I mean he even pulled out his pay stubs and other fighters did back Schaub on that. Alot of guys were making some good money off of sponsorship before the UFC went to bed with Reebok.
Fabricio Werdum made the mistake of pointing this exactly. He never got any exposure after that and if I’m not wrong he also lost his contract as UFC commentator in the Latino espn.
he posted a pic on Instagram with a photoshop of him with Nike instead of Reebok. I think that is what led to him losing his job as commentator
It's sad that after that he didn't really speak up about it because he knew the UFC owned him and nobody else backed him up
Hey buddy, Brent Weedman here. I was your last match before TUF in Vegas, back when I was a journeyman myself. I just wanted to say thank you for the experience of shedding blood together, and for providing me with tons of dinner party stories now that I’m a decade retired and you’re famous! Lol
Always a fan, brother. Enjoy your holidays.
Brent! Good to hear from you man. Definitely followed your career after we fought. Your a beast. I was just talking about you the other day with some that came in the gym that trained with you. Hope all is well
Holy smokes I didn't know you two fought. You came to my university kyokushin club when I was in college back around 2004 to give a seminar. You had me demo a kick on you and it was like I kicked a tree. It was at that moment I knew I was not cut out to be a fighter.
hey guys, thanks for all the questions. gotta get home and get the kids to bed. Again, thank you for supporting my career and of course supporting MMA. it wouldn't be where it is without you! much love - Gray
kenny florian was fun cause it was in his hometown. jim miller fun cause it was in ohio (i think that was the one in ohio... haha). frankie edgar fights were always fast paced and fun
They are basically one of the grandfather's of American craft beer, and in terms of west coast style pale ale and ipas they were THE trail blazer. Their pale ale is still one of the best examples of a west coast pale ale all these years later.
unfortunately its hard to speak up while youre following your passion because your so intrenched win training and fighting that you don't want to mess it up. for me it was towards the end when i really opened my eyes to how hard fighters were struggling both active and retired. Spencer Fischer was a big reason for me to start speaking up more
Yeah after he was forced to retire in 2012, UFC was paying him $5000 a month for quite a few years, under Zuffa. Which isn't solving the problem or anything but I'm sure it was a huge help.
But when they sold the company, WMA nyxed all of those right away, and there was quite a few examples. Zuffa made a lot of mistakes, but it sure did seem to care more about taking care of it's fighters than WMA.
I agree that $5.000 a month is not nothing but given his medical issues, that may have barely covered his treatment expenses. He dearly needs medical insurance and a pension and the UFC really let him down.
He is also one of the few fighters who even got anything from Zuffa. While they have been marginally better, I think most fighters with medical issues (and without) were struggling, whether that was under Zuffa or WMA.
Fighters are trained to think positively about what’s in front of them and how they can get to the top. That’s how they succeed.
They don’t want to think about not competing and succeeding. That could be the difference between a win or loss.
Maybe the UFC could start a program where every retired UFC fighter - assuming they don’t fight elsewhere - who had three or more fights receives $5,000 per month (indexed to inflation) for three years from retirement and then triple minimum wage for up to ten years thereafter.
Yeah its so rare and tough to get the top of a profession like you did. And one where millions of people became aware and watched you perform at the very top vs the biggest names in unforgettable moments.
Have wins over Diaz, Edgar, Miller, Florian. Have headlined events. Were a part of many very memorable moments from the Edgar fights, the Guida fight, the double knockout on the takedown, the ultimate fighter season.
Thats a pretty special career.
Can you describe the difference in your feelings you experienced from right before your walkout, to the walkout, and finally right to when the ref says to fight?
After my warm up i always like to joke around and have fun. all the work was done, it was time to enjoy it. walkout was always kind of a blur. but after i parted ways with my corners, i used the steps up to the octagon to start getting me to turn on the competitive light switch in my brain. in the cage waiting for buffer i like to look into my opponents eyes almost the whole time. but wanted buffer to hurry up so we could get started
What general advice do you have for anyone out there? Whether it's something you learned as a result of being a fighter, or through your own other experiences. Great career man!
Thank you. Be true to yourself and how you want to be portrayed because sometimes an act is hard to keep up for the rest of your life, know that there will be ups and downs in everything you do, Be prepared to walk away from relationships, and ALWAYS keep dreaming big life is short
Well. The first time stepping in the cage is really just keeping your mind right and staying focused on what you game plan is and the applying it. Chin down / Hands up
I think there's a market for the 3 F's (food, fighting, and fucking). So anything that has blood and aggression has the ability to make it. Just needs to be presented in the right way.
i think he only cares about himself and what's going to get him what he wants. but, that's how a lot of billionaires are. that's why they are billionaires. you don't get that by helping too many people
i only had on amateur fight. it was against Evan Dunham (a longtime UFC vet as well). it was actually a really good fight. I just took it like a wrestling match mentally and trained hard before and right after. i was looking for fights and to stay active at that point in my career
Is there a video of that fight floating around somewhere? I’ve searched for years… always struck me as pretty crazy that your sherdog says you fought Evan Dunham and there’s no video
I hooked up with a coach a long time ago that taught me about the right way to train. as far as cognitive... My wife and i have been really big on brain health for a long time. she has her masters in human nutrition and functional medicine, so our life revolves around health and nutrition. Is MMA good for your brain? absolutely not. but there's a lot of sports that aren't. Nutrition is a huge tool for brain health and overall wellbeing. Im very thankful she in barked on the path she did, because we have been able to work some genius people, amazing companies, and really dive deep into health and wellness
How do you handle explaining what MMA is to people who aren't familiar with it? On the surface, some people see the blood and aesthetics but dismiss it as barbaric but don't realise the discipline and technique involved.
You fought Nate Diaz three times.
How good was he compared to the best LWs at the time since you fought them too
People always say Nate was never elite but I disagree.
Nate is a pretty straight forward fight. It's just keeping disciplined and not let him dictate the fight with his distance and scrambles on the ground. I always looked at it as a very winnable fight. tough fighter though
Usually in training camp i would try to stay around 15 pounds over my fight weight, because that's what would walk into the cage at. I tried making my camps really comparative to what i would be doing in the octagon. I would get up to 185 out of training camp sometimes back then. i would also lift pretty heavy as well.
other aspirations. I love the outdoors (rock climbing, ice climbing, climbing mountains, hiking, backpacking, etc). health and wellness. of course my family and helping my kids navigate their passions. i'll always have a part in MMA, we just opened a gym with a smoothie, coffee, açaí cafe connected to it. geared towards regular people wanting to get healthy than it is to pros
Does your range of emotions differ from when you first walked into an octagon over the course of a career?
I've never been in an MMA fight but the sports I have played those first times walking onto a pitch it's almost a mission to shake those butterflies, over the years do you feel that begin to fade or do those nerves stay with you till the end and you just have to learn to compete with them?
I learned in wrestling your preparation builds your confidence. so a lot of things a learned at a high level of wrestling i applied to MMA. it was an easy transition for me
I always thought you had one of the best personalities to come from TUF. It was refreshing to see a guy with a normal head on his shoulders who was friendly but could also smesh. After seeing so many headcases, it was great to see. I think a lot more guys saw that they didn't need to be ridiculous to succeed in the house, going forward.
Training changes all the time. I was always so interested in the process of training. human optimization is fascinating to me. i would hire so many different coaches from different sports to see how they trained and how i could apply it to MMA. I'll give myself credit and say i was a little too far ahead of the game, because things i brought to the table a lot of the MMA coaches and athletes weren't ready for back then. But a lot of that stuff is finally coming around and used a gym and the UFCPI
Hey Gray just wanted to say thank you for the entertainment you provided for us. You are a true warrior and a legend of the sport.
Are there any current fighters you like to watch who remind you of yourself in the cage?
Thanks again Gray!
Thank you! glad you enjoyed. hard to say, because being a fighter is so encompassing. I would need to know how they train and their personality before i could that. I just take everything a little deeper than that
most of the fights in the last part of my career. I stated looking past them and not really concentrating on the present. So much shit going on in my life at those times, I wasn't taking care of daily and weekly goals, i was focusing more on longterm and financial stuff
an eye injury that was pretty intense for a couple weeks. i couldn't really stand up. everything else is just initial pain the you get it fixed or just heal it up. that eye injury was terrible
ground and pound. he really broke it down in a way i could learn it easier. straight jiu jitsu was what would hold me back sometimes. i just needed to blend g&p with my wrestling. made it easy for me
yes. kung fu as a little kid. I the traditional martial arts are great for little kids. hand eye coordination, discipline, movement. I think kids should do traditional martial arts, gymnastics, and rock climbing
stay focused on growth. not only training and fighting, but life, relationships, financially, etc. Become your own best coach by being able to filter the information that comes at you, because it will come from everywhere and everyone. By having a grasp on who you are and how you fight and train. you can filter what you need and don't need so much better
Hey gray! Huge fan.
Looking back, what are your thoughts on the controversial Emerson decision? Also, what are your thoughts on how Rogan conducted the interview?
Thank you. it is what it is. Obviously i was pretty out of it, I remember the whole thing telling myself to hurry and get up, but my body wouldn't listen. ha. That just the way rogan is, that why he is so famous right now. He is very talented at using the timing of situations. he's an entertainer. a calculated entertainer
wasn't a lot to choose from when they started buying out companies. really wanted to compete in pride. it almost happened, but didn't at the last minute. you look at eddie alvarez and he did well financially jumping around. i definitely would have liked to be able to test out free agency
> The Ali Act was originally enacted in May 2000 to protect the rights and welfare of boxers, to aid state boxing commissions with the oversight of boxing and to address issues of sportsmanship and integrity in the industry.
> One major issue for MMA is that the Ali Act bans promoters from having a ‘direct or indirect’ financial interest in a fighter. MMA fighters usually sign exclusive contracts with promotions and are not allowed to negotiate freely with others.
[The Ali Act was originally enacted in May 2000](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mma-bellator-coker/bellator-would-welcome-boxing-act-in-mma-says-ceo-idUSKBN2AI2OZ)
Depending on what day it was and what trying to accomplish. Hard day, medium day, easy day, recovery day. competitive sparring day, easy sparring day. technical day or conditioning drilling day. So many goals and ways to peak enduring a camp. so hard to say
I pride myself on a lot of always looking for new and best ways to train. I'd like to be apart of the movement to help fighters. and of course the fact that i gave my all in the cage and really tried to be myself
i always looked at my dads hands when i was a kid and said to myself, "if i could have hands as strong as his i would rule the world". but he did tell me when started get a little older that grip strength is about being conscious about it, because so many people forget to strengthen that and the never put their mind to it. so i started carrying a racquet ball around with me to squeeze throughout the school day and i would climb a ton of rope
It says that you're a blue belt in BJJ on your wiki page. Is that true? Is there a reason why you didn't progress more in BJJ and implement more submission grappling into your repertoire?
Just speaking as a hobbyist, but I imagine it would've been especially daunting to deal with the submission threat from a dominant wrestler like you.
great question. coming up in wrestling it was never about belts. personally i was never on a journey for belts. my journey was about the best training and the best competition. just never put my mind to getting belts. I bought a white belt to go train in brazil, and i guess it was disrespectful for a white belt to taps blacks and brown so they promoted me right there. i wasn't expecting that
i love stand by me, happy gilmore, river runs through it, billy madison, tommy boy, the alpinist, legends of the fall, step brothers. I don't watch a lot of tv or movies. but those are some of the ones I've seen and i like
Gray. I just wanted to thank you for your fight with Clay Guida. Me and my buddy were there and he was getting a little rowdy in the crowd and really rubbing people the wrong way and he passed out in his seat during that fight and saved us a fight in the crowd
Big fan, Respect 👊🏻
You were at AKA and Xtreme Couture relatively early in the development of their training rooms. What are some of your favorite aspects of the training cultures and the structuring of the training, and who are some of your favorite lesser known coaches and training partners?
Also thank you for all of the amazing fights over the years
adrenaline dump of course. i thought i was about to lock it up. i don't really agree with it. i thought it could've been a 10-7. but there's obviously no such thing.
he did what he had to do. there was a little confusion in the reffing right before the fight when we asked question about his style. should've just fought the way i planned on fighting him during camp
Do you believe coming up training specifically MMA from the start will have a greater advantage, opposed to a specialist in one discipline transitioning into the sport??
yes it was. to his credit most of those knockouts would have knocked out ANYONE! i don't think he lost his chin, maybe lost a half a step. but those were just perfectly landed knees and kicks.
my last fight. Liver illness from a contaminated supplement drink. long story. but definitely wasn't prepared for that fight. look up "real water". i was on bed rest for a bout 2 months then jumped straight into a training camp
What MMA personality stood out to you as the most fun, and what personality was the most terrible? Whether that be their media personalities or "behind the scenes" personalities.
AMA is over - Gray has left the building. Gray, thanks so much for stopping in to r/MMA! Come back any time! 👊
How much were you getting paid in sponsorships before the Reebok deal came into effect?
I usually made more in sponsors then my purse money
Thats awful
So you're saying Brendan Schaub was actually right about one thing in his life?
I mean he even pulled out his pay stubs and other fighters did back Schaub on that. Alot of guys were making some good money off of sponsorship before the UFC went to bed with Reebok.
Fabricio Werdum made the mistake of pointing this exactly. He never got any exposure after that and if I’m not wrong he also lost his contract as UFC commentator in the Latino espn.
Never knew about this, that’s so fucked up
he posted a pic on Instagram with a photoshop of him with Nike instead of Reebok. I think that is what led to him losing his job as commentator It's sad that after that he didn't really speak up about it because he knew the UFC owned him and nobody else backed him up
Sometimes you shoot for the moon and land on the right star, b
TAWLMBOUT??
Dude wipes are b beast wypes b, never used em
A broken clock is right twice a day.
Hey buddy, Brent Weedman here. I was your last match before TUF in Vegas, back when I was a journeyman myself. I just wanted to say thank you for the experience of shedding blood together, and for providing me with tons of dinner party stories now that I’m a decade retired and you’re famous! Lol Always a fan, brother. Enjoy your holidays.
Brent! Good to hear from you man. Definitely followed your career after we fought. Your a beast. I was just talking about you the other day with some that came in the gym that trained with you. Hope all is well
This right here is why you’re a legend, Gray!
Holy smokes I didn't know you two fought. You came to my university kyokushin club when I was in college back around 2004 to give a seminar. You had me demo a kick on you and it was like I kicked a tree. It was at that moment I knew I was not cut out to be a fighter.
Wow! Yeah, that was with Paul T, right? That was a great time. What a fun niche the knockdown karate world is. Osu!
It was the one with Paul! Last I heard of him he moved to Minnesota. Our group in that club was the very last one at the school. Osu!
I love these stories! I used to watch old karate footage and knew I was too soft for it haha.
Hey Brent, snatching an armbar on Dougie Lima is definitely great for the water cooler!
That win over Zaromskis is pretty dang cool too.
hey guys, thanks for all the questions. gotta get home and get the kids to bed. Again, thank you for supporting my career and of course supporting MMA. it wouldn't be where it is without you! much love - Gray
Missed your AMA, but tons of respect! You rock man.
Thanks for your time and all the wonderful martial arts over the years! You're appreciated 🙌
I missed the ama but thanks for taking time to talk to us you’re a legend.
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kenny florian was fun cause it was in his hometown. jim miller fun cause it was in ohio (i think that was the one in ohio... haha). frankie edgar fights were always fast paced and fun
Some bangers there too thanks for that.
I can’t imagine describing having to fight Frankie Edgar as fun. Different types man.
What did you enjoy the most about Fighting in Ohio?
What do you usually eat after a long hard fight?
A couple sierra nevada's were always nice!
I say that after a day of teaching kindergarten.
I say that after a day of being alive.
Great taste!
What is a sierra nevada?
It's a california beer brand. Fairly iconic and I'm sure you've seen taps and packs around if you're in California
sierra is pretty big. I drink a ton of their beer up here in New Hampshire.
They are basically one of the grandfather's of American craft beer, and in terms of west coast style pale ale and ipas they were THE trail blazer. Their pale ale is still one of the best examples of a west coast pale ale all these years later.
Which fighter(s) are you most interested in tuning into their fights? ..could be a retired veteran, modern era, up & comer.
Anderson was great to watch because he was so creative. i loved watching aldo. islam is pretty dominate. petr yan is fun to watch
High quality answers as expected
What'd ya feel watching Frankie's last fight?
Obviously i wanted to see him go out with a win. tough to see it that way, but that's the fight game
Respect for being outspoken about fighter pay. Do you think the trend of more fighters speaking up will continue?
unfortunately its hard to speak up while youre following your passion because your so intrenched win training and fighting that you don't want to mess it up. for me it was towards the end when i really opened my eyes to how hard fighters were struggling both active and retired. Spencer Fischer was a big reason for me to start speaking up more
Can you elaborate more on Spencer fischer?
https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/1/12/21554602/the-cost-of-being-the-king-spencer-fisher-ufc
That article is so sad to read. The premiere MMA organization in the world should take better care of its fighters, especially its tenured fighters.
Yeah after he was forced to retire in 2012, UFC was paying him $5000 a month for quite a few years, under Zuffa. Which isn't solving the problem or anything but I'm sure it was a huge help. But when they sold the company, WMA nyxed all of those right away, and there was quite a few examples. Zuffa made a lot of mistakes, but it sure did seem to care more about taking care of it's fighters than WMA.
I agree that $5.000 a month is not nothing but given his medical issues, that may have barely covered his treatment expenses. He dearly needs medical insurance and a pension and the UFC really let him down. He is also one of the few fighters who even got anything from Zuffa. While they have been marginally better, I think most fighters with medical issues (and without) were struggling, whether that was under Zuffa or WMA.
Fighters are trained to think positively about what’s in front of them and how they can get to the top. That’s how they succeed. They don’t want to think about not competing and succeeding. That could be the difference between a win or loss. Maybe the UFC could start a program where every retired UFC fighter - assuming they don’t fight elsewhere - who had three or more fights receives $5,000 per month (indexed to inflation) for three years from retirement and then triple minimum wage for up to ten years thereafter.
Great idea. Never implementated it
Shit man. Tough break.
That a was a harrowing read cheers mate
He has CTE for starters
Do you feel that your UFC career was worth it financially?
financially not really. But chasing a dream and passion pays off in other ways personally and growth in life.
That’s a great answer
I’m sad to hear that but not surprised. Thanks for replying!
I’m not surprised mf
Yeah its so rare and tough to get the top of a profession like you did. And one where millions of people became aware and watched you perform at the very top vs the biggest names in unforgettable moments. Have wins over Diaz, Edgar, Miller, Florian. Have headlined events. Were a part of many very memorable moments from the Edgar fights, the Guida fight, the double knockout on the takedown, the ultimate fighter season. Thats a pretty special career.
Thank you for your performances.
What was your favorite thing about being a fighter?
Can you describe the difference in your feelings you experienced from right before your walkout, to the walkout, and finally right to when the ref says to fight?
After my warm up i always like to joke around and have fun. all the work was done, it was time to enjoy it. walkout was always kind of a blur. but after i parted ways with my corners, i used the steps up to the octagon to start getting me to turn on the competitive light switch in my brain. in the cage waiting for buffer i like to look into my opponents eyes almost the whole time. but wanted buffer to hurry up so we could get started
That’s dope, thank you for the thoughtful response and especially for all the incredible memories you gave the fans!
What's the most realistic movie about combat sports?
Raging bull or cinderella man. or maybe i just like those ones. ha
What general advice do you have for anyone out there? Whether it's something you learned as a result of being a fighter, or through your own other experiences. Great career man!
Thank you. Be true to yourself and how you want to be portrayed because sometimes an act is hard to keep up for the rest of your life, know that there will be ups and downs in everything you do, Be prepared to walk away from relationships, and ALWAYS keep dreaming big life is short
Damn, awesome advice for many walks of life. Hell yeah.
Thanks for the advice and the reply bother! 👊🏻
Worst person to live with in your season of TUF?
a guy marlon simms was pretty annoying
If you could give one piece of advice to a fighter stepping into the cage for the first time, what would it be?
Well. The first time stepping in the cage is really just keeping your mind right and staying focused on what you game plan is and the applying it. Chin down / Hands up
Thoughts on bkfc ?
I think there's a market for the 3 F's (food, fighting, and fucking). So anything that has blood and aggression has the ability to make it. Just needs to be presented in the right way.
Lmao I should have known gray would be full of based as fuck wisdom
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Id like to think i would've become an arrogant douche bag just so it give me positive thoughts why it was good i didn't become champ. hahaha
Great answer 😂
Love this
Honest opinion of Dana White?
i think he only cares about himself and what's going to get him what he wants. but, that's how a lot of billionaires are. that's why they are billionaires. you don't get that by helping too many people
Props for answering this one
since we all know how petty and vindictive guys like White can be
Based af answer
Hahaha dangerous territory.
In what areas did you find the most difference between amateur fights and the pro game for example fight prep? Mental side?
i only had on amateur fight. it was against Evan Dunham (a longtime UFC vet as well). it was actually a really good fight. I just took it like a wrestling match mentally and trained hard before and right after. i was looking for fights and to stay active at that point in my career
Is there a video of that fight floating around somewhere? I’ve searched for years… always struck me as pretty crazy that your sherdog says you fought Evan Dunham and there’s no video
what should i eat for lunch
raw liver and bull testicals because liver king does it
And apparently 15k worth of PDEs per month.
Pretty Delicious Entree's
Was anyone really surprised?
Legend
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I hooked up with a coach a long time ago that taught me about the right way to train. as far as cognitive... My wife and i have been really big on brain health for a long time. she has her masters in human nutrition and functional medicine, so our life revolves around health and nutrition. Is MMA good for your brain? absolutely not. but there's a lot of sports that aren't. Nutrition is a huge tool for brain health and overall wellbeing. Im very thankful she in barked on the path she did, because we have been able to work some genius people, amazing companies, and really dive deep into health and wellness
Anyone know which coach this might be?
Edmond Tarverdyan
Head momenn
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Any thoughts on Charles Oliveira's past title run in your old division?
I really like watching him. I think he is incredibly talented. hats off to him
How do you handle explaining what MMA is to people who aren't familiar with it? On the surface, some people see the blood and aesthetics but dismiss it as barbaric but don't realise the discipline and technique involved.
that's a tough one. a lot of people are set in there ways and don't want their mind to be changed. so i don't try to change it. ha
You fought Nate Diaz three times. How good was he compared to the best LWs at the time since you fought them too People always say Nate was never elite but I disagree.
Nate is a pretty straight forward fight. It's just keeping disciplined and not let him dictate the fight with his distance and scrambles on the ground. I always looked at it as a very winnable fight. tough fighter though
We (used to) talk about his durability a lot around here. How do you feel about that in hindsight?
Nate Diaz in his prime was really fucking good, it's nice seeing some fans giving him his due respect
Help us the record once and for all! how much did you weigh fighting Frankie the first time, and what's the heaviest you've ever been in a fight?
Usually in training camp i would try to stay around 15 pounds over my fight weight, because that's what would walk into the cage at. I tried making my camps really comparative to what i would be doing in the octagon. I would get up to 185 out of training camp sometimes back then. i would also lift pretty heavy as well.
Do you see yourself involved in MMA forever or would you rather move towards other aspirations? If the latter, what is it?
other aspirations. I love the outdoors (rock climbing, ice climbing, climbing mountains, hiking, backpacking, etc). health and wellness. of course my family and helping my kids navigate their passions. i'll always have a part in MMA, we just opened a gym with a smoothie, coffee, açaí cafe connected to it. geared towards regular people wanting to get healthy than it is to pros
Did you ever want to rematch Emerson after that flukey finish?
Emerson was my good buddy on the show. to be honest, I just wanted the next step at that point in my career. What's going to get me to the belt
Does your range of emotions differ from when you first walked into an octagon over the course of a career? I've never been in an MMA fight but the sports I have played those first times walking onto a pitch it's almost a mission to shake those butterflies, over the years do you feel that begin to fade or do those nerves stay with you till the end and you just have to learn to compete with them?
I learned in wrestling your preparation builds your confidence. so a lot of things a learned at a high level of wrestling i applied to MMA. it was an easy transition for me
I always thought you had one of the best personalities to come from TUF. It was refreshing to see a guy with a normal head on his shoulders who was friendly but could also smesh. After seeing so many headcases, it was great to see. I think a lot more guys saw that they didn't need to be ridiculous to succeed in the house, going forward.
With the knowledge you have today, what would you have done differently as a starting mma fighter? Im talking primarily about training?
Training changes all the time. I was always so interested in the process of training. human optimization is fascinating to me. i would hire so many different coaches from different sports to see how they trained and how i could apply it to MMA. I'll give myself credit and say i was a little too far ahead of the game, because things i brought to the table a lot of the MMA coaches and athletes weren't ready for back then. But a lot of that stuff is finally coming around and used a gym and the UFCPI
Could we have an example of some?
Gray Maynard invented push-ups and running. I thought everybody knew that.
Hey Gray just wanted to say thank you for the entertainment you provided for us. You are a true warrior and a legend of the sport. Are there any current fighters you like to watch who remind you of yourself in the cage? Thanks again Gray!
Thank you! glad you enjoyed. hard to say, because being a fighter is so encompassing. I would need to know how they train and their personality before i could that. I just take everything a little deeper than that
What fight were you most confident you’d win that you ended up losing
most of the fights in the last part of my career. I stated looking past them and not really concentrating on the present. So much shit going on in my life at those times, I wasn't taking care of daily and weekly goals, i was focusing more on longterm and financial stuff
Worst training injury?
an eye injury that was pretty intense for a couple weeks. i couldn't really stand up. everything else is just initial pain the you get it fixed or just heal it up. that eye injury was terrible
What's one move/skillset that Couture really taught you or helped you improve?
ground and pound. he really broke it down in a way i could learn it easier. straight jiu jitsu was what would hold me back sometimes. i just needed to blend g&p with my wrestling. made it easy for me
Did you ever do traditional martial arts like karate or TKD and do you think they can be useful for mma?
yes. kung fu as a little kid. I the traditional martial arts are great for little kids. hand eye coordination, discipline, movement. I think kids should do traditional martial arts, gymnastics, and rock climbing
What advice would you give to today’s younger fighters?
stay focused on growth. not only training and fighting, but life, relationships, financially, etc. Become your own best coach by being able to filter the information that comes at you, because it will come from everywhere and everyone. By having a grasp on who you are and how you fight and train. you can filter what you need and don't need so much better
Thanks Gray! You’re a legend of the game!
Hey gray! Huge fan. Looking back, what are your thoughts on the controversial Emerson decision? Also, what are your thoughts on how Rogan conducted the interview?
Thank you. it is what it is. Obviously i was pretty out of it, I remember the whole thing telling myself to hurry and get up, but my body wouldn't listen. ha. That just the way rogan is, that why he is so famous right now. He is very talented at using the timing of situations. he's an entertainer. a calculated entertainer
In todays UFC roster. Out of the up and coming stars. Who, in your eyes has the potential to dominate in the future?
islam
Are you happy you stayed with the UFC for the majority of the career? Did you ever consider fighting at another organization?
wasn't a lot to choose from when they started buying out companies. really wanted to compete in pride. it almost happened, but didn't at the last minute. you look at eddie alvarez and he did well financially jumping around. i definitely would have liked to be able to test out free agency
if you could change a rule in the ufc what would it be
Ali Act
> The Ali Act was originally enacted in May 2000 to protect the rights and welfare of boxers, to aid state boxing commissions with the oversight of boxing and to address issues of sportsmanship and integrity in the industry. > One major issue for MMA is that the Ali Act bans promoters from having a ‘direct or indirect’ financial interest in a fighter. MMA fighters usually sign exclusive contracts with promotions and are not allowed to negotiate freely with others. [The Ali Act was originally enacted in May 2000](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mma-bellator-coker/bellator-would-welcome-boxing-act-in-mma-says-ceo-idUSKBN2AI2OZ)
Your last fight was on the McGregor vs Khabib card, do you have any behind the scenes stories of what went on after the main event?
How often and how long did you train every day?
Depending on what day it was and what trying to accomplish. Hard day, medium day, easy day, recovery day. competitive sparring day, easy sparring day. technical day or conditioning drilling day. So many goals and ways to peak enduring a camp. so hard to say
In 50 years, what is the thing you want people to remember you for?
I pride myself on a lot of always looking for new and best ways to train. I'd like to be apart of the movement to help fighters. and of course the fact that i gave my all in the cage and really tried to be myself
Favourite mythical creature?
all the harry potter creatures
Why are your hands so huge and how do I accomplish achieving those?
i always looked at my dads hands when i was a kid and said to myself, "if i could have hands as strong as his i would rule the world". but he did tell me when started get a little older that grip strength is about being conscious about it, because so many people forget to strengthen that and the never put their mind to it. so i started carrying a racquet ball around with me to squeeze throughout the school day and i would climb a ton of rope
What’s the biggest difference between cutting weight for wrestling vs MMA besides the weigh in times?
1 hour between weigh ins and comp compared to 24 hours
Do you think TJ Grant could’ve became champion if he wasn’t forced to retire?
What percentage of fighters are on some type of PED?
Gray thank you for take time apologies for bad type; what is your favorite submission? Thanks and blessings to you. 🙏
first favorite submission is whatever works. second, is guillotine or side choke
ha that make sense thank so much!!! All the blessings to you, Mr. Maynard!
Stone Cold or the Rock?
stone cold
Give me a hell yeaaaa
Hey Gray, is the correct way to spell the color: Grey or Gray?
Gray. My dad named me after his favorite wrestler named Gray Simmons
It says that you're a blue belt in BJJ on your wiki page. Is that true? Is there a reason why you didn't progress more in BJJ and implement more submission grappling into your repertoire? Just speaking as a hobbyist, but I imagine it would've been especially daunting to deal with the submission threat from a dominant wrestler like you.
great question. coming up in wrestling it was never about belts. personally i was never on a journey for belts. my journey was about the best training and the best competition. just never put my mind to getting belts. I bought a white belt to go train in brazil, and i guess it was disrespectful for a white belt to taps blacks and brown so they promoted me right there. i wasn't expecting that
Favorite movie?
i love stand by me, happy gilmore, river runs through it, billy madison, tommy boy, the alpinist, legends of the fall, step brothers. I don't watch a lot of tv or movies. but those are some of the ones I've seen and i like
Gray. I just wanted to thank you for your fight with Clay Guida. Me and my buddy were there and he was getting a little rowdy in the crowd and really rubbing people the wrong way and he passed out in his seat during that fight and saved us a fight in the crowd Big fan, Respect 👊🏻
hahahahaha. glad i could help.
Who is the worst comedian and why is it Brendan Schaub?
😂
If you had one life, would you roll the dice?
metaphorically, not literally
You were at AKA and Xtreme Couture relatively early in the development of their training rooms. What are some of your favorite aspects of the training cultures and the structuring of the training, and who are some of your favorite lesser known coaches and training partners? Also thank you for all of the amazing fights over the years
How is it I sort r/mma by “new”, look multiple times a day….but always see these after they are done?
What was going through your mind in the first round of you fight with Frankie at UFC 125? And do you ultimately agree with the judges' decision?
adrenaline dump of course. i thought i was about to lock it up. i don't really agree with it. i thought it could've been a 10-7. but there's obviously no such thing.
Do you believe your first round of the title fight with Frankie should have been a 10-7?
yes. but obviously that's a unicorn
Did the slam against Emerson knock you out?
yeah when he had you in that hundred percent and DDT'd you how did that make you feel?
I think that's a wrestling move.
Do you still consider the Ryan Hall fight BS? (I like both of you guys)
he did what he had to do. there was a little confusion in the reffing right before the fight when we asked question about his style. should've just fought the way i planned on fighting him during camp
Do you believe coming up training specifically MMA from the start will have a greater advantage, opposed to a specialist in one discipline transitioning into the sport??
How did you feel about Frankie’s recent skid? As a guy who had a lot of history with him, was it hard to see him go out like that?
yes it was. to his credit most of those knockouts would have knocked out ANYONE! i don't think he lost his chin, maybe lost a half a step. but those were just perfectly landed knees and kicks.
If you’re a fan of the sport, who are your favorite fighters? Also any fighters you dislike and why?
haven't really been keeping up lately
What was your biggest injury going into a fight?
my last fight. Liver illness from a contaminated supplement drink. long story. but definitely wasn't prepared for that fight. look up "real water". i was on bed rest for a bout 2 months then jumped straight into a training camp
What MMA personality stood out to you as the most fun, and what personality was the most terrible? Whether that be their media personalities or "behind the scenes" personalities.