Bryan Battle: (00:00)
And Well
Sevan Matossian: (00:01)
Bam we’re live Bryan Battle.
Bryan Battle: (00:03)
Hey. Oh, how you doing?
Sevan Matossian: (00:06)
My audio’s all jacked up. Wait, uh, Good morning.
Bryan Battle: (00:12)
Hey,
Sevan Matossian: (00:13)
Look at that.
Bryan Battle: (00:15)
Oh man. I know I gotta shave. It’s just like it’s so it’s weird. I forget to shave cuz it’s not anything tickling me in the middle. Yeah. So then I’ll talk to people. I’m like, uh, no, I need to handle it.
Sevan Matossian: (00:26)
That that’s how it, that’s how it comes in like that.
Bryan Battle: (00:30)
Yeah, no, man, it just comes in like this.
Sevan Matossian: (00:33)
That’s amazing. I don’t think you need to fix it. I think you need to let it express itself. Holy cow. This symmetry
Bryan Battle: (00:40)
The, well, you know what? That makes me feel good. You know what I mean? Cause usually no one has anything positive to say about my mustache. You know what
Sevan Matossian: (00:47)
I’m saying? Oh dude,
Bryan Battle: (00:49)
No one ever has anything good to say about this thing. And you know that, that just made my day a little
Sevan Matossian: (00:54)
Bit. Hey, if you let that thing grow in and then you just wax it out real pointy. Holy crap.
Bryan Battle: (01:00)
I mean, it has a lot of potential, you know what I mean? A
Sevan Matossian: (01:03)
Lot of potential. What are, what’s your ethnicity?
Bryan Battle: (01:07)
Uh, I’m biracial. My dad was white. My mom is black. So, um, you know, there’s a lot of people that come up to me all the time and think I’m, you know, their ethnicity, you know, people, Spanish people come up to me talking in and I’m, they’re always disappointed. I’m like ESP. They’re like, ah, come on
Sevan Matossian: (01:26)
Man. I’m like, sorry,
Bryan Battle: (01:28)
I’m sorry. Uh, Polynesian people come up to me a lot, especially when I weighed more, uh, they were like, Hey,
Sevan Matossian: (01:35)
You know, I see the Polynesian. I see the Polynesian for sure. That’s what I would’ve guessed. I would’ve guessed like you’re um, but it’s interesting. My I’m in California. I got a bunch of Mexican friends and they’re they’re like hairless cats. Those guys, no armpit hair, no chest. Those are lucky.
Bryan Battle: (01:50)
Well, I mean, that’s what I mean, the rest of my body is pretty much, I’ve never shaved, uh, anything. So, you know, I’m pretty thankful for that. I mean, I figure being Harry can be kind of inconvenient sometimes. You know what I mean?
Sevan Matossian: (02:03)
It’s just, it’s just, and it’s not just not cool. No, one’s like, no, no one’s ever like. I love how Harry that guy is. It’s always like, I don’t mind his hair. It’s like, nah,
Bryan Battle: (02:12)
I mean, for real though, I mean, you know, that could be like some secret kind of deal, but yeah, no, for the most part, yeah. You’re onto something there, you know? No one’s really like ever pointed out how much they like the chest hair. Right.
Sevan Matossian: (02:24)
You know what I mean? My, my wife of 20 beers never taken her finger and like curling my chest
Bryan Battle: (02:29)
Head. They used to do that in those old school movies though. Like, you know, the guys would have their, their chest out and the girls would be like stroking their chest through their chest head and whatnot,
Sevan Matossian: (02:40)
Maybe cartoons.
Bryan Battle: (02:42)
I feel like they did that in James by movies. Am I wrong?
Sevan Matossian: (02:45)
I don’t know. But I like, I like it. That’s a good for it to happen to. Um, for those of you who don’t know, this is a very special guest, uh, Brian Battle. Um, he won the, uh, toughest game show that I’ve ever heard of in the history of man. It’s like, uh, one of those Arnold Schwarzenegger movie game shows it’s called the ultimate fighter. He won season 29. Um, if you’re like me, you have some weird addiction to sitting down every Saturday and watching dudes and booty shorts, beat each other. Um, and the athleticism, the sta no, the endurance, the training that goes into it is absolutely nuts. And, uh, and Brian, Brian won that he, he had to win it twice. He had to, he had to, he had to beat the dude on the show. And then for the first time in 29 or 30 years, then he had to come on last week, was last week or two weeks ago.
Bryan Battle: (03:36)
Uh, it’s two
Sevan Matossian: (03:36)
Weeks ago. Now two weeks ago had to come on in and, and beat another guy who man. Uh, and, and I think I’ve been bugging you for quite a while, too. Uh, man, it was easier to get Al Jermaine and Alexander Kinski on than you
Bryan Battle: (03:51)
Man. No, it, it was really like this past year and a half. Like I like my December 5th, 2020, I got married and then a couple months,
Sevan Matossian: (04:04)
Wait, wait, December the 2020, December 5th, December 20. Okay. So one year into the, into the madness. Okay.
Bryan Battle: (04:11)
Yeah. And then, uh, in February was my last fight outside of any UFC stuff. And then in April, you know, it was the show. Do the show get back, uh, you know, have the finale. I mean, my wife is pregnant at this time too. After my fight in February, I come back and she’s like, by the way, I’m pregnant. I was like, holy cow. And so then go on the show, uh, when the finale have a baby, you know, and it is just like, uh, and you know, uh, my nephew lives with me too. Uh, and so he came and started living with us after the finale too. So
Sevan Matossian: (04:47)
How old’s your nephew?
Bryan Battle: (04:48)
He’s 13.
Sevan Matossian: (04:49)
Oh, wow. So its just been good on you for taking him on that’s your sister’s kid.
Bryan Battle: (04:53)
Uh, yeah. Is my oldest oldest sister’s son and yeah, no he he’s a sweetheart. You know what I’m saying? He makes me a better person. You know what I mean? So, um, yeah, no, it’s just been, it’s just been insanity. You know what I mean? And uh, yeah, I’ve never been good at, uh, phone, like social media, something I’m working on right now, but uh,
Sevan Matossian: (05:13)
Yeah, you are not working on it. But look at this, he’s lying go to his Instagram guy. He ain’t working on his.
Bryan Battle: (05:19)
I mean I post stuff, you know what I’m saying? You know? So I interact with the people, you know,
Sevan Matossian: (05:25)
The, let me, you can scroll down to this guy’s first post, faster than anyone on Instagram alive. He, he
Bryan Battle: (05:30)
Look, this is, this is, this is actually the old Instagram account. My new one is pub bear battle with no underscores.
Sevan Matossian: (05:38)
Oh, okay. Before we go to that, I wanna, I wanna click on something real quick. Will you go to the very first host on that account? Uh, Caleb and, and I, and I wanna read this, uh, out loud. It it’s a post. Um, I don’t know what book it’s from. I’ve seen this a few times now. It says, uh, first they came first. They came for the socialist and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionist. I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews. I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. And then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. You posted that five years ago. I, if that’s five years ago that would’ve been nothing to me. And today I’m watching this unfold in real time. And I’m like, how the did he know? Oh, five years ago. Wait a second. That’s more than five years ago. That’s 10 years. 52 weeks in a year. How many times is 52 going to 4 75. Nine times. That’s nine years ago. Yeah,
Bryan Battle: (06:32)
Right. Yeah, no, uh, that that’s actually from a book, uh, I read called Bon Hoffer and he was like, um, uh, he was like a preacher and a theologian and he was involved in the, uh, one of the, the big assassination attempts on Hitler’s life. And uh, the whole book is happening from a religious perspective, seeing the, the Nazi takeover of Germany. And so that’s what this, uh, quotas in reference to. Uh, and so, and it was just as I read it, it was like incredibly profound. Cause you know, it’s like one of those things where everyone always looks to take care of themself first. Um, but you know, at a certain point, if there’s not, you know, the drive to take care of others as we would take care of our, so this is the kind of thing that could happen. This is how like takeovers happen when we stop caring about our fellow man and only care about ourselves.
Sevan Matossian: (07:27)
Was there something that you saw? I mean, because I’m seeing this, it’s funny that they use socialists because now it’s the socialists who are, who are, who are, who are driving the ship and, and, and taking away everyone’s rights. But, but, but you’re right. It’s the reason why we have to stand up for hate speech because, because, because we believe in freedom of speech, we cannot, we cannot let anyone treat anyone the way we wouldn’t wanna be treated. But, um, uh, oh, one of the guests says great book. Um, how, what resonated with you? Like I would’ve read that nine years ago and I would’ve just passed over it. Why, why did that affect you nine years ago? Was someone not speaking out for you or did you see you something that was coming?
Bryan Battle: (08:03)
Um, well, you know, just to have a little bit deeper background on me, I, I, you know, I came up very religious, um, and I was actually, before I dropped outta college to become a professional fighter, I was actually in school to get my degree in religious studies and
Sevan Matossian: (08:21)
Okay.
Bryan Battle: (08:22)
Um, I was very, uh, involved in, you know, like community stuff and um, like inner city kids. And, um, you know, I think, you know, at the time I’m reading this, you know, I’m being introduced to like a whole bunch of new ideas, you know? Um, you know, I’m seeing the way a, a lot of, a lot of these kids are kind of just like written off. Um, you know what I mean? And, you know, there’s so many like talented people, uh, over there, you know, who will never really get the chance to show what they got. One, because, you know, they don’t know what they’re capable of and you know, other people aren’t able to tell them because they don’t see that in them. Um, but, uh, yeah, no, just, just seeing, just seeing that, it just really like resonated with me because it’s true.
Bryan Battle: (09:10)
You know what I’m saying? Like, um, if you sit idly and you let bad had things happen, uh, to people, you know, and you don’t, you’re not willing to protect other people then, you know, at a certain point when you need protection, there won’t be anyone to protect you. So, uh, it was just something that I saw and immediately resonated with me. And it’s something that, like you said, is like, uh, you know, now is more prevalent that now that everyone’s so divided and, you know, into their groups, uh, yeah, no, that’s one of my favorite quotes of all time.
Sevan Matossian: (09:44)
It, it’s interesting to be in your sport because, um, uh, I think particularly, cuz Dana’s not playing that game, but, but they sold to WME. So in w he’s woke his, it’s just so interesting that he you’re in a sport where he’s, he’s not doing that. We did, we did a show last night and, and, and my co-host was explaining like, you can’t be Democrat or Republican anymore. You gotta, like, you gotta be your own thinker.
Bryan Battle: (10:12)
Yeah, yeah, no, I agree as, and I mean, like you said, I mean the, the, uh, the sport in general has, you know, ever since con McGregor kind of hit the scene and made all that money, you know, everyone is all about promoting and promoting in the most toxic way possible. You know what I’m saying?
Sevan Matossian: (10:33)
Like, uh, no, no, explain that to me. You, you mean like, like the, like the Colby’s and the, and the Jorge’s and just, I mean, I would like those guys, by the way, I, I, I enjoy, I enjoy the antics, but sometimes it does get a little, like some of the stuff Connors, like the stuff about people’s families and wives get, like, I get a little turned off by that actually.
Bryan Battle: (10:50)
No, no. And, and, you know, and there’s a certain extent, you know, if you’re talking about somebody and you’re talking about their skills, I understand that, you know what I’m saying? You’re saying I’m gonna beat you because as I see this in your game, and I’m gonna exploit that, you know what I’m saying? But yeah, no, once, once you start like getting really personal for the sake of selling, um, like you, like you say, you’re insulting people’s families and religions for the sake of selling. Like you have to become a different person for the sake of selling, uh, paper views, like at, I feel like that is like, you know, uh, that just seems like a really against like, you know, how genuine and honest the sport actually is. You know what I’m saying? Because I feel like as a, as far as sports goes, there’s nothing really more honest than two guys getting inside of a cage and figuring out who’s the better man.
Bryan Battle: (11:43)
You know what I’m saying? Look with, uh, you know, as few rules as possible and as little equipment as possible, you know, um, it’s like you have your mind and your body in there. Uh, and so all the antics outside and, you know, this is fighting, it’s gonna get heated. Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with it. You know, I love a good rivalry. Um, but especially when it’s true, you know what I’m saying? Um, when it has to be drummed up and people are doing ridiculous things and, you know, uh, you know, the, the more I get involved with the sport, the less I like it, because now I’m getting to the point where people are telling me I have to promote myself and I have to start, you know, doing stuff and talking and, you know, calling people, ah, just like, I, I don’t like it that much. You know what I’m saying? I feel like, uh, you know, it’s almost played out, you know what I mean? But yeah.
Sevan Matossian: (12:30)
Um, what, what of it is, so there’s being for fake.
Bryan Battle: (12:34)
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian: (12:35)
But then there’s just people who just have bad behavior. So let’s just pick like one of the worst. Let’s just right. And let’s just pick one of the worst incidents when, um, Connor threw the, the hand truck at the bus like that, that wasn’t fake. Do you think that was fake or that’s just bad behavior. That’s just like he was on Coke or he was, I’m just making that up. I don’t know. I’ve never heard that rumor, but he was just out of his mind and it’s just bad behavior year or is that fake?
Bryan Battle: (12:56)
I think, um, what I think about that is like, um, you know, if you look at like fighters over like the time, there’s like, usually like an alter ego, especially for like really successful fighters. Uh, you know, like Mike Tyson had iron, you know what I’m saying? Uh, you know, con mcg had been notorious, you know what I’m saying?
Sevan Matossian: (13:17)
Yeah.
Bryan Battle: (13:17)
And you can see in a lot of situations where the alter ego kind of like takes over the fighter. You know what I’m saying? Where yeah. You know, you can do anything inside the cage. So the, the, you know, how you trick yourself to have the courage, to do anything inside a cage kind of leaks over into like everyday life. You know
Sevan Matossian: (13:32)
What I’m saying? Well, I don’t know, but I’ll take your word for it. You’re talking to a word world, class right here, but go, ah,
Bryan Battle: (13:37)
Well, but I mean like someone like con you know what I’m saying? You couldn’t see him doing something like that when he had just entered into the UFC, but, you know,
Sevan Matossian: (13:44)
Right, right, right.
Bryan Battle: (13:45)
He became, he became what he was promoting,
Sevan Matossian: (13:48)
You know what I’m so he is not high on Coke. He’s high on the persona.
Bryan Battle: (13:52)
I that’s what I believe. Yeah. That’s personally,
Sevan Matossian: (13:55)
So it’s not, so it’s not fake. It just gets away from you. I mean, he’s, you start believing that you’re bigger than life.
Bryan Battle: (14:01)
Yeah. Yeah. Start getting too close to the sun. You know what I mean?
Sevan Matossian: (14:04)
Um, Caleb, can you show that again? That clip, that is a remarkable throw. Have you ever tried to pick one of those up?
Bryan Battle: (14:11)
Um, I’ve picked up a Dolly a few times. Um,
Sevan Matossian: (14:13)
Those, those things are heavy and awkward. I mean, they’re so heavy at the base.
Bryan Battle: (14:19)
Once you, once you get the momentum going, you know what I’m saying? It’s all there. Once you get it over your head, you’re good to go. You know what I mean? You know, it, uh, if, if I can say this, uh, the first time I saw you and I was actually excited to do this, I saw you on the CrossFit games.
Sevan Matossian: (14:33)
Oh, okay. Yes, sir. Uh,
Bryan Battle: (14:35)
And I think you, now that we’re talking about this, maybe they should work this into an event where they got
Sevan Matossian: (14:40)
Yes, yes.
Bryan Battle: (14:40)
Go across a football field, throwing a doll in, at the right after it. And at the end of the football field, they had to stack weights on the Dolly and roll it across, back across the football field.
Sevan Matossian: (14:51)
If they, I, if I knew my, my buddy who used to run the games just got fired, but, but other than that, maybe I’ll maybe he’ll start an event, win wink. And, uh, and I’ll, and I’ll suggest that to him. Did you ever around with CrossFit? Did you ever play with that?
Bryan Battle: (15:06)
Um, honestly, if I had started watching CrossFit before started watching MMA, I probably would’ve got super into CrossFit. It was only because I spent all my time training MMA. Like I was like, ah, I think it’s kind of counterintuitive to, uh, do CrossFit while I’m doing MMA. But, uh, it’s definitely, once I retire from MMA, I’ll probably get into CrossFit and do a couple competitions. Like, uh, you know, I don’t say that too much cuz people, people are like, uh, CrossFit, but you know, I think it’s cool. I think it’s badass personally.
Sevan Matossian: (15:38)
It’s hard, man. What those guys are doing is hard. Um, it’s interesting. Uh, you’ll get a lot of, you’ll get a lot of retired athletes like guys maybe who had like five or six amateur fights or a couple fights in UFC and then they’ll come to CrossFit. So him with you’ll get a guy who has a couple years in the NFL, sitting on the bench, they’ll come to CrossFit, uh, you know, all the sports kind of like if, if your dreams as a professional athlete, don’t last a lot of these guys cuz they’re so, um, physically capable, they come to CrossFit and there, there was a guy named Chris Spieler in the early years and he was a, uh, I think he was a division one wrestler. And he said the interesting thing in wrestling, the whole sport is a dude trying to stop you.
Bryan Battle: (16:15)
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian: (16:15)
But in CrossFit it’s just all, it’s just you. Yeah. And that’s like the, kind of the coolest thing about it, like to, to switch from there’s no one trying to stop you. It’s just all you and, and I, and I, and people often ask, um, should there be some sort of fighting or wrestling or grappling in the games and I don’t, I don’t think so. I think it’s just so different.
Bryan Battle: (16:35)
Yeah, no, I, that, that would, uh, because like you said, that that’s the best thing about the CrossFit games is it’s like, um, the, the mental war that’s happening. It’s like the, the war of attrition, you know, that’s going on, you know what I’m saying? Who could put the barbell over their head the most amount of times and take the least Britain in between the reps. You know what I mean? Yeah. Having like some kind of fighting. Yeah. No that wouldn’t be, cause then guys would get hurt and stuff like that. That would be unnecessary. I don’t think that would add too much to the games. I’ve never even considered them fighting in the games. It would just be, it’s
Sevan Matossian: (17:09)
Just, it’s a totally different, it’s a totally different thing. Yeah. I’m glad to hear you say that. That makes me feel better. Like I said, something smart.
Bryan Battle: (17:16)
Absolutely. You’re smart now, you know what I’m saying?
Sevan Matossian: (17:18)
Um, what about the religious studies that you don’t do anymore? Is that something you get back to and, and where do you go with that? I wanted to be a religious studies major and my dad was pretty much against it. Even though my dad went to seminary school and used in, in, in, in Lebanon and came to the United States to become a priest. But, uh, then I, I switched to, I went, I think I went to college as a statistics, major failed out of that. I went to UC Santa Barbara. Then I was a, uh, I wanted to be religious studies major. My dad was against that. Then I was a black studies major. Okay. And I re and I realized real quickly, that was just. I got kicked outta one of those classes. And uh, cuz I had been homeless. And then I had also had homeless guys living in my house and I had black dudes living in my house who were homeless, like in my backyard tents. And then I had dudes like with Nazi SWT stick as and. And they were like friends and. Right? Because like that’s what
Bryan Battle: (18:08)
Cool.
Sevan Matossian: (18:09)
Well, when you, when you need a place to sleep and somewhere to eat, you kind of push all that other aside. Right. Facts, facts, hierarchy. You don’t have the, and I remember saying in my sociology class one time I raised my hand professor, I think, uh, the idea of racism is a luxury. If like we were just worried about surviving that didn’t go over. Well. Yeah. I got yelled at, take that out. And then I became a film studies and then, then I dropped out. I think my parents stopped paying. I did 10 years as an undergrad. Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want anyone to know that it’s embarrassing.
Bryan Battle: (18:38)
I mean, that just means you got like a, a lot of knowledge, basically nothing. This I
Sevan Matossian: (18:45)
Are you trying to compliment me? Cuz I came at you hard loving on your mustache and now you’re trying to tell me it’s okay. I dropped down. I’m smart as. I like it
Bryan Battle: (18:51)
Because I tell people all the time, like I want to, uh, eventually like have enough money that I can go back to college and get all the degrees that you can’t make money with. That I always wanted. You know what I’m saying? Like, yeah. Like, like, like stuff that I’m interested in, but you know, you can’t, it’s not easy to make a career out of like life. So theology like, like philosophy. Those are like, those were, those classes were interesting to me. Uh, but you know, and then, you know, even religious studies, that’s not something we make a whole lot of money, but it was just like, I was like, ah, you know, I can’t just do something for the sake of making money. You know what I mean? Uh,
Sevan Matossian: (19:28)
Did you, do you, did, did you, or do you feel God, did you have something happen to you that made you go, oh, something something’s going on here? Like getting a car accident or someone put a gun to you or something like that?
Bryan Battle: (19:38)
No, no, it, you know, it, it is just like my whole life, you know, I was around it and um, you know, I see the truth in it. You know what I’m saying? Especially like the older I get, um, you know, a lot of those stories you hear in like Sunday school, I think about it. I’m like, holy cow, man. Uh, like the, the lessons I learned young, uh, really translate, you know what I mean? Like, um, having the faith of a mustard seed can move a mountain. You know what I mean? Um, you know, you hear that you don’t really think too much of, um, until you try to move a mountain, you know what I mean? And uh, you know, in order to move a mountain, you know, figuratively, you know, you have to be able to have like real, genuine belief in yourself. You know, whether that starts off small, there has to be something in you that genuinely believes that you can move that mountain and then you have to take the proper steps to move that mountain. And then, you know, incredible things can happen. Um, but uh, you know, stuff like that, you know, um, uh, you know, story of David, you know what I’m saying? It’s Corey, everyone knows about David and Goliath, but you know, they don’t know that David came from, uh, the lineage of a prostitute. You know what I’m saying? And, uh,
Sevan Matossian: (20:54)
Who, who, who David,
Bryan Battle: (20:55)
Uh, David from David and Goliath.
Sevan Matossian: (20:58)
Yeah, I didn’t know. His mom was a prostitute.
Bryan Battle: (21:01)
His like grandmother was a prostitute or he came from the line of a prostitute and she helped out God’s people. So, uh, God blessed her line. And then eventually David, who was the youngest of all his brothers and, you know, was the, the run of the litter. And you know, was out taking care of the sheep. Uh, you know, he was out taking care of the sheep, but while he was taking care of the sheep, he was learning how to defend them against like lines and bears, which gave him the confidence when he went Goliath to take out Goliath. And then he goes on to become the king of Israel and does all this stuff. And you know, it is just like one of those things where you can miss like how great of the story that is, you know, when you’re hearing it as a kid, you just get caught up in the David and Goliath stuff. But it’s like the whole story
Sevan Matossian: (21:43)
All the time, dude. That’s KEIB story right there. He, the fight bears in the, as a little kid. So he was ready for Connor sex. Holy cow. Holy cow. I didn’t, I didn’t. So he that’s, that’s how David got David was, um, got his training, protecting sheet and that’s what made him such a good warrior. That’s awesome. I never knew that.
Bryan Battle: (22:02)
No, there’s a, and there’s just like a lot of like things in there you just don’t think about as a kid. And like, as I’ve gotten older, I to like reflect on life, it’s just like, wow, man. Like, uh, there’s like some heaviness to this and, you know, uh, like we were talking before, you know, um, just like loving, um, like loving people, you know what I’m saying? That’s like, you know, not to like go on too much of a Ram, but you,
Sevan Matossian: (22:28)
No, please, please. I love loving on people. I love, I love Bible stuff cuz, cuz, cuz I don’t believe, but I, but I know it’s true.
Bryan Battle: (22:36)
Yeah, no, well it is like, you know, if you talk about Christianity in America, you know, you think about going to church and Bible studies and whatnot. Uh, but you know the Bible, it, it talks about if you read Isaiah one, you know, God says he, he hates the gatherings. You know what I’m saying? He hates the offerings. He’s like if you’re not, um, taking care of the widows orphans and the oppressed, none of that means anything to me. Uh, and James 1 27, he said true religion is to take care of, uh, uh, um, I’m having a blank, but to take care of like the widows and the orphans and uh, have control of your tongue, you know? Um,
Sevan Matossian: (23:16)
Is this the one you’re talking about pure religion and undefiled before God and the fathers, this to visit the fatherless and widows and their affliction and keep himself UNS spotted from the world.
Bryan Battle: (23:25)
It it’s, you know, saying, you know, it’s like, you’re taking care of the people who can’t take care of themselves. You know what I’m saying? You’re taking care of the people who can’t give anything back to you. Cuz I mean, if you look at the story, the bylaws, what Jesus did for us, you
Sevan Matossian: (23:37)
Know what I’m saying? My parents raised me to be like that by example.
Bryan Battle: (23:42)
And
Sevan Matossian: (23:42)
It is, that’s crazy. Both my mom and dad took care of people. Yeah. They took care of people. They were they’re such good people, man. My dad used to do so much good for people. It probably still does.
Bryan Battle: (23:51)
Yeah. And I mean, those are like the people who like make impacts in the world, you know what I’m saying? And you know, they don’t need a phone on them while they’re doing this stuff to like go out and help people. You know what I mean? Um,
Sevan Matossian: (24:05)
You kind of gotta make it a habit too. I feel like I don’t know the exact statement, but there’s I remember seeing something in the Bible one time and it said, basically Jesus was saying, if you stand up and pray in church, you’ll receive the glory of God there. And if you pray behind closed doors, you will, um, receive abundance of God throughout your life. Meaning like don’t, if, if you do it as a bragger, you’ll get that glory from your peers is sort of how I take it. But yeah, because I saw my dad do that stuff and my mom do that stuff, help people. You know, like if I see if I see an old lady and it’s raining and she’s standing on the corner, you know, and, and I don’t think it’ll be weird and creepy. Like if I have my kids with me or something, I’ll pull up and I’ll, and I’ll, and I’ll roll down my window.
Sevan Matossian: (24:42)
I’ll be like, yo girl, you want to get in? Where are you going? You know? And like some seven year old to open the front door and jump in the van and she’s gotta, she’s like, I’m going over there. Is that okay? I’m like, sure. Yeah. And, um, and I don’t make eye contact with her. Like make her feel uncomfortable at all, you know, and then drop her off. And um, it’s, it’s interesting. Um, you, you gotta make it a habit, so you’re not doing it. It’s gotta feel like, um, it’s gotta feel like your duty, not your, an obligation. Yeah. Like, like you gotta see that, that woman as your mom or your grandmother, your sister, it’s like the other day I saw these, these like eight kids, you know, young they’re on their bikes. They’re, they’re the, we, we have wheelie gangs around Santa Cruz, you know, they just do wheelies, like to, and I see and they’ve stopped and they’re being loud and they’re hood looms and they’re 14.
Sevan Matossian: (25:26)
And I’m just looking at ’em being like, man, I remember that what a great life, you know, they’re probably gonna go steal a beer in a minute and share like one 40 or something. So I walk over to ’em and I said, Hey, one of the kids holding the phone, I’m like, gimme your phone. I’ll take a picture of you guys. You guys will have it forever. And one of the kids is like, how do we know you’re not gonna run away. I said, cause I’m five, five and 49. And there’s 80 you and, and all the kids start laughing. So the kid hands me his phone. Yeah. And I take a picture, but, but you can’t, um, like my first instinct was to stay away from those kids. But you can’t, you have to go, you have to face that and go over to them and treat them like humans and give ’em a picture. And like, like, let ’em know, like, Hey, you’re not alone. You’re not, you’re not just 14 year old hoodlums in the park. We’re all here. We we’ve all done what you’ve done. Facts. Let me get a P you know what I mean? Just a little just interaction. Just, you know, it’s like you said, you love people. Like you just gotta go over and, and just put the love on ’em a little bit.
Bryan Battle: (26:21)
Well, I mean, that’s like, I mean, like the worst thing that’s happening right now is everyone’s splitting off into their groups cuz the way you kill all this stuff is by having like actual, real conversations. Yes. You know what I’m saying? And like when you get to know people and you get to know them beyond their, you know, political party or you know, their, um, you know, whatever they put on as they’re like social front, you know, as you get to know people, you know, you get to know that, you know, the, the people are bigger than all those things. You know what I’m saying? Like the actual, like human is like bigger than all of these like manmade constructs that we have. You know what I’m saying? Um, but yeah, you know, that’s easier said than done, you know what I mean? Uh, like you said, talking to people can be kind of hard sometimes. You know what I mean? Like, I mean, yeah, everybody, you know, like, especially
Sevan Matossian: (27:12)
People like 14 year old kids, I’m a, I’m a old man. They don’t want me coming over there. Or like, if I see people who are 80, like get out of your comfort zone, go talk to the dude in the wheelchair, go talk to the kids, go talk to the old people, like get out of your, even just a high so that like you, you know, I look, I look so different than them, but a high. And then all of a sudden, like all those differences kind of fade. Oh, he speaks, he speaks, I speak. Wow. You know, like,
Bryan Battle: (27:35)
Yeah, yeah. Just like acknowledging them. They’re just like, okay.
Sevan Matossian: (27:37)
Yeah.
Bryan Battle: (27:38)
You just the acknowledgment, you know, but yeah.
Sevan Matossian: (27:41)
Same with people. Same with the fentanyl addicts that people call, but they’re just drug addicts everywhere on the streets. Yeah. Those people need eye contact. Yeah. Like who do you have that? Do you have people that believe in you, Brian?
Bryan Battle: (27:52)
Yeah. Yeah. No. Um,
Sevan Matossian: (27:55)
And how huge is that?
Bryan Battle: (27:57)
That is, I, I always say like the haters, um, the haters are what motivate me when I’m in the gym and I’m sweating and I’m tired and I get angry. You know what I’m saying? I think about the haters, but, um, the people who believe in me are the people who get me outta bed to go in the gym when I’m sore and tired, you know, the, those are the people who really matter the most because those are the people who I don’t wanna, you know, it almost feels like riding in this journey with me because they, you know,
Sevan Matossian: (28:27)
Actually as they are
Bryan Battle: (28:28)
Me. Yeah. And, uh,
Sevan Matossian: (28:30)
Who is that in your life?
Bryan Battle: (28:32)
Um, well from day one, my dad has always been my number one supporter. He’s been to every fight that he could go to. You know what I mean? Um, uh, you know, even these past two fights, he couldn’t get into the picks, cuz tickets were so hard to get, but he still came out to Vegas and he was there, um, to be with
Sevan Matossian: (28:51)
Wins.
Bryan Battle: (28:51)
Yeah. No,
Sevan Matossian: (28:52)
You couldn’t get your dad in.
Bryan Battle: (28:54)
No, no, I can’t get my dad in. It’s crazy. The demand is really high for them things. Um, and then yeah, there is. Yeah, no, my dad is a legend man. He, he is. He still trains with me to this day. He actually broke
Sevan Matossian: (29:11)
My, that shirt. He’s wearing dope. That shirt he’s wearing is dope.
Bryan Battle: (29:15)
No, we did a shirt swap. Uh,
Sevan Matossian: (29:18)
Yeah,
Bryan Battle: (29:19)
We did a Jersey swap. So, um, and then, um, uh, obviously my wife, I mean, you know, we started dating right before I went pro um, but you know, going pro as an MMA fighter, isn’t really, you know, being a pro in and of itself doesn’t mean anything because you could be a terrible pro you know, you have to be a pro fighting for a major organization for that to actually be something to be like actually proud of. Um, so, um, you know, that
Sevan Matossian: (29:47)
Was 2019, you went
The above transcript is generated using AI technology and therefore may contain errors.
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