Curtis Millender is not forgetting about his roots on the road to fame and fortune.
Curtis Millender plans to get back to cashing win bonuses in the UFC and he hopes to put some of that money to good use.
Millender spoke with Bloody Elbow ahead of his UFC 236 bout with Belal Muhammad. The welterweight prospect touched on the murder of rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was known for investing time and money into his local communities.
“You can’t help but admire what that man has done in the short time he was here. The influence he had on the world, on the culture and on his community, it is very unfortunate we won’t be able to see what could have been,” Millender said. “Being from San Bernardino, it’s also a rough city, it’s a blessing and a curse. He was helping out his city, his neighborhood, where he grew up and he lost his life there as well.”
Even in death, “he is still putting back into his community and that is the most touching thing about his legacy,” Millender said. Fighting for fame and fortune, Millender hopes too one day be able to invest back into the communities he grew up in.
“When I get there to where I’m rich and I can put back into my community, I’m definitely going to do it from a distance. I definitely want to help out but I don’t need to put myself back in those situations for some senselessness,” he expressed. “I can’t wait to be at the level where Hussle was. I want to open up store, maybe open up a gym. Do something that positively affects the city of San Bernardino.”
Millender (17-4) is looking to bounce back from his first loss in four years to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC Wichita. UFC 236 takes place at the State Farm Arena on Saturday, April 13. Keep up with Bloody Elbow for live highlights, updates, and results on all of the night’s action.