Fighting still how Kimbo eats
“The reason why I have a large fanbase and following is because people know I can relate,” he said. “I…
“The reason why I have a large fanbase and following is because people know I can relate,” he said. “I can relate to that guy right there. He goes to Wal-mart? I go to Wal-mart, too. He sees me, we talk. I’m in Winn-Dixie like he’s in Winn-Dixie. I don’t consider myself no bigtime, nothing like that. I’m just a regular guy doing what I love to do. It’s an opportunity for me to feed my family and take care of everybody back at home. To make a sacrifice like I did and commit myself to something that I love, this is what I do.”
He says that he’s rededicated himself to the sport, that he’s not just going to train when he has a fight lined up, but year-round, to be the best he can be. Now that the show has finished taping, he’ll return to training with Randy Khatami, his longtime striking coach.
“You’ve got to be well-rounded to be an ultimate fighter,” he said. “I can’t just come with one dimension; I’ll get smashed. So I gotta suit up. I’ve gotta learn some ground s–t. I’ve gotta learn some wrestling s–t. I’ve got to prepare for mixed martial arts and get ready for it.”
He knows that all eyes will be on him, to see if he sinks or swims.
It won’t be the same type of pressure of holding up a company that he had in EliteXC; now it’s about seeing growth as a fighter, and finding out whether the warring words of Gary Shaw or Dana White are closer to the truth. Is he a franchise player, or will he get murdered in the octagon?
“I’m still trying to get it,” he said. “I still got that hunger. My fire is blazing and burning.”
