Fighters give advice to their 19-year-old selves

On Thursday ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt will fight Cody Pfister at UFC FN 80. The bout will be the second under the UFC banner for the 19-year-old Northcutt.

Ahead of that bout, Lisa Foiles of UFC.com asked several fighters what advice they would give to their 19 year old selves.

Brandon Thatch:
Train. Train and focus. I feel like I’ve had a lot of life experience and I would never change that but I think if I would have focused on MMA a little bit more I think I could have been a world champion by now.

Dustin Ortiz:
My advice… just be freer, be freer. You know, don’t hold back, jump on every opportunity. It’s kind of like advice for everybody else. Do you and I think the biggest… yeah, just be freer, you know? Don’t be afraid to take off, or put on that jokester hat you’re talking about and have a good time.

Michael Johnson:
I don’t think Sage is my 19. You know when I was 19 things weren’t as clean cut, you know? (laughs) He’s way too clean cut. I mean, any advice I could give 19 Michael is keep doing what you’re doing. It’s gotten to this point, you know I haven’t changed anything in my life, I’m still the same guy, you know. I like to just do what I do, I don’t change anything so the things I did at 19 led me to where I am today so I’m not going to take anything back.

Myles Jury:
The advice I’d give to a 19-year-old is stay the course and remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.