Nina Drama, UFC Backstage Reporter and Social Media Powerhouse – UNLEASHED Podcast E413

In a no-holds-barred interview, Monster Energy gets into the mindset of rising UFC backstage reporter and social media powerhouse Nina Drama, whose humor and authenticity have broken barriers in a male-dominated sport. Get the inside scoop about what really happens at MMA events when Drama tells it all in conversation with podcast hosts The Dingo, Danny, and Brittney.

UNLEASHED sits down with viral internet sensation and UFC reporter Nina Drama. Originally hailing from Pelham, New York, the social media powerhouse has made a name for herself as a backstage reporter in the realm of mixed martial arts. Drama’s interviews shine a humorous light on the toughest fighters, including bona fide champions and Monster Energy athletes such as Jon Jones, Sean Strickland, and Alex Pereira. And audiences can’t get enough: Boasting a social media following amounting to 11 million hungry viewers, Drama keeps the hits coming with original content live from behind the scenes at milestone UFC events. The secret to her lighting fast rise to fame? Listen closely as the talented interviewer becomes the interviewee – only on UNLEASHED!

Press the play button (and hit Like) on the new episode of UNLEASHED with The Dingo, Danny, and Brittney.

Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more UNLEASHED episodes. Regular editions of the show are recorded live inside Studio M at Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California, and published bi-weekly. Also, follow @monsterenergy for updates.

Transcript

0:41

All right. We we are back. And, we have a really we have a really special guest today. Brittany, how are you, by the way? I'm good. How are you doing, Diego? I'm just figuring out that my microphone's not right. Yeah, because we didn't do a mic check five minutes ago. Mic check. Mic check. No. We're good now. I am doing pretty good. This is. This is going to be our last show of the year. Yeah. Not crazy. Yeah. 2024. Just like that. Gone. And, we have our guest here, and, I, I got to hang out with Nina. Nina, drama. Let's give it. Let's make it up for her. Let's make some noise. Whoa! We got to hang out. The first time we met, we went snowboarding. The first time we met, we were at Power Slap and you were slapped. No more power swipe. Yeah. You don't remember? You slapped me. No, you. You were slapping yourself. Oh, what do you mean, you do remember power slapped. Not like, lifted your shirt up to show everyone your six pack. And you slapped me? No, you were slapping yourself. Oh. Oh, that's when we first met. That's when we first met. Oh, that's a great way to meet him. Yeah. I never see his body. And then. Then we went snowboarding together. Then we went somewhere. Where did you snowboard? We snowboard at Lee Canyon. Oh, no. It was actually kind of sick. Really? Yeah. I learned how to snowboard on that mountain. Yeah, it's actually like a sleeper of a mountain. It's like it's it's it's small, but it had snowed a lot, so it was actually really sick. And he showed up. It had just snowed. The roads are horrible. There's like five foot of snow all around. It's. What can I curse on this? Yeah, yeah. This motherfucker shows up in his Maserati. Oh, yeah? What else are you going to drive up there? Yeah. It was. I was the only one in the parking lot. And he's like, look at Hollywood coming over low key. I thought that I was going, Yeah. I, I've driven on snow in my entire life, so I'm not like, that's not something that I'm. But I was like, man, this is could go two ways right here. And it was like there was no problems. But it was one of those, yeah. It it it could have got bad, but it did it. So touchwood that it. Yeah. Anyway, it was really the roads are bad. Like I drove from LA to Vegas that trip. It was. Was it Super Bowl weekend? It was Super Bowl weekend I think it was a big it was. Yeah. And for the first time ever, I that I noticed and this is, this is like maybe like an hour and a half out of Vegas when you go up into the hill, there was snow on the road. Yeah. Like on the freeway. Yeah. And I was like, oh, this could not be good. Yeah. I remember leading up to Lee Canyon, all those, there, all these chains and I, I've never been in like, that part of. Oh no, that's in Nevada we're talking about oh my God, we're talking about two mountains. All right, so, Nina drama, you have. Wow. So 11 million, followers on social media accounts. And I would say that you are the new media face of UFC. Is that is that, like, a good. No, I don't know. I'm, I'm, I'm, I think I'm, I'm a face of I'm a face. Your face is I have one. But but yeah. You of UFC I, I I wouldn't say the media face, but I'm a face. I would say I see more of you that I see anyone else. I would say I see more of your face than I do anyone else's, but in a good way. Yeah, I think you're you're you're like bubbly. You're like you're you have, found a way into, I would say, a sport that, is probably pretty well protected. And, and over the last few years, whatnot, you have become, I think somebody that people look forward to. And not only that, like the relationship you have with the fighters is a relationship that, that they are comfortable with you. So their comfort with you is the reason why we get to see. I think you bring out, a lot of these, athletes personalities that maybe some people aren't used to seeing. And it's been really cool over the last few years to see you, grow into this kind of character. I think people, look forward to. And I think it's just because you're kind of yourself. Yeah. I, I don't know who else I've tried to be like. I think I've tried, like, growing up, it's interesting, like growing up, I didn't I don't think I talked until I was like, five. I didn't meet anybody except for my mom. And dad was really quiet, super introverted. I had a hard time in school because I didn't want to, like, play with other kids and stuff like that. Not because I didn't like other kids. I just didn't understand, like, the dynamics so much. Yep. And I think as I got older, I was like, okay, well, in order to be like everyone else, you kind of have to learn to be like everyone else and like how to play, how to communicate. So I was super focused on not being the weird one of the group every time. And I was always the weird one of the group. And I think as I got older, I just sort of embraced being that only child. Like the weirdness of being an only child and doing things a little bit differently. And I was like, well, this is what it is like. I can't, I don't know how to be anybody else but myself. So and now I'm here now you're here now here. Yeah. Do you ever have, like, moments where you feel like that introverted kid comes in like, I mean, because, like you said. And to piggyback off what you said, you were one of my favorite, like, new additions to UFC. And after working with the UFC, as long as I have, it's just what the sport I really think needed. And it's like, we didn't know. I didn't realize how much I needed it until you showed up and it's just like this positive, bubbly, really just yourself person. And I think it influences other, women and men all across to just be themselves and, not really be afraid of who they are. And I think that that's beautiful that you said about when you were younger. So do you ever feel like that nervousness kind of come back? Oh, that was really nice of you to say that. Really sweet. Always. Even now, like, I, I feel it now. Are you nervous right now? Why, yeah, I don't, I don't know, I, I'm always I think it's just part of my I can't get rid of it, you know. Well how do you think you earned like what do you think. Why do you think that, you gain the trust of these athletes or or do you think that that was something that you had to come in and work for, or do you think that was something that came naturally? I feel like maybe in the beginning it was not as easy as it maybe looked, like coming into the community. Yeah, 100%. No, it's it every day is is a struggle every day they, they, every day is a struggle. But I mean, I good and bad, like, I, I love it all. Like I wouldn't change it. I think the community is probably one of the hardest, most brutal communities to be a part of. Like the community. And it's just it's just the way it is. And it's like you have to sort of be prepared and wrap your head around it. Yeah, like, okay, this is how it's going to be. Can you handle it? Can you handle the pressure of of all this, you know, and you just have to suck it up and what do you think the hardest part versus the best part about being like getting into the community. Well, so when I first started, it's something that I had always wanted to do was to interview fighters, but I didn't know how. So when I like I, I had modeled for 12 years, but it was so not fulfilling at all. I, I, I was grateful I got to do a lot of things. I had a great career, but I didn't. It just felt really vapid after a while. And, there wasn't anything satiating about it. I every day I just, I, I just, I didn't want to be a part of the, the industry anymore and it was interesting because Covid hit and it was the time that I wanted to sort of separate myself and kind of move out of, of the industry. But I didn't, man, I didn't know what else to do with myself. I spent 12 years in the industry and like in the heart of the fashion industry and, when I. You okay? Yeah. I'm good. Well, no, I have the live chat here, so I just kind of, like, popped it up there back, so, you know. Oh, nice. Is that okay? Is a live chat okay. Watch. That's good. That's great. Hey, guys. And also, now that, you see, Nina and Brittney in here, drop some questions in. Also, we're going to be giving them a year's supply of monster energy. Okay. We'll drop a trivia question in which I should have hit earlier, but I'll make that up throughout the show. You're doing a great job. You're doing a really great job. You don't really. But, to answer your question, like I like I said, it was always something that I wanted to do. I just didn't know how to do it. You know? I, I didn't know, when I was modeling, I tried to implement, social media. You know, when I first started, social media didn't exist yet. Have Instagram. We didn't. Have you had Facebook, but it wasn't used as a way to, like, market yourself. It was a way to talk to family, talk to friends and all that kind of stuff. And, I mean, I remember getting Facebook, you can only get Facebook if you got accepted into college. So like it was very long time ago. I'm like dating myself right now. So when I, when I started modeling, there was no social media. And you know, we had to walk around with their physical portfolios and go casting to casting and, I didn't even have, like, a smartphone. Like, I would print all my directions out and I would have to go to my castings like this. And then a couple years into Instagram popped up and it was still just a photo app. And I remember, going to a casting for the first time. And, you know, whenever you go in, it's like name agency height and then and then your email, the email address of your agent. And then they started putting this column for like social media followers, like Instagram followers. And you're like, what is that? What the hell? Instagram followers. And then some girls had like 10,000. You're like, how the hell do you get 10,000 followers from? And so in the beginning, like a lot of models were like, no, this is just a phase. We'll need to we don't need to like waste our time on social media. And I was like, why is anyone going to want to look at pictures of my face? Yeah, like you're going to have a whole grid of just like selfies. Just the word selfie was like triggering to me. I was like, I'm not doing this. Yeah. Then my agent was like, always very ahead of the times. He was like, no, you got to get on social media. You got to do this. Look at this model. So I was like, I don't know. I think it's going to phase out. Lo and behold, I was going to castings. You see a lot of the same girls from, you know, just years of the same, same thing. And then girls had like 70,000, 300,000 and you're like, whoa, I'm falling behind here. And then those were the girls that started booking and you're like, but we've been busting our ass, like starving ourselves for years, breaking our feet like my feet are broken. Yeah, from just years of torture her. And then, you know, Instagram popped up and you're like, wow, this is the new wave. And this is not going anywhere. So our agents were like, you have to get on. You got to do this. You got to. So like, okay, fine. So then we started fumbling around with the apps. A lot of girls I saw were like, I'm not doing it. Then they sort of fell off. And then you started to see, like the rise of social media within the industry. And you're like, this is way more important than anyone ever thought it would be. Cut to eight years later, you know, you amassed a following, you use it for marketing you. It's like it's just an extra when it comes to brands like, okay, you do the editorial, but like, what else do you have to offer? Do you have a personality? Can you market this? Can you put it on your social media? And that was like the deciding factor for whether or not you were going to book the editorial or the cover or the campaign, and you were seen as like, okay, she might have been shot with the best photographers, walked all the shows, but she doesn't have the following we need. And so that's kind of how they determine your worth in the industry at a certain point. Isn't that wild? Yeah, like there was a time I come from the time before there was any of that. Yeah. You know, when we had the TV show, that's how you that kids would turn on the TV to the way that they look at social media now. Yeah. And your worth was if. Yeah that that it was. It's so wild to see how it changed so quickly. And even like you think about actors now and all sorts it's, it's it's really what your worth is, is you're your social following. Yeah. On what you can do to be a part of the project which never used to be the case. Yeah. It was, it was, it was a hard because you were like, well, what am I busting my ass to have a portfolio to do all of this too? Because you have this relationship with photographers who are artists. It was an art, fashion's and art, you know, stylings and art. All of this is you look at modeling now, it's not the same. Yeah. So it's like when you're trying to introduce and say, like, this is the way it used to be. People now they're like, okay, well I can do that. Yeah. And it's like, not the same. You know, the production is not the same. It's just not the same. But long story short, it was I was done with the industry. I didn't really want to be a part of it anymore. I had to speak louder. I didn't want to be a part of it so much anymore. Yeah. They want you to talk louder. We also took her up. Is there a way we can turn her up there? We can. Okay. The chat. How close do I. Yeah, there you go. Just go. A little process because you are very monotone, which I've never seen. I'm used to you kind of being. Oh, sorry. This is the model. It's like a brain massage. I kind of like it. Like. I'm sorry. Julia. It's so my normal voice. It's very soothing. Oh. Oh, no. I don't want to put them to sleep. No, no, no, no, I was intrigued that I am, too. Oh, okay. Long story short, you know, I hire. Okay, hire. Damn. So this is why I don't. You're doing great podcast. No, no. Long story short. So I started using the app for what it was intended for, and I started to see, like, positive results where I was like, okay, I'll just keep doing it, I hate it, I hate taking even to this day. I do it because it's like you kind of have to it's promotion, it's marketing, it's people are like, you just want to see the likes and views and you just care about. I'm just using my assets to market myself. So so that this gets the view, the intended views for like what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to promote this, like interview. I'm trying to promote this. Just I need to drive engagement. How do I drive engagement? What's the best way to do it? And I'll do whatever I have to do to get the job done. And I don't mean that in any weird way. I'm going to use all of my resources in order to do that. And that's what I've learned over the years. You can't say like, oh, I can't, I'm too good to do this, or I'm not going to do that. Or at a certain point, it's like, you just got to do what you got to do. At the end of the day, if your intentions are good and your point is to get something across, it's for like the better of something else or someone else. It's like, if my job is to like promote this fight, promote this fight, or do I'm going to do that and I'm damn sure going to be the best at doing it. I'm not going to half ass anything. So when it came to modeling, it was the same. And as soon as the, app started changing into video, I was like, why don't we like, introduce like comedy skits or something funny to try to drive the engagement up so that I can have clients look at my in book more campaigns. You know, if my engagement goes up and you see how many views I get on my videos for doing comedy, whatever, I remember the first time we posted a comedy skit, like it went viral and I had never seen it. I had never had a video go viral. It got put on like WorldStar. Then I was like, oh, I can do this. So I kept doing it. We kept doing, kept doing it. And my agency was like, Calvin Klein's not going to book you if you keep posting these videos. And I'm like, what do you want me to do? Like if I just keep doing the same mundane thing, I'm not gonna get the engagement or whatever you're asking me for. And then I do this and I see a positive result, but you don't want me to do it because I don't care if Calvin Klein doesn't book me. At the end of the day, I'm. I'm using this app because I see a future in it down the road. Because you started to see it started shifting the entire industry. Yeah. Long story short, Covid came. I was like, I'm done with modeling. I don't want to do this anymore. The fashion industry started to die out and we started to like full on, go into like produced skits and like my dream was to do like my own Key and Peele show. We had moved out to Southern California. I started working with other people, seeing how they produced skits. We were filming things that took like eight, nine, nine hours. It would go into production, we would create this. And I was like, this is what I want to do. And during Covid, we were the I was the highest. The fastest growing content creator in my vertical. You know, it's crazy. No one knows how long that that takes 8 to 9 hours per skit. Like people like the skits are. Wait a minute. There a minute. It would take a tick, like eight hours. And then what were those skits? So we were trying to do in the beginning was like, I was like, okay, because I was still, still modeling a little bit. And I was like, well, how do I take something that's relevant in the modeling industry and then transcend it into comedy so that I could also keep the doors open, you know? But they were just, I don't know, I gotta pull them up. I gotta show you. They're just comedy skits, just like, random. Like he, like, type I don't I'm nowhere near Key and Peele. But it was like like SNL type skits. I'm like, yeah. So that was our focus for a long time. And then we would do like shorter clips and skits that would go viral because the longer ones are a little harder to go viral because of the time and stuff like that. Yeah. So sometimes the shorter the video, the faster the punch, the first three seconds or the it's there's a whole and then there's, there's a whole thing to it. Yeah. These were split up of Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Yeah. So so when TikTok started coming up and I was like, well, if I hop on this now when it's poppin and people are, everyone's jumping on it, that's sort of when it started to become a thing, I was like, maybe I can get ahead of the game and we filmed this. It's going to sound crazy, but we every day from 711 to, four and seven, I was posting on TikTok, oh, you had like a talk. You had your algorithm. Yeah. So the day, the day before, like at night, we would go through and say, okay, this is what we're going to film tomorrow. We had a whole content schedule and the next day we would film all of that because I was like, we're going to get a million. I want to get a million followers on this app so that I can reach out to brands and I can start doing ads and stuff like this and monetize it, because I wanted to get away from my I didn't want to keep getting dragged back into the industry. Yeah. And it's very enticing, you know, like you're in it so long. People know you. People want to keep it. I just didn't want that to be it. And I didn't want to be a content comedy content creator forever. It was just for the time. But I enjoyed it and we did really well. And then after a while I was like, what I really want to do is this, like, I really want to interview fighters. Like, I love my I grew up, doing karate. My mom was a martial artist. I owned a boxing gym. This is what I want to do, but it's like, how the hell do you just keep changing modeling to comedy content to make content like my audience is like, what the fuck am I doing? But they stayed, you know, they stayed. I once I got to the Mae community, it was an interesting, like, crossover, but I was like, oh, how do I take comedy and turn it into how do I take Mae and turn it into comedy so that everybody can absorb it, not just like the niche MMA demographic, you know? Did you have like, like a host or like, like an interviewer that you, like, looked up to? Not. Well, I mean, not necessarily because I, what I wanted to do didn't it didn't feel like it really, I just want to do something really different. Yeah. You know what? I didn't want to be influenced by anyone else because, I didn't want to piggyback off of anybody else's style as, like, if I just stay in my own lane and I just create my own type of, like, original idea or concept. I might not work in the beginning, but if I keep at it and keep like tweaking it and keep changing it and maybe the pacing or the structure, I think it'll work. Yeah. You know, something like this doesn't exist, so it's going to be kind of weird in the beginning. But if I keep working at it, I think, I think it could work. And I mean, here we are, you know, so smart, I mean, dealing. Yeah. You've connected with the most, you know, famous all time fighters of all time. But I also think, like when you said you took your followers along for the ride, it's like, hey, you like me, then you'll like what I like. And I like MMA and like, and you'll see why I like it. And I think that you're also like, that's why UFC just made such a great choice to trust you and your vision. It's like now you're bringing a whole different audience. If they weren't already fans, you know, they're like, dang, this is cool. They are funny or like that. Maybe they're not funny, but it's funny because she's funny, you know, like it's a whole. Yeah, it's been cool. Like, years and years ago. Like, we watched all the fights and I don't I get in trouble for this, but I used to stream them, like, live on my Instagram. And I used to, like, have a microphone. And she's like the new Joe Rogan commentator. Yeah. So like, people didn't know. People didn't know because it didn't live on my feed. So there wasn't like physical, permanent evidence that I used to do this. But every fight I would go live and I would stream the fight and I would just start commentating on the fights and for boxing, for MMA, for everything. I was like, I'm, I'm going to be a comic. I just wanted I just wanted to have me a part of my life. And I did this for every fight for like years. So like people that had fallen for a long time, they knew that, like even when Triller was doing like the boxing and stuff like that, I was working with them. And I had proposed this idea like, let me interview the fighters, let me do it, let me be a part of it this way. Because they wanted me to create content. I was like, I really want to be a part like like in like an intimate interview session or something like, let me do it. And it took a year of like begging them to let me interview the fighters, interview the boxers. I had like a whole spreadsheet. I had a PowerPoint. I had, I met with all the executives. We had zoom calls. I'm like, proposing, let me do this. I want to create this type of content. I know this will go viral. Like, let me interview the fighters. I mean, interview the boxers. They're like, well, you don't really think about it. And then lo and behold, I get the chance to go do an apex fight. I was like, this is it. I've never gotten to go to an apex fight. I don't even know how you get these fucking tickets. Like, I don't think they did tickets in the beginning. They didn't know. So, my friend, I feel like I'm only talking too much. I think that's the point of the podcast. Oh, I just feels like too much good. No, no. You're good. You're like, you're in. Sorry, I don't. Okay. You're telling your story. I know what it's like so long. Yeah, but that's it. Know, like, I just feel like a dog too much about, like, you know what I'm saying? But you're talking about how you got started into this, and that's basically what we want to know, right? Keep going. And then also like, okay, so Monster Energy there was this huge. So like from legends John Jones Alex Pereira to up comers like Royal Rosas Jr. Yep. How do you approach connecting with such a wide variety of athletes and A-Rod? Like how do you approach them? All right, a John Jones approach is going to be different from like, an up and coming fight. Yeah. Well, it goes back to so, so it's it's kind of weird. It goes back to, like when I was a kid and I was like studying other people. I'm like, how they just how they are, how they react with their behavior is, I always had this, I was just drawn to it. So, like, I'm looking at you. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, but I'm looking at you right now, right? Oh, you're not making me uncomfortable. Know what I'm saying? Like I'm watching, like, Look at how how you dress, how you wear your hair, how you wear your hat, how you wear your glasses. Yeah. How you talk, your pacing. I can't see your eyes because you have glasses on. Yeah, but like, usually like I'll monitor how fast, how much you swallow within the first 30s or blink or stuff like this. Like what makes you your eyes and. Yeah. So I'm studying everything about you. Like the way you're swiveling in your chair. Am I doing are. You're doing great, dude, I love you. You know, you're laugh everything. Like everything about you. I'm watching so I'm like, okay, from in my mind in my files. I'm like, okay, this this person, I download all your information. It's kind of sound so weird. I don't like all of you. And then whenever I watch any content of you, I watch your videos. What you do, what you like, how you speak, who your friends with. I just study you and I'm like, okay, now I feel like I know you. Yeah. And I, I only really want to interview fighters, and I feel like I know them so that they can feel really comfortable with me. So I don't like going into something. I'll do it and I'll just kind of like, relax and be like, okay, let me see how much of them I can understand within the very few minutes of talking to them. So, like, I can feel their vibe and understand like how they work and if they vibe with me, if I'm too much, I'll tone it down. If I'm not enough or they need I'll I'll heighten it or do whatever I can to make you feel as comfortable as possible. But for all of the interviews, I pretty much take the first two weeks before any Pay-Per-View. I go through all of the fighters that I am that want to interview with me and, I study the shit out of all of them. So I watch everything, all their social media, all their videos, their fights, how they move, how they talk, all their press conference stuff so that this way, like when I'm sitting down with them, I'm like, okay, like, this is what you like to talk about. I know this is what you're interested in. This is how I can. So it's a lot of that. And then also just like listening and making sure I'm not making sure like, I was right in my studies. Right. I don't think sense. What, what's the biggest challenge you have with a fighter that may not be naturally outgoing? Because I feel like some of them are so good in their way of, they have created. I don't even want to. Oh, yeah. It's like, I feel like Conor McGregor has brought so much to the sport that then just carried over in like, a weird way. Yeah. So where like, some of these guys are so good at there, and then some of them are not. Yeah. So how do you, how do you deal with the ones that naturally aren't that I like, like more quiet or introverted? Yeah, 100%. Like, sometimes we'll have interviews. Yeah. It's like really hard to like. Oh, get it out of someone you will like. We'll get like, for example, you are not giving one word answers where sometimes we'll do an interview and it's a one word answer. You're trying to you're trying and trying to do anything to get them to tell a story. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, well, it's so I don't know, I don't want to sound like that. My favorite show is love like Love on the spectrum. Yeah. So not that that's fucked up. Not that that's fucked, but I understand, like, this type of relationship. So it's like, what I've noticed is what are your interests? Yeah. What is this person's interests? What are they like? What makes them happy. So when I'm talking to someone who's, like, very introverted, I just start to ask. I start to like, okay, I know that they like soccer. So what's their favorite team? Okay, I know this is their favorite team. I know that two weeks ago they went to this game. So now I'm going to talk about this game so slowly. Like I start to talk to them about things that I know that they like. And then eventually they start to oh okay. Oh yeah. Yeah. And then you start to see. So it's like interest. It's always interest space. What are you interested in? How can I how can I understand you better. And like I have a lot of interest in a lot of things. So whatever you're interested in I can find something in there to be interested in, too. Yeah. Like always. Like on for what we do here. There are times when we're not at, you know, a desk like this or not, and, like, it's just a chair and we're in, like, a tattoo room or something, and I feel like that's. There are ways to, like when you're interviewing some people is to make it comfortable. You just want them to feel comfortable. Yeah, yeah. And the reason why Howard Stern was one of the best interviewers of all time, with the most famous people in the world, is because Tom cruise could walk in and sit down with this dude, or Matt Damon could walk in and sit down with this dude, and you're going to get the real Matt Damon. You're going to get the real Tom cruise, which most of the world, or 99% of the other people that interview these people can't do it because there's a trust thing and they don't feel comfortable with those people, which is kind of what you're doing. Yeah. I think it's important to like, I think people can always tell when you're not genuine. Yeah. You know, they always tell when you're kind of like, get them with a gotcha moment. Yeah, 100%. And you know what I always found interesting. You can tell the most on camera like, yeah, if you're one on one, you can kind of they can get away with not being authentic. But like on camera it picks up more so that I've noticed. Yeah. Oh it's wild. Let me say something. Okay? Here she goes. I thought we were having a conversation where I was just being chill. Okay, but apparently that's not. I'm too chill. So now I gotta turn the fuck up. So all of you out there watching me, I'm about to unleash the fucking beast on this motherfucker, and you're all going to wish you didn't even have me on this book. It's. What's the next question? This is WWE right now. What's the next question? Came back hot. Yeah, man. She had two of these. So she's ready to. I was so I had two of these and I was super chill. Oh there was a question in here I saw earlier was what is your favorite drink. And they said don't say the juice. Is it the juice? The real juice. Is that is that what you do? I love the real, but I like the rehab. The iced tea. Because it's good. It tastes like. I mean, it's it's juice, but it tastes like iced tea, and it gives you fucking, like a get you old, like, fired up. Yeah. It's actually it's huge. Arnold Palmer. Really? Yeah. It's. I know Palmer. When I go to Applebee's, it's what I get. Arnold Palmer at Applebee's. Yeah, yeah. At Applebee's. Yeah. Okay. Applebee's or, You ever go to Cheesecake Factory? That's my favorite. I love the Cheesecake Factory. It's my favorite. Yeah. Arnold Palmer every day, I love it. Yeah. It's good, it's good. All right, guys, thank you. Everybody in the chat. The chat has been good. We're giving away, a supply of monster energy and, trivia question is going to be, which we hit at the end. But what, was, Nina's favorite, UFC moment? There's so many I had. I have, like, a lot of favorite UFC moments, but for me, okay, my most, the most my favorite UFC moment of another fighter. With me, with you, with me or of another. No. Okay. My my favorite UFC moment was when Sean won the belt because I was so proud of him. And there was. Yeah, I was yeah, you were there. I was there in Australia. I was so fucking proud of him. Yeah. Because he, like it just made it. It made me so happy that that that little fucking kid in him, you know, like, won something. And the belt doesn't define anyone, of course, but it was like he fucking did it. Yeah. You know, and that's how so fucking proud of him. So that was one of my favorite moments. It's a great answer. I was there for when. Conor. Thank you. I was there from Conor. And have you gone to that fight, like, in the year ago? And. No, in Vegas. Oh, that was in Vegas. And Habib jumped the he jumped Dylan Stone there. He jumped the cage Habib to fight Dylan Dennis. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it was a pretty big I was there. I remember that moment also being like, I was watching on TV, but you would go to Twitter now X. But there was like fights. It was breaking out everywhere. I was cage side you. Yeah. Yeah. They, they put our hoods on over us and grabbed us by the back of the robes and just escorted us out. That's crazy. Crazy. That was why there was a brawl. They were there for blood, man. They were going to kill each other. Yeah, yeah, that was my favorite moment. But that was the most memorable. Memorable? Yeah, I remember that moment. That was, oh, shit. This thing was like, this is serious. I was like, they're not Joe. I was like, I thought this was just a joke. No. Yeah, that was fun. Also when when, Nate Diaz beat Conor. And I remember that too. I'm not surprised. Yeah. On the, the the film the bad motherfucker. No that wasn't. No no no no no no that was just a it's just a fight. Fight. I'm not surprised motherfucker. I just love that I love that it's just like I, I love both of them. But that was a moment where you were like, oh, he's a fat. Yeah. Cuz he just, like, came in. He just did his thing and he just said, it's so cool. Yeah. Nonchalant. Yeah. Like, yeah, I knew it, I knew I knew it, I knew I was going to do it. They're so NorCal. They're like they're like, yeah, they're like thugs. They are. They're friendly thugs. Are your neighborhood thugs. Okay, I have one. What's a memorable or unexpected moment you've had during an interview? Oh, come on, I want to know it. I feel like it's going to be good. I it's it's the Tom Aspinall question. Well what's up I don't know that question. Do we were having a super chill interview. Super chill conversation as motherfucker looks at me and he goes, I love Tom. I love Tom as well. He goes, well, I got a question for you. And I was like, oh, no one ever asks me questions. Okay. Yeah. So I get I'm like kind of excited to see me, my chair and I like, hold my clipboard and I'm like, yeah, what is it? He goes, have you ever been fingered by an MMA fighter? And I was like, what? Who says I was like, Tom, we're recording right now. I'm looking at him like, don't wait. And he's like, and I was like, are we saying the same thing? Yeah. And he was like, yeah. I'm like, I'm trying to tell you, don't, don't do that. Don't do. And he was like, no, I'm just asking. And I'm like, no. Like, no. I've never been fingered by an MMA fighter. What the fuck? What the hell? Also like fingered you. What are we in third? Like, that's such a weird fucking thing to say. Like, oh yeah, like, what the fuck, I guess. And then he goes, then he doubles down, he goes, he turns red. And I'm like, dude, what the fuck? And I'm like, laughing like the nervous laugh because I'm like, this is actually really funny. But also, like, I'm scared because there's like PR and I'm like, dude, what the fuck? He goes, well, what would it take? And I'm like, Tom, oh, Tom. But it's like I thought it was funny. Like at the end of the day, I thought it was way people were upset with me for not being upset with him. Yeah, and I was like, that's the fun world we live in. Yeah. You wanted me to be offended, and I'm like, I'm not offended. I don't give a fuck. I was just looking out for him. And then we and then like, we edit the video and I'm like, well, you know what's funny? It's funny. Whatever. Like, if I don't give a fuck, why should anyone else give a fuck? That was the wrong. Apparently that's you're not allowed to like. People have to give a fuck for you. You have the craziest time. Yeah. And so I, I send him the video and I'm like, okay, this is the interview. It's. And I didn't even put it in the beginning to like clickbait anybody into like watching. I had it all the way at the end. I was like it went with the flow of the conversation. So if he's cool with it, I mean, we leave it in, let it ride, you know? So he left it in and I send it to the video, I send in the video and I said, hey, review this. Let your team look at whatever. Let me know if you like, if you want me to take anything out. He answers me back. He goes, if it's all right with you, it's all right with me. Boss. And I said, all right, send it. You know what I mean? Like there's shit roll I we posted, it was like number 19, like minute number 19 in the video I shit you not 19 minutes and like two seconds after I post this video, my Twitter is blowing up and I'm like, And I look and it's the one clip. Have you ever been fingered by an enemy fighter? And I said, oh man. And then he's like, what do we do? And I say, what do you mean, what do we do? You told me to post it. I posted it, and he was like, but. And I said, listen, don't like don't worry about it. It's funny, it's fine. And he's like, well, maybe, And I said, well, why don't we spin it? And he's like, well, let's, let's do this. I'm going to make a video. I'm going to make a video where I'm like, I'm doing this for all of the weird. I'm like, they're never that weird, Tom. They're never there's a line and I always tip toe over the line, but I never go full, you know, like in Tropic Thunder. I never do it. And I was like, there's a line. And he's like, well, why don't we just go ahead? And he's like, we'll just spin it. So it's like, oh, the, I'm doing this for the MMA fighters. All the weird question, do you ever ask them? I said, okay, Tom, whatever you want to do. So like we edit it, he sends me the video. I was like, okay, this is good. He's like, you want to collaborate? I said, yeah, we'll collaborate on it. So it was kind of like we collaborated on the video to let everyone else know we were just. It was just a joke. It's no need to be offended. Who gives a shit like, I don't care. I've never been fingered by an MMA fighter. I don't give a fuck, you know? Like you shouldn't give a fuck either. But it's funny. He went on a podcast and we're like, so Tom, where the question come from? And I'm just watching him. He's like, well, was just I just I'm like, no, really. Where did the question come from? Yeah. Well that he had to deal with it for however long it he's fine. It's, you know, in a good way. Funny. Yeah I mean it's it's definitely my most memorable interview. My most memorable interview. Yeah. For sure. You seem to spar a lot of guys. What, you're not afraid to jump in the ring with any of these guys? I'm terrified. Are you? Yeah. Because they don't realize how strong they are. They think they're going easy on you and they're not. Right. But, I mean, they don't mean it. They're not like, yeah, there's no ill intent. They're just trying to show you. And but fighters just are different. Had I don't know they're just built different you know. No it's true. I have a video of you here with more, Oh. He's crazy. I love Merab so much. I've never met anyone with any. He's weighs less than I do. I've never met anyone with a gas tank like Merab. I've. Every time I try to end this vlog with him, he kept wanting to do more drills and I'm like, I, I'm not. I don't want to. I'm. Please. I always thought that about the lighter weight class. Like you have, they will go, go. And that's what makes them. So we film. It was supposed to be like a 20 minute long video. We were in there for an hour and a half. I'm like, I'm fucking exhausted, dude. And he's like, no, I want to show you this movie. We're going to do this movie. But I didn't want to be a pussy. So I was like, all right, you know, the more we film, the more content we'll have, the more I'll be able to, like, promote this, you know, your fight. And I mean, the video did so well. I wore the wrong shirt for sure, but, I mean, they stayed in. Now you are the right shirt. Thanks, girl. You. Have you been hurt? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Dude. Shannon was fucking broke my leg. You know, I could see that. Well, he didn't mean to. He was so like he was. We were kickboxing each other, right? And he was like, oh, I'm going to check one of her kicks. He said this to the camera. I'm going to check one of her kicks. And out of nowhere I go to throw a kick and he checks it with his shin. And his shin is made of. He's gotten in like a motorcycle accident, so he's like a metal partition. And he has so many, like, like calcified bone. It's like this. You've seen X-rays, he show me X-rays of his, shin. And it's like this thick of calcified bone over his shin so he doesn't feel anything. And he gave me a people thought I was like, give me a bone contusion. A what? Really? Yeah. So I had it for eight months. People were like, you're exaggerating. I had a knot on my shin, and it was a bone. Like a bump. Like a hard, hard bump for, like eight months it took to go away. And I wonder about that. Like in fighting, like, I mean, how do they keep fighting? I would be like, I'm done, I'm done. Think about would be like, that's a warning. You know what? I mean? Like like I always think about that. Like it's enough just to get in there and do what they do, but when they're dealing with that shit. Yeah. And you've just got to keep fucking going. Oh my god. Like even when the last fight here's a video of you interviewing the current champion. Oh Giants Marr. He's a funny guy. The he's hilarious right. Yeah he's hilarious. I don't think people really get to see that side of him though. No he's very sarcastic. Yeah. He's very like he's very sarcastic. He's very funny. But when he was like, I didn't pay. I mean, how many ribs did he break on that kick? You know, he practiced that kick. I want to say, like, what was it, 3 to 6 hours a week for a very long time. Yeah, well didn't kick. Yeah, because you said he's like, I'm not a knockout artist. Like I'm not known for my knockout. So what do I said? The spinning back kick is one of the hardest, like, kicks. Even punch that you can do. So I'm going to perfect it. And he perfects. He perfected it. It's it's insane. The mentality behind like I'm going to do something and I'm going to do it so well. Then I'm going to practice it every day for years. I mean, I feel like you just opened up the show with that, though. Yeah. Like you were going to do something with your with your social media, with your shows and you did the best you could. I mean, that's just it's all that's that kind of drive, you know, that's why you're successful. That's why he's the greatest of all time in my opinion. Yeah. Good. He's very good. Tell us about Shawn Strickland that nobody knows did. He's a nice person. I know he he hates when I call him nice. He feels like it. Like he feels like every time I say he's a nice guy. Like it takes away his, like, manhood. And I'm like, but you are nice. Yeah. Such a big hug. He is a really. He's my most supportive friend. Yeah. Like I have, like he's he's people don't see that side of him because he's very I mean he's also Shawn Strickland. Like he just is who he is and people he's definitely a loose cannon. But he he's just he's well intentioned people really loving it that well-intentioned because he is violent and he's got he has the intention. He has like good intentions. Yeah. But it's it's funny. It's like the delivery needs a little work, but the messaging is there, you know, it's there. He means well, like, you know him very well. He's a good guy. Yeah, he really is. Yes he is. Yeah. And he shows up and he shows up for his friends. You know, it's funny. He loves monster energy too. I'll I'll tell you that time he goes like most like he gets to he goes out with Axel Hodges and the boys now, and he's like a little fucking kid. You know, when he gets to do those things, it's. It's he. He is very appreciative. And he he's very fitting for the brand, I'll say that. Yeah. He's like a, he's a good person, that this next fight is a big one. Oh, yeah. Yeah for sure. Because technically, I don't know why that technically he, he, he won. I mean, he pretty much won that. That's right. The last the last time they fought. Yeah. He got fucked. I feel like. Yeah, I well, you know, chance, he, I keep telling him like, you know, fucking knock these motherfuckers out so people don't doubt you, you know, and like, I I'll love to Drake is I love Drake is. But with Sean I'm like, stop giving them the decision. Yeah. Because there are people on there that don't get on board with the things you say. Especially like during the press conference. Here's the thing. He like I said, the messaging is there, but the delivery is off and people aren't willing to listen. Yeah. And they get so upset with how he says things are that they don't actually hear what he's saying. You know? And sometimes it's like, I get it. It's like he puts these little statements out that are like tweets and it's like, you got to finish the thought, you know, finish the thought. How did you get there? What? And then people will understand like, oh, okay. Well he didn't mean like women should only stay in the kitchen. He's like, that's what you said to fit on a shirt. You know, a woman in every kitchen, a gun in every hand. Yeah, Australia hated that. I mean, Australia hits a lot of things, but they love the people. Love Sean. Yeah. He speaks for the people. They didn't like that. Yeah. That Australian. It's not like a gun place. Yeah. We don't actually even have America I we do I know we, I know there are guns like we have guns but it's in a different way. Australia. Yes. You know what it's it's as somebody that grew up there, it's so crazy because like most of us, most Australians that you meet a wild and outgoing and yeah, like I had like a like, you know, like a bull in a China shop type style. Yeah. But we have rules and regulations that when you go there, it's like so many rules. Yeah. Just like, what a fuck. Like, you know, it's funny, it's like the you like, you would think that. Yeah, it's the people that set our rules up in the way that that the, our country is when you get there, it's, it's the complete opposite of what you would actually think. Yeah I know they detained him when he got there. Yeah. Oh really. Yeah. For for being himself. No they, they did they like detained him. Right. When they got there he was in he was in whatever in a box I don't know what. What the fuck you guys have. I don't know. He couldn't get in for a long time that he punched a fan. Yes. He does. Dumb shit. Yeah, yeah, but he's well intentioned because the fan. Listen to me, dingo. Yeah. Fan triggered him. Went up to him as a fan and then was like, Drake is is going to knock you the fuck out in his face. So disrespectful. Yeah. That kid deserved a gut shot. Yeah. Take it. Here's the thing. Like I said, the delivery might be off, but the messaging is there. And he's also, you know what? He he reads people very well. Yeah. He's very intelligent. Very, very he's in find out kind of guy. He's. Yeah. Mick knows McKay knows all about it. Fuck around. And you did get stuck in the middle. But he turned around and he was like, who's this guy? Didn't know who he was. He's like, he's a vampire. Oh, he did that to me. Yeah. I was like, you don't know the story. No, I don't know the story. And I tell the story. You can tell a story. Yeah, I love this story. Okay, so we're at Power Slap. Shauna had a really good time. He had a really good event. It was like he has, like a two hour max. After that, he kind of, like, fizzles out and he had like a few influence. They invited a bunch of influencers there. So they were all asking him like really dumb questions. And he was kind of like reaching his social ceiling, his breaking point. But overall, he didn't try to jump anyone or punch anyone in the stands or anything like that. So we're all on our way out. I'm sitting up, packing up my stuff because I was, sitting in the front, and I turn around and I see Sean, MC dingo, and and my boyfriend, and I'm like, what's going on over there? And I look, I'm like, oh, no. I look at my agent and look at my videographer and I'm like, we got to go. So what happened was he turned, went. Dingo tried to be so nice. And dingoes very like, I want you to meet so-and-so. And this is my friend and this is my buddy, and he's always trying to, like, bring people together. So he thought it would be a good idea to, like, introduce Sean to Mick, which did I love you, but I would have told you not so Dan told me the same thing. Not a good idea, dude. So he turns around. But his friends, he turns around. Sean's like, ding! I was like, I want you to meet Mick. And he's like, who? He turns around, he goes, what the **** are you dressed as? Okay. And he goes, and she got. So I did, but he was dressed as, like a vampire. And he turns around and he sees him and Sean. This is how Sean meets people. He meets people by, like, insulting you first and then. Is this the right way to do it? No, it's not. How you really meet people is how you make friends for life. Right? So when he did, when he met dingo, he insulted him first. Now they're friends for life because dingo laughed it off. He's like, whatever, whatever. You know what it is. You're like, yeah, I forget. And I was smack in my belly. But I mean, listen, he has, he has, he's well intentioned and he has good intuition because look where we are now. There we go. That is it. How do you how do you drop the ball on Megan Fox, dude? Because see, you have where Sean knew something. Yeah. He knew Sean knew something. How do you drop the ball? on Megan Fox dude? Only a vampire would do such a thing. Okay, we're kind of wrapping up. What do you. We kind of have the fire round. Yeah, like the fire. The fire sounds fun. She'll be good at it. Let's hit the fire. Hit me with a fire. All right, we're going to ask you some questions. You're going to answer quickly. Okay. Favorite fight you've ever attended? Fuck. Favorite fight I've ever attended? I want to say 276 because that's kind of what started my that's what started my career. And, that was when that was when Alex knocked out Sean. Sorry. I do my favorite people, but yeah, Sean got lit up in that one. But then it just then Alex just took off. Yeah. They're friends. They train together. It's beautiful thing. They they got, like, a good relationship. It's so crazy to me how fighters are like that. Yeah, well, Sean's the only one, like, willing to get in and, like, let's just respect for the sport there. Yeah. They're professionals. Yeah, yeah. It's cool. Moment backstage at a fight. Craziest moment backstage. I don't have any of those. Oh, Craziest moment. I don't have anything like crazy. What about when Connor threw the the dolly at the bus? Were you there? Oh, no, I wasn't there for that. All right, I'll take that one. That would have been fun. That would have been fun. Yeah. Violent. How does it feel? Winning MMA, personality of the year award. That was cool. That's really cool. That was cool. I, I was, I, I was hoping, but I was, I was I wasn't expecting who who's your who's your competition. It was it was Steph. It was I was so I was so shocked. It was a shell. Sonnen. Yeah. Bruce Buffer DC and Joe Rogan. Whoa. Wow. Yeah, I trust me, I, I thought it was so cool. You know, it's funny. Them haters are so fucking loud on the internet. But the my supporters, they really go they go hard for me. And I think that's so cool. Yeah. You know kindness doesn't, you know, hate so loud. They get so active in the comments. I don't know why I triggers so many people just being myself, man. Just the world that's why. Well, we live in they're so crazy. But okay I, I love I love it all. I'm here for it all. You got to take it the bad. Yeah. Of course you can't win them all. Really? I've never been lied on so much my whole life. I learned something new about myself every day. Yeah, well, welcome to the life of a ring girl. We rely on a lot. A lot, dude, the fuck? Okay. Favorite city to cover a UFC fight? Brazil. Oh, that Brazil is fun, I love Brazil, I want to go back as soon as possible, I think I've never been to Brazil. It's so good. It's so the people are like, you go there and you're like, wow, they're living. I could see you going to Carnival. Yeah, but festival. Fuck you. Yeah. Carnival or Mardi Gras, dude. Yeah, yeah, you can do both. Like it? Yeah, I need to go. Yeah. Okay. So let's say a fighter who surprised you the most during an interview? I mean, they all surprised me. Yeah. I mean, definitely. I mean, Tom, that one surprised me. Why? Because he's because I because I should ask him. Anyone ever suck you off? Like what? You're great. Right? Like what? I can imagine, he's like, yeah, I got to. I didn't expect it to go this far. Oh, interviews over. Now, I mean, there's there's so many great ones. Like, it's fun. You know, even in when interviewing Alex, it's like he started off as, like, stone cold. No emotion. And the more you get to know him and, like, the more you pull out of him. He's like a really funny person. Like, he's he has so much charisma and it's cool because it's like we don't even speak the same language. Like, yet like he knows how to convey what he's feeling or what he's thinking just by like, existing. It's it's really cool. So it's been cool to like, get to know a lot of these. I think that you're helping a lot of these fighters in media training because a lot of it, they don't get taught media training. They're they're learning how to fight. And yeah, so when you're there, when you're comfortable and you're like, like you're reading them and you're kind of helping them directing like on what is going to be the clickbait or just like getting them to be comfortable. Like you're helping them a lot. It really does. I hope I, I think, well, definitely when it comes to like, social, like a lot of them, whenever they need help with social stuff, like, I usually try to help them out of film how to when to do this, how to do that. Like, any way that I can, you know, I try you're heavily involved kind of in power slap now as well. How's that been? Fucking wild ride, dude. It is wild. Yeah. It's. No it's insane. Yeah, yeah. It's definitely a different crowd from UFC. Yeah. And I think like, your core UFC fan or fighter like is not a fan of power slap. Oh, maybe not a fan. It's just like, I don't think that they they don't respect you. Which is totally understandable. But as a business and like, watching like diner, like those guys like, build that out, in such a quick way. And again, and we live in a time where people have, you know, it's, it's people have 15 second attention spans and watching it's working, slapped on the internet. You know, a lot of the times it's like, I promote Power Slap on because it's like part of the UFC. Of course I'm going to support Power Slap, but I think at the end of the day, it's like the numbers speak for themselves. So whether you hate it or you love it, it's the numbers are insane. People are like, where are you getting all these numbers? Just go to the chant, go to the page, go to their Instagram, the YouTube, their TikTok. The numbers are astronomical and people think Dana is just making these numbers up. You can research everyone's analytics, you can research them, you can go and research all of these channels and stuff, and people are watching. And what I noticed is people who are, like, apprehensive of the sport are critical of it in the beginning, whatever you want to call it, when they go to the fight and they watch it live, that's when their opinions are like, all right, well, that's kind of cool because it's shocking. Every time you watch it, you're like, I shouldn't want to see this, but I do like on this. It's insane. Yeah. You're like, do I feel bad? Or my yeah. You know, like or is this entertaining to watch but like okay well well do the last question. That's a really good one that a fan asked. What's a personal goal or project you're working on right now that your followers don't know about you? That are. Yeah. Well, we we're we're okay. We only got two minutes. We're so okay. Wow. So fast. It goes really quick. I was so fast, but so working on that. A fan that should I mentioned the the what I was talking about earlier okay. So this is something that I'm working on and it's going to happen next year in 2025. I was like, okay, how do I level up the type of content? Because I don't want to drain. You can't drain blood from a stone. Yeah. You know, so I'm like, so what do I give like the audience that they haven't seen before? Like, how can I level up the content so that they like it and that it's different? So I'm going to start traveling to all of their all of the fighters countries. I like that. And we're going to do we're going to Brazil. We're going to go to Georgia. We're going to go to I'm trying to go to Kazakhstan. We're going to go all over South Africa. We're going to go Mexico everywhere, and we're going to do day in life and fight blogs in their country. Perfect. Get to know them all there no one take my fucking idiot. I'll watch it go. No Hunter personal. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. No thank you. You are fucking awesome. I appreciate you, thank you so much. And we'll have you back, okay. Thank you Renee. Thanks, guys. Thanks, monster. Thanks, guys. Thanks, chat.