Latest / Caught on the Mike... / The Return of UFC's Austin Hubbard

Transcript

The Return of UFC's Austin Hubbard · Caught on the Mike...

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Hello friends, thank you for checking out this episode of Caught on the Mike with Michael Clark.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: I am super excited for what we have in store for you today.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: On this episode, I have UFC veteran Austin Hubbard.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: And what he describes as some of the hardest years of his life, the past few years, he is now mounting his comeback in the UFC.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: He just signed a new six-hour fight deal with that first fight taking place April 27th, 2024.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody could tell his story better than he can, and I'm excited to share it with you today.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: So without any further ado, check it out.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: And as always, listener discretion is advised.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: Ladies and gentlemen, I gotta tell you, December 22nd is one of the most important days of the year.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: Not only because it's my birthday, but it's also the birthday of my good friend Austin Hubbard.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Austin, how the heck are you, man?
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm good.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: How are you?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: Good, brother.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um it has been a long time since we did that first episode together.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think we recorded together for the first time in August of 2021.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: It was right around the time of the Vince Paschell fight.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: And man, a lot of life has happened in between there.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: Lots.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um I uh I remember last summer I was watching the that season of the Ultimate Fighter.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, my son and I decided to camp out in the backyard.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: We bought one of those projectors, and we projected and watched your entire season on the side of my fence in the backyard, and I was texting you, and I'm like, brother, you have been through hell and back, and I am so proud of you.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: It was like a late night text, and you and I ended up talking for a couple of minutes.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: How the heck have you been and what have you been up to?
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I've been pretty good.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, I've just been uh getting ready for this fight, April 27th.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm out in Colorado now.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I actually live in Illinois now, so that's something different, you know, since last time we talked.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, when I'm at home, I just been working, helping my uh my wife and I work with for my father-in-law, her dad, so uh his company, and uh, you know, and just get my fight and I come out here, do my training camp, and uh go back home and do it all over again.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: Well, if you're okay with it, let's kind of talk about the past few years.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: You were quoted as saying to actually Sports Illustrated, you're quoted as saying, the last two years have been the worst in my life.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like I was a downslope.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: Every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it got worse.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: And that was during the time that you were filming um The Ultimate Fighter.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: So let's kind of let's kind of retrace those steps if you're okay with it.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, everything that happened from the Vince Paschell fight on, uh, for my listeners that maybe don't follow the UFC as much.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: So uh starting with that Vince Excuse me, sorry.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Starting with the Vince Paschell fight, uh, so I lost that fight.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think it was a very close fight.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but that was also one of my the last fight on that contract, and um UFC didn't want to re-sign me after that loss.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so um I was without a job, you know, fighting, you know, is was my main job at the time, how I supported my family, how I was paying my bills.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, I kept being told, oh, you know, we can get you a last-minute fight.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: They'll they'll take you back that way.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, anyways, like I kept getting in contact for these last-minute opportunities, but they just never panned out, never never I accepted a bunch of different opportunities, but they just didn't work out, so that was stressful.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then um, you know, then I was told, oh, let's go get some two more wins on the regional scene, um, and we can get you re-signed and get back in.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, I I did end up getting those two wins, but it took forever.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, not anyone who really wanted to take that fight.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, so you know, as you can imagine in that time frame when you're not having much income, especially out here in Denver where it's very expensive, uh getting all kinds of uh financial stress and debt building up.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, and it was it was hard, man.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: I I have a wife and a daughter, and uh actually a daughter on the way, so um, you know, things things were getting tight financially, and you know, we just kept having all kinds of bad luck, really.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, my wife and I were expecting a baby, and we lost that.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: She had a miscarriage, and um, you know, just I lost my brother.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: That was very hard, and uh, you know, it was just so much.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like, even little things were going wrong, and I don't know, life just was really beating me up there for a minute, but it's alright.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: You live and you learn grow.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it it was crazy because it took the uh the UFC a while to release you.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: It was like that fight took place in August of 21, but they didn't actually release you until May of 22, and then you picked up the two wins through XMMA and Caged Aggression.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: You actually won the lightweight championship for caged aggression, and then like a few months later, it gets announced that you're on the next season of the Ultimate Fighter.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: How crazy was that?
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: It was super crazy because I didn't even know they were doing another season.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, I I was trying to get fights, couldn't get fights, so honestly, I was kind of giving up on it.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I just luckily I was in a position where I I was back home and working, so you know, the I was chipping away trying to get back on my feet financially, and um so it was things started, you know, to get better, I guess, so to speak, in that sense.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, going back home and just starting working full time and and uh do making money as opposed to you know keep building debt.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then uh like I said, man, I I couldn't get any fights.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: I was like telling my manager, what about Bell Tor?
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: What about PFL, like these other organizations, and you know, for whatever reason it just never seemed to work out.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: And uh honestly, I I kind of was giving up.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then uh the one of the producers from the Ultimate Fighter actually called me and was like, hey, we want you on the show or come try out.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: And um it was like two or three weeks before the show was supposed to start when they called me.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so you know, I I wasn't in the best of space mentally for when I got that call.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, I was I was like, man, I don't know, I'm just going through some stuff, I don't know if I'm in the right mindset for this.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And um at the end of the day, I knew I couldn't pass that up.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: I knew that was my I just had to suck up whatever I was going through and uh do my best.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: And uh fortunately enough, I was able to make to the finals and uh you know put on a decent enough show and got got a six-fight contract with EFC, and um here I am again.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I love that, man.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I love the trajectory of the Cinderella story um kind of walking into that season of the Ultimate Fighter.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: Truth be told, you have two of the biggest coaches of all time on your season with Michael Chandler and Connor McGregor.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: What was that experience like?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: Because you're no stranger into in working in a room full of killers.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like let's let's let's not lie.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: I I went and I saw you guys about a year and a half ago.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: I sat next to Justin Gagey and watched everybody train, Justin's ribbon on Curtis Blades, you had Neil Magney across the room, you're in there training, Zach's in there training.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you're no stranger working around high-level talent.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: How how how was it different working with somebody like Michael Chandler and being in the presence of the one and only almighty Connor McGregor?
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it was cool, man.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's always nice.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: You uh Chandler brought in really good coaches, and you know, he's a really good dude, so I was I was very thankful to be a part of his team.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and it it's always nice to get work with any high-level, you know, athlete and coach.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, just hear different perspectives and get a different look and and things along those lines.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then uh meeting Connor was interesting too.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: He's you know he he he's he's gotten himself to such a level that he he can do whatever he wants and he does exactly whatever he wants.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Oh he's uh cool.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, one one night he'd be you know very cool down to earth, inspirational to us, and the next he's he's trying to start fights.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: So uh he's just an interesting man.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and like I said, he's he's gotten himself to that level to where he can, you know, do whatever he wants and gets away with it for the most part.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: So good for him.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: What's crazy about that is as we are recording this episode, I think the UFC is doing a press conference tonight where they're gonna finally official officially release uh announce that fight.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, awesome.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I I just I I kind of read it online someplace.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's incredible.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: So this fight that you have coming up on April 27th, let's talk a little bit about that and a little bit about your preparation for that fight.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh, you know, I think it's gonna be a very interesting fight.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we're both coming off of losses, so um, I'm I'm uh in my mind, I'm making hit it, you know, he don't want to lose again.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to lose again.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: He's uh he's a very aggressive striker.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um he he comes forward hard and he's throwing to put your lights out.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, I I feel like I fight the same way.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: We just I always go forward and I'm I'm just looking to turn it into a dog fight.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I think it has you know potential fight of the night written all over it.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um and almost speaking into existence, try getting that that extra 50k bonus for before this baby gets here.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: Hell yeah, man.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: He's young, he's hungry, um, he doesn't want to go 0-2, and shit, I don't want to start my contract 0-2, so um I think it's just making for a great fight.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, he's he's relatively younger.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um as he's I think 27, uh, he's eight and one.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um that being said, he has you know fought some decent people, but I just feel like I have uh a big experience um factor, you know.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think I'm a little more well-rounded.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but you know, it's it's gonna be a hard fight.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be a fun fight.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been uh super focused this camp.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um really a lot more focused than I've I've been in a while.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: I I really want to uh you know get get a win and um bring home two checks and uh possibly three and and have my baby.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: My baby's due uh four or five weeks after the fight.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it she could come any day thereafter.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm just super excited.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like um as hard as the last two years has been, I'm this start of this year, you know, I got this fight, um, and then my my you know baby on the way, and uh, you know, things are getting better.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm finally um crawling out of that dark hole I was in, and uh it it does feel good.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I not to um because I say this with every piece of empathy in mind because and I couldn't parallel what I've gone through the past few years to what you've gone through, but I think we all kind of have our own version of that story over the past three to four years, and I I can't explain it in any way, shape, or form.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like I I feel the same thing that I imagine you're feeling right now is kind of like the Phoenix rising back from the ashes, and like the the world is kind of writing itself in 2024 in ways that maybe 21, 22, and 23 didn't with all of that said, going into a new six-fight contract, which is actually that's a lot of fights for a new contract.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um how has your mindset changed with how you're going to approach it this time?
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I I don't know, I just my mindset's still the same, you know.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna go out there and uh train hard, work hard, stay focused, and you know, try winning all these fights that I can uh and make as much money as I can for my family and uh give them a life that they they deserve, you know.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's that's really you know my only goal with it.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I mean obviously it's great to well if you're winning, you're obviously rising.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So um that's what I'm trying to do as well.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh win, you know, rise up in the rankings, uh make money for my family, and just live a good life.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: So let's say everything goes as planned.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: I know it's gonna go as planned.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna speak it into existence.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: We're friends.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: So so I can say this.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um everything goes as planned.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: Who's that guy that you're gonna call out at the after the fight's over?
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I've never I've never called out anyone.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's time to change, Austin.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: I really don't care who I fight.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: I've never half cared.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'll literally fight whoever.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: I don't give a shit.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's my job.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I'm not a matchmaker, so um, you know, whoever wants to fight, I'll fight.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh whoever the UFC wants me to fight, I'll fight.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Whoever the fans want me to fight, I'll fight.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: So uh don't matter me.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Who are some people that you are watching in your division?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like some upstart fighters, or maybe some people that have been there for a while that you haven't had the opportunity to cross paths with?
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm really any anytime I'm watching a UFC card and I see lightweight, I I'm always watching.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: So uh you never know what name might come across and uh what fight might happen.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I I try to pay attention to all of it um uh in my division.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: Well, just in general as well.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also a huge fan of watching the fights.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um so you know, yeah, I every time any lightweight's fighting I'm I'm paying attention.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: So just I got you getting notes, getting motivation, getting nerves, you know, all that, all that.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: So uh yeah.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: So did your wife make the trip back to Colorado with you while you train, or is she back in Illinois?
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: She's back in Illinois, and uh she she's pretty far along now, so if traveling for her is is is difficult.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: So um it's it's been uh I'm I'm gonna be out here a total of seven weeks for camp.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um I came out, you know, to work with Justin and and try helping him with his camp.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: And uh So I came out a little bit earlier than I originally was planning.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um but yeah, it's it's been hard.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: It was really hard to leave this time, you know.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: I I she's pregnant and I feel like I need to be there to help her.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, she's such a trooper and very uh you know encouraging of me on this path and uh you know supports me.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: So uh, you know, it's it's it's good in that sense, you know, that it's it doesn't create any like animosity of leaving or anything like that.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um but nonetheless it's very hard.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I I hardest has been obviously to leave this time for a camp.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: I truly didn't really want to.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, I I I felt really bad, you know.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I feel like I'd be there to help, but um, I guess in the same sense, being out here getting prepared is helping my family in the end.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: So um we're both, you know, keeping the eye on the prize.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say, how stir crazy have you been?
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like, has she called you at any random time of the night where you're like, oh shit, it's happening early.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Has that happened?
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, not yet.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um luckily you're lucky, brother.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: We're far enough away right now, and that we won't have to worry about uh too early.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, uh the due date's uh June 3rd, so um I don't know.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, I have a five-week window once I get back, and hopefully it won't happen before that.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, I remember both times with both of my so you know, uh we've talked before, but I've got twin stepdaughters, and then I've got uh two kids from my first marriage.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: And both times when my ex-wife was pregnant, I swore to god my kids were gonna come early.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: I just I'm like, they have my sense of punctuality.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like they, if you're you know, my whole thought and mindset is if if you're early, you're on time, but if you're on time, you're late.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I thought my kids would be the same exact way.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: Both of my kids came exactly on their due date.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, really?
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: It was insane.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna lie, I'm hoping she comes a little early.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, dude.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: Mid end of May, I'll I'll be ready and I'll be you know super excited uh for her to get here.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I wouldn't mind a little early, as long as it's not before the fight.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right, exactly.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I have uh noticed, and you mentioned it kind of in passing, uh, you've been getting a lot of prep time and sparring time with Justin.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: How has that kind of sharpened him for this weekend?
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: We're recording this ahead of UFC 300 to my listeners that don't know.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how has that helped sharpen him?
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: And how has it also helped sharpen you in preparation for your fight?
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I I would hope uh it has helped him.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he it's truly has helped me, you know.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: He's uh we've been training together shit for seven years-ish, you know, going on.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you know, he he's I mean, look, he's literally the most entertaining fighter in the world in the lightweight division, especially.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: And uh he's accomplished great things.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, he has a lot of experience, uh, a lot of you know knowledge of the game in and out of the cage.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and he's helped me a ton, um, both you know mentally, physically, uh, preparing me for the fight, and uh, you know, hopefully I I help him as well.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I I absolutely love that.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: And the thing is, is like he's a great dude too.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, my my best friend and I sat down and we had a great conversation with him whenever we uh came out and saw you guys uh a year and a half or so back.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_01: And but the thing is, is you're also awesome.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: Don't sell yourself short, brother, because you are entertaining as hell to watch.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I actually this after yeah, man.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: I actually sat down this afternoon and I was kind of just making my notes for this episode, and I went through YouTube and I watched a bunch of your past fights, and I was like, man, I love that guy.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: He he is you are you are one of my favorite people that I could just randomly message and be like, hey man, how's things going?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: And and then you're I I have always loved that about you.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't want to go into too deep waters, but as you had mentioned, um you you have lost your brother in the the past couple of years.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I was it two years ago, year and a half ago at this point.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was so the week before the finals fight uh back in August was the his one year anniversary.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: How is that?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Redefined your purpose in life and what kind of inspiration have you taken from having had your brother in your life?
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, moving forward, not only in the fight game, but how as it applies to Austin Hubbard, the man.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's uh I don't know, it's it's uh it's a weird thing.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it's good or bad.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like I can't even tell you how little I care about so certain things anymore.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like it I just things are just aren't the same, you know.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's it's it was real dark, you know, for for a long time.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's still hard, but it's not it's getting better, you know.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm starting to see the light out of the end of the tunnel.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um I don't know.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's hard to explain.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: I he was literally like my best friend.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: I we did everything together growing up.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: We were always super close.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's it's just hard without him.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't even remotely feel like the same person anymore.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, I don't know if it's a good or bad thing.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um just gotta go forward the best I can.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's grief is kind of crazy because it creeps up on you during the most unexpected times.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um uh about a little over a year ago, um, I lost a friend and he had taken his own life.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: And six months later, my my father passes away.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: And and I hadn't talked to my dad in years.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we we had kind of this disassociated relationship, and I think about how those two things occurring in such close proximity have impacted the way I view things and the things that I care about.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like I used to get hung up on little pointless shit, like you know, maybe somebody trash talking, I would focus on that, or maybe I would participate in somebody's negative speak, and I've found that I've really kind of reset myself and focused on the things that matter.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I I found that you kind of emitted a same sensibility throughout last season of Ultimate Fighter, whenever this topic did come up and like the topic of your character came up, it almost feels like you have a renewed sense of purpose.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: Am I off base with that at all?
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's definitely fair to say.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I um I definitely feel strongly in like uh my family, my wife, my daughters, um, and that you know, my my wife helped me out immensely.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I I've you know, if I don't know, I would still be in that dark hole without her, I think.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, believe it or not, crazy enough, oddly enough, she she lost her brother as well.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, so she she kind of you know knew how to help me through that.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, yeah, she that, you know, they they mean a lot to me and uh they definitely give me a lot of you know purpose and uh you know going forward, you know, being a good father, good husband, uh providing for them, um, you know, all those sorts of things.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: Just you know, I I always try being a a good person, but you know, it's it's when you uh I don't know, it's it's I just wish the world would uh not be so so crazy sometimes.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: I've come to realize is you can't make any changes till you make the changes within yourself, you know, move forward the way you want to move, and then you know, you you start with projecting out to your family, then further on from your family into your community, and you just keep growing, but um everything's gotta start with yourself first, and uh and you know, I I feel like I've gone through, you know, somewhat of a I guess you can call it spiritual awakening type of thing where you know I I just and it probably helps, you know, having you know baby on the way and a a daughter already here and nephews and nieces where you know I I just want to be a good role model.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: I wanna the world's crazy, right?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like I wanna give people, you know, some hope, give people someone something to look up to, some inspiration, um, all those sorts of things.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, that that all starts with you know being truthful and honest with yourself and and like I said, project working onward from there.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: So uh that's you know, just something I I try to live by and uh you know.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: I love that, man.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: I absolutely love that, and that's it's so funny because I say I say that about the podcast in the same exact regard.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's like it's like look, okay, I'm gonna have like a UFC fighter or a famous musician on the show, but that's a Trojan horse, realistically, man.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_01: It's about the person, and it's about like doing my part, taking politics and the shit that divides us out of the picture, and just amplify the positivity and the positive change that we can make in the world as individuals.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it does, it really does start with us trying to better ourselves first, because it it's pointless if if we don't fix ourselves, we can't fix other people.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you you can't build a foundation foundation off of a lie or uh any anything like that, you know.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you gotta I feel like truly live by what you're trying to do, so for it to actually work.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, for sure.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: So now I gotta figure out where I'm gonna run into you again.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: Do I have to come out to Sterling, Illinois, or do I have to come out next time you train for the next fight in Colorado?
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: So so so I get a chance to to high-five my friend Austin Hubbard again.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you might have to try hitting both spots.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: I actually live in Dixon.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm from Sterling, but I live in Dixon.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's like 15 minutes away from it.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: I gotcha.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: So any other big plans other than a new baby for this summer and the rest of 2024?
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: No, you know, just just uh the baby and getting ready for that, and then uh when she gets here, uh trying to raise a newborn baby.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's gonna take up all your time, bro.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, I um my daughter now, she's technically my stepdaughter, so I I haven't got to actually experience the the newborn baby stage.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um so you know, I'm I'm a little nervous because I've never it's new to me.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: I I haven't done it.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um but you know it it's it's gonna be fun, and uh I'm I'm very fortunate to have you know my daughter now because she's 14 and she's super excited.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: She's she's at that perfect age to where she'll be able to help us.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh already gone through it, so um, I don't know.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: I have I have good backup, that's for sure.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, you know it's funny.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: I as a as a father of teenage girls myself, I'm gonna tell you there's not much difference sometimes between the temperament of a teenage girl and a and a newborn.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: So like I I'm excited for you, but I feel sorry for you at the same exact time.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: We also, my family, my parents and uh sister, and then her family as well.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they're all very involved, like family and cousins and things like that.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I I feel pretty good about everything, at least.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: Man, I tell you what, Austin, it's always a pleasure.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you can message me at any time just to talk shop, talk shit, whatever.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: I'm glad we're friends, man.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_01: The world's a much better place with you and it, my friend.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it, man.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's good talking to you.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: Once again, I want to thank my friend Austin Hubbard for doing the podcast today.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: I also want to give a shout out to High Altitude Martial Arts in Aurora, Colorado and Elevation Fight Team.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: Always the best of the best.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_01: If you are not following me already, make sure you are following Caught on the Mike on all social media platforms.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: And while you're searching me out, search out High Altitude Martial Arts, Elevation Fight Team, and Austin Hubbard at Austin Hub155 on Instagram.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: You can also visit me, www.caughtonthemic.com.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_01: Man, this episode was filled full of experimental new things, and I am here for it.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you guys stay tuned because there's a lot more to come.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: This has been Caught on the Mic with Michael Clark.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Michael Clark.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, thank you.