Training: I've been doing two a days to get ready for this fight.  I work out around 11am and hit another practice around 5pm.  I've been wrestling with the UNO wrestling team, and doing strength and conditioning at xplosiveedge.com, All my MMA training has been with Elite Performance Gym in Omaha - Jiu-Jitsu Instructor is Scott Morton, a Brown Belt under Rodrigo Vaghi, and Kickboxing with Kurt Podany. 

When and why did you start training for fighting?  I started training in 1993 under Steve Jennum, the UFC 3 champ, and I have been hooked ever since.  I train because I like the competition. 

What ranks and titles have you held?  I hold the 185-lb Victory Fighting Title, and the IFC 185-lb title. 

Do you have any heroes? Guys I look up to in fighting are Spencer Fisher, BJ Penn, Matt Lindland, and Anderson Silva

What is your favorite technique? I get a lot of people in triangle chokes, but I like to keep it standing.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It is like going from the minors to the majors.  It is all up to me now that I got here to perform well.  It is one thing to get to the UFC and it’s a whole other thing to stay and make a name.  I have what it takes and I’m ready to show it to the world. 

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I have finished my main classes for a Bachelor’s in Business Management and have two prerequisites to finish and graduate.  Fighting comes first. 

What was your job before you started fighting? I was working at PayPal doing Protection Services on the weekends. During the week I would be training full-time, going to school, and raising my little girl.  I quit my job in October of last year to fight full-time.