Julian Marquez is taking wins in the octagon and the gossip columns

Julian “The Cuban Missile Disaster” Marquez at a post-fight press convention. // By way of Twitter Livestream

On February 13, Julian “The Cuban Missile Disaster” Marquez gained his middleweight major card combat in opposition to Maki Pitolo at UFC 258 in Las Vegas. It was his first combat again after spending two years out of the octagon, recovering from an harm sustained in his 2018 loss to Alessio Di Chirico. Saturday’s combat noticed him struggling to include a fiery Pitolo, earlier than launching a third-round comeback that led to his victory by submission with a formidable anaconda choke.

In his post-fight interview, he regarded into the ESPN digital camera and requested Miley Cyrus to be his Valentine. By the subsequent morning, Cyrus had responded on Twitter with a unique request. I caught up with Marquez on Wednesday afternoon by way of Zoom to speak about his massive comeback, the Miley state of affairs, and the podcast he began final 12 months with grownup movie star Kendra Lust.

From what I learn, the harm that you just had is sort of a uncommon one. So I suppose I wish to know a bit bit about what the restoration course of was like and why they thought you weren’t going to have the ability to combat once more.

In my final combat, the latissimus dorsi tendon that connects your lat to your arm, that controls all of the pulling, pushing, it snapped off, fully severed. And I really needed to discover a specialist that might do the surgical procedure. So I discovered Dr. Verma, who’s out of Chicago, and he’s completed the surgical procedure and carried out on lots of MLB pitchers. And what he says is what occurs when it will get overextended, they get a slight tear, whereas mine, he’s by no means seen it like that earlier than. He’s by no means seen it fully severed from the bone itself. So that they needed to anchor it in. 

With that course of, Dr. Verma wanted to be protected. He had by no means seen this. And he does this 5 occasions a 12 months and he’s been within the follow for a very long time. He’s well-known for one of these surgical procedure. All these high-level MLB pitchers that needed to go to him for this. And he was explaining like, “We’ve to ensure it stays on there. So we don’t need it to tear out and we’ve to anchor the tendon again into the bone.” 

Properly, [it ended up getting] adhesive capsulitis. So for six weeks, I stored my arm in a sling. And for six weeks, my physique was therapeutic quicker than the anticipated price, sort of like Wolverine. I did the entire Wolverine therapeutic and I over-healed myself, which triggered adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, which locks your complete total shoulder up. It’s sort of like sticking two items of hen on high of one another within the freezer and holding it there for six months, after which pulling it out. That’s precisely what occurred. It was caught. So it solely had restricted vary of movement. Every time it comes out like that, they do it the identical approach as two items of hen caught collectively, like find out how to separate that, how powerful and troublesome it’s, however you’ll be able to’t run sizzling water beneath it. So there’s no time-frame with regards to adhesive capsulitis. It simply undoes itself when it undoes itself. 

And, man, it was a troublesome course of. As a result of we legitimately needed to do issues that most individuals couldn’t do with their arm. We needed to do issues that most individuals couldn’t maintain a abdomen for. I’m telling you, you needed to pull, you needed to push you, needed to virtually re-break the scar tissue that was in there to the purpose we really needed to have one other surgical procedure as a result of the scar tissue was so unhealthy that we needed to go in there and get it eliminated. And once more it simply continued. It continued to do this and it was very troublesome. It was a troublesome one.

Yeah, sounds loopy. Trying again now, after you’ve gained this comeback combat, are you glad this was the one you got here again to, or do you continue to want you bought to combat Safarov final 12 months?

No, it doesn’t bum me out in that sense, as a result of it’s a kind of issues; you’ll be able to’t management what you’ll be able to’t management. Like I couldn’t management my arm getting ripped out. I couldn’t management the method of when it healed. I couldn’t management Safarov not making weight. All I may management was me. So for me to say, “I want I’d have fought Safarov,” it doesn’t matter. I’m excited that I acquired to combat. I used to be advised at one time limit that I could not have been in a position to combat once more. And now I’m stepping within the octagon. And it didn’t matter who it was with. And this is without doubt one of the best comeback tales on high of a comeback story. It wasn’t the most effective efficiency, nevertheless it was an incredible victory.

Catch everybody up on the Miley Cyrus state of affairs and the way that has all performed out for the reason that finish of the combat.

I confessed my like to Miley Cyrus on stay tv, on pay per view, and it made lots of waves. Lots of people retweeted and pushed it to the purpose the place Miley determined to remark again and he or she advised me to shave an “MC” in my chest and I’m all hers. And I responded again [I’d do it] if she acquired a henna tattoo of my nickname throughout her abdomen. And he or she thought that was humorous. So she adopted me on social media. Every part’s cool. The general public is upset with how I responded which could be very bizarre. I ponder why folks really care how I deal with my enterprise, however it’s what it’s. 

And on high of it, all people was so invested that I ended up speaking to Barstool Sports activities. I talked to Robbie Fox, and I used to be like, “Hey, man, I wish to assist out your guys’ fund. You guys are altering the lives of individuals with Barstool.” I stated, “How about we tie you guys in with the shaving my chest.” I stated, “Let’s see if we are able to elevate some extra money to assist out the COVID aid program you guys have for the small companies,” as a result of that’s what we do. I’ve all these views on me, all these folks on me, all these eyes and for what? Like am I gonna sit there and simply be egocentric? No, like, if you realize me, in case you’ve recognized me, you’ll be able to ask anyone, that is stuff that I love to do. That is who I’m. That is my type. And I get pleasure from it. So we linked up collectively and now we’ve a hyperlink the place you’ll be able to donate to the Barstool Fund for COVID [relief] for small businesses. And as soon as we hit our goal quantity, we’ll find yourself shaving MC into my chest.

That’s nice. So when did you first turn into a Miley Cyrus fan? I’m guessing you didn’t develop up watching “Hannah Montana.” So what has your fan journey been like?

That’s humorous—I legitimately did watch “Hannah Montana.” It was simply on throughout my period. Once we grew up we didn’t have cell telephones, we didn’t have all these video games and stuff, so after I acquired house from faculty, I’d simply sort of hang around. I lived out within the nation. It’s a must to bear in mind I lived out  half-hour away from all my mates and it was a toll to truly stand up and drive someplace, sp in case you didn’t have any plans, you simply hang around. So I’d simply go see what was on TV and all people liked watching the Disney Channel. I grew up on that. So I watched “Hannah Montana,” I liked the music, I partied within the USA, I blast all that out. 

After which, slowly however certainly, she began popping out with higher music, like music that made sense to me on the time. You realize, I’ve fought accidents rather a lot, I fought lots of totally different feelings rising up. And her music, “Wrecking Ball” was one thing that simply stood out to me. That was one of many largest [songs] I walked out to. In Kansas Metropolis, I walked out to “Wrecking Ball” and really turned a wrecking ball within the combat and threw a knee like a wrecking ball into a man’s, ribs, broke his ribs and ended the combat whereas he was grounded. The primary time anybody noticed that. 

After which I went to concert events. I used to show tumbling and all my college students knew I liked Miley Cyrus. I’d play the music throughout our tumbling class on a regular basis. So my college students really purchased me Miley Cyrus tickets when she got here to Kansas Metropolis. She’s teamed up with Three 6, she got here out with “Malibu,” she got here out with “Prisoner;” she’s on this ‘80s kick now that’s even higher. She’s determined to go together with Blondie and remake “Coronary heart Of Glass,” which is like one in all my all-time favourite Blondie songs … I’ve at all times liked that tune; we jammed out to Blondie years and years in the past. And it’s similar to, she’s evolving in the way in which that I’m evolving. And her pursuits are going the identical route as me and it’s similar to, I like her man. She’s wonderful.

So how do you hope issues play out from right here with that?

I imply, the Miley state of affairs in all probability is, we’re simply going to be mates and that’s about so far as it’s gonna go. Like, this all is a friendship and I’m utilizing what we’ve to assist generate different issues for various teams, charity and issues like that. However we’re good with mates, man. Like, in all honesty, in case you have a look at it, I’m making an attempt to be a champion within the UFC, I’ve to take a seat there and undergo my complete path. She’s been by her path, she’s acquired every part discovered, we’re on totally different wavelengths. And that’s just about the place I see it at. And I don’t know why everybody else thought there was one thing far more than what it may have been. However it’s what it’s, you realize? I’m on my path within the UFC. She’s on her path and singing unbelievable music and dope mates is the place we’re gonna keep at.

That makes me wish to ask: What’s in your fitness center playlist?

I do have a bunch of pop songs on there. I don’t know why. For some motive, the vibe, the music, every part. However I do have “Wrecking Ball” to sort of get me pumped up, excited. And you then’ll have “Coronary heart Of Glass” in there. After which you’ve got “23,” then I’ll have some Taylor Swift in there. I’ll have some Katy Perry. Then I sort of go into Spine, which is my brother’s band. And I play them and lots of Bridge 9 [Records] music … Every tune means one thing to me another way and every tune brings a distinct type animal out of me, so I’m everywhere.

You co-host the Beauty And The Beast Podcast with grownup movie star Kendra Lust. What makes you guys work nicely collectively?

Once you meet one other cool individual that’s on the identical vibe as you and you’ll have an extended dialog, it simply turns into … one thing nice. And that’s what occurred with Kendra and I. We movement collectively, we speak collectively on a regular basis, and we’re like, “Properly, let’s simply do a podcast. Let’s go from there. Let’s construct it up.” And that’s what we’ve. And we’ve an incredible podcast the place we speak about a bunch of various issues. DC [fighter Daniel Cormier, who has recently talked some trash on Julian] must take heed to it, as a result of we speak about relationships. We speak about speaking to ladies and issues like that and I don’t assume he understands that my response to Miley was positively an influence transfer as a substitute of being an individual that folds to a lady telling you, “Hey, do that for me and I’ll do that for you;” that sort of deal.

How did you and Kendra first meet?

We met on her birthday, really. She was in Vegas [where Julian used to train] on her birthday and we ended up assembly and sort of becoming a member of by there. I used to be with Eric Anders and his spouse and all of us simply had been related by that.

I’m positive you’ll have loads to speak about on the subsequent episode.

Yeah, we [record] the subsequent episode on Thursday. We’ll drop it Friday morning and there’s gonna be lots of intriguing info that I’m going to disclose on there.

Observe Julian on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for updates on his UFC profession, friendship with Miley, and podcast. You’ll be able to donate to the Barstool Fund for small enterprise COVID aid here.