So week 1 of my training camp for Alexis Davis is complete. On Monday I officially signed to fight Alexis Davis in Columbus, Ohio on March 3. I'm going to be treating this fight like a title fight as I've been guaranteed by Strikeforce that the winner of our fight gets the next title fight...which is exactly what I want.

So week 1 of my training camp for Alexis Davis is complete. On Monday I officially signed to fight Alexis Davis in Columbus, Ohio on March 3. I'm going to be treating this fight like a title fight as I've been guaranteed by Strikeforce that the winner of our fight gets the next title fight...which is exactly what I want.

Happy Holidays Everyone! Just wanted to say thank you for another great year. We will be closing for classes starting December 24, 2011 and will re-open on January 3, 2012. During that time we hope you enjoy some rest, but for those of you wanting to get in a little training, please check the calendar for updated open mat times.

See you in 2012!

I have been reading a lot of motivational status updates and pictures on facebook, and on the web in general. To be honest I will generally brush them aside and scroll past them without a second glance, but I watched a video today of Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (link at the bottom) that inspired me to explain how a nice guy like me ends up in the cage. I grew up with a very loving family, great parents, great siblings and great friends. My environment was always a good one and my good times substantially outweigh my bad. I have been in maybe two street fights in my life, and as far as I know, don't have many enemies, so I am not an inherently violent person. But this is not what fighting is about for me. It's not about getting in the cage or ring and hurting my opponent, it's about a mentality. The mentality that every day is a fight, whether it's extreme - like the loss of a loved one, or minor in comparison - like a bad day at work, is irrelevant. Sure it's easy to say when you've been brought up in as good of an environment as me, but in terms of fighting? In my short career I have experienced it all. I have won tough fights and tasted the glory, I have won controversial fights (more referring to amateur muay thai days) but more importantly I have lost tough fights. I have been knocked out cold in front of loved ones, my family, my friends, my team. It sucks, but as a fighter, in and out of the cage, you have to keep going. That's what seperates us from other people. Although there are some of us who represent a different, more aggressive attitude with regards to fighting, we're all not all that way. The competition of MMA is as much mental as it is physical. I just choose to fight it in a cage instead of on a field or a court. Forgive me, but I'm going to be cliche and add an applicable quote in - "The goal is to be an overcomer, you always have to overcome something." - Vitor Belfort

This video covers it nicely! Video by cynthiavance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-6ed1bxJ8c

- On that note I look forward to smashing someone in the New Year :)

Happy holidays!