Training: I usually start my day off with some MMA training/drills,  then conditioning in the afternoon or swimming and the last one for the day is a BJJ practice with the gi in the evening or some MMA drills along with hard sprints in the end.

Thoughts on opponent, Aleksei Oleinik? He's a very tough and experienced fighter, and he has been through everything the fight game has to offer. Oleinik is a very skilled submission artist with unorthodox submissions, so I have to be very careful on the ground, and standing he's dangerous too. It's a great challenge for me. 

When and why did you start training for fighting? When I was 13 years old I started boxing to lose weight. I was weighing more than 350 pounds.

What ranks and titles have you held? AsperaFC HW Champion

Do you have any heroes? My father, who passed away two days before my first pro MMA fight. He was the only one giving me support to fight and be whoever I wanted to be. 

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It means everything to me. This is my life and my ultimate goal. I made a promise to my father after he died that someday I would be honoring him by being an UFC fighter. Being a UFC fighter is bigger than everything else to me; this is even more than a dream. 

What was your job before you started fighting? I worked mostly as a waiter and nightclub security guard.

Ranks in any martial arts styles: Brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu and purple belt in Luta Livre 

Favorite grappling technique: Guillotine choke

Favorite Striking technique: Straight right hand