TRAINING: Every day is different and tough and I give 100% every practice.

Thoughts on opponent, Rick Story? I haven't seen much of Story. I know he likes to put pressure on the feet and he's a wrestler. He also just beat Thiago Alves, so he's definitely tough. I'm very excited to fight Story, as I've heard he's tough!

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training when I was 15 years old. I was smaller in high school and didn’t grow until later, so when I saw the early UFCs with Royce Gracie I wanted to train in BJJ and MMA.

What ranks and titles have you held? Black belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 2nd deg blackbelt Pancrase MMA/Jiu-Jitsu. 7 times King of Pancrase/ 1st middleweight King of Pancrase/ Pancrase 2002 Spirit Tour Champion, Pancrase Trans Tournament Champion/ Bas Rutten Invitational Middleweight Tournament Champion, Ring of Fire Middleweight Champion/ I.M.A. Rumble in the Rockies Tournament Champion

Do you have any heroes? Jesus Christ.

What is your favorite technique? The Marquardt Choke.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? I am fulfilling my dreams and my destiny.  It is something I have looked forward to since I was a 100 lb 15 year old.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I went for two years but I left everything behind to go train in Japan.

What was your job before you started fighting? Desk job for the phone company. It really sucked!

•    Welterweight debut

•    Has won five of his last seven. Has finished five of his last six wins, four by TKO / KO

•    Has been fighting pro since the age of 19.

•    Won Fight of the Night in loss to Sonnen; Won KO of the Night for win over Maia

•    Lost his first Pancrase fight to Genki Sudo in 1999, but went on to go 13-4-2 over the next six years, becoming the seven-time King of Pancrase (and the first middleweight KOP).

•    Would have won the Leites fight if not for two point deductions for inadvertent fouls

•    Has worked with Georges St-Pierre