FiveKnuckles.com: Tell me about some of the sacrifices you've had to make along the way?

Stitch Duran: I moved to Las Vegas fifteen years ago to follow my dreams because I loved the business so much and still do to this day. I used to have a good paying job in "Corporate America" with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company... I had a company car and wore a tie and all that good stuff. I didn't quit my job, but I did take a job transfer to Las Vegas and the hit in pay was about $25,000 a year. In moving here, I closed my school, sold my house, and moved my family, and it was worth it in the end. (UFC referee) Steve Mazzagatti said it to me best one day, he said: "Stitch, you've revolutionized being a cut man." Like I said before, I get hundreds of emails from people who ask me what it takes to be a cut man, and I'm happy to be of some help to them. (Laughs) I mean shit; you're interviewing me about my whole life right now so I must be doing something right?

FiveKnuckles.com: (Laughs) Well Stitch, I can't disagree with you there. You know you've finally arrived when you have a sit down with Tommy Kail of FiveKnuckles.com. I should quit while I'm ahead.

Stitch Duran: (Laughs) I like you, you got a good sense of humor.

FiveKnuckles.com: In all actuality, you're living proof that there's much more to the fight game than lacing up the gloves and going at it. By the time you became the premier UFC cut man, you knew the fight business inside out. In saying that, are there enough opportunities out there for other cut men to make a career?

Stitch Duran: No. The first thing I always let people know is if you're doing it for the money, than you're doing it for the wrong reasons. You have to do it for the love of the game and that's the same with anything. In all honesty, I'm probably the only person in the world that's making a living from being a cut man. Now I'm not saying that to be all high and mighty, I'm saying it because it's the truth. I've worked forty-five events last year so I'm able to have consistent work, but that's not the case with everyone. The average cut man might work ten fights a year and you're probably not going to make much money so don't quit your day job. That's what I did when I was pursuing my career. I kept my day job even though I was taking a $25,000 pay cut. I've always had a job until four or five years ago when Xyience and One More Round came around to sponsoring me, and now Tapout has me too on board too. At the time, I was working exclusively with the UFC and the two Klitschko brothers...