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Support the show at MANSCAPED.com by using the promo code FITZ20I spend Friday at UFC X in Las Vegas, the UFC's gigantic fan expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.As part of my day, I sat down at the UFC social media booth with Kevin Holland.  As always, he was great to chat with.  Hope you enjoy!The video version is available on my YouTube channel.

Brendan Fitzgerald chats with UFC veteran and featherweight contender Alex Caceres.Caceres is a recognizable character to fight fans with his free-flowing style and of course the trademark hairstyle.He has been on a long journey in the UFC and is still going strong as he is about to turn 34 years old.Full episodes of Fitz Nation are now exclusively on UFC Fight PassShow Notes0:00 - Intro1:30 - Veganism (Influenced by documentary forks over knives, wearing a Vegan strong shirt)4:30 - Life Update5:00 - Pinched his sciatic nerve5:15 - Rolling a blunt6:00 - What was Alex’s earlier life like?7:10 - Father was a drug dealer7:40 - Molested when he was a child 8:30 - Body dysmorphia 10:10 - Run in with police officers12:00 - Afro-Cuban and Afro-Dominican, Completely Latino12:20 - What Formed Alex15:00 - Alex’s belief in the Martial Arts lifestyle 16:15 - Anything is an art 17:04 - The Non-Physical World 18:00 - The Flaws of the Education System 20:25 - Doesn’t Have Expectations of Himself22:22 - What It Means To Live With Expectations24:00 - When Did Alex Think MMA Was A Career 26:04 - How MMA Was The Perfect Path27:46 - Alex Smiling during the Fights30:00 - Alex’s TUF Experience31:20 - Biggest Lessons He’s Learned in MMA33:45 - Alex’s Is Afraid to Shine Bright 35:30 - Alex Doesn’t Watch Tape37:00 - The Magic Of Not Giving a Fuck38:55 - Managing the Small Things39:30 - Alex’s UFC Career 41:50 - What Alex Wants To Achieve

Full episodes of Fitz Nation are exclusively on UFC Fight PassFitz is back with UFC featherweight contender Josh Emmett.   The veteran from Sacramento is ready for his main event vs. Calvin Kattar in a high stakes match-up at UFC Austin later this month.In this episode, Emmett discusses his upbringing with a single mom and older brother that dealt with addiction, how he found wrestling and what got him to pursue being a fighter in the UFC.He also discusses his mindset as a fighter and one who is so clear on his mission to be a UFC champion.  He has never been closer, as he sits in the top 10 with a huge match-up on the horizon.SHOW NOTES0:00 - Intro1:44 - Josh’s thoughts on the fight several weeks out 2:44 - Josh’s reflection on tribulations of the game and how he understands it’s his time now despite being 374:43 - Josh offers his thoughts on what it will take to beat Volk 6:47 - Talks about upbringing 8:50 - Connection with Dad12:25 - Breaks down his usage of the term “tough” to describe childhood14:35 - Explains his brother was murdered several years ago 15:25 - Why he fights16:14 - Why Wrestling Clicked20:05 - Talking about his school, which was almost 80% athletes22:30 - How life changed going down a COMBAT sport as opposed to a regular sport 25:15 - Why Josh likes wrestling despite the grueling nature of the sport27:25 - Reflection on his mindset before he realized athletic success 31:30 - Josh’s love for competition 34:03 - Josh admitting he doesn’t “like to fight” 37:40 - Viewing MMA as a job versus athletic endeavor 41:15 - Why Josh chose to pursue fighting 43:30 - What advice would Josh tell a younger version of himself 

Check out the full interview only on UFC FIGHT PASS.On this episode of Fitz Nation, Brendan Fitzgerald chats with UFC flyweight contender Maycee Barber.  Barber has packed a lot of life experience into her first 23 years.  She was just 20 years old when appearing on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, getting a big win and earning a UFC contract.She has been thought of as a bright star and eventual championship challenger, but things didn't go according to plan in her goal to be the youngest ever UFC champion.  As always, the ups and downs of life come with valuable lessons, which she discusses on this episode.

Fitz chats with UFC bantamweight Davey Grant.Grant has really had a nice run of exciting fights since 2020, returning after a long injury layoff to score a 3rd round KO at the first event on Fight Island.In his last two fights, he's gone toe to toe with Chito Vera (now a title contender) and Adrian Yanez.At 36, he says he still has a lot of fight left!Head to UFC Fight Pass for the full interviews of Fitz Nation

In this episode, Fitz chats with UFC light heavyweight veteran Khalil Rountree.Khalil has been in the UFC for years now after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter to get his shot with the promotion.But what makes his story so impressive is about how he grew up.  After his father was murdered when he was 2 years old, Rountree developed into an introvert who saw the world as a dark place.  He got bullied in school and never had a sports background.As a teenager, he started letting himself go and eventually weighed 300 pounds.  There were times when he contemplated suicide before his brother ultimately got him into MMA after he watched The Ultimate Fighter.Hope you love the episode!  Leave a review, subscribe and connect with me on social media @BrendanFitzTV!

Clayton Guida is a UFC lightweight who's been a professional competitor since 2003.He also competed for Strikeforce, becoming the inaugural Strikeforce Lightweight Champion, WEC, and King of the Cage among other promotions.UFC fans know Guida for his long hair and high energy.  He attributes his aggressive attack to his days as a high school and college wrestler, but you may be surprised to find out that he didn't exactly achieve high accolades during his high school wrestling days.In this interview, Fitz and Guida chat about his midwest upbringing in Illinois, how he found MMA at a rural gentlemen's club, and his longevity in the UFC.Check out Gillz and Thrillz with Guida, his new business taking people out fishing and to big sporting events.

Fitz Nation is back with new episodes as Brendan Fitzgerald speaks with UFC welterweight Vicente Luque.Luque is currently ranked 4th in the UFC's welterweight division.  This Saturday, he will fight 5th ranked Belal Muhammad in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad.In this episode, Fitz talks to Vicente about his roots in New Jersey, but growing up in Brazil after his parents divorced.  They talk about how he found himself getting into fights in school, and why Vicente said it was fun!His MMA career started with inconsistent results, but it's those early career losses he attributes to his overall success since joining the UFC.To watch the show, check it out on UFC Fight Pass!You can also watch clips of the podcast on Brendan's YouTube channel.Be sure to connect with Fitz on social media:InstagramTwitterTikTok

Before new episodes come back at you in the next few weeks, thought I would repost this episode from 1 year ago with Chris Daukaus.He fights this week in the main event at UFC Columbus.  This is an evergreen interview about his life and career, going from 300-pounds to becoming an MMA fighter that balanced training and serving as a Philadelphia police officer.Chris and his brother Kyle are on the roster of UFC fighters that are brothers.  Thanks for checking out Fitz Nation!

Drew Dober fights Terrance McKinney this week at UFC Vegas 50.He is a veteran contender in the lightweight division and has spent time inside the top 15.  This interview is from March of 2021, just before he fought Islam Makhachev.  He lost that bout and then fought Brad Riddell in a Fight of the Night match-up later in 2021.  Now, he looks to turn things around and get back on track, something he has done before in the UFC and tells about in this episode.New episodes of Fitz Nation will be returning in the coming weeks!

UFC announcer Brendan Fitzgerald chats with UFC veteran and The Ultimate Fighter winner Court McGee on Fitz Nation.Court McGee is a UFC welterweight veteran who is off back-to-back wins including a victory over Ramiz Brahimaj in early 2022.In this episode, Brendan Fitzgerald and Court McGee discuss his well-known battle with addiction and how he has remained sober for the last 16 years.  Raised in what many would consider "normal" surroundings for an American kid, McGee started getting into drugs and alcohol as a young teenager.  He spiraled to being a heavy addict with multiple recoveries and relapses and legal trouble along the way.  After truly getting sober, he was cast on season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter and went on to win that season of the show.McGee talks about his life in martial arts and combat sports, using his history with addiction as a platform to help others, and what his journey to overcome means in believing and connecting with a higher power.  We dig deep on his incredible story in this interview.Sign up for The Fitz Nation Newsletter:  https://fitznation.substack.comCONNECT WITH FITZ Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTVInstagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Bryce Mitchell (aka Thug Nasty) is a UFC featherweight contender currently ranked #11 in the division and is scheduled to fight Edson Barboza at UFC 272 on March 5th.In this episode, Bryce talks about his roots in Arkansas.  He was raised by a single mom and his grandparents and has never met his father.  From a young age, he loved competition but was a little rough for team sports like basketball.  He was not the most talented, but he has always been the most fearless among his friends and was drawn to martial arts.  After getting into MMA to learn how to defend himself should he find trouble, he instead loved training, competing and avoiding bad situations altogether.Mitchell talks about his life in martial arts, being aware that coming from the country leads people to believe he's not smart, his distrust for the government, and his faith in God.  We hit a wide-ranging variety of topics and it made for a memorable interview.Sign up for The Fitz Nation Newsletter:  https://fitznation.substack.comCONNECT WITH FITZ Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTVInstagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Sean Brady is a UFC welterweight contender currently ranked #9 in the division and coming off a big win over fellow contender Michael Chiesa.In this episode, Brendan Fitzgerald and Sean Brady talk about his early life in Philadelphia and how he never really found his true passion growing up until he signed up for martial arts as a teenager.  He was battling low self esteem because he didn't know what he wanted to pursue after high school, but once he found martial arts, he put everything into it.➡️  Brady talks about why living the lifestyle of a martial artist is most important to him and that fighting in the UFC octagon is just a part of what it takes to reach what he's chasing. With his record sitting at 15-0 including 5 UFC wins, whatever he's done so far is clearly working!CONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Bryan "Pooh Bear" Battle is a UFC middleweight and winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 29 in 2021.In this episode, Brendan Fitzgerald and Bryan Battle discuss his unique upbringing in North Carolina, being home schooled through high school and finding martial arts in his early 20s.➡️  Battle also talks about how he chooses to prove those who support him right instead of focusing on the haters and proving them wrong. He has his 2nd UFC appearance coming up at UFC Fight Night on February 5th when he takes on fellow TUF castmate Tresean Gore.CONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

"Hurricane" Shane Burgos is a UFC featherweight contender out of New York.In this episode, Brendan Fitzgerald and Shane Burgos discuss Burgos' recent win over Billy Quarantillo and the feeling of getting back to the win column in the UFC.  They also discuss Shane's beginnings in martial arts and how he battled scoliosis and back surgery as a teenager to become a UFC fighter when doctors told him he would not be able to train again.➡️ As Burgos describes, as soon as he saw the UFC on TV through watching The Ultimate Fighter, he was hooked as a fan.  He and a friend tried it for themselves at a local gym and he's never had more fun than when training martial arts. Check out this interview to see how Burgos combined his passion for martial arts with a solid work ethic to become a top competitor in the UFC.He also talks about dealing with whatever hand you're dealt, figuring out what you want, and going after what you love... things that everyone can take from!CONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Fitz chats with UFC featherweight Charles Jourdain, who is coming off a big win vs. Andre Ewell at UFC Fight Night on 12/18.Jourdain is about to sign a new contract with the UFC and is one of the most exciting featherweight prospects in the promotion.  His signature win came against Doo Ho Choi in 2019, but he has thrilled fight fans with each performance and hopes to deliver more in 2022 and beyond.CONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

UFC bantamweight Randy Costa chats with UFC announcer Brendan Fitzgerald about his unlikely rise to being in the UFC.  Costa participated in martial arts but never thought of himself as a fighter.  As a tribute to his friend, Devin Carrier, who tragically died in a car accident, he took a pro fight and found success.  The rest, as they say, is history.Costa has two UFC knockouts and fights Tony Kelley at UFC 269 this weekend!CONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Eryk Anders interview with UFC announcer Brendan Fitzgerald | Fitz Nation PodcastUFC veteran Eryk Anders joins Brendan Fitzgerald to talk about his journey to becoming an MMA fighter and getting to the UFC.  Anders grew up in a military family, moving often throughout his childhood and living in all parts of the world.In this chat, he talks about the grind of earning a college football scholarship at Alabama, finding jiu jitsu and martial arts after college, and becoming an MMA fighter.  He's getting ready for another UFC appearance at UFC Fight Night in November against Roman Dolidze.CONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Charles Rosa has been a steady customer in the UFC featherweight division for nearly 10 years.  The Boston native has produced memorable fights, like when he fought Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City to a Fight of the Night bonus.  He also produced a Fight of the Night vs. Shane Burgos, and an incredible return to action after a neck injury with a submission win over Manny Bermudez in October of 2019 in his home city of Boston.Rosa has a recent win over Justin Jaynes and he takes on Damon Jackson coming up on October 9, 2021 at UFC Fight Night on ESPN+.   Charles' charity CHUCKY'S FIGHT:  http://www.chuckysfight.comCONNECT WITH CHARLES📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/CharlesRosaMMA📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/charlesrosammaCONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv/

Ricky Turcios is coming off his win at UFC Fight Night in August, a victory which crowned him winner of The Ultimate Fighter.A veteran of season 1 of Dana White's Contender Series, Turcios was the standout personality on the The Return of the Ultimate Fighter for his positive attitude and the amazing fights he delivered.He ultimately earned a win over Brady Hiestand to win the tournament.CONNECT WITH RICKY📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/rickyhadouken📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/rickyturciosCONNECT WITH FITZ 🤙🏻📱 Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrendanFitzTV📸 Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/brendanfitztv