Outside the Octagon
Hosted by Charleston K. Payne and Jude Starns, where every episode is the MAIN EVENT! The guys cover all MMA major events, previewing and recapping while also bringing in many MMA guests from all walks of life!
Outside the Octagon
Evan Harrington: Embracing the Fight Game
Give us your thoughts on the episode here!
Ever wondered what it takes to transition from being a passionate viewer to a dedicated MMA fighter? In this thrilling episode of the Outside the Octagon podcast, we're joined live by our first in-person guest, Evan Harrington, straight from Bogies in Baton Rouge. Evan takes us through his gripping journey, which began with his fascination for the iconic McGregor vs. Alvarez fight. Hear firsthand how training with teammates like Yaya Riles and Coach G has pushed him to new levels of performance and endurance.
Get ready to be inspired as Evan shares the raw, primal energy of regional amateur fights hosted by BFC and his future aspirations in the sport. With unwavering support from sponsors like Rise Wrestling and War Training Center, Evan delves into the essence of being a showman, interacting with fans, and the humbling experience of signing autographs post-fight. His commitment to his fans and his sport shines through, offering a unique glimpse into what it means to balance humility with the drive to entertain and succeed.
Evan also opens up about the transformative power of MMA, detailing how the sport helped him cope with personal struggles and depression after financial constraints ended his baseball dreams. From the meticulous preparation rituals to the mental and physical toll of fighting, Evan's stories resonate with passion and perseverance. As we preview an electrifying upcoming fight and share the origins of our podcast, this episode encapsulates the relentless pursuit of dreams and the indomitable spirit that defines MMA fighters. Don't miss this captivating conversation brimming with insights, motivation, and the true essence of the fight game.
a surprise. The king is back. What's going on, everybody? And welcome to another episode of the outside the octagon podcast. I'm your host, charleston paine, straight across from me this time as your uh co-host, jude. Storms over there, jude, how you doing today?
Speaker 2:doing good man.
Speaker 1:I'm glad to be here, as always I'm so excited this is a very special place in my heart that we're able to do this recording at bogeys in baden-ruge very incredible place and today I'm very excited to introduce our first in-person guest, mr evan harrington, over here.
Speaker 3:I appreciate it. It's a blessing to be up here uh being the first uh in-person part like in-person podcast yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I'm super honored to have you here with us, man. Before we even really get deep into anything or whatever, you know it's incredible to have you here dude, it's just an honor to get on the first podcast of my life.
Speaker 3:Like it feels pretty surreal to be out here. Um, it feels like I'm kind of starting to live my dream. I've been wanting to do this since I was about 11, um starting off, I think one of the first fights that really got me into uh mma was, uh mcgregor versus alvarez. I had had made a prediction for McGregor and my dad was always like oh, no, no, no, no, no, mcgregor's shit, he's going to get wrestle fucked. And I was like no, trust me, dad, he fucking pieced the shit out of that guy. But you know, alvarez is one of my favorite fighters too. That guy's a fucking dog. I love watching him fight chad mendez. That shit was insane.
Speaker 2:I love the bare knuckle like bare knuckle shit our last guest that we had before we did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it hasn't came out yet, but that'll be coming friday. We might draw both friday, you know, who knows?
Speaker 3:it just depends on how I'm feeling dude, once I'm further into my career I'll definitely do some bare knuckle. Once I'm done like with my mma shit and oh my god, you know you gotta. If you do, bro, you have to let us know you know, of course we'll be there, you know, I mean hell yeah like I, like we were talking about before we got started on the pod and everything.
Speaker 1:Our first judenice, first mma event that we got to go to was at bfc and absolutely loved it. Absolutely enjoyed it, you know, and you put on a hell of a show that night.
Speaker 3:Regardless, you do just for yourself and just um, a lot of it was to do with the preparation. You know, working with my guys, uh yaya riles and um coach g. Those guys really started pushing me in a lot of ways. Uh yaya is one of the hardest workers I know. Um, he is obsessive about the game and it started to rub off on me in a lot of ways and started to make me push myself and I I owe a lot of this past performance to him. Um, forget my cardio, right and shit like that, because I was having trouble with my cardio in my first couple fights.
Speaker 3:Um, but he really pushed me to start to push myself and take accountability for how I perform right and you know as long as I've been in this sport, uh, and you know as long as I've been in this sport, uh, seeing my, my boys around me, uh make it or uh fight and just try and strive for something is fucking so sick.
Speaker 1:It's so nice to see uh the team around me try, yeah, most it's a.
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful sport for certain you know, undeniably for sure, and like people, people might not think that the bfc is a big deal, but let me tell you we went to that fight. There are so many good fight like there's 13 fights total, all 13 of them. Almost everyone had a finish. Like to me, it was way more fun than watching ufc, because a lot of guys play it safe. Y'all really do it, yeah, and those, uh, the amateur cards really uh bring out the fireworks.
Speaker 3:I think if you really want it, yeah, and those, uh the amateur cards, really, uh, bring out the fireworks. I think if you really want to get captivated with the sport, I think the best way to go is is go catch it. Go catch a regional show, wherever you are. Go catch a regional show, go go check it out. Um, you really don't understand how beautiful the sport is until you go check it out in person, because that's where you really get to take it in. Um, all the theatrics and you know the music and shit like that, the walkouts, it's not. It doesn't hit home as as much as it does when you're in person seeing the struggle, seeing, uh, all the prep and stuff like that. You see the teams, you see you see the blood on people's faces, like people getting splashed with blood in the crowd, like that. It, it's very primal. I think that that's what it home, and being in person with that really starts to actually tick that box for you.
Speaker 3:I think there's nothing like being live at a show and that's why I really stress that like you should come out to some fights, like you should come out to at least one somewhere, wherever you're at, and if you're in the New Orleans area, 100% the premier organization to go to is bfc because, um, those guys really know how to put on a show and the cards are usually very, very exciting.
Speaker 3:Um, these guys really want it. Um, and when you're, when you're going going up in that sport, you know these guys are super hungry. Um, almost all of them really want it and it just shows, you know, and once you really already made it, you see the UFC guys they'll play it a little bit more safe and stuff like that, just because they're professionals and this is how you make your money and stuff like that. But when you have nothing to lose in the amateurs, that's when you really get to let loose and show your skills. And you know, of course it's cool to see the best of the best go, but it's also really cool to see the growth of younger guys and newer, fresh talent go at it.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, I mean it was first of all I mean I've already said this in the most recent podcast that we dropped but the BFC put on an incredible, incredible event. You know, first of all, my my guesstimate for the Pogetrain Center I didn't, I did not think it was going to be as great of a venue as it turned out. I mean they had it set up, perfect, there was no there was nothing bad I could say about being a BFC.
Speaker 3:And to elaborate on that, I actually helped set up that show. I'm not going to lie to y'all. I actually uh, me and my brother were on that card.
Speaker 3:So I know Joey Ancota pretty personally. He's a very cool dude and he actually sponsored my training. We can talk about that too. He has an organization that sponsors young athletes like me, a couple others. One of the kids I fought recently and beat this kid named Jay. He also got sponsored by Mr Joey.
Speaker 3:This guy is a great dude and he really looks out for his up-and-coming athletes and just people who he sees wants it. And you know, my last opponent or not my last opponent, but the opponent before that, jay you know he wants it. That kid seems like he wants it and there's just a lot of people like that and I think that Joey sees that and tries to invest in that and that's what I think is so great about that guy and me and my brother helped set up the cage and he'll slide you some cash and stuff for that. So it really helps, especially when you get started off in MMA. There's not a lot of money in it. There's not the most. This sport isn't something you do for money. It's more of a thing that you do because you're passionate about it, and I think that he sees that and he doesn't take advantage of his athletes like that he he really tries to um look for the best interest of his fighters and stuff like that, which is really appreciated.
Speaker 3:I really appreciate mr joey and code because he did a lot for me personally and um, fighting for his show has always been a blessing. Um, I fought one time before bfc for empire. That was a good show too. Uh, christian girl girl is a great promoter too. But uh, he doesn't do too much in um new orleans, because new orleans is that's bfc's home, that that's bfc's area. You know there's yeah, there's no one who dominates that scene like joey ankoa. He, he fucking runs, he runs new orleans. That guy is, uh, absolute gangster, you know.
Speaker 1:That's what.
Speaker 3:I'll call him a fucking gangster, because he's a gangster dude that guy's great, no doubt, man.
Speaker 1:And one thing leading up to 68, I was able to get in touch with the lady I can't think of her name right now, I'm so sorry if you wind up listening to this the lady that runs the Facebook and stuff like that.
Speaker 3:I actually personally don't know her either. The lady that runs the Facebook and stuff like that I actually personally don't know her either.
Speaker 1:I would have to get her name personally too. Yeah, I got in touch with the Facebook page and stuff saying that I was interested in attending all that type of stuff. How do I get tickets to the red tables, whatever? Yada, yada, and she ends up sending me Mr Joey's number. So I was like let me shoot him a text, kind of see if things kind of align for him. So I shoot him a text. A couple days go by. I never really got the chance to hear anything back. Then, out of nowhere, he gives me a call and he's like hey, is this Charleston? I was like yes, sir, and ended up having like a 20-minute conversation with him. I don't think I've ever talked to anybody more passionate about young athletes and young fighters than what I've got out of the 20-minute conversation with Mr Joey.
Speaker 1:I mean, it was an incredible conversation, you know, and it was over the phone. I mean, whenever I spoke with him at BFC 68, it was very cool speaking with him there. Obviously he was more busy and stuff during the event, but dude you got to catch him after the event, when he's loosened up.
Speaker 3:You got to catch him at the after shows. Dude, he's fucking hilarious, hilarious, that guy. He says some funny ass shit. I don't find that shit, and I just like watching him say some crazy ass shit.
Speaker 1:24 7 is so hilarious, so look I'm not really trying to get too far ahead of ourselves with the uh, with the podcast and everything for for jude, not, at least, but right before the august 10th fight. The guests that we have lined up is joey and conan. Oh, hell yeah, dude. So he's gonna be on the podcast doing some promotion and stuff, so make sure that you don't miss that. If you're listening to this episode, make sure you don't miss that, because he's going to be doing his promotions right here with outside the I can 100 say if there's a, there's a podcast that you want to tune into, it'll be his, because, dude, that guy has some fucking stories.
Speaker 3:He's lived a long crazy life. That boy can fight too. He. He's been in the, he's been in the shit too. That guy is a fucking g, he's a gangster, and I will keep.
Speaker 3:I will keep calling him a gangster because he is dude. He's, he's a real down-to-earth dude and he just, he really has some passion about fighting because he's a fighter himself, like in every aspect of the word, like when it comes to his promotion, when it comes to how he attacks um, his events and stuff like that. He's just, he just fucking, he's a go-getter. I love that dude right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I, I could tell. I mean, like I said, with the phone call I had with him for the the 20 minutes we spoke on the phone there was nobody I've ever talked to that seemed to genuinely. I mean I've had, I've played high school baseball, high school football. I don't feel like that. I even had that much connection with my coaches in a small town. By no means am I disrespecting those guys either. I mean they're great people. I love everybody that coached me growing up, all that type of stuff. But I feel like the way Mr Joe was talking to me it just felt like that he just had such a connection with all the guys in there and, like you said, he sponsors you guys with training and stuff like that. I mean I don't know if you want to go in depth with that a little bit, I would absolutely go in depth with that.
Speaker 3:Um, um, he, he has sponsored about a year of my training so far. Uh, he first started sponsoring my first six months after my first fight. Um, I took a pretty rough head kick, not gonna lie. I got dropped, but I kept fighting and I think that that's something he sees in me the willingness to keep going because, uh, there's, there's no one that can put me down and keep me down because I'm never going to quit. There's no one that can shut me out and stop me.
Speaker 3:Where I don't want to get back up, I will get back up every single time and put on a show. That's one thing that I value is putting on a show. I want to be a showman more than anything. I feel like fans create the sport and without the fans there's nothing. Um, so that's why I really value putting on the show.
Speaker 3:When I go out there, you know I'm not. I'm not someone who's gonna lay on top of someone and just fucking grind out three rounds like a like kind of a pussy. Um, I'm gonna be throwing up triangles, throwing up arm bars, trying to rip your arm off, trying to take your neck like there's there's no point in that fight where I'm not trying to take you out and I think that he saw that in me and that's why he values uh having me on his promotion and that's why he he invested in me early and I really appreciate him for that, because I've grown so much as an athlete, as a human and stuff like that. Uh, like I've lived 17 set, I've lived 18 years and like the growth I had just from 17 to 18 was absolutely ridiculous, just because I had less stresses financially and stuff like that, because of the support he gave me and I had a lot of coaches back then who also invested in me and saw this in me.
Speaker 3:I can shout out a couple other people Rise Wrestling all the way in Houston. They invested in me early. They also funded my training and stuff like that. Those guys are awesome too. War Training Center also helped me out a couple times and stuff like that. They're great people. I just appreciate all the people who've helped me out and I like to shout them out because that's giving thanks and stuff like that is very important. Having gratitude for the things that people give you is important, I think right, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And and one thing that I'm thankful for, you know, one thing I picked up off what you just said is how you're a showman and the way you kind of like, after your fight you come out into the crowd, you're interacting with everybody.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's how I met you, you know I just like by child's, like didn't that guy just come out of the fight? Yeah. And Jude's like, yeah, and I was like we got to go talk to him and see if he'd be willing to come on the podcast. And you're such a humble person, like just down to earth, and I do appreciate that about you. I mean, showman is the nail on the head with a word for yourself, and I'm sure Jude's got a question. I'll let Jude go ahead and get into whatever he's got to say. But uh, I mean you just do an incredible job of just being a great person. I mean stepping out of the ring and immediately coming around shaking hands, you know, signing autographs, for you just have to it's just.
Speaker 3:It's it, and I think that fighters that don't do that in hurt the sport. I feel like anyone who's not in the crowd after the fight, talking to people, interacting with their fans, is doing the sport and injustice, because those people pay money to come out to see you. Those people are the reason why you're there. There's no show without the fans because money's got to come from somewhere and I feel like showing the appreciation back to these people is the biggest thing ever and I really hope that throughout my entire career I keep this humble mindset I have currently and just give back to the fans in the little ways I can. You know I don't I don't exactly have crazy funds to be sponsoring people or anything like that, of course, because I'm sponsoring myself. So you know, but doing little things like signing autographs, talking to the kids, like it, it brings a lot of warmth to my heart and and makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing and I'm making the right decision with my life going this direction For me.
Speaker 3:I obviously have to figure out a career and stuff like that. I'm in engineering technologies in college right now doing an associate's. I'm just trying to figure out ways to subsidize my life and also do MMA, because, again, there's not a bunch of money in the sport but, um, this next August 10th card, I'm motherfucking coming for that thousand dollar bonus, like I'm gonna, I'm gonna put whoever I'm fighting next, I'm gonna try and put you the fuck out like I'm gonna try and take you out because I want that thousand dollars. Um, and you know, after the fight I didn't even know there's a thousand dollar bonus. Uh, if I would, I don't know, I maybe would have pushed the pace a little bit more. But you know, I'm definitely very motivated to come and take whoever's in front of me their head off, like I'm coming for your neck. I hope you know that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean, like Charleston said, like super humble guy, super cool dude I mean we was talking before the podcast he's just like. He's just a cool, normal person. I mean he's easy to get along with and everything. So I like that.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that man.
Speaker 2:But he's a great fighter, for sure. But, like I said, like we're going to try to give the fans what they want, or you're going to try to give the fans what they want. What got you into the sport Like? What's your story?
Speaker 3:So when I was younger, my family was going through a little bit of financial constraints, so I was playing baseball from about five to 11. I was very passionate. I get very passionate about whatever I get into because I feel like if I'm not put my own to something, what the fuck am I doing? You know, and I will say that, as sad as it was to let go of baseball and stuff like that in a sport, I was very passionate about finding MMA definitely kept me alive.
Speaker 3:Like, do a lot of depression, do a lot of uh, hard struggles in my life? Uh, mma was always there. Those, those exercises. You know, staying in the gym keeps you away from a lot of the bad in the world and getting in the wrong crowds and shit like that. So, um, for me, mma was a vital part of my life and I'm never gonna let go of it. Even after I finish fighting and stuff like that, I'm still gonna be a part of the sport. I you know, maybe one day I'll open up my own promotion and stuff like that, or I'll keep it going with Joey and Co. I'll, you know, when he's done the sport, maybe I'll step up or something like that. You know, you never know, I would love to own my own promotion, own a gym, something like that. Like I'm very passionate about MMA and it's the thing that gets me going, gets me up in the morning, you know, and you have to have something that gets you up in the morning for sure.
Speaker 1:You have to have something. I told you today man, he called me. He man, he called me. He's like man, I'm about to be headed that way. What are you doing? I was like man, I'm just. I was driving back from work because I went over there to kind of finish some stuff I've left behind at work. You know, driving back home I was like man. Let me tell you. I was like I'm just happy. I was like there ain't no point in getting out of the bed if you ain't living the dream exactly, and um, that's the truth, man, that's how it is.
Speaker 3:That's the truth. That is the truth.
Speaker 1:Usually, this is a question that I would kind of start off with anytime that we have a guest. But I always like to ask you know, outside of fighting, outside of being in the spotlight, like, how are you doing, like as a person, and what's a day in your life like whenever you're not doing something with MMA?
Speaker 3:Honestly, there's very little days that I'm not doing something with MMA. Honestly, when I'm not doing MMA, I kind of go a little bit crazy. It's like I have to be in the gym, have to be doing something, because I feel like I need to be progressing towards something every single day. And it's very it's a it's a personal struggle not to be in the gym, um, and it's actually very fulfilling to have that itch. Um, you know, for a little bit I lost that, that hunger there.
Speaker 3:I was going through a pretty nasty, toxic, uh relationship and stuff like that and it had drained me, um, for about the first six months I was training and stuff like that. I just had that hindrance on me and I think that the when I really started to up my game and change was when I cut that person out. It's a very big deal to cut people out who drain your energy and if someone's not invested in your dreams, someone's not invested in who you are and are trying to make you feel realistic about life, like there's no realistic, you fight for your dream and then you go for it. It's straight like that, and moving on from that and getting invested in myself again was the most rewarding thing I could have done invested in myself again was the most rewarding thing I could have done, right?
Speaker 1:yeah, absolutely, man. I mean I mean going back to it though, bro. I mean I know I've said it a lot already in this episode MMA is just such a beautiful thing, and being able to be at that BFC 68 that being my first event that I attended it was just I'm hooked, dude, like I was. I was there, I'm sitting there, I'm like Jude. I was like if I had the guts to go out there and get in the octagon, I would do it. I was like I don't like getting knocked out and you know what's fucking insane.
Speaker 3:So my brother, who also helped me set up the cage and stuff like that, back to the cage set up and stuff like that. I helped set up the cage, like I was literally lifting metal and moving the cage parts personally, with a couple other guys setting up the entire venue and stuff like that. So having those roots and seeing the backgrounds of the show and stuff is so rewarding. If you get the chance to be a part of the background, do it Like, trust me, do it. It's so cool and meeting the people back there and just they start to free flow conversation.
Speaker 3:Because that's how it is when you work, um, it's sick, um, and the people and the personalities that you meet, um, on the backstages is really a lot of the fun, just as much as a fight, just as much as everything. It's the people you meet and shit like that. It's, um, the connections you make. For sure, and I can personally say I've I've never had a closer set of people than the people at the west bank, um, west bank, nola, mma, those my people. I fucking love y'all. You know, throw up the fucking w?
Speaker 1:y'all better throw up that w too, because because you know- because we have to.
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, those boys have they. They invested in me from the start. My first day in uh, my coach was like, hey, you want to take an mma fight? I was like fuck it. And I took my first fight and I started training off the bat. So I was I was like two months into training when I took my first fight. Um, and not gonna lie, I got my ass beat a little bit, but it was some fire, it was. It was so insane to uh.
Speaker 3:I've always had a good presence with the crowd. I know how to rile people up and I I like to interact with people as I'm fighting. It's it's fun to like connect with the crowd and and just it's the theatrics of it all. It's so much fun to be a part of that moment and really take it in. And um, it's a truly uh, surreal experience, my first time stepping in the cage. I I remember hearing the fucking, the chain lock on that fucking door and I was like, holy shit, I'm in a cage with a fucking. And this dude was like a full grown man. He was like 24 or something like that, I don't even remember. But dude, uh, looking across from him too, he's fucking. I didn't. I don't cut any weight, so I walk around 25, so, uh, fucking, looking across from the dude at wayans, he did not look that big, but I fucking saw that dude on fucking what like fight day and I was like god damn yeah, because I mean a lot of these guys.
Speaker 1:So you said you don't cut. Yeah, you walk around, I walk around at my way it's.
Speaker 3:It's a little bit of a struggle. I need to start to put on a little bit of weight. That's one of the biggest things that I'm working towards. This next fight camp is trying to get a little bit bigger, trying to put on a little bit of mass.
Speaker 3:I think my rehydration in my last fight was really good. I, immediately after weigh-ins, hit a flush up and then I fucking— I was eating, I was eating, and that's very necessary. Um, being ultra hydrated, as hydrated as you could possibly be, is one of the most important things because, uh, that dehydration sets in real quick when you sweat. Um, oh, yeah, yeah, it's, it's big. Um, rehydration is big because I might cut like four to three pounds. Like I walk around close to the weight which is abnormal for MMA.
Speaker 3:A lot of these guys are cutting about 20 to 25 pounds, about 30, especially in the pros. They can get up to 40 pounds. I know a lot of the guys in my gym cut a good amount of weight. Um, these guys are big. Like you don't realize how big these guys are until you see them in person, and that's what I think is really dope about going into the shows live. You just really start to see the level of athletes that are in there, because when you're at a UFC show, you watch these guys and they're at the same level, so they make each other look average. But these guys are fucking ridiculously good. They're so good at every single aspect because you have to be. In this day and age in MMA it's getting so advanced, so fast. Training is getting more and more. Um what's the word for um?
Speaker 1:it's definitely evolving yeah, it's evolving.
Speaker 3:I don't know about that's the word you were looking for, but not exactly um the game is ever changing the sport of mma.
Speaker 1:It's growing fast it doesn't, it doesn't stay the same and and that's what's so cool about the sport.
Speaker 3:You know, seeing a couple rising stars Like I'm really into this guy, peyton Talbot, that guy's a fucking killer I love watching this shit.
Speaker 1:We just talked about him in the last episode. Like.
Speaker 3:Peyton Talbot, sean O'Malley I'm trying to have that type of flow, I'm trying to be that type of star and I think that I can work a crowd like that when I get into the UFC one day, because I will make it and I just want to work a crowd like that. I want to be a star everywhere I go and I want people to invest in who I am too. I don't want to just be a face and a fighter. I want people to understand that I'm a human too and I have a message too and it's. You know, I've been through a lot in my life. I definitely had a hard childhood, in my opinion, and, um, like, having something to fight for, having that chip on your shoulder, is a lot, a lot of these guys, um, you know, you're not going to hear their entire story, because people aren't going to open up to an entire, like the entire earth about fucking all their shit, because everyone's got something that fucks with their head.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying and um, being able to push through that, being able to step in the cage anyway, is such a big deal. Um, a lot of the guys at my gym have been through a lot too. Um, they're some of the toughest motherfuckers you'll ever meet. And you know, for any of us to still be standing today is just a blessing in and of itself. Being alive still is a blessing in and of itself, and I think that people sleep on the fact that that's the reality right?
Speaker 1:yeah, most definitely, man, and that's that's the beauty of what jude and I do with the podcast. You know, because I believe everybody in mma, from the even the the teenager scene, all the way up to to the ufc world champ, you know, I feel like everybody's got a story to tell and it should be heard. That's the beauty in what Jude and I are doing with this Outside the Octagon podcast. That's why we named it the Outside the Octagon podcast.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because it's life outside.
Speaker 1:We could talk about what goes on inside, obviously, with our guests and stuff, we're going to have those type of questions. Pick your mind a little bit about what you do leading up to your fights, whatever, but a lot of it is just what goes on with a guest, you know. Whenever they're not in the octagon, you know they're not fighting like because my life isn't only fighting.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm not a one-dimensional person. There's a lot more to me than just, uh, hopping in a cage and fucking throwing some hands. But, um, like, these people are very complex. They're not. They're not dumb, don't. Like there's a lot of uh stigma around a lot of mma fighters that they're meatheads, stupid, um, but, dude, I've met some of the smartest people from mma. You know, like, yaya riles is a fucking genius. That dude is smart and, um, a lot of these guys hold good professions. They're like electricians, hvac. You'll see them working at your hospitals, at your at at the superdome and stuff like that. Like, these guys have legit professions. They're not just fighters, right, their life is so much bigger than just fighting.
Speaker 1:But fighting is a part of their life and it's a big part of their life and it's a big part of how they get up in the morning right, yeah, exactly, and one thing I've noticed about every fighter that I've had the opportunity to talk to so far, and and and the ones in the future I'm sure it'll be no different, as all these people are just so motivated and and fighting is, for the most part, what motivates them. You know, like you gotta have a different type of of of animal in you, you know so yeah, you know I mean it's kind of cliche, but you gotta have that in you to get out there and go out there and fight.
Speaker 3:In my opinion about fighting. My coach G told me this and I stick by it too 50% of fighting is cardio. People sleep on that. 50% of it is cardio, 30% is just having a fucking dog in you and then 20% is a technique. I think People sleep on the fact that just being conditioned, being a well-conditioned athlete, it's so hard to get in proper shape for mma, because you have to be elite.
Speaker 3:You have to be elite physically, strength wise, you have to have elite cardio, you have to be able to go for a very long period of time. And you're throwing fists. You're not. You're not playing pillow pillow fights, you're not throwing a ball, you're throwing fists. You're not playing pillow fights, you're not throwing a ball, you're throwing fists Like, and you're getting hit.
Speaker 3:It fucking hurts to get hit. It'll gas you out to get hit. So you know when you're in the cage it's exhausting, it's the most exhausting thing. Like my first fight, I could feel the blood pump into my teeth. These are things that a lot of MMA fighters don't talk about a lot, but it's absolutely exhausting.
Speaker 3:After my second loss I was in the back throwing up, fucking a little bit of blood and shit like that. It was rough and I had a moment there when I was considering if I wanted to keep doing this. But when you really get down to it, if it's your dream, you got to go after it, even if it sucks, even if it hurts sometimes. And seeing the reception from the crowd after I won and also just even after my losses, there's kids coming up to me telling me that I was one of their favorite fighters, and you know that's what really keeps you in it too. It's obviously personal. Motivation is big. But having kids walk up to you and tell you that they're your favorite fighter and you motivate them to want to do it too, and they're they're telling you how like they're gonna do it when they're older like I.
Speaker 2:I was that kid back then, so seeing that is just, it's just absolutely beautiful yeah, absolutely straight up so um, like obviously was at the last fight, saw a lot of spinning wheel kicks dude that that was really clean. But that kind of leads into my question. We talked before and you said that you was a wrestler in high school. But what area of your game, would you say, evolved the most?
Speaker 3:Oh, 100%. My striking. Coach G is a killer striker and stuff like that and they go at it hard at my gym so I was thrown into the deep end off the rep. I got my ass beat on my first day, bad Like I had a split lip. I looked like shit after that. But you know, when you're in the shit and you're like hunched over, throwing up over a trash can and stuff like that, you realize what you're made of. And a lot of people take different walks in life. You know, some people are marines. Some people fight in different ways. There's a lot of different fights. Um, there's people fighting for other people's lives and in hospitals and shit like that there's. There's a lot of uh fight in people and people. It culminates in different ways um, people in college pushing for their dreams and stuff like that, going after their studies and stuff like that. That's admirable too. There's no walk of life. In my opinion, that's not admirable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I totally agree with that man and, like I said, once again, going back to why podcasting is such a beautiful art, as well as the sport of MMA and the fact that we're able to combine the two that Jude and I, you know, it's really crazy how this podcast started. Like I just I was doing a podcast. Like I told you before we started, I've been in the game for five years. I know we kind of talked about this in the trailer but I'll kind of dig back up a little bit, but I was in the game for five years. You know, I've been doing this for a while and then stepped out of it, probably had like an eight-month hiatus or whatever, because one of my podcasts got shut down for copyright because we interviewed a rapper and I had the rapper on very good friend of mine, still talk to the guy to this day. We did a freestyle at the end of it.
Speaker 3:And I used a YouTube beat and it said free beat in the tag.
Speaker 1:And the next thing I know I get an email one day and it's like your episode, this episode's being removed, this episode's being removed. And then they kept removing, removing, removing, removing. Next thing I know I got one episode left and about a month or two goes by and that one was going to and I got locked out all my stuff for it.
Speaker 3:That's absolutely the worst.
Speaker 1:So like eight months goes by, I'm not doing anything with it. I got all these microphones, you know. I had all the setup and everything and I was like man, it's just collecting dust. So I called jude one day because jude was there at the very beginning. I was like dude, we talk on the phone three, four times a week for an hour, strictly talking about mma so why not do it?
Speaker 1:why not yeah, exactly, why not bring some other people like whether it works out or not doesn't matter, like why not at least at least give it a shot? You know, and and so far know, we're ahead of schedule with some of the things that I was hoping we'd have six months down the road. We got a month or two into this thing, you know, so it's been great for us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you told me y'all have had a couple killers on your podcast, apparently Some UFC guys and stuff like that. That's absolutely sick and just to be able to be the first in person is absolutely a blessing. When y'all had asked me if I wanted to do Zoom and stuff like that, I feel like it changed a little bit of the connection and being in person is a very big thing. I think. Like being around y'all, I get y'all's energy and stuff like that. We get to talk and really start to communicate.
Speaker 1:I think that the that's why I much prefer to be able to do like an in-person setting is because you could just you could tell where the podcast needs to go from that. Like when you're on Zoom it's cool and everything, but it's just like being on FaceTime. You know you can't really get that exact same energy from being in the room together.
Speaker 1:You know it just makes it so much easier to just just keep on flowing. You know, whenever everybody's in the same room together, we kind of pull energy off each other. It Just keep on flowing. You know, whenever everybody's in the same room together, we kind of pull energy off of each other. It makes it easier on Jude and I and everything else. So I mean blessed to have you here in person.
Speaker 3:Dude, I'm blessed to be on this podcast. I was actually ecstatic to take up this opportunity. You know, even though it was a little bit of a drive like this was absolutely awesome. Like just to be on this podcast talking with you all about my story, getting to share a little bit of what motivates me, what gets me up in the morning, is awesome.
Speaker 3:I feel like I have a message, and it's to push for your own dreams. Don't let people bully you. Don't let people put you down for who you are, because throughout my entire childhood I was bullied from middle school to high school. The first two years about I was fucked with a lot um and like.
Speaker 3:Growing into your own person is so rewarding and starting, starting to have a little bit of self-belief and confidence that you, that you have value. Like whoever you are watching this and stuff, you have value and stuff like that. You have something that could wake you up in the morning and get you going. You just have to find that net and I get that's hard and I get that you might not exactly have an idea of what that is yet, but keep looking, keep striving for something, even if it's just going to work 14 hour shifts or whatever you do, just keep pushing, keep pushing, pushing, cause just being alive is is is admirable, you know it's. It's a hard world out there. There's a lot of struggle everywhere. There's a lot of people struggling everywhere, and to keep it pushing is is important, it's. There's a lot of moments where people can give up on themselves or even, you know know, pull the trigger or something like that. It's, uh, it's beautiful to keep pushing yeah, most definitely, yeah, that's definitely what I like to hear.
Speaker 2:Like to me, no matter what your passion is like, find a passion. Find something that you want to do in life, whether it's the podcast or mma, or you know even hacky sack. I don't know what your passion is, but whatever it is, you know, find out what it is and just chase it. Do it, you know, try to make it a living. Chase your dream.
Speaker 3:And that's what these guys are doing right here. They're chasing their own dream and stuff like that, and that's what I. It's super admirable that they got back into it. You know, going through a full copyright thing and having y' all's entire podcast was probably very disencouraging, but y'all got back into it and that's a blessing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it's hard to just lose everything that you were. I mean we had that particular podcast that got shut down. It was running for five years right.
Speaker 1:That particular one was two and a half years Before that. I did one for two years After Hurricane Ida hit. That's whenever we stopped doing that. The jude was the co-host of that one at the time. Then I moved to college, moved out into baden rouge, you know, to go to lsu uh, do the tales from tiger land podcast for two and a half years or so and then, just like that, in a matter of a day it was all gone, all washed away. And it was pretty hard during that time, like I said, took eight months off from it Pretty hard to stay motivated and try to find a reason to get back into it. So, like I said, I was talking to Jude one day. I was like dude, we talk about MMA for three hours a week. We could do it on a podcast for 45 minutes and have the time of our lives.
Speaker 3:Exactly, it's just little shit like that, getting back into it um keeping it pushing and the, the brand of mma and the sport.
Speaker 1:Like I feel like at the time that we got on it was like literally perfect, like the day our first podcast dropped was two weeks before ufc 300 and that's a perfect time literally like we got into this thing at the perfect time. More people are talking about it now than ever before. You know it's a beautiful sport. You see things like bfc opening up on the regional scene to Louisiana Dude they're really starting to get big though.
Speaker 3:They're starting to really start to seriously up their production and stuff like that. Absolutely. From the first show to the one I fought in, like their production has skyrocketed. Like the first show I had at the Pontchartrain Center, like they had a lot of cool stuff there, but the second show that I was at personally was absolutely amazing, right yeah, most definitely.
Speaker 1:So. One thing I wanted to talk to you about is something that we're talking about. You know the part about before we got out. You got everything set up and everything. You've had seven fights in a year and then you're gonna fight. You just fought on june 28th. You're taking the next bfc event and you're gonna fight there too, on August 10th. How do you make such quick turnarounds? How do you prepare for all those fights going into something on such a quick turnaround?
Speaker 3:It's called having that dog.
Speaker 1:Real talk.
Speaker 3:Real talk. But a lot of my teammates they know when to let up in sparring and stuff like that. They're very cautious of me and I feel like they protect me in a lot of ways to prevent me from getting injuries and stuff like that. They're very cautious of me, um, and I feel like they they protect me in a lot of ways to prevent me from getting injuries and stuff like that, which is a blessing. Um, a lot of my teammates see the potential in me and I get a lot of very outstanding compliments from a lot of my guys and that's that's also what keeps me pushing. Like, if all these guys who, who have gone decently far in mma um, believe in me, why can't I believe in myself? Um, and if I have all this talent and people are saying it to me, why not invest? Why not, um, strive for it?
Speaker 3:You know I think about, after um, my fight with matt hafner. That was a real wake-up call. That kid's a stud. He's, I think, 4-0 now or 5-0. He's a stud. He beat me in a pretty back-and-forth decision but he controlled a lot of the fight. But knowing that I could hang in there with a guy like that definitely was very motivating and you know my coach doesn't exactly protect me. He's going to throw me into the sharks and I appreciate that a lot. I'm not someone who's out here to duck people. I'm not someone who's out here to avoid the toughest guys in my division, so having a coach like him is a blessing.
Speaker 2:I'm not scared of anyone at 125, and I will fight anyone. Yeah, yeah, and I like to hear that, like I'm ready to see, I like to hear god being active, because he's really fun to watch. Electric I saw the the heel kick, you know, is really nice. Like that's a really nice strike. That I really saw.
Speaker 3:That, I think, is really crazy smooth so the funniest part about that is I have not done a lick of Taekwondo, never got taught that. I literally learned that move completely on my own. I never had someone even try and critique my technique on that too much. Coach G has also told me that my spinning back kick sucks.
Speaker 2:Well hey, I'm not a coach, so not a coach.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I mean it is what it is. But uh, I'm gonna still throw that hoe um, because I gotta put on a show. But uh, you know, for me it's about being a showman again and whatever I do, I'm gonna be fucking throwing it right.
Speaker 1:So I know you, you say you're a showman and everything, and there's no denying that, there's no arguing that fact, like that's the god's honest truth. When it comes to being a showman in MMA, is there any time that you go out there, go for a fight and you're, like you know, in the first minute of the fight or so you kind of decide I'm gonna try something new. You know, I'm gonna try to throw a new technique.
Speaker 1:That maybe I'm not that familiar, honestly, but why not give it a shot in the ring, you know, while there's?
Speaker 3:the spinning back kick. I I usually don't use the spinning back kick too much in sparring. Um, I don't throw it too much because uh, connecting with that can hurt or injure an opponent. So, uh, when I'm at practice I I'm a pretty light spar. I don't really go too too hard because I know I got a lot of miles to put on. You know I got a lot of years in the sport left. So, uh, sparring crazy hard isn't something I'm too too interested in.
Speaker 3:Um, because uh, over time damage builds up and cte is a real thing and um, you got to watch out. You gotta protect your chin. Um, I gotta. I got a fucking good ass chin. I will not lie, I can take a fucking punch, but you can only take so many.
Speaker 3:So being cautious of that and, um, being respectful of your teammates and not throwing super, super, duper hard um is important, because they got fights to go to, they got shit like that too.
Speaker 3:So, um, I was I wasn't too accustomed to throwing that spinning back kick because I would always take off a lot of uh the heat from it. So I'd never really land it, because you know, when you're not throwing full speed on that that kick, you're not really gonna land it right. So in the fight, when I was just flowing, going up, body down um head head, body, body, body, head, um at the end of the combos he was kind of like letting his guard down. So that's when I saw the opportunity to throw that spinning back kick in between combinations and I think this next fight I'm really about to put on a show. I'm about to be throwing some crazy shit. I'm going to try and like I know that this last fight was a show and y'all enjoyed it, but y'all should really check out this August 10th card, because I'm going to fucking show out and I'm going to throw some wild shit in that fight. Right, and I'm going to throw some wild shit in that fight.
Speaker 1:Right. So while we're here, why don't you go ahead and tell the people everybody that's listening that'll be listening on YouTube, spotify, wherever it may be. Go ahead and tell them where the fight's going to be, at what to expect what time.
Speaker 3:It's going to be at the Mellott Center right in the backyard of the West Bank, and it's a smaller card. It's a smaller show, I won't lie to you. But in those smaller shows that's when the energy is crazy, because the fucking the cheers echo. I can say that, you know, the Pontchartrain Center had some good. That show had amazing energy too. But Mela also had some insane energy and a lot of the people from the West Bank come out to support us because it's close to the backyard and stuff like that. But you know, I'm super excited for that one because it's close to the backyard and stuff like that. But, um, you know I'm super excited for that one because it's in the backyard. Uh, there's a lot of people that are going to be there to support me. I'm pretty sure a couple of my family members coming out for that too.
Speaker 1:So I'm super excited for that yeah, first of all, best believe you're going to see us there hell yeah, so we will guarantee be there. I've already told mr joey, you know I will not. I mean as long as, as long as my name under that ticket, though I get some commission from that.
Speaker 3:Oh really, yeah, yeah, the amateurs fighters you know you don't make too much money because you know you're not really allowed to, um, but commission is a thing. So for me, if, if you do show up to the bfc card, you know, throw my name under that ticket. Uh, there, there should be some sort of slide or a link where I'll be sending out to people, or on my page. Evan, if it's good, I plug my instagram. Yeah, evan harrington, mma, um, just shoot me a text. I'll shoot you every single information about, uh, how to get a ticket and how to support me personally as an athlete and get me farther right, yeah, I mean that's.
Speaker 1:That's what we're all about here. You know, especially working with people, you know that are on the regional scene and stuff. We're trying to get your name out there to the people because, I mean, like me and jude have already said a million times throughout the episode, you're an electric fighter very fun to watch so like. Why not spread the word, you know?
Speaker 3:yeah, and this next fight the walkout song. You know, you know how I walked out to that rihanna song. Tough, ain't switching it up, ain't switching it up. It's gonna be another rihanna song. I ain't gonna drop the song yet, but it's gonna be fine all right, you got it.
Speaker 3:You might have to dm us what it's gonna be so that way on the way there I could be bumping it just just to get a little bit, you know, in my headspace but uh, well, if you can mute this out, I don't't know how it works, but I can tell y'all right now. All right, hold up, hold up, hold up.
Speaker 1:Let me make sure, try to talk right quick, just to make sure, nope, not the right one.
Speaker 3:Check, check, All right bet.
Speaker 1:And if it's not muted out we'll take it out during the episode.
Speaker 3:That's perfectly fine, that's a during the episode. That's perfectly fine, that's a bet, bro. That's a bet, I'll be getting lit. It's going to be electric, it's going to be electric.
Speaker 1:No man, I'm so hyped.
Speaker 3:I got to shout out to my mom for that. She fucking put me on to Rihanna. You know, throwing that stuff onto the radio every single day, or on the car ride home or to school or whatever.
Speaker 1:She's a massive Rihanna fan. Yeah, that's tough man Shout out to my mom. What's one thing that you do while you're in the locker room or whatever, preparing for your fight? What's one thing that you do to kind of clear your mind, to walk into the octagon or whatever? I listen to super unserious music.
Speaker 3:I'm a very unserious person. Before my fights I'm making jokes, I'm cracking jokes with everybody, I'm chilling out and then I also get about three. I try to get about good three good sweats in. Uh, try and get that first. Uh, lung out because, uh, if you don't warm up too good, like you fucking feel it right, warming up is a big deal and I feel like, um, people underrate that. For sure you have to. You have to be really warm. Um, I like to have a pretty decent sweat. I was.
Speaker 1:I was already sweating by the time I walked out of the cage that day right, yeah, absolutely, I mean, I know, I mean I gotta go back to, I gotta say it again man do not.
