TRAINING: Mon, Wed, Fri, I have strength & conditioning first thing in the morning, then at 12:00 I go back to the gym for ground work. 2:00 I work boxing and kickboxing. I go back to the gym at 7:30 to work on my wrestling. Tues and Thurs I spar and work groundwork at 1:00 and in the evenings I do pad work. Sat I work on wrestling. Sun I rest and get ready to do it again.

Thoughts on opponent, Josh Grispi? I think he is a good, well-rounded fighter. My style of fighting matches up great against his.  I'm really excited for this opportunity to prove myself against a top level fighter!! This is my 145-pound debut and I get to jump head first in the deep end of the division!

When and why did you start training and fighting? My first fight was in 2007. I was born a fighter. I started looking into boxing before I found that I could get MMA training in my hometown. I went one day to check it out and that was a wrap – I fell in love with the sport.

What ranks and titles do you have? As an amateur I held two belts at 155lbs and I went 8-1. I actually won an 8 man tournament as an amateur in Iowa over the course of 2 days.  As a pro I held three belts at 155lbs. I beat up everyone in my trailer park as well.

Do you have any heroes? Baby Jesus and the grown up one too

What is your favorite technique? Neck chops probably

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? This means everything to me and this is where I want to be. It’s where the most talented mixed martial artists showcase their skills and I think I belong here. I'm excited and I will start my climb of the featherweight division Jan 1!!

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I got a Doctorate from the school of hard knocks.

What was your job before you started fighting? I collected aluminum cans and picked pecans