[tapping]
>> My brother, I've seen him rise from the gutter,
pretty much like he was telling me how
he would have to share his dinner with his dog.
Or he didn't have enough food,
he'd give all the food to his dog and he'll go train.
But yeah, seeing him rise from that
and go from like local show, local show
and see him doing what he set out to do.
Especially growing up in the household
with African parents where we had
some lawyer, doctor, accountant,
and face setbacks and failures and still rise up
and rise up and rise up.
It's inspiring,
and it makes me want to do more myself, you know.
>> Israel's the most experienced
combat sports athlete on the roster.
The reason he's the most experienced
combat sports athlete on the roster
is because he always fights.
He loves fighting.
He's had over 100 fights.
He's amassed over 100 fights
and swear he wants to be more active, but
there's only so many pay-per-views
he can do a year, so
it's just the way he is.
He's always been like that
and if you love fighting
and your time on this earth is short,
then you might as well get it done.
[gym chatter]
>> Grazie.
Ooh.
>> He's the handsome guy right there.
>> Thank you.
>> So you wanna sign in?
>> I hate that-- that picture.
Watch my hair, watch my [bleep].
[cross talk]
>> [bleep].
>> You're trying to get rid of the baby face name.
I thought that's what you're doing in this photo.
>> No, no, come on.
>> Look at this.
This guy is actor Mario-- Mario Moreno Catinflas.
Brandon Moreno.
>> Hey, guys.
Guys, guys, can we--
>> We got plenty of time for this.
>> Yeah, you already know, looking down.
What you worried about?
>> Hey, yo.
Brian, Brian!
[cross talk]
[bleep]
>> I don't play that [bleep].
I'm that way for real, bro.
>> You sure?
>> I'm real.
>> Fist up.
>>
>> Higher.
>>
>> The fact there's gonna be a crowd,
it's gonna be insane.
>> Yeah.
>> Does it make a bit of difference for you?
>> Yeah, for sure.
The last time I fought for the crowd,
was about two years ago,
when I fought RDA, you know, so.
I'm looking forward to even the press conference
tomorrow, you know,
and just be around that environment,
be around the excitement of fight week again,
and feel the energy to push me through
and I cannot wait.
>> Ooh, Baby Assassin, my man.
>> Good to meet, bro.
I'm a huge fan of you, brother.
>> Likewise, man. I like your collection as well.
You got way more than me though.
>> Do you collect?
>> I don't collect but fans give me a lot of them.
Do you ever--
You don't take them out of the box though?
>> Nah, nah, never. >> I'm that kid.
>> Man, nice to meet you, bro.
>> Nice to meet you.
>> Just put that left hand on your hip.
There you go, just like that.
We're gonna stare at this camera for 30 seconds.
>> I always feel like you're a storyteller
when it comes to your fights or fighting.
You like to kind of construct that narrative.
So for this one, what is the narrative which--
>> Good.
>> You mentioned Kamaru, similar to him.
But except I call this one The Italian Job 2.
I wasn't too excited about this fight,
until I saw Kamaru take care of Jorge.
You know, back to back for Jorge.
And yeah, that inspired me, like, right,
I need to silence this guy.
Ooh!
[chatter]
>> Oh, there we go.
Hey!
>> Hey, what's up?
>> Just so you know, from now on I call you bitch or boy.
Okay, boy.
[bleep] little boy.
He was-- he was not happy that I called him friend.
I don't call him friend because of course,
he's not my friend.
I just didn't know what to call him.
But now I know either bitch or boy.
>> The UFC.com team, okay.
Thanks, guys.
>> Is this fight personal?
Or is it just he's the guy in the way?
>> No, no, it's definitely personally.
It's just more than everything, he's fake.
He's so [bleep] fake.
Like, he'll be doing one thing
and he'll be telling exactly like a different story
like smiling right to the guy in the camera.
Like, how do you do that?
But you know, at the end of the day,
Saturday night, nothing matter, you know?
It's me against him.
Nobody's in between.
It's 25 minutes of brutal work
that I'm gonna put on him, you know?
>> Easy enough.
[chatter]
>> I don't like being at the front of the line.
Follow me.
What's up, how are you? >> How are you?
>> Right on, thanks, you too.
>> Hey, good to see you. >> Bad ass.
>> Hey, good luck.
>> How's it going? >> Good.
>> Good to see you, man.
>> Yeah.
>> Talking about flags or some [bleep] like that.
>> Nunchuks, boxes, spiders.
>> Oh. What the [bleep].
They pulled out a spider?
>> Yeah, tarantula.
His nickname is The Tarantula.
>> A real spider--
>> Out of his pocket.
[bleep] At face offs.
>> You're out, bro.
You're out.
>> You're too weird.
>> Right on, thanks a lot. >> You got it, man.
>> I'll see you guys. >> Yup, have a good day.
>> Cool. Thanks, bro.
>> We're gonna get this now.
>> Yeah.
He's there.
>> What's that. I gotta pee in this?
[laughing]
>> You've been able to thrive against
like deep in the fighting, and keep a high pressure.
A lot of your opponents kind of break or fade.
Is that more of a mental thing
or is that a physical thing
were you able to push it?
>> 10 seconds, 15 seconds of that.
>> Uh, yeah, I don't know.
I'm just ready for war when I go to war
and I do the best I can and never quit, never die.
>> Okay.
>> I don't know. I think everybody else will before me.
So like I said, that's not my choice.
I'm ready for three minute fight too.
Either way is fine by me.
>> Alright, hands down by your side, tight fists.
>> Do you think Leon's ready for that kind of work,
because he's been through a bunch of stuff
to get to these fights.
>> That means he's-- [bleep].
He's got a good record by winning a lot of fights.
He's a top contender,
about to be fighting for a championship
if he wins this fight,
so I'm sure he's ready for that.
[dramatic theme music]
♪♪