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Steve Carl, on “Beatdown,” discussing why he continues to train locally:

“I don’t have trainers. I just kind of do my own thing. I’ve got a couple of training partners that push me pretty good. … The big problem with these small groups of fighters is every time somebody starts getting good, they bolt. They take off and they go to a big gym that already has a name and then they can make it into a bigger show not on their own name but off of the name of people that came before them. There’s no way for these people in these smaller communities and smaller gyms to get recognized unless somebody stays and paves the way for them, and I wanted to do that for our team. I stuck around and made a name for myself and then here’s where I am. …

“On a certain level you need to be surrounded by talented individuals, but on the other hand, you don’t. If you’re able to push yourself and you’re able to get out there and train and do the things that you need to do to get better, you can make it. I’ve proven that. I have a set of good guys around me, but my group of guys is one or two at times. Other people have these big camps. They have coaches. They have schedules. This sport has always been about self-discovery. The biggest factor in anyone’s career is their self. You need to be a strong individual for this sport because when you get in that cage, nobody gets in there with you. It’s only you.”

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