Growing up as a kid, in elementary and middle school, I was always getting in trouble. Always getting suspended. I got suspended for 90 days for fighting beginning my freshman year, so I missed Homecoming, and that's when I turned the page. I went on honor roll and had good grades after that. It was the changing point.

I don't say MMA fans are racist at all. What I said is that fans are opinionated, especially because we're the only professional sport to give them that access.

When someone's portraying something they're not to get underneath my skin, I'm just going to funnel that into a great strategy, and I'm going to try to get him out of there quick.

It's just comical how short-term people's memories are.

I've seen kids turn their lives around. It's usually a kid who's outside of the team-sport world, or maybe has a darker personality or doesn't fit in. Skateboarding ends up being something they latch onto. It sounds hokey, but finding a focus on something - whether it's skateboard or playing your guitar - can be life changing.

Sports, entertainment and aviation are three of the most exciting professions in the world; you are dealing with the same magnitude.

Being a minority athlete in this sport, it's been wrought with challenges, but I wouldn't consider myself a trail blazer.

And then I got into sports and gave my guitar to my brother Jeff who was just a little kid at that time.