Fitz Nation: Stories and Life Lessons from the UFC

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UFC veteran Lando Vannata joins Fitz Nation! We had a wide-ranging chat about his journey from BMX racer to combat sports enthusiast to UFC action fighter!
Included on the show:

• Lando’s gaming rig (passion for car racing, adrenaline of a race vs. the rush of fighting)
• Cancelling fight with Andre Fili (tumultuous fight camp, expected return date)
• Being mentally stronger than ever (battling depression early in UFC career, panic attacks, working with a mental coach, always improving)
• Normal upbringing traveling around the U.S. (loving BMX racing, huge influence of his father, becoming obsessed with UFC after seeing Pedro Rizzo vs. Josh Barnett on VHS) “Ever since I saw that fight, I was like, “Yep. That’s what I want to do with my life.”
• Why he was drawn to fighting (being the smallest brother, journey through wrestling in high school)
• Expectations of fighting vs. reality (the value of putting all your energy into one place) “I thought I was going to retire by the time I was 30. Now, I just have the mindset of breadth over depth.”
• Advice to his younger self now that he’s 30
• Balancing his goals with growing older (mindfulness, belief in oneself, sports psychology and mental coaching). “I think the best thing you can do for yourself is learn how to have deep-seated confidence.”

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Full episodes of Fitz Nation are exclusively on UFC Fight Pass
Fitz is back with UFC featherweight contender Josh Emmett. The veteran from Sacramento is ready for his main event vs. Calvin Kattar in a high stakes match-up at UFC Austin later this month.
In this episode, Emmett discusses his upbringing with a single mom and older brother that dealt with addiction, how he found wrestling and what got him to pursue being a fighter in the UFC.
He also discusses his mindset as a fighter and one who is so clear on his mission to be a UFC champion.
He has never been closer, as he sits in the top 10 with a huge match-up on the horizon.
SHOW NOTES
0:00 - Intro
1:44 - Josh’s thoughts on the fight several weeks out
2:44 - Josh’s reflection on tribulations of the game and how he understands it’s his time now despite being 37
4:43 - Josh offers his thoughts on what it will take to beat Volk
6:47 - Talks about upbringing
8:50 - Connection with Dad
12:25 - Breaks down his usage of the term “tough” to describe childhood
14:35 - Explains his brother was murdered several years ago
15:25 - Why he fights
16:14 - Why Wrestling Clicked
20:05 - Talking about his school, which was almost 80% athletes
22:30 - How life changed going down a COMBAT sport as opposed to a regular sport
25:15 - Why Josh likes wrestling despite the grueling nature of the sport
27:25 - Reflection on his mindset before he realized athletic success
31:30 - Josh’s love for competition
34:03 - Josh admitting he doesn’t “like to fight”
37:40 - Viewing MMA as a job versus athletic endeavor
41:15 - Why Josh chose to pursue fighting
43:30 - What advice would Josh tell a younger version of himself

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Mickey Gall is coming off a win over Jordan Williams at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw (UFC Vegas 32).
Gall got back into the win column with a rear naked choke submission in the first round.
In this interview, Brendan Fitzgerald and Mickey Gall discuss his upbringing in New Jersey, the quick start to his UFC career, which included wins over CM Punk and Sage Northcutt, as well as his recent mindset and growth as he continues his career.
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👉🏻 FOLLOW MICKEY GALL:
Twitter: @MickeyGall
Instagram: @mickeygall
👉🏻 CONNECT WITH FITZ:
Twitter: @BrendanFitzTV
Instagram: @brendanfitztv

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Fitz Nation is back with friend of the show and MMA coach Sayif Saud!
Sayif has become a good friend of mine over the years and I always love talking about life with him. He's the kind of guy that will always leave you feeling better, more motivated, more perceptive, or whatever you happen to need with what you're going through. It's why I always look to get him back on the show when there's a big-picture topic I am looking to discuss.
We talk about the wonderful and very simple book Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. It's a short and easy read, but can do wonders for centering yourself and getting to work on what's most important in a world that is so focused on chasing down distractions.

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Often times, fighters have life journeys filled with struggle and adversity. It's part of what it takes to have the mentality one needs to do what they do.
Ian Heinisch is one of the best examples of a life journey that has twists and turns, ups and downs, and also shows that despite achieving success, the road does not end with an accomplishment. It just opens a new door.
From getting involved with drugs, then dealing and trafficking them, then being arrested and serving hard time, Ian certainly battled his demons. He eventually fought his way to the UFC to compete with the best fighters in the world.
Now, he is fighting another battle to get healthy as he tries to compete in combat sports again and really wants to make his UFC return in 2024.
His relentless pursuit of great things is to be admired by all and a great way to kick off 2024!

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