Latest / Caught on the Mike... / UFC Flyweight JJ Aldrich

Transcript

UFC Flyweight JJ Aldrich · Caught on the Mike...

0:00
SPEAKER_00: Disclaimer, the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
0:11
SPEAKER_00: Listener discretion is advised.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: A professional fighter since 2014, Colorado native J.J.
0:32
SPEAKER_00: Aldred, has already crafted its story's legacy in the top yard with an equally impressive personal factstory about overcoming adversity, propelling herself as a known figure in UFC's supplyweight division.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: She trains with our friends and elevation fight team at high-altitude martial arts in Aurora, Colorado, and makes her next appearance with UFC on August 26, 2023, in Singapore for first time in Southeast Asia.
1:02
SPEAKER_00: She and I have been playing cat and mouth since March, so I am super excited to finally have JJ Aldrich on this episode of the show.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mic.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: So I gotta talk a little bit about a circle of coincidences.
1:24
SPEAKER_00: Last week I'm recording a podcast with Chepe Machine Gun Marisca.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: I get done recording, I get on Instagram, and I have been texting back and forth with my next guest since I think March this last year, trying to figure out something that can work.
1:42
SPEAKER_00: And I the first thing I see on Instagram is a picture of Claire Guthrie with a bloody nose and a bloody mouth.
1:50
SPEAKER_00: And she says, JJ Aldrich gave me two of these things.
1:54
SPEAKER_00: And I said, that was too coincidental that I talk with Cheppe, and then I see some damage done by JJ.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: JJ, how the heck are you?
2:05
SPEAKER_01: I'm doing great.
2:06
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
2:07
SPEAKER_01: How are you?
2:08
SPEAKER_00: Good, good.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: It has been a busy week for you, it looks like.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: I saw a little bit of fun going down at high altitude martial arts from your last Instagram post.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: How did you spend the day today?
2:22
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, today I was uh at the gym training, like always.
2:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh I was actually out of town for a little bit in Poland, and so as soon as I got back next day, I was hitting the ground running, uh fight camp right away.
2:35
SPEAKER_01: So just in the gym working.
2:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh all work and no play, right?
2:41
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
2:41
SPEAKER_01: Well, thankfully my work is kind of play, so it's alright.
2:46
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
2:48
SPEAKER_00: So without further ado, you've got you've had quite an extensive fight career.
2:54
SPEAKER_00: Anybody that is no stranger to the fight game knows that you've been in it for quite a while.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: Um, but maybe they don't know who you are personally.
3:07
SPEAKER_00: So why don't you introduce yourself and let's talk a little bit about your origin story?
3:11
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
3:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, I was born in Denver, Colorado.
3:14
SPEAKER_01: So I was actually born and raised here.
3:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, I started doing my mom put me and my older sister in Taekwondo when we were little because my sister is getting bullied.
3:24
SPEAKER_01: Uh so she enrolled us at a recreation center and I fell in love with it right away.
3:29
SPEAKER_01: I just love feeling like a ninja.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: Uh it was just fun.
3:33
SPEAKER_01: Um, so I never really like, I don't know, as a kid, you're never like really thinking where can this take me.
3:40
SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, I just enjoyed doing it.
3:42
SPEAKER_01: I do tournaments all the time.
3:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then I started doing a little bit of jujitsu and like the karate tournaments I was doing, not like good jujitsu, but I was trying it.
3:55
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then one uh another taekwondo school, I I I did a lot of uh kids classes, so I taught a lot of kids, and another uh taekwondo school is having issues like they needed help teaching their kids.
4:11
SPEAKER_01: And they asked me if I would go and help.
4:13
SPEAKER_01: So I went there and helped them with their kids' class, and right after their taekwondo program, they had an MMA class.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: And uh so they're like, hey, we could like trade off, you can come help teach us, you can stay for our MMA program.
4:25
SPEAKER_01: I was like, sure, sounds fun.
4:27
SPEAKER_01: Uh so I started doing that in training, and then they asked me if I would do a movie type fight.
4:31
SPEAKER_01: I was like, Yes.
4:33
SPEAKER_01: I had no idea how to box at all, uh just kick.
4:36
SPEAKER_01: So like my first three movie type fights were all just me like doing spinning back kicks and spinning back fish, and it was a mess.
4:43
SPEAKER_01: But um, I did I did a few of those, and then they called me on like a three-day notice, and they're like, hey, you want to go to Wyoming and do an MMA fight?
4:52
SPEAKER_01: And at the time I was only 17, and you're not allowed to fight in Colorado until you're 18.
4:58
SPEAKER_01: So I was like, Yeah, sure.
4:59
SPEAKER_01: So we drove, it was like a two-hour drive, and uh we drove to Wyoming, and I had my first MMA fight, and I fell in love with it and just been fighting since then.
5:09
SPEAKER_01: Uh I was 17, I'm 30 now, so a long time.
5:14
SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: Because you had your black belt in Taekwondo by the time you were 13, right?
5:19
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think I was 13 or 14, yeah.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
5:22
SPEAKER_01: I mean, a black uh black belt in Taekwondo, I don't feel like it's the same as like in Chi J Super.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: Right, right, yeah, for sure.
5:27
SPEAKER_01: I started when I was young for sure.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: For sure.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: Did your sister stick with it at all?
5:31
SPEAKER_01: She got all the way the belt right before her black belt, and then uh she started, she was a little bit older than me, so I don't like she was going through her teenage years as we started, and she it was not for her.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, that is so funny.
5:46
SPEAKER_00: Both of my kids are in Taekwondo right now, right?
5:49
SPEAKER_00: So I've got a son that's 14, and I've got a daughter that's 16.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: My 14-year-old son started before my daughter, and he's all in.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: He absolutely loves it.
5:59
SPEAKER_00: My 16-year-old daughter absolutely hates it.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: She's a musician, she'd rather be doing music.
6:05
SPEAKER_00: But the thing is, she's so naturally good at it, it almost pisses her off because she's always getting golds at tournaments and and like you know, and and she's she's lanky, so she can manage distance really good and fire off a couple of kicks while her opponent's still just reacting.
6:23
SPEAKER_00: So it's that's awesome.
6:25
SPEAKER_00: When I hear about siblings doing martial arts together, it always piques my interest a little bit because I always think back to how my own kids react to martial arts.
6:35
SPEAKER_01: I always think like even if you don't like it, I feel like all kids should at least know how to do it.
6:40
SPEAKER_01: Yes!
6:41
SPEAKER_00: Yes, there's so much discipline involved with it that you don't get from the real world without that structure for sure.
6:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, definitely.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: With the amount of time that you've been training MMA and in martial arts in general, you've lived in Denver pretty much the whole time.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: What's it been like for you when somebody comes to Colorado from out of state?
7:05
SPEAKER_00: I have to know, is there an adjustment period for people that aren't used to the elevation as far as how they perform in the gym?
7:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it's hard to say, like, because I have lived here my whole life, have only ever trained here.
7:22
SPEAKER_01: So there obviously has to be something.
7:25
SPEAKER_01: Um, but I also don't know how much of it's in like in their head because they're told how much it's gonna suck and how hard it's gonna be from day one so they get here, and it's like not only is it a new gym, new environment, and stuff like that, but then you're like, oh no, it's altitude.
7:39
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna gas so hard.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: So there is definitely an element for sure.
7:44
SPEAKER_01: Uh, but I think some people maybe make it more of a thing.
7:48
SPEAKER_01: I know some people leave Colorado for like a week and come back and be like, oh, I gotta get adjusted to the elevation.
7:53
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, no, dude.
7:54
SPEAKER_01: We train here all the time.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: You're fine.
7:58
SPEAKER_01: You're not gonna lose it in a week.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: So, who are you some of your favorite people to train with on a daily basis?
8:05
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I love all my teammates.
8:07
SPEAKER_01: I've honestly been so, so blessed with like having great teammates my whole career.
8:12
SPEAKER_01: Um, Claire, Kat, Carson, just everybody on the team.
8:17
SPEAKER_01: I just adore.
8:18
SPEAKER_01: They're they're great people to be around and and really good training partners.
8:22
SPEAKER_01: But like uh, we have a good team as far as you know, there's not uh girls are girls, so there's always gonna be, you know what I mean?
8:30
SPEAKER_01: But uh no, everyone's really great, and and we communicate really well if there is a problem.
8:38
SPEAKER_01: So I love training with all of them technically and just as people.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, that's something that I point out anytime I have somebody from the team on my show, is just the culture that you feel in that room and with this specific group of people, it's unlike anywhere else, it is sincerely like a family.
9:02
SPEAKER_00: Have you experienced another outside of you know, Elevation Fight Team that maybe hasn't been as collaborative?
9:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh no, actually, elevation's like my first major gym I've been a part of.
9:16
SPEAKER_01: So uh before I was training at a jiu-jitsu gym, and it wasn't really a fight gym, we had fighters, but it was like me and Rose, and like so we had really top-level fighters, but it wasn't really a fight gym.
9:27
SPEAKER_01: So Elevation is like the first fight gym I've been a part of, and I think I'm pretty lucky because I've heard like horror stories of other girls come in and be like, oh my gosh, this school's so clicky.
9:40
SPEAKER_01: Um, and just I mean, not even the girl part, just other gyms that are just, you know, doesn't sound fun.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: So, but I think uh our gym, the higher up people like Corey and and stuff like that, they do a really good job of setting the example, and then everyone just kind of falls suit behind that.
9:58
SPEAKER_01: It's hard to to have a big personality or be a an a-hole if uh the the people at the very top aren't acting like that.
10:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: I it was almost exactly a year ago, this last week, that I stopped in to high altitude and I got to watch sparring for an afternoon.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: True story, there was only two people that I didn't meet that were there that day, and it was you and Laura Murphy.
10:26
SPEAKER_00: It was her last day, it was her last day of camp right before the Misha Tate fight, and I told her that when I had her on the podcast.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: I was like, damn it, damn it, and but but everything just happened so fast, but and I've talked about it endlessly on this show.
10:44
SPEAKER_00: Is I had neck pain when I left because I was whipping my head around so much because it was a who's who of Bellator, of the UFC, of all the major fight organizations, and a lot of up and comers.
10:57
SPEAKER_00: You know, I was super excited to get to talk to Chepe because I think his path to the UFC is really interesting, and everybody said, gosh, he should have been there a long time ago.
11:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
11:11
SPEAKER_00: As somebody that's a seasoned veteran, because you've been signed to the UFC since 2016.
11:17
SPEAKER_00: What are some of the biggest changes that you've noticed since you've been a part of the organization?
11:23
SPEAKER_01: Ooh, um I think the Apex definitely has been way different.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think my last four out of five fights are at the apex.
11:34
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
11:35
SPEAKER_01: Um I've always been a part of either Reebok or the Venom, so that was always kind of I never had like the sponsorship part, um, but I've heard a lot of people say that was a big change for them.
11:48
SPEAKER_01: Um I don't I don't really think too much has changed besides like maybe the apex and going from Reebok to Venom, but that was pretty similar, it's just different stuff in the bag.
11:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:59
SPEAKER_01: Uh but other than that, it's been pretty pretty much the same.
12:03
SPEAKER_01: Fight week is always pretty similar.
12:06
SPEAKER_01: Um even the employees are pretty pretty much the same since I started.
12:11
SPEAKER_00: So right, right.
12:12
SPEAKER_00: But do you feel that the culture of MMA has changed a lot over the course of the past seven years from somebody that's on the outside looking in?
12:21
SPEAKER_00: It feels like public perception has definitely changed for the better.
12:24
SPEAKER_00: Is that something you notice as well or experience as a fighter yourself?
12:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
12:30
SPEAKER_01: I feel like the sport's grown.
12:32
SPEAKER_01: Just I mean, it's the fastest growing sport there is, but even just the past seven years, uh, there's fights like almost every single weekend compared to before.
12:41
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, maybe two two a month.
12:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh I think the rosters have grown so much.
12:46
SPEAKER_01: There's more weight divisions.
12:47
SPEAKER_01: When I first started, I was a 115er because it was 115 or 135.
12:52
SPEAKER_01: Um, so they added another division.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: So definitely a lot more talent.
12:57
SPEAKER_01: Um, people coming up from other countries, you know, just because it's slowly grown over there in like Brazil, China, stuff like that.
13:07
SPEAKER_01: So slowly building up.
13:09
SPEAKER_01: And um, yeah, it's been great.
13:11
SPEAKER_01: I I also feel like uh for the most part, I've gotten a lot more notice for my fights.
13:17
SPEAKER_01: I think not this fight I have coming up, but the fight before that.
13:20
SPEAKER_01: They call me for like 15-week notice.
13:23
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
13:23
SPEAKER_01: But I think they're just like filling the cards faster because they have so many athletes now and so many fight cards that they have to have them so far out in advance.
13:32
SPEAKER_01: So I mean there I guess there has been some changes, but as far as like fight week stuff, it's been pretty similar.
13:39
SPEAKER_00: You know, you mentioned the apex uh a few moments ago, and I've often wondered when things were gonna start moving away from the apex and it was going to go back to being a touring promotion again.
13:53
SPEAKER_00: Because I live in Lincoln, Nebraska, and I kid you not, we had a fight slated, like I think it was April 20th of 2020.
14:04
SPEAKER_00: And what happened?
14:08
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, and and in a roundabout way, with as much as the sport is growing and as much as the organization is going, you would hope that it would get back on the road.
14:20
SPEAKER_00: What's the difference for you in fighting at the apex versus fighting in front of a crowd?
14:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm definitely thankful that I've had both the experiences, the big arena, I've been on a pay-per-view, like stuff like that.
14:36
SPEAKER_01: But it's also been cool to have like a more intimate environment with your coaches, stuff like that.
14:41
SPEAKER_01: So I'm definitely thankful to have both.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: I guess the apex isn't as big of a pro I don't want to say problem, but as more as like I just hate Vegas.
14:52
SPEAKER_01: Like I'm over Las Vegas, it's hot.
14:55
SPEAKER_01: There's like your fight week, it's not like you're out partying, you know.
14:59
SPEAKER_01: Like it's not the prettiest city, in my opinion.
15:03
SPEAKER_01: So I guess just more Vegas.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: I'm over Las Vegas, um, and going there.
15:08
SPEAKER_01: Like part of fighting for me has always been the fun of going on adventures and traveling the world doing what you love.
15:15
SPEAKER_01: So I don't love going to Las Vegas.
15:17
SPEAKER_00: I think maybe I'm out of line here, but I think speaking to part of that is the fact that you're closer to 31 now than you were than you are 21.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, you you you have you have different sense of life experiences and things that you appreciate now than what you probably did when you were a little bit younger.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: Speaking of that, what are some things that you do to unplug yourself from the fight game outside of it?
15:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I I definitely try to stay off my phone a lot.
15:52
SPEAKER_01: I that's probably why I suck at returning people's text messages.
15:58
SPEAKER_01: I procrastinate, I procrastinate so bad with that, but yeah, I try to stay off my phone a lot and just either watch a TV show or movies or I'll read books.
16:08
SPEAKER_01: Um just hang out with my family.
16:11
SPEAKER_01: You know, I think it's important to have a good balance of life and fight life.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, especially when you have the longer fight camps, but the shorter fight camp I'm excited for because just hit the ground running, hit it hard for a short amount of time and and ready to go.
16:29
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
16:30
SPEAKER_00: So you said you just got back from Poland.
16:32
SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about what you did there and what was the purpose of you going over there.
16:38
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so a company hit me up uh through a friend of mine who fights also, and they asked me if I would go and do a it's like a military tour.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: So we went to Poland, we flew from Denver to Germany to Poland, and we visited, I believe, eight bases in Poland.
16:56
SPEAKER_01: Oh wow, and um yeah, the army bases, and we just hung out with the the army guys and we ate lunch with them, did like meet and greets and autographs, and it was MMA, so it was two MMA fighters, two vol professional volleyball players, and two uh soccer players.
17:15
SPEAKER_01: So we would play volleyball, show them some MMA stuff, uh play soccer all day, and then it was pretty cool.
17:23
SPEAKER_01: Like, as much as they enjoyed learning our stuff, I think it was cool for them to show us their jobs, and like we got to see the tanks, the guns, like all that kind of stuff.
17:32
SPEAKER_01: So it was a really cool experience being around the soldiers and also being around different professional athletes.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: Like, I'm always surrounded by fighters, right?
17:42
SPEAKER_01: Uh, it was cool to get kind of like a fresh take on a different sport.
17:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: So, funny thing, whenever we're done with this podcast, I want you to get on Instagram, look at Drew Dober, your teammate's current story, because he had to take a shot by a taser at a military base today, and they videoed it.
18:05
SPEAKER_00: And it is the funniest thing ever.
18:08
SPEAKER_00: Oh no.
18:08
SPEAKER_00: So so that didn't happen to you.
18:11
SPEAKER_01: No, I'm not trying to get tased by nobody.
18:14
SPEAKER_01: That doesn't sound like a good time at all.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: No, not at all.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: I saw it, and and just the look on his face the minute he got hit, it was priceless.
18:23
SPEAKER_00: So you'll have to check that out.
18:25
SPEAKER_01: I'll have to go look.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: So, what was the last show you found yourself, TV show that you found yourself really getting into?
18:33
SPEAKER_01: I think the last, I'm a little late to the party, but I watched Game of Thrones recently.
18:38
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
18:38
SPEAKER_01: And it was really good.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: I'm glad I finally watched it.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't think I've started a new one yet.
18:44
SPEAKER_01: I think I gotta find a new one for fight camp.
18:46
SPEAKER_01: That's always my thing.
18:47
SPEAKER_01: I either find a show or like a movie that has a lot of them.
18:52
SPEAKER_01: I can binge watch them.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: For sure.
18:55
SPEAKER_00: For sure.
18:55
SPEAKER_00: So, what does a normal week look like for you?
18:58
SPEAKER_00: Like a Monday through Friday.
18:59
SPEAKER_00: How how many days a week do you train?
19:01
SPEAKER_00: And what does that look like for you?
19:04
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, I'm at the gym basically every day, two to three times a day.
19:10
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I train Monday through Saturday.
19:14
SPEAKER_01: I'll just do like I push pretty hard through the week, and then Saturday mornings I'll do like a session and then be done for the weekend.
19:21
SPEAKER_01: Um, I like to run a lot.
19:23
SPEAKER_01: We do sparring.
19:25
SPEAKER_01: I mean, in fight camp, I'm a pretty boring person.
19:28
SPEAKER_01: All I do is basically is go to the gym, eat, and take a nap.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: That's all right.
19:33
SPEAKER_00: That's called keeping focused, right?
19:37
SPEAKER_00: So speaking of fight camp, you have a big fight coming up August 26th.
19:42
SPEAKER_00: What can you tell us all about that?
19:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, so I got the call actually the day before I left to Poland.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad timing-wise it worked out.
19:52
SPEAKER_01: Um, and they're like, hey, do you want to fight this girl?
19:55
SPEAKER_01: Uh her name's Nala Yang, August 26th.
19:58
SPEAKER_01: I was like, yeah, definitely.
20:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, and they're like, all right, it's in Singapore.
20:04
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, all right, we're going to Singapore.
20:07
SPEAKER_01: Uh check my coaches and they're all excited for me.
20:10
SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, I was like, all right, I'm gonna go do this trip and come back and hit the ground running, have a good uh seven-week camp.
20:17
SPEAKER_01: We'll have about five weeks here in Denver, and then we're leaving uh a little early to get adjusted to the time zone, which I'm glad we planned on after my trip to Poland.
20:27
SPEAKER_00: That's a decision that makes sense.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: So have you ever been to Singapore?
20:33
SPEAKER_01: No, I've never been to Asia, so I'm really excited.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: Nice, nice.
20:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, one one of my coaches is like, oh, it's my bucket list to uh corner a fight in Asia.
20:43
SPEAKER_01: So I'm like, hey, that works out.
20:46
SPEAKER_00: What are you excited about with that trip outside of the fight?
20:50
SPEAKER_00: Are you gonna do any tourist type stuff?
20:53
SPEAKER_01: Probably.
20:54
SPEAKER_01: I think uh we'll be out there, like I said, an extra week early.
20:57
SPEAKER_01: So we'll be out there for two weeks.
20:59
SPEAKER_01: Uh so I'll have a little bit extra time, obviously still train.
21:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, I haven't looked into too much as far as what is like I've seen they have some really nice gardens and botanical stuff, so definitely want to check that out.
21:13
SPEAKER_01: Uh check out the hotel with the big boat-looking thing across it.
21:17
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, we'll we'll definitely have some time to do something uh being out there so early.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: Fantastic.
21:25
SPEAKER_00: So without giving away your fight strategy, which I would never ask anybody to do in a million years, what are you implementing differently in your camp this go-around that maybe you haven't had in your toolbox in the past?
21:40
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I think every fight brings out a new version of yourself.
21:44
SPEAKER_01: And if not, then you're not progressing, getting better.
21:48
SPEAKER_01: So I think this fight I just really want to be able to push a pace and and for myself.
21:53
SPEAKER_01: Uh I know she's a very aggressive fighter, so it shouldn't be too hard to have a fast paced fight.
21:59
SPEAKER_01: And uh Yeah, just just go out there and fight as hard as I can.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: I think my last fight, I wasn't too happy with my performance.
22:06
SPEAKER_01: We all have those fights, but uh yeah, definitely looking for a little bit of redemption.
22:11
SPEAKER_00: You know, as a fan, I gotta say, you can't have a good comeback story without those moments where maybe it didn't go your way that time, but it it makes for a better story the next time it does, right?
22:23
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
22:24
SPEAKER_01: And you know, we're fighters and we have to overcome obstacles.
22:28
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we throw obstacles in our own way, unfortunately.
22:31
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I think uh I'm really excited for this fight.
22:35
SPEAKER_01: Like I said, it's not in Las Vegas, um, and it's a shorter camp.
22:40
SPEAKER_01: There's just uh everything about the fight, uh, as far as like I wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to go that trip to Poland because they originally called me to fight on July 29th.
22:51
SPEAKER_02: Oh wow.
22:51
SPEAKER_01: And I wouldn't have been able to go on my trip because I would have been in fight camp.
22:55
SPEAKER_01: So everything worked out perfect, and uh yeah, I'm really excited about this.
23:00
SPEAKER_00: So, what's some advice you would give to a young girl that's just starting training right now, like a teenage girl, like let's say my 16-year-old daughter, and she did want to pursue MMA.
23:13
SPEAKER_00: What are some things that you would advise her on?
23:16
SPEAKER_01: Oh, it's funny.
23:17
SPEAKER_01: I kind of got asked a similar question when I was um talking to the troops, but they asked what uh what I tell my younger self.
23:24
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's perfect.
23:25
SPEAKER_01: I think I think I would just tell them tell them like it's not gonna be easy, but it'll be worth it.
23:31
SPEAKER_01: You know, if it's something that you're really passionate about and and you want to do, of course it's not gonna be easy, but it's very, very gratifying.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, so how do you challenge yourself to be a better version of yourself?
23:45
SPEAKER_01: That's a good question.
23:46
SPEAKER_01: I think just in the gym, day-to-day, you can't look at the overall picture.
23:50
SPEAKER_01: There's always goals, big goals that you want to set for yourself, but I I really think just focusing on the day-to-day and making sure each day you're progressing on something.
24:00
SPEAKER_01: You know, you don't everyone be stagnant.
24:03
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
24:04
SPEAKER_00: And what are some fights outside of your own that you're looking forward to in the future?
24:10
SPEAKER_01: Oh, Gaichey's fight, of course, the BMF title, Corey's fight.
24:14
SPEAKER_01: I think all my teammates fights, really.
24:16
SPEAKER_01: It's easy to be excited for fights when like you're in the gym, you're not a part of the camps, but you're you're there with them, you know what I mean?
24:23
SPEAKER_01: So anytime one of my teammates are fighting, that's the fight I'm excited for.
24:28
SPEAKER_01: Uh Rose has a big fight coming up, so yeah, I'm just excited.
24:31
SPEAKER_01: We're all gonna get some some badass wins, and and I love that.
24:38
SPEAKER_00: I love that, and that kind of lends to exactly what I have said about your gym, your team, all of you guys.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: It is that family community that is so unique to that place that really makes me excited anytime any one of you show up on a fight card for sure.
24:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's exciting.
24:58
SPEAKER_01: Good people, we all keep each other in check, so it's good.
25:02
SPEAKER_00: So, my wrap-up question is pretty complex, but it's pretty simple.
25:07
SPEAKER_00: Somebody's ever I always get people saying, Why do you ask fighters this question?
25:13
SPEAKER_00: And I say, Because they answer it better than anybody else.
25:18
SPEAKER_00: So, my question for you is given the state of everything in the world right now, you know, how people coexist socially, how how we treat each other, what is your advice for making the world a better place tomorrow than what it is today?
25:34
SPEAKER_01: I just think be kinder to each other.
25:36
SPEAKER_01: I think everyone's always, you know, thinking about themselves or just so quick to get angry at every little thing.
25:43
SPEAKER_01: I think we all just need to be a little bit more understanding of people's situation and just be kinder.
25:50
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
25:51
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
25:52
SPEAKER_00: You know, I think this has been worth the wait.
25:57
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I'm a fan, uh, and I hope we can do this again in the future.
26:01
SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: After my win in Singapore.
26:04
SPEAKER_01: Yes!
26:05
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, JJ Daldrich, the world is a better place with you and it.
26:10
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for doing the show today.
26:11
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me on.
26:13
SPEAKER_00: Once again, I want to thank my friend JJ for doing the show today.
26:18
SPEAKER_00: Make sure you tune in to UFC Fight Night on August 26, 2023.
26:24
SPEAKER_00: Give her a follow on Instagram or wherever you can find her on social media.
26:29
SPEAKER_00: Make sure you follow High Altitude Martial Arts and Elevation Fight Team as well.
26:34
SPEAKER_00: And if you're being generous with follows, make sure you follow Caught on the Mic on all social media platforms.
26:40
SPEAKER_00: I am the most active on Instagram out of all of them, but I can be found on threads, Facebook, TikTok, where ever.
26:49
SPEAKER_00: You can also visit me at www.cotonThemic.com for all past episodes and future news.
26:57
SPEAKER_00: This has been Caught on the Mic with Michael Clark.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: I'm Michael Clark.
27:02
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, thank you.