Retired former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin came within inches of unifying the heavyweight titles when he faced Brock Lesnar back in July 2010, and he’d be more than willing to put the gloves back on for a part two.
In an intervi…
Retired former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin came within inches of unifying the heavyweight titles when he faced Brock Lesnar back in July 2010, and he’d be more than willing to put the gloves back on for a part two.
In an interview with Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports, the 39-year-old stated he would agree to one last hurrah in the cage if it was against Lesnar again—even though he admits the scenario is pretty unlikely.
I’m all in [for a Lesnar rematch]. All the pain would be worth that. … I basically almost died in that fight. In the second round, anybody could have tripped me and landed on me. … I should have let him up and kept punching him in the head. Lesson learned. Cain learned it. If I didn’t make it obvious what to do to that guy, the next guy did. … He’s not coming back. I don’t even know why he would have the desire. … The guys these days are too far ahead. You can’t be one-dimensional. This isn’t the early ’90s.
After recording three straight first-round knockouts inside the Octagon between May 2008 and March 2009, Carwin got a shot at the interim UFC interim heavyweight title against Frank Mir at UFC 111.
Another brutal stoppage later, Carwin was the interim champ in March 2010 and waited in the wings for Lesnar to return from his first bout with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease.
After a year on the shelf, Lesnar returned to face Carwin at UFC 116. Despite eating a brutal onslaught of punches for the better part of the opening frame, the champ somehow managed to survive.
The former NCAA Division I wrestling champion scored a quick takedown early in the second round and managed to lock up an arm triangle choke to secure a stunning come-from-behind submission victory.
Lesnar then lost the title to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 in October 2010 and retired after a second battle with diverticulitis that culminated in a quick TKO loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in December 2011.
After the loss to The Demolition Man, Lesnar said he’d never set foot in the Octagon again, though rumors are running rampant about a possible return, as the WWE heavyweight champion’s contract is up in the first quarter of 2015, per Raimondi.
Meanwhile, Carwin hasn’t competed since UFC 131 in June 2011, where he suffered a lopsided loss to Junior dos Santos in a brutal, bloody affair.
In the event that Lesnar does decide to make another run at the UFC heavyweight title, would a rematch with Carwin make sense?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
Following Anderson Silva’s devastating leg-break against Chris Weidman at UFC 168, many observers hoped that one of the greatest fighters of all time would decide to retire in order to spend time with his family and count all of the “Anderson Silva money” he’s earned from fighting. Hell, even Silva’s son was hoping he would hang his gloves up. But following successful surgery, Silva has expressed his desire to return to the cage. Hopefully this is not the case. Silva has nothing left to accomplish in the sport, and at 38 years old, he would be facing a steep uphill battle to recover and earn back his belt.
Choosing to walk away from a long, fruitful MMA career is not an easy decision. Most fighters continue to compete long after they should have walked away. Nevertheless, every once in a while, an astute fighter realizes that their best days are behind them, and they decide to leave the sport for greener pastures. The following list is a tribute to five fighters who decided to leave MMA at the right time.
(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)
Georges St-Pierre recently decided to leave the sport of MMA for an undetermined amount of time. The reason why GSP’s decision to vacate his welterweight title is so incredible is because it’s so rare to see athletes leave at the top of their game. We’re used to dominant athletes staying too long, unable to give up the roar of the crowd and the lure of the paycheck. The list of accomplishments on GSP’s resume is long, varied and practically unparalleled in the sport of MMA. His in-cage achievements make him a legitimate candidate for the greatest of all time, with only fighters like Anderson Silva and Fedor Emeliananko even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.
Following Anderson Silva’s devastating leg-break against Chris Weidman at UFC 168, many observers hoped that one of the greatest fighters of all time would decide to retire in order to spend time with his family and count all of the “Anderson Silva money” he’s earned from fighting. Hell, even Silva’s son was hoping he would hang his gloves up. But following successful surgery, Silva has expressed his desire to return to the cage. Hopefully this is not the case. Silva has nothing left to accomplish in the sport, and at 38 years old, he would be facing a steep uphill battle to recover and earn back his belt.
Choosing to walk away from a long, fruitful MMA career is not an easy decision. Most fighters continue to compete long after they should have walked away. Nevertheless, every once in a while, an astute fighter realizes that their best days are behind them, and they decide to leave the sport for greener pastures. The following list is a tribute to five fighters who decided to leave MMA at the right time.
(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)
Georges St-Pierre recently decided to leave the sport of MMA for an undetermined amount of time. The reason why GSP’s decision to vacate his welterweight title is so incredible is because it’s so rare to see athletes leave at the top of their game. We’re used to dominant athletes staying too long, unable to give up the roar of the crowd and the lure of the paycheck. The list of accomplishments on GSP’s resume is long, varied and practically unparalleled in the sport of MMA. His in-cage achievements make him a legitimate candidate for the greatest of all time, with only fighters like Anderson Silva and Fedor Emeliananko even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.
During his career, GSP won the belt off the previous “most dominant Welterweight on the planet” and then went on to face every single 170-pound challenger to his belt. To borrow a phrase from Joe Rogan, St-Pierre faced a “murderer’s row” of contenders including Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, and Johny Hendricks. And it’s not as though he left the sport with a slew of guys who hadn’t yet had the chance to try and beat him. He gave all comers their opportunity and beat them all. Whether you like it or not, he even won his final match. He may have been clearly beaten up, but he won 3 of the 5 rounds and, according to the 10-point must system, that makes him the winner.
The reason why vacating the title is the right move for GSP is because he left the sport on his own terms. The multiple-time Canadian Athlete of the Year has done nearly everything any mainstream athlete ever could to maximize his earnings outside of the court of play. He has appeared on reality TV — as a coach on TUF — has already appeared in two films, and will portray the villain in the new Captain America movie. He also has huge endorsements, is a best-selling author, a fitness guru, and a certified ladies man. That, my friends, is why GSP is not only one of the greatest fighters ever…he is also one of the smartest.
(Lytle slugs it out with fellow recent-retiree Paul Taylor. / Photo via MMAWeekly)
Throughout his long career, Chris “Lights Out” Lytle was a technically proficient fighter but he employed a fan-friendly style of brawling that pleased both fans and the UFC brass alike. Lytle ended his career in the UFC having won five of his last six fights, so when he announced his retirement in 2011 — prior to his main-event fight against Dan Hardy at UFC on Versus 5 — many fans were shocked. That night, Lytle submitted Hardy, something that even then-champion GSP couldn’t do. The performance earned him Fight of the Night and Submission of the night bonuses and he celebrated the moment by bringing his kids into the Octagon. It was an emotional ending to an incredible 54-fight career that saw him earn 10 “Of the Night” bonuses, including an unofficial 11th one for his submission over Matt Brown (the actual bonus went to the Brock Lesnar).
Lytle fought for many of the top MMA promotions around the world including Cage Rage, Pancrase, IFL, WEC, and UFC. Incredibly he was never submitted or knocked out in his entire 54-fight career. When Lytle was cast on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback season, he was already well-known to hardcore fans, but it was the reality show that introduced him to mainstream fans and earned him a reputation as a gritty fighter and all-around good guy. In the final, Lytle lost a decision to Matt Serra, but it was close and one judge even gave him the fight 30-27. Even though he lost that fight, he did manage to beat Serra in a rematch.
Part of Lytle’s blue-collar appeal can be attributed to the fact that while training and fighting he also worked full-time as a firefighter at the Indianapolis Fire Department. He was also highly involved in the local community, running for the Indiana State Senate in 2012 and establishing a charity for at-risk youth. In late 2013, Lytle indicated that he could be lured back to the UFC — with his wife’s approval no less — for a big paycheck so that his family could finally “get that lake house.” Still training and sparring, Lytle said he’d be willing to come back for a short notice fight against a Nick Diaz-type fighter, as long as it didn’t require a long, arduous and time-consuming training camp. Whether or not a comeback ever happens, Lytle had a storybook ending to his illustrious MMA career. His decision to retire wasn’t about chronic injuries or declining ability; it was about other obligations and wanting to spend more time with his family. It’s a lesson that up-and-coming fighters should take note of.
(Photo via Getty)
Brian “All-American” Stann may have ended his career going 1-3, but this isn’t a list about fighters who ended on a winning streak; it’s about fighters who realized they had nothing left to prove and left the sport for longer-lasting pursuits, which is exactly why Stann deserves to be on this list. Besides, it’s not as though Stann’s final losses were against scrubs; they were against some of the best middleweights to ever enter the Octagon, including Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen, and Michael Bisping.
Stann was the type of fighter who struggled against top-10 fighters but easily disposed of the mid-tier fighters. Personable and a favorite of the UFC brass, he certainly could have competed in the UFC for a long time as a gatekeeper for the middleweight division. But Stann was too smart to fall into that life. He has more going on outside of the fight game than most fighters, and he chose to capitalize on his non-fighting skills rather than being resigned to “perennial contender” status. As far as a life outside of fighting, Stann is best known as being a Silver Star U.S. Marine who served in Iraq. Currently, he runs a non-profit, called Hire Heroes, for U.S. military veterans to find work, and acts as a commentator for both the UFC on Fox and Atlantic Coast Conference football games. He has also authored a book about his life in and out of the cage.
Stann is now retired, focusing on broadcasting, his charitable endeavors and family. When he announced his departure from MMA, Stann stated it was because he has three young daughters and he didn’t want to risk brain injury after years of football, MMA and explosions in combat. He left the game with some hardware — he won the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship — and his final bout against Wanderlei Silva was one of the most thrilling UFC fights of all time. Silva called their two-round war, at the UFC’s return to Japan in March 2013, one of the best fights of his career, which is incredible considering the wars that Silva has been in. Stann may not have ended his career on a win but that fight cemented his legacy as a warrior who will be fondly remembered by fight fans.
On the next page: The first “Face of WMMA,” the “Engineer of Pain,” and five honorable mentions…
With UFC 168 just hours away, fight fans are eagerly awaiting to find out what the company’s big announcement is right before the pay-per-view event begins.
With rumors of former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar making his return heating up,…
With UFC 168 just hours away, fight fans are eagerly awaiting to find out what the company’s big announcement is right before the pay-per-view event begins.
With rumors of former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar making his return heating up, per MMA Fighting, a former opponent of Lesnar is helping to stir the pot.
Ex-interim titleholder Shane Carwin tweeted UFC President Dana White yesterday asking for an extra ticket for UFC 168, indicating he had a score to settle with someone who is expected to be in attendance.
@danawhite got an extra ticket for tomorrow night? I’m hearing the bitch that will solve my itch will be there.
Carwin and Lesnar squared off at UFC 116 in July 2010 to unify the UFC heavyweight titles.
The Engineer decimated the then-seemingly invincible Lesnar in the first round, dropping him with punches and swarming him with heavy ground-and-pound.
Amazingly, the former two-time Division I All-American wrestler managed to survive the early onslaught, scoring a double leg takedown in the second round and eventually locking up an arm triangle choke to score the shocking come-from-behind victory.
Many pundits believed the bout should have been stopped in the opening frame and clearly Carwin believes there is some unfinished business there.
Rumors persist that Lesnar is in Las Vegas, Nevada (UFC 168 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena) with popular Twitter personality Front Row Brian stating that Lesnar is indeed around.
Carwin has not fought since the brutally lopsided decision loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 in June 2011, while Lesnar has not competed inside the Octagon since getting TKO’ed by Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in December 2011.
Should Lesnar indeed be angling for a return to the fight game, is Lesnar vs. Carwin II the fight to make?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
We’ve saved the biggest fighters for last in the striking assessment series. Heavyweights end 57% of fights by (T)KO, far more than any other weight class. They also have the highest average power head striking accuracy, possibly because defense is harder when you’re that big.
So let’s see how the whole division stacks up against each other, then look at the winners and losers in each category. A full explanation of the chart and variables is included at the end of this post.
THE WINNERS
Sniper Award: Relative newcomer Shawn Jordan has been a highly accurate striker to date, though he has lacked knockdown power. So let’s focus on the trio of Pat Barry, Dave Herman, and Mark Hunt, who each have four or more UFC appearances and have maintained power head striking accuracy of 38% or more. These are big guys who can also hit their target.
Energizer Bunny Award: Monstrous southpaw Todd Duffee has almost quadrupled the striking output of his opponents with three fights to date in the Octagon, none of which have gone the distance. But with far greater Octagon experience, veterans Cheick Kongo and former champion Junior Dos Santos have managed to almost double the volume of opponents, all while maintain accuracy well above the division average.
(Click chart for full-size version. For previous Databombs, click here.)
We’ve saved the biggest fighters for last in the striking assessment series. Heavyweights end 57% of fights by (T)KO, far more than any other weight class. They also have the highest average power head striking accuracy, possibly because defense is harder when you’re that big.
So let’s see how the whole division stacks up against each other, then look at the winners and losers in each category. A full explanation of the chart and variables is included at the end of this post.
THE WINNERS
Sniper Award: Relative newcomer Shawn Jordan has been a highly accurate striker to date, though he has lacked knockdown power. So let’s focus on the trio of Pat Barry, Dave Herman, and Mark Hunt, who each have four or more UFC appearances and have maintained power head striking accuracy of 38% or more. These are big guys who can also hit their target.
Energizer Bunny Award: Monstrous southpaw Todd Duffee has almost quadrupled the striking output of his opponents with three fights to date in the Octagon, none of which have gone the distance. But with far greater Octagon experience, veterans Cheick Kongo and former champion Junior Dos Santos have managed to almost double the volume of opponents, all while maintain accuracy well above the division average.
Biggest Ball(s) Award: Punch for punch, Shane Carwin has landed the most knockdowns in the fewest strikes. Despite low accuracy and pace, Carwin packed enough power to finish his first four UFC fights all by (T)KO. Like a mortar in high winds, Carwin doesn’t land on target very often. But when he does, he destroys what he hits.
THE LOSERS
Swing and a Miss Award: With just 12% power head striking accuracy, the recently retiredChristian Morecraft is the least accurate heavyweight striker on the list. Though Shane Carwin is a close second, he has made the most of the shots he’s landed. Morecraft outworked opponents by more than 30%, but under-landed them in the long run.
Starnes Award for Inaction: Former kickboxer Alistair Overeem may have seemed invincible prior to his knockout loss to Antonio Silva, but he certainly didn’t press the action inside the MMA cage. Opponents outworked the Reem by throwing more than double his standing strike volume.
Smallest Ball(s) Award: Only three heavyweights shown here have failed to score a knockdown in UFC/Strikeforce competition. But Shawn Jordan has failed to do so in 56 minutes of Octagon time to date. But Jordan did manage to finish two opponents by strikes, showing he’s got power on the ground. Morecraft, however, failed to score a knockdown in four UFC appearances, losing three of those fights by KO himself — so maybe his retirement from competition was a good thing after all.
Also Noteworthy…
Heavyweights hit hard, and collectively the group shown in the graph has scored 82 knockdowns in their fights through 2012. We’re just three months into 2013 and already fighters like Bigfoot Silva and Mark Hunt are putting in performances that will boost their striking assessment position the next time around.
In order to understand standup striking performance, which is more multifaceted in MMA than it is in boxing, I need to boil down a few of the most important variables that determine success as a striker. These are fairly uncomplicated variables in isolation, but together they can summarize a fighter’s overall capabilities. Here, I’ve focused on three fundamental, offensive metrics:
Accuracy: I’ve used power head striking accuracy (as opposed to body or leg strikes, or jabs to the head), where the average for UFC Heavyweights is about 28%. Certainly, great strikers can attack the body and legs, but the most likely way to end a fight by strikes is by aiming at the head. And in order to keep this comparison apples-to-apples, we can’t have a guy that throws a lot of high accuracy leg kicks skewing his accuracy stat. The accuracy of the power head strike is a great indicator of a fighter’s striking prowess, and there’s a wide range within a single division as we’ll see. This is the vertical axis, so more accurate fighters are higher in the graph.
Standup Striking Pace: Prior analysis reveals that outpacing your opponent is a key predictor of success, and certainly correlates with winning decisions as it reflects which fighter is dictating the pace of the fight. Here, I’ve used the total number of standup strikes thrown as a ratio to the same output from a fighter’s opponents. All strikes attempted from a standup position are counted, including body shots and leg kicks. This is the horizontal axis in the graph, and the average for the whole division must be 1, so fighters with superior pace appear further to the right.
Knockdown Rate: The objective of every strike thrown is to hurt your opponent, and knockdowns reflect a fighter that has connected with a powerful strike. I’ve used the total number of knockdowns a fighter landed divided by the number of landed power head strikes to see who does the most damage per strike landed. The size of the bubble for a fighter indicates their relative knockdown rate; the bigger the bubble, the higher their knockdown rate. The very small bubbles indicate fighters who have yet to score a knockdown in their Zuffa fights.
The data includes all UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce fights through 2012, including UFC 155.
Brock Lesnar burst onto the scene. He was the most feared man in the UFC, he was the future of pay-per-view and everyone in the world was waiting to see what would happen next. Then, he lost, got injured and faded away.There comes a time every year whe…
Brock Lesnar burst onto the scene. He was the most feared man in the UFC, he was the future of pay-per-view and everyone in the world was waiting to see what would happen next. Then, he lost, got injured and faded away.
There comes a time every year where we find ourselves wondering, “What the heck happened to so-and-so?”
Were they outmatched in their fights? Did they get banged up? Or like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, was it just their time to go?
It seems like all fighters fall victim to at least one of three things at the end of their career: time, injuries or a string of bad luck. Regardless of which one of the three it is, it’s inevitable that every year we unofficially have to say goodbye to fighters who run the risk of no longer being relevant in a division. Sure, we’ll catch them on an undercard again and maybe even the first fight of a UFC PPV, but their days of headlining are over.
Here are the top seven fighters that could fade away in 2013.
Leister Bowling III is the wrestling coach for Grudge MMA and Easton BJJ. Last fall, he was an assistant coach on the Ultimate Fighter 15: Carwin vs. Nelson. Recently, he and I sat down to talk about his experience on TUF, training some of the be…
Leister Bowling III is the wrestling coach for Grudge MMA and EastonBJJ. Last fall, he was an assistant coach on the Ultimate Fighter 15: Carwin vs. Nelson. Recently, he and I sat down to talk about his experience on TUF, training some of the best in MMA and Nate Marquardt‘s Strikeforce fight this weekend against TarecSaffiedine.
What were your first thoughts when Shane Carwin asked you to join him as a coach on TUF?
I was honored when Shane asked. I was surprised because Donald Cerrone had asked me, as well, due to the rumors that he was coaching that season, so I was completely caught off guard when Shane called.
Did you have any reservations to going?
Anytime you have to leave your family for an extended period of time there are reservations. Also, I have a family business that I manage, so I had to make sure it would work. I was able to go as one of the full-time coaches, but i flew home every Thursday night to work Friday and Saturday and then fly back to Vegas.
How did you get hooked up with Grudge and Carwin?
I fought a little right out of college and I was coaching at University of Northern Colorado. We had a tough heavy weight at the time. I happened to be at a local fight where they announced Shane Carwin out of Greeley, Colo. He was probably 4-0 or so at the time. I reached out to see if he would be interested in coming in to wrestle with our guy at UNC. He said he would if I would help Nate Marquardt with his wrestling. I said yes.
Nate and I immediately clicked and worked well together. Nate began bringing guys from Grudge with him to Greeley for wrestling (one hour drive each way). After about a year and a half of them making the trip, I decided to quit at UNC and focus more on training MMA fighters.
What do you think helps to set Grudge apart from other gyms?
Grudge is a great gym to be a part of. We have teamed up with Easton‘s BJJ and Loren Landow at Steadman Hawkins does our strength and conditioning. Loren is one of our biggest assets that people don’t hear about. He is the most knowledgeable strength and conditioning coach I have ever been around because he truly understands the body and the nagging injuries that go along with being a professional athlete. He has the knowledge and facility to treat their injuries and helps us structure training camps that make our fighters peak at the right time.
How has Nate Marquardt‘s training gone for his upcoming fight against TarecSaffiendine?
Nate is an absolute nightmare for anyone in the world at 170 pounds. He is a new man. At 185, Nate was constantly the No. 1 or No. 2 contender. At 170 pounds, he is the world champ for a reason and I think the world is about to experience the “Nate Marquardt era!”
What do you think Nate needs to do this weekend to get the win?
Nate just has to be Nate. He is better in every aspect. When Nate fights to inflict damage, he will make a bad night for anyone standing across the cage from him. We are not overlooking Tarec in any way, but I feel like Nate will win this fight in dominating fashion.
Trevor Wittman comes across as a very positive coach who will get after fighters when needed. How do your personalities bounce off one another?
You nailed it. Trevor is one of the most positive people I’ve ever been around. He has the ability to always keep things light. I think our personalities mix very well for the fighters, as I am a lot more intense and don’t smile nearly as much! Honestly, though, I think our team of coaches is a perfect balance. Trevor, Loren, Eliot, Amal and myself all work very well together. It is an honor to coach with all of them!
We always see the fighter’s house, but people forget that you guys are staying in Vegas, too. What were your digs like?
They had us staying in fully furnished condos a few miles up the strip from Mandalay Bay. They were very nice with a pool, tennis court, gym, etc.
Any stories you can share from the coaches’ house?
The most action we had at the coaches’ house was a friendly game of tennis. There were six of us (Shane, Marquardt and I vs. Trevor, Loren and Eliot Marshall), but there were only three tennis rackets available. We went down with a basket of about 50 tennis balls and three rackets, and without saying anything, the teams were split and a game of dodgeball ensued for 2.5 hours. All of our arms were sore for three to four days! It was madness. A crowd of people watched from balconies, there were groin shots, face shots, an all-out war!
Take me through the average day on TUF:
The average day was a structured practice from 12 to 2 p.m. As a coaching staff, we made it a priority to get to practice 30 minutes early and make sure we were ready for practice to start on time. The 12 p.m. practice was structured (wrestling, BJJ, striking, sparring). The 4 p.m. practice was more one-on-one training/open room for guys that needed it.
What is something you like that doesn’t come across on TV the way it should?
I wish more of the training would have been shown on both sides. Roy has caught a lot of criticism for his “lack of coaching,” but he had some great assistant coaches and guest coaches. That is something I would have liked to see compared to what we offered as a team.
What surprised you the most (good or bad) on the last TUF?
The thing that shocked me the most coaching TUF was how quickly a bond forms between coach and athlete. Loren Landow and I had talked about how we had a very short time frame to “sell” ourselves as coaches to these guys and make them believe in us and I think we accomplished that. Our guys believed in us and never questioned anything we did. We still have good relationships with them and a few have even been out to Grudge to train.
Who do you think has the best possibility for a long-term career in the UFC from the last TUF?
Based off the show alone, i would say Neil Magny and Mike Ricci. Colton Smith won the show and I think he has a bright future, as well. Neil is so young in this sport and he has been training with us full time at Grudge since the show ended. He is leaps and bounds better than he was on the show. He just keeps getting better and has a huge future ahead of him. Ricci is cutting to 155 and is a very talented guy with a great team behind him. The sky is the limit for those guys.
What advice would you give fighters for upcoming season’s of TUF?
Well, since this season has already been filmed, my advice would be not to talk about it!
Guys going into TUF need to go in with an open mind and take advantage of a situation where they get to be full-time fighters. Yes, it’s hard to be away from family and friends for six weeks, but you are living in a mansion in Vegas, training in a world-class facility with world-class coaches and training partners, you get any kind of food you want daily and you get to live like a professional fighter should. Focus on that. Oh, and let’s be honest; People are sick of watching grown men throw temper tantrums, so find something else to make yourself stand out!
What advice would you give coaches?
Go in with an open mind. Coaches can never stop learning either. I was learning daily from the coaches we had there and it was a great opportunity for me to be open minded and become a student again! Enjoy the experience and don’t lose too much money gambling! Six weeks is a long Vegas vacation!
This was your first chance to really work closely with Dana White, was he what you expected him to be?
We didn’t have too much interaction with Dana, but he was exactly how I expected him to be; real. He speaks his mind and doesn’t hold back any words. I am very similar in that way, so I respect the fact that he speaks what he feels and doesn’t care if you like it or not.
