Mario sat down the morning after his UFC Paris win over Ryan Spann to break down everything that went down - from the chaotic walkout with no ring music, to surviving that early storm, landing the 100K bonus, and why people need to stop sleeping on heavyweights. This one's raw, real, and unfiltered.
Watch the full interview below:
No Music, No Warm-Up, No Problem
Things didn't exactly go to plan before the fight even started. The UFC told Mario there'd be no walkout music - they were running late. He had to get ready inside the changing room, shirt off, Vaseline done early. That's why he walked out topless. The walkout song he'd been prepping for Paris? Gone. "That was supposed to be the one, man, especially in Paris. They took that away from me."
On top of that, his coaches weren't allowed to come see him before he entered the cage. Spann had his team right there with him. Mario didn't. Stu was shouting at him from a distance to stay focused. Not exactly ideal prep, but we adapted.
The First 22 Seconds
If you watched the fight, you know Spann came out swinging with bad intentions straight away. Mario talks about what was going through his head when he got caught clean early on: "It's not over till it's over. Until I'm out flatlined, I was just telling myself I'm not done."
Even when Spann locked in a guillotine and told his corner "I got him," Mario wasn't having any of it. "The f*** you got? You ain't got nothing, bro." Sometimes you've just got to back yourself, even when it's ugly.
Turning It Around
After weathering that opening storm, Mario took over. The corner was telling him to stay on Spann, don't let him recover, keep the pressure on. "He's already at the bottom of the pool, so keep his head at the bottom." Big shout out to Ronaldo for getting Mario's fitness to a level where he could eat those early exchanges and still come out fresh.
The Post-Fight Speech
You already know Mario's post-fight speeches hit different. This one was about respect for the heavyweight division. "Everyone says we're just jokers, bro. They make fun of us, but you saw what happened. It takes one punch. You're making fun of the most dangerous people in the world."
He also had something to say about the online culture around losses: "When you lose, man, you lose on your own and people just try to destroy you. They dehumanise you." A proper message for anyone who hides behind a screen.
Respect to Spann
Mario was clear that people massively underestimated Ryan Spann. "Most people don't know s*** about fighting. The way he beat Dominic Reyes - this guy's legit." The two had a good moment backstage after the fight. Respect both ways.
100K Bonus
Mario found out about the performance bonus while he was at a restaurant. "They told me I got that 100K." But as he explains in the video, this isn't overnight success. He's been grinding since he was 13 - bouncing, working homeless shelters, night shifts, 12 hour shifts, all while training. The bonus is earned, not given.
What's Next
Recovery, a wedding, maybe Portugal, maybe Asia. "I need to go to a beach, man. I lost this whole summer because of this fight." As for the future - you already know. Bing, bash, bosh. We go again soon.
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