That must make him very popular behind the curtain.
“They think I’m crazy,” he said of the fellow fighters watching his pre-fight demeanor. “But it’s my personality, and when it’s time to go out, I get this stoic look on my face and zone out.”
Then it’s fight time, and it’s been over two years since he’s tasted defeat. That’s an impressive run he hopes to make more impressive in the fights to come, but beyond wins and belts and internet fame is a more important goal for the dedicated schoolteacher.
“I really want to motivate them to do something different, to have something else to do than play video games all day or goof off or get into trouble,” said Osbourne, who said many of his students are from the inner city, dealing with daily battles not many see. He knows all about those battles, having been there himself.
“For them to see someone who came from running barefoot in the slums to being in the UFC, that’s really inspiring,” he said. “And that’s what I want to do – I want to inspire as many people as I can, especially the youth.”
He’s got his chance. And it’s coming soon.