John Phillips is due to make his UFC debut this weekend when he faces Charles Byrd in London.
His struggle to the bright lights of the UFC has seen him pissing in bottles while living outside the gym in a camper van and despite of all this - he has no regrets about the route he has taken to get to MMA's premier promotion.
He arrives to the Octagon having amassed a record of 21-6 on the regional circuit and spoke of the desperate struggle he endured as he chases his dream.
"It was too expensive for me - I couldn't rent, he told Off the Ball's Joseph Conroy, "And the best thing for me to do was to sell my jeep and get a camper van and stay at the back of the gym and that's what I did - sold the jeep and got a camper van.
"I was at the back of the gym for the next couple of camps.
"It was worse than being in jail! - I was training, straight back to the camper van, training, straight back to the camper van and you're in there all night then. I couldn't stand up in it so I'm doing everything sitting down - pissing in bottles!
"It's got a little sink and stuff in there - it had to be done. If had to do it again, I would. I'd prefer not to but if I had to - I would."
Phillips previously spent 6 months in prison in 2014 but was released without charge. He used his time in captivity to keep training and found inspiration from an unlikely source.
"It was section 18 for attempted murder. It was a load of crap. Where the jail is - I could see the jail from my old house so I knew everyone in there and it almost felt like going to a training camp. I was training every day and it was like going back to school in a way.
"I was a bit pissed off and this warden, Stuart Phillips, came in to see me and he said 'Listen John, you can be a somebody - you shouldn't be in here...John, you need to train. I want you to train in here'
"So this is my first or second day: 'You're going to the gym every single day - if you want to go to the gym - you go to the gym.
"I just want to say 'thank you Stuart, thank you for having that chat with me."
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