TONY: For an athlete such as yourself what is the training schedule like for you while getting ready to fight, Mon-Sun?
GREG: I train 6 days a week, although it’s brutal because I also work as an x-ray tech at the hospital. That means every minute is accounted for...even sleep minutes. I train enough to fight, but mentally I am too exhausted to give it my all. I’m hoping to eventually pay bills fighting for a while, but gotta play the cards I’m dealt and they’re not bad.

TONY: Is there ever a day off during the week for yourself?
GREG: I usually take one day off of training, but rarely do I have a day off from everything. I try to get some extra sleep as well as hang out with my girlfriend.

TONY: Do you feel it’s important for fighters to rest/take time off?
GREG: Absolutely, yes. It is very important to take time off. It is necessary to rest physically, but especially necessary to rest mentally. Training for a fight requires quality over quantity.

TONY: Before MMA and jiu-jitsu did you ever compete in any sports while growing up?
GREG: I wrestled, but got right into Jiu-jitsu after HS.

TONY: Any accomplishments/championship wins in wrestling?
GREG: In HS I was League champ, CIF champ, and a state qualifier. My school team wasn’t very good. But after high school, I did have the opportunity to improve a lot with college wrestling studs like Chance Farrar.

TONY: Do you feel that your solid wrestling background gave you a powerful edge in your jiu-jitsu and fight game?
GREG: Wrestling helps a lot. Jiu-jitsu finishes fights, but wrestling allows you to control the fight. Put them together and you’re good to go.

TONY: Did jiu-jitsu come easy to you when you first started rolling?
GREG: Jiu-jitsu didn’t really come easy. Wrestling gave me a lot of bad habits at first. But I was diligent and determined to learn without using much of the wrestling technique. Most wrestlers won’t do that.

TONY: Was it easy for you at that point to make the transition from jiu-jitsu to MMA?
GREG: The transition to MMA wasn’t easy either. When you start getting punched in the face you lose a couple belt levels right away. Again, I stuck with it and am only now starting to feel comfortable.

TONY: Is it important for a fighter to have that support factory from his team? In other words does a strong team/training camp make a better fighter?
GREG: It’s all about the team. Without the training partners and support you might as well quit... or just hope you’re fighting a fish (inferior athlete). I have strong relationships with all of my team (Dean, Shannon, Gustavo, Ryan, Chance, Pat, Toby). They’re like family. I can call them any time for anything.

TONY: Going back to your very first MMA fight, did you have the support from your family?
GREG: My family didn’t even know about my first fight. At that time, I didn’t really care. I was 19 and had the gift of being naive. I was real aggressive then and would fight any time.

TONY: And to this day is the support there now that you’ve made it into the WEC?
GREG: Everyone supports even more, now that I’m in the WEC. My mom still is indifferent as long as I’m healthy. She might still think I’m a pro wrestler and it’s all fake, I’m not sure.

TONY: During the course of your training/fighting career I understand that you experienced a defining moment in your life with regard to your health.
GREG: Yes.

TONY: What happened?
GREG: I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, an intestinal disease. Its genetic they think. It came from nowhere. It got really bad and I was on my way to death until surgery. After a brutally long recovery, I’m back to do what I can.

TONY: Was it hard going back into training and getting ready for a fight after that major life change? And, at this point in your life how do you feel, now that you’re back on track fighting?
GREG: It was very, very hard coming back. I didn’t want to wait and started competing only a year after surgery. My body just didn’t respond well. I still don’t feel like the same athlete I was, but I am making up for it with my brain.

TONY: Do you feel stronger now then before (whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger)?
GREG: I am stronger mentally, but the hard truth is I’ll never be the same. I deal with it every day, but everyone has a battle. This is mine. I am confident, however, that I can one day compete for a world title in the WEC.

TONY: Who are some of the people you’ve looked up to while coming up into this sport?
GREG: I’ve looked up to Royce, Dean, BJ Penn and many others while growing in this sport. As you can see I have a strong jiu-jitsu bias.

TONY: Any last words you would like to say before you head out Greg?
GREG: Check me out!