I had never thought about being a professional fighter but meeting Pat [ Militich ] and the guys just pushed me in that direction.

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.

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

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.

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.

I did start wrestling after I moved to Iowa, I think in the seventh grade. It's really a part of the Iowa culture so it's hard not to do it if you like sports.

I remember coming across some DVDs of the UFC and so I started watching that and became a fan of it. It was a little boring because of all the grabbing and holding and I fast-forwarded through a lot of it, but I still watched because I like martial arts.