“I just mentally know that in training, day in day out, that I prepare myself to get exhausted, get tired and then it’s all about who’s got heart,” Durden said. “I prepared hard for this fight and it’s going to be a good one. Charles is a great opponent and he’s going to bring it, but so am I.”
Heart. One thing that Durden believes sets him apart from the rest of his competitors is his heart and will to win. When he steps into the gym every day, Durden thinks of three people: his mom, dad and wife. Those three have been the core of Durden’s support system since the start of his mixed martial arts career, so at the end of every fight, Durden just hopes he proves them right and doubters wrong.
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“My mom and dad, and my beautiful wife,” Durden acknowledged as his biggest supporters throughout his career. “She’s been there since the start of my fighting [career] and I just remember coming home at 9:30 at night, I’d work all day, from 5:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon and then I would go to training for two hours. I’d get home after 9:00 at night and she’d have dinner in the microwave waiting on me. That’s a big reason why I’m here. It took a team to get here and we’re still a team to this day.
“It’s been a long journey to get here, and I’m just enjoying it. I worked my whole career throughout my 20’. I worked a full-time job with two kids and I kind of did things backwards. I had a kid when I was 20 years old, but I still made it, I made it happen. I was working and fighting, and we’re here today. I’m here this Saturday to prove a point and make a statement.”