Uriah Hall breaks down mental aspect of fighting, previews Anderson Silva bout

No. 10 ranked UFC middleweight Uriah Hall shares his thoughts with Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole on being a "realist in a fake world" and how he stepped out of his comfort zone to become one of the top fighters in the world.

Video Transcript

[YAHOO SPORTS THEME]

KEVIN IOLE: Hey folks. I am Kevin Iole. Welcome to "Yahoo Sports."

And my guest now, one of the most exciting fighters in the world. And he is going to be fighting on Saturday at UFC Apex. One of the most exciting fighters of all time, going to be a great fight-- the number 10 ranked middleweight in the world, Uriah Hall. Uriah, how are you today?

URIAH HALL: Good, pretty good.

KEVIN IOLE: Uh, exciting fight with Anderson Silva. Is he a guy, as you got into MMA, that you had looked to, to fight him some day? Did you want to match skills with him all the time? Has this been a, kind of a dream of yours, at all?

URIAH HALL: Uh, it was a dream to meet Anderson Silva. And of course, with everything happening, being in the UFC, being compared-- I guess, another dream happened, to go up against him. But in the beginning, I remember meeting him, saying, I would love to train with this person. And just so happened I'm going to fight him.

KEVIN IOLE: Where did you meet him at the first time, and was he still a champion when you guys had met?

URIAH HALL: Uh, I'd met him at one of the-- I think when he lost to Weidman. I'm not sure if it's the first or second time. And we just had like, a brief moment where he kind of understood where I was in my journey as a martial artist. And he just gave me some advice to just stay focused, and remember how good I am, and to go out there and just have some fun.

KEVIN IOLE: Right. You know, I wonder-- that's an interesting thing, remember how good you are. Because obviously, you have worlds of talent, you know, being ranked number 10. And you've done so many good things.

I looked, you beat the number one contender at light heavyweight now, so you've got to win over, over a guy like that. So obviously, you can fight. Israel Adesanya, the champion in the division, maybe his worst performance as a UFC fighter came against Anderson Silva. He showed him so much respect.

And I wonder, how do you get past that? You know, you think of who Anderson Silva is, the legend he is. How do you get past it, and just go in and, and fight your fight, and take him as another opponent?

URIAH HALL: Could you repeat that question again? I'm sorry.

KEVIN IOLE: Yeah, I'm saying, how do you, how do you not let-- you know, the fact that you like Anderson Silva, that he's such a legend, affect the way you perform in the cage? Like, how do you get past whatever admiration you have for him, and just fight your fight?

URIAH HALL: Well, think about it when you want to do something that you need to do. How do you not eat [BLEEP] to get fat? How you do what you're supposed to do to stay healthy? You discipline yourself.

So it's about discipline, and creating that mindset of what needs to be done, and separating the things that's going to distract you from that.

KEVIN IOLE: Seems to me-- and I wonder if you would agree with this-- I mean, one of your strengths as a fighter recently is, you know, your mind. You know, you seem like you're a thoughtful guy, and that the mental part of MMA has always been something that, you know, has influenced you. And it seems like, you know, you have gotten a lot stronger in that area as you've gone along.

Have you-- has that been something that just comes with experience? Or is it something, you know, that you're working on to try to improve throughout your career?

URIAH HALL: It's acceptance-- that's how I look at it. Like, for instance, I never wanted to be a fighter, ever. I wanted to train.

But my sensei decided to make me step outside my comfort zone by making me do something I didn't want to do. And for years, you know, I guess that was a thing that I didn't enjoy. It's like public speaking.

So a lot of people don't like public speaking, because it's uncomfortable. So over the course of the years, it was more just stepping in there, and not really allowing those fears to take over you. And even in my amateur days-- actually, I didn't really have any amateur fights.

But my first four pro fights, I just, I didn't care. It was more like, all right, whatever. But the moment you allow that fear to get in your head, it just kind of hinders. And then you start to doubt, and then there's negative affirmation, there's negative people.

And the problem right now, what we have is with social media. And it is easy to access people's opinion without repercussion. Like, personally, me being from New York, you say something I don't like, I'll flat out punch you in the face. But I can't do that.

I would do that, though. But of course, my coaches talked me out of it all the time. Because that's how I am.

I don't believe in disrespect. I will never disrespect someone. Like, why you disrespecting me? You don't know me. But it's easy.

And MMA fans, you know, they, they, they take a toll into that. And me being sensitive-- because I come from a different background, where I never experienced bullying, and it happened to me. I never experienced trolling, and it happened to me.

And the fame, I didn't know how to handle that. There was no guideline principle. So I had to learn all of this over the course of the year by myself.

And certain individuals who I thought were my confidants at the time, ended up being my constituents. It's just life.

KEVIN IOLE: It really is.

URIAH HALL: So I look at it as a story. As, as everyone else have their own story, you have your own story of what you do, for how you are, and where you end up, even right now, in that chair. Everyone has their story.

I have a story where people get to watch. I get to perform on the stage against someone that's, of effect to kill me. And there's millions of people watching that. And in watching that, they're going to have their own opinion.

And if you're not careful with that, it affects you. It affects you so easily.

[SNAPS FINGERS]

But I'm not in that world. I-- I struggle with that, because I don't believe in it. It's like Instagram. I don't believe it-- it's [BLEEP] fake.

It's a bunch of [BLEEP] on Instagram with filters, and shaking their ass. I'm like, [BLEEP] what the [BLEEP] do you do for mankind, to have 12 million followers?

KEVIN IOLE: Yeah.

URIAH HALL: People follow you-- what do you do? So that world doesn't interest me. So I struggle with that, because I have to play into it, because I'm a realist. And if I'm a realist trying to be in a fake world-- it doesn't mix.

KEVIN IOLE: I think that's a fascinating answer. And to me, like, the definition of courage, or one of the definitions of courage is, doing something that you don't want to do, when, you know, when you know you can be harmed. And I wonder how you got over that.

Like, let's talk about your early fights. Is your, you know, your sensei's telling you you have to take a fight. So you're being obedient to him. But in your mind, like, you know, as you're going out there, like, when-- how did you come to terms with it? And was your heart pounding like, as, as you're standing--

URIAH HALL: Yeah.

KEVIN IOLE: --because I can only imagine what--

URIAH HALL: Because that's life. That's, that's life. But life's about risks. Risks-- meaning, to take chances, to get to somewhere you've never been before. If someone didn't take a risk to [BLEEP] fly a plane, we wouldn't have [BLEEP] planes-- or a risk to make a car, we wouldn't have cars, you know? Or risk to punch someone in the face, we wouldn't have entertainment.

So it's risk, and it's taking risk. And at that time, I guess, me never taking risks, was a fear factor. I didn't understand it, I didn't want it, because it was uncomfortable. And I think a lot of people live in that uncomfortable realm.

And I was one of those. I was-- I mean, comfortable realm, I should say. And I was one of those, I was comfortable, you know? And to step outside that comfort zone-- to me, that's where life begins.

And again, over the course of the years, I can't tell you that pinpoint, exact moment-- just like when you've been with someone for so long, you can't really tell when you fell in love with them.

KEVIN IOLE: Right, right.

URIAH HALL: Something had happened. So something had happened at some point where I was like, what am I doing? Or maybe gradually kind of get over things, gradually getting over people's opinions, gradually get out of the discomfort of where I am, you know? Wanted to make a better change for myself.

Right now, I can tell you that as I get older, I'm, I'm looking more towards the future. And it's good to stay present, but I don't go too far in the future. Because that's what you get lost.

KEVIN IOLE: Sure.

URIAH HALL: You go too far, it brings anxiety. And of course, if you live in the past, it's going to bring depression. So as present as I am, to enjoy this, I try to say, OK, I want to get here. How do I utilize what I have right now, to get there? And I think, with all that said, that's what kind of helped me to blossom.

KEVIN IOLE: Hey, do you love MMA now, or is it a means to an end for you?

URIAH HALL: I love the, the competitive nature of it. I don't like the business aspect of it, because where I come from, as a martial artist, it doesn't contribute to that. It's, it's like boxing. Boxing is just politics, bunch of trash-talking, and people just screwing you with money.

I don't come from that. I'm a martial artist. So from a martial arts standpoint, the way I was taught was to do things honorably, with integrity. Now, throw that into mixed martial arts, or the UFC, or the world, or any type of fighting organization-- you're going to be like, what the [BLEEP]? When did fighting become politics?

KEVIN IOLE: Right. It's-- are the politics like, well, when you talk about the rankings, or the--

URIAH HALL: Which is a joke, it's a joke.

KEVIN IOLE: Yeah.

URIAH HALL: When I was ranked 25, I believe, I knocked out Gegard Mousasi, who was ranked number six, and they put me at 10-- what the [BLEEP] does that even mean? And I was the only one to ever do it.

KEVIN IOLE: Right.

URIAH HALL: So that's when I was like, this [BLEEP] is a joke. First of all, who's in charge of that? It's like giving out your tax money-- you don't know where the [BLEEP] it goes.

Who's in charge of the ranking system? Who the [BLEEP] says that I'm number 10? I'm-- in my mind, I'm number one. What the [BLEEP] am I going to take your standards from?

KEVIN IOLE: Right.

URIAH HALL: What? That makes no [BLEEP] sense. But no one knows that. It's more like, oh, I've got to get here because, business.

I'm learning this. I didn't care for it, because I didn't pay attention. But I'm learning it. You know, there's a lot of fights I didn't take, where before, I was like, I'll fight him, because I'll fight anybody.

KEVIN IOLE: Right.

URIAH HALL: But certain fights hurts you, because certain fights don't get you where you need to be. I didn't care for that stuff, because I'm like, I'm a warrior, it doesn't matter. But that's the [BLEEP] game.

KEVIN IOLE: You took this fight against Anderson Silva, you, you were-- had two fights that were canceled. Both would have been good-- you know, a good fight for you in the division. Do you think that Anderson Silva had the same cachet now, at 45 years old, compared to Jacaré or Romero, that you were supposed to fight?

URIAH HALL: You're talking about his age factor?

KEVIN IOLE: Well, no, I'm just talking about where he is in his career. What would a win over Silva would do for you, compared to a win over either [? Jacaré ?] or Romero, at, at this point?

URIAH HALL: For me, I think a win over Anderson is more personal, than a win over Jacaré or any one of these other guys. It's ranking, you know. It's just to kind of-- oh, Jacaré, he was ranked this, so let's put him above this. Anderson's not really ranked right now. So as much as, you know, it's a great opportunity because he has a name and everything, it'd still establish me.

But for me, it's more a personal thing, to--

KEVIN IOLE: Right.

URIAH HALL: --go up against one of the best. But system-wise, you know, you look at one of these guys that are the top five, it makes more sense.

KEVIN IOLE: Gotcha.

URIAH HALL: So, it's politics, man.

KEVIN IOLE: How-- I just wanted to-- you know, this is your second fight with Fortis MMA. How, how has it gone there? What's the change been like? And isn't it difficult, after you're with one group for a long period of time now, you know, kind of getting used to a different way of doing things, and adjusting to what the new coaches, and the new team, how they do things?

URIAH HALL: Yeah, it's like dancing. When you dance with someone new, it's always going to-- you step on toes, you mismatch, you, you move a certain way you're not supposed to. It's not fluent.

So I personally think, with time, that's going to create that, with good communication. Yeah, we bump heads a couple of times, because I'm not used to certain things. There's a misconception that I'm hard to deal with. But I'm only hard to deal with if I don't respect you. If I don't respect you, then I'm not going to work with you. It's just-- I value myself too much.

But what I loved about it, it was-- structure, and with the strength and conditioning program that really sold me. Because my ex at the time, she invited me out. And she kept bragging about it. I'm like, aw, dude, all right, whatever.

So I went for a week. I was like, OK, it's just another dude yelling at people, I've been here before. What's so great about this? It was hard training, but I was like, all right, I've been here, too.

But what really sold me was the strength and conditioning program. Because within that one week, I've developed such incredible strength. My injuries were kind of misplaced by strength. And the way they utilize everything, and you know, [? they ?] [? generate ?] towards MMA, I was like, I need this! This is great!

Of course, it's slowly developed with the-- with me, and [? Safe, ?] as well. And then we just, you know, kind of mesh. And then he asked me to submit myself to the training, which is hard to do.

And I was like, I don't know, man, I'm dynamic. I don't know how to just be a boxer, or just do this. And he was like, just trust me, just submit yourself.

So I was disciplined. I submitted myself to the training, completely. And it turned out to be good.

KEVIN IOLE: That's amazing. You know, when you talk about the strength and conditioning, I wonder, is it something that you look at like, you know, do you, do you track it, and can you see the difference in yourself, say, a year ago to now, that you can follow the difference in improvement you've made?

URIAH HALL: Absolutely, because I've never-- my last-- first of all, when I made weight for Jacaré, I didn't even try. I didn't even try. It was-- I was like, what?

And prior to that, when I made weight in Canada for Antonio Carlos Junior, barely tried. And I was like, feeling strong and everything. I'm like, I was doing it old-school-- you know, suck out the water to clean yourself, not eating for days.

Where he's like, no, you can eat. I'm like, you sure? So again, it's trusting the process. And then when you trust the process, you enjoy the process. And that's what I was doing.

And I'm listening to these guys, you know, and I feel like they care. You know, it's easy to get distracted in this world--

KEVIN IOLE: Sure.

URIAH HALL: --of MMA. Because a lot of people going to say, yeah, yeah, I got you, bro. And then you're seeing a lot of fighters switch camps. And the reason why they're switching camps, because-- at the end of the day, it's about the fighter.

And this guy behind me right here, Clayton, he was like my--

KEVIN IOLE: There he is.

URIAH HALL: He's my boxing coach. And I worked with him for years, since I met him on "The Ultimate Fighter." And one of the key things he told me was, hey, if there's, there's-- so it's about growth. And he's always told me to establish myself now, because I'm not going to do it forever.

And you know, I heard that before, but it didn't really hit home. And then the biggest thing he ever told me was, hey, there's someone else that can get you to a bigger level, you know? I'm, I'm still-- I'm with you, because it's about you, at the end of the day.

And a lot of coaches don't understand that-- hey, I'm the best, I'm the best, I'm this, I'm that, I'm that-- when they forget, uh, yeah, buddy, you kind of helped me get there, but I'm the one that's doing the finishing torch.

KEVIN IOLE: You're, you're the one that took the fights.

URIAH HALL: Exactly. So it's, it's him having that mindset, to value me, and value what I want more, kind of just made me look at the sport differently, with a lot of people, with coaches. And I'm picky now. I'm extremely picky.

KEVIN IOLE: And you know, just to wrap up, a couple more questions-- you know, at your age, 36 years old, can you still have that big improvement? Like, I mean, can you keep, you know, keep going up, when you're-- or are you kind of at a level where, OK, I work with these guys, they got me to a certain level, I'm there. Or do you feel like you still have more to give, in terms of your ability in the cage?

URIAH HALL: You know, I, I watched a story that ESPN did on me and Anderson. I thought about it. I said it-- I, I feel like I said it first.

I call myself Benjamin Button-- I'm aging backwards. I am twice as fast as I was, maybe faster. I know so much more.

And the age factor is here. The moment you believe you're old, then guess what-- you're [BLEEP], you're old. It's a mindset. It's how you carry yourself.

There's guys [BLEEP] 65 years old, he has abs. I heard people asking him, what's his workout? He's like, uh, what are you talking about? He complains when he has knee injuries, because he feels like he shouldn't have knee injuries.

So it's a mindset. It's how you look at yourself. You can be 105, but when you believe you're 105, guess what-- you're [BLEEP] 105. So it's a mindset of how you carry yourself, how you think.

I don't believe in this age [? factor ?] thing. I'm a human being. I get injured, and all that stuff. It's how you take care of yourself. The right stuff you put into your body.

I consider myself a Ferrari. Ferrari needs high maintenance.

KEVIN IOLE: Well, those, those Ferraris can also go fast, and do a lot of amazing things, as can my man here, Uriah Hall. Uriah, great interview. Thank you so much for your time. Best of luck on Saturday against Anderson Silva.

URIAH HALL: Thank you very much.

KEVIN IOLE: Thanks, my man. Be well.