I lived in Iowa for pretty much the rest of my life, but I just moved to St. Louis and opened up a gym and MMA training center.

The sport in 2000 wasn't as big as it is now [in 2008].

You don't really realize the effect those things have on you when you're growing up but then when you look back you can see how they molded you.

My parents were divorced and my dad was in the Marines. I lived in California until I was 10 then we moved to Bettendorf, Iowa when I was in the fourth grade. I had an older brother so it made it a little easier to adjust to things.

I kept doing my own thing, working out with weights, wrestling, and doing other spots until I graduated from high school. Then I made a conscious decision to pursue MMA seriously and full time.

A lot of military kids make a lot of moves but I only made the one, so it wasn't really an issue for me.

I got a little bit of the Marine mentality from my dad, I guess. You can't but help absorb the culture you're around.