Fitz Nation: Stories and Life Lessons from the UFC
Fitz Nation: Stories and Life Lessons from the UFC
Dricus Du Plessis is campaigning for his shot at a UFC title
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Get up close and personal with Dricus, the South African sensation shaking up the world of mixed martial arts.
Dricus lays bare the electrifying rush he experiences in the moments leading up to a fight and reflects on his celebrated clash with Robert Whitaker, a fight that gripped the world and catapulted South African mixed martial arts into the limelight. He also shares about the burden of self-imposed expectations and the unwavering belief he harbors in his own potential. A foot injury that forced him to decline a fight offer also crops up.
Delve deeper into Dracis's future fight plans and the navigational challenges he faces within the labyrinth of mixed martial arts. We unravel the intricate balance between personal dreams and the demanding needs of the promotion. Hear how Dricus manages to embrace tough decisions while keeping his passion aflame. His readiness to take on grueling fights and his relentless pursuit of the UFC world champion title also form a crucial part of our conversation.
Finally, we talk about the possibilities of Israel Adesanya's rematch with Strickland and the factors that could sway the balance. Dana White's surprise at the suggestion of a rematch piques my interest and the implications for the sport.
All right, I think we're live Dracus, how you doing over there in South Africa?
Speaker 2:Absolutely great. Last night we had to cancel a lot of these because of power outages. But welcome to Africa.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, the media tour that you're on. I mean, what was it Like? Does the power go out? It sounds like it happens regularly. The power might go out.
Speaker 2:It happens every day. So last week there was a day of no. The whole of last week, 12 hours without power.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so this is a normal thing. It's all load shedding.
Speaker 2:So it's like power cuts to save power, because government's not really good at a conservative power, or you know whatever they do, and they basically go and say, okay, from 6am till 8am there's no power, and then again from 12 to 4pm no power, and then again at night for like two more hours.
Speaker 1:So it's sometimes you know there is schedule, but I don't really follow it. Yeah, yeah, just pops up at the worst times, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and obviously there's no signal when the power's off, because all the towers are down.
Speaker 1:So, dricus, I want to tell a quick story before we get into, like, the news of last weekend and then what sits for you. But if you remember, when we talked in July, it was right before your fight with Whitaker had a great chat and we talked about when you really feel the rush of the competition right, and you talked about how, in the back, when they say two minutes to walk and everybody's just getting off and doing their things, get the stool and your teams doing their things and all the PR teams doing their stuff and you're like, but for you you're going to war, you're going to do the most important thing you've ever done. And the coolest thing for me is that I was walking in the back of T-Mobile Arena and you're standing there and you're in your warm-ups and I catch your eye and you just give me that wink and I was like, oh my goodness, I didn't know this I was like we just talked about this.
Speaker 2:It was so cool for me to go out there.
Speaker 1:And then obviously you get that huge win and, man, what a moment, like how do you think back on that fight against Robert, like what it's done for you and like the feeling that it gave you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean what it's done. I mean for me and for African and South African mixed martial arts it feels you know, everything just stepped up. You know there are more people know about me and that's even irrelevant. More people about know about UFC and South African UFC than ever. It's incredible. And you go out there and put on a performance that I knew I could and the performance that I anything less than that would have been a loss for me Anything less than that I wouldn't have won that fight and you know I just I made the switch and it was a good night at the office.
Speaker 1:What do you mean? Anything less than a knockout, you mean.
Speaker 2:No, no, anything less than that good of a performance. Yeah, it's the competitive. Like what it could would have been a loss on my record. You can't make mistakes against a guy like what it could. Yes, there were mistakes made, but very minor mistakes were made and you know I'm really glad that 100% oxygen drinkers is a real thing. Listen, I talked to big game, but there was only one way to really find out that was getting in the case.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you put the pressure on yourself a little bit in that one. I mean, the pressure is always on, but the way that you speak about your goals and your mission, that you're on it puts a lot of pressure on you every time out. How do you do that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean exactly that. It puts a lot of pressure on, because I don't accept mediocrity from anybody around me and I don't accept mediocrity for myself, especially not for myself, because it's contagious. Firstly, and once you start thinking that's okay, then why? What's the motivation to be great, to be better, to want to be better? And I'm not saying I'm perfect, I'm not saying I'm great yet, but I'm aspiring to be every single day. And you know that performance for me was the most motivating thing I've ever done, for other people and for myself, because I've proved to myself what I can do, what I'm capable of, and that this one thing that I've always believed in I was right. I was right. I've always believed in myself. I always believed that I could be the best. And you know, beating God, I've probably got to go getting there very damn close to that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so then after that I want you to unpack, like obviously I don't know all the details, right, I assume the fight was offered to you like officially in Sydney. Why was it a no from you?
Speaker 2:Oh well, no, all our photos are everything you need that. My foot was busted up and this happened literally the day before we flew out. I think it's 18 days before the fight. I've literally a photo, sending it to my T, sending it to my friend, saying what would a camp with outside adversity be?
Speaker 1:Wearing a moon boots you know, I think my foot this is before what. Fight the Whitaker, fight the Whitaker, fight your foot's busted up three weeks before 100%.
Speaker 2:Literally my last session. Before we flew out, I kicked into a knee and my foot was completely screwed.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Now you can. Another thing is you go ask the physio team and the physical therapist at the UFC PI what they were working on the whole time I was in Vegas.
Speaker 2:That was what they were working on because my foot was busted. They didn't kick with it once, Even in the warmup couldn't kick with it the first time I kicked with it. Look at the fight. The first thing I did in that fight was open up with that foot that was busted. The first thing I did was kick that foot because I had to get that confidence in it and it hurts, but I could feel ah, Adriana's got me, it's fine, it's hurting but it'll be okay.
Speaker 2:And what I said was, after that fight, I said we'll see, we'll see. And you know somebody like Charles Sonnen talking about a shit, saying listen, rodriguez didn't even limp out of the cage. Why would I limp out of the cage? I'd just beat Robert Whitaker. You know what kind of adrenaline goes through my body. I was basically able to do a backflip on that foot if I wanted to yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's after an hour or so. That adrenaline to me, it gives me superpowers. And I just went and said, listen, guys, I don't think this foot's gonna be. You know, to take the Whitaker fight, I understand, three weeks out or 18 days out, you are all the hard work's done, I'm already fit, the game plan is trained. It's just maintaining. Maintaining I can deal with that. But starting a camp injured for a world title fight, I don't think that's fair to expect of anybody. And I've said this before too. You know the whole thing with Pijit the lishaw hurting his shoulder in camp and not living the years. You know they were pissed off at him because he had a terrible performance.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Because he couldn't train with his shoulder.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 2:So now I go and I keep the company happy and say listen, I'm injured, I can't fight in seven weeks notice, even though I fought three times in the last seven months. And you know I get criticized for that too. So what do you want to me? I don't know. What is it that you want?
Speaker 1:Should I fight injured?
Speaker 2:Should I not declare the injury? Should I fight injured? Or should I say listen, I can't start my camp? If I was three weeks after that fight and that exact same injury happened, you never even would have heard of it because you know it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:But you know, starting a camp, injured, not being able to kick, I only started kicking two weeks ago. It's six weeks after the injury. Yeah, I only started kicking two weeks ago. So you want me to go into a title fight like that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, against, quite a kicker, right, quite a kicker, I mean you know, and I'm a kicker too, right, I like to kick as well, right, so you know. So you know, I'm not criticizing the UFC, I'm not criticizing Dana at all. I just feel that you know, I don't know why they are so pissed off at me. You know, booking a fight seven weeks after a fight with Robert Whitaker doesn't make the most sense.
Speaker 1:Right, it's a challenge. I want to get into this. It's a challenge, no matter what.
Speaker 2:Like, if you sparked Whitaker.
Speaker 1:You were full bill of health. You spark Whitaker in a minute. It's still a challenge to turn around and fight an even more important fight on potentially not a full camp, and you know we've seen Adesanya do this. He has scheduled his fights shortly after other fights Marvin Vittori won in April, fought for a title in June, right Like 60 day turnaround. Adesanya was ready, he had the date. It was Marvin Vittori coming off the win in April, boom title fight. And there's the pressure to take that. What kind of pressure did you feel to take it? Was there ever a chance that you might say yes, or was it just like a flag no?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, I guess. So I guess, and the only reason I wanted to say yes is because I knew this was probably going to be a thing. Yeah, and you know, I just realized, listen, I'm not in this for anything else than being the greatest, and the reason I believe I will be the greatest is because I work hard on anybody else and if I'm injured, I can't do the work that I know I can do. And, like I said, fighting injured is something that's probably always going to happen. I don't know about too many fights that have not been injured or to some extent, but starting a camp injured, I feel it's silly. Starting a camp injured for your world title fight something I've been working towards my whole life it's unfair, it's. You know, I went out there and I beat Robert Wettig convincingly. They didn't do me any favors by giving me a title shot. I earned that title shot and right now I feel like I'm being penalized for not taking that fight. And yeah, if that's the case, so be it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did you think it was going to be like? So you're saying maybe there was a chance because you kind of acknowledged it was a gamble.
Speaker 2:I say no, no, no, no. What I'm saying is it's just you know your own mind, you know like, maybe if I don't take this fight, they're never going to give me my opportunity.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Because and I just went like listen, I'm not being outrageous here, it's not like I'm a guy to turn down fight. In fact, every time they've asked me to help out with the Calvin Gasslin fight, with the Brunson fight somebody's out I say cool, let's step up, let's go. I've had turnarounds all the time. Like I said, I fought three times in seven months. I fought Brad Savarez, I fought Darren Till and I fought Dave Brunson and for me that was actually, that was eight months. Yeah, and you know, for me they've never even the Whitaker fight.
Speaker 2:I literally went and said I thought I was going to get the easy fight before Whitaker. I thought that was going to happen because of the hype. And they phoned and said, listen, they want to do Whitaker. And I said, well, okay, I said that's a guy to beat, that's a guy to beat. I've never given them a hard time about purse. I've never given them a hard time about an opponent trying to get somebody easier, not once. So you know, for me, you know my mind playing tricks, everybody's mind does that Like listen, this is your title fight, maybe you should take. You should take this opportunity and, as Sean Strickland should take the opportunity, each ranked number five and I would have done that if I was ranked number five. But being ranked number one and earning that spot, I feel just the full camp is justified, not a full game. You understand if it came to me having a month or two to recover, then starting a camp, but this was literally directly seven weeks after the fight.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when did they ask you, like in the back Sometimes they'll let you like, come down the stairs and be, like you, ready for September.
Speaker 2:Something like that yeah, well, I mean yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:It was like quick right. It was like that night.
Speaker 2:Just before I went on for the press conference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I went on for the press conference. Yeah, so in back there when you're in your suit when I saw you there.
Speaker 2:They're asking you wow, crazy man.
Speaker 1:It's quick. Can't celebrate too long, can you? Yeah, not in this sport. What do you make? What's your plan right now, dracus?
Speaker 2:My plan right now is to get that chance to fight and be chance to fight and fight Israel and Sanya for my first part of the thing. That's my plan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's in a perfect world. Yeah, how do you wake up and go day to day though, knowing that you know somebody's saying this, somebody's saying this the Adesanya rematch is rumored. You got Paulo Costa and Hamzat Shemayev Like your plan is one thing. How do you deal with the swirling narratives that are that?
Speaker 2:is. That is a good question. Somebody asked me that today as well. I said listen, guys, my job is to get in there and fight. I don't do the matchmaking, I don't do the promoting, I don't do any of that. What I do is getting there and fight and no matter what they decide, they're going to keep me away from my belt and if that's the way I want to play, so be it. I know that's their prerogative idea of the day. I'm a fighter and that's what I do I fight?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I said before the war, to go fight. I don't care about taking small fights, I'm there to fight. I 100% believe I deserve this title shot. I 100% believe I worked for this title shot and that's. That's all I can do. It's got to perform and I believe I've been doing that the whole time.
Speaker 1:How soon could you take a title fight? Right now, december, december, december, las Vegas, end of the year 100% you'd be ready for that.
Speaker 1:Probably 100% ready for that. What do you make of? This is something I feel like we see from time to time, especially in our sport. What is it like being the athlete in the business? Right Like on, from an athletic standpoint, you want to be ready for the highest level of competition in this sport of mixed martial arts, but there is a business that exists. That's why it's called a promotion and not a league. That's why there's not playoffs to determine the right answers all the time. What is it like, though, to be the athlete in that equation, because that's something that I feel like gets left out a lot of times.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I see your point, you know, even though you thought about like that. But in the end of the day, you know, I guess in a different way, I did think about that, because that's what I said, in the end of the day, they have to make money For them. That's their sport. Their sport is making money. My sport is winning fights. So you have those two, those two to think about, but they're going to do what's best for them.
Speaker 2:I want what's best for me and hopefully we'll meet somewhere there in the middle. Because you know, like it or not, you know, I want to be the UFC world champion and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get there. So for me, you know, the UFC. I honestly believe that I've performed, I've done what is expected of me as a UFC fighter and as a champion, and that's about that. That's what I can do. I don't have anything. I don't have any saying what comes, what happens behind the scenes. I don't have any saying what they decide. That's going to be all them. So what is it like to be the athlete? Just like being the gladiator? At least the fans cheer when you win.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, you get the glory. You get the glory in the arena.
Speaker 2:Getting the glory, getting the glory. You get the glory in the arena and no decision can ever take that away from me. No decision of me fighting for world title or not fighting for world title. I'm a warrior, I'm a fighter and I'm a gladiator, and every time I step into that arena, that's the only thing that matters.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So now we've seen this at Bantamweight in regards to Marabh Duwala Shwili waiting didn't want to fight Aldermaine Sterling. Now he wants to be next for Sean O'Malley and they're saying you got to wait. He's saying I'll wait a year. My next fight will be for the title. What hill are you dying on now, dreek? It's like what position are you in? You know you want the title shot next you want to fight Strickland, then you want to fight Izzy, but what's the approach in terms of how you see it unfolding potentially and what you're willing to do?
Speaker 2:My approach right now is telling them listen, it's making my case for why I deserve the title shot. Hopefully the people want the starter shot as well. Hopefully the people want to see me as stripped in as well. If that's not the case, then this is entertainment. The people don't believe that I'm worthy of the starter shot. Then am I really? I need to be working on some stuff, man. I need to get these people on board. If the people don't want to see it, it's not going to happen, unfortunately. That's why every single fight of mine has been exciting. Every single fight. I try to go out there and put on the performance of a lifetime and give these people a proper show. And yeah, I mean, that's the deal I'm dying on. It's going out there and fighting. If they don't give me a starter shot, what am I going to say Now? I'm never going to fight again.
Speaker 1:No, how long, though, right Are you going to say let's see what materializes, whatever?
Speaker 2:Let's say they run the rematch in December or whatever. At the end of the day, I need you to sit and wait, because the UFC definitely hasn't made a decision as well.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly. You're not making any decisions now, so why would you?
Speaker 2:I can't make any decisions up until they've made any decisions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:What I'm saying is I believe I 100% know I deserve that fight and I will be ready for that fight Whenever it comes. Whenever, wherever I'm ready to fight, I'm sure I'll stick then and become the middleweight champion of the world.
Speaker 1:Can you describe what you felt watching that fight? Because it was one of those things where it was just like, oh my God, it's at best for Izzy two to two, it might be three to one. Then you go into the fifth round and the last minute you're just like. This is happening. What are you sitting on the couch saying while that, indeed, is happening? Strickland's polishing off a clear decision victory.
Speaker 2:Quite an upset.
Speaker 1:What are you thinking?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I said, especially when he caught him in that first round, I thought, oh damn, if he had a little bit of a harder punch he could have taken him out there. But he doesn't. And I was like Izzy almost slipped up there and for me it was 100% like Izzy is obviously doing what he does, some weird mind game. He's going to probably say, yeah, look at my shirt that I wore on Thursday. I had a number three on my back and that was for round three. So I obviously thought Izzy was going to try and pull off something like that. But when the second round came I just realized, oh shit, izzy's in trouble yet he's not looking comfortable.
Speaker 2:And every round I was just like what is happening. And from the very first round I said my brother was watching me I don't actually remember who all the people are watching, but anyway and I just said Izzy looks off. I don't know what it is, it's the meanest. Walk out. Everything looked off from the get go. I said Izzy looks off, it looks like something's weird. And watching the fight, like you said in that last minute, I was like, holy shit, sean Strickland is going to become the middleweight champion of the world, and he made it look easy.
Speaker 2:Right Didn't even have a bloody nose at the end of it. Yeah, I mean, it didn't even look like he took a punch. Yeah, it was something incredible and I was like we spoke about it and we just didn't like well, that's MMA for you. What a sport.
Speaker 1:What are you thinking, though, in terms of your standing? Because I got to think a part of you is going. Oh no, Because if Israel keeps turning back people, then it's easy. Then you want when you're ready. Okay, now we're ready for this one. But Strickland winning did not make it so cut and dry, obviously.
Speaker 2:So what are you thinking in terms of your? What are you thinking the number one next to my?
Speaker 1:name, right, right. But I'm just saying, like it shuffles the deck, the rematch is possible, and then it just pushes back the timeline and all that sort of stuff. Does that enter your mind that night? Or are you starting to think like, oh no, no, no, no, 100%?
Speaker 2:no, 100% into my mind. And when Dana said a rematch, I was genuinely shocked. I couldn't believe it. I honestly thought what? That does not make any sense. A rematch doesn't make sense. You're going what? Three and two, you're lost five. You can't have a rematch. The first rematch he got was 100% justified.
Speaker 2:He was on the table for years chasing goat status, and he was winning the fight against Pahaya Right, winning the fight until he got caught First. Title defense is the new champion, nielus, so it's every guy that's going to try and defend. It's the belt and the first time getting at the arm. Because if he was winning the stricken fight, the whole fight, then he got knocked out in the first round. Maybe we can justify that, but he wasn't winning a second, he was just, in my opinion, losing the whole fight. But, what justifies a rematch? What?
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, daniel Cormier said on the broadcast he thinks the division needs to move on a little bit and he didn't want to see the rematch and then. I was a bit surprised to see Dana speak about it like yeah, we'll do the rematch, and what I thought was for the reason that you just said Israel Adesanya seemed off. He seemed in slow motion. Dana said it like you, just his demeanor was different.
Speaker 2:That's like what Every time I lose a fight, I'm going to say no, I need to fight this guy again.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:You know, you know, I had some emotional stuff to do with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how many?
Speaker 2:people give a shit about his winning.
Speaker 1:Right, right. I wonder, though, if it is enough to get him a rematch, because, let's say, he's dealing with something and it comes out and whatever. And listen, drugus, I'm not trying to build a case against you. I'm just saying you know, like Israel, adesanya has fought so much as a champion that he's built some equity within the company.
Speaker 2:There's no denying that, right, you know like he's headlined a lot of events, right, exactly. I mean, I think the company didn't be a huge favor by doing the rematch with Sahara, right, right, I think that was your. You know your get out jail, freak on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, and you have to balance, like you can't just put one athlete above the system, you know, for too long, because then it just you know, it sets a precedent and it's not good. It holds back their business potentially in the future. What else, drugus, so you're ready to go for the December pay-per-view if needed. What kind of communication are like? What kind of conversations are being had right now, like is there, you know?
Speaker 2:Right now, nothing Right now. In my honest opinion, I don't think the UFC really has an answer right now. I don't know. I don't know if they have. If they already have a clear cut, listen, this is what. This is what we go with, because if they have, I haven't heard anything about it.
Speaker 1:Right. What's it like for you to wake up every day without that uncertainty and know that you got to go train, got to go train and you want to do all of your things as normal, but knowing like your mind's going to play tricks on you. It's going to continue to do it Does for all of us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess so, but you know it's never been the motivation, the fight. I go up there and I do what I do.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know I wake up every day and you know, obviously we talk about it, everybody's talking about it to me, and you know the answer is the same. Listen, you know as much as I do. Yeah, and this takes out no idea. But you can't let that stuff dictate how you live your life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when you're in a place like South Africa that's just so far away from Las Vegas and it's like obviously it's a global sport right, because New Zealand's not around the corner either but do you feel that that affects your standing in any way, because you're kind of in this isolated place relative to a lot of the other UFC big stars and high ranked guys and you're not in a super gym and you're all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:I feel that most super gym in the world Right.
Speaker 1:Right, I hear what you're saying, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, I don't know, maybe.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Maybe I'm, you know, maybe I'm just oblivious to the fact.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, no, it's good. I mean, it's good to be that way because these are things that guys like me will think of and talk about, but it has no value for you as the athlete that needs to wake up and train every day and be at your absolute physical best when the lights are shining, when you're in the arena, when you're fighting for all the prize you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day it's about. You know, keep on winning, Right.
Speaker 1:And so I sometimes I feel silly doing interviews like this, because it's all talk, right, but it's like it's talking season for you right now, like you, got a campaign a little bit right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100%. I mean, that's what I said, you know, right now I'm like you know, vote for Pedro.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly, I have to make my case and it's a and it's it's like it's not normal behavior for, especially for a guy like you. You know, you kind of like you let your athleticism do the talking. You don't really chest beat and you're not telling people how good you are, You're all about showing it, you know.
Speaker 2:So it's like it's kind of the opposite of yeah, it's kind of weird, because right now I mean it's. It's almost like you know this one is up for grabs. It's like getting a tender job. You know you have to. Everybody has to you know, you know, listen. Everybody might ask to make their offer and see who's the best offer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now all right. So, spinning away from this whole drama thing, let's like just a couple of questions, if I can.
Speaker 2:You're going to be how much time you got something.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, when are?
Speaker 2:you going?
Speaker 1:Oh you got a head out. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:We're over, huh yeah just tell me what habits you built based on the win. Like what door did it open To, like, make you even better? A lot of times you know, instead of climbing up to you know Some top of the mountain, number one ranked guy or whatever. A lot of times people say it motivates me more or it uncovered something else. Right, so now I'm like I it opened a door that I never seen before. Can you just describe what that kind of is like for you?
Speaker 2:the biggest door this open for me is Is the fact that believing in the system, our system, the system I train my gym my team, my coaches, even more, because we came up with a strategy to beat Robert Whitaker and we did it in spectacular fashion and it just gave me more confidence and he gave me more Motivation because obviously people went, wow, lucas is so good right now. He looked amazing and I was like, well, now I know how to look amazing and I felt at home in the game and I was like I can't wait for the next show. I can't wait so right now. The best thing that's came from this is the motivation to go out there and People have to be even more shocked in my next performance and I'm yeah, wow, awesome man.
Speaker 1:It's great to hear you say that. Hey, I want to thank you for including me on this media campaign tour that you're on, man, because I know you're talking with like Bisping. You're off to Ariel Hawani and it makes me feel good that you know. You said I'll come on your show too.
Speaker 2:Drink is a great chat in July. Yeah, awesome.
Speaker 1:Drink is have a great one, and can't wait to see where you end up next. Man, I'm hoping the best for you.
Speaker 2:Appreciate you, so I'm a good one, have a good one.
Speaker 1:Yes, good to see you. All right, drink is to Plessy. They're live on Fitz nation. How about that? I'm sitting here this morning no, I'm recording with Drinkus and I just thought why don't I hit that little button and do it live, as they say? So maybe we'll have more of that and I'll polish off an episode. Well, maybe we'll just leave it there, but I just I'll tell this quick story for those of you that weren't watching at the beginning. But yeah, we had a great chat this summer when our haircuts were just about the same and it was at the podcast studio at the UFC apex. And I never met Drinkus face to face before because I had never called any of his fights. But Obviously, on this show it's more about the journeys of the fighters, the habits, that kind of build them to what they want to be, and not necessarily, you know, the news of the day and the campaigning for the title shot and all this other sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:So, you know, talk to him about like what the best moment is for him, when he, you know, is getting ready to go out for the fight, like when he feels that adrenaline rushing through his veins and you know, he said when it was like two minutes to walk. Everybody's going about their normal day and you're getting out there to go fight in a cage. You're getting out and he says he says his goodbyes to his family before every fight, like if anything should happen Thank you, love you. Goodbye Like I'm going away forever type of goodbye. So it's pretty awesome to hear.
Speaker 1:The full episode is on my Podcast channel and on UFC fight pass and there's a clip right here on the UFC or on my YouTube channel of our chat from July and then obviously you heard what was just there. I'm just reading through these comments right now. So thank you for following along during the live stream and I promise I'll do more of these. I hope. If you hadn't heard about my YouTube channel, then I hope this got you on board a little bit and you can check out some of the behind-the-scenes stuff.
Speaker 1:And I'm just seeing for a comment from Ricky. His interview with Ariel was scheduled 11 minutes ago and that's why I had to thank him. He's putting off area. How want he going live on the MMA hour to be live with me on Fitz nation? So that was great. Thank you everyone for listening. Go check out my podcast If you haven't already. I have interviews with a lot of different UFC athletes that I've been doing over the last several years and they dig deeper into the journey. Instead of the he said, she said I should fight this next, I should do this next and whatever, and how's your weight cut, and all the standard questions. We get into deeper topics. So I hope you enjoy it. If you're just discovering it and if you're a fan, then, of course, thanks, as always, for listening. I got ahead of the UFC apex right now, as a matter of fact, so I'll see you at UFC on the line and various other UFC productions and enjoy your day.