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Richie Hightower

TRAINING: Wake up, run three miles, wrestling and jiu-jitsu in the afternoon, and sparring and pad work in the evening.

When and why did you start training for fighting? When I first started training, it was to lose weight. I was 265 pounds and started doing jiu-jitsu because I had wrestled in high school and was pretty good and I wanted to be competitive and active. I changed my eating habits and my diet and stopped drinking and smoking, and then after a period of time I got good. My trainers said ‘why don’t you fight?’ So I did, I kept winning, it turned out that I liked it, and I stuck with it and decided to make it a lifestyle.

What ranks and titles have you held? None

Do you have any heroes? Randy Couture for everything he’s done in his career, and for the way he upholds himself inside and outside the ring. He’s a professional and a great guy.

What is your favorite technique? Whatever gets me the W

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It’s everything. It means constant challenges for years to come.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No

What was your job before you started fighting? I was a mortgage broker for five years for a company called Hunter Financial Group.