Mike ‘The Marine’ Richman Explains Different Mentalities for Combat & Fighting

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Mike Richman, on “Beatdown,” discussing how his training as a Marine helps him as a fighter:

“It just makes me a harder fighter, a tougher fighter in the discipline and the training aspects of things. People always [say], ‘You should have the mental edge, man. You should be a killer. You’ve been in combat. You should just be a killing machine.’ Which I don’t think is true. It’s kind of a different feeling, being in a combat environment. The chemicals that go through your brain, the fight-or-flight mentality, it’s completely different than when I’m walking in the cage. It’s like I know I’m competing in a competition. I look at it as a football player lacing up his shoes, getting ready to go out there and play. I kind of look at it as a different state. I don’t think it really helps me in that aspect, but it definitely helps me in my training and my toughness, if that makes sense. I know I’m not going to die. I know I’m not going to go into the cage and I know I’m not going to die. It’s a different feeling that your body goes through.”