Bc of Reddit I was on Jimmy Kimmel last night & The Today Show this morning. This is my 1st post... AMA

love the video! Kids, always curious.

Best kids in the world... Full of love. Sad the living circumstances they are in.

What do you tell the people/kids when they ask what you do for a living? Is it hard explaining to them that you are a professional MMA fighter?

Well... They have never really asked. They just love to play and have fun and hang out... Except for the parents who are slaves and they are awesome people too... Especially the ones we have free'd now around 120. They are able to live life like they want.

How often do people travel to these villages? I assume that the older members of the village have probably seen caucasians or other visitors before but just the thought of never seeing anything outside of your little village blows my mind.

Edit: Also, much respect for what you are doing over there. There are not enough good people in the world. Faith in Humanity restored (for the day at least)

Thanks brother! This village was definitely not one of the more remote villages... There were tribes deep in the jungle we went to that most only had leaves as clothes. Of the 9 Mbuti Pygmy tribes I had went to all 9 had never seen a white guy before... 2 or 3 had never even HEARD of a white guy and ran from me... and had to touch me to make sure I was real and that they wouldn't go through me! Pretty surreal. 85 km's deep in the forest... most by small small trails.

And it's a passion of mine. They are my family now, and I want to do what I can to be a benefit to them.

How do I get a marvellous beard like that?

You gotta be of viking descent...

That... Or descent of the yeti or sasquatch.

-Vanilla Gorilla

VIKINGS!!!!!

My Nordic genes commend you for your Nordic genes.

YESSS!

What is the process of freeing a slave there?

I detailed some of it here... http://igg.me/at/FightForTheForgotten/x/2539743

We negotiate it with the slavemasters. We buy land. We place them on it. I honestly didn't know I was getting myself into the liberation biz... lol. But four of my best friends are Congolese and with the oldest university there. So local, highly respected people with HUGE hearts. The president of the university and the dean are the ones helping me.

Amazing work friend, I am sure it has to wear on you. It makes me think of the end of Schindlers list when he realizes what he could have done to save more.

Thanks so much brother!

And yes... It REALLY wears on me!

What made you decide to be a model human being?
How many good deeds do you do in a day?
How will you train for MMA while in the Congo?

You are funny bro! I am just a dude wanting to care for these people... They are my family.

Lugging 80 pound packs through the jungle will be great training... haha

Who are they enslaved by? How are you able to free them?

The Rebels enslave them in the gold, diamonds, and coltan mines.

They are pushed out by wildlife and rainforest conservationist...

The illegal deforestation makes the animals they hunt flee FAR away when tree's you can drive a mack truck through make thunder as they fall in the forest...

So they have their land they settle on bought up from underneath them because they can't read or write and have never had an opportunity to have a job for pay. So they are slaves to the Bantu people.

10-12 hours of slave labor equals a bar of soap in pay. or maybe two small banana's... or A tiny bag of salt. or a minnow... Yes... Fish bait that their slave masters call "fish."

http://igg.me/at/FightForTheForgotten/x/2539743

Explains some of it

Oh and we don't free them from the rebels... Although one day maybe. Hopefully this year there will give me insight into it.

How was it meeting Jimmy Kimmel?

Best of luck to you, if you ever need a good meal give me a shout.

HEAVYWEIGHTS LOVE GOOD MEALS!

I love that there are good people out there who are willing to take steps to improve lives of people they don't know. I don't really have a question, but wanted to say that I admire you (and your magnificent beard) and the ability to squeeze into that tiny little hut. Seeing the smiles of the kids in the video and the beautiful people you were helping makes me think that humanity is actually going to be ok.

Thanks so much bro! You really just encouraged me! If I could ask you for a favor... Please share this cause!

http://igg.me/at/FightForTheForgotten/x/2539743

Done deal and a small donation made...I wish I had more to give. Hopefully it can go to help some kids get a simple pill they need to keep them alive and smiling.

YOU ARE THE MAN!!!

How did you end up becoming a UFC fighter?

How did you end up going from a UFC professional to freeing slaves?

It was a goal since I was 13. Started wrestling at 15, National Champion wrestler by 17. Lived at The United States Olympic Education and Training Center for Greco Roman wrestling.

Debuted my pro fighting career at 19...

Filming Ultimate Fighter reality show at 21

it aired when I was 22...

I am on a win streak but am taking time off to go to the pygmies for a year. I have been two one month trips... This one year will be when we see 1,000 be set free.

Much respect, man! Looking forward to seeing you in the UFC again someday!

Thanks bro! I am hoping to really make a push when I get back. Now I have an even bigger purpose to fight for :-) When I fight against a person I will be fighting for a people!

Thank YOU! Your video made my day yesterday when I saw it. Very cool to hear you're a martial artist, and doing something so positive in your off time.

Thanks so much for that! You can help me cast the vision! That'd be a HUGE HELP!

I am going to launch into a journey into the the Jungle for a year to set 1,000 slaves free (minimum!). Please Share this! http://igg.me/at/FightForTheForgotten/x/2539743

What was your initial reaction when you discovered the sudden popularity?

I didn't know why! But I am thankful... I am hoping it will help my cause and my journey to the jungle for a year to see 1,000 Mbuti Slaves be set free! Woot woot!

http://igg.me/at/FightForTheForgotten/x/2539743

Do you plan to go back to UFC, or are you going to stick with humanitarian work? What's your plan after this year?

Thanks for being awesome, and good luck with the indiegogo!

edit: you should add the link to the indiegogo in the description of the Youtube video!

Bro GREAT idea! THANKS SO SO MUCH!

What is one or some of your most memorable experiences from your time in Congo so far?

Good or bad?

Good: Being given my name... Efeosa: The man who loves us. I will admit. I cried.

Okay/Surreal: Waking up to a dream of sinking in quicksand. Almost like if you had a dream falling through the sky but sinking instead. I had this dream because I was waking up in the rain, sleeping on the dirt... Which turned to mud. Surprisingly... I woke up with a smile. It's a labor from love.

Almost worst.: Being inches away from stepping on a Black Mamba the Pygmies killed for me!

Worst... Having a one and a half year old die in my hands and burying him after.

What made you visit the pygmies in the first place? Did you go to the Congo for that purpose, or were you there visiting the friends you mentioned maybe and...?

I think it is great that you are going the route where you buy their freedom instead of getting the "higher up corrupt involved." What were your reasons for going this route? I would love to see a whole article on that, it reminds me of the work the Nature Conservancy does, except a million times better.

Doing some interviews on it today!

I went there for them, and was accepted as family. SOOO glad I did. Couldn't imagine doing anything better with my life.

Hey man! You definitely have an interesting story, glad to see someone so passionate and ready to leave home to help others. My question: How are you dealing with the language barrier? What dialect does the tribe speak?

P.S. I, too, live in Africa. There are a lot of the stares and giggles from children everywhere you go. Never changes!

I have four of my best friends that are Congolese and they go with me... And I am currently trying to learn the language :-)

Forwarding to everyone I know. Be safe out there, m'man.

YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

Good luck on hunting Kony!

I'll be avoiding rebels... However, if I see that one in particular I might give my life trying to take him out. LRA have EATEN my Pygmy family...