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Leon congratulations on your victory tonight um I know you said you would have liked to get a finish but given everything that was surrounding this fight and all the emotions I mean how satisfied are you with the result tonight um I don’t was one of my best performances you know but um I thought it’ be a way more active fight is when on his backf straight away and I was what’s this guy doing you know after talking all that that he did this week before he come out and more and do more you know but I feel like he’s done it before he he has to fight up and just show up and just don’t show up you know the game plan that he used was pretty surprising whatever it may actually have been I mean did you think early on is he trying to bait me into something like is this some kind of G like what’s going on here or when did you realize that this is just going to be what he does yeah 100% I came out offl for the first round you know and I was I was waiting for I was waiting for him to charge forward like it normally does and um but I feel like the pressure got to him I feel like the the sit stances my range um all just just threw him off you know just kind of went in like a little show didn’t didn’t didn’t come out of it you know how challenging was it for you as well to stay controlled right because you talked about being controlled with the emotions of fight week but then you got to go in there for 25 minutes and be controlled like how challenging was it there to keep the proper mindset um very it was hard you know like even even to the Ws yesterday I was like fumin and shaking and um but I was after speaking to my mom and my my coaches and just just Fork just like just guy basic Bally and just focus on yourself um this is what he wants he wants you to come out there and fight emotional and like try swing and and take it down you know so I thought okay this is like I what he said is up but let’s switch all off and um go out and do your job you know yeah the grappling is changes a lot of your takedowns seem to come right after his did you come into this fight saying I want to show like in Grappler was it kind of responsive to be like now I got to take him down um n it was definitely a a plan you know um I I’m a great Grappler I just don’t I just like striking you know but I think I I would say tookman down never been taken down for in his career took Kobe down um out grappled him so I feel like as as I’m learning and growing I keep showing more and more of my skill set I’ve always said I’m mixed martial ice I’m not a striker you know and um tonight I was able to do that out grappled two of the best Grapplers in in the division you know and um yeah long I keep raining keep keep improving you know there’s been a lot of talk about the exchanges between you guys I mean obviously this is the fight game and people fight but do you feel like there should be some kind of a limit like an honor among athletes of like hey man there’s certain things that are just off limits that we don’t touch with each other um yeah 100% 100% I feel like kids are out of it I feel like you a murdered parent should definitely be out of it it’s just like I don’t I don’t get how I use that as as as a way to sell fire to entertainment you know and um I think uh I think that’s what put him in a shower I think my reaction to to it kind of like thre him off a bit and no no one weren’t feeling what you’re saying you know like the fans turn against him and the media is like what what what are you doing I feel but he’s a coward and he’s always been a coward you know even he lost the fight he keep making excuses that I want to fight even was knocked him out and broke his draw he’s yeah was Mark’s fault he always someone else’s fault um when when when he loses you know yeah as Champion there’s always going to be a Target on your back but does there feel like a weight off because of the emotion that was surround this fight is um yeah 100% definitely I feel like um it was definitely more one of one of um emotional fights had to deal with far as like um the comments that he made um but like I said I got great support system um around me and the defo got me in the right space to go out there and compete as an athlete you know cuz in my in my mind in my body I wanted to go out another War him and um but when I talk to my coaches and my my mom and everyone just said okay like just shut it all off um 25 minutes and after that you can deal deal do emotions after you know and um I was able to do that Danel was here earlier it kind of seemed like below Muhammad would be next being he’s the backup and all that but Dana is said I’m not ready to make that decision right now do you see it as like he should be next does that feel like an unfinished chapter or do you feel like maybe there’s other options n def other options you know um I don’t feel like bow should be next know i’ I’ve done before I’ve run like 10 fights in roading guar shop so what makes him different or more privileged you know so um Kobe’s already skipped the line already so let’s see who’s next and um well like I said I I am this is rocket era this is my era now and I keep raining keep whoever is next doesn’t matter you know they’re all similar Styles anyway all boxers wrestlers and this is what I’ve been I’ll build my career on it you know so whoever comes next is is it’s whatever you know nice last thing for me we’ll figure out who but is where does that matter to you do you want to fight back in England or or do you like fighting here in the states Vegas I love I love to fight in England especially now we got Tom you know like have me and Tom and a card headlining Co lining that would be for the UK that be massive you know I feel like that’s definitely something that we should push towards um um to to just bring more light to MMA in in in in Europe you know if feel having me and Tom headline a card either Manchester or any big Stadium I think that’s what what we should defin push towards you know Leon right here in the front uh kind of going off of that Dana was here and announced the official signing of Michael Venom page to the UFC is going to be fighting Kevin Holland uh in Miami so would that be a fight down the road that you know that could headlined a massive Stadium a big arena in the UK um I don’t know just got to the UFC I don’t think he’s nowhere near to yeah I don’t know that’s like I don’t know I think there’s way more people that so more close to to shot than Paige you know and um but yeah fair play did you see happen to see sha cat’s performance cuz he seems to be the other one that people want to see you fight at some point um yeah did I did it looked all right you know um I think uh Wonder Boy is kind of getting past it a little bit he like 41 40 40 years old and um obiously he went out there did what he did but um yeah if if he’s whoever is next I don’t care you know so like I said this is my era i i i my aim now is to beat George um record that is my my aim you know and so whatever get me there is who is next you know and do you first cuz before this fight you said that if you beat Colby you could fore him retiring because you don’t really see him fighting these young guys but he was in here saying he’s going to be here for a while and he wants to work his way back to the title do you think eventually you will see Colby again down the road no definitely not I I don’t believe sir so like this guy says a lot of you know so um this is his third shot of the title shot this one was a given he meant to fight for the title he beat Maro and then got a t shot sat for two years and got a to shot you know so he’s a long way away from fighting for the title I can’t see him going out them find Sha cats and these guys of the world you know um he I can’t see happening so let’s see he he just a few minutes ago he also he was here he called out Wonder Boy for his next fight he said he has unfinished business with him what do you think of that fight possibly down the road between Colby and Wonder Boy um I don’t know I don’t care you know I don’t know Leon I got to ask you were you surprised at how much stronger you were than him in the cage n definitely not I always said like once it feel my physicality in the in in the cage it’s a big difference you know I thinkman felt it as well and maybe could got like a skinny waist think some that not strong but once I got get a hold of you um I I’m am quite strong you know and I was able to take him down out grappl him in scenarios and um yeah just keep like I said I’m I’m a mixed martial I’m not a striker so it was good to show another level of my game you know and how close did you think you were with those submissions close that especially that that front one I got around his neck before before um spun out of it that that was tight you know and um even the triangle the arm balls I was attacking um a few of them was close but it did um W to to survive and and defend them you know and did it feel good because he comes in he’s talking all the all the trash talk talk but towards the end of the fight people were booing him because they were just so unimpressed by his performance did that feel good to really shut him and the fans up um not really the fans but more him you know um I expected more like after talking all that like what you talk you should come come forward and fight you know you don’t be a coward and go on your back foot for the whole for the first two rounds I thought was trying to bait me in or something I what’s this guy doing um but I think my my my range and my my my sit stances was kind of throwing him off um but yeah uh I think just a cow and he showed in his fighting skills you know thank you kind of similar to what you just said were you surprised that Kobe didn’t shoot until the third round but even when the shot in the third round it’s like a slow ass single leg you know I was like bro how’s going on this guy meant to be the cardio chaos machine and um but yeah I feel like like I said it’s a new era I feel like these these guys coming up like me under is coming up they all just different area you know these these guys everyone’s beat is like the master of the world RAB was of the wild Woodley was of the wild like these guys are like was over the hill when he fought them you know and um I believe he’s over the hill as well so when he successfully landed that take down the first one he did and when you got up pretty quickly do you do you think that was like a demoralizing factor that played into the fight for him um yeah definitely I think like my my out grappling him like the I was able to re attack after he took me down and um take him down and I think that my coach said it’s in his face is like he’s to like threw him off a little bit you know and um so I feel yeah definitely um me me me grappling heavy I think that definitely throw him off a little bit you know thought you you’d be able to like dominate me more in grappling and it wasn’t able to you know and obviously Kobe’s when you look at Kobe’s past fights he did face a lot of Grapplers and stuff but I feel like a lot of some people might have not mentioned that he hasn’t faced a complete guy like yourself in a while other than like Usman and stuff you think that’s something that kind of went under the radar going into this fight yeah 100% cuz everyone has been down as a striker but I keep saying that I’m my mix martial artist you know and um I can I’m good everywhere to fight girls you know and these guys I fought these guys my whole career boxing wrestling kind of style though like from now to my next three fights they’re all the similar Bill be exactly the same wrestling Boxing they all was man Kobe they all the same you know I feel like um we need some new challenges and new different styles to bring more out of it out of me you know and uh last one for me I know these guys aren’t in your division but there was there little scuffle inside the crowd between Sean Sten and drus dupc I mean did you get to hear about any of that I did yeah I saw the video um fair play you know like d talk sh you should be able to back it up and like I said shs about and he did what he did you know so fair play too Leon down here to your right um you talked about George St Pierre’s record there um nine time of defenses this is your second do you believe that you have the skill set to surpass that record and become the is 100% 100% like why not you know like no one thought i’ be able to be a world champion you know what I mean no one thought I’ll be able to defend it no one thought I’ll be able to do what I’m doing you know and but I got a solid team behind me got a solid belief in myself and um even I got a lot of respect for George but I I truly believe I can beat that you know George me messaged me last night um obviously because of the press conference and what happened and just I was G him advice and how to like I have to channel my energy into a positive light and so I got a lot of respect for him you know but I was still a young guy that trying to Chase to beat the I I consider him the goat you know so I want to surpass him and I definitely got the skills to do that you know and it seemed that you’re pretty fluid when it comes to a timeline for return UFC 300 April 13th would that be an amazing opportunity for you or um yeah why not why not but like I said want to go home first if we can get back to like get me and Tom on the card that that would be my number one choice to fight fight in the UK again um but if that’s an option 300 then why not and talking about Sean strickling I don’t know if you saw him Le to your defense and defend you about what um I was like before the was like call like middleweight fights and what he said was true you know like so I might message him after this to say know like fair play to what he said you know and um even though he acts like a mad a mad guy but clearly he’s got heart you know he’s a man and Kobe Kobe ain’t a man you know and so no yeah fair play to him and I asked you this before the fight and don’t know if this has changed since you’ve said share the octagon with him do you think that this adds anything to your legacy or it’s just another guy in the way I said it before the fight you know he’s just a just another opponent on my my quest to be the best of all time you know and I didn’t I didn’t take it personal until we said what he said you know and um then it changed just changed it a lot for me for I was like how to approach the fight um it took a lot for me to like just like switch all off and even like yesterday at the ways I was still fuming you know and um but I had to like switch all off and go out there and compete you know Kobe one here um coin Kobe was in here and um he sort of doubled down his comments about your late dad just saying why would I feel bad for him is that something you expect from me after the fight just cuz he’s sort of always in character I I know time to that bro to be honest with you he what it is hey Leon um you you were fainting the knee quite a bit um do you think that made him think twice about wanting to shoot on you um yeah for sure th like like tis um to his stomach and um you I feel like the fake the fake in the KN but he shoots always to the to the right side to the to the first HP I coach kept saying like keep tis going and keep fake fainting it you know and I think s stance as well was going to throw off his range so he couldn’t get into like a rhythm that what he normally does you know and I could see come from a mile away he throw the same slow uppercut the same hook cross he did the same thing for the whole fight he didn’t it didn’t come out as RM he didn’t come up he didn’t do nothing different from what it did he done for last five fights you know I feel like that that shows that this is a guy that makes excuses for himself you know like he blames everyone around him for his his his losses even kamaru broke his draw he’s like oh Mark sto the fight just BR Mark for like bro like maybe go back improve yourself like work in areas that you you could improve and come forward you know and but is what it is you won a lot of Awards this week at the at the world’s I guess how does that feel you know fire of the Year knockout of the Year upset of the year like how does that make you feel now it feels good man feel like two years in pandemic remember took me out the rankins and all that I went through so now I’m here um sitting on top laughing at everyone and got my bout second to defense within Awards um it feels good it feels um it’s a credit to me it’s a credit to my team um for the work we have put in the belief that we got in ourself and no one else did and um I’m just proud of myself you know which win feels better to you beating kamaru or beating Colby um probably be in kamaru because he was he was the meant to be the goat you know and um to head kick him and to get it B off him that that defo no nothing tops that you know and obious Kobe is a dick so that was also a great win but for was like achieving a goal with a lifetime gold um being kamaru um was the win you know and finally for me if you had your way you know there there are a few people out there who who’s like who do you want to fight next I know you don’t really like to call people out yeah but I’m the champ I need to call none of them out you know so I’ll sit back I’ll speak to the USA speak to my team um we’ll make a decision iow to be active though you know I want four twice this year I like to fight three four times this year so um I I’ll speak to my team and let’s figure it out thank you thank you than