#1619 - Claressa Shields

[0] Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.

[1] The Joe Rogan Experience.

[2] Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day.

[3] Welcome.

[4] What's happening?

[5] How are you?

[6] I'm good.

[7] How are you, Joe?

[8] Wonderful.

[9] It's a pleasure to get to meet you and have you on here.

[10] I'm a big fan.

[11] Thank you.

[12] In a young life, you have accomplished incredible things.

[13] Like, for people that don't know, you won the Olympic gold medalist at 17, and then you won it again four years later.

[14] Yep.

[15] The only American boxer ever.

[16] I think like only another, like no boxer's ever done that, right?

[17] No, not from America, just me. And, I mean, you've gone multiple weight classes and now you consider in fighting in MMA.

[18] I mean, you kind of cleared out boxing in a lot of ways.

[19] It's always something more to be accomplished in boxing.

[20] But I'm venturing offensive in M .A because I really want to see.

[21] am I as great as I think I am, and I think I am.

[22] So I'm excited to be fighting with the PFL later on this year and just taking it from there and seeing what happens.

[23] Well, I think when someone is as good as you are at boxing, you could basically do anything you want in life.

[24] You just have to put the same amount of focus that you put on boxing to whatever it is that you apply yourself to.

[25] You know, rare human beings that can do what you've been able to do.

[26] It's a rare person.

[27] Five piece.

[28] Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

[29] There you go.

[30] So in MMA, I'm not coming over like, hey, I'm in boxing.

[31] I'm in box all you girls up.

[32] It's like, I'm at Jackson, wing, gym.

[33] You know, with Coach Jackson, Coach Wayne, I've seen you kick the bag.

[34] I've seen you throw kicks.

[35] I was very impressed.

[36] I can't believe you're already that good.

[37] It's real.

[38] I was like, well, maybe you were throwing high kicks.

[39] Yeah.

[40] I didn't know my leg can go up that height today showed me the technique up.

[41] And I was like, whoa, this shit's insane.

[42] Do you stretch all the time?

[43] Are you a person who, like, when you were boxing, I mean, I know most athletes stretch, but having a full split is not really required to punch people.

[44] But you obviously have very flexible legs.

[45] I've been doing yoga for the past few months.

[46] So I was able to kick high when I first went to Jackson Wing Gym in December.

[47] I was able to kick high, but not for very long.

[48] I probably would get two or three good high kicks.

[49] Now I'm like, yo, let's bring it down the level.

[50] now from all the stretching when they got that pad up there and they like kick it I just do the fore and my leg can go up there over and over and over again just from the stretching and actually being a bit more flexible than what I was before so I stretch but I stretch more serious now what brought you in yoga really it was the MMA fans to be honest they're like you're going to have to stretch and you know people are on there you know talking trash or whatever trolls but they were saying like I read a lot of comments and I'm like they're like you know she's going to have a problem with kicking she's not flexible her legs are big blah blah blah so I would read something that stuff and do my own research and I'm like damn they're right so my goal for one of my new year's resolutions was to be able to do the splits by the end of the year so I have a yoga teacher um and me and her go like up on up on zoom twice a week and she's like having me do these stretches I'm like girl you is something else.

[51] Her name is Sikina.

[52] Have you done hot yoga ever?

[53] No, not yet.

[54] I heard it's brutal, though.

[55] It's more a mental thing.

[56] It is brutal, for sure.

[57] But one good thing about it is when you get that hot and sweaty, your muscles become really pliable and you can make really good gains that way, like in terms of flexibility.

[58] Oh, wow.

[59] Maybe I should try it with Sikina.

[60] Yeah, I always find that I'm way more flexible in hot yoga class than I am anywhere else.

[61] You can do the splits?

[62] Yeah, I can do the splits.

[63] Damn.

[64] You're headed me. I'm old.

[65] I started when I was 15, you know?

[66] So you still do the splits.

[67] Your body is like jacked up.

[68] You should not be able to do the splits.

[69] Oh, there's a guy who fights for one FC that makes me look like a twig.

[70] His name is Elaine Ingali.

[71] He's super jacked.

[72] And he's one of the most flexible guys I've ever seen in my life.

[73] Insanely flexible.

[74] But it's flexible everywhere.

[75] His spine is flexible.

[76] He can bend over back.

[77] backwards standing and touch the back of his like his touch his palms to the ground and then flip his feet over the top his instagram's incredible because he's built like a superhero see if you find his uh his instagram he's built like a super i mean like a freak of nature but is incredibly flexible wow yeah he just puts a lot of time and dedication to flexibility you can it can't it can be done it's just there he is look at him i mean come on and when you see this guy when you see this guy move and you see him fight I mean do the video one so you can see him oh no no go that one right there with the dude the blue shorts right in front where he head kicks his dude watch this guy I mean you see his his flexibility is incredible but that's one thing about the kicks though you really have to condition those shins for that oh yeah remember when I first started I was like probably like five kicks in I'm like yeah just the bag right yeah just the bag yourself then when we went up to the pads I'm like coach do you got soft after pad serious he's like champ these are my softest ones i'm like it takes a while it takes well you see some people they start whacking their shins with like uh coke bottles and stuff like that just trying to toughen them up yeah they do all kinds of things to their shoes i can kick really hard now oh there you are look at this seriously superman punches everything head kicks the thing is some of this stuff i learned i learned superman punch that same day so when he showed me it one time we just started doing it and he was like you're doing good like i can look at it now and tell you my mistakes right now but i'm not going to say too much because i fixed them already but sometime when i threw like the head kicks my kicks would my my hands would go down at the same time how did you get to jackson winkle john because first of all you couldn't have picked a better gym to train that one of the best gyms in the world but what what brought you there um actually i've always had like, I believe in technique and training.

[78] People may look at me boxing and be like, oh, she's just naturally fast, she naturally strong.

[79] He's like, no. I am strategically smart in boxing, and I have a lot of skill.

[80] I may look like I'm a beast out there, but it takes a lot of skill to land those punches, body work, defense, which is, I probably got hit three times my last fight.

[81] Well, you went one of your fights.

[82] What was that woman from, God, what was her name?

[83] It was your first world title fight.

[84] She was a blonde lady.

[85] Nikki Adler Yeah She went a whole round Without landing a single punch on you Yeah And I end that fight In the fifth round Yeah You Anybody that doesn't think That you have technique Just doesn't understand Boxing Yeah they're just like Oh she's a woman You can't respond to those people You can't even Yeah they're weird No You clearly have Superior technique I agree No so for MMA I was just like I already had signed a contract With the PFL And now I'm like Okay What do you have to do For the five piece to play in effect and I was like I need to give the best trainer and I just remember like in 2016 me and Johnny Bones we were talking at the Espies and he was like yo you be the perfect boxer to come over to MMA and I was like it's true because you're really young you're 25 now yeah I turned 26 in two days oh boy yeah super yeah well an early happy birthday to you thank you so that's a perfect age because you're you still are capable of getting elite at all the arts You're still, you could get elite at Brazilian jiu -jitsu.

[86] You can get elite at striking with kicking and mointai.

[87] You can, I mean, you're young enough that you could do all that shit.

[88] Yeah, I think it's just all about, like, one, having the right teachers and also getting in there and doing it.

[89] But, I mean, having a body to do it.

[90] Like, I'm glad that I didn't wait until I was like 35, you know, 36, because then I would just be starting.

[91] It has set me back and it'd be like, I'm going in here starting new and my body isn't even in its prime.

[92] Like right now, I don't think that my body has peaked yet, like, where I've been as strong as I can be, as fast as I can be.

[93] I still think, like, I'm like, right there, I just haven't touched where I'm like, okay, this is the best my body can be at.

[94] I haven't touched that yet.

[95] They think a pro athlete, your prime is somewhere between 28 and 32, I think they said, because that's when your body lines up with your brain.

[96] I was hoping it was 26.

[97] Maybe it is 26.

[98] I was hoping.

[99] Tyson won the world title at 20, you know.

[100] And it's like John Jones won the world title at 22.

[101] It's like, you can, or it's 23?

[102] Is John Jones 22 or 23?

[103] He's the youngest ever UFC champion.

[104] I feel like he was 21.

[105] No, no, he wasn't 21.

[106] He was either 22 or 23.

[107] 23, okay, because before that, I think it was Josh Barnett, and he won the heavyweight title.

[108] I think it was 24, you know.

[109] But there's, you know, it's different for everybody.

[110] Like some people peak young.

[111] Some people, as they get older, they get smarter, so they understand their body better.

[112] So maybe their body doesn't quite work as well as it did when they were 24, but they're a better athlete at 30 or 32, just because they know what to do and how to do it better.

[113] They understand, they have a better communication with their body.

[114] But that's like what you're doing by doing yoga and even by expanding into martial arts, that's the key.

[115] It's like keeping your body doing different things.

[116] And then you understand your body more.

[117] The more different stuff you do with it.

[118] So when did you start training in MMA?

[119] December.

[120] Just December?

[121] And how often are you doing it?

[122] I was at Jackson Wing Gym three weeks at a time.

[123] So I'll be there three weeks, go home a week, come back three weeks, go home a week, come back three weeks.

[124] I was doing that because I really just, I like to just have my time around my home, my family, my boyfriend.

[125] I don't like just training, training, training, training.

[126] Like, should drive you crazy.

[127] So I'm like, I got to leave.

[128] So now starting back, after my birthday in April, I'll be up in Jackson Wink for three weeks, but I only go home weekend.

[129] So I'll be there three weeks and then go home for Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

[130] Flyback Sunday, be there three weeks again until I have my actual fight.

[131] So is the plan to continue boxing as well as fighting in MMA?

[132] Yeah, the overall goal for me is to be champion in boxing and be a champion in MMA at the same time.

[133] Once that's done, then I don't know what else I could possibly do.

[134] Like, that would be like the end game for me. Like, that's it.

[135] So I know I can be champion in boxing, which is very easy to do because I already accomplished so much in boxing, and the girls just can't fuck with me in boxing.

[136] Let's keep it real.

[137] But MMA, it's been more challenging.

[138] But it's true.

[139] You know?

[140] I mean, you've had a couple interesting moments in fights.

[141] But, you know, you've won.

[142] I've had one interesting moment in the fight.

[143] The one you got knocked down.

[144] That's it.

[145] Other than that, I still whipped her ass ten rounds.

[146] You did whip her ass.

[147] And then Christina Hammer was supposed to be the big, tall giant from, you know, Germany to come over here and, you know, slated dragon.

[148] And she got beat up pretty bad, too.

[149] She got overwhelmed when she started clinching you.

[150] You could tell.

[151] Like, she was just, when she got close to you, she just wanted to hold on.

[152] I thought the rest should have stopped that fight.

[153] Eighth round, she didn't respond to ten punches in a corner.

[154] 10 it was like she was out of there Yeah And I think she jumped in Said at the round had ended But it was like no you need to be stopping this Like she's done But she was able to hold on And whatever for you know Two more rounds But I thought eighth round I thought it was over like I started celebrating I was jumping up and down Me and my coach jumped in the ring We were hugging And all of a sudden they're like No no no no The fight's the one I'm like what the hell just happened Yeah That was a weird moment Yeah Was that a satisfying one for you because she was talking so much shit before, so.

[155] It's not even about, like, the shit talking, really.

[156] It was just about, like, how dare you guys compare her to me?

[157] That's what it was for me. It was, like, I had watched film of her, and I had my eyes set on her since I was 17, before I even had turned pro, and I knew then when I was 17, I could have beat her.

[158] So now that I'm, you know, I was, like, 22 or whatever, 23.

[159] It was like, what the hell do she do that make you guys think she can beat me?

[160] Like, either I'm just a terrible boxer, Or you guys just, I don't know, think she's that good.

[161] I think sometimes when someone's overwhelming like you are, people try to pump up challengers in a way that they don't even really believe.

[162] You know what I mean?

[163] Like, they kind of like, I'm just going to be honest.

[164] I've had to do that before doing commentary.

[165] Like pretend.

[166] Like there were certain dudes that I knew they were going to fight an accomplished champion.

[167] And you knew they were fucked.

[168] And so you have to kind of play.

[169] There are strong points, but if you caught me alone, and it was just you and me, and it was like, no recording equipment?

[170] I would be like, he's fucked.

[171] But you can't necessarily say that because it's disrespectful to the opponent and because you want to kind of make it exciting.

[172] Yeah, well, I'm a hype man. You know, that's what I'm trying to do.

[173] If John Jones is fighting someone and I think John Jones is going to slaughter, I'm going to point out the guy's strong points.

[174] I'll point out John's strong points.

[175] and I'll point out the guy's strong points and what he has to do and what he can do and where he excels but sometimes they don't really believe that shit and with you I think the problem is they're always trying to sell fights right but it's it's hard to sell when you here's everybody else right here's you your way you're you're so advanced in comparison like technique wise ability wise accomplishments wise there's not a lot of competition for you in boxing where people are calling out for other than occasionally people start talking about layla lee right occasionally that comes up well she's you know she's retired she's retired she's probably forty three yeah and this is the thing i don't respect about that right i hate when somebody else try to take somebody else shine somebody else attention you know it's like yeah she's you know nobody was trying to take her take her attention when it was her time right and that's why i didn't i didn't like about hammer either when i went in the world to how to fight, why are you jumping in the ring talking about some you beat us both?

[176] You say congrats and get the fuck out the ring, you know, but she's getting there being disrespectful.

[177] And then Layla gets upset because I become undisputed champion.

[178] She's never been undisputed.

[179] And people are comparing me to her, and she gets offended.

[180] When it was like, to me, I thought it was a good comparison because I feel like I boxed way better than her.

[181] And Fordham's going to be saying that me and her are equal or whatever.

[182] She should have been happy because of that because they're giving her more, um, more props on her skills, which I feel like she didn't really have that much.

[183] But, you know, whatever.

[184] It was like, I never really had a problem with it.

[185] And then all of a sudden it's like, talking about she would knock me out and my record and this and that.

[186] And I just was like, hate her.

[187] That's all I kept thinking to myself.

[188] Hate her.

[189] And I would have loved to fight her, but at the end of the day, I'm an active fighter.

[190] She's retired.

[191] So when people bring her up, like, I don't want to have to keep saying that I beat her because I think it's evident.

[192] But at the same time, it's like, look, it was she had her time this is my time they don't even correlate with each other yeah when was last time she fought it was like i don't know 2016 or something see if you can find lela ali's last professional boxing fight you're at 2016 you're thinking real no no she's been retired like 13 12 years has it been that long yeah like i think her last fight was 2001 was it really probably 2007 wow i was way off these 2012 i said what i think 2007 i started boxing in 2000 six I was like 11 years old and I started boxing so I mean I was 12 so basic she she retired and she was like 30 yeah which I took people all the time I think that that kind of eats at her you know she retired at 29 30 in boxing when she was on top you know and it was a lot of girls who wanted to fight her she left without fighting Ann Wolf left without fighting a girl named La Tisha Robinson it was a few girls who she didn't fight Anne Wolf was the scariest in her day Anne Wolf is still scary to me now She's so scary Remember she was training James Kirkland Screaming out of him in the corner She's a terrifying trainer She's an amazing trainer And terrifying boxer too She has like In my opinion the most spectacular One Punch knockout In the history of women's boxing I said history of boxing Like that punch there was like What the fuck?

[193] I mean I dreamed to get a knockout like that Like I thought my last fight I'm like that's my dream I want to knock this girl out like Anne Wolf knocked up on the war.

[194] That was my whole thing, but it's like I feel for that she retired kind of early.

[195] So everybody always compared whoever was next up to her.

[196] But it was like, still, you're retired.

[197] Yeah, I understand.

[198] Nobody, it's nobody fought because you retired.

[199] Have you ever worked with Ann Wolf?

[200] No, I would love to, though.

[201] Yeah, I would love to see that.

[202] Yeah, I think she needs to just show me, like, how to sleep a girl.

[203] Yeah.

[204] Because I will love that.

[205] Boom.

[206] Man, I'm talking about this girl.

[207] Oh, my goodness.

[208] Time and the power, everything.

[209] No, Ann Wolf was a monster.

[210] And it's really interesting, like, when she was training because, you know, her work ethic, you could see it when she was training other fighters.

[211] Like, she demanded, like, some serious work from them, and she had so much intensity.

[212] It was only one thing she said one time, because I watched a few of her documentaries when she trained in James Kirkland and training herself.

[213] She said, you want to break her fighter down and then build them back up.

[214] And that's something I've never been like a real fan of.

[215] I understand.

[216] Some fighters, you got to know which fighter you're training.

[217] Some fighters can deal with being broken down.

[218] But when you break a fire down mentally, the next thing to go, well, break their body down.

[219] The next thing to go is their mind.

[220] Some people don't have strong minds to where they can actually get built back up.

[221] And, you know, for me, I'm a fire that I believe in hard work, but I also believe in like, okay, this is just too much.

[222] I got to take a break.

[223] Right.

[224] You know, and I've always listened to my body.

[225] Like, I got fined at the Olympic Training Center for telling them, like, look, I'm not running another fucking sprint.

[226] Like, like, my legs are tight.

[227] I'm sore.

[228] I'm not running.

[229] And they find me $500.

[230] But guess what?

[231] They find you for not training, like, not listening to your body?

[232] Yeah, but they were saying, like, oh, you need to go see a doctor.

[233] You need to get a doctor's note.

[234] And I'm like, well, but the doctor couldn't get me into three days.

[235] I'm like, well, in three days, I'm not doing anything.

[236] And they find me for that.

[237] But when I went to see the doctor, he said, one more sprint, you would have, you would have, um, tore something.

[238] He said, you would have tore your calf.

[239] You would have popped your calf on us.

[240] And I'm like, well, here go to know, get my fucking money back.

[241] How do they, I don't understand.

[242] How can they find you for listening to your body?

[243] Like, how do they know how you feel?

[244] It's just more athletes.

[245] You don't really find greats.

[246] You know what I mean?

[247] It's more athletes who really complain to get out of training and fake injuries than you have those who, don't think who don't fake injuries and actually take the sport serious.

[248] But is that really prevalent to the point where they have to find people at the Olympics?

[249] I would imagine what that's crazy.

[250] But that's where I would just like, that was my mama Ali moments where I'm like I don't care what you guys do.

[251] I'm not going to injure myself because you guys don't believe what I'm saying.

[252] I know what I feel and I couldn't run or sprint for almost like three weeks.

[253] How does it get to a point where they find you?

[254] Like, what do they tell you?

[255] Like, do they come up to you and they say, you have to do these training routines that we're asking you to do?

[256] Because they're not your trainers, right?

[257] Like, you're at the Olympics.

[258] No, we got the Olympic Training Center.

[259] Right.

[260] In Colorado.

[261] So I was staying there.

[262] And we're in preparation for a tournament coming up.

[263] And they had a schedule for us.

[264] We get up in the morning at 6 o 'clock, go run.

[265] We all get on the bus to go to the track.

[266] How much time are you there for?

[267] I lived in an Olympic training center for two years.

[268] You lived there for two years?

[269] Two years.

[270] Wow.

[271] Yeah, from 24.

[272] 14 to 2016.

[273] Wow.

[274] So I was there and I would rarely go home.

[275] But while I was there, so they had a schedule.

[276] We workout at 6, we train again at 1 and sparring at 7.

[277] So they had our stuff set up.

[278] And I just was like, look, I'll do the training.

[279] I'll do the sparring, but I cannot run.

[280] And they just were not listening.

[281] I'm like, after we get there running, I can barely walk.

[282] Like my legs is so tight.

[283] They're so stiff.

[284] And they're like, well, we got running them around the morning.

[285] I'm like, I won't be there.

[286] And they were trying to get you do sprints as well.

[287] It's not just a distant run.

[288] Exactly.

[289] I'm like, I'm telling you, I will not be there.

[290] So they find you.

[291] Yeah, once I didn't show up.

[292] That seems crazy to me. Especially someone who's as accomplished as you, they must know that you know your body.

[293] People like to pick on the greats.

[294] I mean, once we, I remember, do you remember that USA boxing had switched over coaches?

[295] They had went from having American coaches to having a coach from Ireland.

[296] His name was Billy Walsh.

[297] he came over me and my great relationship now i love billy but when i when i first met him he was super hard on me because he just thought oh she's olympical melanch she's not going to listen she thinks you know um she knows everything and that's just what he interpreted off of wherever he did his research at and he came and he came to the u .s with that kind of attitude toward me and he said something to me i think we were talking he was like it's going to be harder for you to win a second olympics than it was for you to win the first time time and he said you're going to need to listen to me in order to do it and I looked at him and I said well one let's get something straight don't ever fucking talk to me like that you don't know me like that let's get that straight and secondly it's not going to be higher to win in second Olympics because one I'm taller now I'm faster I'm smarter and I've been undefeated since I was 17 years old so just the way that I like to speak things to and to existence is I told myself all the time 2016 Olympus is going to be way easier than 2012 and that was my mindset so when he came in me and said that it was like whoa wrong engine man no and I'd let him know like you don't talk to me like that you only talk positive shit because what I'm doing is I already hard enough but I don't need no daughters like I don't need no daughters in my corner right and that's just how I told him and he just was like we'll see and I said we and we sure in the hell we'll see and We did.

[298] Yes, he did.

[299] So this is like what you mean when you're talking about Ann Woolf's philosophy of breaking someone down physically.

[300] You don't think it's wise to break someone down physically.

[301] No, I think it's wise to work hard and, you know, push your limits.

[302] But when they're breaking somebody down to where they, like, when they go home, they feel like they can't walk, their body is sore.

[303] You know what I mean?

[304] Like, to me, that's discouraging.

[305] And, like, when I get too sore, I don't come back to the gym and train for, for two or three days.

[306] It's like I'm scared to get injured.

[307] Right.

[308] You know, I'm scared of having to pop something, I hurt something.

[309] So it's like, I believe in recovering.

[310] So I'm going to work hard, but I'm also going to be smart about it.

[311] But when you break down somebody's body, like it can be discouraging for some people.

[312] For me, I learn myself, and that's discouraging.

[313] You know, if I had to go to the gym and punch the back, but my legs is sore as hell, my legs got to hold me up.

[314] So it's like, I don't even want to be here.

[315] And if I go to the gym and let's say my arms are so tired, but my legs is full of energy, It's still discouraging because it's like, okay, my legs are holding up, but my punches won't go.

[316] So I like to feel good during training.

[317] I feel like that's when you get the best results.

[318] Do you think there's a fine line between pushing yourself so that your body keeps getting stronger and so your endurance keeps increasing your capacity, but knowing when you're just working too hard and breaking things down and it's not beneficial at all?

[319] and you actually lose progress.

[320] And that's possible.

[321] Yeah.

[322] It's a thing that's called over -training.

[323] And I think that sometimes us as athletes, we push ourselves so hard.

[324] And I'm one of the people.

[325] Like, I didn't get a massage ever in my life until I was 17.

[326] And I was boxing since I was 11 years old.

[327] And not boxing against girls or sparring against girls.

[328] I sparred against guys, grown men.

[329] Like, I was 15 and the ring sparring against guys.

[330] So it was 28, 29.

[331] who then knocked out of the grown men I'm in a gym knocking them out so it's like now I went all those years without ever getting a massage without really stretching just hard work dedication and like my boxing coach Jason Cushfield at the time I mean he was brutal he treated me like I was a guy so if the boy sparred twice a day I sparred with them twice a day if we ran four miles I ran four it wasn't no three miles you can be on your period whatever you do what they do you don't get no slack and also he was the one that was like you better come in first place when we're running you better come in first place you better with everybody ass and sparring you better be here at the gym on time I mean he was just that hard on me so now when I'm at the gym sometime I'm like yo I'm not ever going to train that hard again he's like I'm going to train but I have like I just have like that I have that cutoff switch where it's like look I know that this is too much like I tell my coach is now like see my coach have to really set up set up sparring for me because I'm like I won't I won't spar he's like I don't care for sparring it's like I get in there with guys right and they look at me and they're like oh she's a girl blah blah and they don't respect that I have power and I got speed and I got skill so I get there with a guy who think he's going to be all like this and I and I and I punch them and he's like oh so now he really want to fight so now this sparring match has turned into a fight and I'm dropping dudes with body shots I mean I'm dropping on with big right hands they're throwing shots at me I got to be on my peas and cues and cues and it's like after the sparring match I'm like damn that was probably tougher than my fights you know so now it's like next day I come to training and coach like oh we got 10 rounds on a bag and 10 rounds on pads and I'm like coach yesterday I just sparred 12 rounds with my dude Like, you really won 20 rounds today?

[332] Like, I'm sore.

[333] Right.

[334] And I just like, yeah, that's what we got.

[335] So I do it, but I also make sure that once I lead a gym, I can either go run or I can do recovery.

[336] And I always choose recovery because I'm like, I feel like that's just, that's just the best for my mental to know.

[337] Like, all right, I took an ice bath, my legs feel good.

[338] I iced my shoulders and my back and my back feel good.

[339] I like to feel good training.

[340] And that's just the main thing for me. I really don't like sparring.

[341] Coach, like he'll, Coach John will tell you, I don't care for sparring.

[342] It's not as something that I need.

[343] I feel like, like, do you know how to fight?

[344] Yes, so why don't need to spar?

[345] I think once I spar and I see that I'm in shape for 10 rounds for two minutes, then that's it.

[346] If I sparred 10 rounds and I get tired in the eighth round, I'm okay, I need to maybe spar a little bit more.

[347] But sparring is like the last thing I care to do.

[348] Do you think it's because you, like for some athletes, they need people to push them in order to reach their full potential.

[349] But you obviously understand yourself.

[350] You obviously know your body very, very well.

[351] And you've shown that you rise to the occasion in fights and that you've been in great condition in fights and that you put in the work necessary to be great.

[352] So do you think that like sometimes coaches have this almost like they have like one size fits all philosophy?

[353] like this maybe this dude doesn't work hard enough so they're going to push him until he breaks and then they try to apply that shit to you and you're like hey hey hey i know what i'm doing does that what you feel yeah it's like people got to realize that when you have fighters you have to learn learn them like you learn your children i was one of the kids growing up you hit me with a belt i never talked to you again i was one of those kids you you better off talking to me if you if you talk to me and tell him i did wrong i won't do it again but to hit me with a belt I won't do it again, but I'm not talking to you no more.

[354] Right.

[355] See, my sister was one of those kids.

[356] You hit her with the belt.

[357] She liked the attention, so she'd do more bad shit.

[358] Oh.

[359] So that was my sister.

[360] People tried to apply her to me. And then we had my little brother who I really grew up protecting, and he didn't get weapons or nothing, which he probably needed a few more than what he got, to be honest.

[361] But my mom noticed that.

[362] My mom noticed that.

[363] So my mom didn't whip my sister.

[364] My mom never whipped me. And my little brother probably had like, he was the youngest, so he probably had a few whooping because he was the baby, right?

[365] But she learned all of us.

[366] But my dad thought that, you know, he whipped my sister.

[367] My dad won me one time.

[368] And I had a whole fit.

[369] I was 11 years old.

[370] I told him I never talked to him again.

[371] I don't like him.

[372] I hate him.

[373] And this is with me 11 years old.

[374] And for the next few months, whenever I seen him, we went over his house.

[375] it was holidays I'm like he just seemed like it really messed up our relationship for a few months and I was 11 years old so my dad never hit me with a belt again and this is because my sister broke a broom on me me and my sister were fighting she grabbed the broom hit me with the broom it broke and of course I beat her up but my mom called my dad and like they over here fighting and they're second broom and that I broke or the week so my dad comes over there it's actually my 11th birthday yeah and he brings me a pencil heavy birthday you got a pencil and my mom said they broke another broom so my dad like y 'all over here breaking rooms and I'm explaining to him like no she broke the broom on me I didn't break the broom my dad whoops both of us and I was just highly upset and I didn't know me for the next couple months I just was like I don't fuck with you bro so he's lucky it only lasted a couple months no so when so when I'm talking about fighters right you have to to learn the kind of fighters like I'm not the fighter who you have to yell and scream at to get something done like I'll get up by myself at 8 in the morning and go run I do all the I'll work out I show up at the gym on time you don't have to scream and yelling me to get your point across talk let's have some communication I always hated being yelled at but my first boxing coach jason sometime it was so many of us at the gym he just applied the same thing to all of us but he never really yelled at me though and then when I when I got older, he wanted to apply that kind of communication toward me. And that's why we end up not working together no more because it was like, I'm grown.

[376] I'm 18.

[377] You're not about to be yelling at me and trying to embarrass me in front of the gym and stuff like that.

[378] He was like a father than me. So it was like, you got something to say to me, me and you can talk.

[379] Like, don't air my business out in front of the whole gym.

[380] And so, but that's what he was used to doing to everybody over the years.

[381] And I just think that I don't know.

[382] When I got older, he just was like, just going to communicate with everybody on the same level and he thought that it will it would kind of be easier for him I guess but it's like a different communication that we had between each other so I didn't like it yeah that's what I'm talking about the one size fits all philosophy and I like what you said that it is like your children every child is different yeah when you when you set up a fight like if a fight is set up for you and you have you know eight 12 weeks whatever you need are you organizing your schedule are you doing your strength and condition are you organizing everything or do you have someone does all that stuff for you.

[383] I know all that myself.

[384] You do all of it.

[385] Yeah.

[386] I've always done all of it.

[387] I think now at time my career, like I really need an entourage, for real.

[388] I mean, I need an entourage.

[389] What kind of entourage you need?

[390] I mean, I need a person to keep me entertained.

[391] You need a person to like a jester?

[392] A little bit.

[393] I need somebody to, you know, wash my clothes from me, get my bag together.

[394] I need somebody to make sure I got all my vitamins and water and stuff in the bag.

[395] Right.

[396] Because.

[397] You need a Bundini Brown.

[398] You need a hype person.

[399] A high person, too.

[400] Yeah.

[401] You know, just for when I'm like, I need somebody to talk to people, talk to people who are at the door.

[402] Like, I hate going to clubs and having to say, hey, bro, I'm a champ, Clarissa, shit, blah, blah, blah.

[403] It's like, you should know who I am.

[404] Like, I just get mad.

[405] So I would rather have somebody right there who's like, hey, man, it's the champ.

[406] Look at her belts.

[407] Just holding the belts.

[408] And, you know, so I don't have to say the shit.

[409] Right.

[410] Just walk in with all the belts.

[411] Right.

[412] Just carry them on both arms.

[413] Just to get the respect, you know, but I think I need, like, maybe.

[414] be like a five, six people entourage.

[415] The problem is it's not just that it costs.

[416] Then you have psychological issues.

[417] You have all these people around you and you have to manage the ecosystem of all these people.

[418] So they don't get along with them and one person doesn't get along with another person then they come to you.

[419] Colessa, this girl's fucking up and this, nah.

[420] You know what I mean?

[421] And then you have to deal with that.

[422] That's why I only had one person with me. I just got an assistant my last fight.

[423] Her name's Leah.

[424] And she was so helpful throughout my camp.

[425] Perfect.

[426] Keep her.

[427] Just one.

[428] But then it was like when she doesn't feel like dealing with me, then what?

[429] Well, they'd get a new Leah.

[430] Get a new Leah.

[431] No, I mean like dealing with me as far as I'm like, you know, I can be pretty like shut down when they get closer to the fight.

[432] Right.

[433] Well, she should understand you.

[434] She's going to learn that.

[435] But it's like sometimes I want to talk, sometimes I don't.

[436] Yeah.

[437] And it's like she don't know which one.

[438] Like my best friend Nini, she's, if she was able to be in camp with me, everything will work out.

[439] What does Nini do?

[440] Nini has a. what are those things called that take care of older people?

[441] Like a rest home?

[442] Yeah.

[443] She owns one of those.

[444] Oh, okay.

[445] So she does like a lot of life.

[446] So she's busy.

[447] Yeah, she's busy.

[448] And she's pregnant right now.

[449] Oh, she's double busy.

[450] So Nini can't come with you on the road.

[451] No, can't come on the road.

[452] I wish.

[453] But it is a thing, right?

[454] Like you need to manage to have the least amount of stress and problems in your camp as humanly possible, right?

[455] Yeah, and that's what I'm doing for so many years.

[456] But then sometimes it's like, Is it really just lonely at the top?

[457] Yeah.

[458] You know, and it's like...

[459] Everybody says it, right?

[460] Yeah, but do we got to be true.

[461] I think it does.

[462] Because there's no one...

[463] I mean, Floyd isn't lonely.

[464] Floyd?

[465] Yeah.

[466] He got like an entourage everywhere he go.

[467] He's figured it out.

[468] And that's why I need to talk to him.

[469] Yeah.

[470] And asking, like, what is the secret?

[471] He's a unique dude, though.

[472] He's figured out a lot of things in a different way.

[473] We're all unique.

[474] I don't know about all that.

[475] I hate it.

[476] I'm not a hater.

[477] But I'm just thinking.

[478] I'm thinking what Floyd has done that's very, first of all, Floyd figured out a way to fight defensively, but still be exciting because people want him to lose.

[479] Like Floyd, if you go back to Pretty Boy Floyd when he was younger, it was very aggressive and knocked a lot of guys up, then had a lot of hand problems.

[480] Then as he gets older, fights far more defensively, but talks way more shit and shows all his watches and shows all his money and shows all his jets and all that shit.

[481] And people want him to lose because he's so flashy.

[482] But people were paying money to see all these different people beat him.

[483] So he made more money by fighting defensively responsibly and by fighting, like, you go through the history of boxing.

[484] There's never been a single human being that won as many titles as Floyd in men's boxing that has been hit as few times as he has.

[485] I mean, 50 and up, 49 and Connor McGregor.

[486] The 50th fight, it's like.

[487] I mean, he went not around 50.

[488] It's real, but Connor had zero professional boxing fights.

[489] It's almost unfair.

[490] But it was a fight, and Connor Ken Crack, you know, as an MMA fighter, he's a good fighter.

[491] He's a very good fighter.

[492] But Floyd went all those fights against, I mean, the only times he ever got hit, Midana hit him, Sugar Shane Mosley hit him, DeMarcus Corley hit him.

[493] He had a few fights.

[494] Yeah, Chop Chop Corley.

[495] Remember him?

[496] Yeah, he caught him.

[497] He caught Floyd.

[498] He had him in trouble.

[499] But Floyd was so clever.

[500] He was so, even when he got hit, he just knew how to protect himself.

[501] And then he slowly started putting all their moves in their distance and their timing into his computer.

[502] And next thing you know, he's shutting him down.

[503] And that's what he did with Sugar Shane.

[504] He learned his.

[505] As he got older, he seemed like, okay, I may not be as fast as I was here, but I'm still, I can still do this.

[506] I can still do that.

[507] I mean, I think his eyes is like what, his eyes is what set him apart from everybody.

[508] Like, you know, when he fought against Canelo, I'm like, Like, Canello's a great fighter.

[509] Even though he was younger, it's still like, Camillo's a great fighter.

[510] And I thought it was too early for Canello, but I was still excited to see the fight.

[511] And just the way that he went out there and, you know, schooled him defensively and offensively, I was like, man. Yeah.

[512] But to see, like, Canelo now, people say, oh, you know, he could beat Floyd.

[513] And it's like, he still can't.

[514] Because Floyd, the way that his mind works, the way that mind works, if I get in there with you one time, I learned you, the next.

[515] fight will be easier don't you think canel is way different now though he's way different but still cannot underestimate the skill of floyd you can't i agree with you but i think floyd did a smart thing one he made canello cut weight so he made him i think got down to 152 right wasn't that though the weight they agreed to yeah but it was a fight at 54 yeah right but he made him didn't he fight him make him fight to 52 i think he made him made him drop two more pounds or some shit like that was very clever caught him when he was young which is very clever he's done that with a lot of fighters like done smart things like manny pack yow waits and waits and waits doesn't set the fight out he would have maybe he would have maybe he would have but the way he were or would he listen he won they fought he won that's all we know back y 'all got so many excuses after like look you can't have an excuse of oh pack y 'all's old but then pack y 'all comes back and be keitherman and everybody like oh pack y 'all's not old no more he's like no he's old he's still a good fight he's and he beat a young fire like Keith Thurman.

[516] Floyd Mayweather is just that great.

[517] Well, I agree.

[518] Listen, I'm a gigantic Floyd Mayweather fan.

[519] I'm just saying he's clever in when he schedules these matchups.

[520] Like, he didn't catch Manny Pacquiao when Manny Pacquiao was in his prime.

[521] He caught him after Juan Mammal Marquez knocked him out.

[522] He was smart.

[523] Did he?

[524] He fought him after that knockout?

[525] Oh, yes.

[526] Oh, yes.

[527] Are you sure?

[528] Yeah, I'm sure.

[529] We can go look.

[530] We'll pull it up.

[531] Look that up.

[532] So, wait.

[533] 99 % positive.

[534] So Floyd, so you're saying I'm just saying Floyd is the He's the cleverest guy in boxing In terms of how to do things And when to do things I mean, he's made the most He's made a billion He's made a billion dollars in boxing Who the fuck's ever done that?

[535] I think he's the only one Yeah, he's the only one.

[536] Yeah, he's the only one.

[537] Did you got his schedule?

[538] For some reason, it doesn't have his fight What?

[539] That's outrageous.

[540] How's that possible?

[541] If he goes on box a wreck, to mini pack you out That can't be true.

[542] He fought four before he fought many.

[543] Wikipedia doesn't have his...

[544] It's like that they're not there.

[545] What?

[546] It has his election stuff.

[547] What is this?

[548] Election stuff.

[549] What are you talking about?

[550] What election stuff?

[551] Many Pack you have the president, right?

[552] Oh, oh, oh, oh.

[553] We'll go to Floyd Maywe.

[554] Wait, no, I need to go to Box Wreck.

[555] Well, you want me to see...

[556] It was the order of this.

[557] It would just show Package.

[558] That's right.

[559] You're right.

[560] So it doesn't, literally doesn't have his professional boxing record?

[561] Not in the order.

[562] Like, I don't know why.

[563] That's strange.

[564] Yeah, if you go to box records, you should have it on there.

[565] That's the strangest shit I've ever heard.

[566] How could they only have his election shit from the Philippines and not have his boxing record in his Wikipedia?

[567] That's crazy.

[568] Oh, here we go.

[569] Yeah, so there it is.

[570] Oh, so they fought twice and Jenny fought Floyd Mayweather.

[571] Yeah.

[572] So, wait, he got knocked up on money with Marcus in 2012?

[573] Yeah.

[574] Wait, they fought three times, though.

[575] Yeah, they fought three times.

[576] So where the third one at?

[577] The third one is...

[578] I didn't know that.

[579] Yeah.

[580] Well, that was the big criticism for Floyd.

[581] It was that he fought him after he was done, supposedly.

[582] And Marquez knocked him out.

[583] But, you know.

[584] But there's also a lot of shit going on with that fight.

[585] Because that was when Marquez started working out with Manny Pachial's old trainer, who many people accused of using magical supplements.

[586] And they had said that he had used them on Manny.

[587] And then Manny stopped using them.

[588] And then Marquez started using them.

[589] But that was another thing that they were saying, like, Floyd didn't want to fight a Manny Paci out because he didn't.

[590] know if he was clean right well he won that's a legitimate it's legitimate yeah it's legitimate i mean he won eight different world titles in eight different weight classes which is kind of crazy to carry his power all throughout you know all those different weight classes it's pretty nuts he's got better as time went on though that's true too i mean even his technique he worked with freddie roach and i don't know i watch minnie pack yeah and to me he's just like a fighter who comes forward and throw a lot of punches but i mean the dude got like some great footwork though Oh, yeah.

[591] And, like, a really good jab.

[592] He's got calves that are, like, that big.

[593] I mean, like, he got calves like he played soccer.

[594] Yeah, it's crazy.

[595] Well, I think that's a lot of his power, right?

[596] It's his movement and also his ability to thrust off and drive off those calves and legs.

[597] But he's a great fighter.

[598] I mean, there's no doubt about it.

[599] And bottom line is they fought once Floyd beat him.

[600] They're talking about fighting again.

[601] I mean, I think at this point in time, Floyd's just collecting checks, right?

[602] He's willing to fight YouTube stars and anybody else.

[603] It's just having fun.

[604] Us as fighters, we like to have that attention in spotlight, right?

[605] So after you see other fighters getting that attention that you used to get, you always feel like, you know what, maybe I, you really want those eyeballs and you want that attention.

[606] It's kind of like how we feel about Instagram or Twitter, those endorphins, you know.

[607] Us as fighters get that from fans.

[608] Right.

[609] And that's probably what led me to do MMA after not fighting for 14 months.

[610] and having an opportunity to come with M .A. It's like, okay, now I get double opportunities to impress my fans now to do MMA and then also do box and it's like double after not fighting for a long time.

[611] So I'm kind of getting all the stuff that I need back, you know, all the attention and all the eyes.

[612] But us as fighters, sometimes we need that.

[613] That's why it's hard for us to retire.

[614] That's probably also why Lila Ali started talking shit about you.

[615] Probably.

[616] Probably.

[617] She didn't talk just to nobody else after all these 13 years.

[618] no one else is going to get any attention the thing is like look let's go over the history of like famous women boxers right you had uh christie martin was one of the most high profile ones because she was out there but lucia reiker was the one that she was always scared of luccia riker was the killer she was a woman from holland who was fucking a lot of girls up i love lucy racer she's a beast she was a beast and uh she was also a moitai champion yeah and uh or maybe dutch kickboxing but either way um when she went and tried to get that fight they never they never made that fight yeah so there's always like women fighters have always upfront you know unfortunate reasons have had a limited number of rivals there's not a lot of like high profile people like you out there i think that's not true though well who's a who's a high profile like you in women's boxing i mean we're talking about me but that's what i'm saying christie martin in the day was very high profile they didn't put a lot of women on TV.

[619] So the woman that you seen, Christy Martin name came fighting on the undercard of Mike Tyson.

[620] Right.

[621] And then Layla Ali came front on you know, her, um, went from her dad name, Mahamami.

[622] Them got, and Wolf who people still don't know.

[623] Right.

[624] You know, which was like, but she was a killer.

[625] And Lucia Riker, who people still don't know.

[626] Mm -hmm.

[627] But I feel like if they would put the back in behind women's boxing to where it was a lot of good girls who were good, but never got that TV.

[628] exposure i mean we're talking about calicia west you probably never heard of her but she was a hell of a fighter um so many let me letitia robinson right now we got amanda serrano but amanda sarano been around for a lot of years just now starting to get her you know starting to get her popularity up hella hardy myself katie taylor cecilia been around for a long time cecilia pockets but people still don't know her in America but that's what I'm saying right but we weren't given an opportunity early on to where if we would have fought on TV on every man's card have a woman undercard or something women's boxing will be a lot bigger so even though people you know look at me like oh you're the biggest women's boxing start that they have I had the Olympics and not a professional I had showtime I fought on the zone I fought on HBO I've had all these different opportunities to be in front of so many different eyeballs to where now And I also do other stuff outside of boxing that other women fighters just not going to do.

[629] Like, I go to, I go to MMA fights, you know, and I sit ringside, I watch.

[630] I caught out Amanda Nunes to a boxing match.

[631] I mean, shit like that, that women fighters just don't feel like they need to do or that they want to do because it's not looked at as ladylike.

[632] You know, talking trash is not ladylike.

[633] Being confident is not ladylike.

[634] That's what they say.

[635] I'm one of the most known female fighters because I do that and I'm confident not on accident but on purpose like that's who I am but when other women did it they were told to oh calm down be nicer even at the beginning of my career I had an agent who told me can we find a can we find a happy medium and I'm like what the hell you're talking about and it was like my opponent was disrespectful to me the girl I knocked out in the fifth round Nikki Aller she said she didn't even watch film of me before she came to America to fight me She said she comes to defend her title and go back home.

[636] So it was like, hold on.

[637] Probably should have watched some film.

[638] Yeah, you should have.

[639] But she came out there, and it was like, to me, it was like, I don't won the Olympics twice.

[640] And now I'm 4 and L getting ready to fight against you for a world title, 3 and O. And you're telling me that you didn't watch no film.

[641] I felt super disrespectful, so they wanted me to be all nice to her.

[642] And I kept telling them like, no, I'm fucking her up.

[643] I don't like, I don't care.

[644] Like, she got to pay for disrespecting me. I agree with everything you said, everything.

[645] But what I'm saying, though, you've actually kind of proven my point.

[646] What?

[647] Being the most highest.

[648] There's not that many high -profile women fighters.

[649] But maybe I was saying it's not that many high -profile -profile fighters, but it was a lot of great women fighters who just people don't know about.

[650] Well, there's a lot of great fighters, period, that people don't know about, even in boxing, in mailboxing, even in MMA.

[651] In mailboxing?

[652] Sure.

[653] There's people running around out there who don't know Earl Spence.

[654] Yeah.

[655] Who don't know Earl Spence?

[656] Regular people.

[657] Like, if you think about how many people who knew Sugar Ray Leonard when he was at the top and compare it to today, I think there's almost too much shit going on today.

[658] In terms of, I mean, it's too many networks and too many built organizations.

[659] Yeah.

[660] There's so much going on out there.

[661] I agree.

[662] Yeah.

[663] There's just, you know, how many people know Javanta Davis?

[664] I mean, people know him because.

[665] Boxing people know them.

[666] Boxing fans know them.

[667] But the average person, if he was around in like the 1980s, you know, when Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran and like all these household names, everybody would know who he is.

[668] It would be like Ray Boom Boom Mancini.

[669] It would be like one of those guys that everybody, it would be like, you know, you think of like boxers that were famous boxers back then, they were household names because there was less entertainment.

[670] There was less stuff going on and there was no internet.

[671] So if they had someone like Alexis Argueo fight on ABC Wide World of Sports, like that guy was a superstar.

[672] He was a household name.

[673] Aaron Pryor was a household name.

[674] I don't think even like big time boxers today, I don't think they have the same sort of appeal in terms of like the general public as they did in the past just because the public's overwhelmed by things to pay attention to.

[675] There's so much music and there's so much.

[676] There's so many athletes and so many sports.

[677] There's M .M .A. There's soccer.

[678] There's basketball.

[679] There's baseball.

[680] It's constant.

[681] The internet is filled with entertainment.

[682] You're just constantly getting overwhelmed with shit.

[683] So for a girl, my point has been for a girl to rise, they have to be someone like you.

[684] They have to be someone who's just undeniable.

[685] Two -time Olympic gold medalist, undefeated professional boxer, dominates in multiple weight classes.

[686] Now I was thinking about fighting MMA.

[687] All eyes are on you.

[688] But in terms of boxing, there's just no one's like saying hey you know we got to get cloresa shields to fight this girl it's not like the christie martin lucia riker days where there was one girl who was getting all the play because she was on the mike tyson undercards which was christie martin but there was this one girl that was in the shadows that the boxing fans knew was a killer and they was like boy i really would love to see that fight you know what i'm saying like women's boxing just for whatever reason it didn't has not had the play and I think you made a really good point that if they had women fight on the undercard the way the UFC has done the UFC has done a brilliant job of it brilliant.

[689] Yeah and a lot of MMA cards and MMA networks have I mean like I like that the PFL that I get a chance to fight for a million dollars like it's equal yes you know once you be up in the tournament right but it's like we're boxing they don't put you they don't get women that same kind of promotion promotion or give us that same kind of chance.

[690] Like, they'll build up these guys.

[691] You know, like, they'll put other guys on the undercard of Earl Spence, Deontay Wilder, Mani Pachial.

[692] But for a woman, I mean, I would love to fight on an undercard of Canelo.

[693] Yeah.

[694] An undercard of Anthony Joshua.

[695] Of course.

[696] Even though, you know, I feel like I've accomplished more than those guys in boxing, you know, but it's still like being able to share our fans to show them like, look, this woman possess some skills or the same amount of skills that Canelo has.

[697] Oh, look at her compared to Anthony Joshua.

[698] Like, they're on the same card, but look at how she boxes.

[699] Look at how calm she is.

[700] Look at her pick her shots.

[701] Right.

[702] And, you know, look at how dominant she is.

[703] But we don't get those kind of opportunities.

[704] Like, even I feel like I'm at, like, a stuck point.

[705] Like, I did my own pay -per -view, but it's like I still, like, why can't I get on the undercard of one of those big names?

[706] And I I feel like I'm not an undercar fighter, to be honest.

[707] I'm a man -in -man fighter, but I would take the undercard fights to build my profile more because I know that's how the other guys are built in their profiles.

[708] Right, right.

[709] But I don't get those kind of opportunities.

[710] Yeah, that's a mistake, right?

[711] It's a mistake by boxing and boxing promoters that they haven't figured out a way to do it in the same way that MMA fighters have because clearly there's a lot of attention paid to female MMA fighters.

[712] Amanda Nunes is a huge star.

[713] She is.

[714] And, you know, you saw what happened when Holly Home knocked out Rhonda Rousey.

[715] Rhonda Rousey was a huge star.

[716] Holly Home became a star.

[717] Misha Tate became a star.

[718] There's been a series of women's professional fighters that are stars.

[719] So you could just go down the line.

[720] You want to you in Cheechek.

[721] You know, there's so many of them.

[722] You know, there's not that kind of appeal in women's boxing.

[723] And I think you're right.

[724] I think it's purely because of the promotion.

[725] The promotion also, too, they look at us as less than.

[726] Women's boxing.

[727] I mean, I just be being honest.

[728] I'm a women's advocate.

[729] I don't believe that we should ask for equal pay and not fight the same amount of time.

[730] It makes no sense.

[731] They're like me coming to your job.

[732] I'm like, hey, Joe, I'm going to do 20 minutes of work today.

[733] You're going to do 36, but I want them to pay me the same as they're paying you.

[734] And you're like, you only came in here for 20 minutes, and I've been here 36.

[735] But in your business, you get paid directly proportionate if you have a good agent and a good manager, directly proportionate to how much people are willing to pay to see you.

[736] And that's not true either.

[737] It's not true?

[738] In boxing.

[739] It's not true.

[740] How so?

[741] Because if you want to look up something right now, if you look up Clarissa Shield's ratings against Hannah Gabriel's, it will show you $430 ,000 views, $410 ,000 views.

[742] Adrian Bruner's last fight on Showtime was $288 ,000, but he got paid $2 million.

[743] Well, he said on TV, it was $13 ,000.

[744] million but I looked it up and it said two but he got paid two million and my in my fight against and my fight against Hannah Gabriel's I got paid 150 ,000 well that's unfortunate but I also think that the the Adrian Bruner fight was a big disappointment in terms of the amount of people that watched it when he just came back or the the most recent one that you're talking about right because I think they expected it to get more eyeballs than that because I remember reading an article about the disappointing ratings in that fight but it's also been more disappointing ratings that's not just one look at me and Christina Hammer ratings 375k me and Ivana Habazin ratings 325k you got other guys who Showtime is putting on and probably paying more than me but I'm getting more eyeballs so why do you think that is I don't know hmm that's a thing we don't know when you try to talk to Showtime about it do you ever have conversations with executives about it or do you leave it all the managers and the agents managers and agents you know I've had conversations with, I think I had maybe a few conversations with Stephen Espinosa who works with Showtime and I've said like, you know, I'll let you like some commentating and stuff like that to keep my face in the public as I'm not fighting.

[745] So people can still know like, okay, this is Clarissa Shields.

[746] I like Sean Porter.

[747] But other than that, I just said like, could you, you know, I've said like, you know, I noticed that you guys promoted my fight with Hannah Gabriel's for four weeks, but you guys promote, you know, Danny Garcia and Earl Spence Fyce for eight, but you guys talk to me about the numbers.

[748] Like, okay, well, maybe if you guys gave me eight weeks of promotion like you do the men, maybe I get higher numbers.

[749] And that's probably the only two conversations that I've had with him.

[750] What they said to you about that?

[751] They had changed it.

[752] They did.

[753] Yeah, they had put more time into we had an all -access for Hammer.

[754] Was it all -access or is it called 24 -7?

[755] I think they were all access for showtime But like we I did that and they were you know Putting some time and money behind it And um That was cool but I didn't look at them as they were sexes at the time Because I just felt like No other woman Women are always yelling equal pay You know pay us equal equal opportunity and stuff But I wanted to look at the micro things And I just was like okay look at the promotion Um Let's look at you know The commercial Let's look at the micro things.

[756] When the commercials air too, right?

[757] Exactly.

[758] They air when something big is on.

[759] Right.

[760] So I'm like, let's look at that stuff.

[761] And I even talk to the WBC organization.

[762] I'm like, hey, I was watching PBC boxing, and I've seen that you guys have a full commercial of all the WBC champions, but they're all men.

[763] And I was like, I'm a WBC champion in like three different weight classes.

[764] Like, where is our WBC champion commercial at?

[765] And that's not me being, that's not me being a big.

[766] bitch.

[767] That's me just saying like, hey, we're talking about being equal.

[768] Like, let's, let's equal it out because that'll put our face more out there and give us more recognition.

[769] And I just saw that and I just reached out to them and said that.

[770] Do you feel like you have a responsibility as the face of women's boxing to try to amplify the amount of promotion that women get?

[771] Because you're the king, or the queen rather, you're the top of the food chain.

[772] If you're not getting attention, women's boxing's not getting attention.

[773] Yeah, I feel like I have to do more than just fight.

[774] Like, I can go out there and fight and look great, but they're still going to have something to say about that.

[775] Oh, she's fighting, but she's not getting knockouts.

[776] So now when you talk about, like, I'm the only woman who I feel like will actually speak about the micro thing.

[777] Like, I'm not just yelling equal pay.

[778] I'm yelling equal fight time, equal promotion, equal pay, right?

[779] But I'm also, like, just let him know, like, look, women's boxing is here to stay.

[780] We're never going to just go extinct.

[781] So you guys might as well get behind us and pump up.

[782] the whole thing.

[783] And another thing is if they paid you more, people would know you're making a lot of money and they would watch more.

[784] That's the reality.

[785] One of the things is when you find out that Floyd's making $50 million for a fight or $100 million for a fight, people watch more because of that, because they recognize that it's very high stakes.

[786] Exactly.

[787] But in women's boxing, we've never had that.

[788] I mean, I was super pumped my pay -per -view fight.

[789] No matter the amount of views that I got, it was just like, wow.

[790] I'm in a ring.

[791] fighting on paper view and people was able to bet on me it was like yo this is this is big shit like people can bet their hard earned money on me to win a fight to get a knockout they can pick around it seemed like I became more of a superstar and I hate that I do this but with numbers showtime when I was fighting with showtime when it was fight week I was getting about 25000 followers on Instagram Instagram isn't everything but I just how I compare my numbers.

[792] This fight without Showtime, I gained 15 ,000 followers just off of me fighting on a network that's not super known for women's boxing.

[793] It was on FITE TV.

[794] You can still go on there and buy the pay -per -view if you want to go on there at $2999.

[795] But I looked at the numbers and I'm like, I was able to get 13 ,000 new people and eyes on me doing my own pay -per -view show compared to getting up 20, $25 ,000 that I would get from being on Showtime.

[796] Does it frustrate you that you have to think about all this kind of promotion shit that you can't just concentrate on the fighting?

[797] You know, sometimes.

[798] But something that somebody really important told me, his name is Andre DeRoe.

[799] He said, you are the person for the job.

[800] You know, this is not the job for nobody else.

[801] God put you here for you to fight this fight.

[802] Like, not for you just to win the fights because you do that easy.

[803] But he's like, an order for women's boxing to ever be equal.

[804] you to use the person to make it equal.

[805] So sometimes I look at it as if it's a burden, and he just said to me, there's no other person for the job than you.

[806] So you kind of just got to accept your role and just make the best out of it.

[807] But I would love to just focus on fighting, though.

[808] But that's just not the way that the world is set up for me. Well, you've been successful focusing on everything.

[809] Yeah, see, the fights are easy, but I still need me some money.

[810] The fights are easy, but I still need me to money.

[811] for real well now you're going to the pfl and in the pfl you're enrolled in this tournament that if you win you make a million dollars next year next year and and so talk me through how when did you decide to make a transition and try to fight an mma and why did you decide to sign with the pfl well we had i had been out the ring from last year january and i was supposed to fight may may got pushed back all the way until August, then August to October, and then after that, we didn't hear nothing else from showtime.

[812] MMA organization had already reached out to me prior.

[813] Like, you know, Dana, he wanted me to do something with Amanda, which I was like, not that I wouldn't, but it was like, I need to give myself a fair chance.

[814] Like, this girl has been doing MMA for, I don't know how long, in, you know, six weeks, I mean, six months to a year is just not enough time.

[815] I go on there and, you know, I'm going to fight with my heart, but it's still, like, technique and everything is needed.

[816] So I didn't look at that.

[817] We left that.

[818] Bellator, I don't know.

[819] Like, we were actually close with them, but they said something about after watching me boxed, I was too clean of a boxer for them, which I was like, I don't know what the fuck that mean.

[820] Too clean?

[821] Yeah, like, I don't want to go on here and just take risk and get punched in my face or something.

[822] I don't know.

[823] Really?

[824] I never even asked about it.

[825] Once my manager told me that, I said, cool.

[826] Like, all right.

[827] Like, nothing I can do about that.

[828] Too clean of a boxer might be one of the dumbest things a person's ever said.

[829] It was the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[830] So I just was like.

[831] Too skillful, too sharp.

[832] Yeah, stuff like that.

[833] And I'm like, oh, all right, cool.

[834] You need to leave with your face.

[835] You want to make some money?

[836] Like, ah.

[837] Take shots.

[838] That's ridiculous.

[839] But we were just in the talks with them.

[840] So after we got that word, I was like, okay, whatever.

[841] And, but it seemed like when I talked with the PFL, it was more of a serious offer.

[842] It wasn't like, hey, come over here, fight our best girl, Kelly Harrison, and then just go back to boxing.

[843] Right.

[844] It was a really a lucrative deal.

[845] It was a three -year deal.

[846] And I just had a chance to talk with the CEOs and the owners.

[847] And, I mean, it was really a great conversation.

[848] And I'm personally, like, when they come to business, I just get on the phone and I'll listen.

[849] I don't say much.

[850] I'm like, hey, Chris, I'm here.

[851] You guys, go ahead.

[852] Take over the floor.

[853] And I just listen.

[854] And to hear what they were saying, you know, it's about like me coming to the PFL, you know, me having an option if I wanted to fight in the tournament next year or if I didn't, you know, helping me find trainers, making a three -year contract, what I would get paid this year versus next year.

[855] It's a big jump.

[856] And, you know, just somebody who's also putting money behind me, you know, every month, like looking out for me. Like, if rather I'm doing MMA, this.

[857] month or next month i still get paid every month you know so that was very so you get so they pay you like a salary like like a like a stipend yeah so to me that was like all right because i had been been without boxing for a year so i hadn't made any money in over a year right so it was like all i'm doing is spending spending they've made some big moves this year they signed anthony showtime pedis who's a former UFC champion they have rory macdonald is a former champion as well so they're they're doing a lot of like very smart things in terms of acquiring big talent but having you on is i think is huge because they have kela harrison but you know she just there's not a lot of competition for her especially in that 145 pound weight class that's a it's a tricky weight class in mhm a she's at 155 i think she yeah her last i think her last five was at 145 but she fought tournament at 155 oh i see um the ufc has like no one at 45 i mean Amanda nunez just dominated megan anderson and they don't even have ratings like if you look at the you UFC's ratings at 145, there's no rankings.

[858] It's not listed.

[859] It's just, you just have Amanda.

[860] I mean, there's no one there.

[861] It's such a shallow weight class, unfortunately.

[862] But Kayla Harrison, coming from that, you know, judo background, I mean, this is, I mean, she's a, she's a beast of a judoka.

[863] She's really, really talented with that.

[864] And with you, with this incredible record in boxing and such accolades and boxing, the two of you together, that's a legitimate superfight down the road.

[865] It didn't be the first time that two, two -time Olympic -O.

[866] Mellis ever fought against each other.

[867] Yes, yes.

[868] If the fight was happening.

[869] But, I mean, I look at it as, you know, she was two -time Olympic -O.

[870] Mellis at the same time.

[871] We went to the Olympics together, so I already knew Caleb before I had joined the PFL.

[872] We both went to the Olympic at the same weight class, both years, 75 kilo, 165 pounds.

[873] And we were cool.

[874] And we still are cool technically, but we both understand, like, the big pitcher.

[875] right is us fighting against each other yeah that's the big money fight in in women's MMA right now in terms of like something that people get hyped up about it I mean the credentials two Olympic gold medals on each side and the two of you guys a striker versus a grappler competing in MMA that's a big fight if if BFL can promote it correctly if they can get the eyeballs on it it would it would be a big moment for women's MMA I think I think that they will I just have to do my job like i i like when people compare the fight and say oh like people think right now that if me and her got like if we was to fight that i would win and people think that some people think that she will win but it's like for me being super honest with myself it's like would i go in there and just try to wrestle with her no and when she come in there trying to just fight me with our with our hands and do only striking no so me being smart is like i need to learn all of that stuff so that no matter what happens in the fight I can make sure that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do to get the win and that's how I feel about all the opponents like there's girls who are on a lower scale right now who are looking at me to be their big opportunity right you know in MMA like they they don't have a chance to be me in boxing let's just put that out there that's not it but MMA is their chance to use a whole bunch of different stuff like jujitsu and wrestling and kicking to try to get the victory so for me right now it's just learning and training and getting ready preparing for whoever I get in there with and then just learning and getting as much experience as I can because once 20 -22 come that's when me and my team will decide if we're ready for the PFL league tournament or not and I'm going to be honest with myself if I feel like all right I'm ready I feel like I've learned enough cool but if but if my if my team feel the same way that I feel or if they feel opposite, we're just going to have a conversation like, if they feel like, look, you're ready, you know, and I've already looked up all the girls who are in the PFL league this year.

[876] And I was happy to say at least five of them I would beat up, and it's only eight.

[877] So I'm like, all right, this is a good number.

[878] It's a good number out of eight.

[879] But instead of this was like, for me, I would like it to be all eight.

[880] And that's kind of person I am.

[881] So I'm going to train as hard as I can this year and get my feet wet and train and get the experience.

[882] and we'll see what our decision is next year.

[883] Are you going, so you're going to continue boxing while this is all happening, how are you going to divide up your training?

[884] Are you just going to, like, when you have a boxing match, set aside whatever amount of time you need, six, eight weeks, whatever you decide for training, just only box, and then as soon as that's over, then you get back to your MMA training?

[885] I did that for this fight.

[886] I took just five weeks to just focus on Marie Eave the Care.

[887] But before then, I was at Jackson League gym for like a month, two months leading up to that.

[888] Now how my schedule looks is, after I celebrate my birthday, which is March 17 of two days, cash at me. But once April get here, I am going to be in full camp mode.

[889] So I'll only do MMA until I have my first MMA fight, middle of June.

[890] So middle of June this year?

[891] Uh -huh.

[892] Is this going to be on the P .F.?

[893] Felt?

[894] Yes.

[895] Oh, okay.

[896] So it's not the tournament.

[897] You're just going to do this just to have a fight.

[898] Yeah, you got to hear the news, Joe.

[899] I can't tell you everything.

[900] I can't tell you a date and everything.

[901] Is it a secret?

[902] We release in secrets right now?

[903] Is that what's happened?

[904] No, I've already been saying that.

[905] I tell the middle of June, I don't get ready by like the date or nothing, but that's not supposed to be fighting.

[906] Do you have an opponent scheduled?

[907] No. So around, when would they tell you?

[908] I don't know.

[909] That's why it's just like, for me, it's like, it don't matter who the opponent is.

[910] My job is to get ready so I'm not taking anybody lightly you know any of the girls so I start back training in April I'll be there three weeks and go home a weekend Friday Saturday Sunday come back three weeks again go home Friday Saturday Sunday three weeks again because I have a dorm at the Jackson Wing Academy um train drill learn and then once I get inside the cage um just go on there and perform and do what I always do dominate And that's just what it is.

[911] So tell me what the training's been like.

[912] But what was the first day you started having a main training?

[913] I would tell you, like, I was having anxiety for about a week.

[914] I couldn't sleep.

[915] Really?

[916] I couldn't really eat because I had signed a contact with the PFL, but I didn't have a plan, and it was bothering me. It was like, what the fuck?

[917] You know, so I'm like, okay, where I'm going to train at?

[918] Who I'm going to train?

[919] When when do I start getting ready?

[920] Like.

[921] Was it a conversation with John Jones that brought you to Jackson, I was actually going to reach out to them but thank God they reached out to me oh thank you Jesus because it was like I was going I already had hit up John up on on Instagram and he was being all busy and stuff and he didn't get back with me until I landed in the Albuquerque he was like yo you're coming to Albuquerque he's like yeah I'm push up in a hotel and let you drop my car and I'm like dude thanks but it would have been great to hear if you like last week know, but he ended up helping me out with that.

[922] And I trained in for about like a good two or three weeks.

[923] And Johnny Bones did the first week, like, watching, kind of scoping a little bit.

[924] And it was like we just figured out that we were twins.

[925] And that was the best thing ever because he's a hard worker.

[926] He's smart.

[927] He's strategic.

[928] And we believe in hard work.

[929] And he started drilling me, like, like the coaches would just sit on the side and just watch us for three, four hours.

[930] And they would see, like, I'm fully.

[931] energy i'm like let's go what else you got and you know he was teaching me stuff and coach wink will come in a little bit sometimes coach jackson had come in but sometimes it was just me and johnny and it would be just kind of just looking at greatness from the outside and they would never give me any any um you know crap after but like my like my first day going in a jackson wing gym i looked at the cages and stuff and i was walking to the gym to the cage and i thought to myself i was like what the fuck am i doing here when was the first day you grappled first day first day first day and that's the thing i thought i said that in my head i'm like jesus what am i doing here and i said it out loud and then misha who works with jackson when you gym he looked at him he's like clarissa's going to be okay and i was like what he was like you just said jesus what you're doing here i'm like oh i'm so out of my mind i thought i said it in my head i'm like i'm not even i'm not even insane right now.

[932] That's hilarious.

[933] I'm like, yeah, I'm sorry.

[934] I'm just so like, you know, just nervous.

[935] And they're like, I think Coach Jackson asked me, he said, what are you most worried about?

[936] And I'm like, I'm not worried about the striking, the punching or the kicking.

[937] I'm not worried about that.

[938] I'm like, I'm just worried about being on a ground and not knowing how to get up.

[939] Like, I've been having nightmares about this shit.

[940] And all of a sudden, he just was like, all right, get on your back.

[941] what that sounds like Greg he's like we're that's what we're going to start with and he's like we're going to strengthen your weaknesses and also make it to where you can put everything together to where it's you and every since that day I've just been super comfortable I think I had one one training in Jersey where I was like man this was so hard today but we did the same thing like the next day and I was way better and comfortable at it It's just, like, being on my back and having to fight off my back, it's just not what boxers do.

[942] Right.

[943] You know, so it was like, it was uncomfortable.

[944] But we had been doing different stuff on our back, but then just this one drill was like, oh, man, this is stressful.

[945] You know, I didn't feel like I was.

[946] What was it like defending against ground strikes, like when you're on, like, when you're on your back and someone's hitting you?

[947] Well, that's the thing.

[948] Was that weird?

[949] He taught me what the defense was, and he said, and you were worried about somebody hitting you in the face, but you got to realize that.

[950] They got to make it past your feet to then get you to the face.

[951] So it's like a lot of leg action really is.

[952] And a lot of shrimps, a lot of just keeping your feet there, keeping your hands up, being defensive.

[953] And knowing what to do when they do get past your feet or like what to do.

[954] So that's my thing of like, I'm not worried about it happening.

[955] I just want to know what to do when it does happen.

[956] Like I want to have a game plan for everything.

[957] And when they understood that, they're like, you know, you're a very smart fighter.

[958] and they start teaching me and I learn stuff really, really fast.

[959] I don't know because I'm younger or because I'm smart, but I learn the lead athlete.

[960] You understand your body at a very, very high level.

[961] I think, like I said earlier, about whatever you want to do in life.

[962] Like, if you become an elite boxer like you have a two -time Olympic gold medalist, I think you could do anything.

[963] It's just a matter of if you put the same drive and focus and dedication that you've done to boxing, you can apply that to anything, whether it's you want to become a dedicated, grappler.

[964] I think you could be a world -class grappler, 100%.

[965] You just have to dedicate yourself.

[966] Yeah, exactly.

[967] And that's what I'm going to do.

[968] I think I'm supposed to fight in boxing again, like September, maybe December.

[969] So this time I have here from April to September or December, it's really going to be focused on MMA.

[970] So I'm putting in a time for it, but then it's still just like, just got to see how much I can consume.

[971] So someday they teach me so much.

[972] And when I'm like, oh, my God, like my brain is tired from thinking about all this.

[973] But I learn it.

[974] And once I learn it, I get it.

[975] And I take so many notes in my phone.

[976] Yeah.

[977] And I got videos of stuff that I have in my phone.

[978] So when I'm at home, I can do some of the training and do some of the techniques just so I can just keep it in my mind and keep it refreshed because I understand how important repetitiveness is.

[979] Like, it's super important.

[980] Yeah, it is.

[981] It's everything.

[982] And when you're, when you're training for ground fighting, Do you ever think of yourself as maybe competing in a wrestling tournament or a jihitsu tournament or something like that someday?

[983] Nope.

[984] No?

[985] I don't look at that because Coach Tusa, who's my M .MA coach, M .A. Jiu Jitsu coach, and Coach Jackson and Coach Week, they said the best MMA fighters are the ones who know how to mix everything up together.

[986] So sometimes you go into just wrestling, then you start getting into wrestling mode, and then you do Jitsu, when you start doing Jiu Jitsu, he's like, you want to know how to punch and throw your, the kicks and punt and be defensive and everything together and do jujitsu stuff all with the mma style which i feel like was super smart and i only can say this stuff because i asked them the same thing like i think i'm so competitive that when i found out about like the color of the belts and jih Tjitsu i'm like oh i got to be a black belt right and they're like not so fast like we want to teach you jitsu and you to learn it but you're not going to learn like the regular person will learn it you're learning strictly for mMA And so just learning that, it's like once you get more profiling in MMA and you learn how to mix stuff up and you have enough, you just sort of get you to high, when you're against high -level fighters who know this, then we can start getting you more experience than just.

[987] But right now, we want you just to do it, just to learn it with MMA style.

[988] Do you remember the first time you tap somebody out?

[989] Me?

[990] Yeah.

[991] I haven't.

[992] You've never tapped anybody out?

[993] No. No?

[994] So do you do just playing jiu -jitsu sparring?

[995] Do you roll?

[996] Yeah, I do rolling with Coach Tusa, which some days is fun, and some days it is not.

[997] Because he's, you know, he's a black bill, I think, with like purple stripes and stuff.

[998] And, I mean, he doesn't take it easy, you know, he's super like, I hate being grabbed.

[999] So my main thing is like, oh, you grab me, get off me, right?

[1000] And he's like, no, you want to do stuff that can advance your movement.

[1001] How could you get in a position of where you're winning in?

[1002] At first, my mind was completely defensive, which I'm super, super relaxed at getting people off me. Like, you grab me, okay, he touched me here, oh, you touch me here, okay, let me get back here.

[1003] I'm on the ground.

[1004] He showed me this, let's work on that, but, oh, I see an armbar, let me try to grab it, you know, just being like that.

[1005] But at first I was super defensive.

[1006] Now I'm, like, kind of offensive with it, and when we're trying to do the whole, just to think I'm like man it's still hard it's a whole different level of breathing um it's five minutes compared to the two minutes that I do in boxing right even though I sparred three minutes but still three minutes compared to five it's way different but um just getting that cardio up there and I'm just having to do like the wrestling stuff it's not it's not easy by far but it's fun some days it's fun and some days I'm like man I can't wait to this hour and two hours that I'm going to get the hell out of here So are you doing any live jujitsu roles with other people other than the coach?

[1007] Or are you just doing it only with the coach right now?

[1008] I've done some kickboxing sparring with other fighters.

[1009] I haven't done anything to jujitsu yet.

[1010] But that's because of the timing, too.

[1011] Like once we were really starting to get into it, I had a boxing match to get schedule.

[1012] And that was, to me, I had to make that be more important than MMA at the time.

[1013] I saw you throwing some kicks and I saw you moving around.

[1014] Does it feel weird to you to be sparring at a distance with kicks?

[1015] Like, you know, the difference of distance between boxing kicks is a couple of feet.

[1016] Is it feel weird to you to, like, know that you could hit someone, like, much further away or they could hit you much further away than normally you would have to think of in a boxing situation?

[1017] No, it's not difficult.

[1018] You got accustomed to it quickly?

[1019] Yeah, I got accustomed to it quickly and just learning, like, the distance.

[1020] And my main thing was defense.

[1021] Okay, I understand I can do it.

[1022] all the kick and I can do all the wrestling I can punt people but what about when they do it to me right you know and that's and that's my main thing like what is the defense to a head kick what's the defense to a head kick what's the defense to somebody doing a spinning back kick trying to hit me my stomach like what's the defense to this shit I saw you throw that too I was impressed you got a good side kick too they taught me and I just did it well it seems like you're picking it up very quickly yeah so your timeline is June June will be your first fight and that will be um your introduction do you think that you're going to are you going to do some live situations before then like make it seem like it's a fight yeah we're having doing like simulations to where like i'm in there i'm shadow boxing in a in a may stance and throwing kicks and stuff and then coaches say sprawl or coaches say you know go to the cage and work your way up from the cage or like he'll tackle me and i got to figure out how to get him off me and get up so it's been we've been gradually you know getting bettering and gradually doing more live stuff I think that he wanted me to get all of them wanted me to be comfortable so I think when I get back I have like a week of just refreshing my mind of everything and then I believe like the next week will be going into into the live stuff but I'm going to let the coaches figure that stuff out on what they want me to do how they want me doing it and let them game playing because I don't know MMA better than them.

[1023] I just know boxing.

[1024] If boxing had the same amount of attention for women fighters as MMA, do you think you would do this?

[1025] No, I wouldn't.

[1026] So if you had your options, if you had a magic wand, and you could wave it, you would just rather have female boxing, get the attention that deserves.

[1027] Absolutely.

[1028] You know, boxing is my first love.

[1029] Before I had a boyfriend, before I even knew what anything in life really, was boxing is the first thing that I ever really truly loved that loved me back you know so boxing was my first love you know MMA um it's kind of adding to my greatest woman of all time statement the quote but at the same time it's like that's a weird word right I mean he's like oh with quote you know got to know how to sound like your letters quote yeah quote greatest woman of all time but I just um if boxing gave me the recognition that I that I that I I get doing MMA, I would just do boxing.

[1030] You know, it really wouldn't matter what they say about MMA fighters, but it kind of irks me a little bit that, you know, girls, like Amanda Nunes has great, you know, she's a great fighter and everything, but she couldn't come over to boxing and do nothing with me. Zero.

[1031] Even if we fought at her weight class, 145, 155.

[1032] She would never be able to beat me in a boxing match.

[1033] Well, her real weight class is 135.

[1034] She fights at 145 just because she could.

[1035] Okay.

[1036] Yeah.

[1037] Good.

[1038] But that's what I'm saying, though.

[1039] Like, one, no girl at that 135 in boxing can do anything with me. 140, 147.

[1040] What do you think you could make if you had a cut?

[1041] 47 is the lowest I'm going.

[1042] That's it.

[1043] That's it.

[1044] And that's for you, you got to pay me some money, too.

[1045] Because my legs are going to get a little smaller.

[1046] My booty going to go away.

[1047] You're going to pay me for that.

[1048] I don't play that.

[1049] Like, I'm a woman first, box or second.

[1050] You know, so I always say that.

[1051] Like, I'm a woman, so I don't want to lose all my shape.

[1052] right you know they already said that woman boxes are ugly now you tell them I'm gonna shape either like fuck that I'm gonna keep my shape and get up nice face no so that's what I'm saying like when she goes in there and she knocks out a girl like the whole world just started like they all start tweeting me for no certain reason oh man noonez will beat you in the boxing match and it's like look I got two Olympic gold medals in boxing please stop don't even mention her and me in the boxing ring it to me to me to me it's like it's a little embarrassing it's like look she's knocking on girls who don't even have no kind of boxing experience that I have and even though she's doing it with her hands she has some help some kicks some chokes and all that other stuff it's like I have just my left and my right hand and I got to go in here and do it for one minute less than a man I do it two rounds shorter and then I get paid way less money so we got kind of aggravating to be hearing that another woman can box better than me and she's in a whole other sport do you look forward to the day where you can crack someone with those little gloves too yeah I look forward to that in June I mean it's a big difference no it's a big difference I mean I just fought in 10 ounces last week wow now I'm be fighting in two ounces is it two or four well four ounces I mean I feel like my hands are already pretty quick oh they're going to be like lightning lightning and I'm I'm stronger I know like the bands was popping out when I was punching his last fight I bench 185 now 185?

[1053] Yeah Really?

[1054] Holy shit I know that's what I said That's impressive Yeah it's impressive for a woman Yeah Don't fuck your shoulders up Benching benching's rough No I didn't want to see What was my max I wanted to test my strength I'm not like a person that bench weight every day Like my boyfriend can do like 365 And all that shit I'm not doing that Do you when you do conditioning do you do lifting weights Do you lift weights at all?

[1055] Yeah What kind of stuff do you do?

[1056] I do the benching I do like building my triceps but I don't do like really really heavy weight like when I do like I do like the light stuff I build like I'm told you like on a on a micro scale I build the small muscles so they can make the bigger muscles do more do you have a strength and conditioning coach not really like my boyfriend's a fitness training up at the gym up in like beecher flint area up at a fitness gym and that's where I first started doing like my strength training And at first it was like, I just was like, you know, the punch harder.

[1057] You got to have stronger triceps because I was, after not boxing for a year, it was like once I come out of this whole weight and thing, I want to come back out with some steam.

[1058] You know, I want to come back out with some power.

[1059] And so he started building up, like you said, my shoulders, my triceps, even just my forearm, you know, just building up that stuff.

[1060] But I would also do like a lot of hit cardio too.

[1061] But when it came to strength, some days I'm like today we're going to do.

[1062] I do everything even.

[1063] So the cast, the squats, foot of thighs and all that stuff, butt exercises, core.

[1064] Core is something that I've really gotten super strong at over this past.

[1065] And then a benching.

[1066] But I do benching maybe every two weeks or something.

[1067] Because at first I was struggling with 135 in June.

[1068] I was really struggling just to get 135 up.

[1069] And then all of a sudden, when I started getting 135 up, you went to 155, 165.

[1070] And I'm like, you know what, how about $185 be my goal for next year?

[1071] But I was able to bench that up in, like, December.

[1072] Do you notice any difference in your punching power from all this weightlifting?

[1073] Yeah, a lot of difference.

[1074] Yeah.

[1075] I noticed that I load up more, which I don't like.

[1076] That's why I'm cutting back from it.

[1077] Like, I feel, but also two of my last fight, the punch we focused on all throughout camp was the overhand right.

[1078] So it was post to, you know, land.

[1079] And it landed a couple times, but I mean, this girl, was a professional survivor so I would hit her with it and she would grab me yeah so I would just say like I did notice how much stronger I was and how much weaker my opponent felt like it was some time in the fight but like she would throw like a jab and she would wanted to do something all I had to do was just swat it away and like she can put some force on like a like a power jab I just boom and you you think that's because of the weight lifting yeah I think because of the weight lifting and just when I when I hit it with the first right hand up in the first right hand up in the first round after that she was on her wheels she was running like she wouldn't stand there and fight me um and you know usually some girls would but for her i thought she was physically stronger and she was bigger than me but when i hit her with that first right hand first round she was gone from every fight and i and i wabbled her at least five six times in the fight almost finished her but once again ref was from Canada she's from can't she was holding he didn't really call her for it and he kept allowing her to hold throughout the whole So every time I rocked her, there she was holding me. And I was trying to figure out how not to get held and how to land more shots.

[1080] But, I mean, really, she was just a professional survivor.

[1081] So that's what I have to deal with for the fight.

[1082] Do you think you're going to have to do anything different in terms of strength and conditioning for MMA when you consider all the grappling, the five -minute rounds, are you going to have to adjust?

[1083] What do you think you're going to do differently?

[1084] I've already been doing some stuff differently.

[1085] Like I said, Titan on my core was one of the main things for me. You know, people do like those burpees.

[1086] It's more of like full body cardio Instead of like focusing on like the glutes or the squats or the cats Like focusing on everything up at one time Because one minute you can be standing up fighting And the next minute you got to be getting yourself off the ground So I do like a lot of burpees A lot of get -ups Did you any kettlebell work?

[1087] Yep A lot of kettlebell work Just Just super core really not always run I feel like running is like great for for conditioning so I just run and still jump rope and just also I think simulation is super important like when I said sparring I won't be able to get out of MMA spawning like I definitely need that and I'm going to do that so when it comes to five minutes of um MMA sparring or whatever I'm going to get the cage I'm going to do it I'm going to get frustrated I'm going to have some success but I have to get that experience before I get in there getting the cage in June now when you go you'll go through your camp at Jackson Winkle John did they set up strength and conditioning for you when you were there or are you going to do it with their coaches they they haven't yet but also like I also haven't asked either like I have like my own like I said I know my body better than anybody else so when it comes to like strength and conditioning stuff I always trust my own judgment for the past however many years that I've been been boxing so um i will i will hear their advice on it and hear what they have to say highly invited me to come work out with her doing some of her strengths training but i haven't went with her yet so maybe i can go where when i get back but we will see what happens and do you do you set up your diet as well do you set up everything yeah do you prep your meals or do you just do you cook for yourself like how do you decide what to eat i'm an athlete who's signed with perfecting athletes there's also a man the nunez nutritionist they're the same people that works with her they've been with me for the past two three years so that's how i make weight for my fights with perfect the athletes and um sometimes i had them send me food throughout the whole camp and sometimes i do my own food but they come with me fight week so it really depends on what about how much i weigh um if i feel like i'm disciplined enough to do the food myself and actually do a right to where i can actually lose the weight but a lot of times me just working out i lose weight and eating healthy i kind of just reach out to them like hey i got a headache today you guys know anything i can eat to make my headache go away or stuff like that but i've always controlled all that all that stuff myself until like i said a few like a few years ago and so um do you do you supplement do you take vitamins yeah do you do all that yourself as well yeah you never consult with a nutritionist or anything No, not really.

[1088] You just know what to do and what's worked for you in the past?

[1089] I think I've tested things on me, you know, to see, like, okay, like something that's big for me is just sleep.

[1090] I have, like, big insomnia.

[1091] So I take a lot of, I take melatonin at night, majority every night, because I'll stay up to 3, 4 o 'clock in the morning, just kind of on my phone, restless thinking.

[1092] So melatonin is something I take.

[1093] Why can't think of the other stuff?

[1094] I got Expedite, which is with the snack, S -N -A -C.

[1095] and that's sometimes like a pre -workout before workout but I don't take it every day not even every other day some days when I just don't feel like working out I'm like I got to go to the gym so I'll take it to get me going but they also have they also have some melatonin stuff that they have and then what is that one thing?

[1096] Glutamine Mm -hmm Glutamine and it's one more damn I can't think of it No worries Yeah, but I definitely like takes up to where like I can have good recovery Like I said, I really focus on that And I take supplements But I can't say I take them all the time I take B12 when I get up in the morning Like a little B12 Tablet But And also have like a sleep ring It's in my purse Yeah Oras or sleep ring and It lets me know hey today is a day You can break records Or today is the day you need to get more sleep Or whatever Do you ever try to leave your phone alone at night?

[1097] Because, like, they say that that's one of the things that keeps people awake, is staring at screens.

[1098] They say that, like, it gets to a certain point in the night.

[1099] Like, if you know you're going to go to bed in two hours or so, you really shouldn't look at any screens.

[1100] I never heard it.

[1101] Yeah.

[1102] No. That's why people wear, like, blue light blocking lenses, and it's the kind of light that comes from screens.

[1103] It fucks with you because your body thinks it's daytime.

[1104] Your body thinks it's the sun.

[1105] It's real weird.

[1106] because your brain produces melaton like Matt Frazier was here the other day who is five -time world crossfit champion and one of the things that he said he has he has like an artificial sun by his bed it's like a like a sunset machine and like this ball gets dimmer and dimmer and dimmer as as the night goes on and then when you know if he's lying in bed reading a book it starts getting dimmer and dimmer and it stimulates you your brain's own production of melatonin and you can supplement with melatonin there's nothing wrong with that but the thing about looking at screens we're all addicted to looking at phones like what's that you know like that that that screen that brightly lit thing actually stimulates the part of your brain that keeps you awake sometimes my mind just have too much on it yeah i just i'm just thinking about everything you know you got relationships you got family you got box and you got MMA, you got this training, that training, thing motioning like the next day, you know, if you can drink today, you can have a drink today where you need to do all water.

[1107] It's like how much do you weigh, you know, how much you don't have to lose for this fight?

[1108] Like my mind is always ongoing.

[1109] Then I have just certain life goals.

[1110] My mind's always thinking.

[1111] So even I do put the phone down, I'm still up.

[1112] Right.

[1113] Just thinking.

[1114] So melatonin, I'm like, you know what?

[1115] Just forget it.

[1116] Just take some melatonin and get sleeping.

[1117] No, I'm sure.

[1118] Look, I don't doubt that you have a lot of things.

[1119] things in your mind.

[1120] I mean, you have an incredibly intense life.

[1121] You probably write about that phone thing, though.

[1122] What's that?

[1123] You probably write about that phone thing.

[1124] Yeah.

[1125] No, it's, it's been scientifically proven.

[1126] There's something about staring at screens that keeps people awake.

[1127] It's just not good for you.

[1128] It's not good for your brain's own natural production of melatonin.

[1129] Do you do anything else for recovery?

[1130] Like, do you do ice baths or sauna or anything like that?

[1131] Ice baths.

[1132] I don't not do saunas.

[1133] They're just too hot.

[1134] It's not my thing.

[1135] So ice baths, I'll do a hot tub the whole thing about song is that it's too hot when you say it's not your thing that's the whole purpose it's like dry and also too it has a door that shuts and I think I'm like super claustrophobic yeah like I can't like the whole little what's the Epsom salt thing where you get in there with the blue with the water sensory deprivation tank can't get in there can't do it with off with it and I've seen it I'm like can I leave the door open and like no to get the full effect you gotta shut the door and I'm like yeah no I do I do cryotherapy I'm okay with that door shut because you can see through it right you know so that's fine you can see through the sauna door but it's still just too hot and dry I'm too small in there I'm good so I do like the sauna room no not the sauna but I do a steam room before I do a sauna so steam room hot tub cryo ice baths and massages.

[1136] When I'm in camp, it's like heaven for me. I get three, four massages a week.

[1137] Oh, that's nice.

[1138] Yeah, because I got to set up like that, okay?

[1139] But after a hard sporing session, I go home for a couple hours and I hit my masseuse, Brenda, like, hey, Brenda, can you come over and massage me for an hour?

[1140] Like, this is hurting, that's hurting.

[1141] And she comes over and get the knots of my traps, not side of my legs and everything, and just I can go to sleep and have a good night.

[1142] But I hate going to bed, feeling like I'm sore, I'm hurting.

[1143] I'm sure, yeah.

[1144] No, it sounds like you have a great understanding of your body.

[1145] Like, you're in tune with everything.

[1146] Like, you know, you're working hard enough.

[1147] I'm not in tune with my heart, but I hear you.

[1148] You're not in tune with your heart?

[1149] No. In what way?

[1150] Because there's just too many emotions.

[1151] Like, I think that, you know, God blesses us women to care about stuff.

[1152] And it's like, why do I care?

[1153] Like, fuck that shit.

[1154] For real.

[1155] You're a human being.

[1156] I mean, that's why.

[1157] Whatever.

[1158] Guys don't care about shit, majority.

[1159] Oh, that's not true.

[1160] What?

[1161] Different guys.

[1162] Different guys care about different things.

[1163] Mm -mm.

[1164] No. I think that a lot of people to me, I feel like I care.

[1165] I'm not going to say guys, but just people, period.

[1166] I feel like I've always seemed to care more about things than other people.

[1167] Like, I'm, like, big on loyalty and trust and respect.

[1168] And then you got people who pretend to be about that stuff and they're not.

[1169] And I actually care.

[1170] And I'm more emotional than what people see.

[1171] Like, I'm super sensitive.

[1172] and I've always had a thing with words people say people can hit me all day like I don't even feel that like that's nothing I don't I don't I rather somebody hit me than say something terrible to me because you say something to me like that would piss me off more than you hitting me like you said the wrong thing to me and it hits me the wrong way I rated it like to really hurt somebody so it's like I wish that you know God just blessed me with a sense of just don't care like I'm getting better at I don't think you want that.

[1173] I'm telling you.

[1174] I don't think you want that.

[1175] I think you're better off handling it, but keeping these emotions.

[1176] No, fuck emotions.

[1177] This is hilarious.

[1178] Not it.

[1179] I think this is just my take.

[1180] I might be wrong.

[1181] You won't.

[1182] There's a, hear me out, though.

[1183] There's a statement.

[1184] The way you do anything is the way you do everything.

[1185] And I think the problem is when there's a person like you who's a champion, the way you dedicate yourself to fighting, you.

[1186] expect this kind of dedication in life that's why you're so big on loyalty that's why you're so big on trust and i think this loyalty and trust you extend to other people and you have these feelings and they're powerful feelings but that's so the same thing that leads you to be a great fighter these emotions this it's intensity i think there's you don't want to be numb i know what you're saying because it's easier sometimes i want to feel passionate about boxing in the may but all the other stuff Relationship stuff Just gets in the way Friendships Because my relationship is great Friendship stuff Friendships, family ships All that But if you We're friends With people like you Then you wouldn't have to fuck with that You wouldn't have to worry about it Do you know what I'm saying?

[1187] Like the issue is Oftentimes Is that the issues that you're having Are with people That aren't of the same caliber as you You think Well that's the thing When you're a great like I am, I don't really meet a lot of people who's on my same caliber.

[1188] Like, honestly, me and Holly Holme vibe on a different level.

[1189] Like, that's my girl.

[1190] Johnny Bones, same thing.

[1191] He's a great person.

[1192] What do they have in common?

[1193] They're champions.

[1194] Right.

[1195] So it's like everybody.

[1196] Yeah, it's lonely at the top.

[1197] It's not chance.

[1198] Clawlessa, it's lonely at the top.

[1199] I wish I would stop saying.

[1200] Now I'm getting an entourage.

[1201] I'm getting an entourage.

[1202] Like, I don't care.

[1203] It's lonely at the top.

[1204] You're going to have to deal with that.

[1205] that some people they half -ass things.

[1206] Yeah, and that's a problem for me. Yes, that's what I'm saying.

[1207] That's what I'm saying.

[1208] How you do anything is how you do everything.

[1209] How you have your friendships is how you're going to run your training camps.

[1210] Is how you're going to be a friend?

[1211] Is how you're going to be a mother?

[1212] It's how you're going to be a lover.

[1213] It's how you're going to be anything.

[1214] It's no matter what you do.

[1215] You're a champion that you're a rare person.

[1216] Rare people need to find other rare people.

[1217] Because if you're around other people, they're going to get mad at your rarity.

[1218] They're going to get mad at your strengths.

[1219] They're going to get petty.

[1220] They get weird.

[1221] They get jealous.

[1222] Oh, my God.

[1223] I deal with that all the time.

[1224] I'm just like, what the heck?

[1225] I'm just like, why aren't you normal?

[1226] Like, what is wrong with you?

[1227] It bothers them that you're so strong.

[1228] Well, I can't deal with that shit.

[1229] That's what I'm saying.

[1230] I wish I didn't care.

[1231] But you don't have to be numb, right?

[1232] Because you don't have to be numb around Holly Home.

[1233] You don't have to be numb around John Jones.

[1234] Nope.

[1235] Because they're champions.

[1236] You just need to find a lot of champions to be friends with or people in that camera.

[1237] But they all have their own thing that they're doing.

[1238] They can't be with you all the time.

[1239] They can be with you sometimes.

[1240] Yeah, sometimes.

[1241] I need my family and my friends start being damn champions, figure it out.

[1242] Well, for sure, having a friendship or a family relationship with someone you raises people's expectations of themselves.

[1243] And that's one of the things that people don't like.

[1244] People love to think they're a badass, right?

[1245] Everybody wants to think, oh, I got my shit together.

[1246] I'm different.

[1247] I get things done.

[1248] I'm this, I'm that.

[1249] And then they're around somebody.

[1250] They're around someone who actually does.

[1251] Like you, and they're like, fuck.

[1252] That's sick.

[1253] Because when I'm around somebody who got more than me, I'm like, I'm a student of the game.

[1254] Like, how did you get that?

[1255] Right.

[1256] Shit, you got, you made a $15 million?

[1257] How you do that?

[1258] That's why you're a champion.

[1259] Or like, you got a nice car?

[1260] How you get a nice car without having to pay full on?

[1261] Like, I'm like a student of the game.

[1262] Right.

[1263] I've never been envious to anybody in my life.

[1264] That's a champion's mentality, though.

[1265] Well.

[1266] That's all positive, right?

[1267] It's great.

[1268] Like, when you see someone who's doing well, that's beneficial because it's inspiration that's that's a winner's way of looking at things but some people they don't want to do that work and so they see someone like you who works so hard but is also so successful they try to find holes they try to pick at you they try to talk shit they try to find something that that you're doing wrong because if they can find something that you're doing wrong or something that you're failing at or something that you make them feel better oh poor things yeah crabs in a bucket you know that expression yeah i have heard of that yeah that's what it is well maybe since you said that maybe i'll be less listening to it but I'd be reading everything but I've actually stopped I read everything but it'd be like you know what let me skip about eight comments because some stuff be like all right this is good stuff here but it's again you're just dealing with the opinions of losers yeah true you think you like I always just say you think Michael Jordan's leaving YouTube comments no he's busy he's busy being Michael Jordan right LeBron James doesn't leave YouTube comments right no no that's not that's not what I overlook so much stuff though i just be like some people you got to put in their place it's like you don't though just let them be petty on their own just disconnect yourself from the communication line i'm working on it maybe i'll stop at 26 maybe a couple days from now just be like you know what turn a new leaf not in response to none of you losers i just social media the problem is it does affect the way people think that's the problem it affects people's minds and people are addicted to their phone like look at you well i got text my luck is urgent i was sure it's urgent people get addicted to those things and you get addicted to like reading responses you get addicted to like you say something to them and then they say something back to you and you think about what the fuck they say and then you have to check it no i just feel like sometimes i need the doubters you know i need to i need to hear what they're saying so i can prove them wrong i'm sure you're going to hear them no matter what yeah but it's still like some of them especially like let's say Eddie Hearn.

[1269] He just said that some...

[1270] What did he say?

[1271] He said some girl who beat me in the amortures.

[1272] Only one girl that beat me, but he said that...

[1273] You were 80 and 1, right?

[1274] 77 and 1.

[1275] 77 and 1?

[1276] People keep putting 80 and 1 on my Wikipedia, but I'm saying...

[1277] Why do they do that?

[1278] I don't know, but I kept great count of my fights.

[1279] So why they had three fights?

[1280] I don't know.

[1281] They'm just doing stuff, I think.

[1282] How weird.

[1283] I don't know.

[1284] But seven is my number.

[1285] Eddie Hearn is a promoter, though.

[1286] Yeah, but he said that this girl, not that the girl would just beat me. He said she will stop me or kill me. Do you know why I said that?

[1287] That shit pissed me off so bad.

[1288] Do you know why he said that?

[1289] So that you would talk about it right now.

[1290] So you would talk about it when you get an opportunity and that's how he's going to make money.

[1291] Well, I want him to know.

[1292] Just pay me the money and I'll come over there and whip her ass.

[1293] That's it.

[1294] And that's what he wants.

[1295] That's what he wants.

[1296] He wants you to do.

[1297] He don't want to pay me. He wants me to come fight it.

[1298] Oh, he wants you to fight her for like a hundred grand.

[1299] Come on now.

[1300] Come on now.

[1301] Come on now.

[1302] What if you were on the Anthony Joshua, Joshua Tyson Fury undercard Like that's going to be a very high profile Undercard Still got paid me though Still got to pay you But still there'll be a lot of eyeballs on that It'd be worth it It'd be worth it but not still not worth 100 ,000 I fought for more than 200, 300 and 4 Well is he made an offer?

[1303] It was trash Really?

[1304] I'm not even going to say it It was so trash That's unfortunate But that's what he's doing I mean he's trying to make money He's trying to make money You're trying to use people to make money trying to use people to make money well that's just sad well that's that's what promoters do i mean what has the worst reputation in sports worse than a boxing promoter i mean they're like the oh i don't think it's none i think i think i think i think i think dung was like the king of that he is like it's caring me reading about reading about uh what he did to mike tyson oh my god it's crazy 300 million or something some insane amount of money and look that's scary like whenever somebody gave me a contract from hearing that story i flip it over in back with like hold make sure nothing's on the back of here yeah make sure it's one page because it was like the story that you heard about that was kind of kind of scary well that's don king's whole world you know his whole world has been ripping off fighters and promoting big events and making shit loads of money you know it's like the the boxing promoter reputation is it's one of the worst reputations in all sports who are you going back and forth with over there you think so Yeah.

[1305] What's worse?

[1306] What's what in sports has a worse reputation than boxing promoters in terms of like the, you know, look, it goes all the way back to On the Waterfront with Marlon Brando.

[1307] I mean, that's, that was about a boxing promoter that did them dirty.

[1308] I don't think it's nothing worse than it.

[1309] I'm trying to think like.

[1310] Nothing.

[1311] I mean, people could talk all the shit they want about MMA promoters, but MMA promoters, there's no way they have a worse reputation than boxing promoters.

[1312] It's not even close.

[1313] No, I don't think Dana has the worse reputation than Don King.

[1314] No, no chance.

[1315] So have you thought about fighting the UFC?

[1316] Do you think that's a possibility?

[1317] I'm going to see how this three years ago with the PFL.

[1318] Right.

[1319] Yeah, like, I like to look at the bigger picture of things because that's just what keeps me motivated.

[1320] Like, I can't think of like, oh, I'm going to fight the worst girl in MMA, and it gets me going.

[1321] It's like, I got to look at, like, what's the big picture?

[1322] Like, what are we leading toward?

[1323] Right.

[1324] And we're leading toward a big super fight, you know.

[1325] with me and Kayla Harrison, me winning a million dollars, me fighting against the other girls when she's competed against.

[1326] Like, I'm looking at that, you know?

[1327] So it's like, I can't even think about UFC.

[1328] Like, what I love, I think in three years, I would have a better chance at beating in Melanonez than beating her than I do right now.

[1329] Definitely with what I know and what she knows.

[1330] You know, but like I said, the more experience I get, the more comfortable I get, the more I learn all the different disciplines.

[1331] be to be a stronger argument within the next couple of years.

[1332] I think you could be a huge superstar in the sport, and I think if you get into the UFC, that's the best chance for becoming a huge superstar.

[1333] I think the PFL's making some good moves, and I think Bellator is making some good moves, too.

[1334] But at the end of the day, the UFC is the biggest organization in the world.

[1335] And I like that you are with the PFL for now.

[1336] I think it's a great move, and they do have good fighters over there.

[1337] It's a very good organization.

[1338] I like the idea of you getting some fighters.

[1339] in there but I would really love to see you in the UFC someday I think it'd be pretty amazing have to see with these three years hold and then after that but you know like I actually respect Amanda Nune as a whole lot and I tell people that all the time like I respect what she does in MMA and that's why I wouldn't just go over and just fight like you're not gonna give me six months to a year to get ready for a fire like that's like a super um fighter did that what they offered you six months yeah that's kind of crazy right you should have another UFC fight before you fight Yeah but it was like it was kind of like the It was the Connor McGregor thing Like where he went in he fought against the best in boxing So they really wanted to get that win back In the May That's what I think Because I was like what Definitely that's funny Oh my god High profile boxer was James Tony But James Tony went in pretty far Yeah it was way past his prime I don't think you're prepared to be honest Right and that's how people when I first started Training in May they're like oh she He's another James Tony.

[1340] I'm like, you guys, wait a minute.

[1341] I'm 20 years younger and I'm still boxing.

[1342] And like, dude, big difference.

[1343] It's a big difference.

[1344] Like, he was 45 and he didn't, like, I'm actually respecting a sport.

[1345] And that's something that I give myself props about.

[1346] Because I could be egotistical, you know, and be cocky.

[1347] Like, oh, forget that J -Jitsu.

[1348] Forget all that wrestling and shit.

[1349] Forget those kicks too.

[1350] Like, I'm going to go over with my strength in boxing and just whoop these girls' ass.

[1351] Like, that's cocky.

[1352] That's dumb.

[1353] that's arrogant and I get and I get called those words often in boxing when it was like I've never been arrogant you're just confident I'm confident in your ability but you should be confident in your ability as a boxer got to the cocky and arrogant thing would be if you just threw yourself into the UFC without understanding all those other aspects of fighting exactly yeah but you're smart you're doing it the right way right not and that's what I commend myself home but I was going to do that anyway like I believe in always setting myself up to win I hate losing of course hate losing it's not how you do anything is how you do everything right i'm sure you're going to compete as a ufc fighter or as an mma fighter rather the same way you competed as a boxer you'll you i have the same attitude about it like i'm not i'm not fearful now i know you did some sparring with cyborg what did you what did you think about her and when she wound up and fought amanda nunes well that's the thing people get confused too me and her me and me and me and Chris Cyborg did our Sparring a year prior to that fight.

[1354] We sparred one time.

[1355] It was off of like, we had been kind of messaging back and forth a little bit, but I think it was kind of like a wonder of hers if she could, you know.

[1356] If she could hang.

[1357] Yeah, if she can beat the best woman in boxing in like a sparring match.

[1358] So I went to Vegas for some fights.

[1359] I went to Vegas for some fights.

[1360] And she was in L .A. And she was like, hey, I see her in Vegas.

[1361] I see you just fought like would you mind coming down to LA to you know to spur with me and I was by myself and I'm like well I ain't got my boxing you're ain't got my head you ain't got my mouthpiece ain't got nothing she was like just come to LA so she flew me to LA her and Ray and we went to the gym and at first they were kind of like on the edge about sparring they didn't know if they should ask and I just threw it out there because they were like oh you know we can do some boxing drills and we can do that and I was just like all right whatever and I was like I was like I was like we sparring and they were like oh well did you want to spar and I'm like shit why not you know I'm here so had like the little chatty mouthpiece in had gear some gloves from her and the coach asked like how many rounds yeah this is edited great it's edited yeah this isn't the full rounds or is it wait a minute I don't know Jamie just found something I'm looking at this is that the first time you sparred with an MMA fighter yeah well as part of a guy in may fighters who were like from like the michigan area but not like on a whole up on a profile of chris cyborg right um but did you feel like there was a lot of tension in the room when that was happening because she was trying to test herself against the best female boxer i didn't i don't i don't feel tension or feel pressure but did you feel like it from them that this is like a big moment no no you're like you're so relaxed Look at you.

[1362] No, I was like, we're sparring.

[1363] You know, I'm a chance.

[1364] That's championship mentality right there.

[1365] Yeah, no, no pressure.

[1366] I think after sparring, Ray was like, yo, I've never, I've never seen that before.

[1367] And I was like, what?

[1368] And he was like, I've never seen anybody like get their respect from Chris Cyborg in the sparring match and boxing.

[1369] Like, I've never seen it.

[1370] And I was like, oh, like, it wasn't a big deal to me. I just was like, I was happy to spar against her.

[1371] I've never questioned my boxing abilities.

[1372] And I knew that, you know, she was, I heard a little bit that she kind of wanted to get in the boxing.

[1373] She wanted to fight against Cecilia Bruckus.

[1374] And from our aspiring, I would say that Chris Cyborg definitely could do great in boxing.

[1375] All she needs a few months to actually focus on just boxing.

[1376] And she would go out there and kick some ass because she was just, I don't know how to put it like her.

[1377] Her arms was just strong.

[1378] I don't know how to put it like.

[1379] I don't feel like she really punched her.

[1380] But, I mean, okay, maybe she's physically strong.

[1381] that's what it was yeah like when you get in the you get into you you you you can't move chris right he was like oh you either don't get out the clinch or she's gonna try to throw you this way and throw you this way well she's a legit grappler she's strong as fuck yeah you know she actually had a moitai fight against this woman there's a woman named jorina barge and she's probably the most ducked female fighter that's currently active like women don't want to fight her she's a beast and cyborg fought her and they i think it was five rounds but uh it's either three or five but in moitai you know uh cyborg does not have a lot of experience in this and this woman is undefeated and she cyborg came after her and she got dropped a couple times in the fight but get up and still charge forward i mean it was impressive just just on sheer toughness and her willingness to take this fight like i don't know if cyborg has any pro or Muay fights or she does it's a relatively small number and Jurena barge like I said like she went for like almost two years where she couldn't get a fight like nobody wanted to fight her she's a big long tall girl and she's super technical I've actually seen if I don't want to yeah she's super technical so I was impressed with cyborg just because of that that she was willing to do that you know and now she's over in bellator she became the bellator champion so when they were talking with you or they were talking with you about trying to set something up with her?

[1382] No. To my, a box match?

[1383] No, an MMA fight.

[1384] When Bellator was talking to you about fighting.

[1385] Is that what they were considering?

[1386] I don't know what they were considering, honestly.

[1387] But I know, like, one, you know, 145 is not a weight class that I would want to go to.

[1388] Right.

[1389] 155 is been my low for 154 in boxing.

[1390] So 155 was it for me. But I think that they kind of wanted me to get the 145 and I just like...

[1391] So the PFL is really the only option right now in terms of that weight class, right?

[1392] No, because I could have.

[1393] got to 45 but I just I don't I don't want to that's the thing I feel like I have a I have a bigger body I walk around at you know 70 75 right I don't that's not something that I personally want and I haven't been at 140 anything since I was 16 years old so it's not something that I want to do yeah you feel like you'll be weakened uh probably I just doesn't sound like fun I hate going to 154 really you know so it's like going to 455 it's like shit nine my would prefer 68 if they gave that as an option that's what you think i will prefer 55 55 is good yeah and but i think that's the only place i think pfl is the only place that has a 55 right now i don't think any other organization probably but but dana was talking about creating a 155 if i wanted to do you really just for you yeah that must be nice but also too it was like still now we're going to have the smaller girls coming up 145 coming up the 155 and 135 coming up and I mean let's be let's be honest a lot of girls kill themselves to make those weights a lot of girls are not 45 or 35 they're actually bigger but they kill themselves to make that weight so there is a weight class for 155 and other organizations but for right now 35 in a smaller weight class you just get more notoriety for some reason but yeah it's even like that in boxing you know I feel like 60 has some of the most skilled girls in boxing, but the weight class 135 and 140, 147, they kind of said that the girls have better skill, and I feel like they're just looking at like smaller women, and they feel like it's more attractive or something.

[1394] I don't know.

[1395] But for me, what was I saying?

[1396] Yeah, 45 just not it.

[1397] Well, listen, Cloressa, you're a champion in life, and you're just, in my opinion, one of the most exciting entrance into MMA.

[1398] I'm excited that you're doing it because I've always liked to see elite athletes that at the top of the food chain in their sports come over.

[1399] And, you know, we really haven't had anybody like you.

[1400] And that was that good at boxing and that dominant as a professional entering to MMA.

[1401] So it's exciting.

[1402] I had thought Flo's going to come over and fight and fight against Connor.

[1403] I really did.

[1404] I never thought I was going to do that.

[1405] No chance.

[1406] I thought it would be like, you know, kind of like some written rule.

[1407] Like, hey, he can't kick me or he can't elbow me or something.

[1408] Well, that wouldn't be MMA then.

[1409] What you're doing his real MMA.

[1410] If Floyd came over, they would destroy his legs.

[1411] They would just kick his legs out from under him.

[1412] It would be terrible.

[1413] I thought it would be rules, though.

[1414] That's why I thought he would come off.

[1415] Just like a boxing match to out of a cage, I thought.

[1416] You can't have that.

[1417] Well, unless you allow clinching and striking from the clinch, but even then he'd get fucked up.

[1418] Elbows and shit from the clinch, it would be terrible.

[1419] Agreed.

[1420] Yeah, you don't want that.

[1421] He's a brilliant boxer.

[1422] He's brilliant.

[1423] No, but that's what I'm saying.

[1424] I thought he would have been over.

[1425] He's too smart for that.

[1426] no he made them fight his game too smart no no that's not what you say what is it it's not he's too smart it's just that he's not that not that driven to do it like I'm that too do it like it takes a lot of heart to come or something that you don't know and do it oh I know yeah I'm listen I'm nothing but respect I'm excited that you're doing it's a lot of boxers who would not like Canello he's not coming no no but he doesn't have to though it's all the money he's making yeah well I hope you make that money I really do same thank you And if anybody has a chance, you are the, in my opinion, you're the frontrunner for a woman that can enter into boxing or enter into MMA from boxing and really elevate the sport.

[1427] You know what 50 Cents said.

[1428] What do you say?

[1429] If I can't do it, it can't be done.

[1430] Oh, there you go.

[1431] That's his song.

[1432] Well, good luck to you, and thank you very much for being here.

[1433] I appreciate you.

[1434] Of course, thanks, Joe.

[1435] Thank you.

[1436] And good luck in June.

[1437] Yeah.

[1438] All right.

[1439] I'll be watching for sure.

[1440] I might literally like kick ass.

[1441] Yes, literally kick ass.

[1442] That's going to be fun.

[1443] All right, bye, everybody.