Athlete

Fighting is what I love to do.

While wrestling in college as a junior, it came to a point where wrestling just wasn't enough for me anymore. I love wrestling, but I felt like I was missing something, and so the striking part about MMA, the boxing and kickboxing, was what got me really interested in MMA.

When you know you are 100% and, you know, are ready to go, you just have that feeling. You know you are going to perform well.

You don't want the fight to stop on a cut or something like that. You want to finish the fight. You always have the idea that you have the chance to stay in a fight, because one blow can end it all.

Wrestling has made me very mentally strong, conditioned me really well for MMA, and given me phenomenal balance.

The name of the game is improving, and I've done that.

For me, to make a living off of working out is a dream for me. I don't know, I really can't be in an office and stuff like that. I want to do something that I love, and training, that's what motivates me.

MMA is so exciting. It doesn't matter if you know the rules or not. If you like a fight, it's automatically gonna draw you in.

Things happen for some reason. I don't know what, but I just think about the positives, focus on getting better, and that's it.

Seeing Mexicans in the media is rare. Seeing role models on TV is rare. So who do we look up to? We're not seen on football fields or basketball courts. So we look up to fighters; they're Mexican. They are out there fighting, representing their people, and winning champions. We look up to them.

I know what people expect of me - to have the fighting style of going forward and having a lot of action.

My dad had to quit school when he was in third grade. My mom had to quit school. They didn't know what I needed, and I didn't know what I needed to keep wrestling and go to school, so that's why I had to go to community college.

I'm really proud of my coaches and the people I have training with me.

To say I was looking forward to fighting in Mexico for the first time is an understatement.

I don't think about being undefeated; I don't think about what people say in the media about me, whether it's good or bad. I just don't think of it.

I've always loved competing; I've always loved working out - and wrestling, of course.

I never go into a fight thinking, 'I have to finish this guy' - that's not a part of my game plan. I go out there and fight the way I fight.

You just have to fight the perfect fight to win. You have to have a game plan and follow it. You have to develop every time you go out there and keep getting better.

When I train, I train well.

I wasn't thinking that I was going to go through my career undefeated. You expect to lose sometimes.