It's been a rocky little time for me the last few years. Lord knows I've posted ya'lls ears off about my little brief MMA run 16 years ago, most of ya'll are probably fed up about hearing about it. I guess it is a little weird to still bring it up but there were some legit great moments there that stick with me every day.

I really bottomed out in life last year and lost my construction business after putting everything in it to keep it going through covid, a time when supply chain issues really killed me. I would start a house for one contractor then get to a certain point to find out they couldn't find beams that I needed to finish, then I would start another house to keep my crew together and paid only to run into the same problems. At one point in 2021 I had 3 houses going at the same time and couldn't finish shit because of problems finding windows and LVL beams, and of course the fat lazy big wig contractors here always nothing was ever their fault. I scored a big 12,000 square foot mansion to build in 2022 that kept me going but just barely made any real profit off of it because of the rising prices of EVERYTHING, nails doubled in price during that job, gas skyrocketed that Summer. 

My shit fell apart last year after I sacrificed my credit to try to keep it going, broke even on a few jobs because I was overpaying guys to keep them around, then got screwed over hard by a shady contractor that got me for about $3,000. All of this while going through a custody battle for a boy I had in 2020, a custody battle that I won, his mother completely turned her back on him and hasn't seen him since he was 3 months old. It's been just me and him ever since. Lawyer fees, skyrocketing Daycare fees, diapers, groceries tripling pin price, nobody to watch him so I could work late/weekends, that's the shit I been going through.

My last shot to keep my business going was a 4,500 square foot house I got last May, I went through 10 different guys trying to finish it, dudes would quit after 2-3 days and then hound me that friday for their little check. Last July the 3 guys that had stuck with me all quit around the same time and I wasn't able to finish the house and lost 2 more houses from that contractor that they had waiting for me. My credit is trash now and I had some lean times last fall struggling to buy food or find a regular job. I was pawning tools to buy groceries and make daycare payments last September/October because of this and if not for my income tax check I got last month I would have lost my truck(fell 3 payments behind). 

But things have really turned around to be better than they have in a long long time. I landed a sweet stress free job at a cabinet shop that has taken me in like family and built my confidence back up. I got back in the gym in January for the first time since September 2021 and I'm looking the best I have ever looked now at 39 years old. My 3 year old boy is amazing and I am his entire world, we are closer than anything I have ever experienced. My mental health is thriving right now, I'm a bad ass motherfucker. Everybody knows it. 

Kilgore showed me a boxer named Matthew Saad Muhammad and I've been watching his fights pretty non stop ever since. I can't say anything has ever inspired me like this. I have found a boxing gym that is 13 minutes from my job and I'm getting ready to start training there. I ran at the track last night for the first time in 4 years and pulled off 5 miles without stopping, it felt amazing. I'm going to back off of the weights and start doing the Holyfield circuit to get in shape this month, then I'm going to join this boxing gym first of July. After everything I've been through the last 16 years I feel like that in itself will be a major victory to just get in there and spar and train and hit some mitts, but I really would like to fight one last final time. I never got to close the book on that the way I wanted to. 

I'm going to post updates here and let ya'll know how it all goes maybe this will inspire some of yall if you ever go through tough times of your own to not give up. Life is a fight. Lets fucking go motherfucker bring it on

And maybe some topless pube pics to lure 🤯 back

And also doing this for my little sister I lost in 2013, I feel her with me all the time, Friday when I cranked the truck to go to the gym at 5am Dreaming Of You by Selena was just randomly playing on the radio, an R&B station that really had no business playing Selena or that I have no idea how my tuner was set to. That was her favorite. Yeah we're doing this.

Oh man. That's a rough stretch, brother. I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm really glad you're making it out the other side to Comeback City. And that I contributed a little introducing you to Saad. That makes me feel good. We've been internet family for almost 12 years now. Fucking crazy. 

Don't want to get into the details (which are actually boring, I'm making it sound more cryptic than intended), but I'm approaching rock bottom, myself. Looking like I'm going to have start over. Again. I've lost count how many times. So it meant a lot to read this, more than you know, and I am going to try to use your comeback as my own inspiration now. 

With Matthew Saad Muhammad, the miracle comeback king, as our higher power.

Tough run Neo Zeed, but I'm glad you are coming through it.
Every week in the news here another construction company is going bust. The success of a business is no reflection on the character of the owner.
With the approaching economic downturn it's not a bad time for the security of a good job

I am very glad things are turning around for you Neo Zeed. I work for a larger employee owned construction company and we have been dealing with the same issues like employee retention and watching cost of materials rise. Being a buyer I saw some items go up as much as 400%. And do you think they are coming down when things are levelling out? Of course not.

It's great you are getting back to doing something you love in running/going to the gym. I'm sure it helps with maintaining the positive mindset you've been building back up and cultivating.

I'm sorry things are not going your way Kilgore. I'm sure it gets frustrating having to rebuild over again. I've done it a few times and know how defeating it can feel. Hoping you find your way on the other side of it before long and please reach out to your internet or real life support systems if you need. I know we don't know one another well, but I am here for any of you if need be. After all, it was the support of strangers from the internet that helped me turn things around for myself over the years.

To go through all that and now hearing you're getting happy and healthy is outstanding. Not only that, these next few years are pivotal for you and your son, and hearing you've become such a positive male role model for your boy is fantastic to hear. All the best Neo Zeed

Agreed NATH45. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I feel the men on here are outstanding fathers. Whether you learnt from your own or the absence of having one, your children will grow up feeling loved and protected-which is what any child deserves but does not necessarily get.

Massive update like shit out of a movie, we pulled up to a job this morning to set cabinets and Derrick Krantz just happens to be working here. He is former Legacy MMA champ, big time fighter. I fought on 2 of the same shows he did back in the day including the Bruno movie filming scene, we had fun talking about that. I got a pic I will post it later. He invited me to come train at his gym here and his dad runs golden gloves boxing here. It’s fate man everything that has happened is leading me back to the ring.

I had no idea he made it to the UFC, went 0-2 in 2019 fought at one of the Fight Night in China, I stopped paying attention to the UFC years ago and never heard about that. But gave him major props for winning the Legacy FC belt back in 2015 I remember that. Was surreal to be working with him today he was running trim on the house I set cabinets on. Looking forward to training at his gym in July that will be big time. Let me get to my laptop and I will upload a sweet pic I got with him, very cool guy and earned a lot of respect from me seeing him work like I’ve had to. If I am going to make this happen I couldn’t have connected with a better contact than who I did today. I sent him a video of Matthew Saad Muhammad we talked about him today he had never heard of him, also had fun talking about the old days it was nice to finally run into somebody that was there for some of my fights.

probably going to be huge pics so put in spoilers:

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My current shape, taken Memorial Day, I'm a little more ripped now:

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And broke out my old training shorts from 16 years ago they are still good, these things seen some battles:

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Big Dog.

I wanna be interviewed for the documentary.

What weight class do you plan on fighting in Neo Zeed

Jun 11, 2024 0:55:23 GMT NATH45 said:

What weight class do you plan on fighting in Neo Zeed

I haven’t weighed myself but most likely 170 lbs

oof what a thirst trap 🥵

Ok boxing class at his gym is 7 to 8 Tuesdays and Thursdays, that is more than doable, baby steps that will be a big win just to walk through those doors and put gloves on after these last 16 years. All that self doubt and all the fear will be faced. I can't imagine tearing a bicep or rotator cuff or having to go get hardware in my neck that is what I'm afraid of, nothing is worth that. This is why I'm going to stick to boxing and not try to get into MMA again. Grappling is out. As much as I dreamed of being Royce Gracie and Bret Hart I found out through 9 MMA fights back in the day that standing and trading punches was what I was best at anyways. I made good friends with getting hit in the face and had great reflexes, I think I still have both of those qualities at 39. Also good footwork(in a cage though, I lost both my MMA fights that were in a ring).

My goal is to start the Holyfield circuit the last two weeks of this month, aiming to hit it at least 3-4 times the last week of June that should get me in fine shape to hang with a one hour boxing class. I'll post what that circuit is next when I get a chance.

Also my boy starts head start in August that will free up $510 a month in daycare fees so should be able to afford a membership to this gym.

50 yard gasser sprint circuit at the football field here in town will separate the men from the boys. Especially in 100 degree Texas heat/humidity right now. Run from sideline to sideline, then back, then back to where you started at full speed full intensity. Take a 2 minute break then do it again, take another 2 minute break then do it a 3rd time. It's the shortest and most effective workout possible to work your cardio and explosiveness. All that track running and treadmills and pelaton bikes can't compare to this circuit and what it does to you if you do it regularly. In all its about a 5-6 minute workout.

This is my secret weapon, Evander Holyfield used to do this to get ready for fights, it’s in a book I bought in 2007 this was basically CrossFit before all that existed. I started doing this after I lost all 3 of my first 3 fights and it made a huge difference. My little brother moved and I had nobody to train with for my 4th fight a big fight in Little Rock against a guy that won a toughman tournament and had won both of his MMA fights by knockout. I can’t remember his name but remember the name of his gym was Hard Knocks Fight Team.

I just did this circuit over and over every day after work with my 2 cousins, one to hold my legs and one to work the stop watch. I drove up to Little Rock by myself and the coach that coached the guy that beat me in my first fight took me in and offered to be my cornerman. I got hammered in the first round and almost knocked out I was out on my feet and didn’t know where I was for a minute.

After the first round that coach jumped over the fence and picked me up off my knees in the corner and asked me “how’s your cardio” my answer; “I think my jaws broken” 😂 I was ready to give it up and go back home and frame houses.

He wouldn’t let me quit he just said cool, here’s what I want you do do, he started giving me a bunch of technical advise I had no idea what any of it meant. The other guy started getting tired in the next round and I put it on him, slammed him a few times and dropped him with a kick to the body in the 3rd round then finished the fight on top of him I had one of his arms trapped between my legs and his other pinned down with my left arm and was hammering him with unprotected shots with my free hand(copying something I used to see Matt Hughes do a lot) when the final bell rung.

That was a battle. I won a split decision one of the judges thought I should have lost is how bad I got beat up in the first round. I couldn’t eat solid food for a week, it hurt to open or close my mouth.

That coach invited me to come up to Searcy to live with him and his wife and train full time and I did and won my next 5 after that, I took over that gym and was the guy everybody looked up to.

I'm fixing to start doing that circuit again next week at the football field to get ready to go to that gym it's on

Reading your story is very inspirational to me. I wish you the best, brother

Live your life to the fullest bro. No regrets. Good luck.

www.facebook.com/share/v/qPYJbYrPPY6JmMgZ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Not sure if this link will work but I worked a punching bag today for the first time in 16 years, 3 rounds. The last round I worked my kicks something I was known for back in the day(my last fight where I won a belt I won with second round KO via high kick, the only time I ever put anybody down). Felt really good man, hands felt great too. A little rusty but not bad. Still got the power and flexibility got some nice pops probably over 6'3" on that last right high kick. I think I’m going to just get back into MMA. I've never done boxing before and had terrible footwork in the 2 MMA fights I had in a ring. Also can't imagine doing an amateur boxing match with huge gloves and head gear that is just not what I want. Advice I got from Derrick Krantz was to just throw myself back in there, after watching some of the fights at my weight from the promotion he’s trying to get me to fight for I’m feeling pretty confident. 

Hell yeah.

I'm set for Monday night at the MMA gym to start. Current shape(looking a little rough, I was so tired last night I forgot to put a pullup on my little boy and he pissed in my bed, woke up at 1:15 to clean it up and couldn't get back to sleep, still had a monster workout this morning):

SPOILER: Click to show

So at this point all the doubts and demons are creeping into my head big time. The "What the fuck am I doing" has set in. I'm too old for this, not in good enough shape, going to get injured and fuck my job up, I don't sit at a desk all day I have to physically be able to work. So if I tear my bicep me and my boy are fucked. If I sprain my neck we're fucked. What the fuck am I doing.

There is no backing out now or else I really embarrass myself. I have officially thrown myself back in there guys. I'm going to step back into an MMA gym on Monday night for the first time in 16 fucking years. That is a pretty fucking massive victory for me to be able to do that and something I never in 1,000,000 years thought I would do again. I'm just going in with a shut mouth, not looking to make any friends, fighting for my fucking life. I have no idea what to expect. It's all sinking in.

What is also sinking in is that this is totally unrealistic, just for the simple fact that I live an hour from this gym and a single dad with a 3 year old boy. They train from 6 to 8 five nights a week, I really have no fucking idea how I'm going to make that work. My mom picks my boy up from daycare at 4:30pm and usually watches him for me until I get home around 5:30 or 6, but now with this training I wont get home until 9 or later. I just don't know what I was really thinking man. She's going to have to tough it out at least for a week because I can't look like a scared bitch and not show up. This is just the first step I guess to just get in there and make it through the first week and see how it goes. I don't know man. Seriously starting to get anxiety about it all and doubt myself now.

In the biopic there's gonna be a scene where Nobi overhears his kid say "yeah well MY DAD can beat up YOUR DAD" and then eye of the tiger hits and it's like DUN NUH NUH.

I made it man, tonight was awesome I cried in the truck after it was over. I never thought I would ever do this again and that fucked me up on the inside. Had a great first night for not doing anything for 16 years, felt a lot of respect and worked with a guy that has quite a bit of UFC experience. I don’t want these people finding my wrestling fan fic so I’ll refrain from posting names, but tonight was a huge win for my soul. I had so many doubts all weekend and was very close to blowing it all off until the last second. But it was I against I and I, and I won. Love you guys

...Dude, I am so fucking happy for you man. You look like a million bucks, got your boy and you're back doing what you love.

This is seriously inspiring. Thank you for sharing Nobi and keep the momentum going! You got this bruddah!