Latest / Caught on the Mike... / "Good People in the neighborhood" with MMA legend- Houston "The Assassin" Alexander

Transcript

"Good People in the neighborhood" with MMA legend- Houston "The Assassin" Alexander · Caught on the Mike...

0:02
SPEAKER_02: Warning due to some language and subject matter, listener discretion is advised.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: Three five-minute rounds in a UFC octagon.
0:24
SPEAKER_00: That's the amount of time a fighter is given to prove what they are made of.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: My next guest made his debut at UFC 71 by finishing his opponent in only 49 seconds.
0:39
SPEAKER_00: He's a DJ, a breakdancer, graffiti artist, trainer, teacher, humanitarian, an all-around good human being.
0:48
SPEAKER_00: Joining me on the podcast today is my friend Houston Alexander.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna spend a half an hour running the gamut of all these things that Houston is involved with, including his newest endeavor, the Elements Live Podcast.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: Episode 10 starts right now, and it's the one I've been waiting to do.
1:08
SPEAKER_00: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mike.
1:17
SPEAKER_00: Houston Alexander, thank you for doing the podcast, my friend.
1:21
SPEAKER_01: Hey, no problem, Mike Man.
1:22
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, it's uh an honor, an honor for me, brother.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: No problem.
1:26
SPEAKER_00: Oh man, I gotta tell you something.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: Little story.
1:28
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I started my podcast at the end of September, and I set a goal.
1:33
SPEAKER_00: I said, one of the first guests I want to have on within the first 10 episodes is my friend Houston Alexander.
1:40
SPEAKER_00: I shit you not.
1:41
SPEAKER_00: That was a goal.
1:42
SPEAKER_00: And today, you hey, you sure you're not talking about the other Houston?
1:48
SPEAKER_00: Today is my birthday, and it's happening.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: I saw that.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: I saw that happy birthday, man.
1:54
SPEAKER_00: Happy birthday.
1:55
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, man.
1:56
SPEAKER_00: So I don't want to waste, I don't want to waste too much time.
1:58
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go run through the gamut here because, in my eyes, you are a modern renaissance man.
2:05
SPEAKER_00: So man, how so?
2:07
SPEAKER_00: How so, Mike?
2:07
SPEAKER_00: How so?
2:08
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm gonna run through it, and if I'm missing anything, you can you can stop me.
2:13
SPEAKER_00: Okay, roughly 16 years as a competitive fighter, few years in the UFC, a few years in Bellator, several years in different independent promotions.
2:22
SPEAKER_00: Yep, graffiti artist, part of the original scribble crew, yes, sir, yes, sir.
2:28
SPEAKER_00: DJ on power 1069.
2:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, yeah, uh that's one of the that's one of the accolades, yes, sir.
2:34
SPEAKER_00: One one of them, and then uh, you know, ambassador of the Houston Alexander Foundation, founder of the culture shock school tour, which we're gonna talk about.
2:45
SPEAKER_00: And now you are educating dumb guys like me through the Elements Live podcast, which you're talking, you're just teaching a history lesson of hip hop.
2:54
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, we're not window with the elements.
2:56
SPEAKER_01: You know, the elements, we're doing a little bit of everything.
2:58
SPEAKER_01: You know, we're we're taking a little bit from music, we're taking uh a little bit from the culture, we're taking a little bit from politics, uh, we're taking a little bit from community.
3:07
SPEAKER_01: Well, we're and we're we're kind of blending it all together, man.
3:09
SPEAKER_01: So we're taking different elements from all that.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
3:13
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: I watched the episode last night with Busy B.
3:17
SPEAKER_00: That was amazing.
3:20
SPEAKER_00: Hey, man, hey, hey, hey man, busy, busy, busy is crazy, man.
3:24
SPEAKER_00: Oh man, there was a moment where he kind of went off about disco records, and I'm just sitting there because I saw the look on your face and your eyes got about this big.
3:34
SPEAKER_01: No, no, what it was, what it was he uh he was he was uh uh talking about DJ Hollywood, right?
3:40
SPEAKER_01: There was a there was a there was a holly uh uh a guy back in the day uh who who claims he was hip-hop, uh, but he wasn't, and because Busy B was there back then, and then it was this DJ called DJ Hollywood, and DJ Hollywood was a grown man and was he wasn't even thinking about hip-hop back then.
3:58
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, as Busy B said, it wasn't even called hip-hop back then, but this guy claimed to be of the culture, and he wasn't, so you know, he was really he, you know, he get really he gets really mad, or a lot of the old heads get mad at at DJ Hollywood because Hollywood cared nothing about the culture back then, he was just a dis a DJ, uh a disco DJ, right?
4:18
SPEAKER_01: So I hey man, hey, I understood him getting mad.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: I was like, I was just like, oh shit.
4:23
SPEAKER_01: Right.
4:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so let's uh let's let's briefly talk about about fighting.
4:31
SPEAKER_00: Um how did you get into MMA?
4:34
SPEAKER_01: Of course, you know, I and I tell the story all the time.
4:36
SPEAKER_01: A friend of mine, her name was Annie Houston.
4:39
SPEAKER_01: Annie Houston uh went to a bar where they was um in town in Omaha, Nebraska, where they were doing these open fights.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: Um people were signing up uh to to uh to either either do either wrestle or or they were they were doing them.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: It was some form of MMA, okay?
4:57
SPEAKER_01: Something like that.
4:58
SPEAKER_01: And it was in the smoky bar.
5:00
SPEAKER_01: Uh and uh the Chad Mason, it was Chad Mason who uh who had a production company who they were doing it in the bars.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: And so my friend knew I kind of wrestled and boxed boxed a little bit over the years, and uh she asked, she told me about this event, but she asked me to come.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: And so I came and uh and I was amazed because they did they would have people sign up to get in the ring with each other, and uh she dared me to get in the ring with this guy, and this guy, you know, this guy was 6'3, this guy was huge.
5:31
SPEAKER_01: He was I think he was uh like one of the wrestlers, uh one of one of these college wrestlers who was in town or from out of town, but he went to the he went to the local um college, and so she dare me to get in the ring, and of course you can't dare me.
5:44
SPEAKER_01: I you know, I was a good I was a good I've been a good street fighter all my life, and so I signed up and uh next thing you know, I was in the ring with this this big Bohemut uh uh wrestler in a smoky bar in the early 2000s.
5:59
SPEAKER_01: Man, was that bourbon street?
6:01
SPEAKER_01: That was Bourbon Street.
6:02
SPEAKER_01: Shit, I remember that.
6:04
SPEAKER_01: But but I believe they called it Club Amnesia, yeah.
6:07
SPEAKER_01: So it was Bourbon, I think either it was Bourbon Street or it was both, but Club Amnesia and uh yeah, man.
6:13
SPEAKER_01: Uh that was my my my first uh unsanctioned fight in a in the ring.
6:18
SPEAKER_01: And and and and it's funny, I I when I hit the guy because I you know of course of course I was pretty strong, pretty strong back then, even though you know, even more so back then.
6:25
SPEAKER_01: I hit the guy so hard, his nose.
6:28
SPEAKER_01: I've never seen so much blood all over the place, and but and but along with the blood came all the smoke.
6:33
SPEAKER_01: So we I don't think we really uh finished the fight because it was so much smoke we but we both couldn't couldn't finish, probably.
6:40
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it was a first time and I was hooked, man.
6:42
SPEAKER_01: I was hooked ever since.
6:43
SPEAKER_01: But I but I went out there and gave them a good show, and they wanted me to come back.
6:46
SPEAKER_00: That's what I was gonna ask.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: Was it just one of those things where you got a taste of it?
6:51
SPEAKER_00: And then it was like, I gotta do this some more.
6:53
SPEAKER_01: Well, and I got a taste of it, but I but again, I was already fighting on the streets, right?
6:57
SPEAKER_01: And and and that's yeah, I was a pretty good stripe fight on the street, and and and I was one of those few people you just you know that had them hands.
7:04
SPEAKER_01: And so because uh I was from I'm I'm from E originally from East St.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: Louis, and we have to have hand, you have to have hands in East St.
7:11
SPEAKER_01: Louis.
7:11
SPEAKER_01: So coming to Omaha, you know, I always got tested all the time because you know I had I had a St.
7:16
SPEAKER_01: Louis uh twang, and and people made fun of me all the time about my twang.
7:21
SPEAKER_01: So you know I would always got always got tested from the time I was there in St.
7:25
SPEAKER_01: Louis, East St.
7:26
SPEAKER_01: Louis, till now.
7:28
SPEAKER_01: And so I've always been able to fight, man, from day one.
7:32
SPEAKER_00: So how did you how did that progress to your first fight UFC 71 in the UFC?
7:39
SPEAKER_01: Well, um, I got with the promotion uh at at Bourbon Street or Club Club Amnesia, whatever your period period of time uh messes with.
7:48
SPEAKER_01: I started training with Chad.
7:49
SPEAKER_01: I started training with Chad.
7:50
SPEAKER_01: I started training Jiu-Jitsu, I started training uh kickboxing and boxing, and and I started putting it all together with with uh with Chad Mason.
7:58
SPEAKER_01: Chad was one of the first guys that actually helped.
8:01
SPEAKER_01: And and I started meeting all these coaches over the years, but uh I for for a long time, man, Mike, I was uh I was fighting in these smaller circles all the time, all over the Midwest.
8:13
SPEAKER_01: You know, I fought I fought in Illinois for you know uh different just different parts of the Midwest, man.
8:19
SPEAKER_01: And uh I smoke I I fought in small bars, I fought in arenas, I fought in in in on football fields.
8:29
SPEAKER_01: I fought everywhere.
8:30
SPEAKER_01: You know, I fought two times in one night, I fought five times in one night.
8:36
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, it that that was a lot of accumulation of fights over the years, man, up until uh 07, uh before before I even uh you know even thought about the UFC because I never really watched the UFC because I was too busy fighting, you know what I'm saying?
8:51
SPEAKER_01: I was too why why why why watch the UFC when I was already fighting and already doing it on a consistent basis?
8:57
SPEAKER_01: I was a I was fighting once a week in Des Moines for almost two years, right?
9:02
SPEAKER_00: Right.
9:02
SPEAKER_01: So if I if I'm fighting once a week in Des Moines, how many weeks are in the year?
9:06
SPEAKER_01: 52.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, okay.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: Now now it's 52 weeks in the year, and I fought damn near every week of that uh of two years.
9:13
SPEAKER_01: So, how many fights would that be if I if I fought every week for two years?
9:17
SPEAKER_00: 104, my friend.
9:18
SPEAKER_00: That's a lot, that's a lot of fights, bro.
9:19
SPEAKER_01: That's a lot of damn fights.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: I've been fighting since 2002.
9:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, man.
9:24
SPEAKER_00: I I tell you what, like listening to you explain that is very similar.
9:28
SPEAKER_00: You know, I come from the music world and I I played in bands for years, so it's kind of the same journey, or a similar journey, I should say.
9:35
SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh.
9:35
SPEAKER_00: Whereas like I'm playing these little hole-in-the-wall bars, or I'm playing at a Westfair Amphitheater, or you know, somebody's high school Jane gymnasium or whatever, just to get a damn gig, right?
9:47
SPEAKER_01: But but but Mike, you had a what meaning you had the experience of going anywhere, anywhere on that spectrum.
9:53
SPEAKER_01: You could you guys could play in a high school, you could play in an arena, you could play in a uh small bar, you would you was equipped, you guys were equipped to play any place, right?
10:02
SPEAKER_00: Right.
10:02
SPEAKER_00: And that's that's the thing that I talk to when I talk to people about my experiences because I've been out of it for a while.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: Well, when I talk to people about my experiences, I say, you know, I've got all these roads that I've traveled.
10:14
SPEAKER_00: You know, I might not have a lot to show for it after it's been all said and done, but I got stories.
10:21
SPEAKER_01: Stories for days, but but not even just the stories, man.
10:24
SPEAKER_01: You have you have experience you can share with someone else.
10:26
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely.
10:28
SPEAKER_01: And that's why that's why you got the podcast.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
10:32
SPEAKER_00: That's how I ended up doing this shit.
10:34
SPEAKER_00: There you go, man.
10:36
SPEAKER_00: So uh let's talk a little bit about what you did after you've kind of or as you were kind of making your transition out from fighting, uh-huh.
10:46
SPEAKER_00: Like some of the other things that you've got going on, in particular the culture shock school tour.
10:52
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk a little bit about that.
10:54
SPEAKER_01: Well, here's the here's the thing, Mike.
10:55
SPEAKER_01: You know, uh, it wasn't even a transition transition because I was already doing I was doing these things before I even started fighting.
11:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I was already, you know, I was already doing I was already doing graffiti art.
11:06
SPEAKER_01: I was all I know, I was already I was b-boying, I was breakdancing, doing uh production with music, you know, I was doing radio, I was doing, you know, I was promoting um uh you know, I was I was a promoter on the streets, so I was doing I was doing other things other than fighting because well fighting was just one of those things where it was just a it was a hobby to me.
11:26
SPEAKER_01: You know what I'm saying?
11:27
SPEAKER_01: So, but my real job, you know, of course, was what was in radio and uh the first radio station I ever worked for, they were looking for a way to get um integrated into the communities, you know, because they wanted to stamp their brand in the communities.
11:43
SPEAKER_01: And I and I I came up with um a concept of going into the schools and teaching the kids about the hip-hop culture because you know, growing up, the kids know nothing about the culture.
11:54
SPEAKER_01: If you if you ask the kid now, you know, the average kid, uh, what's the difference between uh rap, you know, uh beatboxing or or this and that, they they wouldn't know that it's part of a bigger um culture, which is the hip-hop culture.
12:07
SPEAKER_01: A lot of people say, Well, why do hip-hop?
12:10
SPEAKER_01: There's no way you can do hip-hop, you should be hip-hop because it's the culture.
12:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, and people say, Well, I listen to hip-hop music.
12:17
SPEAKER_01: Well, rap is a culture, an element in the hip-hop.
12:22
SPEAKER_01: So you you you should say, I listen to rap music, or I listened to, yeah, I listen to rap because that's part of culture.
12:29
SPEAKER_01: But um, they asked me to put together a program which I already had been thought about already, and uh, we started executing it, going to the schools and asking the kid, uh the principals if we can um go in and teach the kids about the culture because they knew nothing of it.
12:43
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome, that's amazing.
12:45
SPEAKER_00: Actually, I just shared a news clip from last year um that they did uh about the the culture shock tour.
12:51
SPEAKER_00: And I tell you what, man, watching all those kids get into it, like that's gotta be a reward in and of itself.
12:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, hey, hey, just put it this way if you can if you can uh uh educate and entertain children, you hey, getting in front of adults is nothing.
13:08
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely man, again, even though the kids are more are are amused by a lot of things, if you are boring, they're gonna tell you, and they're gonna show you how boring you are.
13:18
SPEAKER_01: So you gotta you gotta make sure that you you keep their attention and you gotta make sure you're you're excited, right?
13:24
SPEAKER_00: Right.
13:25
SPEAKER_00: And all of these things, all of these things that you've been involved with, they kind of all intertwine with each other, don't they?
13:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they all man, they all intertwine with each other.
13:34
SPEAKER_01: And I've and I've um I've been been doing it, man, from day one.
13:39
SPEAKER_01: From the time I I was uh I listened to rap music up until the time I learned how to dance, up until the time I I learned how to do graffiti art, up until the line time I started, you know, doing production, uh promotion, the production, all that, you know, these these are things I applied myself to over the years, man, because you know I I love the culture that much.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: And and and with that being said, you you have you have if you're enjoying the culture, then you gotta enjoy the uh the people in different other cultures that love the same culture as well.
14:11
SPEAKER_01: So with hip hop, it man, if you if you got all these people who enjoy the same thing, then we're all family, we're all part of the same culture.
14:20
SPEAKER_01: So no matter if you're you're black, white, hispanic, Asian, we're all hey, we're all with hip-hop, we're all part of the same culture, and that's why you know I loved it, man.
14:30
SPEAKER_01: I like well, not loved it, I love the culture itself.
14:33
SPEAKER_00: That's something that kind of exudes itself uh through your social media.
14:37
SPEAKER_00: You know, I you're one of my most favorite social media followers, and I'm gonna get back to that here in the in in the next couple of minutes.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, hey man, hey, don't don't tell the Trump supporters that they think they think they think that I'm they think that I'm bashing Trump the the Trump the Trump uh and I and I don't I don't bash the man.
14:54
SPEAKER_01: You know, I uh what I do is I put out the information and and and see what what what you know where it resonates because you know as a as a grown man with children, I cannot believe some of the things that I see come out of our government.
15:06
SPEAKER_01: Oh you know what I'm saying and it and it starts it starts starts with the leader of the free world, man.
15:12
SPEAKER_01: If you got a you got a man that lies all the time, you wouldn't want your kids to lie all the time.
15:17
SPEAKER_02: Right.
15:18
SPEAKER_01: And if you were a bad husband you who cheated on your wife, you wouldn't want you don't want you won't want that, right?
15:24
SPEAKER_01: You won't you wouldn't want some of the things like that that what that man does.
15:27
SPEAKER_01: So so that's another story, brother.
15:32
SPEAKER_01: But I try I try I never I never put things anything personal out there, right?
15:37
SPEAKER_01: Well, there's there's I stopped doing that a long time ago, but uh yeah, but social media social media is is that social media so for social uh activities.
15:48
SPEAKER_00: There's two things that I've really enjoyed about your social media.
15:51
SPEAKER_00: One uh recently, probably within the past six months or so, you've kind of been throwing up these little biographies of different figures.
16:00
SPEAKER_00: Um a lot, a lot from the hip-hop culture and the extension of hip hop culture.
16:05
SPEAKER_00: But the other thing that you do that I've really enjoyed is your your tagline is always good people in the neighborhood.
16:12
SPEAKER_00: It's just like it's just like a random Joe hanging out working at the convenience store, and you and him, and it's like, man, you are making heroes out of everyday heroes, because I think that's that that's really important, man.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: I I I think I think everyday people tend to be unsung a whole lot, right?
16:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, man, and and and and I get I get this from my coach all the time.
16:36
SPEAKER_01: You know, he's uh you know, he's 70 years old, over 70 years old, and he tells me, hey man, if you want to experience life, just keep living.
16:43
SPEAKER_01: And and if you want to know the the meaning of life, just keep living.
16:47
SPEAKER_01: And and and and the more you you you keep living through life, the more that you you know that the people are mainly good people.
16:55
SPEAKER_01: You know what I'm saying?
16:55
SPEAKER_01: People people are just hey man, we're just living and we're all just trying to to coexist together, and people just want to feel important, man.
17:02
SPEAKER_01: You know, people just want to feel important.
17:04
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, sometimes it's just not about you.
17:06
SPEAKER_01: I don't make anything about, you know, I'm uh I've been blessed and I've been lucky to be in the in the in the situations I've been, but some of it's not luck, some of it's just a lot of old-fashioned hard work, man.
17:17
SPEAKER_01: And if I'm working harder than you, they I can't help that.
17:21
SPEAKER_01: But you know, you you you have to recognize them everyday people, man, when when you're when you're you're out and about.
17:26
SPEAKER_01: And if you got some people that that look up to you, that that's cool, that's cool and all, but I'm looking up to you.
17:31
SPEAKER_01: And and I believe uh there was uh the dancer, the the street dancer, uh Shabado said, I'm uh if you if you respect me, it's because I'm a reflection of you.
17:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's that's how I see that's that's how I see people.
17:45
SPEAKER_01: If you respect me, I'm a reflection of you.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: One of my mentors had a line from me one time, and it says, You are an individual, but so is everybody else.
17:54
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
17:55
SPEAKER_00: And that's how you come to a more common understanding with people, and especially in a year like this, man, because this this year we can we can outline all the the shitty things that have happened in 2020, but like reconnecting on levels like this, even just like you and I having this conversation, might be some of the best things that have happened with 2020.
18:17
SPEAKER_01: Well, I told yeah, well, Mike, I told a friend of mine uh that that what this pandemic, even though it as negative as it has it been, and and and my prayers go out to all the families that lost their loved ones, we've evolved and we've connected in a way to where everyone's on a level playing field now, right?
18:34
SPEAKER_01: You know, even even people on television.
18:36
SPEAKER_01: When you when you when you when they pan to someone that's living at home and you can see what's in their background, you can see their books, you can see their plants, you can see cats in the background scratching their balls or licking their balls, you know what I'm saying?
18:50
SPEAKER_01: It's just funny because it it puts everyone on a level playing field.
18:54
SPEAKER_01: You got your kids in the background, and you know, and and and it just happens organically, you know.
19:01
SPEAKER_01: And it's just it made this this situation, this uh this uh pandemic has made everyone equal on the same and put us all on the same playing field, in so many words.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna give you an opportunity for for two things here.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: I want you to give me one rant about 2020 that's not about politics and not about covet.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: Go.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: One rant, yes, sir.
19:26
SPEAKER_01: Okay, one rant.
19:28
SPEAKER_01: I I have a problem with people uh getting mad over bullshit.
19:32
SPEAKER_01: See, uh, why are you getting mad over toilet paper?
19:35
SPEAKER_01: Right.
19:36
SPEAKER_01: The company's gonna make more toilet paper.
19:38
SPEAKER_01: Why why are people grabbing a ball to toilet paper?
19:42
SPEAKER_01: Okay, why are people getting mad in traffic?
19:45
SPEAKER_01: Why you got why do you have roadways?
19:48
SPEAKER_01: Why?
19:49
SPEAKER_01: You we're we're all we're all going, we're all on the road.
19:52
SPEAKER_01: That's the rant that I what's one of the rants that I would have other than COVID over other than politics, it would be why are people so angry towards each other?
20:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, why?
20:01
SPEAKER_01: You know, it is and it I we probably ever never know, but why are people so angry at each other?
20:08
SPEAKER_01: That's crazy.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree, I agree.
20:11
SPEAKER_00: So on the flip side of that, what's one good thing about 2020?
20:16
SPEAKER_00: What is the best thing about 2020?
20:18
SPEAKER_01: People connecting with each other on on platforms like this, you know, to where to where it's almost like Messenger and Zoom and all these different uh uh platforms knew something like this could happen.
20:30
SPEAKER_01: So you know, we're all connecting in ways like this, you know, where to where we're up close and personal now, you know.
20:37
SPEAKER_01: Uh I just uh I just spoke to uh again, Michael Jai White, who played Spawn, who played the character, who played the character in um Batman movie.
20:46
SPEAKER_01: You know, this is this is one of the guys I've I looked up to, you know, coming coming into the game.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: And and and this, you know, you when you were we're connecting like that, that's that's real big to me, you know?
20:56
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
20:57
SPEAKER_00: I I wholeheartedly agree.
20:59
SPEAKER_00: Wholeheartedly agree.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: Connection and connect.
21:02
SPEAKER_01: We're more intimate now.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: We have to be.
21:05
SPEAKER_00: We have to be.
21:06
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely we do.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: So changing course here a little bit.
21:10
SPEAKER_00: Yep, you just spent some time in Fort Polk, yep, Louisiana.
21:15
SPEAKER_00: Oh man, how was that?
21:17
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, hey, shout out to uh uh the chat, all the chaplains out there who brought who brought us all out there, chaplain Marr, uh Chapman Pierce, all those shouts out to all those guys out there who got us down and to uh to make sure we we uplifted the the the troops a little bit.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: But it was cool, man.
21:33
SPEAKER_01: We had uh I believe we had a little bit over 800 uh soldiers, man, that that that uh Ryan uh with Ryan Ryan and um and Jeremy Horn.
21:44
SPEAKER_01: Uh we we we went down there just to show these guys uh how to protect themselves or or or how to get in contact, man.
21:54
SPEAKER_01: So physical contact.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: Right.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: So it was almost it was it was us going down.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Let me bring it back a little bit.
22:01
SPEAKER_01: Let me let me get my thought together.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: We went down to Fort Park to train soldiers uh and and and how to quickly uh resolve a situation through MMA.
22:12
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
22:13
SPEAKER_01: You know, and and and and and we just we some of the things that we showed them, it was a lot of soldiers that that really relate related to them, man.
22:21
SPEAKER_01: And we had we have people from the the smallest to the biggest uh were very happy we came down.
22:28
SPEAKER_00: Well, and that's the thing about MMA, uh jujitsu in particular, it's like it's it's proof that you know a lot of times it's it's not necessarily strength, but it's technique, and yeah, and and like if you can get your technique lined up correctly, then the rest is gravy, right?
22:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, well, here's the thing though, there's another flip side of that coin.
22:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
22:53
SPEAKER_01: Uh again, Jerry, we had Jerry Jeremy Horn, Ryan Jensen, and myself, and and I forgot the the other young man's name, and I'll hit he probably killed me if you saw this podcast.
23:04
SPEAKER_01: But it was all of us who went down there uh to uh to to to train the soldiers.
23:09
SPEAKER_01: And and what you said, jujitsu is a very technical element uh of the MMA, but size matters.
23:19
SPEAKER_01: You're not gonna be five, you're not gonna be a five foot one guy, uh trying to choke out some six foot nine guy.
23:26
SPEAKER_01: Size matters, man.
23:27
SPEAKER_01: So so that let that let that be known to all you guys out there trying to, hey, I know jujitsu now, and you're you're a little small person trying to trying to go up against somebody six nine.
23:38
SPEAKER_01: So it's just not sometimes just good just to walk away.
23:41
SPEAKER_01: I'm glad I threw this question at you like your jujitsu, your jujitsu is not gonna work if you're a small guy up against a big guy.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm glad I'm glad you answered like that because I took your stance against a jujitsu instructor.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, well, size does matter, strength does matter, because you could always fight dirty, you know.
24:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
24:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're always hey, because hey, when you're when you're fighting, if you're fighting on the streets, nobody's nobody's fighting by the rules.
24:11
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna tell you what it what's the good equalizer, though, these hands.
24:14
SPEAKER_01: These hands are hey, you you smack somebody in the mouth, you say that's that's the that's the great equalizer.
24:21
SPEAKER_00: Oh man, oh man.
24:23
SPEAKER_00: So right now, of all the things you got going, I don't know how you find time in the day.
24:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, man, man.
24:32
SPEAKER_01: Hey, it's it's it's a military style, brother.
24:34
SPEAKER_01: You gotta hey, you from the time I get up, from the time I go to bed, man.
24:38
SPEAKER_01: There's always it's always structure.
24:39
SPEAKER_01: You gotta structure yourself.
24:40
SPEAKER_00: Well, hey, I'm I'm glad you brought that up.
24:42
SPEAKER_00: Um, what's what's your training routine like?
24:45
SPEAKER_00: Because you're still getting after it every day, right?
24:47
SPEAKER_01: Every every morning I get up at six o'clock or or at least by five, and you know, I'm headed to the gym by the time.
24:54
SPEAKER_01: And and and right now, instead of you know, if if I wasn't doing your podcast, I'll be going to B, I'll be going to Bud Crawford's gym to spar with some of the guys over there.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: Okay, you know, it may I find time to get it in, I find time to keep uh my my skill skill set sharp.
25:10
SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, I I I it may is just making time to do so.
25:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, and if you if you can make time, if you if it's important to you, you'll make time for it.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: When things started shutting down in early March and the gym started closing, did that impact your training schedule at all?
25:26
SPEAKER_00: Oh no, oh no.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: You know why?
25:28
SPEAKER_01: I got I got I got equipment here.
25:30
SPEAKER_01: I got treadmills here, I got I got the the bike machine, I got you know, I got I got equipment here because I kind of if I don't need to be, I don't need to go to gym.
25:40
SPEAKER_01: I go to the gym because you know because it's convenient, right?
25:42
SPEAKER_01: But I got all the things I need here.
25:45
SPEAKER_01: Adapt and overcome, right?
25:46
SPEAKER_01: Adapt and overcome, brother.
25:49
SPEAKER_00: That's it.
25:50
SPEAKER_00: Cool, cool.
25:51
SPEAKER_00: If you were to pick a an era of hip hop that's your personal favorite, something you like more just just really sunk in with you.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: What's your favorite era of hip-hop?
26:04
SPEAKER_00: You know what?
26:04
SPEAKER_01: My man, that's that's uh I know.
26:07
SPEAKER_01: I think um, let me know.
26:08
SPEAKER_01: Hey, my my my favorite era would probably be man.
26:13
SPEAKER_01: You know, of course it had to be the golden age of the 90s.
26:16
SPEAKER_01: You know, that that would probably be you know, the probably be tops because there were so many groups coming out, there were so many different styles, and I think everyone was was finding by by the 90s, by the mid-90s, everyone was finding their way with production, with lyrics, everyone was trying to be original.
26:36
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, the that's when that to me, that's when uh hip-hop or the culture itself was at its peak, and rap music was at its peak because everyone tried to be different, and everyone sounded different, and everyone sounded good.
26:49
SPEAKER_01: But if it wasn't for the era between '87 and 1990, that era where where you know the the it kind of catapult everything.
27:00
SPEAKER_01: You had the kitten plays, you had the the the KS1s, you had the the Rockam, you you had that era that really kind of set it off.
27:08
SPEAKER_01: You know, they they they they were just radio enough, but they were just street enough.
27:13
SPEAKER_01: But it, you know, that that era is is is is still knocking at the door being one of my favorite, but but but the 90s, mid-90s is probably the better, better of the era.
27:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's I I always find myself going back to the 90s stuff.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: I've I've been trying to to embrace some of the new artists out there.
27:30
SPEAKER_00: I admittedly, I just can't.
27:32
SPEAKER_00: I just can't.
27:33
SPEAKER_00: Who do I need to be listening to right now, Houston?
27:36
SPEAKER_00: Who do you need to be listening to right now?
27:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
27:38
SPEAKER_01: Oh man, that's that's that's a that's a tough one.
27:40
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know what?
27:42
SPEAKER_01: I like Nipsey.
27:43
SPEAKER_01: Nipsey Huss?
27:44
SPEAKER_01: I like Nipsey.
27:45
SPEAKER_01: I like Nipsey, you know, you know, and and see here's the thing.
27:49
SPEAKER_01: You know, me playing independent music uh on on uh the the radio state at the radio station.
27:54
SPEAKER_01: Uh Nipsey was one of the artists I knew was was was a good artist.
27:58
SPEAKER_01: I play I played a lot of Nipsey's music because he again he was a mixture uh of of uh like game, like the like the the artist, the game.
28:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, game is uh he's he's a good mixture of West Coast and East Coast.
28:13
SPEAKER_01: And uh Nipsey Hustle is the same for this generation of uh of artists.
28:18
SPEAKER_01: Nipsey, I I like I like Nipsey's hustle's uh message.
28:21
SPEAKER_01: I you know, I like I like his flow and I like his uh choice of music.
28:25
SPEAKER_01: So I if if if I had to choose from this day uh days uh artists would probably be Nipsey for me.
28:33
SPEAKER_00: So in the same line of of thinking, yeah.
28:36
SPEAKER_00: Who who are some new fighters we should be keeping our eyes on?
28:39
SPEAKER_00: And I know you got a few because you and I talked on the phone the other night.
28:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I like that.
28:44
SPEAKER_01: I like the I like the style bender.
28:46
SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, I like the I like the style bender.
28:49
SPEAKER_01: I like I like I like Kabib.
28:51
SPEAKER_01: Hey, Kabib is a monster, man.
28:53
SPEAKER_01: I he's a monster.
28:54
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, I like I like Drew Dober, obviously, because he's from the area.
28:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's on like a what a four or five five winning streak.
29:03
SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir.
29:03
SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir.
29:04
SPEAKER_01: I I like Anthony Smith.
29:06
SPEAKER_01: He he just showed people last month that he you know that he he's still he's still in there as far as contending.
29:13
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of uh guys out here.
29:15
SPEAKER_01: What was the uh what's the other gentleman?
29:17
SPEAKER_01: Uh and I I keep uh uh missing his name, the uh that need the wrestler a couple a couple years ago, about a year ago.
29:24
SPEAKER_00: Jorge Masvidal.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: I like Masvedal.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: I like him.
29:27
SPEAKER_01: You know, he trained, he you know, I I saw videos with him uh fighting with Kimbo.
29:31
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
29:32
SPEAKER_01: You know, he they were in the backyard.
29:34
SPEAKER_01: So that was that was real cool to see.
29:36
SPEAKER_01: I like I like him.
29:38
SPEAKER_01: You know, there's a there's a few guys I like, but those are uh those are some of the guys I like.
29:42
SPEAKER_01: I know I of course of course you gotta uh you gotta like Jones.
29:46
SPEAKER_00: You can like Jones.
29:51
SPEAKER_00: Um but who are who are some who are you back it back it up, Mike?
29:55
SPEAKER_00: What'd you say?
29:55
SPEAKER_01: What'd you say?
29:56
SPEAKER_01: I said you can like Jones.
29:58
SPEAKER_01: Like no, yeah, you no, you you got but but see here uh see bones Jones, man, he he's a he he's probably one of the better athletes, but I think I think again life life choices kind of kind of had him go left field, but but you said hey, you you still gotta respect this man's ability.
30:14
SPEAKER_01: Oh, absolutely, you know, and and and I know this, I know this guy personally, I know a few of those guys still personally, you know?
30:21
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure.
30:25
SPEAKER_01: And one of my favorite before before Rashad uh retired, I was I loved with watching him, Rashad Evans.
30:32
SPEAKER_00: So who are some up-and-comers, like some unsigned talent that we should be watching out for?
30:37
SPEAKER_01: Oh man, uh, you have uh well, I'm working with uh Ellie Grant, she's a boxer, and and uh she hits really hard, Mike.
30:47
SPEAKER_01: She hit me one time she hit me.
30:49
SPEAKER_01: I you know, I got mad because she hit me so hard.
30:51
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, hold up, uh, we're supposed to be sparring, not fighting.
30:54
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, but that's she's one of the people that I'm I'm working with that's up and coming.
31:00
SPEAKER_01: And uh Ron Coleman Jr.
31:03
SPEAKER_01: is another he's doing MMA, but he's probably physically probably one of the strongest guys I've ever uh even sparred with or or wrestled with.
31:11
SPEAKER_01: And matter of fact, Ron was one of the first guys who trained with me when uh we were we were training for for UFC 71.
31:19
SPEAKER_01: Oh wow, that's awesome.
31:21
SPEAKER_01: Ron was 16 at the time, so that's how much of a monster he is.
31:25
SPEAKER_01: He's about 28 right now, and he's just now getting his feet wet with MMA, which I told him back then to get involved with it.
31:32
SPEAKER_01: But he was a he was a a four four-time heavyweight state uh champion in wrestling here in uh in Omaha in the state of Nebraska.
31:41
SPEAKER_01: He was the he was uh the only heavyweight to do that.
31:44
SPEAKER_01: So is he still fighting in heavyweight?
31:46
SPEAKER_01: No, he's he's fighting at heavyweight, so he you know, he's a good, he's probably good 240, but that but but he's again, I don't I don't know anyone stronger than Ron.
31:54
SPEAKER_01: And uh and and we're working with him, and he's a he hopefully we can get them, get him, get them on the podcast because hey, though those guys have you we've got to catch them before they start flourishing, you know.
32:05
SPEAKER_01: But those are the two people that I'm working with right now that are really good.
32:09
SPEAKER_00: Well, well, you know, you know they have an open invitation with me, my friend.
32:12
SPEAKER_00: Of course, get them more.
32:14
SPEAKER_00: We'll get them.
32:15
SPEAKER_00: Um moving into the new year.
32:17
SPEAKER_00: We're sitting in the holiday season, we're about to start a new year.
32:21
SPEAKER_00: What's your message after we turn the new year?
32:25
SPEAKER_00: Where are we headed for this next year?
32:27
SPEAKER_01: Hey, let's start over, you know, and let's let's uh let's uh let's push the restart button and let's start treating people with respect.
32:34
SPEAKER_01: Let's start let's start um you know then treating people as human beings.
32:39
SPEAKER_01: I know and and I know this the these past you know couple of years have been really real trying because you know there's been a lot of lying, a lot of misinformation.
32:48
SPEAKER_01: There's been a lot of uh just just uh just wrong being done to a lot of people, you know what I'm saying?
32:53
SPEAKER_01: No matter what uh walk of life, life you're from, let's let's let's just put push the re uh restart button and let's start treating people with respect.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: You know, I know uh the the the internet is one of those places where where where people can pretend to be someone else, but when what when you get off the internet, which I would which I call the internet the matrix, when you get off the internet, you have to deal with people on a one-on-one base.
33:20
SPEAKER_01: So either you learn to uh respect the next person or or you're gonna always be uh locked in the matrix trying to be something you're not.
33:29
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so one thing I would love for people to do is read let's let's let's push the restart button and let's start respecting each other.
33:36
SPEAKER_00: I wholeheartedly agree.
33:38
SPEAKER_00: I couldn't agree more, man.
33:39
SPEAKER_01: Like that's all hey man, you don't have to like me, but you're gonna respect me.
33:43
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely half the time I don't like you, Mike, but I respect you.
33:51
SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
33:52
SPEAKER_01: Oh man, hey man.
33:56
SPEAKER_00: No, no, for real.
33:57
SPEAKER_00: Like, I was just thinking about that today.
33:59
SPEAKER_00: It's like, how do we get out of this mess?
34:01
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's just figuring out a way to uh be a little bit more understanding and compassionate of people in embracing our differences instead of criticizing our differences.
34:13
SPEAKER_01: But Mike, it starts with respect.
34:15
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I agree.
34:16
SPEAKER_01: Respect me, I respect you, I respect your culture, you respect mine, you respect my space, I respect you.
34:23
SPEAKER_01: You know, it man, and I think respect is a big factor in all of this, you know.
34:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's all.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and and honestly, uh, going back to the start of the podcast, this is yeah, that is one of my favorite things about you, Houston, is you know, I sent you a message to get you on the show, and I'm like, you know, you'll we've run into each other over the years, and you know, just brush past each other.
34:46
SPEAKER_00: And I said, you know, I've always been a fan of you, and you said to me, friend, Mike, not fan, until you put it on.
34:52
SPEAKER_01: We don't man, we're we're past we're past the fan thing.
34:54
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, and once we say, once we say, Hey man, once we know each other, brother, hey, that unless you show me something different, hey man, we're we're we're friends up until that point, you know.
35:03
SPEAKER_00: I love it, I love it.
35:05
SPEAKER_00: Houston, you are a good man, you are one of my favorite people.
35:08
SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much for doing the podcast.
35:10
SPEAKER_00: I really appreciate you doing it, taking time out of your afternoon, missing out on a training session at Bud Crawford's gym.
35:17
SPEAKER_00: Hey, man, hang out with this story.
35:20
SPEAKER_01: I can still make it, Mike.
35:21
SPEAKER_01: I probably can still come back.
35:22
SPEAKER_01: I got my bag ready, man.
35:23
SPEAKER_01: I can still make it.
35:24
SPEAKER_01: Well, hey man, thank you very much.
35:26
SPEAKER_01: It's been a great honor talking with you, my friend.
35:28
SPEAKER_01: Hey, man, Mike, I appreciate it, brother.
35:30
SPEAKER_01: No, it's been an honor for me, man.
35:31
SPEAKER_01: And hopefully your podcast does well.
35:33
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and and if we can get people to go check out our podcast, uh, the Elements Live, uh, which you know it's on all the uh the the uh uh different platforms.
35:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh, check out the Houston Alexander Foundation.
35:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we're doing a lot for the kids and a lot uh for the people in the community.
35:49
SPEAKER_01: And uh just check out all my social media sites under Houston Alexander and we can go from there.
35:54
SPEAKER_00: And those of you that are listening to this podcast, I will be posting links on the caught on the mic Facebook page uh to all of Houston's uh different ventures.
36:04
SPEAKER_00: And please give them a like, share, follow, check out Elements Live.
36:08
SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to see what happens with that podcast.
36:11
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, hey, hey, we got we got a matter of fact, I'm gonna tell you on your podcast is the I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm telling you how we're starting our year off.
36:21
SPEAKER_01: We are going to interview Chuck Lidell.
36:26
SPEAKER_01: Oh, no way, you're starting up, man.
36:29
SPEAKER_01: We're starting off the air, man.
36:30
SPEAKER_01: We're starting off the year interviewing Chuck Lidell.
36:33
SPEAKER_00: Oh shit.
36:34
SPEAKER_01: We got man, we got confirmation.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: I got confirmation last night.
36:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh that uh Chuck Liddell is gonna be our first uh interview starting off the new year.
36:44
SPEAKER_00: You you might have to zoom in, a brother, on that call.
36:47
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, hey, that hey man, that's crazy.
36:50
SPEAKER_01: It's it's gonna be it's gonna be crazy because how many interviews have you seen with Chuck Liddell?
36:54
SPEAKER_01: Very few, and and they're brief, very, very, very few, man.
36:58
SPEAKER_01: And and I had to pull my my fighter card out and ask and ask him to do it.
37:02
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, hey man, can you do this for us?
37:04
SPEAKER_01: He's like, Man, no problem.
37:06
SPEAKER_01: Hey man, and he's so laid, he's so laid back, you know.
37:09
SPEAKER_01: He's a California guy, so he's he's laid back.
37:11
SPEAKER_01: He's like, Man, sure, I'll do it.
37:13
SPEAKER_01: I was like, wow, that easy.
37:16
SPEAKER_01: That easy, well, but but but see, but maybe, maybe you know that that's the that's the fighter thing coming out.
37:22
SPEAKER_01: So that's cool, man.
37:24
SPEAKER_01: That but it's it's uh we'll hopefully we will have a lot of good things happen for our podcast this year, man.
37:30
SPEAKER_01: And hopefully we can share that information so we can see ask them, ask these people if they can do yours.
37:36
SPEAKER_00: Man, we we will we will collaborate as much as we possibly can.
37:39
SPEAKER_00: That's okay, man.
37:40
SPEAKER_00: Let's do it.
37:41
SPEAKER_00: That's what it's all about.
37:41
SPEAKER_00: That's that's the name of the game.
37:44
SPEAKER_01: That's what this year has done, is put everybody on the on the same playing field.
37:48
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and maybe maybe that's our theme for 2021.
37:51
SPEAKER_00: It's all about collaboration and love and respect for everybody around you.
37:55
SPEAKER_01: That is that's it.
37:56
SPEAKER_01: That's it.
37:57
SPEAKER_01: Let's push the restart button right now, yes, sir.
38:01
SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much, Houston.
38:03
SPEAKER_01: We just do it, we just do it.
38:05
SPEAKER_00: You know it, you know it.
38:07
SPEAKER_00: All right, man.
38:07
SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
38:09
SPEAKER_00: Talk about fantastic birthday surprises and a way to cap off 2020.
38:14
SPEAKER_00: This was episode 10, everybody.
38:17
SPEAKER_00: What a milestone, and thank you very much to my friend Houston Alexander for doing the show.
38:22
SPEAKER_00: This was also the first time I've ever recorded an episode using Zoom, something I'm probably going to be doing more regularly moving forward.
38:31
SPEAKER_00: I posted a video on the Caught on the Mic Facebook page and Instagram page that explain that.
38:37
SPEAKER_00: If you haven't watched them, watch them as soon as you can.
38:41
SPEAKER_00: There will be more videos to come.
38:43
SPEAKER_00: If you have a few moments, go to the Apple Podcast app, give us a five-star rating so we move to the top of the Apple search engine.
38:51
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate your support so far for 2020, but there's a lot of cool things in the works for 2021.
38:59
SPEAKER_00: This has been Caught on the Mike with Michael Clark.
39:04
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, next year.
39:07
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.