On this latest episode of “Listen In With KNN” presented by FOX Sports Radio, host Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed Clifford “Big Cat” Starks to the show. Big Cat is a professional fighter of Bellator MMA, World Series of Fighting Canada and UFC. 

Today, Starks is a successful entrepreneur running a business called Starks Transformational Coaching: The Fighters Formula. 

Prior to building his business acumen, Starks was a physical trainer. He was working as a physical trainer in 2005 before he fought professionally. Starks shared the motivation that pushed him into the ring. He summed it up by saying he wanted to live a life worth living while challenging himself. 

“If I fight with guys who are my same strength, size, speed and ability, that’s going to be a heck of a competition. So I got out there and gave it a try,” he said. “And I was right, it’s not easy. You learn a lot about yourself.”

In the first sparring match during his training, he was paired with a fighter who matched his skills. He had the durability, resilience and heart to keep going. In his second match, he was against someone a little more advanced. Even though he lost, his opponent noticed Starks’ drive.

“He’s like ‘Man, you’re going to be good.’ I go, “What are you talking about? I didn’t hit you once. You beat the crap out of me.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, but you got me in the chest that one time.’ I go, ‘Dude, I hit you once, and it was your chest. I didn’t even get you in the face.’”

After that, a coach pulled him to the side and started working with him. His former coach saw Starks giving his best and being determined.

“When I talk about giving my best, I’m always gonna give my best. I did give my best as I was getting my butt kicked. But coaches – good coaches can see that. They know when you’re giving your best, and they want to actually help you give your best.”

After he completed his training, Starks started fighting professionally. From 2011-2013, he fought in the UFC. From 2013-2014, he fought in the Bellator MMA. From 2014-2016, he fought in the World Series of Fighting Canada.

But he likes to say he’s a “former UFC player” rather than “retired” because he can always come back. He said the reason he walked away from the fighting ring was the birth of his first child. 

“I want to get a message out there. I always wanted to get a message out there, but there are safer ways to do it now.”

He felt terrified during his last fight, and he didn’t know why. But once the cage door closed, that’s when it hit him. 

“I’m getting ready to fight this killer Russian,” Starks said. “They close the cage door, and that’s when I realize I gotta watch my kid tomorrow. Probably not the best space to be in right now.”

Talking about being in the best space. Nelson related it to the motivation and drive current athletes have. As the NFL, WNBA and MLB seasons are in full swing, Nelson said while sports are physically and mentally draining, the heart and passion for the games need to be there so people can fully love what they’re doing. Starks agreed, saying there’s a heart-mind connection that affects people’s ability to make decisions. 

“My mind was there because the mind is the ability to connect the dots as a fighter,” he said, referring to his last fight. “My skills were there, but my heart wasn’t in it. When your heart’s not in something, it’s probably not the best place for you.”

Starks talked more about his experience with professional fighting, saying it was both a competition and collaboration. Like in other sports, the opponent and crowds expect you to be a certain way inside the cage. 

“When I’m on one side of the line and someone’s on the other side of the line, they got to do what they got to do, and I respect it.”

In July, Starks was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame for the “Champion for Change” title. Nelson asked how it felt to go from somebody who had a dream to getting their name on the Hall of Fame. 

Starks said it was a huge honor and privilege to receive that honor and grateful for the journey to get where he is today. He emphasized results are important, but how you win is even more important. He also pointed out you are at your best when you’re giving so much, it scares you.

“If we put in the reps, we’ll put them in crappy yet first because that’s just the way that everything goes. I sucked as a fighter; I’ve sucked in life, but I’ve also gotten really good in life. You get good from putting in the reps and giving your best each and every time.”

Then, Nelson and Starks transitioned to parenting, shifting to Starks’ role as a parent. As a parent, Starks’ biggest lesson was to listen to empathize with people better. He said even when we think we’re listening, we’re not truly if it’s in a way we’re already used to.

“The older I get, the better I get at listening to other people. It’s not an easy thing because we’re in our bodies” he said. “I get to listen for my kids, for my wife, for my community. I get better at it the more that I do it.”

Nelson asked Starks how his road to entrepreneurship went for the first time. He described it as a “hard-to-easy road,” and he prefers it that way because it’s how his mind works. 

Starks talked about an encounter he had with a snake-oil salesman at the beginning of his entrepreneurship journey. He got frustrated because the supposed easy steps the salesman gave him were hard to pull off. 

“There were parts where I actually would get frustrated because I’m okay with hard work. I don’t have a problem with hard because I know hard will become easy. But if a person tells me ‘Oh, this is so easy’ and it doesn’t feel easy to you right now, you actually get frustrated.”

Because of that experience, he learned to never take the easy way out. To listen to the full conversation, watch the full live stream below!