Manolo Zecchini

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started at the age of four with karate because I was a lively and undisciplined child. Thanks to my martial arts education, together with that of my parents, this sport gave birth to the love for martial arts within me.

Who is your favorite fighter and why? My favorite fighters are Jon Jones for his in-fight intelligence, Conor McGregor for his demeanor and business acumen, and Michael Chandler for his physique and wrestling skills.

Do you have any heroes outside of fighting? Yes, my lifelong hero is my dad

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? For me, it's the fulfillment of my life's dream and I'm finally fighting in the place where I've always wanted to be.

What fight do you consider to be the key fight in your career and why? Getting to the UFC is my trophy! It represents the culmination of a lifetime of sacrifice and self-denial — spent far from home, alone in a foreign country that I have, by now, come to love (after hating it for so long), because while it has given me so much, it has also taken so much away.

Beyond a championship or money, what motivates you? My motivation has always been — and remains — singular: to be able to provide for my parents and my family, and to repay them for all the sacrifices they endured alongside me.

What was your job before you started fighting? I went to school in the morning and worked as a mechanic in the afternoon.

Ranks in any martial arts styles: Black belt in karate, blue belt in BJJ for 8 years

Favorite grappling technique: Triangle choke

Favorite Striking technique: Flying knee

Tell us about your life outside of fighting: I come from a very close-knit family. For the moment, I don't have any children of my own — though we are planning to start a family soon — but I do have a wonderful stepdaughter, whom I love as if she were my own! This coming June, I will be marrying my girlfriend after five years of being together. Back in Venice, I own and run a martial arts gym called Fighters Angels alongside my father and brother; it allows me to train and stay in top shape whenever I am not in America!

What is one thing that you want UFC fans around the world to know about you? To the fans, I say this: I am an Italian kid who, at the age of 17, dropped everything and went to Brazil alone to fight his first professional match. That is where my career began. For the past 10 years, I have been traveling back and forth across the Americas to learn from the very best; for the last 8 years, I have been training at Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, under the guidance of coaches Winkeljohn and Jackson. I have suffered severe injuries that made my journey all the more difficult, but I always overcame them. I have demolished every obstacle in my path, leading up to the day my dream finally came true: the call-up to the UFC! As of today, I am the second Italian fighter to join the UFC roster. I consider myself incredibly fortunate because, throughout my athletic career, I have always had my father and my brother right there by my side. In fact, my brother is one of my coaches.