Geane Herrera Reveals He Lived In His Car In Between UFC Fights

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Geane Herrera (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) spoke about his attempts to get by in between UFC fights, which included a job stocking groceries and a brief period of time in which he lived in his car. He will fight Ben Nguyen (14-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a flyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 101 on November 26. It airs on FOX Sports 1 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Here are highlights:

On needing a fight: “I don’t think anybody in the UFC knew until I basically reached out and told them, ‘Hey, guys. I’m basically living out of my car, I could really use a fight.’ They took care of me, man. They gave me a couple extra weeks to prepare, and here I am, counting down the weeks ready to go Down Under.”

On the job he had: “It was a job just in a little grocery store, put things on the shelf. It was very humbling to be in there and I thank God every day I did have that job because it was covering food, it was covering gas, but at the end of the day I just feel I belong in the gym 24/7 training.”

On how he’s improved from the experience: “I feel like a better Geane today. I feel like I’m maturing more into the fighter I want to be. I still have a lot to learn, a lot to grow from, but I’m happy with my skillset, with the way my mind is right now. A lot of this is all mental and I think the struggle just helped me mature a little more and appreciate my time in the gym that much more.”