and and I believe it, too. And I really want to maximize my potential. and my partner um she's
01:01:08
she's um been on that board with me as well and I feel like I can really go far
01:01:14
in this sport and become yeah one of the greats man of the great I'll die trying you know doing that so
01:01:21
>> um yeah that's that's something I've I've looked at for this year for sure
01:01:27
>> what would she say you like to be around like this close to a fight two weeks out
01:01:31
where you're training three times a day you're coming home exhausted beaten up
01:01:34
>> yeah pretty cranky. >> Pretty cranky. She's she's actually been
01:01:38
away. She's been away on holiday for like 3 weeks. So, deliberately. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, she's um
01:01:44
>> yeah, she's kind of dodged uh helping me out like cooking and stuff. She usually
01:01:48
like cooks all my meals and um yeah, takes care of me. So, uh yeah, now like I've had to do all that myself, you
01:01:57
know, which is all good, but I've been in my own sort of space. So I'm like,
01:02:02
you know, I'm just dealing with things my own and and it's quite nice, you
01:02:07
know, as well. So, um, cuz I've been doing it on my own for so long as well,
01:02:11
I don't need to rely on someone, but it was it is nice to have a helping hand.
01:02:16
>> I I noticed, um, like a change in your, I don't know, demeanor or body language
01:02:19
or something when you talk about her, like you sort of soften a little bit. Did you Yeah. So, how did you meet? You
01:02:25
met on the apps or >> Yeah. Yeah. So, we actually met in a fight show. Oh, we didn't meet at a
01:02:30
fight show. Sorry. So, she seen me at a fight show. Um, I was there basically helping um one of my teammates
01:02:39
um teammates fight and um she she she actually went to school with one of my teammates, but she was there as like an
01:02:46
influencer sort of thing. And um one of her friends that she was there with, he was like, "Oh man, this guy's the man."
01:02:53
like the guy in the in your the bro's corner, he's he's he's like, you know,
01:02:58
king of the ring champion. He's like this and that. And she didn't know anything about me. And so, um, you know,
01:03:04
she was like, "Whoa, who's this guy?" You know, and then so she had followed
01:03:08
me and then, you know, I thought she was good-looking and stuff. And so I followed her and then yeah, I just
01:03:14
basically just sent her a message cuz I seen she was doing like a bit of fight training and that and I just said good
01:03:20
luck and stuff and yeah, she just replied and yeah, we just kind of kicked off from there and um
01:03:26
>> on the old DM slide. >> Yeah. Yeah, it was the old good old DM slide. So yeah, no, it was um yeah,
01:03:33
she's been amazing, man. She's done so much for me over the years and yeah,
01:03:38
it's cool to see where we're going to go and yeah, she's she backs me 100% to
01:03:45
become a champion. So, yeah. >> Who is she? Is she an influencer? >> Uh, no. No, she's not an influencer, but
01:03:51
um her name's Shannon. Yeah. >> Yeah, >> she's cool. >> Oh, awesome. Is she going to Seattle or
01:03:56
>> No, no, no. She >> Is it just too expensive? >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. She I said I'd probably
01:04:02
bring her over sometime soon, but yeah, it's just a bit expensive. Um you got a
01:04:07
lot of bills to pay and stuff, so and she's got work and that as well. So, she's waiting for me to like really make
01:04:13
it and retire her from work sort of thing and >> become full-time just helping me full-time. What do they call
01:04:22
it? Wag. Wag and girlfriend. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They call it the wag. So, she she's she's looking for the wag
01:04:28
lifestyle. So yeah, I'm doing the best I can to provide for her. >> Not the not the Dan Hooker sort of wife
01:04:34
and girlfriend, right? >> No, man. Just just a full Yeah. full wag. Oh, >> actually at the the time we're recording
01:04:41
this, it was just yesterday that um Dan came out with a statement with his story
01:04:46
of events. He's been in the news the last couple of weeks. >> He's been on the podcast, by the way.
01:04:50
One of my favorite alltime guests. >> Yeah. Yeah. I watched that one. Yeah.
01:04:52
>> Such an engaging guy. when when something like that's going on, you go
01:04:56
to city kickboxing like does everyone sort of like talk about it and gossip about it or you just don't care?
01:05:02
>> Everyone's everyone doesn't really care like I mean it's not none of my business
01:05:06
bro you know so I just I turn the other way you know I don't I don't I don't
01:05:10
really yeah care about gossip and things that you know just just a woman's trait
01:05:16
you know so I could care less about um those sort of things. cuz I'm just focused on myself and I've got the big
01:05:21
fight coming up and that's all I really care about. Yeah. >> Yeah. It's funny. I I had a guy on the
01:05:27
podcast um completely unrelated to Dan, but this guy Campbell Johnston who's
01:05:31
come out a couple of years ago is the first >> um openly gay All black. >> Yeah.
01:05:35
>> Um and I I said, "Oh, did you feel when you were playing um did you feel like
01:05:40
uncomfortable like and is that why you stayed in the closet?" And he goes, "No,
01:05:43
mate. When you're in the All Blacks, no one [ __ ] cares. Like you're focusing
01:05:46
on that weekend's game. That's all that matters. No one gives a [ __ ] about your
01:05:49
private life at all. >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Like I mean Yeah. I mean with fighting man, you're just so
01:05:55
locked in like >> so locked in on on your task and just small bickering and what's going on as
01:06:02
long as it doesn't affect like your training and stuff. It it really doesn't
01:06:07
matter, you know? It really doesn't matter. So yeah, it's that's just how I
01:06:10
am. >> Yeah. And Dan's a great human. So who who gives a [ __ ] about anything else?
01:06:14
>> So let's talk about the first time you meet your heroes. So you you you're this
01:06:18
kickboxing star. Yeah. >> Yeah. You come to City Kickboxing. You meet with Eugene. He tells you two to
01:06:23
three years you'll be in the UFC. >> Then when do you when do you get to meet
01:06:27
um like Izzy for example who you've grown up watching? But actually following his Yeah. When do you tell him
01:06:32
you've been following his >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, I didn't. That's the
01:06:34
thing. I try to be like too cool, you know? I try to be like, "Oh, you know,
01:06:38
what's up, Izzy?" You know, like I was like, "Oh my god, is this is this the
01:06:42
style vendor?" Like I couldn't believe it. like he he'll probably laugh at that
01:06:46
like now. Um >> so he still doesn't know this. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He still doesn't
01:06:49
notice. I think he he watched one of my interviews back for engage and he was like he saw the way I talked about him
01:06:55
and like he didn't realize that I like fully like loaded in everything that he
01:07:01
done and cuz I was telling his brother cuz his brother was was the one filming David
01:07:05
>> and and even David was like shocked you know and I was like man you and I I've
01:07:10
I've talked to Israel you know just like casually and I've told him like I've
01:07:14
watched bro I've literally watched every fight and I was like I could literally
01:07:18
name you like fights that you probably don't even remember, you know. And I did
01:07:22
I brought them up and I talked to him about them and yeah, he was just shocked and but yeah, like that's how I was when
01:07:28
I came to the gym. I just tried to be chill cuz I realized I had like that parasocial relationship with him and
01:07:35
that he didn't even know a thing about me and so I didn't want to like creep
01:07:39
him out or anything. Um, it was same with Carlos as well. Carlos like he was the first like big guy I seen like sort
01:07:47
of similar build to mine and he was in the same tournament as me. Um when I met him I was like trying not to be you know
01:07:55
too crazy as well like but I basically idolized both those guys you know I'd
01:07:59
modeled my whole career around both of them and um to now train with them it was it was hard for me to not kick my
01:08:07
feet in the air. Um, but yeah, it was just like one one of those things where I talked to my mom
01:08:13
and dad like I'm I'm doing it. I'm living the dream, man. I'm I'm I'm here
01:08:17
with the right people. I'm mixing in with the right environment and I'm going
01:08:22
to be where I've talked about and yeah, from that point on actually just meeting
01:08:27
them and training them, I had solidified that I was going to be a UFC fighter. just the way the everything was stacked
01:08:34
up like how old I was and all the fights I'd been getting and the experience
01:08:39
because you have something to measure it to you know you've got a guy that is a
01:08:42
UFC champion at the current time and you're doing you're training with this
01:08:47
dude and you're taking him down or you know you're having competitive rounds
01:08:50
with that guy you know it really reinforces your confidence like you're like
01:08:54
>> you're good enough to be >> Yeah. Yeah. cuz I prior years prior I'd
01:08:58
always been like I don't I know I'm good like I back myself but I don't know how
01:09:01
I don't know what the world the world league is like what fighters in Brazil
01:09:06
are like or like I I'm watching the fight and I think I can beat this guy but I don't actually know you know how
01:09:13
good they are or what or whatn not and to finally train with Israel who was like cooking dudes at the not just being
01:09:20
the champion but absolutely destroying dudes on the top it was like fully reinforced in I had like that I knew
01:09:26
what I was doing like I knew that I ran that you know and um yeah to train with them both and I mean even now with
01:09:34
Carlos like fighting for the title >> is even reinforced more because I know
01:09:41
um how I stack up with the bro and and um when we train together and stuff and to see him kill it at the top stage it
01:09:49
yeah definitely reinforces in my head. Do you remember your very first conversation with Israel at?
01:09:55
>> No. No. I can't remember my first conversation with him. I was just like
01:10:00
went back to the way I was as a kid. Like I was just super shy like oh, you know, I was just like lost for words a
01:10:06
little and stuff and I just tried not to be too starruck when I was with him. Um
01:10:13
but yeah, I remember our first sparring. Um, yeah. I didn't I I almost like watched so much footage of him and then
01:10:21
when I seen him doing the technique against me, I knew what was coming. Like I knew every shot that was coming. I
01:10:27
knew where he'd step back, everything. And like I felt like I could like beat
01:10:32
him at the time, but you know, I didn't I wanted to be respectful and then he
01:10:36
told me we could go hard. He like kind of was like, "No, no, let's go hard.
01:10:40
You're being respectful." And then Yeah. And then I tried to go hard on him and
01:10:43
he just like toasted me, man. I was like, man, it's just like it was just crazy to see it like live in person when
01:10:50
you'd been watching every single thing on the guy and then he's doing it and
01:10:55
then Yeah, seeing it come at real time was just insane. >> Oh man, that that is so unreal.
01:11:01
>> Yeah, it is. It's unreal. >> I was going to I was going to ask you
01:11:03
about that. Like the first time you spar with say like an Israelis or a Carlos or
01:11:07
a Dan um you does it make you realize that you've got a long way to go or you
01:11:12
realize oh I'm supposed to be here? It sounds like >> for me it was like yeah I'm supposed to
01:11:16
be here. It was like you know like they still you know always had the better of me but it was just like you know I'm
01:11:22
only young like I'm 23. I'm like almost half these guys age and I'm I'm still
01:11:28
like you know competitive like I'm not just getting toasted. I'm I'm I'm right
01:11:32
up there. And yeah, like that's pretty much how it's been since since joining
01:11:37
City Kickboxing. And yeah, I'm coming out to a point now where a lot my confidence is really starting to push up
01:11:43
and thrive. >> And Israel must have um liked you because he flew you to some of his UFC
01:11:50
fights in the US um as as well like as a pre-fight sort of training partner. >> Yeah. Yeah. because I had been doing a
01:11:56
lot of training with him prior and then um yeah he he had Alex Pereira who was obviously a kickboxer and so I was big
01:12:05
part of his camp like as a body for him to like visualize and so I sort of adopted Tom of Pereira's style and the
01:12:13
way he I had to watch a lot of tape on him and try and imitate like some of the moves he would do and um yeah so when he
01:12:21
would had the fight he obviously flew out two weeks early and brought me over with him and and I'd never even left New
01:12:27
Zealand before. So for me, my >> Not even Aussie? >> No, not even Aussie. Not even Aussie. I
01:12:32
spent my whole life in the gym and in a working environment. So I I never I never traveled. I was always like, I'm
01:12:40
never going on a holiday until I make it. And um yeah, when I when he flew me over, I was like I was so shocked. Like
01:12:49
I almost didn't believe it. Like I was like, "Oh, like you don't have to tell
01:12:53
me that, bro. Like it's all good." like, you know, I don't mind staying at the
01:12:56
gym. And he's like, no, no, I'll bring you over. Like, um, I got he's we need
01:12:59
your passport. Like, you got a passport? And I was like, oh yeah. You know, that
01:13:02
was when it was real was when I seen my flights. Couldn't believe it. I was like, oh [ __ ] You know, and I'd never
01:13:09
flown international. So, I was bit weirded out when I got to the the US customs as well. Like, they're full on
01:13:17
there. >> Oh, mate. So, they were that was scaring me, you know. >> You flying to LA or
01:13:21
>> uh we flew New York direct. New York direct which was my first flight 18
01:13:26
hours. 18our direct business. No economy. Economy. Economy. >> Yeah. Yeah.
01:13:32
>> I'm big dude. And I still fly economy. So yeah, I was just cramped up. But I
01:13:38
mean it was around my birthday as well. So for me that was like the biggest birthday trip. Um just going there. And
01:13:45
the place we're staying we place we staying in Bruce Wayne's mansion, mate.
01:13:49
Like it was like a Batman Batman's house or something. Like we stayed in this big
01:13:54
mansion and there was like hundreds of rooms. There was a massive basement. It was like kind of like a castle look to
01:14:01
it as well. >> Was it an Airbnb or a hotel? >> It was like a house. It was like some
01:14:06
gynecologist's house like some real rich dude like that was trying to sell it and
01:14:10
then he rented it out to Izzy's management or something like that. like I don't know how it all they all got it
01:14:16
all set up but it was a crazy pad and that's where we were all staying and yeah that that that moment was like huge
01:14:22
for me because I got to really I was so like like shocked at everything I was seeing like just the whole American
01:14:31
experience UFC cameras and stuff and I feel like um not the reason why they brought me there was because they knew I
01:14:39
was going to be there and you know I feel like huge wanted me to um like really see and experience all those
01:14:45
things so that when my time come it wasn't um you know quite bright lights like too too crazy for me
01:14:52
>> cuz um yeah that that stuff's real like you can you can be just so sucked in
01:14:57
from the environment that you forget on about like what you're actually there
01:15:00
for and um when I had finally made it normalized all of that um the whole UFC thing by the time I got my shot I I was
01:15:09
like I've been here 100 times before. What did that trip um if anything teach
01:15:14
you about like professionalism and success? >> Yeah. Yeah, definitely like the
01:15:18
professionalism of the whole UFC. Um I went through like different emotions like every time that I went over on
01:15:27
tours with him. So the first time was was like a eye opener. The second time was like just like uh like I'd been
01:15:35
normalized um which is when we went to Miami. And then the third time when we went to Sydney, this was the last tour I
01:15:41
went on, I just said like it was that third one was I was like sick of it. Like I was like sick of being there for
01:15:49
someone else. Like I was like no, it's got to be my time now. Like I can't see
01:15:54
this happen and then not be for me. Like I almost didn't want to go on any more
01:15:59
tours because I wanted like I wanted some stardom, like some spotlight. And yeah, it was just that kind of that
01:16:05
third trip really like booted me up the ass, you know, to >> to get on my own stuff.
01:16:12
>> But what's um what's an afterparty a UFC afterparty with Israelis like?
01:16:17
>> Oh, man. It's crazy. It's crazy, man. Like I remember we went to Miami, I
01:16:23
think it was 11, I think. It was insane, man. And I still got like footage from that party that like I've watched
01:16:32
sometimes on my own just to like be like, man, this is the life, you know? We're talking like the whole clubs like
01:16:40
this is a crazy crazy club. Like no club you get in New Zealand. Like it was crazy. Just lights going off. There's
01:16:47
like bottle, you know, like people throwing up confetti everywhere. and he's just got the bell and I'm like
01:16:53
behind him like standing on the VIP area and I'm like filming like the whole like
01:16:59
the whole sort of like area and and he's just like holding up the bell. He's got
01:17:03
his walk out song playing. Everyone's just going ballistic. This Yeah, things
01:17:07
going crazy. All our whole team's behind him. everyone's like, you know, the
01:17:12
coaches are just like hugging each other like everyone's just like so wrapped and
01:17:16
that was um yeah, I think when Israel won the belt back off Pereira in Miami and that was that was insane. That was
01:17:23
something that's like etched in my brain like forever and >> it's something that like yeah definitely
01:17:29
it you know makes you go like this is the championship experience like this is everything you want like and everything
01:17:38
you can you can work for that can be you that can be you too and that that was what I was like saying to myself you
01:17:44
know when I was seeing all that this is all for the taking and and now that's
01:17:48
what all I think about is like becoming you know a champion but having she being
01:17:53
able to re remake those moments of my coaches again and and and my other teammate young teammates, you know, the
01:18:00
like the young navs, you know, at the gym, like just being able to do that for them is something that I want to do. So,
01:18:07
yeah, it's been awesome. >> Yeah. You said something before that um stuck with me like about 10 minutes ago.
01:18:12
You said, "Oh, you you were never going to go overseas or go on a holiday or
01:18:15
something until you made it." >> Yeah. >> What has made it? >> Yeah. For me, it was like, yeah, getting
01:18:19
to the UFC was was definitely like the first stepping stone to for me going on a holiday cuz I'd see people go on
01:18:27
holiday and they'd come back to work and they'd be like, man, back to reality,
01:18:31
you know? And I I didn't like that. Like, I didn't I didn't want to come
01:18:34
back to reality, you know? I wanted to grind and and really like work my way for something before go before even
01:18:41
thinking about things on on holiday. So I I went for my first holiday uh after my UFC debut which was to Raatonga. Went
01:18:50
there for like 5 days and even then when I was there for 5 days I was like just itching to get back home to train. So
01:18:58
yeah it holidays was very hard for me. It needs to be like a training holiday like where I can actually train and
01:19:04
stuff as well or keep my mind sharp cuz uh the full like when I went over to Ra it's like you meet the island people and
01:19:12
the island life you know they're all on island time like just feels like because
01:19:18
I'm ambitious bro you know and so I'm there and it's just like just where
01:19:22
ambitious is gone you know everyone's just chilling >> but also if if you've if you're doing
01:19:28
something that you you love and you've just got this red hot burning desire and
01:19:31
passion for then you know you don't need a break from it. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. And that's
01:19:36
it. And that's what I found like I really love fighting like even when I've
01:19:39
finished my fight and the pressure of the fight's over like you I still love
01:19:45
coming back to training and just learning and the feeling like the the the endorphins you get from like an
01:19:51
intense MMA session and sparring and it's just like yeah like really makes you feel feel good.
01:19:59
So 10 years now of chasing this dream. Um what's the like the profit and loss
01:20:04
column like? Like how how much money have you made much money? It must be the worst hourly rate ever at this point.
01:20:09
>> Yeah. Yeah. Like I've in recent like in the recent year and stuff like I
01:20:13
wouldn't say I've made like loads of money, but um I've made enough to like
01:20:17
support myself uh quite comfortably in you know today's economy and that. And
01:20:22
um I've I'm still like very conservative in the way I like spend money. Um, I try
01:20:29
to just set myself up for things that are going to help me in the long run. And I've I've over the years like in
01:20:36
just when I was coming up um my last for like last year before making the UFC, I
01:20:42
met a lot of sponsors and stuff and they've kind of been like my personal advisory board sort of thing like for
01:20:49
you know managing uh you know my money and making the right choices because I had so many sponsors. I was like would
01:20:57
always um talk to them about, you know, what do what do you think about this and
01:21:01
that and so I've got a whole plan set up now like um trying to like yeah really
01:21:06
secure myself in that world and um yeah just make sure I don't have to work again and stuff and I'm not cuz the
01:21:14
thing is you you go so long uh to in the sport with nothing and the last thing you can think of is like coming out with
01:21:24
nothing. um you know cuz you can make make some money in the sport and it's uh
01:21:29
you've got a short opportunity I think just in athletes in general and so um
01:21:34
yeah my plan is to try to make sure that I at least come out with something um and that's pretty much where I'm at
01:21:40
right now is just I'm in like the planning phase and trying to yeah set myself up.
01:21:45
>> Oh, good on you. Is it is it public knowledge or is it confidential how much
01:21:48
you get for the Seattle fight? >> Yeah, it's confidential. Yeah. >> Yeah. Um, a lot of fighters [ __ ] about
01:21:55
the UFC though and how they how they structure the pay. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've There's a lot of
01:22:00
talk about UFC pay. I guess when you like compare it to like other professional athletes. Um, you could
01:22:06
probably say that. Um, I don't know. I don't know how I feel about it. Like I
01:22:10
don't I'm not much of a complainer. Um, I've always just been like very
01:22:15
optimistic person and I look at like this is what you get like okay and this is how much you can get if you work
01:22:21
hard, you know? So, that's that's the what I look at is I don't want to be
01:22:26
sitting here complaining about my pay. I feel like I'm paid what I'm owed right
01:22:30
now and um I'll work towards more and that's that's pretty much where I'm at,
01:22:35
where my manager's at and yeah, like I'm happy where I am right now. >> Seems like you're doing okay. When I had
01:22:42
your teammate, the Balkcon beer, Brenda Perich, on he's talked about like um
01:22:46
sleeping in a Toyota Yarus and living in a room at the back of the gym. >> Yeah. just being a little bit smart. I
01:22:52
mean, I don't know what he does with his money, bro. So, don't ask me that. But
01:22:57
yeah, I I I couldn't I couldn't do that, man. I I need to That's why some homes
01:23:02
Yeah, I worked I worked um prior to my to my um UFC thing cuz I needed a place to stay. like I couldn't a lot of people
01:23:10
do do the whole um yeah just go all in and live at the gym and sweep up the gym but for me I know I need the the
01:23:19
separation I need to place to rest my mind as well from the gym and yeah I would that's why I always worked in make
01:23:27
sure I have my own place to come back to and that gets me recharged to come back
01:23:31
to the gym hard >> yeah part of me wondered if um Brando um just loved the suffering like loved
01:23:37
showering with a hose and [ __ ] in a cafe. >> Yeah. Yeah. I feel like some people do
01:23:41
that. Like they do enjoy the grind. Like it's like kind of rekicks them back in.
01:23:46
>> But um yeah, I don't know. I know how I Yeah, I know how I feel. And I'm just
01:23:52
like, man, I want to I want to just train hard and come be able to come home to my own
01:23:58
>> safe space where I'm not being haunted by a huge >> this um relentless optimism of yours. Um
01:24:06
have you have you always been wired that way? Is that something in your DNA or is
01:24:09
that something you >> Definitely not. Definitely not. I think um yeah, in my when I was young I
01:24:16
because I'd been around such negativity and people like giving up and stuff. My
01:24:22
brother was real bad um when we were kids like he was like a very big complainer and whiner and um he used to
01:24:30
yeah reinforce like a lot of negativity um on me as a kid um and some of my friends and stuff too. And so I just
01:24:39
everything I'd learned from them growing up like I I almost felt hopeless a little bit like um just because I'd been
01:24:45
around so much negativity. I felt like I couldn't pick something up without um
01:24:49
being shut down um straight away. And I got sick of it, man. I just got sick of being a victim. I felt like I had a
01:24:55
victim mentality through high school. I used to be like, man, why don't I why am
01:25:00
I not talented or why didn't I get to go to the good school to play rugby or, you
01:25:06
know, why I wasn't like a very good-looking kid. I used to be like, oh, why don't I get, you know, all the girls
01:25:11
and stuff like that. And, you know, those are the kind of like a very victim mentality, very weak. And I got I just
01:25:17
got sick of it. I got sick of it. when I started working and I and I met Conor Mc
01:25:21
like, you know, seeing Conor McGregor, the way he spoke and he was like, you know, I'm going to make it with I want
01:25:26
to work with the things I have. That that like really like inspired me. Like I was like, man, this guy's from
01:25:32
Ireland. There's no like UFC fighters from Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, and this
01:25:37
guy's working with what he's got, you know, and he's so confident in himself.
01:25:40
And he he was like a man like possessed. And I was like, man, if I could be like
01:25:46
that, like I'd never heard anyone speak like that before. Like just been so like
01:25:50
strong mentally and to hear that uh I I went on my own journey to build that some sort of strength within. And I
01:25:58
started watching loads of podcasts and and and all of that. I used to watch like all of Joe Rogan stuff. And I'd uh
01:26:05
yeah listen to way like I I used to listen to every all the McGregor interviews and just like Kobe Bryant and
01:26:12
Cristiano Ronaldo and just all the and I just really started to reinforce like mental strength and just just like an
01:26:20
unwavering willpower and >> um when I started to see that and consume that sort of um stuff, it really
01:26:29
push put me put it into my head that I was going to be someone And my brother couldn't believe it. Like the way my
01:26:35
brother was. And he almost like took a little digs at at my fighting, you know, like he was like, you know, you do all
01:26:41
this fighting, but it's going nowhere, you know? Like he he probably probably
01:26:46
heard him to hear me say that now. Like, but he knows it's true. And I remember I
01:26:50
remember him saying that after like maybe one or two of my fights. And then I think it was like after like my third
01:26:56
one was when he realized like my brother's unreal. like he's and the way
01:27:02
he talks about me now is completely different to the way he was. And I've almost changed him as a person um to
01:27:08
being like very optimistic and strong and stuff cuz he's just been been around
01:27:13
me and he's seen me like do to him what he thought thought was impossible. He's
01:27:18
seen me like achieve it many many times in fights and tournaments and and he's
01:27:25
like been with me and I've told him like watch this. I'm going to do this. I'm
01:27:28
going to be a champion. I'm going to be this champion. I want to make a UFC.
01:27:32
Whatever it might have been. And he's seen me go out there and do it. And he's
01:27:36
just like, "Bro, I can't believe it." Like, you everything you say just turns
01:27:40
to gold, you know? And um that's just pretty much how it's been since I've
01:27:47
left school and that. And yeah, when when people meet my brother, they that's
01:27:52
he's always talking about me 100%. >> Like just super proud of you now.
01:27:56
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he's just super proud of me now. Yeah, 100%.
01:27:59
>> I I've had um so many different people on this podcast from all sorts of walks
01:28:02
of life and um I think anyone that thinks really big um that sort of teasing or mocking is something you have
01:28:08
to go through on on the road >> to achieve your goal. Like um completely different to you, but um this guy sir
01:28:13
Peter Beck from Invagle, >> he's the founder of Rocket Lab, which is um
01:28:18
>> he's he's up there with like Bezos and Elon Musk sending rockets into space.
01:28:22
Like can you imagine a kid from the ridicule he would have got? >> Yeah, it's crazy. would have thought
01:28:26
he's [ __ ] crazy. >> Yeah. And then then there's so much like the talent per capita we have here in
01:28:32
New Zealand is insane. Like it's and it's something that I feel like Kiwis
01:28:37
are really proud of. Like when we it might not be something that you follow, but when you hear about oh we've got
01:28:43
this person carving up in golf like everyone's like whoa, you know, like they get behind you and stuff. And I
01:28:49
really I really like that about Kiwis and stuff. Yeah. How's your has your mental health mostly been good over the
01:28:56
years? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> From the answer you gave before, it feels like there's maybe like been dips
01:29:00
over the years. >> Yeah. Well, I've definitely um you know been a really stoic person, so I've
01:29:08
found um like I'm not I'm pretty detached from my emotions. And that's
01:29:12
something that me and my partner have like slowly started to figure out, you know, is like I kind of really detach
01:29:21
from everything and I just try to push it to the side like I don't like let thing I kind of bottle things up, you
01:29:28
know, and and I just kind of like eats away at you, you know? So that's something I've been trying to work on on
01:29:34
my own. um just being a bit more I don't know expressive of it and just trusting
01:29:40
of my emotions and stuff like that cuz yeah for me it's not it's just something
01:29:44
I think it's just I get it from my dad like my upbringing like my dad was very
01:29:48
like >> you know just harden up just get up in there and harden up and >> yeah and I've just known like now as an
01:29:56
adult it's not like always a way to be as well so yeah it's a work in progress
01:30:01
still but I'm getting there >> you you've been m you've been um great
01:30:05
at communicating in this podcast. Are you are you okay at showing vulnerability in relationships?
01:30:09
>> You still work on? >> No. Yeah. Yeah. So, no. That's not that's not something that I'm I'm very
01:30:15
good at. Um >> I don't think it's comes easy for any of us. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Vulnerability and
01:30:19
relationships has been like Yeah. Definitely not my biggest um my biggest thing proud of. Yeah. Yeah. It's not my
01:30:27
biggest strength. Um so, yeah, it's been something I've been working on uh quite
01:30:33
recently. Yeah. with my MS which is something yeah she's happy about as well. So um yeah I feel like I'm on I'm
01:30:40
on good track with that. >> It's hard though if you're in a relationship and there's something
01:30:44
that's that's that's on your mind but you know it's going to cause like an
01:30:48
argument or a robust conversation. It's easier just to not say it right. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I've just kind of always
01:30:54
just like you know pushed everything aside for fighting. I'm just like I don't care about that cuz I've
01:31:02
always been there like been like that but yeah I think I'm at a position now
01:31:06
that when I get there you know I want to have be able to share it with someone and and stuff like that. I don't want to
01:31:12
be like alone at the top. So >> yeah it's just been been a good work on
01:31:16
for me for sure. >> How are you going to feel in Seattle um when you when you're like an hour or two
01:31:22
from walking out when you pull up in that UFC bus and you walk in and you get ready? How how do you feel a couple of
01:31:27
hours beforehand? Are you excited? Are you nervous? >> I don't I try not to feel anything. I
01:31:32
try to be super present. I try to let like everything any like like emotions just pass me and
01:31:40
just I kind of put on like a very stern look on my face and just go like like I don't give myself thought to process
01:31:52
like losing or fear or what ifs, you know? Like I don't give that. It's kind of like you just like when
01:32:00
you're going to jump off something, you just go sweet, let's go. Like >> you don't give yourself four. And I I do
01:32:07
that a lot with hard training sessions. Uh doing something that's very hard. I
01:32:12
just go like sweet. Like I almost like say yes to something without giving myself thought because I feel like in
01:32:19
that process of thinking, you start to demolish yourself. You know, you just sabotage. And I don't
01:32:27
give myself thought when I'm in the back. I just go like, well, I've done
01:32:31
the work. Like, I've done everything. I'm I know what I'm going to do when I
01:32:35
get in there. I I almost I trust in the fact that I know that um I've got this
01:32:41
weird I don't know if it's a talent or a skill or something that I've everything
01:32:46
just slows down for me when I'm fighting. Like I really like get so dialed in mentally that nothing else
01:32:53
matters and I'm just like thinking about what I'm doing when I'm fighting. And
01:32:58
people have said that to me about my fight style like you have like the most like um just non no emotion on your face
01:33:06
and you look like you're drilling in there as well. Like like you're not like
01:33:11
it doesn't look hard or you don't see a lot of motion on your face. Like you're
01:33:14
just drilling in there. >> Oh, like doing drills. >> Yeah. I'm in like such a trance, you
01:33:18
know, like I just call it like being in the zone. like I'm just so in the zone
01:33:24
that yeah, I just see things coming at me slow motion and I'm able to process
01:33:29
thought when like for example like I'll see someone fight in the gym and they
01:33:34
just style up and then I know that they're good because I've seen them do
01:33:39
well and then I've seen them fight and I'm like and they don't perform and I
01:33:43
think to myself like this guy is so good like he's nowhere near as good as the
01:33:48
way he I I've seen him and I'd always like used to freak me out like seeing
01:33:54
people not do what I've seen them do before. >> But I feel Yeah. what they're capable
01:33:58
of. And I feel like that's what I do really well at is like I'm able to I
01:34:03
know what I'm capable of and I can go out there and just execute it and and do
01:34:07
it and do it and do it and >> um yeah, I don't know if that's like a
01:34:12
special thing for myself, but it's just something I've noticed like >> or like yeah, I see people people say
01:34:18
like certain things are hard in the real time and I I've been training my brother
01:34:22
recently and like cuz he's had fights and I've seen him spar and he looks
01:34:26
really good and then just like in some of his recent fights, he's he's found it
01:34:30
hard to like put the shots together. And I'm trying to like coach him and corner
01:34:34
him and he's not doing what like I know I would do sort of thing. And this is
01:34:38
not like a knock or anything on my brother, but like I'm just like why is he not performing
01:34:44
like this way or something, you know? It's just like a really weird thing. And
01:34:48
I don't know if it's just like maybe that's like my innate ability to do
01:34:52
those things or >> something. But yeah, it's just something I've noticed. Well, that quote I had at
01:34:56
the top of this podcast from Israel. He sort of talked about you being able to see something and then do it
01:35:01
immediately. So, maybe that's like a natural talent you've got, but it's um
01:35:05
natural talent combined with 10 years of really hard work as well. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think just my
01:35:09
personality because I'm like not very like emotional and I I'm very good at
01:35:15
just being able to be like, "Yep, sweet." I think it just plays into like
01:35:19
my fight style and stuff. Some people have said I have like aggression problems as well. Like I've heard some
01:35:24
people like why don't you get like mango? >> Yeah. Yeah. I've heard that a lot a lot
01:35:29
in my career. Like people say like you don't have like a lot of mango from like
01:35:32
even good fighters, not just like friends and stuff and like I always they always shock me like cuz I'm like what
01:35:38
do you mean? Like I'm punching this guy like hard. I'm just making sure the
01:35:41
technique is correct and this and that. Like people say I almost look like a little robotic like and that that always
01:35:48
like >> Does that [ __ ] you off? >> It it does a little bit but I I get what
01:35:52
they mean. I get that they mean and and I know my style and I'm confident in the
01:35:56
things I do and it's the reason why I haven't been knocked out like yet and um
01:36:02
uh yeah just like why I don't take a lot of damage and yeah I'm not really one to
01:36:07
like perform very well in the gym but when it comes to fight night I've I've
01:36:13
always just been on >> what what is the worst you've been hurt? worst I've been hurt. Um,
01:36:21
man, in fights, like I I could probably count on my fingers like how many times I've been hurt. Like that's that's
01:36:28
that's being truthful, man. I've I've I've really like kept my range and broke
01:36:33
guys down a lot. I think maybe in my second UFC fight, the guy got me with a good left hook to the eye, but I just
01:36:40
kind of brushed it off. But that was that was definitely like the hardest shot I've been hit with. And I can't
01:36:45
think of many other shots um that I've been hit with in the fights at all. But
01:36:50
in the gym, yeah, definitely I've been hit with some big ones. >> Hit with some probably more than the
01:36:54
actual fights >> more. And then that's what you'll hear a lot of fighters probably say that that
01:36:59
they've had more gym wars than they have in the actual fights. But um that's why
01:37:03
I don't actually like to spar too hard because I know like I might as well just
01:37:07
save my chin for the fight night. And yeah, I've been pretty successful since.
01:37:13
>> If if I got hit in the face, like my my body would go into complete shock. Like
01:37:17
it would it would just be into overdrive. What what happens when you get punched in the face?
01:37:22
>> Yeah. I mean, you're in like such a different like state of like you're in
01:37:27
like a primal state like 100%. Like you're on like a life or death state. And so when you're like that and you do
01:37:35
get hit, even if it's like a fleeting blow, like a fleeting blow that if I took right now out of nowhere, like it
01:37:41
would it would hurt me. Like it would 100% hurt me. I'd be like, "Whoa, what
01:37:44
was that?" But in that environment and and in the mode that you're in, like it
01:37:50
is very very minimal. Like you don't you almost don't feel it like >> and and any big shots you do feel, you
01:37:56
almost like that pain is gone in like two three seconds. It's like you're just
01:38:00
wearing it for the time being. >> Unreal. >> Yeah. In Dan's last fight just before it
01:38:05
was called off, like he was on the ground hit maybe 30, 40 times and like how is he not knocked out? That was
01:38:11
>> Yeah, I remember watching that and just like, oh, bro, come on, brother. Get up.
01:38:15
>> He he just he never taps out. >> Yeah, man. He's He's crazy, man. He just
01:38:19
He's He's had some absolute wars, man. I don't know how he does it. and he's just
01:38:24
got like a a love for the sport and just I think he just loves the grit of that just getting in there and like feeling
01:38:32
it. But me personally, I it's not for me, man. I like to I like to just I like
01:38:37
the skills and the sharpness and being sharp. I like that. Like I I I do I don't mind a bit of grit and like you
01:38:46
know feeling. I think I had one of my fights where it was just it felt like the fight was very close and I just
01:38:52
looked at the guy and we just sort of pointed at the ground and just went hell for leather and I I was just like I
01:38:58
don't know how close this fight is so I'm going to have to swing for the
01:39:00
bleaches and Yeah. >> Oh, point to the ground. That's a UFC thing that you some fighters do like
01:39:05
with 10 seconds to go. >> Yeah, I think I was close to like 30 seconds left. The guy just went like,
01:39:11
you know, come on, come on. and it was a close fight, so I I needed like something uh emphatic to really to
01:39:18
really um like secure the win, and I managed to drop him from that. So, >> yeah, that was probably the last moment
01:39:25
I've really felt like I've been chinned and I had to like go for it. So, yeah.
01:39:30
>> When you picture the absolute peak of your career, what does it look like,
01:39:35
>> man? And just to be honest, just being a great champion, someone that the MMA
01:39:43
community just looks at as one of the greatest fighters etched in the in the timeline. Have more money than I know
01:39:52
what to do with. And yeah, just uh man, just doing doing really well. Yeah. Doing just achieving everything
01:40:01
that I ever hoped for. Everything that you've dreamed of is is on track and it's happened so far. So
01:40:09
this is realistic. >> Yeah. Yeah. This is very realistic for me. I I that's what I go to bed at.
01:40:15
That's what that was that's what wakes me up every morning is thinking like
01:40:19
this is what I want for myself and this is what I'm going to get and and with
01:40:23
the way how old I am, the way I fight, the way I've seen myself fighting the
01:40:30
top guys and um you know my team everything's lining up correctly and and I understand that there can be many
01:40:38
slopes. I've had I've been through heaps of slopes. People think it's just been
01:40:42
an an uphill for me, but I've I've I've seen plenty of downhills. I'm almost so
01:40:47
good at dealing with the downhills now because of my uh life experience now that I'm ready for the the the downward
01:40:56
slopes, too. So, >> I don't think those will knock me off my path. And yeah, and I've I've seen other
01:41:03
fighters, you know, and they they don't they don't have like the the mental
01:41:08
resilience or the resolve like I do. And I know like if this is what's out there,
01:41:12
like I'm going to crush those dudes 100%. >> Yeah. To be a champion, you need some
01:41:16
scars on your back, don't you? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um Yeah. You say you you'd like to have
01:41:21
more money than what you know what to do with. What would you want to do with the
01:41:23
money? >> Have you thought about that? What you'd want to do for others?
01:41:27
>> Definitely like set up my family. That's for sure. Set up my family. um you know,
01:41:33
mom, dad, brother, sister, you know, if I have children in the future, just set them up, you know. So, you know, I
01:41:40
really want to take my family from, you know, a working class family and right up to, you know, really be established
01:41:49
and be able to help everyone else in my family. That that's that that would be
01:41:53
like a dream goal for me um post UFC career. And yeah, like I've got plenty of things that I would like to do after
01:42:02
I fight as well. And so when I think there'll be the time to when it's time
01:42:07
to leave the sport, I'm pretty confident I'll be able to do that. >> Yeah. What do you want to do?
01:42:14
>> To be honest, I want to I think in my opinion, I think I'm going to be more
01:42:19
popular post UFC career than I will be as a UFC fighter. the UFC fighter. I think I I really enjoy my streaming and
01:42:28
YouTube and making content. >> I consume a lot of it. So, I know what works and I know what the people like.
01:42:33
And the reason why I don't like really put attention to it at the moment is just cuz I'm just I've got one goal
01:42:41
right now and that's to be a great champion and and that's the only thing I
01:42:45
care about. And so, I dabble mix and dabble in all these other things and and stuff like that. And I know what I could
01:42:51
see myself doing after my career. And I I think I could be I could become like really popular after my UFC career. But
01:42:59
the but being a UFC fighter and a former champion will definitely propel um the start of my post career.
01:43:08
>> And yeah, like I think I can I'm pretty confident I can smash it um outside of
01:43:14
the cage as well. If if someone um told um a shy Navajo Sterling, you 12 years old on the Marai, that one day he'd be
01:43:23
in the UFC and then potentially become like a content creator one day. Could you believe it?
01:43:28
>> No, I wouldn't be able to believe that. No. As a kid, I was so shy and that like
01:43:34
my mom would be like laughing at it like she she'll know too. Like I definitely
01:43:39
couldn't see myself. No, no way. >> What do you think your best and worst
01:43:43
habits are? Oh, best and worst habits. I think I'm a big procrastinator, that's for sure.
01:43:49
Like, >> rubbish. >> Yeah. Yeah, I procrastinate a lot. Um, on what >> I sometimes like sometimes like when I
01:43:57
really do when I'm not productive as well, like I go like full the other way.
01:44:02
Like I'll just sit at a desk and just play games for like a stupid amount of
01:44:07
time. Um, I've And and food. Yeah, food used to be a real bad one. like I've
01:44:14
I've gotten better at it, but yeah, food is was like just just eating rubbish and
01:44:19
stuff. Uh >> you must you must always be hungry with the training you do. >> You're telling me now, man. I've I've
01:44:25
lost so much weight. Um recently I'm in wicked shape and I my whole like for you
01:44:30
page right now is just food. Yeah, I've I've been trying to get like a better
01:44:34
relationship with food. Um basically if you get fat at our gym, everyone call you a fat bastard. So yeah, if I get
01:44:41
when I get injured, when I Oh, that's another thing, man. When I get injured,
01:44:45
my bad like a bad habit is like I basically pile on everything. Like I get really depressed because I'm not getting
01:44:52
the training in and I just stuff myself with food and I'm sure a lot of fighters
01:44:58
do go through that and yeah, then you don't feel very good and and uh you know, when you're off and just that
01:45:06
start up again is always just gruesome like starting up from being fat and out of shape and for for us that's like one
01:45:15
month out of no doing doing no training can can really like yeah hurt your mind man it's the worst but I've done it so
01:45:22
many times I always just try to tell myself like everything will be sweet like just keep getting yourself to the
01:45:28
gym and dealing with the comments so yeah >> what is your weakness when it comes to
01:45:33
food >> the junk food you're talking about >> yeah junk food like I'm a big like when
01:45:38
I go when When I go out to eat, like I always like buy the whole menu like Yeah. For Mrs. I'll be like, "Oh, just
01:45:44
get me like just give me everything, you know." And >> what what what's he go to? Is it KFC?
01:45:50
>> Oh, yeah. KFC, man. I'm big KFC. Like, so I've had some I've had like KFC like
01:45:54
one or two weeks out from a fight, I've just Yeah. KFC, man. Just any restaurant
01:46:01
that I see on my timeline, I'm just going I'm going straight there. I' I've
01:46:06
got like saved there's heaps of fighters like that that I got like saved food
01:46:11
places that I'm going to hit like straight after my fight and yeah man it's just yeah it's no good
01:46:18
>> when was the last time you cried >> man last time I cried would probably be
01:46:23
from what I remember would be yeah man making the contenders >> that's a great story
01:46:30
>> yeah making the contenders man I I cried man I I cried And my my MS was like she
01:46:38
couldn't believe like that she was seeing me get teeyed at the time, you know. She was just like, "Holy shit."
01:46:45
You know, he's actually like >> he does have an emotion. >> Yeah, he does have an emotion. Like she
01:46:49
was like, "I can't believe like that he feels this way about it, about his
01:46:53
fighting. Like he really loves it." And >> yeah, man. That was that that was
01:46:57
probably the last time I cried. Yeah, 100%. >> What are you most afraid of?
01:47:03
I'm most afraid of probably >> not going bald. You had a hair transplant. Yeah. I had a hair
01:47:09
transplant. Yeah. No, I didn't. I didn't really care too much about going.
01:47:12
>> You It looks good. Where were you? Why did you get a hair transplant? >> Well, funny enough, I realized I was
01:47:18
losing my hair going into my Contenders fight. And I was like, I'mma just cuz I
01:47:24
had bleached my hair the whole way to the UFC. I was like, I'm going to have
01:47:27
to give this a a kick to the bin. So, I I was like, one more. And then when I make it, I just going to go bald. And I
01:47:35
was just just as I was about to go bald. I got a message from now hair time hair
01:47:42
clinic in Turkey and they were just like, we'll give you a hair free hair transplant for um some promotion. I was
01:47:48
like, sounds good to me. So that's what I did straight straight away. As soon as
01:47:53
I fought in the UFC, I got my UFC return flight to Turkey and yeah, I just yeah,
01:47:59
got it done. It's been like a year now. So yeah, I didn't go on any uh supplements or anything. I just did the
01:48:04
raw transplant. No, no treatment after. And yeah, I'm pretty happy with it. Um
01:48:10
it's still a bit thin in some areas, but it's like it's better than being scalped
01:48:15
um from where I was, >> so yeah. No, it's been pretty good. I usually have my hair short anyway, so
01:48:21
it's all good. >> Yeah. Um yeah, so back to the original question. Yeah. What are you what you do
01:48:26
is would be one of my worst fears like being locked in an octagon with someone for 5 minutes at a time. What What are
01:48:32
you afraid of? >> What I'm afraid of is probably Yeah, honestly not living up to my potential,
01:48:38
man. Not living up like just being your typical should have, could have, would have. Like I used to work as a as a
01:48:46
bartender and I used to see like you know mates that that were like gun league players like or rugby players and
01:48:53
and they'd see me and I'd be like I'd be like what happened bro like you still
01:48:57
you know going for you know I don't know all blacks or something they're like ah
01:49:01
you know just got injured bro you know or you know just got the misses pregnant and had to look after or you know just I
01:49:09
I met so many should have could have man and I was like wow you were like the hand, you know, and I I never wanted
01:49:16
that to be the same. I was like, I don't ever want to be just another good story
01:49:20
or another what if video you see on YouTube or something. I want to really cuz I look at the way I am and my age
01:49:31
and I feel like I can really like maximize my potential. And when I followed like Conor McGregor and like
01:49:37
Jon Jones and that and I saw them come in and out of the sport so much like it that that that like almost like used to
01:49:44
grind me my gears, you know, seeing them not live up to their potential cuz they
01:49:48
could have been like they they're already great but they could have been so much more greater. And
01:49:52
>> um that's that's another reason that keeps me locked in and like pushes away
01:49:58
everything else is well outside of fighting. like I really push things to the side to fully zone in because I know
01:50:05
that that this thing little thing on the side could could could take me away from
01:50:10
my potential. So I I I always kick that off. And that's why like with my streaming and that as well, I don't I
01:50:16
don't take that too serious because like people say, "Oh, why you not streaming?"
01:50:19
I'm like, "No, man. Fighting fighting all day." Like right now where I'm at,
01:50:24
what I want to do with my life, fighting 100%. >> I love that. There's a saying, don't die
01:50:30
with the music in you. Um, and I think whether it's fighting or whatever it is,
01:50:34
you just don't want to you don't want to die wondering. >> Yeah. Yeah.
01:50:36
>> You whatever your passion is, you want to give it everything you got. >> 100%.
01:50:40
>> When when someone tells the story of Nevo Sterling, say 30, 40 years from
01:50:43
now, what do you hope they say? >> Oh man, just that he was this legend like fighter, like warrior, took himself
01:50:52
from nothing. Someone that took himself from nothing and made something of himself. And I'm hoping that it gets to
01:51:00
a point where people in my bloodline are just like that's our ancestor, you know,
01:51:06
we come from we come from his genes, his genetics, his warrior bloodline or whatever. like to be able to cement
01:51:16
myself in time, you know, is like to live immortal in a in a way like people will remember you for years and that's
01:51:25
that's how I want to be remembered, man. Just as a just someone that took himself
01:51:30
from nothing to everything. >> You've done enough already for that, haven't you? Like we mentioned earlier,
01:51:36
your great-granddad being part of the Moldi Battalion. Um, yeah, you've what
01:51:40
you've done already is enough to >> Yeah. >> have that reputation in your family.
01:51:45
>> Yeah. And and and that's the thing. I feel like I can do so much more like
01:51:48
because I'm at the prime age for it, man. I'm not even >> I'm only 28.
01:51:53
>> Young 28 and I've still got years to kill it, you know? And that's why I know
01:51:58
like that belt is inevitable. Um, and going past that as well is what I want to do is I don't want to just get touch
01:52:07
the belt once. I want to take it and go on a run kind of like what Israel done. Um, you know, and I'm with the coaching
01:52:15
team of the team I have around me. we can run through that, you know, and and because I've been able to sit back seat
01:52:23
to, you know, see how uh Israel has done it and then also we've had like a glimpse
01:52:30
into Vulcanowski and seeing how he's done it and how he's still the champion
01:52:35
now and carrying a great legacy now. You know, if if there's anyone to be able to
01:52:40
do it, it will be someone like me because I've already got my coaching team and and they have already had that
01:52:47
experience. They know well where maybe Israel went wrong or what they could have done better and stuff and so they
01:52:55
have the experience and and they can p pour all of that in back into me. It's
01:53:00
not like a one time thing like >> they've never done they didn't know what
01:53:05
was going to happen when I got big, you know, cuz they've been there and that
01:53:08
that that's like another thing that really like >> re reinforces in me that I'm going to
01:53:13
I'm going to go on a run for sure. >> Oh yeah, you're with the right team. No
01:53:17
doubt about it. >> Yeah. >> Are you proud of yourself? >> Yeah. Yeah, I am proud of myself. I am
01:53:22
proud of myself. And only recently Yeah. Yeah. Very much only recently. Yeah. I I
01:53:27
I wasn't proud of anything until I until like the most recent years of making the
01:53:32
UFC. Um cuz I was just like, "Oh, I haven't really done anything like >> you know." And now that's kind of I was
01:53:39
proud of myself and now it's kind of re rekick re like lit that fire that I had
01:53:45
years ago joining the UFC and being like man I like wait till they know who I am
01:53:51
you know that's where I'm at right now is to put everyone on notice like you
01:53:56
see a lot of prospects and stuff and they got more hype than you and that and that that does like kind of like you
01:54:03
know light the fire under you like like I I want to be the man, you know, and uh
01:54:09
that's where I'm at right now. >> Navajo Sterling, you are the man,
01:54:15
>> mate. This has been great. >> Yeah. Awesome. >> Good for you.
01:54:18
>> Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. No, it's it's been really good just to peel it back
01:54:22
and have a look. >> Um No, it's been awesome, bro. >> Mate, you're you're a good dude and I'm
01:54:27
I'm looking forward to seeing um what the future brings. Yeah. >> Um you're on track.
01:54:31
>> Yeah. Yeah. On track. >> How old was Israel when he got his first
01:54:34
McLaren? Oh, I don't know. Maybe. Yeah, it's 30s, maybe. I'm not too sure. So,
01:54:39
yeah, I think I'm on I'm on track. I'm doing well. And my my rise might might
01:54:44
not be as fast, so we'll go at my own pace, >> but um it's a steady pace for sure,
01:54:49
>> man. I appreciate you so much being here on the podcast. >> Yeah, thank you for having me. I
01:54:53
appreciate you guys having me. So, >> and myself and anyone else who's uh
01:54:56
watched or listened to this uh will no doubt be invested in your journey now, and we can't wait to see what you do
01:55:01
next. >> Yes. Thank you. Thank you for Yeah, man. Just be ready. Be ready for what's to
01:55:05
come.