First Fight

In this episode I chat with Joe Pyfer who’s coming off his bonus-winning UFC debut. I was touched by Joe’s candidness while sharing his story on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. We talk about his very quick first fight, his struggle coming up with an abusive family life, his goals, and how wrestling saved his life.

In this episode, I chat with an old friend & seasoned veteran Gerald Meerschaert about his experiences coming up through the regional circuit. Gerald is a former RFA champ, Titan FC veteran, KOTC veteran, and the current holder of the most submission victories in the UFC middleweight division. We talk about the old school vs the new school mentality and how the newer generation of fighters may have a ton of resources, but it sometimes can hurt the ‘fighter’ mindset more than help.

In this episode, I chat with hot prospect Mark Grey about how his collegiate wrestling background has helped him in his fighting career, what the transition was like, as well as, how the pandemic set him up for the right opportunity to take the plunge into fighting.

In this episode I chat with Chris Liguori. Once a troubled kid, Chris started fighting when he was just 16 years old and went on to have a long career in MMA fighting for various promotions. We take a stroll down memory lane where he shares his first loss that made him want more, his long-time relationship with Frankie Edgar, and gives a window into the struggles of the life of an MMA fighter. Chris is a true martial artist who stays sharp despite retiring years ago.

In this episode, I get the opportunity to chat with another pioneer of the MMA game, Matt Serra. Matt is a legendary fighter, coach, gym owner and father. He is also a co-host of the MMA staple podcast, “UFC Unfiltered” and reality show, "Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight."

Matt's exposure to martial arts at a young age led him on a wild ride that began with a tough man contest in Manhattan refereed by Mr. T. He shares this experience, his journey to the octagon, his evolution as a fighter and the scare that pushed him to hang it up. Such a treat to be able to get him and his stories added to my archives.

In this episode, I chat with TUF champ, author and Emmy award winning fighter, Eddie Gordon. He shares how watching a UFC event in a bar with his friends sparked his interest and lured him away from the financial world where he was making a living. We talk about the risk he took to pursue his career and how it ultimately paid off. He also shares how fighting saved his life and led him on a path of inspiring others in ways he never dreamed.

In this episode, I chat with one of the original gangsters of MMA, Din Thomas. Din is a man of many talents, a martial artist, a coach, a comedian, an actor and broadcaster. We talk about the early beginnings of MMA when he had his first fight, the old-school mindset versus the new, and his thoughts on coaching and retirement.

In this episode, I talk with rising star Erin Blanchfield. Erin shocked everyone by winning EBI as an 18-year old purple belt and is now making waves in the UFC. Erin represents a new generation of fighters on the scene who have been training MMA from a very young age. We talk about her early beginnings in martial arts, what it's like realizing her dreams and how she keeps her stone-cold mindset.

Kicking off the year with a great interview with Lance “The Party” Palmer. He shares the story of his transition from the pinnacle of collegiate wrestling to fighting on the regional circuit. He packed up everything into his truck and headed out west to go all in on a new pursuit. The risk paid off and he has had a very successful MMA career winning titles in RFA, WSOF and the PFL million dollar tournament twice. He shares a bit on the ups and downs of being a fighter and his thoughts on the attainability of “balance” in life while pursuing greatness.

Special Episode! This episode, I chat with fellow podcaster, Will Manzano. Will shares about how his passion for boxing and working from home during Covid led him to create his own show. We also talk about the struggle of creating content weekly and our top interviews of 2021.