#8 | Kurt Holobaugh | TUF 31, Wildlife and Nu Metal | "I'm Gonna Have To Fight This Wolf With A Paddle"

Kurt Holobaugh is The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 31 champion and a UFC lightweight who joins us for a conversation on his life as a fighter and family man.  Kurt talks about training with UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler and what Conor McGregor is really like when the cameras are off. Kurt will look to win his fifth straight MMA fight and sixth straight combat sports contest when he fights Trey Ogden at UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas on March 23, 2024.

To cap off this session, we don't just stick to the script – we skate off it, combining MMA insights, a love of Nu Metal a dash of conspiracy, and a shared love for skating culture.

Kurt Holobaugh - IG
The Contender And The Pretenders Podcast - YouTube

Transcript

Mike the Photo Guy: 0:00

Anticon. So, Thomas, what do we have in store today for the people?

"Headhunter" Higgins: 0:24

Well, we've foreshadowed that there would be plenty of talking to warriors on the show. We got Ultimate Fighter winner and UFC fighter here to talk a little bit about that world. So anyone who's into that. As you know, me and Mike both have a martial arts background, so that was always kind of be built into the show as well.

Mike the Photo Guy: 0:46

Yeah, absolutely. Kurt Hollobaugh. As you mentioned, he's a tough winner. He won Tough 31,. Which was actually what they did in that season was they took former competitors on Tough and they brought them back for like an all-star and he won that. So this is his third stint in the UFC. He is a lightweight. He is on a six-fight winning streak. Five of those are MMA. One of them was a grappling match.

Mike the Photo Guy: 1:14

He is from Louisiana, a family man, father, just an all-around, he's a good dude, if you're liking what Tom and I are throwing out there, please follow us on all the social medias, whether it is X, instagram, facebook, patreon, go like, follow, subscribe, do all that good stuff for us. If you don't want to do any of that, but you still want to show support, just give us a five-star review on whatever platform you are Listening on. That actually helps us out tremendously.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 1:43

Appreciate all the listeners out there. Be sure to get in contact with us. Let us know what you think. Say what's up. Happy to interact with the community.

Mike the Photo Guy: 1:52

Yes, and we're trying to build one, so shoot us an email, or the best place to build that community would be on Facebook. And if you do want to get in touch with Tom and I, let's say you want to tell me when an idiot I am, or you want to maybe tell Tom how he can do a submission better, which I thought you can do.

Mike the Photo Guy: 2:08

But you know, let's just say you had a suggestion for an episode or whatever. Shoot us an email at conspiracyinshillyahoocom. And we got listeners from all over the world and for us being a fairly new podcast, I think that's pretty fucking cool. So let's take a quick second here. Shout out some of the people that are giving us listens. We got people in Australia, uk, spain, south Africa, canada, california, perth, australia, long Beach, ohio, georgia, johannesburg, north and South Ayrshire.

Mike the Photo Guy: 2:43

I'm sure I'm pronouncing that wrong guys. Fort Worth, Chicago, Washington, Virginia, the list goes on. So we thank all of you guys. We really do appreciate every last one of you guys. What do you think? Should we let them hear our conversation with Kurt Hallabaugh?

"Headhunter" Higgins: 2:58

Go.

Mike the Photo Guy: 2:59

Alright, kurt, my man. You are a UFC fighter, tough 31 winner. You're a father. You're a family man. Overall good dude. How were your holidays, man?

Kurt Holobaugh: 3:10

Oh man, they were great, you know, and that was one of the main reasons that I didn't really bug UFC too much to get me a fight before the new year, just because I wanted to spend the time with them. You know, I was going on the show for, you know, over six weeks and I just wanted to spend my Thanksgiving and my Christmas with my family, my kids, and you know it was great.

Mike the Photo Guy: 3:30

Tough 31,. You won the whole damn thing. How was it being on Michael Chandler's team?

Kurt Holobaugh: 3:36

It was amazing. You know, I can't say enough good things about Michael Chandler. I can't say enough good things about all the coaches that he brought in. You know, robert Drysdale, ryan Bader, jason Strout even brought in Sean Soriano and Bob Cook for a little while. So, man, to me that was the dream team and that was exactly the team that I wanted to be on.

Mike the Photo Guy: 3:57

It was an entertaining season for sure, and you fought your friend Jason Knight. How was that?

Kurt Holobaugh: 4:04

It was cool, man, you know. You know I've been knowing Jason Knight for a long time. We're probably we live probably an hour and a half apart, to be honest, and me and Jason we met like back in 2012 or something like that, when we were actually supposed to headline a local show in Bluxy, mississippi. So we've known each other since then and, you know, talk to each other every time we see each other, even train together. Sometimes we all went to Alfa Mell at one time and trained, so it was cool having him in the house too. And then you know me and him even said hey, man, let's try to get to the finals you know me and you and finally do what we were supposed to do years back. And you know it wasn't quite the finals, but it's the semifinals.

Kurt Holobaugh: 4:45

It was cool, man, you know we we even said, hey, man, let's go out there and let's, let's give this show something special, let's go do a force griffin, step and bonner type fight and let's leave it all online. Like you, don't shoot for takedown unless you're hurt and need to. I don't shoot for takedown, I'm like, man, you're on, let's do it. And you guys see how that fight went.

Mike the Photo Guy: 5:05

Dude, that's what I loved about it is neither one of you guys held back. You know, a lot of times in that situation you see guys and it's almost like a glorified sparring session, but no, you guys were going after him and that was. That was cool to see.

Kurt Holobaugh: 5:16

Yeah, for sure. I mean, we both wanted to win. I wanted to knock him out, he wanted to knock me out, and we was both doing everything we could to achieve that.

Mike the Photo Guy: 5:26

This is your third stint in the UFC. Dude, Did you ever picture yourself having three stints?

Kurt Holobaugh: 5:33

Nope, you know what and you know, after I got released from the UFC the first time back in 2013, I could see myself going back because you know I was with the management company at the time and they were like yeah man, sean said just go get two wins and they'll bring you back. So I'm like okay, yeah, cool, I can go back to UFC quick. So I go pick up two wins and they're like yeah, man, they want you to get a little bit more here.

Kurt Holobaugh: 5:55

Why don't you go fight and tighten? We just signed here. Well, send you a contract. You know, win a fight and tighten will bring you back. And then you know, every time I want to fight they're like, yeah, man, we're trying to get you back now. So I did think eventually I would go back. But then after I did go back, you know, I got the contender series fight, I won, the contract went back, got released again. I didn't even have any hopes on going back, didn't even think about it. You know I wanted to go to PFL or Bellator or somewhere like that and just to see if I can make some decent paydays and growing those companies. And then, boom, here's a third opportunity. And I'm like I got to take advantage, man, because I never thought I'd have this opportunity in the first place.

Mike the Photo Guy: 6:38

That second stint, dude, they didn't do you no favors. I mean, they gave you a murderer's row. I mean honey, rossellus, burgos Moises, Tagal Moises. I mean, dude, fucking murderers row. Dude, you're a super entertaining fighter man. Are you still a team? Uh Jukko South.

Kurt Holobaugh: 6:55

Uh, yeah, I'm still here. Uh, I have my two gyms. That is also part of that gym and I have a bunch of guys that I train at. I got some pros, got some managers that we train it with every day. Um, but yeah, we got a bunch of gyms out here that we're all teammates and friends and we always get together and we get some good rounds up.

Mike the Photo Guy: 7:13

You train any kind of catch wrestling or any like unorthodox out of the box.

Kurt Holobaugh: 7:17

No really. Um, you know I don't have any real wrestling background. I first started training martial arts in like 2007. Uh, and it was actually just no Gijitsu and MMA stuff, uh. And then I've been training the G and since I opened my gyms I do a lot of G now for the last 10 years. But as far as just any kind of freestyle or catch wrestling I never have and I still won't do a whole bunch. I got some guys that uh did wrestle in my gym and they do wrestling classes and you know I mess around with them sometimes, but not for the most part.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 7:51

I always thought it was interesting when dudes have a background that basically is just straight into MMA, Like uh, that makes for a pretty unique approach, I'm sure.

Kurt Holobaugh: 8:00

Yeah, for sure. Um, and really you see a lot of guys coming out now that you know. If you're up north maybe they have wrestling programs, but like down here in the South and special Louisiana there's not a whole bunch of wrestling programs to even they even do. So, uh, you know, you have to find something like an MMA gym or some Gijitsu or something to start out at.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 8:21

Honestly, and uh, I mean obviously everyone in the earlier days of MMA was kind of specialists in things what would you say you gravitated towards more, so like when you were starting to fight.

Kurt Holobaugh: 8:33

Um, I think, definitely my Gijitsu. Um, and I think it's just for the fact that you know, before I ever stepped foot into any kind of MMA gym, I think I was probably 15 or something at the time, still in high school, and I remember, uh, chocolate L and keto or keys were fighting for the first time and me and my cousin we was watching the best damn sports show period and, uh, they was going over a lot of MMA stuff and they was going to show that fight. And I remember watching one of the fights and they were like, oh, he's got a try. Oh man, that's beautiful Gijitsu. And I'm like, okay, so, so this is Gijitsu.

Kurt Holobaugh: 9:09

So I remember, since I've seen the triangle, it's the only thing I knew. So me and my cousin we would just practice that move back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And even the first day that I went into my MMA gym, that I started training at um, we was doing some grappling and I was going with a blue belt a little bit bigger than me and everything. And I remember I tried with him but I subbed him and he was pissed. He was like, where are you training at? I'm like, no, bro man, it's my first day. Like bullshit, you train somewhere, I'm like dude, I swear I don't train nowhere. I seen that move on TV and I practice it, so so I would definitely say you did too.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 9:47

That's awesome. I was the same way man. I was fricking, scrapping in backyards with my friends trying to practice submissions and moves. Once I saw it like it was like an epiphany for me. Once I found out about MMA, really like right around the the the Chuck Liddell era, when I was probably like seventh, eighth grade in 장난ica successful line up for spray. I was younger and I know, mike, I'm not sure about you, but I'm sure it was much of the same being a big WWE guy when you're young and you thought that those dudes were the real fighters. You're like I'm gonna be in the WWE one day. I can't wait to do that. So then to find out like it's fake. When you're a little older, you're like that sucks. And then figured out about UFC, found that out and yeah, literally was hooked and dead set on becoming a martial artist. Ever since I saw that and I was like wait, submissions are real no way.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 10:31

That's awesome.

Kurt Holobaugh: 10:32

Yeah, that was 100% me, man. Back in my day, when I was a kid, I didn't miss a Nitro and I didn't miss a Monday night Raw. I was flipping back and forth. I would start watching Nitro because it came on at seven o'clock and then at eight o'clock I would start to switch back and forth, back and forth, and that was my life.

Kurt Holobaugh: 10:50

Growing up, I watched football. I loved the New Orleans Saints, so I watched football and I watched wrestling, and then my mom and the rest of my family that always rent the UFC events from Blockbuster. So that's what I did.

Mike the Photo Guy: 11:03

Man, you're not lying about flipping back and forth between Nitro and Raw dude. I mean, these kids don't know, man, these kids have no idea. We didn't have no on demand back then. It's like you missed it you missed it. You know what's more stressful man like getting ready to make the walk yourself or getting ready for your son's aid and to make the walk.

Kurt Holobaugh: 11:23

Oh, getting ready for my son's aid. I'm sure there's nothing like teammates or family members, especially your son or your wife, getting ready to do something that's I can make the walk any day a lot easier than them. Does your wife compete too? She does, she competes Jiu-Jitsu. She's actually she's one of the IBJDF master worlds. Holy shit, two years in a row.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 11:50

I'm a coach myself. Like a lifelong martial artist, I've competed in every style pretty much of grappling and competed in MMA corner dozens of fights, and I'm with you that having to watch your students and like people that aren't you like, where you have less control it, is so much more stressful and just you get way more anxious to watch someone else do it. But I don't have a kid or a wife, so I can't even imagine that. That would be extremely stressful.

Kurt Holobaugh: 12:17

Yeah, I think that's the reason why I'm starting to go gray.

Mike the Photo Guy: 12:21

Yeah, I've been there a lot of stress. Yes, I hear you stress, will do it, man. On this podcast we kind of like to delve into a little bit more than just fighting. So I want to ask you kind of a little fringe question Is there any beliefs that you have, like, let's say, do you believe in maybe big foot UFOs, aliens, ghosts, you know anything like that that people might not be as receptive to or might be surprised to find out that Kurt Hallabal believes Like, for instance, I believe in all that shit.

Kurt Holobaugh: 12:48

Yeah, no, for sure. I feel like there's definitely goes, or they have to be. Goes and as far as like aliens, there's no way we can be the only life form in this universe. There's got to be something else out there. So I would definitely say there's another world somewhere where humans or you might not even call them humans, I can call them aliens, but there's definitely something else out there for sure.

Mike the Photo Guy: 13:17

Are you a hunter in Louisiana? Because I mean, there's a lot of stories I hear come out about like different sightings around that area.

Kurt Holobaugh: 13:25

I don't really do a bunch of hunting not anymore, but I was a kid I used to do a lot of hunting, Me and my son. We do a lot of fishing. We just find some little back creeks, rivers, and we'll kayak or walk them for miles.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 13:37

Any unexplained stories from the wilderness?

Kurt Holobaugh: 13:40

Well, not UFO related, but, man, I mean. I run across freaking monster shots snakes, hogs, coyotes. I thought I was about to get attacked by the freaking wolf off a twilight. One time the biggest coyote I've ever looked like a monster wolf was walking. I'm in a kayak and he starts walking across the creek and I'm like Jesus Christ, like just stay over there. I'm on my kayak with a paddle. I'm about to fight this wolf with a paddle.

Mike the Photo Guy: 14:13

Do wolves? People have no idea how freaking big wolves are until, like you said, you're standing by one.

Kurt Holobaugh: 14:20

They are huge For sure, but other than that you're just a wild wilderness stuff. I guess you can say Nothing crazy.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 14:29

I'm a big outdoors guy myself. I like going and seeing where I can find out there snakes, birds, reptiles. I definitely want to ask you, as a martial artist and a warrior in life basically, where do you draw the line on what animals you can take in a fight to the death, and ones that you know you're booked against? Because I'm sure that crosses your mind, being out there as it does mine?

Kurt Holobaugh: 14:52

Well, I almost had to fight some dogs one time, but I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't want to fight any big animal. I don't like my chances. I would fight a dog if I had to, though, man, I thought I'd fight two German shepherds one time. I was doing some ice, install alarms and I was working on some of these ladies' cameras, and they had like a big pool house and they had two big ass German shepherds and they had them locked up where their cleaner must have let them out as I was walking past the pool and, dude, they come at me and I had two thoughts, and I just had a brand new phone. I'm like I can jump in this pool. I got a fake dog and I was ready to fight the dog. Thank God I didn't have to.

Kurt Holobaugh: 15:33

Damn them phones are too expensive.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 15:35

I have a couple of scares with German shepherds myself and yeah, man they are. They're terrifying dogs. To be honest, I'm not one to really be afraid of animals, but the way they run up defensively like I knew a kid who had one and it was a hard core guard dog. It might have been all bluff but I wanted nothing to do with that. Because you bring the dog upstairs if I'm going to come in I don't even want to be near him. And the only German shepherds dude like they. Yeah, I have a healthy respect and order and fear for them.

Mike the Photo Guy: 16:05

There's a reason why the police use them, you know for real. Hey, if you could visit anywhere in the world like you and your family, go on vacation anywhere in the world that you haven't been to already. Where would that be?

Kurt Holobaugh: 16:15

Um, if I could take my family and go on like a vacation, I would probably go to like Hawaii or something. If you had to ask me a place where I would like to fight that I've never fought before, I would probably say Japan. Oh yeah, that would be awesome.

Mike the Photo Guy: 16:28

Different fight culture over there, right, it seems like they're much more appreciative and respectful.

Kurt Holobaugh: 16:33

Yeah, go back to old pride style.

Mike the Photo Guy: 16:35

Right, right, yeah, old pride style is exactly. I like hearing a lot of those old guys talk about how the Yakuza ran that and everything and it's like man, totally different world man. So you got a fight coming up against Trey Ogden.

Kurt Holobaugh: 16:47

Yeah, um, I think we got about 10 weeks or something like that. Trey Ogden, um, finally, you know I've been waiting patient. Bfc hit me up, uh, earlier this week and said hey, you want this fight. And I said hell yeah.

Mike the Photo Guy: 17:00

And you've won. What is this? You've won six straight, yeah.

Kurt Holobaugh: 17:04

Uh, yeah, something like that either five or six. My last loss is actually like the Igoe Moises yeah On the UFC Brazil card in 2019, before COVID hit yeah yeah. That was my last loss. So yeah, I think five straight even then, like a grappling match or something like that. Yes, six straight you do grappling with Scott Phillips, that's what I?

Mike the Photo Guy: 17:27

yeah, I counted that one. Yeah, that's a, that's a damn good run. Though, dude, I mean shit. Your second fight. You fought Phil Daru. That's nuts dude Like he only did MMA for a handful of fights right.

Kurt Holobaugh: 17:42

Yeah, he did and uh, and like back when I fought him I mean nobody really knew who he was back then or I don't know if he had all of his stuff he was doing but yeah, shortly after that, you know, he started being like the head strength condition for guys like America top team Dustin Poirier, in a bunch of big time fighters from South Florida.

Mike the Photo Guy: 18:02

I'm glad you mentioned Dustin Poirier, because that's another Louisiana boy he is. I think he's a few years younger than you, but have your guys careers, or have you guys ever crossed paths at all?

Kurt Holobaugh: 18:13

For sure, me and Dustin we were fighting on the same local the local cards down here. We've even fought some of the same guys and I want to say he fought his last amateur fight the night of the night. I fought my fourth amateur fight and then the guy he fought that night I wound up fighting pro later on. So uh, yeah, he had a few more fights to me so he went pro a little bit earlier and you know, of course, wind up going to WEC and then to the UFC and doing all the things he done. But yeah, man, we've been around each other quite a bit but he was still here in Louisiana, went and trained with him, you know, back in the day before I made it to the UFC and stuff. But yeah, I still see him here and there, some local shows.

Mike the Photo Guy: 18:56

Getting back to Chandler and McGregor If that fight ever happens dude, do you like Coach Chandler or what do you think happens?

Kurt Holobaugh: 19:04

I do, man. I got to go with Chandler. I mean I see how hard he works, I see how much I really think he deserves that win, especially, you know, because I know he wants to fight. But you know, being that he's fighting Connor, he wants that fight. So you know, he probably held out a little way longer than he wanted to, but I do think that fight is finally set and I think he's finally going to get a chance and I think he's going to be victorious.

Mike the Photo Guy: 19:28

And they're talking about 185 with that right.

Kurt Holobaugh: 19:31

That's what they're talking about. Me personally, I think it's still going to end up at 170. If it does end up at 185, I don't think it will. It fits either. One more than the other. And if I did have to say one that it would benefit, I think it would maybe benefit Chandler a little bit more, because one of the things Chandler actually told us was in the house is he's been the size he's been his entire career versus Connor just trying to bulk up to that size that he's at now. So a point that he kind of made is you know, how is that going to affect Connor if he fights? You know, will that affect him at all? Maybe, maybe not, but Connor's not really used to packing around the muscle and the size that he is, versus Chandler being that way or that size is his entire career. So Chandler said I don't care what weight is that, you know Connor, chandler looks like he's a little smaller than Connor, but I think in reality it probably weigh about the same.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 20:25

So should be good, we like being around at spas like Connor, just being around that fucking nut. What was that like?

Kurt Holobaugh: 20:35

It was crazy, man, connor is Connor. That's one of my number one questions that I get asked by everybody. Now it's like, hey, how is Connor McGregor? I'm like man, he's the same as you see him on TV. I mean, there's times he's cool, you know.

Kurt Holobaugh: 20:47

There's times where he'll sit back and he'll just be like one of the regular guys that they have time to go in character Connor McGregor, to where he's running around being a hooligan. So yeah, connor's Connor. I don't think it's really an act, I just think that's him. He can be cool if he wants it. He can be the hooligan if he wants to.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 21:08

Maybe depends on what he's taking in that day.

Mike the Photo Guy: 21:13

Yeah, what is the single biggest piece of best advice you ever received in the fight?

Kurt Holobaugh: 21:20

I don't know that that that would be a hard one. I'm sure a channeler gave me a bunch of it. Whether I can think of it off the top of my head, I'm not sure. But I Will say this. And I want to say Desmond Green might have told me this one time, because it was.

Kurt Holobaugh: 21:37

It was when I was in Russia for a fight and man, it was one of the hardest weight cuts ever had to do to get to a hundred forty five pounds. And Desmond was like man, just cuz you can make the weight, don't mean you should fight at the weight, because Desmond had already. He was a 45 or two and he went up to 55. And of course I fought 55 45 back and forth quite a few times and I've always loved 55 and my only loss at the time was the Pat Healy at when I stepped up one strike, for so I'm like, yeah, man, I'm going back to 55. So actually I went back to 55 after that and then wind up having to go back to 45 for the contender series. But for shortly Left 45 again, it's a benefit five or six.

Mike the Photo Guy: 22:21

Well, shit man, I I look forward to your fight coming up. It's what? Is it March 23rd? Yeah?

Kurt Holobaugh: 22:27

Yeah, march 23rd Las Vegas, supposedly at the moment of the new FCA packs, but I don't know for sure. Do you like?

Mike the Photo Guy: 22:35

fighting in the apex or would you prefer, you know, a regular fight in it, in a stadium?

Kurt Holobaugh: 22:41

For a regular fight. You know a big crowd. I get a lot of energy from the crowd, but you know I've had some of my some of my best fights with no crowds, like contender series, and you know the ultimate fighter. So I don't think it really matters. It really doesn't matter to me. I think as long as my family can go, I'll be fine. But if I had to pick out, pick a big, big card somewhere, a T-Mobile or something, Dude, if there was an audience for that, Jason night fight they would have been going ballistic dude, I mean yeah, it takes a lot of way, I think you know.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 23:12

I got a bit of a MMA conspiracy, if you will, if either of you guys Heard of a could be possibly coming back now.

Kurt Holobaugh: 23:21

Oh, she's something like he was training and somebody was saying something about he may be coming back, but I don't know. That's a hundred century. I feel like to be one of those guys. It had a makes decisions or Something like that, and just a hundred cents stands by it.

Mike the Photo Guy: 23:39

Yeah, he seems like a man of conviction.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 23:42

So a trail just put something out there, and this involves One of my good training partners and friends below Muhammad, who I feel is like at the center of a conspiracy. He's a, he's getting black balled and has Been the number one contender, in my opinion, for a little bit for welterweight, and they were supposed to announce him versus Leon and they still haven't. So trail was speculating that they haven't announced the Leon versus the law fight because they're saying that Khabib is thinking about coming in and trying to snag the 170 belt from Leon and then vacate it so that Islam can go up and and win it, and I think it would be to see Khabib come back. I don't want to see blog it fucked any longer. He deserves that title shot.

Kurt Holobaugh: 24:23

Yeah, for sure man I'll hit. How crazy would that be, though. Yeah.

Mike the Photo Guy: 24:27

I mean, that's like layer upon layer. Yeah, that would be if that plays out like that. Dude, you heard her here first, right.

Kurt Holobaugh: 24:33

I mean, that's crazy.

Mike the Photo Guy: 24:35

What? Uh? Thanks for doing this, dude. I know that you're busy, as you said you got businesses, family, kids, wife, so you're the man dude. I've always been a fan of you. I appreciate you doing this Well. Are you active on social media Instagram, twitter. Where could people get a hold of you? Follow you at.

Kurt Holobaugh: 24:51

Yeah, I am active on Instagram. Probably the most Facebook Kurt to hurt halibut is my Instagram handle. Also started doing a podcast with some friends called the contender and the pretenders on YouTube so you guys can check that out. And yeah, man, I do my best to keep everybody posting on my Instagram.

Mike the Photo Guy: 25:14

Well, thank you so much, brother, and good luck with the the Trey Ogden fight.

Kurt Holobaugh: 25:18

Yep, I appreciate you guys.

Mike the Photo Guy: 25:19

So that was Kurt the hurt halibut. He's got a fight coming up March 23rd against Trey Ogden, and I think he beats Trey Ogden pretty handily, and so do 71% of the people on topology who Participating, that kind of thing. So what do you think, man Well, I gotta say that's a great nickname.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 25:41

Nickname is a important part of a fighters alter ego, if you ask me. But uh, hell, yeah, great, uh, great talking with a fellow martial artist. I'm a fan of these conversations. I love hearing stories and perspectives from other lifelong warriors who walk the fucked up beaten path that it is to basically dedicate your life to Getting hurt and hurting other people and everything that comes with it. I'm really gonna try and pull the the weirdness out of Some of our MMA and martial arts guests the best that I can. Give them the chance to tell some crazy stories and, you know, get it off their chest.

Mike the Photo Guy: 26:25

What I liked about this conversation was Kurt had a lot of information and a lot of stories about you know Whether it is his friend Jason Knight who he fought and said my finals of Tough 31, whether it was some of some of his early days in the local scene with Dustin Poirier, whether it was his coach, michael Chandler, or you asked him some stuff on McGregor. So he had a lot of good insight on a lot of top people Currently in the UFC and in the sport of mixed martial arts. So that was kind of cool to get that unique firsthand perspective too. You know, not every episode is going to be super hardcore conspiracy driven. We try to see where their level is and some people are more receptive to it. You know some people are. But he definitely sounded open to a lot of things. He just didn't have any firsthand stories and there's nothing wrong with that?

Mike the Photo Guy: 27:11

still a good conversation, and I think I think I forgot what I was gonna say.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 27:16

I think we bring him. We're bringing the chill dress as much as we're bringing the conspiracy. There you go.

Mike the Photo Guy: 27:22

Yeah, you got to right you got to have a little ying with the Yang right, Absolutely Everything can't always be. Well, I take that back. Growing up, I always wore black. You know, I was like don't you have? It's like yeah, but fucking blacks just.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 27:39

I was the Jeans in the summer and a fucking winter hat skateboarding around. I don't know what the fuck, I was thinking.

Mike the Photo Guy: 27:45

Yeah, man, I did the the jeans and concert t-shirts all through high school bro.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 27:49

Absolutely. I mean, the 2000s heavy metal fashion was a funny time. I still got plenty of my metal shirts.

Mike the Photo Guy: 27:57

Yeah, I have a few too. A couple of them still fit, which is a Really surprising although I have been losing a little bit of weight, so maybe not so much, but yeah, I think the first time we we got together for the podcast and record I was wearing A Marilyn Manson smells like children's shirt, right or no? I lie.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 28:13

I was wearing the Marilyn Manson portrait of an American family shirt right, yeah, man, a new metal shirt in kind of, in kind of, pass my attention by.

Mike the Photo Guy: 28:23

Dude, I'm sorry but I hold Manson's first couple albums up against. You know a lot of shit that. You know he gets a bad rap and some of it maybe is for right reasons, but those first couple albums, particularly portrait of an American family, dude, I'm telling you that fucking album still stands a touchdown great great album. I.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 28:45

Slipknot, and a me too. Yeah limp biscuit and a corn guy when I was younger In Marilyn Manson. Personally I I was never into him. I actually was at one of the mayhem's where he was the headliner and Slayer was the co-headliner and I Left before Marilyn Manson. I left when Slayer was done, so I gave him the the cold shoulder as a metal fan.

Mike the Photo Guy: 29:10

No, I hear you. I hear you, dude. I liked all those other bands too. You know I did. I liked slipknot Limpis get corn. I was there too. Funny you say that about dipping out before the head act. I did that once it was at a think it was at. You know, they would always do the big fest. What was the one that rockstar did? Think it was like the mayhem tour?

Kurt Holobaugh: 29:31

or something.

Mike the Photo Guy: 29:32

It was a big fest. And Seven Dust was there, not Chevelle, think three days, grace, I don't. There was a few bands, they were good, particularly seven dust, a couple other bands I was there to see and the headliner was Avenged sevenfold and I dipped out before Avenged sevenfold because I'm just to this day. I'm not a huge fan. I mean, they have a couple songs that I dig, but I'm not. I think they're super overrated, dude. What do you think about Avenged sevenfold?

"Headhunter" Higgins: 29:58

Yeah, I mean when I was probably in like seventh grade or something, when they were first coming out with that country was everywhere and shit I was, I was a little into it. I I didn't really Get too far down, I think just that first time. I always kind of thought they were corny. My younger brother was big into him at a point.

Mike the Photo Guy: 30:16

Yeah, it's like, it's like a radio metal, you know.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 30:19

Definitely I. I like how like nerdy and fucking diverse the metal fan bases and like people could be nerds about anything like Fantasy football. Should people act like that? Ain't nerdy when you're sitting there going stat Machine and like being so worried and knowing everything about it just because it's about sports, don't mean you're not a fucking nerd. And metal has some of the biggest nerds I've ever seen when it comes to breaking down sub genres and on their first album, this there's that. But like it's so accurate though you can, you can go so far down the metal fandom, but yeah, I mean I'm one of them, dude, a hundred percent.

Mike the Photo Guy: 30:57

I'm a little older than you but it probably is the same. Growing up, calling someone like a nerd or a dork, that was an insult, like there was no, like a cool backhand to it, like, oh, like you know, but you could, that's endearing too. But nowadays it's almost like it's endearing right, like if I say, dude, you're such a fucking, you're a dork for that. It's almost like I'm giving you a compliment. Now you know.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 31:20

Yeah, isn't it interesting too that liking, like you know, comic books are superheroes and like shit like that, games or whatever was, uh, was more of like, yeah, like you fucking nerd, you fucking virgin, like that type of shit. Except now it's like the most normie thing ever is like being a Marvel fan, one like DC fan and the superhero films and shit. It's like it's like them the trendy modern thing, just like one westerns was a big thing and sci-fi was a big thing, superhero and like nerd movies and shit is, is the mainstream. So I'm sure the guys who were mocked for Liking that stuff back in the day or thought that they were original or cool or yeah, maybe they were bullied to see it now be embraced by everyone it's gotta be a little annoying. Tell me about it, bro, do you know?

Mike the Photo Guy: 32:07

what the biggest like mind fuck for me along those lines is what's that Growing up? As I've said a few times on different shows, I was a big Dungeons and Dragons fan, still a fan, but you know, growing up huge fan, it was the furthest thing from cool or popular. But nowadays I want to say maybe the last six, seven years Dungeons and Dragons is like fucking mainstream and to me that blows my fucking mind.

Mike the Photo Guy: 32:37

I mean we had Brian Snotty on here. He's talking about growing up in the 80s, the satanic panic and parents wouldn't even let their kids Fucking read it Dungeons and Dragons book in now or in 2024 and I think really since, like 2016, 2017, it's been kind of mainstream and popularized and it's just.

Mike the Photo Guy: 32:56

You know me being someone who got into Dungeons and Dragons in second edition and now here it isn't fifth, it's just yeah, it's. It's. It's weird how things kind of ebb and flow throughout time, similarly to like how fashions come back in style 90s fashion and 90s things are really chic. Now they're really popular, now let's bring back to giant.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 33:18

Ginko jeans. Yeah, you remember those, the Ginkos, the. Z-cavarites that shit is hilarious. Dude, you're a skater right the Ginkos and the giant fucking Osiris shoes.

Mike the Photo Guy: 33:32

The puppy Puffy shoe fan for sure dude, what were the name of the shoes that had the built-in grind plate?

"Headhunter" Higgins: 33:40

Oh, Do you remember those?

Mike the Photo Guy: 33:42

Yeah, yeah, the grinding shoes. I have no idea, dude. I had friends that would like we have them at school and we'd be like walking on the curb outside the sidewalk and all sudden they just run and slide across the curb and it's like it was yeah to growing up skating. Whether it was dude. If you skateboarded growing up you were kind of a Rebel and like oh yeah, cuz the main thing was roller, like rollerblading was like a big thing, not like super, like dorky rollerblading but you know it was like aggressive street rollerblading was coming up.

Mike the Photo Guy: 34:13

But there was those, those Handful of dudes that were like those are the fucking super cool kid. There's skateboarders dude.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 34:21

That kind of makes me think we need to get some fucking skaters on here, because I say it all the time. I mean it does. It does breed a certain type of mentality in person because To do some trick or do some fucking stairs or grind or like some shit that you've never Attempted, there's really no progression or way to you know do it, other than to journey into the unknown. It just fucking do it. You take the risk and you do it like there's something to do.

Mike the Photo Guy: 34:44

That mentality, you gotta have balls in my younger years I tried skateboarding a few times, and Not a one time did it work out well.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 34:54

I Was not very good either. I was a heavier not like super fat, but chubbier kid and I was not like super coordinated and I was. I was limited, I had fun, I could kick what if I could do some stairs, but all my friends were infinitely better than me. It was. It was a rough time.

Mike the Photo Guy: 35:11

Yeah, yeah, and I don't know about you, but we didn't even call our friends like a friend group. Back then I I hear that I think that's just a fucking Stupidest thing I ever heard. My friend group you mean your friends like what do you do? Why, you had words. Skating took a hurt in my friend group. When we got our licenses, a lot of dudes stopped skating.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 35:33

Oh, yeah, it was the means of transportation. I will also have to credit the skate park and just being a young fucking little Unsupervised skateboard punk is where I definitely got my true fighting background from, from being a wrestling as a kid and just scrapping at the fucking skate park with other little asshole kids all the time hmm, to be a kid if you could put yourself back in in the mental state of Tom Higgins when he's 13 years old, skating.

Mike the Photo Guy: 36:04

It's like you ain't got to care in the world. It's like, oh, maybe you got to go to school on Monday or some shit. And God, I think about that sometimes and you know, ignorance really is bliss. I can't even imagine going back and telling that 12 or 13 year old me the shit that the 43 year old me has been through. It might scare the fuck out of him. So yeah, I don't know man this was fun.

Mike the Photo Guy: 36:28

This was a good one dude. Kurt Hallabong good dude, wishing the best of luck in his next fight. We'll we'll have him on after he gets his hand raised and we're working on a couple other fighters. As Tom said, we're gonna try to get some skaters, all kinds of different people and, as we've said two couple times already, if you guys have any ideas for guests you'd like to hear us talk with or show topics in general, shoot us an email.

Mike the Photo Guy: 36:51

Conspiracy and chill at yahoocom. Follow us on all the social medias Instagram, x, facebook and patreon. We do have the one tier available on patreon. We're going to be offering more tiers with more extra goodies, more more extra content here shortly. But if you did want to support us, I think the tiers three bucks a month. That would help us to continue to level up our game and the podcast in all different areas too. And if you want to help out but you don't have the money, don't blame you. Your broker's joke like Tom and I, just go ahead and give us a five-star review on whatever streaming service you're listening to it on. That really does help.

"Headhunter" Higgins: 37:29

What else?

Mike the Photo Guy: 37:29

Yeah right. It's definitely a labor of love.