The Panther (El Pantera)

We say something like this in Mexico.

Small hometowns

big hell.

What you see

all day

everyday

I mean it's what you become sometimes.

You don't want to talk to much about

this kind of stuff because you never know

who is listening you know what I'm saying?

You are in risk.

I don't lost just friends

I lost family

but it's just the reality bro.

Some people thinks that it's hard

in the neighborhoods

Man, you don't have idea.

I been through some stuff

I don't want nobody to experience never.

When I was a kid we was getting into a store

when we started like hearing some this, like shotguns.

And one friend of my dad

he was fighting another guy with, with machine guns

My father have to cover me and take me to the floor.

People killing each other because the war.

The war is there everyday.

For me this is about life.

I mean I don't have anything else.

Fighting is the only thing that I have.

They get more swollen after driving?

Yeah, a little bit, you know.

Look, looks funny right here you know...

But I mean what you can do you know just

Keep doing it.

This is the chair I used to sit with when

I used to live in this house with my Aunt Susie "Alma".

And I work in three different times here in Juarez.

One when I was like kind of a kid,

I used to be the one who pack stuff

put stuff in the people's bags and give it to them.

And I used to have tips for that and that was when I was a kid.

Then after that I used to work in the water commission

with my Aunt checking the stuff in the floor you know,

the numbers and stuff by GPS.

The third time that I work here in Juarez was

doing some in the natural store

working the back.

You guys can have an idea where I used to work.

Come a long way

‐Yeah, come a long way yeah

So you guys are more welcome to sit.

I'm not standing up because of my foot,

I have ice on my foot right now.

But, you guys are more than welcome to sit.

Panther! Panther! Panther!

One of the most exciting fighters in the UFC period

that has come on in the last several years.

A guy who is coming off a win over Andrei Fili

with a just a vicious face kick knockout.

The guy throws techniques that most of us

couldn't even imagine.

A massively unpredictable fighter.

Now growing up for you though, obviously

was really unique I mean,

You know I looked it up, you grew up in one of the most

violent cities in all of Mexico.

And you lost a lot of your friends to that city too

You lost friends who died in some of those activities.

Your hometown Parral is right in the corridor right to Juarez

where a lot of these cartels

you know, a lot of that drug trafficking takes place

Very very dangerous... And now you've escaped all of that.

And you're going to fight in the main event in Salt Lake City.

You've become a star in the UFC

and you're going to be in your first main event...

The tram is now approaching

the shops at Crystals

To access the alley inside a casino,

please hold onto a hand rail.

It's the first time that I've been

all over the place like

Argentina, Mexico, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Vegas...

Like, all like in a period of three weeks.

So it's been crazy, crazy, crazy for me.

This is my first time it's been this busy and crazy.

I just feel like my muscles are so tight right now,

that's why I have this little ball, you know to

Get my muscles relaxed and then have a good workout.

I always say this before my fights,

you win your fight in your training camp

when your training...

I mean...

Doing interviews and that kind of stuff

that doesn't going to make me a champion.

This sport is crazy, I mean...

You can be fighting top

fifteen guys then you fight for a championship.

Fuck man, it's just a rough sport.

This week with Marco is just basically

just reinforcing everything he has been doing

I mean there's not much to do, just to...

Get him very comfortable to cut weight and

For him to go out there so he can go out there and perform

at the highest level.

And just for Yair, just to

Keep on working man just trying to find times in this busy week.

It's tough because he has a lot of obligations

but it's part of his job and this is his job you know.

[Hitting pads÷\}

My English is not good, you know I'm learning.

I'm new in this country, I have a couple months here.

So I try to be better in my language.

And sometimes when I try to you know

Have relationships with another people, it's like

you can feel the stop, you know.

The people is like stopping you like,

they don't want like friendship. They don't want relationships.

They want only, you know, the work and that's it.

For example in this country

it's really hard when you try to make some relations

with some people

And the people is like the other culture, the other nationality.

It's really hard because sometimes the people,

people is racist you know?

Mexico is the country next to, the neighbor

of America,

but at the same time we never lose the identity.

I can see here in this country

sometimes the people is like they don't care.

I'm heavy coach...

166.

I'm twenty pounds so I'm not bad.

We are like thirty six, thirty four days right?

Thirty four days from the fight.

Once I start like eating good...

It's going to be good.

No worries?

No worries, nah.

I always miss home bro, it's just...

Hard to be in another country with another culture

Speaking another language, where...

I'm by myself here, I have my friends and stuff like that,

but it's not the same thing as having your family,

your real family.

And it's uhh...

I mean all of this is for a dream, you know?

My family knows that, I know that. I mean...

For now I just enjoy what I have for now,

I enjoy my time like watching

this spectacular view in Vegas with the fireworks,

fourth of July.

It's just amazing bro and...

I mean I love, I love this country as much

I love Mexico because

this is the country that give the opportunity to

be here and work for my dream, you know...

Everybody is trying to survive

and uhh

Everybody is trying to be free bro too.

This city seen my first trip with my family

out of my country.

I think it was the only one that we have

as a family to this country.

Being here and seeing all those lights

is just amazing bro because

my mom just told me that she,

she has thoughts about me being here.

She never knew for what.

I wish they were here like everyday but...

I know you can not have always what you want.

I mean, life can not be that easy right? It just can't be.

I'm just here for them too, to bring them a nicer place or

you know, to buy them stuff. This is for them bro.

I am never going to stop never,

I don't give a shit, until I die.

Training some details with Luiz Claudio

about our opponents stuff, good stuff like

where are they good at,

what kind of positions, what are our weaknesses too.

Marco is going to fight in two days now.

The jiu jitsu game that we have already, Marco and I

is good we know that, but it's not that good as it can be.

Tap, tap. Put your forehead on the ground.

There you go now pressure on the shoulder.

Shoulder pressure, keep driving, drive hard. He's already off.

Nice! Nice. Nice! Push that knee...

I mean I just want to get these guys the best training

we can get them you know because

if you can afford it, I mean why not?

Sometimes that's the major issue with these fighters,

they don't have

the money to afford a lot of coaches but I mean...

Some of these guys have tourist visa's

you know so they'll come for six months

let's say at first for a month or two months

get better get better

and build some confidence

then eventually gravitate to the big leagues.

Right, and if you don't win