On today’s episode of UFC Unfiltered, Jim Norton and Matt Serra are joined by UFC featherweight Damon Jackson and …
[Applause] was really there for Damon Jackson throughout the fight and he just kept a lot of pressure on Hernandez I be 32 and7 it was 29 all Damon the lead Jackson he increases the alltime UFC wins record I got the most most finishes at lightweight I would love to go up to 170 fight the guy with the most knockouts in UFC history Jim A10 millon welcome to UFC unfilter please tell me that’s on video I’ve never been happier I’m made for a podcast we’re dangerous listen to me we’re out of [Music] here welcome to UFC unfiltered finally the team is back um my friend uh you were gone Wednesday right for uh you were in uh Austin Texas yes I was I was on JRE The Joe Rogan Experience with my buddy Dean Thomas and John R has that come out yet it is out it’s out already it is it you want to know what number it is on JRE or what number buddy or else you could just type my name in and then you you’ll know it that way not what number though uh I’ll tell you right now what number it is are you ready yeah it’s number 154 JRE MMA show with Matt Sarah oh you oh it’s the MMA show oh that’s great Dean Thomas and Dean Thomas and John R it keeps getting oh yeah we have F you know what we did over three hours yeah Joe likes a long show that’s of course it was fun I’m I’m really happy too I saw the picture and you guys look like you had a great time I showed my abs on it oh I’m glad Matt it wouldn’t be a complete podcast or radio show um or a UFC podcast without those abdomen without those abdominals I’m not a braggot but I used to be a fat man well you were a bigger a bit more Squat and you have muscled out I was round by the way today coming in in just a couple of minutes we have uh Damon Jackson with a really really uh solid win over Alexander Hernandez and Jim Miller who is uh you know the only fighter I think to have been on UFC 100 200 and now next weekend on 300 he’s the second fight up against Bobby green and what a fight I mean what I mean that card it’s just it’s sickening how good that card is it is every it starts off with figero against Cody Garand is the opening fight of the early prelims man is this going to be a great great night you know I’m thinking because it’s such such a great card if we have time because we’re going to talk about the main card for sure next episode and and I think maybe we should start later on with the early prelims because like we said it’s crazy it could be it could be it could be a main event yeah that that first early prelim 100 perc yeah you know so I like Cody cin I like a good comeback story it’s not that he really fell off but you know there’s times he really shows signs of greatness you know yeah and I think he’s still he’s young enough and he’s with the right people I think he’s gonna I think he could really uh make a comeback and figure great guy to make a a statement with yeah yeah he is it’s insane to me and we can kind of spend I guess both episodes this week touching on we can of course talk about we’re going to talk about the uh uh the co-main with uh with Damon and also the main with uh Chris Curtis uh against um uh bre which great F great fight I mean that I love even though Chris lost that fight I love body punchers it’s just so awful to watch a guy getting hit in the body it’s just such a such a a great great uh when a guy is known for doing that I always enjoy Chris’s fight for that reason and I don’t want to take anything away from bran Allen because that was a dog fight when I say dog fight stop barking ready okay it was it was a a dog fight I knew you do something silly that’s why I said that okay a softball it was a little softball no you’re right Jimmy you one not two are you trying to tell me somebody’s in the get waiting room oh he’s been in the waiting room yeah we can we can uh Dam Jackson and it’s his first time on the show and and and yeah and after I’m saying if you want to talk about the uh the main we might as well get him in and discuss I’m sure he watched it um well oh I was going to say that c that that um who we just talking about Chris Curtis uh Chris Curtis Chris Curtis he did take that fight on like I believe less than a month notice so yeah I just want to say that there he is Dam I listen what a fight bro congratulations oh yeah I appreci man thank you and and nice to to to meet you man this your first time on the show yeah yeah first time yeah go ahead go ahead Jimmy oh I’m sorry I’m sorry Dam I I I talk a lot about the judging and like look man I know judges are people right and they make but what there has to be some accountability because what you guys do is so difficult and for for someone to have scored that 3027 hey they want to give him the 30 of course first even on a crazy thing which I don’t even think but but 3020 27 is egregious and I I don’t know how to make sense of that how do you make sense of something like that when it happens man that’s why it’s so important to finish fights you know like that’s why like I go out there every time I’m looking for a finish and I knew he was a tough opponent and uh it was gonna be tough to get the Finish but I wanted that finish because you know he’s been in the game for a while I’ve been in the game for a while you don’t know these judges are fans too like at the end of the day like they’re they’re they’re fans of the sport they wouldn’t they wouldn’t donate their time it’s like these like there’s no education there there’s no repercussion if they mess up there’s nothing like there’s nothing there it makes no sense to me right um your nickname is the leech correct yes sir oh I now second I heard that and after watching this fight oh I mean it’s simple to know it’s a stupid question would be why because you’re sucking the blood is that what it is because Legion suck the blood from you that you’re just it’s like you’re sucking the energy force because once they think they’re out you getting in on like singles and you’re locking your hands when you shouldn’t even be able around his butt and that guy and hernandz doesn’t look like an easy guy to get down keep down he’s good in scrambles yeah but man how did you get that nickname that from wrestling so from college my buddies uh I was holding everybody down at practice one day and I had this heavyweight we I basically went through the whole team and I had the last person was a heavyweight and I had to hold him down for 30 seconds to win and um I held him down for like five minutes and he couldn’t get he couldn’t get me off his back he was doing front flips and like doing all this crazy stuff and I just kept his back and my coach was like you’re like a leech and I had just started fighting at the time and uh my buddies were like oh that’s your new nickname the leech so that was that was stuck you had a couple of takedowns uh in the first and in the second and he kind of you know I don’t know what the position would be called uh the way he was kind of wrapped around your back it was the same thing in both round what would you call that it was hard for you to swing your leg around and grab his legs yeah I could not step over his legs because I didn’t want to like uh I didn’t want to like overextend my my hips and and like let him sweep me so I was basically trying to break his grip and step over his his legs I don’t know what you call it but it was definitely an awkward position because I knew that if I adjusted my grip he was gonna be able to hip p and like work out of that position and so I was kind of like I was fighting I was like man he’s gonna move eventually I thought I thought he was going to move and he never did so um once I was finally ended up able to break his grip it was you know I got to the position you know I ended up getting mount it was just it was good it was H he’s tough man he’s strong as health he had the extra five pounds too yeah yeah what what was your where did you grow up and what was your first discipline was it was it wrestling your first yeah I grew up in Oklahoma my first discipline was wrestling that that that’s why I really started wrestling uh in seventh grade I tried out for uh I tried out for basketball and I made I made the B team and me and my buddy were like hey man let’s go try wrestling and so we walked over to the like we had wrestling on one side basketball on the other side and so I tried basketball because I played that my whole childhood and then I started wrestling in seventh grade and um once I I saw the the UFC like all the fighter all the good Fighters had wrestling background uh that’s when I was like I gotta stick with wrestling you know when did you start striking uh really not until like uh lonard Garcia fight so like my probably my 10th 10th Pro fight in wow and and your CF kicks were nice man those I again I love watching someone beat up legs because that’s such a painful thing that’s just something you picked up later after you had already started fighting um I was just kind of like it you know like No One’s Gonna Take Me Down I’ll kick all day because like you know if I’m kicking someone the only thing they’re gonna be able to do is either step in and hit me or they’re gonna step in and take me down like okay step in take me down all day like do it you know so I’m okay with that I’m okay with being on my back I’ve been doing Jitsu since uh 2005 so I’ve been at it for a minute and um you know I’m okay being on one back I heard you’re opening up a school is it an MMA school is it a Jiu-Jitsu school what do we got there yeah I I actually opened that up last last June so I’ve been almost a year yeah so it’s a we do everything we do Jitsu wrestling kickboxing MMA the whole thing so this great now that’s your now that’s your job besides fighting I’ve been there all morning like today I got back late last night so we weren’t we weren’t open and then um I I’ve been there all morning and then uh I’ll I have H I have a little bit of a gap now then I have classes tonight and I’m back at it and it’s a forest yeah yeah I’m sorry hold on for you have classes at foris or you’re you have class it’s it’s like a foris franchise right yeah yeah it’s a it’s a I just open up my own place and I was like man like I I was such a big part of this when we first started the forest Jem in Dallas uh so you know me and my coach have been together since the beginning so uh it was just nice to kind of like pass that on and like open that up and you know say open my own place and um you know I honored to call it Forest you know oh sa s we’re talking about yeah oh yeah yep that’s great now listen hey man not only congratulations on your fight but on your life wait you’re winning isn’t it great I just came from my school also bro hey yeah hell yeah but it’s such a great life dude this is it this is it when you retire from fighting you’ll be doing the same you literally never you never have to work a day in your life yeah I don’t know it’s not that it’s not work but you know you be laying bricks or something yeah it cracks me up every time and I’m like like okay we’re gonna I’m gonna show you guys a single we’re going to run the pipe and I’m like you guys are paying me to show you how to do a single run the pipe like you guys are coming in here like grinding like you want me to punch you in the face and it’s like it’s funny every day just you know the it’s it’s pretty awesome well you’re a young guy too I mean so you’re 31 so you you 30 when you open that uh I’m 35 oh it oh you know why it says uh we have the uh it’s it says 31 on this okay 35 makes a little more sense you’re still not old um so you were 34 when you opened up your uh your gym um which is really really great because you have another five or six years of fighting left you you’re already you’re not going to be starting from scratch with a gym you’re going to be already four or five years into it about to open another gym yeah oh yeah I’m about to open another one oh so you have a good business sense yeah oh yeah that’s my like I had a landscaping business all the way through high school and college and then in college I sold that and then um I started doing basically freelance stuff with personal training and um really really love that that’s really been my only big job outside of landscaping uh is actually like train people people so uh I got my certification to train people in high school and uh like I’ve never touched my degree I have a degree in excess science never never once have ever used it and um you know like gym life is the only life I know really and so uh opening my own place it was definitely um it was learning experience but um I’m past all the hard stuff and now I understand the whole thing and I could open up two or three more of these in the next you know two years well coming from Landscaping I don’t blame you let me tell you when I was a kid I went my father’s friend Tony Russo he had a business oh we’re going to do landscaping M go make some money we did a house right we the the getting out of the leaves finally we’re done I’m in the truck I’m like dude this is so thank God we’re done he was all right we got three more before noon like oh D I go no no I’m sorry I can’t it’s not I knew it wasn’t for me so I you know listen no wonder open up a couple schools you know what it’s like to work wait what was your what was your degree in uh Damon sorry exercise science what and what is that um you tell me like you know you know I did a little bit everything I was a a PE coach I was a I did special ed stuff I did um you know game planning for weight loss for meal plans for meal prep like I’ve literally done it all and um you know like with with the job Wise It’s like people just want the basics and they do really well with Basics so if you can teach people how to build their own circuits and how to build their own workouts and how to live a healthy lifestyle it it passes on so far into their life and it’s not just that they don’t pay for one course they they actually learn so uh since I opened my gym I’ve had probably over 15 different members that have lost 30 plus pounds and it’s like the coolest thing in the world to like see these people change their whole life and uh they’re adjac to Jitsu they’re asking me questions they’re they’re uh sending me videos asking me hey what do you think about this and it’s funny to me but um you know definitely this is the this is kind of what I signed up for I don’t really know any other way around it so the gym life is definitely my you know my way to go it must feel good to get the monkey off your back I know what it’s like to come back after a couple of losses and especially fighting a tough guy like Anthony Hernandez as a guy to to to to you know to get back in the wind column you stressed going into that knowing that it was Anthony or I’m sure you’re no you know like I knew he was tough man he’s he’s been tough for a long time I know he was tough uh but he hasn’t he hasn’t evolved with the sport he hasn’t really changed up a whole lot and uh when I got the matchup I knew I was gonna have to train hard because I know his career hasn’t went the best Direction I was coming off two losses so I knew how important it was for me and I knew it was going to be important for him and uh you know just that the whole the whole scenario it was just awesome because I had a long Gap I was very motivated by him and um you know I had a great Camp uh everything was everything’s going pretty good right now you know what else you got I’m sorry Jimmy I was gonna say you got a nice head of hair yeah oh yeah now as a as a bald man uh you know I’m a little peanut butter and jelly yeah no it’s good stuff man how did that happen and it doesn’t look like a transplant not to let the cat out of the bag I know you talked about no it is 100% I did it uh and it’s crazy because it’s like they just take the the hair off the side of your head and they take it off the back of your head and they basically put it on top so it’s just misplaced hair that’s it now looks good has the ship because I could grow out my SI has the ship sail Jimmy don’t Jimmy I’m asking David hey I can hook you up with the free quote if you hit up now time here they’ll give you a free quote and turkey is the way to go it’s so beautiful there you know Mor Rob went to Turkey yeah he went to my place man really I went there yeah I went there first but he went to my doctor I could be like a movie imagine Jimmy imagine this with a hair like Damon hey dude everybody every I’ve had thousands thousands of people asking me and I’m like dudee it’s it’s one of those things you don’t really think about it until you think about it and then once you think about it you think about it forever and so whenever I would win I would win a fight and everybody would just talk smack about my hair or I would like do pretty good and everybody be like well you you know blah blah blah you’re bald like bro like I just won the fight like 10 seconds like you know it’s just uh you know it’s nice to have for sure but uh you know it cracks me up because everybody makes such a big deal about it and now it just feels so normal to me and I don’t wear a hat at all so it’s it’s pretty cool and it do come out like when you’re rolling it doesn’t get ripped out like what what it’s your hair that would suck You’ want your money back if all of a sudden you get taken down and 300 hairs flew out it’s like 10 days after you have the surgery everything that they put in stays so like after 10 days after it heals up you can wear a hat you can do whatever you want and um workout wise it takes you about three to four weeks before you can really work out but after that they’re like they’re set in stone so it’s crazy it’s like it’s real hair it’s just normal like it’s the side of your head it’s that hair it just they put it on top it’s just so doesn’t it fall out the first ones the initial one they put it doesn’t that fall out then it comes back in so the first month it looks great and then after a month it falls out and then after after six months it goes back okay yeah that kind of just gets it paoc Casta did it I love that guys talk about it because it’s like this this whole thing that men have where we’re ashamed of what our hair looks like that’s our Achilles heel is the hair and it’s like I I other guys are talking about it and doing it for sure I kind of like being I like it’s like how many times have how many times have you seen some you know some girl in the gym that are you guys there yes sir we’re right here we hear you how many times have you seen a girl in the gym it’s like it’s like completely flat and then all a sudden now she has boobs it’s like girls get boobs offs all the time like guys can get hair hair hair done and it’s like it’s basically the equivalent or less it’s basically like you’re using your natural stuff so it’s less but it’s like um you know I think that it just it’s you know at first it was such a big deal like everybody want to keep it quiet but like now I tell everybody about it because I’m like if I would have known about this like if I would have known how successful it was gonna be uh you know 10 years ago I would have done it when I was in my 20s so for sure yeah I I I’ve never thought of d i I have loss up here too but I don’t care like I’ve always had my hair like this and I mean this not much you can do with this anyway doesn’t matter what my hair looks like uh nobody wants to me so I’m just going to kind of keep it like this and save myself the money and you could wash your hair Damien you’re allowed to wash it have grapple a weird is that a weird question no I love Matt’s questions can you fly or does it fall off in the plane yeah I probably I probably shower two to three times a day so it’s held up pretty good well congratulations you’re just winning in life sir and you’re not even a short gentleman you got all the I mean you got a great single look at you Damon I whated who’s next who is next for you we want a name the world wants a name I know man I would like to be an and just St and call people out but I know like um you know like I’m sitting right outside of the top 15 I can’t really sit here and call anybody out I would love to fight Bryce Mitchell that would be amazing me and Bryce Mitchell up in Oklahoma would be amazing that would be like a number one uh number two probably be like Julian orosa or someone in that top 20 mix you know that that right outside top top 15 and then after I don’t give a like when I say I don’t care like I trly don’t care y anybody at 45 anybody at 55 I’m gonna take the fight you know I’m thinking of you and Bryce Mitchell and that would be a Grapplers Delight yeah no that would be a that would be a three round standup battle we would like that would be country boys throwing down like that would be a that would be a money match up do you think that would you sometimes when people expect two guys to do one thing who do we just talk about that said that it cancels each other out and it winds up there’s no take down like Michael Venom pagee and Stephen wonder the boy Thompson we were talking about that yes with with with Michael and sometimes guys don’t don’t react the way everyone thinks they’re going to because they’re both respectful of what the other guy can do I think I think it only works if you have two Grapplers going against each other because if you have two Strikers going against each other they never really open up and so uh I think the two Grapplers striking is better than two Strikers trying to Grapple like they don’t know what they’re doing so it’s like there’s an art to that and I think that the two Grapplers that are that respect each other enough to where you’re not really gonna like go for every shot it ends up being way way more entertaining of a fight so I would love to fight that fight and I think he’s down with that um you know we had I I tried to step in and short notice for him a few times because his opponents fell out so I was trying to step in on multiple occasions and um you know I actually messaged him we had a couple exchanges back and forth and I know he’s down to fight but um I know my place right now I can’t sit here and call someone out in top 10 but if I could get that match up it’d be huge well Daman let’s promote before we let you go I want to promote your gym I think it’s and you have uh you’re not just training Fighters right you have uh just regular people go there and train mainly it’s not Fighters like I have a I have MMA class at 1 pm like right now and I have another instructor uh Stephen oo Peterson he’s actually doing my classes here too so I have classes in the daytime for MMA and then at night it’s my K boxing jiujitsu in the kids class stuff well that’s great man and uh congratulations on a really impressive win um against a very very tough uh opponent and you clearly won so 3027 I don’t know how that guy there’s got to be judges they literally have to put judges in a room with 10 other judges that watch the fight and go this guy we get it or this guy can’t be a judge again because Fighters work too hard to get I know you got to finish fights but that ain’t right that’s not right no it isn’t right it’s there’s there’s definitely got to be some kind criteria there or some education with with the judges because I think that they honestly uh the reason I lost the Billy Q fight was because he had a bigger crowd scene there than I did and I I really think that that’s why he beat me because I feel like I won that fight as well and um you know like I’m not gonna sit here and be bitter about that but you know like he had he had the crowd behind him for sure like when they were cheering they were cheering his name so I think that the judges kind of pick up on things like that and um you know they’re just not educated they’re people yeah um well listen good talking to you man and congratulations a great win that was just an incredible fight and you certainly deserved it so uh thank you for coming on love to talk to you again sometime tell saf we said please oh yeah no I appreciate it man thank you guys all right Damon have a good one thanks man all right man [Music] later [Music] that was great yeah yeah yeah really really seems like a very grounded guy the leech is a good the leech is a good nickname it’s a great nickname Matt it’s a great nickname so wait are you thinking about getting hair I don’t think you need it you look like this is just you absolutely not I look like an with hair and without yeah excuse me no I said no me I gota get some too oh I do you said and without so me Jimmy I you’re mean to me sometimes um I like to shave my head sometimes multiple times a day it’s relax I do it in the shower in my steam shower is it an electric shaver you have or a razor no bck ah just a straight up those diso disposable razors but I get some life out of them and uh it’s just oh dude so smooth my head I have a nice head to be bald and you does it nice is my facial hair I have a nice manscape shout out I don’t even know but you know this feels nice I go over this I like to keep it tight just like my lock I went to do a a stack and when they widen the leg I put my foot under that butt cheek I go like I’m gonna bring my knee over like it’s gonna hit the floor and I sit through for a straight knee bar I showed that today I’m not at that point yet well you know you’re off to a little uh shot a little bit working on the DAR today and the kamora and uh Guillotines no I’m a kamora man uh and an ass man yes I went to uh Austin and I had such a good time and then that night I was gonna go see to the Mothership to watch some comedy but I ordered but by the time I got back to the hotel I ordered Uber Eats because I didn’t like the menu sorry and uh the food got there within a half an hour and we had to leave and I go I go John Dean man down my ass is taking me out you’re tired I want to go watch Shane Gillis I want to giggle I like to laugh and I want to see Joe’s new place the little boy the big room it’s great it’s a great Club fat man little boy I want to see all that great Club so I mean I’m there watching it in my hotel room anyway so my basement flooded ah yeah there’s something going on in the back of my house where there’s like a down my basement like Steps uh on the outside there’s um you know a drain and it’s just overflowing and it overflowed into my basement door and it’s still my my my buddy Nino Royal Flush he has Royal Flush uh uh Plumbing Service he got that great name yeah that from easy money we get that not a lot of people would get that he’s got the van just like it too he’s a it’s funny funny movie I love it youo is one of my black belts Jimmy he’s your size and you love him because he strangles and dude I he’s your exact size and age and he strangles the guys’s over 200 pounds yeah you love Nino uh so anyway he’s got that pump going for over 48 Hours man he wanted to see if something happened with my pool it’s weird that this happened right after the earthquake like you know what I mean did it knock something loose maybe yeah man because it never happened before but this water nonstop coming out he’s pumping it out I’ll just let you know my day yeah so I gotta see what’s but you know what I look at I had mats in my basement ruined ruined so I’m thinking this is an idea where I want to do my basement over anyway now we’re gonna get this thing fixed yeah here we go I gotta scratch my back do you want me to get off the thing and do it I got to scratch it on the chair scratch it however you want I got take my shirt off and do it ah please I’d prefer you to do it on camera um I am really looking forward we should do did we do um you said we should save our picks for yes uh Wednesday’s show we might even do more picks than normal this time why not this card is so crazy and stacked um sorry this did we have any I mean for people who want to see this it’s like looking in your yard and seeing a air wandering and scratches back on the tree oh my God this should be the promo for the episode leave me Al got hold on yeah that is a good feeling though scratching your back is a good feeling oh I got it I got I forget that I’m not fat I can do it with my hand yeah a and do we have any picks for this last uh maybe we didn’t were there any holy Sho what is that Jimmy oh I’m sorry it’s my M now they’re saying we should wait Matt do you think we should do a couple of extra picks like I mean Jimmy what you you what you what yeah your let’s do some BS let’s do a couple because I think we can do a bunch I got patience but you gotta start acting your age I know I understand I understand dude I feel like you enraged the Hulk I think that you got me it’s almost you got me angry talk me down don’t be so angry Hulker you’re not exactly schol Jo all right let’s go let’s let’s see oh wait Jimmy did what did you say did you just hold on let me read the text I got from you Matt congrats yesterday was April 7th 17 years ago you shocked the world your favorite bner Jimmy Jimmy yes thank you that’s sh I for George aier on April seven 17 years ago stop embarrassing me I know I just sent you another text here just to follow up I’m so [Laughter] happy yes I I I like that you tell me that your itches I just wanted to let you there’s ever if there’s ever a time for TMI it’s now I you know Jimmy I don’t need to I don’t need to know that you’re right you’re right mind does not Hey listen I went to my um my cousin my wife’s cousins Maria her and Anthony they had a um engagement party over at the kingom beros you know it’s kind of it’s kind of you know torturous when you you’re eating gluten-free and you go sure sure hard and know what else is torturous I’m in shape I usually like to wear my shirt out but my wife wanted me to tuck it in so that’s funny so I wore my pants I tucked it in to look really nice I usually I get oute because when I have to use the bathroom tucking it back it’s annoying for me anyway the whole night I’m worried about my ass so it like bothered me like I’m like there’s one stall in the place and we oh I know why I thought about this because you talked about itchy my I the whole night I’m I always go commando always all Jimmy not own underwear hardly I have some meundies that I got from sponsorship so I wore meundies only because everything’s so tight you don’t want to be weird and it’s you know uh I gotta pick I got got a wedgie I don’t I honestly on the plane I always fly Commando I I don’t they’re annoying sometimes yeah I don’t what is the point but I dribble piss we have Jim Miller in the waiting room by the way I do dribble piss so I have to wear Underpants a lot right let’s listen welcome the UF unfied we have such a good time I can’t wait to uh to this what a great I think this the second fight of the night which uh and this fight has been I mean this is the fourth time they’ve tried this fight so I know Jim is probably just you know I’ll believe it when it happens type of thing but I’m really really happy that this is uh wow he’s got 26 wins in the UFC can I say that we can I just tell you that right now you’re at seven wins 14 losses I’m at 12 wins and nine losses can I say I like the picture oh let’s talk to Jim Miller first J leg let’s make sure he he us first hey Jim the word Legend Jim how’s it going guys Warrior so good to see you it looks like you’re about to go go shoot some geese or something where are you I’m outside the gym I just got done with the drilling session now UFC 100 you fought on that UFC 200 you fought on that now we have UFC 300 there’s no no other person on the planet that could say they fought on those three cards this is amazing how you feeling about that I want to know that first and then I’m gonna I got a follow-up question uh you know I I I feel great um honestly uh you know I I threw out the idea of fighting on UFC 300 a couple years ago now and uh like it was just kind of one of those like hey it’s a long-term goal let’s see if we can get there um you know it was probably like 2020 maybe 2019 even um and and now that I’m here it’s like yeah the the the the ability to say that I’ll be be the only person you know ever to fight on these three cards is pretty cool um but honestly the fact that I’m still competing and competing well and and uh you know finishing opponents like that’s that means more to me than anything so um you know I had said it in the leadup to this like if they if they had given me the opportunity to like main event that atletic seed card ah maybe I would have taken that instead but uh yeah like we’re here we’re we’re feeling good and uh I’m ready to go and Jim and what you said is is right this is not just uh well his legacy is so good let’s give it to you’ve won five out of six fights decisively like like really you still look great and and this is one of the more exciting fights on the card you against Bobby green um and you know Bobby is a very exciting fighter uh you know this is I think the fourth time you guys are trying to make this happen yep yeah are are you kind of I’ll believe it when I see feeling right now like once we’re in the cage I know it’s happening uh yeah kind of you know uh listen I had uh I had I had three fights in a row where I had new opponents come in so um I mean at this point yeah I’ve got more fights than anybody in the UFC you know uh ever but I I probably have more opponent changes than anybody else as well um maybe it’s because of that right but uh yeah listen we we tried to make it almost a decade didn’t happen um and then recently in 2021 2022 we we tried it again and um you know two out of those three times I was able to get another opponent it’s great you know um honestly the in 2022 when when I had the opportunity to avenge the loss against Cerrone and beat him to take the uh most wins in the UFC title uh it you know you couldn’t have scripted it better so um you know happens in this sport man so um yeah like I uh I’ve been I’ve been watching him for a long time he’s he’s a heck of a fighter he’s got a unique style uh and I can’t wait to uh you know be locked inside the octagon with him and we’re gonna we’re gonna make our mark on this uh epic card now how much at this stage of the game you have so much experience you’re fighting a guy like Bobby green you know how much is game planning at this point or how much is going there just fighting him you’re such a well-rounded guy it’s other guys you be like all right look Bobby greed those hands we got to get them down or like I don’t know I don’t feel with your with your skill set that you’re really outgunned like you can hang in there anywhere you want to go how much is it is game planning and how much is it just going in there seeing how it goes um uh you know the for me personally the most of it most of the the whole thing most of the preparation and getting to Camp is about being healthy and being in shape um you know I I I worry less about what my opponent brings to the to the table at this point because I have seen just about everything you know um so yeah like he’s he’s got a unique style um and you know and and it does frustrate other Fighters but I I I’m I don’t know maybe I’m just too stupid I don’t I don’t usually get frustrated in there you know like it’s a it’s a fight you know we’re going try to punch each other in the face and kick each other and choke each other and uh you know it’s never bothered me anything that my opponents do in there so uh yeah I I just look at it as like hey man I’ve had the last you know couple months to get ready for this and and uh you know I’m firing all cylinders and and ready to go and um yeah no no matter what he does you know like and I’m going to be prepared for it and that’s the that’s the crazy part too right is that like we’re professional athletes we could change you know give a couple months we could change we could do new stuff you know so like I’m I’m I don’t fixate myself on what somebody was six months ago wouldn’t it be great if he changed and just jump guard on you yeah oh that would be awesome oh what is that he changed I’m looking at your record Jim too and you talking about staying healthy since 2008 it looks like you’ve had a minimum of two fights a year you’ve had a lot of four fight years like you really have stayed incred healthy so if you’ve gotten hurt you’ve done it at strategic times um what’s the longest you’ve been out because it seems like you have not had a break in 16 years um I think the longest I was out was pushing about 10 months um yeah I think it was between the the first Cerrone fight and uh the the I think it was darush I fought uh after that um you know and that wasn’t that wasn’t even really like injury that was kind of I got Shelf you know they’re like hey I was asking for a fight they’re like we got a a card in Newark in you know five months and I was like I can fight oh once in between there that’s fine sure uh and and I didn’t get that opportunity so um yeah you know like there’s definitely been the bumps and bruises there’s there’s I I do have injuries I do have uh nagging stuff uh but you know I’ve been lucky enough that uh I’ve been able to avoid the the super devastating ones and um you know using using what what smarts that I do have has helped in that as well you know like I I don’t uh I don’t like making mistakes twice um so I I really I really avoid uh doing stupid stuff in the gym and and um yeah like uh it I think one of the biggest things that H that has helped me and honestly I think it kind of uh is the only reason I’m here today is that I opened my own place in 2014 um you know I don’t think that I would have gotten through Lyme disease had I been training at somebody else’s gym uh honestly um if I wasn’t if I if I had somebody like coaching me and driving me and and you know it’s important to have that it’s um it’s it’s necessary sometimes to have somebody like on you to to to push hard these rounds and this and that um but I consider myself very coachable and there were a lot of days where I I couldn’t do it and if I had somebody trying to drive me into that and you know uh make the most out of one of my bad days I probably would have hurt myself so um you know opening this place up and you know I ended up selling a couple years ago but it’s Jim Fitzpatrick who I sold to good buddy of mine one of my training Partners uh cornered me in the last fight awesome dude kept the same culture it’s it’s an amazing place and um yeah I just try to keep it tight and and uh you know yeah not have to worry about those those wild cards that come into some some of the big gyms sometimes trying to make a name for themselves what made you not want to keep it for yourself and sell it to your friend um just the the the all the nonsense man you know like I I enjoy teaching I do um but I’ve I’ve been competing so much right like that I wantan to I I really want to like coach guys who are trying to fight at the most elite level and and to run a successful gym you know uh you you have to cater to the average person regular people yeah and uh yeah you know and uh I I love regular people I do um but uh you know there’s there’s some of the sides of uh you know running the business teaching the Jiu-Jitsu teaching the Thai and all that stuff that you have to like uh almost water it down a little bit I think is the appropriate way to put it um but uh yeah like I I I find that I get more uh into teaching like the self-defense side when it’s like hey like I can be legit with people and be like you know yeah if you do that you’re going to get your teeth knocked in you know or out right however however you want them to go they’re going to go one way or the other uh you know and uh and sometimes in a you know a even an advanced Jiu-Jitsu class you can’t you can’t always do that with people so I got you know being able to just focus on on fighting too um as I’ve gotten older that’s one of the things that I’ve noticed is like when I’m in fight Camp I I have time and energy for you know training and recovery and my family and uh it’s really really difficult for me at this point to to throw something else in there throw running a gym in there or you know starting one of these other businesses or something like that um so it’s uh I think for the time being uh yeah it’s uh it’s it’s just better for me to focus on uh focus on the fight fight Camp when it’s when it’s time to do that and uh not have anything else you know hanging over my head and with uh I think I’m sure we’ve talked you about it before too with with Lyme disease how long did it take you before you felt clear of that and was the main feeling was it was it pain or was it just pure exhaustion or what was it that made it so hard to train uh it was a lot a lot of both of those you know so um I went undiagnosed for a few years uh you know I I had a initial the initial symptoms of Lyme came in and like I’m not a type to get headaches and I ended up getting a bunch of migraines like seven in 10 days or something goofy like that um had like severe nausea and stuff so I actually went to a neurologist we ran blood tests we tested me for lime um ended up coming back negative and uh that was in that was in uh like probably like May or June of uh 2013 and it went all the way to early 2016 uh when I was finally diagnosed and at that point um I mean the the the joint pain was severe I could be in the middle of rounds having been warmed up and all that stuff and I’d have to stand up like an old man put my hand on my knee to get up um I couldn’t I couldn’t lift or Sprint anything like anerobic would would kick my butt um you know I was having uh like neurological issues essentially like uh lime creates a a plaque in your brain much like the plaque that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease wow so so honestly there’s uh it it’s sucks but it’s like yeah there’s there’s periods of like 2015 and and uh early 16 that I don’t have a lot of memories of you know like I remember stuff way before that it was cemented in there I just I just can’t access to those things and you know as a as a father who you know my son was born in April of 15 it’s like I don’t I don’t really remember him as a baby all that much you know and like it it it hurts you know to uh to to try to recall some of that stuff and sometimes I can but uh I can can I can see all my other kids as babies a lot easier than I can my Sawyer and um you know that uh that’s that’s the one that really gets to me you know um but uh yeah like after after the diagnosis the the the the joint pain went away pretty quickly um the brain fog kind of lifted a couple weeks um that uh that nural fatigue uh was the biggest thing the the the the anerobic stuff it took me a couple of years um changing my diet really being uh super good about supplementation and then on my medication um it was probably like early 2018 where I felt like I could finally like you know load a bar or or hop on the treadmill and do some Sprints or something like that and not be like super banged up from it and here you are years later fighting it’s crazy right right just still fighting now how when you when you turned the corner how did it feel with that you’re like oh my God I’m back I’m get how’ it feel when you started realizing you know a superhero it it felt great it felt great to be able to train like I had always trained but like there I was like I I I almost feel like my career has been four different you know Chapters at this point like there the preim you know coming in strong fighting my strengths uh uh outworking guys who were probably better Fighters than me um and then it’s like the the the line period where I felt like uh I trained like you know and then I that first that first couple of years first two yeah probably two maybe a little bit of two and a half years of like uh coming out of line now I’m a 35y old lightweight you know and that’s not easy so so like now I got to figure out like okay I I I can’t go back to the old even though I feel like I can train like I used to I can’t go back to that because I I’m not that guy anymore I’m not I’m not the 27 year old guy you know I’m I’m 35 36 years old so um yeah it it took a little time for me to figure out how to uh prepare myself in the best way and and also kind of compete in the best way and and uh you know I’ve had a lot of help and a lot of support along the way um but I really feel like the the probably like 20 yeah 2021 is when things started to like all right now I now I’ve got it you know and it’s like yeah I’m I’m 38 years old or 37 years old in the early 21 but it’s like yeah now now I know how to fight like an like an old man right like like I I I I figured it out so um here we are you know on this uh this last run and we’re gonna we’re gonna I’m going to try to make this as as long and epic as I can yeah Jim look I mean uh everyone loves you you’re you’re you’re one of the fan favorites for for you know just years and years and years now you deserve this card we’re very happy for you uh and again it’s a great opponent Bobby green is a fun guy to watch fight um and I’m sure you guys have a mutual respect I’m sure you know each other after all these uh years um you know the fourth time is a charm and it’s happening so uh have a great fight man and uh we’re really really happy you’re on this and I just I cannot wait for this this night thank you very much all right Jim all our best warrior yes all right thank you buddy Hall of Famer the great Jim Miller thank you [Music] Jim awesome isn’t he great he is great yeah so um yeah listen Jimmy fun show really let’s talk really quick about the couple of the guys that won I mean uh again Chris Curtis took the fight on short notice but Brendan Allen showed up he won that fight props props props and then we had Damon Jackson on it was nice to get to know him in the Coman yeah yeah yeah really great job 3027 an egregious up by a judge again I thought he won 29-28 the third round I thought uh Hernandez dropped him even though he kind think he finished on top of Hernandez but still the very first fight uh nor Nora canoli let me see if I have the C Nora canoli it’s not canoli it’s can canol against Melissa Mullins yeah yeah that was good yeah she’s she’s uh she was in beast mode man she was she’s a hell of a striker because uh Melissa Mullins didn’t have a loss up until that point you know she handed our first loss yeah she was six and0 all right you El you want to talk about that no I just it was great I thought it was great I like you know that was nice nice fight and um Caesar Almeida I’ll tell you man he looked good because uh Dylan budka got Caesar on his budka early he didn’t stay there not Cesar no no I know he got up and why you why you making that I was going to go to the little boy with the fat room and I was going to go in there and be like hey M I don’t know listen so anyway Jimmy Jimmy I’m not you’re the ComEd I’m just your silly friend basically what you’re saying is that Caesar really conquered Dylan you know what you’re saying yes okay yeah he did what else do we got um hey look Alex Morano uh over our friend Court McGee um you know good fight uh close fight 2928 um you know congratulations Charlie Campbell Charlie Campbell in the squad from Long Island from lur MMA uh I saw Dylan M M matiello M I up his last name that’s okay Dylan The Quiet Man was in the corner he’s a good fighter you know and uh so was uh Austin these guys are all over at Longos Eric haa but uh Charlie Campbell and Trev Trevor Peak was a that was that was good man that was a good fight Charlie won cannibal won yeah um Good Times man what else I feel very good and uh you know I just do you want to do a couple of picks for next week we we could we should do a lot more picks than just two or three we want to do a couple I I mean we’re on no because I’m also taking the chance on losing and getting further behind um let’s do it which where do you want to start I mean that every single every single piece of this card is good you have on next show do we know uh I don’t know that’s a good question he’s gonna tell us right now ready like a magic right three two oh Hill and prasa that’s great that’s nice man yeah the the main fight of the uh of the prelims and of course uh what do you want to pick what’s that we we can pick every damn fight I don’t know why don’t we start at the early prelims and do a couple of those man because that’s sure I’m I’m with you you want to start with figuro Cody garbrandt huh now do we go with our head or our heart you gotta go with your head I mean I always go with my heart Matt and and that’s why a lot of times I make mistakes here’s the thing I’m a jiit man and I Love’s Jiu-Jitsu but I like Cody garbrandt I do too and I’m gonna go with him okay that head over heart that heart over head I will tell you this turn on Your Heart Light hold on oh let it shine wherever you go I wish I knew the rest of those words because I glad you don’t now figuro uh how are you taking Cody uh I’m gonna say I’m gonna say by decision because I think Figaro’s um Jiu-Jitsu if he gets knocked down he has a good guard and I could see him getting knocked down and maybe Cody not follow him the guard which I recommend and uh Cody by decision I’m gonna take David a lot excuse me a lot of I didn’t mean to say it like that excuse me but lot of sprawling and brawling I should have just let you keep no that’s okay it was well worth the wait I’m happy you said it I’m GNA take Davidson figure I’ll take Davidson by second round stoppage all right come on Cody I’m with you I love Cody uh now Jim Miller of course Bobby green tough fight to pick um son of a we just had him on here you’re picking against him no um is a guy that just knows him for so I think that’ be horrible but yet I like Bobby too I can’t go against I like both of these guys I’m going to take Bobby is so so good at staying away from things um so it’s gonna be hard for me to take Jim by submission but I think I’ll take uh uh I’ll take Jim Miller by decision you know what Bobby’s coming off a brutal loss to uh Jaylen Turner yeah yes so that means he’s due for a win I’ll take Bobby by decision okay all right uh Marina Rodriguez Jessica onra what has uh Jessica done in her last couple of fights she won her last fight didn’t she or am I a idiot I guess he’ll let us I can just let Marina Rodriguez is tough too though man yes she is hold on buddy I’m looking up Jessica andr apologies to the audience for listening to this we didn’t actually plan on doing this today um let’s see what Jessica did in her last couple F Jessica and she knocked out Mackenzie that’s right you know because she’s she’s just she’s coming off that win I like Marina Rodriguez though I think she’s me too style-wise I think just SC D and get it done with a second round TKO okay and uh you think I see I see you over there I think you I I I kind of think you’re right but instead I’m gonna take Marina Rodriguez by decision okay about Jaylen Turner vers it means no worries not the ah noises you you don’t like it you just don’t have to say I like you’re right I should be I should hush you can do what you want I don’t you don’t deserve this you’re a you’ve in radio for 30 years you don’t deserve this um Turner against moano yes ah boy another tough fight to pick today junior I’m gonna take uh Jaylen turer I’m sure he’s gonna be confident off that amazing win over Bobby green okay yeah listen yeah I’m going with anato moano how still known as money moano and I’m gonna say rear naked choke second round second round rear naked choke I like to sing sometimes I know you do you like to sing a lot jly little fellow who likes to be bald I’m not getting no tar transpl I’m I’m gonna take turner oh I’m sorry go ahead go ahead take Turner first round stoppage Ike Turner actually no second round stoppage not first round all right all right good I got an for the second round re naked choke all right so we picked a few of the pr Jimmy I need my wife ordered me on a glutenfree everything bagel pastrami with Swiss I think I’m gonna eat it now let me promote uh this Wednesday Fat Black Pussycat here in New York it sells out every week so if you want to come go to the comedy sellers website uh it’s a 7 P.M show Friday night I’ll be in Saratoga Springs early show sold out uh Late Show might be sold out too or there’s eight tickets left and then Saturday night unfortunately I will be in Annapolis Maryland but I love Annapolis but I’m gonna have to watch the card backstage um so this Saturday come see me at the Rams Head and tonight uh I did Kill Tony when I was at the mother’s ship and it’s a really uh it’s a crazy episode it was supposed to be me uh alone and then a little while into the episode Rogan and Tucker Carlson uh came by and just came on and uh it was really great so uh it was definitely the craziest episode I’ve done of Kil Tony really really uh fun hey if they want to check out me that’s awesome I want to check that out yeah that’s it’s a good one I recommend it kill great uh if you want I don’t like you know the only other plug podcast I’ll be plugging besides you and your wife doing sword fight you thank you very much Matt Jim nor is it Nikki and Jim NYC sword fight and yeah all right uh also I’m on the latest we I think we talked about it before I’m on the latest uh or one of the latest uh jres the Joe Roman podcast and that’s fun too yeah it’s the MMA show yes the MMA one so people know what to look for yeah and I’m sure fun myself Dean Thomas and uh John R we had a good time we’re gonna be on there again what a blast that was and Jimmy this was always fun I’ll see you in a couple of days yes thank you Damon and thank you to the great Jim Miller and uh Matt I’ll talk to you Wednesday buddy okay goodbye everyone bye hi guys you’re welcome you’re welcome folks for entertaining [Music] me