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MONTREAL, CANADA - NOVEMBER 16: John Makdessi weighs in during the official UFC 154 weigh in at New City Gas on November 16, 2012 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

John Makdessi

TRAINING: Every day is different. I work on my strength and conditioning, wrestling, and striking and grappling.

When and why did you start training for fighting? Started at 6 yrs old at Tae Kwon Do , At age 17 started karate and kickboxing, and then MMA began at 22 yrs old.

What ranks and titles have you held? Junior Olympics in Tae Kwon Do (gold)--- WKA Gold in Karate Kickboxing --- 2006 Eastern Canadian Championship in Kickboxing and USKBA world championship (gold)

Do you have any heroes? My brother, Dave, and inspiring people like Cro Cop and Bruce Lee and Fedor.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It means so much to me that I’m willing to sacrifice my life for this.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No

What was your job before you started fighting? Working at a restaurant as a cook.

Ranks in any martial arts styles: Black Belt in Karate (kickboxing discipline)(shotokan)

Favorite grappling technique: Guillotine

Favorite Striking technique: Kicks