Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Uriah Hall talks about the delicate balance between caring for the well-being of others and trying to separate one from consciousness inside the Octagon.
Uriah Hall is discovering the balance between his killer instinct and concern for his opponents. Hall, a highlight-reel knockout artist, is putting more emphasis on the mental side of mixed martial arts (MMA).
“That journey has been awesome,” he told assembled media on earlier this week. “I’m always questioning myself. What makes me want to do this? It’s not everyday you want to wake up and punch someone in the face. I’ve talked to people on the plane, where they’re like, ‘you’re a fighter? Why would you do something like that?’ I’m like, ‘it’s fun. I get paid to punch people.’ You get to beat up your co-worker and get paid for it. For my personally, it’s one of those journeys where when you reach the end and it’s this glory. I feel like the fights I’ve fought to even be here right now are amazing. The fights that people don’t see. No one knows what I’m going through when I’m cutting weight. No one goes through what I go through at home. No one knows that I have personal issues with family and all that stuff.”
“All they see is the punching and the kicking and who wins,” Hall continued. “I don’t want to represent that side only. I’m more than an athlete, I’m a human being, I have feelings. I feel bad when I punch you in the face. Yeah, I’m getting paid, but I feel bad about it. For me it’s to understand that side. The human nature and the, ‘I’m going to kill you’ and I try to mesh that in. Sometimes when I go out there and beat you up, I do feel a little bad because I’m a human being, too. You have a family. You have a mom, you have a dad. I’m still working on that because it’s a continual growth as a human being.”
Hall (15-9) will have to balance the two sides of his humanity when he fights Antonio Carlos Jr. (11-3) at UFC Fight Night 158 later this evening (Sat., Sept. 14, 2019) inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The event is headlined by a “Fight of the Year” candidate between Donald Cerrone vs. Justin Gaethje. MMAmania.com will be live on the ground for all your fight night coverage.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 158 fight card this weekend right HERE, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” that are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET, then the main card portion that will stream on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Fight Night 158: “Cowboy vs. Gaethje” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.