Urban Grandstand Digital Issue 1 | Page 7

1ST CHOICE

FOR YOUR HAIR

"If you threw one jab, I threw two or three more, just to know, just to know I'm up on you. In cage fighting, I don't really care about my points"

-Darnell Pettis

Lorans R. Jones: You both saw the John Jones fight. Basically, it came down to him barely winning the fight. Partly because he was the champion. In those close calls, should the referee be consistent and give it to the aggressor, or should it go to the champion? Usually, it seems the challenger has to do "that much more" to win.

Darnell Pettis: I know it's all politics, but I feel it should go to the aggressor. I'm 7-3. I've had 2 close fights. Usually it's because I'm in their backyard, because nobody in Ohio want to fight me so I go to different states. Because I'm in your backyard and I'm the aggressor and they give it to you, that's b.s. to me. I lost in Kentucky. No disrespect to KJ Hannah. He hit me up on facebook and he told me I won and they played me. That's unacceptable to me. The most aggressive.....

Jerrell Hodge: just because you the hometown boy...I say give it to the most aggressive. Champ or no champ. Hometown or no hometown.

Lorans R. Jones: The fighters enter, they always have their theme music playing. What do you listen to before the fight? What gets you motivated?

Jerrell Hodge: Right now, I just listen to whatever is hot. Drake "Trophies", everytime I'm running that's what I've got playing.

Darnell Pettis: I will listen to anything. Love songs, fight songs. Mostly love songs. When my feelings are there, I'm engaged mentally, emotionally, because I'm working out.. I definitely will play some Avant.

Lorans R. Jones: Are there any other things that motivate you in the fight?

Darnell Pettis: The crowd reaction. After I throw a solid punch. I just like the oohs and ahhs. That was one of the things in Kentucky. I was getting a lot of oohs and ahhs. Pointing at the crowd. I'm in his yard, but I'm handling business. I'm very humble, but I just like to have fun.

Jerrell Hodge: I like hearing the boos. Like, keep booing me. I'm about to know out y'all homeboy (laughing). But I like being the underdog. That's what gets me pumped the most. Seeing blood turns me up a little more.

Photography by Sean D. Harris